Bang!
The intense feeling of weightlessness only lasted for two seconds.
Hannya heavily slammed onto the brick floor of the second level.
"Damn it!"
"the mist, my the mist!"
Struggling, the man dragged his right leg, which had a dislocated bone, and barely managed to prop up his upper body against the wall to sit down.
In the silent corridor, he looked up to find five pairs of eyes staring at him inexplicably.
Hannya:...Eh?
Isn't this the White Torch whom he had just claimed 'it's useless even if White Torch comes'?
"I—"
The fierce soldier didn't waste words; his thick left hand quickly pointed at Hannya.
"Flame Surge!!"
Boom—
...On the third floor, the ground was as clean as if it had just been swept. White Torch led four people up the stairs; behind the five of them, Hannya's body, corroded into white bone by mercury, remained there forever.
"Be careful."
White Torch made a gesture, paused his steps, and quietly drew his handgun... The five people closed in from the left and right and pushed open the door.
A distorted, blurred figure stood in place, hands hanging down, clutching two sharp scalpels.
Drip, drop—fresh blood was flowing down the palms and blades.
"Drop the knives!"
"Ritualist, put down your weapons!"
Noguchi Tadashi inconspicuously shielded Tojo Aoi behind him, and Sakai Takashi followed suit, shielding Usami Reiko.
The four of them stepped back slightly.
This left White Torch moving forward alone... "Japan Ritual Institute, First Support Squad, Captain White Torch."
White Torch held his gun cautiously: "Ritualist, withdraw your mystery and put down your weapons!"
The distorted figure didn't say a word, only staring at the five of them.
Tojo Aoi blinked—
This feeling... was somewhat familiar.
"Final warning!"
"Put down your weapons!"
White Torch's finger lightly brushed the trigger... "Put down your weapons!"
After several shouts yielded no result, the man reacted immediately!
Bang!
Gunfire erupted!
The overlapping figure was like a ghost, dragging a long shadow; in the instant after dodging the bullet, it arrived in front of White Torch—
Lifting its right leg... it kicked up violently!
Bang!
"Blaze!"
Flames ignited spontaneously, burning from White Torch's shoulders down to his fingertips; for a moment, the man looked like a god or demon reborn from the flames!
The nearly two-meter-tall White Torch strode forward, rushing quickly toward the overlapping figure!
Clang! Clang!
Blades swung!
Drawing a combat knife from his leg, White Torch parried the opponent's attack, and then countless flames began to dance in his palms. They chased the target, thrusting forward in clusters like spears of fire!
Boom—
The ground was scorched black as the figure shifted and flickered!
Clang!
White Torch barely managed to parry a thrusting scalpel; he knelt on one knee, his cheeks bulging with effort, teeth clenched tight!
This strength and speed... it was too powerful!
The opponent seemed dissatisfied with the stalemate; with a light flick of the wrist, they nimbly used the blade to knock aside White Torch's parry. With the man's chest wide open, a leg like a piercing rapier appeared in his vision!
Bang!
The overlapping figure kicked White Torch flying!
To one side, Noguchi Tadashi swallowed hard, his heart beating more violently... He could naturally see that this top Ritualist in Japan was being... suppressed and beaten.
That's right, the opponent didn't even seem to use an Ability; relying solely on physical attributes enhanced by mystery, they suppressed White Torch.
Too... terrifying.
This speed and strength had completely surpassed the 'Judgment' rank.
But... how is that possible?
Thunder roared in White Torch's mind.
He had fought with third-stage Ritualists from all over the World; for Ritualists where each rank was a different World, only those also at the Judgment rank were qualified to interact with him.
Therefore, it was hard for him to believe that after only a few years of the mystery's recovery, someone had already broken through the third rank—
In that case, was the opponent an 'Apostle'?
Apostle—the name for the rank above the third level envisioned by the research institute.
Apostle, meaning a messenger or disciple of God.
According to the institute's speculations, an Apostle-rank Ritualist should possess some kind of power far beyond the Judgment rank; they might even be able to observe 'God'.
Of course, as for so-called gods and observing them... White Torch scoffed at such things.
Today... White Torch still couldn't believe it.
One must know that the top Ritualists in every country had their plans instantly activated by their nations the day the mystery descended—these people were all top elites selected from tens of thousands, surviving after extensive testing and screening.
Even so, they had only barely reached the third rank.
And the one before him... Lv4 · 'Apostle'.
The fleeting scalpels traced out silver lines; beautiful yet dangerous arcs interrupted the man's thoughts.
White Torch rolled and retreated constantly to dodge the attacks; the straightforward thrusts even made him smell the rot of death.
Was he going to die here?
Starlight flickered as a blade skimmed past the man's neck!
Thud.
An uppercut hit his kidney, and the man uncontrollably clutched his abdomen and began to retch!
Is this the Apostle rank?
They hadn't even used an Ability... He didn't even dare to elementalize—in that instant, his heart would likely be pierced by that narrow scalpel.
The scene fell silent.
White Torch was half-kneeling on the ground, clutching his abdomen.
The overlapping figure did not pursue him.
She took a few steps back, holding the knives at her sides, her head tilted.
The four people watched White Torch in silence.
It was unclear if they envied him for taking a beating for nothing... Adjusting their states, the five still didn't dare lower their muzzles; the opponent remained hidden in a distorted space, and this hallucinatory and fragmented imagery made it impossible for them to let down their guard.
"Who are you?"
White Torch clutched his abdomen tightly, his gun still aimed steadily. Although he knew that at the opponent's rank, simple firearms were no longer very effective.
Disorganized transparent shards rotated like a kaleidoscope; the overlapping, distorted figure tilted its head, crossed its legs, and made a curtain-call gesture, its voice skipping playfully across the clean floor—
"Uncontrolled freedom leads eventually to chaos..."
"High-pressure order and extreme control must result in slavery..."
"Only through the constant balance of both—"
"Can one approach perfection."
"Therefore, Equilibrium—"
"Exists in all things!"
In the eyes of White Torch's group, that shadow snapped its fingers—
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the entire building... the barrier had vanished!
After a playful bow, the shadow put one hand behind its back and, with a few light taps, jumped to the windowsill.
"The Equilibrium Sect sends its regards, 'First' Ritualist Excellency."
A brief silence.
The five of them watched its departing back in silence.
Equilibrium... Sect?
Whew... Then... White Torch turned his gaze back to the last unfamiliar woman in the room.
"I'm saved!!"
"Finally—"
"I'm saved!"
Minagawa Akane's face was covered in tears as she breathed a huge sigh of relief!
As if she were the victim.
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