The Distance Between Life and Death

Intelligence gathered from the enemy's perspective is bound to have omissions, and this is precisely what caused the two survivors of the Assassination Team to suffer a great loss.

Just like now, Melone only knows that Li Qing has the ability to locate and move at high speed, but he doesn't know that his modified version of the Sonically Enhanced Wave can actually be maintained for a long time.

So when he panicked and threw the swallow out of the car earlier, he never imagined that the swallow that was left on the road would reappear in such an important role.

Ultimately, Melone forgot that his enemies, while possessing absolute power, also had the wisdom to deal with crises.

But now, it's all too late.

The slim chance of victory that Risotto had fought so hard with all his wisdom and risked his life for collapsed so suddenly and unexpectedly.

The iron and electricity trap was broken through by Li Qing in an instant.

His figure was like a phantom, rushing towards Melone at an incredible speed.

Melone was relieved that the location marker of the Sonically Enhanced Wave was imprinted on the swallow, not on himself.

Otherwise, he would have died like that poor swallow.

Melone is not dead yet, but his state of mind is no different from that of a dead man:

"It's over. There's no chance of turning things around!"

Looking at Li Qing, who had already used the swallows as targets to rush towards him, Melone felt a despair that almost suffocated him.

Facing a formidable enemy so close at hand, a chill ran through his entire body.

He could almost foresee the terrible scene of Li Qing taking off his own head after regaining his balance.

But

Just when Melone had resigned himself to his fate, he was surprised to discover:

After escaping the electric current and rushing towards him, Li Qing did not launch an attack directly as he had feared.

On the contrary, after regaining his footing, Li Qing's first action was to move his hands and feet and relax his body—his movements were noticeably stiff and sluggish at this moment, completely unlike the agile and swift movements he had shown before.

Clearly, the negative effects of electric current seem to have a certain duration.

After breaking free from direct contact with the electric current, Li Qing's paralysis did not immediately subside.

"His body is still stiff; he hasn't fully recovered from the aftereffects of the electric shock!"

"Brother Risotto— "

"Hurry and make your move now!"

As if he had suddenly seen a lifeboat approaching from the river, Melone shouted at the top of his lungs.

In fact, he had no idea how long Li Qing's "post-electrocution syndrome" would last, or when the paralysis in Li Qing's body would completely disappear.

One second, two seconds, or perhaps just a fleeting moment?

Even the slightest difference in the answer could mean the difference between life and death.

But Melone knew that whatever the answer was, this was his and Risotto's last chance.

So he tried his best to remind Risotto, hoping that Risotto would seize the precious opportunity when Li Qing was still suffering from the aftereffects of the electric shock.

The heavy burden of deciding victory or defeat once again fell on Risotto's shoulders.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.

"Is this the last chance?"

Risotto silently and rapidly observed his surroundings:

Because subconsciously unwilling to abandon Risotto and flee alone, Melone was unable to make that difficult decision during the brief battle that lasted less than half a minute.

Moreover, although he himself did not realize it, deep down he had always harbored a faint expectation for Risotto.

After all, that was Risotto Nero, the leader of the Assassination Team, and the most trusted and reliable older brother among his comrades.

Therefore, despite the enormous threat posed by Li Qing, Melone remained tense, uneasy, and panicked, yet she stood firmly by Risotto's side.

Half a minute later, Melone was actually not too far from Risotto, and quite close to the lamppost.

In other words

Just now, Li Qing used Echoes Act to escape from about five or six meters away from the streetlight to Melone's side, which was about ten meters away from the streetlight.

Currently, Li Qing seems to still be troubled by the aftereffects of the electric shock, and her body is still somewhat sluggish and numb.

If God helps him, and this negative state of his persists long enough, Risotto still has a chance of victory:

"Let's extend the wire now and pull it across."

"I still have a chance to make Li Qing get electrocuted again!"

In a flash, the following thought crossed Risotto's mind:

The distance between Li Qing and the streetlight is now nearly 14 meters.

The iron wire created by exhausting the iron in Li Qing's body could only be extended to a maximum of 6 meters.

With limited materials, this was the longest length Risotto could produce using that single-person portion of iron.

So, since the wire can't be extended any further, how can he make it reach Li Qing, who is already 14 meters away?

There is only one way: to add more iron and consume more raw materials.

However, these raw materials don't seem to be so easy to find:

There are no fine iron filings on this bridge that can be used for Metallica; there are only heavy, large pieces of steel such as cars, guardrails, and streetlights.

Risotto, of course, couldn't control these heavy metal lumps; otherwise, his Stand wouldn't be called Metallica, but rather Magneto.

In other words, he has fallen into a pitiful situation where he is surrounded by iron but has no iron to use.

So, the only iron that can still be utilized now is...

"It's within myself!"

Almost instantly, Risotto made a decision.

He unleashed his fastest speed, launching a desperate charge towards Li Qing, who had fled to a nearby location.

Meanwhile, the capabilities of Metallica were quietly activated.

A small hole was suddenly made in Risotto's ankle from the inside out, and a thin wire extended from the flesh behind the hole.

The wire was constantly consuming the iron in Risotto's body, and as Risotto ran, it was also rapidly extending and stretching backward.

"Boss Risotto!"

Melone exclaimed in shock.

How could he not see that Risotto wanted to exhaust the iron in his body and perish together with Li Qing?

"Use mine—"

"I also have iron in my body that I can use!"

In this almost frozen moment, Melone seemed to have forgotten his fear.

He instinctively shouted these words, not wanting to see Risotto die from exhausting his iron reserves.

But Risotto completely ignored him.

Because he knew in his heart that neither he nor Melone were monsters like Li Qing.

Even if a normal human body loses enough iron to make just one meter of wire, it won't kill them, but it will definitely lead to a significant decline in bodily functions due to iron deficiency.

Now, Li Qing is about 13 or 14 meters away from the streetlight. The original wire was only 6 meters long, and the gap in the wire is as much as 7 or 8 meters.

Even if such a huge demand from loyal fans were split between two people, those two people would definitely be overwhelmed, even if they didn't die on the spot.

And now, Li Qing's companions are about to catch up here, which is almost a foreseeable fact.

If both of them lose their mobility due to iron depletion after the battle, then all they can do is wait to die here.

Such an approach is clearly meaningless.

Rather than dragging both of them into a deadly abyss, it's better to let only one person bear such a heavy fate.

Therefore, Risotto completely ignored Melone's shouts.

He charged toward Li Qing at top speed, frantically extracting iron from his body with all his might.

The thin wire continued to grow and extend from Risotto's body, and under the influence of magnetism, it pointed straight towards the street lamp behind him.

That's all.

Risotto quickly pushed himself to the limit.

He rushed quickly to a point less than two meters away from Li Qing, and the barbed wire behind him had already extended for six meters.

Risotto used all of his iron to create a 6-meter-long wire. Combined with the 6-meter wire he had previously created using Li Qing's iron, the remaining length needed to conduct the current to Li Qing's body was less than 2 meters.

But this gap of less than 2 meters seems to be the distance that determines life and death.

By this time, Risotto's iron stores had been depleted.

Melone, on the other hand, was looking at Risotto with a complex and unspoken gaze, as if to say:

"Use mine—use the iron in my body!"

"Even if it's just these last two meters, please let me do my part!"

"No need, Melone."

"You don't need to fill this last vacancy."

Risotto simply responded to Melone with a meaningful whisper.

He knew that once the iron in his body was completely drained, he would be a living dead man who was doomed to die.

No one can survive in such a near-zero iron environment; his body will soon collapse as his physiological functions completely cease.

Since that's the case, we might as well go all the way.

Let him bear this heavy death alone.

"Live well, Melone!"

Risotto leaped forward, reaching out with all his might to pounce on Li Qing.

The iron content has been depleted.

Therefore, the only thing that can fill that last two meters is his own body.

Li Qing, however, still seems to be troubled by the so-called aftereffects of the electric shock.

Faced with Risotto's swift and desperate charge, his ears twitched slightly as if listening to something, but his body remained stiff and did not dodge.

Perhaps Li Qing was completely unaware of what Risotto was doing.

Seeing Risotto launching such a terrible suicide attack on him, he not only did not try to dodge, but also "subconsciously" reached out and gently blocked it.

That's exactly what happened – Risotto's hand was captured on camera.

Li Qing and Risotto's bodies made contact.

And behind Risotto.

Two incredibly thin wires were thus linked together in mid-air.

With Risotto's last will, the current surged forth like a flood.

Lightning flashed.

Risotto's life came to an end.

One update today. Tomorrow I'll try to finish the last chapter of the Assassination Team, and finish the fifth part of the story from start to finish. Then I'll take a long break. Finally, I can (temporarily) be free! (=_=)