Watching Duan Mu's aura undergo a drastic change as killing intent poured from him, the pale-faced Habutae couldn't help but freeze.
Although she had sent people to investigate Duan Mu after their last conflict and knew that District 38 had a Yorozuya that would take any job as long as it was paid, she still found it hard to believe that Duan Mu had accepted the commission without hesitation...
After all, not long ago, Duan Mu and she had been enemies.
But then she thought about it. Daimaru, the former leader of West District 79, had also died at Duan Mu's hands. Yet afterward, Duan Mu had turned around and helped the people of West District 79 deal with her.
His lack of conviction was truly admirable!
"You're a Soul Reaper?"
In the middle of the field, Jiu Su watched Duan Mu with a cold gaze. As a follower of the Great Villain of District 80 in the south, Jiu Su was rough but shrewd, with a seasoned eye.
The stranger before him had clearly just used kidō.
And those capable of using kidō were basically all Soul Reapers. Unless necessary, he didn't want to make an enemy of one—especially now, when his leader and Nishijin-ori of West District 80 had both suffered heavy losses.
Besides...
The commission fee?
Of all the words exchanged between the two, those three words had caught Jiu Su's attention the most. They were precisely why he hadn't immediately attacked this intruder.
Seeing that Duan Mu didn't answer and that his gaze was gradually turning colder, Jiu Su frowned. "Whether you're a Soul Reaper or not, hand over the two behind you. No matter how much Habutae promised to pay, I'll give you double!"
Money was the most worthless thing in District 80.
Though the statement sounded strange, it reflected the reality of District 80.
In a place with no shops, no entertainment, and no material needs whatsoever, what use did people like them have for money?
To buy food? To buy clothes?
If they had understood the concept of "buying," they wouldn't have gathered in District 80 in the first place.
Jiu Su's words made Habutae's expression change. She hurriedly looked at Duan Mu in front of her.
"Don't..."
Before she could finish, Duan Mu vanished from before her. Habutae's expression changed, and her body instantly tensed.
He vanished again!?
Seeing this, Jiu Su's expression turned stern as spiritual pressure comparable to that of a High-ranking Officer erupted from him.
Regardless of what choice Duan Mu made, Jiu Su wouldn't let his guard down. Even if Duan Mu killed the two women right now, he still wouldn't relax.
What's more...
He could clearly feel that the other man's killing intent had already locked onto him!
Money was important, of course, but compared with money, Duan Mu valued the experience points Habutae provided him far more.
The surrounding scenery blurred as several meters vanished in an instant.
But just as Duan Mu prepared to close in and attack Jiu Su with Hakuda...
A sudden change occurred!
A strong wind howled. Although it was extremely faint, Jiu Su's awareness of danger—honed over centuries spent walking the line between life and death—still let him react at the first moment. Spiritual pressure burst from the long blade in his hand, forming a tangible radiance as he swept it across.
The slash was like lightning, leaving a blue arc in the night sky.
Hm?
Duan Mu's figure appeared out of thin air in the direction of the blade.
The instant he appeared, Duan Mu pushed off the ground with his toes and retreated. The long blade covered in powerful spiritual pressure passed almost flush against his chest.
After coming to a stop, Duan Mu's eyes shifted slightly as he glanced at his chest. A slash had already been cut across the front of his clothes. If his reaction had been even a moment slower, that blow might have split his chest open!
Duan Mu's expression darkened.
Since learning Shunpo, this was the first time he had been seen through in battle—someone had even predicted his position in an instant.
No!
Rather than saying Jiu Su had seen through him, it was more accurate to say that his opponent's rich combat experience had allowed him to react instinctively.
Battle instinct!
It was an awareness that could only be gradually developed by spending years on the brink of life and death. It was also what Duan Mu lacked the most.
He had been careless.
His first opponent had been Daimaru, a villain who possessed the spiritual pressure of a High-ranking Officer but whose actual combat strength was barely comparable to that of a low-ranking officer. As a result, Duan Mu had always looked down on the villains of Rukongai deep down, subconsciously believing them weaker than Soul Reapers of the same level.
That brief exchange had made Duan Mu realize that not everyone was like Daimaru, possessing spiritual pressure without knowing how to use it.
A grave look flashed through Duan Mu's eyes at this discovery.
After all, strictly speaking...
Whether it was Habutae, Jiu Su, or even Duan Mu himself, the strength of their spiritual pressure was on the same level as Daimaru's.
Without a technical advantage, Duan Mu naturally had no grounds to underestimate his opponent.
Moreover...
When both sides were evenly matched, these villains often held a greater advantage in a fight to the death. Their sensitivity to death was extraordinarily keen, and their combat experience could only be described as immensely rich!
"Looking for death? Kill him!"
The killing intent Jiu Su had suppressed for so long erupted completely at this moment. But if one looked closely, beneath those eyes filled with killing intent was a deeply hidden trace of apprehension.
He dodged it!!
That slash just now hadn't been thrown casually. He had used the swordsmanship taught to him by his leader. It looked simple, but contained an extremely high level of skill.
Although he hadn't expected that single slash to end the battle, seeing it dodged so easily still made his heart sink.
Very strong!
The opponent gave him an extremely immature impression, just like the trash who had first arrived in District 80. Yet once he fought, he gave off an incredibly dangerous feeling.
At Jiu Su's command, the dozen or so people who had long since been waiting on standby charged at Duan Mu simultaneously.
In that instant, the night became filled with killing intent.
The dense murderous aura even seemed to dye the moon faintly crimson.
Duan Mu, standing motionless where he was, suddenly raised his head.
Realizing that his understanding had been wrong didn't make Duan Mu timid. Instead, it made his blood burn even hotter.
So what if his combat skills were formidable?
So what if his combat experience was rich?
So what if his battle instincts surpassed his own?
This was true combat. It was just like the first time he had fought Daimaru. Duan Mu didn't dislike battles in which death seemed to hang over him at every moment.
Duan Mu abruptly raised his head. His spiritual pressure surged at full force, its azure color gradually deepening into dark blue from sheer density. In the end, it even faintly revealed a strange purple hue.
His face...
It was no longer indifferent, either. Instead, it carried a strange, almost smiling expression—sinister and terrifying.
He didn't dodge or use Shunpo. Instead, like a madman, he strode toward the dozen people wielding blades.
He's insane?
The move left everyone stunned for a moment. Then they all grinned viciously and attacked Duan Mu with their weapons.
The first to strike at Duan Mu's face was an axe covered in spiritual pressure. Under its enhancement, the sharp edge gleamed with a biting chill. If this blow landed, then even with spiritual pressure reinforcing his defenses, Duan Mu's head would certainly be split in two.
Just as the axe blade was about to strike Duan Mu's face, the advancing Duan Mu moved.
His foot scraped backward, twisting his body like a skater and allowing the axe blade to pass close by his chest.
Seeing this, the ax wielder wasn't surprised. He had never thought Duan Mu would simply stand there and let himself be cut. Almost at the same moment Duan Mu dodged, he rubbed his thumb and four fingers against the axe handle, turning the blade's downward chop into a horizontal slash against Duan Mu's chest.
At the same time, the others' attacks arrived.
Some slashed at Duan Mu's head, some stabbed toward his chest, and others swept across his waist... Weapons of every kind attacked from every angle, sealing off every possible avenue of escape!
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