How Did He Die?

The two sides' personnel immediately clashed, and the sound of shouting and killing enveloped the entire area.

Habutae did not stay in the rear. Instead, she stood at the very front, her two giant axes continuously swinging down, cutting down enemies before her one by one. None could survive under her two giant axes.

Even setting aside the fact that her Spiritual Pressure was stronger and her numbers held the advantage, if they were to fight one-on-one, Daimaru and the others would absolutely not be a match for these people from District 80.

The reason was simple: the villains of District 80 possessed superior combat skills.

If evaluated by system levels, Daimaru and the others' 'Combat Skills' were mostly at the beginner stage, with a few reaching the low-level. Habutae and the others' 'Combat Skills', however, were mostly at the low-level stage, with a few even reaching the intermediate level.

These people's skills were not only honed through combat but also underwent a relatively crude, systematic education.

The Zanjutsu and Hakuda they possessed already had a certain rudimentary form.

Less than a minute after contact, Daimaru's side had already fallen into an absolute disadvantage.

"Where is that bastard!!"

Daimaru decapitated the enemy in front of him with a single stroke, his expression grim as he scanned the battlefield. However, no matter how he searched, he couldn't find Duan Mu's figure.

Did he run away?

At this thought, Daimaru's expression turned even more unsightly. Although he was crazy, a madman was not a fool. The short battle had already made him realize that without the intervention of other forces, his own people would be wiped out by Habutae before long!

Even if they surrendered now, it would be the same.

Submission or death!

This was the rule of the game in the later-numbered districts. Ignoring the final warning meant making a choice. Only two paths lay before Daimaru and his men: either annihilate the enemy or be annihilated by them.

During the recent battle, even after realizing the disparity, Daimaru still held a sliver of hope in his heart.

However...

The sudden disappearance of Duan Mu behind him caused this sliver of hope to vanish as well. He could only continue to search his surroundings with a sense of desperation, hoping to find Duan Mu's figure.

"I remember you!"

Just then, a deep, resonant female voice carrying a sense of heaviness came from not far from Daimaru. "You're that deputy who always stayed by Daimaru's side, aren't you?"

The scar on Daimaru's face twitched. With that distinctive voice, even without looking up, he knew who had arrived.

Looking up, he saw that Habutae had somehow arrived at the center of the town. Behind her was a bloody path paved with blood and corpses, and the two giant axes she carried were dripping blood downwards.

"Is this the result of your efforts these past few days?"

Habutae sneered, looking at Daimaru with disdain. "I can't believe I gave you so many days to prepare slowly."

Despite her words, Habutae's gaze was subtly observing her surroundings.

In fact, after spotting Daimaru, she hadn't approached him immediately. Instead, she had secretly observed him for a while.

Though she appeared rough on the outside, she was actually not reckless and was very calm. Otherwise, she wouldn't have achieved her current status in West District 80.

Judging by Daimaru's previous reactions, he was clearly looking for someone.

Did he find someone to help him?

Or did he join the ranks of other major villains in West District 80?

"En?"

Suddenly, Habutae's expression changed, and her gaze shifted to the sides.

The Spiritual Pressure disappeared?

She had brought about two hundred people, but only a third were engaged in the frontal battle. It was precisely because of this that Daimaru's subordinates could hold on for so long despite being outnumbered, preventing them from collapsing and fleeing the moment they made contact.

The other two-thirds were split into two groups, encircling the town from both sides to cut off the escape routes of Daimaru and the others.

Never let any opponent escape; this was the common understanding of the residents of West District 80, as many had died because of this.

Some of these were those who had already formed grudges but let their opponents escape, only for them to return with increased strength and seek revenge, leading to their deaths. Some were those who fled and sought refuge with powerful individuals, only to be tracked down later... The reasons varied, countless!

Living in West District 80, leading a life on the edge of a knife, it was natural that they would kill. Since they had decided to kill, they wouldn't leave any survivors, completely eliminating any chance of retaliation.

This was precisely why Habutae had sent two groups to cut off the rear escape routes. She had no intention of letting go of any resident of District 79, regardless of whether they were Daimaru's subordinates!!

And just now...

Habutae, who had become vigilant due to Daimaru's reaction, suddenly realized that the Spiritual Pressure fluctuations of the two groups she had sent to cut off the rear were rapidly decreasing!

"Ahhh~~"

Almost simultaneously, screams erupted from the rear of the town. Following the sound, a group of people was seen rushing rapidly from the rear of the town towards the town's interior.

Upon seeing this, Daimaru and the others' expressions immediately changed.

Had they already managed to outflank them so quickly?

They were aware that Habutae had split her forces to cut off the rear, but they had no ability to stop them. The frontal battle alone had them struggling to cope, let alone worry about being surrounded.

"That bastard~~!!"

Daimaru cursed with a contorted face. He was now certain that the owner of the Yorozuya must have fled when the situation turned unfavorable, otherwise, with his strength, how could he have gone so long without attracting attention?

However, Daimaru failed to notice that Habutae, upon seeing those people, did not feel happy about the completed encirclement. Instead, her expression turned grim, and her gaze swept past her subordinates, looking into the distance.

Buzz~~

In an instant, a patch of red flames appeared out of nowhere behind Habutae's subordinates.

As the flames appeared, a chanting voice, whose source couldn't be determined, suddenly resounded in everyone's ears.

"Ruler! Mask of flesh, all things, wing and fly, things called human! Heat and strife, reverse the sea and roll south, step forward!"

The crimson flames, accompanied by the chant, expanded like an explosion, gradually condensing into a giant fireball that distorted the very air. The fire was so dense, it seemed capable of refining heaven and earth as it burned. Even a single spark from it could instantly evaporate the moisture from the surrounding trees.

Vast Spiritual Pressure permeated the area. Beneath the fireball, a figure flickered in and out of sight – it was Duan Mu, who had disappeared shortly after the battle began.

Duan Mu raised his right hand and pressed it down, a low growl escaping his lips: "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" The surrounding air vibrated, and the fireball overhead immediately unleashed a roaring wave of heat towards Habutae's subordinates, who were retreating towards the town center.

It was then that Diao Ao realized...

The people surging from the rear of the town weren't wearing bloodthirsty grins, but expressions of terror and despair.

This wasn't a completed encirclement at all; they were actually fleeing into the town in disarray!

Boom~~

The fireball exploded, and the flames within erupted. For a moment, the entire town seemed illuminated by the firelight.

Screams echoed across the entire battlefield.

The buildings at the rear of the town were incinerated, and the flames spread rapidly, turning figures into charred remains.

Amidst the flames...

Duan Mu's figure slowly emerged. The flames around him parted to the sides as he walked, creating a path for him to pass.

On his body...

A completely different aura reappeared, sinister and icy, filled with the chill of death. His expression was utterly indifferent, starkly contrasting with the scorching flames around him, as if the charred corpses beneath his feet were merely a smooth road.

A Soul Reaper!

Both Diao Ao's side and Habutae's side couldn't help but think of these two words.

But not the kind of Soul Reaper familiar to the Soul Society, rather, a Soul Reaper who had emerged from hell, whose sole purpose was to harvest lives!

Diao Ao was no longer curious about Duan Mu's life before his death. Judging by the sinister aura emanating from the depths of his soul, he must have been an extremely dangerous human in life.

What he was curious about now was...

How did Duan Mu die?!

How could someone like this, so young, be slain in an act of demon-extermination and righteousness?

Happy New Year. I was back home for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and without a computer, I couldn't write at all. Plus... I was just too busy.