Walking into the Trap

"W! T! F?"

Kino couldn't help but utter a Hollywood-style swear word:

Kill them all?

No need to bother looking anymore?

What kind of solution is this?

Okay, this is indeed a very practical and very simple method.

But how could you use this trick?

That's so lacking in technical skill!

Aren't you Bucciarati Team supposed to be friends of the citizens of Naples? How can you learn from scum Chocola?

They kill dozens of people to be buried alive with you at the drop of a hat. There aren't many people in our Royal Guard who would stoop to that level!

Kino's face suddenly turned deathly pale.

However, he quickly tried to calm himself down:

"No, calm down, don't be scared."

"Everyone in the organization knows that Bucciarati Team is a bunch of good-natured people; they wouldn't do something so heinous."

"This must be a bluff, an attempt to make me reveal something unusual and scare me out of the crowd!"

With that thought in mind, Kino tried to adjust her breathing and calm her expression.

He quickly put on an expression of confusion and fear, just like everyone else.

Although his flashy and dazzling gold suit betrayed his unique temperament, Stand User never rely on clothes to identify them, Kino still managed to blend into the crowd without any flaws.

However.

As if he truly possessed some kind of mind-reading ability, Fugo once again pinpointed Kino's thoughts with uncanny accuracy:

Don't get the wrong idea.

"Bucciarati is a good person, but I am not."

"I don't kill indiscriminately because Bucciarati doesn't allow it, not because I can't bring myself to do it."

"But now, Bucciarati isn't here. And, most importantly, you injured Narancia!"

"If I don't get rid of this piece of trash who's been lurking in the shadows, I won't even be able to save Narancia."

Fugo's eyes blazed with fury, a raging fire that stunned everyone present.

"In front of my companions, no, in front of my family."

"The lives of the so-called innocent are as meaningless as a used napkin!"

He roared like that.

At the same time, Purple Haze slowly raised her hand and gradually clenched her Riot Games.

The viral capsule on his Riot Games was clearly visible to Kino, as if it would burst at any moment.

"No, that's impossible."

Kino was already having second thoughts.

It was only then that he remembered that, unlike the "gentle" and "kind" Captain Bucciarati, Fugo's personality was described in the intelligence as "irritable," "angry," and "prone to violence."

Although he didn't commit any further crimes during the year or so he followed Bucciarati, the reason Fugo had previously become a gangster was because he "for no reason" smashed the professor's head with a dictionary.

If it's someone with such an unstable mentality, it's indeed possible that he might pull off some ruthless moves that Chocola could pull off.

Thinking about all this, Kino unconsciously began to panic.

Unable to contain his urge to escape, he plopped down on his motorcycle parked at the door and sped away as far away from the madman as possible.

But in the end, Kino managed to maintain an expression and appearance that was no different from everyone else's:

"Yes, don't be afraid."

"The Purple Haze Virus only has a kill radius of a few meters. Even if it is released, I will have time to dodge."

Kino comforted himself with these pale words, trying to remain calm.

However, Fugo once again shattered his illusions with his words:

"Don't even think about running away."

"Although my killer virus loses its activity within seconds of exposure to air, don't forget that that's only in the absence of a 'carrier'."

"But now, the supermarket has limited space, and there are so many living people inside."

"Hehe."

Fugo laughed coldly:

"As soon as I release the virus, these deadly little guys will immediately reproduce and spread through the flesh and blood of these living people, and remain active and spread through the blood and droplets expelled by the host."

"Although it still can't spread very far, it's more than enough to allow the virus to sweep through this enclosed space containing numerous 'carriers'!"

"Just like yesterday—"

"The same thing happened in Naples."

At this moment, his voice was as terrifying as a demon.

Time seemed to stand still.

Kino's forehead was covered in cold sweat:

What should we do? Is he serious?

If it's true, then if he doesn't run away now, it will be too late when Purple Haze really releases the virus.

But if it's fake, wouldn't his frantic escape be revealing his identity?

This is undoubtedly a dilemma, a deadly gamble.

But he had to face such terrifying psychological pressure and make a decision in the next second.

Kino tensed up, and his breathing became labored.

But then, the situation changed drastically!

"Disease, virus?"

"Hey, hey. What's going on? No, could it be terrorists?!"

Before Kino even jumped out, several passersby panicked:

"That's right."

"This guy also mentioned what happened in Naples yesterday."

"There was a biological attack in Naples just yesterday, and it's said that everyone within a few kilometers of the city center is dead!"

The customers in the supermarket said these words in a panic.

Fugo's blood-soaked, murderous appearance was already terrifying, but the keywords "virus," "host," "kill them all," and "what happened in Naples" that came out of his mouth were even more frightening.

"Help!"

"Terrorists!!"

The customers in the supermarket all changed their expressions.

Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately ran out the door like madmen.

Some people didn't have time to rush to the doorway, and some even grabbed hard objects on the spot, smashed the floor-to-ceiling glass facing the street, and jumped out.

"This"

Kino was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening:

"Hahaha! That's great!"

He never imagined that these ordinary people, who seemed like mere background figures, would become the key to breaking the deadlock.

This was probably a miscalculation on Fugo's part:

After yesterday's attack in Naples shocked the world, the Italy people are now on edge.

Rather than following human instinct to stay and watch the spectacle, they now tend to run away directly when faced with suspicious individuals.

This greatly facilitated the situation for Kino:

If he blends into the crowd and escapes together, he can avoid revealing his identity Stand User and legitimately escape from Fugo, this dangerous individual.

The farther away you are from this kind of virus-spreading thing, the better.

"Help! Help me!"

Upon realizing this, Kino immediately cried out in panic, just like the other ordinary guests.

He leaped out of the glass gap created by his "predecessors" and swiftly jumped out of the supermarket where a biohazard could erupt at any moment.

In order to avoid being noticed by Fugo in the crowd, he didn't even dare to turn around and check Fugo's movements.

Kino ran as fast as he could, then leaped onto his motorcycle parked outside the supermarket.

And then...

"Oh, it's you."

A chilling voice rang out from behind.

Kino could even reach for his motorcycle keys, Fugo's cold, icy face appeared before him like a ghost.

At the same time, Purple Haze was watching him intently.

The two are very close, so close that if a virus is released on one side, it will die immediately on the other.

"Wh-what?"

Kino was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events.

He pressed his lips tightly together, his face pale, and forced himself to speak:

"Who am I? I... I don't know you at all."

"You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm just someone who came to the supermarket to buy things."

Stop pretending!

Fugo gave a cold shout, and the Purple Haze moved forward again.

At that moment, Kino could even clearly see the disgusting drool overflowing from the corner of that terrifying humanoid Stand's mouth.

"I knew it was you."

Fugo's gaze was like a blade, cold and sharp:

"From parachuting to landing and then being attacked, it only takes two minutes."

"In such a short time, unless you can foresee that Narancia and I will land here and wait for us in advance, otherwise..."

"You must have rushed here using some means of transportation!"

For example

Fugo knocked on the motorcycle's windshield, the sound as chilling as a death knell from hell:

"This motorcycle."

"Ah?"

Kino was still unwilling to give up; he was still pretending to be stupid.

"Motorcycle, what's wrong with the motorcycle?"

"I was just riding my motorcycle out to buy something, I really don't know you!"

"Hehe."

Fugo curled his lip in disdain:

"The entire battle lasted only a minute, which means you only arrived at the scene a little over a minute ago."

"That means the motorcycle had just turned off a minute ago."

"The concentration of residual carbon dioxide in the exhaust pipe of a vehicle that has just been turned off is completely different from that of a vehicle that has been parked for a long time!"

"Unfortunately, Narancia's detection revealed..."

"Of all the vehicles parked around here, only this motorcycle had just been turned off and parked!"

His eyes turned extremely cold, and even anger was no longer visible.

"Idiot, do you think I just randomly picked a shop and went in to scare people?"

"I knew it! A cowardly rat like you, afraid to show your face, would definitely hide your escape vehicle in the closest place to you!"

"If I just walk up to you and give you a little scare, you'll jump out on your own!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Kino's face turned deathly pale.

It turns out that Fugo's initial target wasn't a person, but this motorcycle.

He wasn't trying to wipe everything out, nor was he bluffing; he was waiting patiently, luring the snake out of its hole.

"It's over, it's all over."

Kino was utterly devastated.

He knew that once a powerful melee-type Stand got close to him, he had absolutely no chance of fighting back and winning.

Once the main body is exposed and someone gets close, the battle is already over.

"I don't actually like fighting."

Under Kino's disheartened gaze, Purple Haze slowly raised her palm.

"Besides not liking it in the first place, there's another very important reason:"

The tangled, purple-striped arm reached out and grabbed Kino by the throat.

"The people killed by Purple Haze died in truly gruesome ways."

Purple Haze's grip tightened.

"Those mangled, rotten flesh and decaying bones should not be the last thing a human being leaves for the world."

"Even I couldn't bear to see such a disgusting sight."

Ka—

A crisp sound, so faint it was almost inaudible.

"But as for those treacherous villains who harmed my companions..."

The virus capsule ruptured instantly.

Purple mist billowed out.

"This way of dying is just right."

Fugo calmly withdrew his gaze.

He turned and left without looking back.

Behind him, a lump of Meat Chunk was rotting and decaying.