"You bastard, that hurt like hell!" The abrupt voice made Drake and the others' faces change drastically as they stared in disbelief toward the area still shrouded in dust.
The blood-soaked long-haired cat stepped out of the hazy gray shadow one step at a time. Blood dripped onto the ground with soft plops, while the vicious brutality in its eyes sent chills down everyone's spines.
"They say cats have nine lives, so..." Longinus smiled calmly. "How many lives do you have?"
"A resurrection-like ability? Mythical Zoans really are far too troublesome!" Vergo and the others could not help drawing a sharp breath, yet they still had little doubt about the outcome of this battle.
In an evenly matched fight, resurrection was indeed an incredibly terrifying ability. But in such a one-sided battle, so-called resurrection was less useful than a skill that allowed one to escape quickly.
"I don't have as many as nine lives. Speaking of which, if I die again this time, I'll really be dead. But..." The great cat wiped its face with a moistened paw, its gem-like pupils gleaming with the ghostly light of the night. "Only after dying once can I unleash my true strength. That is the power of the Underworld."
"Now, I'll show you the power that even my previous state could not bear. Then die in pain and regret, with even your soul forever sinking into damnation, meow!"
"It certainly sounds intimidating. Then let me see it." Longinus advanced step by step, his right fist clenched as though white radiance swirled around it.
"You will see it! This is what I'll rely on to become King of the World, meow!" The great cat roared furiously. Then, the purple-black flames winding around its body transformed into twisted, savage-looking souls that flew into its mouth.