Guarding Sword, Stalwart Bamboo.
The Taixuan Divine Sword danced through the air as its sword energy transformed into fine threads, circling Hua and weaving into a sturdy ribbon that shielded her completely.
Landro's blood struck it as though it had hit a rubber ball, rebounding onto the eyepatched youth from the Ghostfire Syndicate.
The eyepatched youth's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? The boss's attack was deflected?"
He instantly fell from his motorcycle. When he stood again, his fists moved beyond his control, bizarrely pummeling his own body.
"Stop, Boss Landro! Stop!"
The eyepatched youth cried out, his face swollen and bruised.
But Landro ignored him completely.
He deserved a beating for carelessly leaking information about Landro's ability.
Besides, Landro had no time to concern himself with the boy. Azure Empyrea before him was his true target.
"Oh? You can reflect my blood? And you even figured out that I can still control it after it leaves my body."
Landro had never intended to defeat the "esper" before him with Passionate Gaze. Passionate Gaze had only been a probe.
Using his own blood to strike her when she least expected it—that was Landro's true objective.
"Watch me wring your neck!"
Landro reached out with an enormous hand tightly encased in a thick glove.
The heavy palm was larger than a human head, leaving no doubt that it could easily twist apart the trunk of a small tree.
But Hua's sword forms were capable of far more than this.
A complete sword art had to offer both offense and defense.
The ever-changing, formless sword style that Azure Empyrea had tempered over a thousand years was now wielded once more by Hua of the Previous Era.
Transforming Sword · Mystic Falcon.
Although she lacked Sword Heart and her sword force was somewhat distorted, certain "habits engraved into her memory" still guided Hua's movements.
Force erupted, revealing a razor-sharp edge.
The ribbon transformed into a dazzling river of stars and surged back toward Landro.
Landro was no martial artist, so he naturally had no way to unravel Hua's technique.
Even though Hua's version retained less than one percent of the true Transforming Sword · Mystic Falcon's power, it was still far beyond anything Landro could withstand.
"Aaaaaagh!"
The surging sword energy roared forward, its vast edge sweeping across Landro's neck, chest, and legs.
Blood gushed from Landro's body, splashing across the ground.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed with a resounding clang.
"N-no way!"
The bikers stared in stunned disbelief. Through the gaping wound in Landro's broad chest, they could see the scenery on the other side.
Their leader had been defeated just like that.
He had fallen no differently from any other insignificant small fry.
This was a powerful Special Assault Squad boss with a superpower who had once dominated the streets.
He had followed Chairman Tenmon Soji and taken down countless gang leaders and espers.
How could he have been felled with a single strike?
"Hm? That's it?"
Hua froze in mild surprise.
She had not expected to defeat him so easily with a single blow.
He had clearly felt extremely powerful before.
Could it still be an effect of that earlier hallucination?
Moreover, she had never used any of the techniques she had just performed.
When had she learned them?
Strange.
"Hua, watch out."
Vill-V pulled her from her thoughts as a protective barrier surrounded her, blocking Landro's splattered blood.
Seeing Hua's furrowed brow, Vill-V asked worriedly, "Hua, are you tired? You should rest for a while."
The recent battle had filled the air with the heavy stench of blood and rancid engine oil.
"Uh, thank you."
Looking at Vill-V's concerned expression, Hua could not help but smile.
She also knew that something about her condition just now had seemed unusual.
For one brief instant, Hua had even sensed coldness and indifference within her own heart.
It was strange. Even during her loneliest and most isolated moments, Hua had never felt anything like that.
It was as though everything in the world could be destroyed without consequence.
Vill-V had sensed that aura as well.
"Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well."
Hua did not want Vill-V to intervene. Judging from Vill-V's earlier performance, she was hardly reassuring.
Vill-V probably could not even defend herself against those ordinary bikers.
Hua should be responsible for the fighting. Was that not why Vill-V had brought her along?
She had to regain her composure quickly.
Hua patted her cheeks, and determination returned to her eyes.
Was it really only a lack of sleep?
Hua seemed to be hiding something. Like Kosma, she kept many things buried deep within her heart.
Vill-V did not want to invade Hua's privacy, but she was also worried that Hua might be suffering from psychological problems.
Had Hua truly recovered from the trauma of the Third Honkai Eruption?
Before she could question Hua in detail, Vill-V suddenly shoved her aside.
Gurgle...
It happened without warning.
Vill-V's entire body was swallowed by a blood-red sphere.
An enormous mass of blood engulfed her, enclosing her within a crimson bubble.
Meanwhile, Landro, who should already have been a corpse, rose once more with blood wrapped around his body.
Flesh rapidly sprouted across the hole in Landro's chest, and light returned to his pale, lifeless eyes.
Hua's pupils trembled as she stared at the scene in confusion. "He came back from the dead? Vill-V!"
Hua stepped forward and was about to slash the blood bubble with the Taixuan Divine Sword when the danger sense in her mind began blaring repeatedly. She hurriedly raised her sword to block.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat—
Concentrated streams of blood poured out like fire from a Gatling gun, as though there were no end to them.
The dense rain of blood enveloped Hua completely. Every flying droplet gleamed with a cold light and carried the malicious intent to tear her apart.
Hua focused her mind and circulated her energy. The sword hummed loudly as she swung the guardian blade with all her strength. But the rain of blood was too dense. Although she dodged and blocked most of it in time, several beams of blood still pierced her arm.
A few droplets splashed onto her pristine white sleeve, spreading into dark crimson stains.
Blood trickled down her arm.
She bit her lip and retreated several steps through the bloody downpour, the heels of her boots carving two deep marks into the concrete.
The splashes stirred up by the blood soaked Hua's long hair. Several strands clung to her forehead, adding a touch of wild ferocity and hostility to her elegant features.
"Damn it... I have to rescue Vill-V first!"
She murmured softly, a frigid gleam flashing in her eyes as she saw Landro swing his right arm toward her.
Hua had no choice but to evade Landro's attack first.
She was already injured. If she were struck again, she would truly lose the strength to resist.
Crash!
Landro's fist smashed the already damaged wall to pieces.
The right arm he pulled from the rubble reflected a cold metallic sheen. It was no longer a human arm, but a mechanical limb—
Its ball joints, high-voltage wires, and fluorescent fluid gauge were all completely exposed. A crosshair was mounted at the front of the arm, which spun at high speed.
His five fingers served as both firing ports and injectors for his blood!
"Hiss... cooling."
Clatter...
The arm stopped spinning.
Blue coolant flowed through transparent tubes into his arm, while billowing steam poured from the openings in the mechanical limb.
Although Landro's face remained pale, he appeared to have fully regained his mobility.
At his feet lay the eyepatched youth, deathly pale and unconscious from blood loss.
Landro then called over another subordinate and sank his teeth into the man's neck.
Blood gushed from the subordinate's neck, staining the corners of Landro's mouth red.