Volume Two: Life and Death at Speed in the Northern Territory - Mold, the Third Hand, and the Strongest Debuff (2)

Looking at the man's severely decomposed corpse, I swallowed hard.

This is truly the most gruesome death I've ever seen.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you... because that would have only dragged us down with me."

Givinia nodded deeply, her face full of apology.

"A Ye, could you heat the air around the car? The higher the better."

"Clear."

With a flick of my finger, several streams of blood flew out through the vehicle's ventilation holes, forming a net around Sirius under my control. As soon as the blood net was formed, it emitted intense heat; even through the vehicle's outer shell, one could feel the sweltering heat.

"That's right, just generate heat, don't burn, otherwise we'll die from lack of oxygen."

"Givinia, A Ye, what exactly is going on...?" The Sena Sisters seemed confused.

"Judging from this situation, the enemy's ability is probably to manipulate mold to attack. Mold spores can be spread by the wind, are ubiquitous, and spread extremely quickly. Even a little bit of them will cause trouble," Givinia explained.

"However, we can kill the spores with high heat, so we won't end up like that man. But this isn't a long-term solution. We must find the enemy's main body and defeat it as soon as possible," I continued to explain.

"And that enemy..."

"I'm afraid they've already set their sights on Abidar and his group of four... The third level is no longer a place for humans to stay. To unleash such a large-scale killing spree just for four people, that guy is definitely a madman."

"We have to hurry! Otherwise Emilia— "

"She will die. "Ally didn't say the last two words, because she didn't have the courage to imagine Emilia's mold-eaten corpse.

I clenched my fists tightly, feeling incredibly nervous.

A terrifying superpower capable of easily causing massive massacres, coupled with a cruel attitude that completely disregards human life.

He's definitely part of the organization, no doubt about it.

But this time, I'm still confident of victory.

At least for now, the opponent's only ability is to manipulate mold. Although it is large-scale and highly destructive, it can be easily countered by my high-temperature blood and does not pose a significant threat.

Unless--

As another possibility came to mind, my heart sank.

If the other person is participating in the race as a driver, then he must have teammates, and those teammates—needless to say, are also members of the organization.

If I were to face three or four members of the organization at the same time, even lower-level members, it would be something I absolutely couldn't handle right now.

"Found you all!"

Spatial rifts are the sharpest claws in the world; once space is torn apart, even the strongest defenses become meaningless. Although the inherent stability of space can quickly repair rifts, the invincible Third Hand will immediately open new ones.

Crack!

The cracks, sharp as knives, spread rapidly across Freya. The car's outer shell, coated with a rubber layer, was as fragile as paper before the spatial rift. The moment it made contact, the red and yellow striped car was sliced into countless pieces, the rear wheels turned to dust, and the out-of-control race car crashed heavily onto the roadside cobblestones, overturning to the ground.

The four people in the car felt dizzy and their stomachs churned. Shattered glass from the car window embedded itself deeply in their bodies. Tani Hana Hibiki, who was already seriously injured, and Tani Hana Mei, who was overwhelmed with worry, immediately fainted. Messiah hit her head on the car door, bleeding profusely, and her life hung in the balance. Only Emilia, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was barely conscious.

However, Payne, who had entered a semi-berserk state, wouldn't give her a moment to catch her breath.

With a gentle wave of his Third Hand, the sturdy carriage was instantly torn away, exposing the four seriously injured men to him, who were now lambs to the slaughter.

"Hmm, let me see who to kill first? It's so hard to choose! Death, oh death, riding a black warhorse over corpses, but only when it reaches you will you realize your death is near!"

With a swift movement of its Third Hand, Messiah, his face covered in blood, was seized. The eerie, red-and-white eyes of the hand were filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

"Shall we start with you?"

With a swift swipe of its claws, Messiah's legs were severed cleanly at the root, blood gushing from the cuts and splattering all over Emilia.

"Stop... it... please..."

With the last of her strength, Emilia moved her lips and uttered a feeble plea.

Of course, this will only have the opposite effect.

"Oh, oh, oh? There's one still awake! Not bad, not bad. It wouldn't be fun if the person wasn't wailing, moaning, screaming, and begging for mercy when someone was being killed!"

Messiah was thrown aside, and a demonic arm reached for Emilia, grabbing her delicate face with Third Hand and lifting her from the wrecked carriage. Her toes left the ground, and the large hand covering her face was suffocating, but she didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Do you know what it feels like to pick pineapples?

A blood-red tongue wriggled, weaving cruel words.

"It's almost like twisting someone's head off!"

The Third Hand began to tighten.

Unable to resist, Emilia could only wait motionless for death.

Am I going to die?

Are you kidding me...? Not even seeing the finish line is just too lame.

I'm sure that silly Ally will make fun of me.

How many years ago was that?

The first time my mother took me to the competition venue, I met her as the host welcoming the guests.

"She's Ferruggio's next heir," the mother told young Ally.

Ferruggio has been our old rival for years, so we must show her what you're capable of—his mother added.

You know how powerful I am? It sounds simple, doesn't it?

But looking at Ally's honey-gold hair and milk-soft skin, she couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

If I could be friends with her, instead of being her rival --

But my mother said that our stance cannot be changed.

Therefore, Emilia chose to resolutely refuse her offer of help.

Then, naturally, the two young and highly ambitious individuals quickly came to regard each other as lifelong rivals.

They drive with the intent to run someone over, practice relentlessly just to be better than their opponent, and argue to the point of almost coming to blows over a difference of a millisecond.

Every day is truly childish yet turbulent.

But why?

Why was I so happy back then?

Whenever I compete against her, I feel as bright as the spring sunshine.

Just thinking that her opponent is her makes me feel that I can easily solve any difficulty.

He cared about her more than anyone else.

A lifelong nemesis.

A lifelong rival.

A lifelong friend.

So--

"I'm sorry, Ally, we couldn't be together until the end..."

What can't be helped, let it be.

"Crystal Brilliance-- "

Silently awaiting death in the cold underground.

"--cut!!!"

Just as her skull was about to shatter, a blinding crystalline light descended from the sky. Then, Emilia felt the immense force gripping her head disappear, something flew out horizontally, and she herself fell to the ground.

"Ooh--cough cough!"

Emilia struggled to sit up, turned over, and her blurry vision gradually cleared.

"Idiot Amy! Is she still alive?"

Ah...

The moment my vision cleared, an incredibly familiar figure came into view.

"Ally..."

"We'll take care of your teammates too, just hide quickly! There are two more guys coming this way... Hey, don't cry! They're still alive!"

But tears just wouldn't stop flowing. Emilia hugged Ally tightly with her scarred arms, letting out a sigh that was hard to tell whether it was helplessness or joy.

With the Void Greatsword held horizontally, I used the corner of my eye to check on the others. Ally, Ailin, and Givinia quickly carried the four heavily injured people into a stone house by the roadside. Judging from the distance... it was still too dangerous. We needed to keep the battlefield as far away as possible.

Then, I focused all my attention on the person in front of me.

No, it's less a person and more a monster.

Its ferocious expression, its discolored eyes, and its mouth split open to its ears—just one look at it could haunt a person's nightmares for a lifetime.

But another organ on his body was a million times more eye-catching than his face.

A twisted Third Hand, at least two meters long, growing on the chest.

"Tch, are you cosplaying Right Hand of God? Your hands are in the wrong place."

"Chirp, chirp, beautiful, beautiful woman------"

Is it impossible to communicate with language...?

Then there's no need for further explanation.

I'm no longer the person who used to be beaten to a pulp by I-B!

"Flame Step!"

Blood Flame erupted from my feet as I wielded my Void Greatsword and charged forward, boiling blood mixed with sharp blood crystals coating the sword layer by layer. Speed + power—the simplest and most versatile way to attack!

"Screaming and tearing—!"

Clang!!!!!

The Third Hand collided fiercely with the Void Greatsword, and the shockwave created a crater with a radius of no less than ten meters on the ground, blowing away the surrounding bricks and rubble hundreds of meters away!

""--Um?""

Both the other person and I exclaimed in surprise.

Only then did I realize that what was blocking my Void Greatsword was not that twisted Third Hand, but rather cracks like glass floating in space.

"A spatial rift?"

The other person seemed just as surprised as I was.

"Oh? The spatial rift I created can't directly destroy your sword? Unprecedented—ah!"

The Third Hand suddenly withdrew, and sensing something was wrong, I quickly retreated.

"Shattered Void!!!!"

His back was bent backward to its limit, and his scarlet, monstrous hand drew a circle in the void. Wherever it passed, the stable space crumbled inch by inch! The moment the crack appeared, it began to expand rapidly, spreading outward in a radial pattern!

Get out of the way—no way! There are three teammates and four seriously wounded just a few dozen meters behind me!

Block them!

I forcefully stopped my retreat, knelt on one knee, and plunged the Void Greatsword into the ground in front of me. At the same time, I created the strongest crystal shield I could make at the moment, blocking the crack layer by layer!

"Ha! That's really bold!!!"

The opponent let out a strange laugh. My strongest crystal shield was completely ineffective, torn to shreds like paper by the space itself! The raging crack clashed violently with the sword, only the sword remained unaffected by the crack! Even so, I felt as if I had been hit head-on by a heavy truck, the immense impact almost causing the sword to fly out of my hand!

"Oh, tsk tsk tsk tsk, it's rare to find a worthy opponent in life, and even when you do, it's rare to find one you can truly enjoy! I thought this rally race was full of losers, but it turns out there are some interesting people out there!!!"

"Hehe, thanks for the compliment, but I'm not really keen on a direct confrontation with you."

The instant I felt the crack stop spreading, I slammed my blood-soaked hand onto the ground beneath my feet. A deafening explosion rang out, and the third floor shattered. Facing the deep pit, I jumped down without hesitation!

"Hey, hey, hey? You're as swift as a rabbit, but are you as timid as one? Don't even think about escaping from me, Grandpa Payne!"

An angry roar came from above, and a deformed figure— Payne— jumped down after me.

It was a success.

This lured away the seemingly most ferocious fellow.

I'll try my best to fight him, and as for his teammates... I'm sorry, it's up to you guys now, Ally, Ailin, and Givinia!

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I'll be going to the city on Thursday and will be busy all day, so I'll update with one chapter first.