3:05 PM.
Li Qing and Giorno first completed their logistical resupply and material preparations in a simple yet efficient manner, then rushed at the fastest speed they could manage toward the crash site at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
Looking up from here, the first thing they saw was the emerald greenery nurtured by fertile volcanic ash. Higher up stood the majestic bulk of Mount Vesuvius, its slopes covered in black volcanic rocks piled up over countless ages.
It truly was a beautiful sight, but Li Qing had no mind to appreciate it.
Because at the foot of the volcano, the once bustling tourist town had already been reduced to chaos:
The wreckage of the plane that had fallen from the sky had long since "vanished." Buildings and roads kept collapsing under some invisible, mysterious force, while pedestrians and tourists fled in all directions in unspeakable terror.
In the eyes of these ordinary people, it was as though an invisible giant plow had appeared in the town, endlessly tilling its way across the ground and leaving behind a broad, barren corridor of death.
But in Li Qing's eyes—
"Yare yare."
"It's already as big as a small villa."
"Looks like this monster ate quite a few more cars, huh?"
He sighed in amazement.
"Don't let your guard down."
Giorno could hear the casualness in Li Qing's voice.
"Although the situation favors us, the coast is still at least four kilometers away. There's no telling what accidents might happen along the way."
"Especially—"
"The US Military, right?"
Li Qing's deliberately relaxed expression quietly turned solemn as well.
"The Americans just lost one of their most advanced fighter jets. There's no way they'll turn a blind eye to it."
"It's been ten minutes since the crash, and their naval base is in Naples Harbor, not far from here. They could arrive at any moment!"
Li Qing completely understood Giorno's concern.
The commotion caused by this giant Meat Chunk was no less spectacular than a scene from a Hollywood film. Having witnessed something so bizarre, those war-hungry Americans would definitely go all out against this "invisible monster."
If military helicopters swept overhead at high speed and low altitude, or if they started firing those hyperfast bullets and artillery shells, Li Qing and Giorno's battle plan would definitely be severely disrupted.
And even if those soldiers did not interfere with them, it would still be enough trouble if the Americans saw Li Qing and Giorno, during the sensitive period just after the Balkan War had begun, playing real-life cops and robbers with some "invisible monster" that had appeared out of nowhere at the crash site of an American cutting-edge fighter jet.
That alone would bring Li Qing and Giorno enormous trouble.
After all, CIA tea was not so easy to drink.
"In that case, let's end this quickly!"
Li Qing lightly revved the motorcycle beneath him, connected to Giorno's phone, and spoke through their "team voice chat."
"Hello, hello."
"Giorno, are you ready?"
"I'm ready. What about you, Li Qing?"
"Ha ha ha ha. Of course!"
Li Qing laughed heartily.
"This may sound a little cringe, but what we're doing right now is pretty stupid anyway, so—"
"Giorno Giovanna, let's save the world together!"
The motorcycle engine suddenly roared more than ten times louder.
Giorno and Li Qing each rode their own bikes, following their prearranged battle plan and steadily approaching the mindless giant Meat Chunk from different directions.
"Shlurp, shlurp~"
The Meat Chunk instinctively made an excited sound of flesh squirming.
Compared to the slowly running crowds, it preferred Li Qing, who had ridden his motorcycle into its sensory range.
This monster, a full seven or eight meters tall, suddenly burst forth with speed completely at odds with its bloated body. Under Li Qing's provocation, it turned and changed direction.
One hundred meters. Ninety meters. Eighty meters.
The Meat Chunk drew closer and closer to Li Qing.
Yet the process was long and safe.
At the very least, compared with the dangerous battle on the bus, where friend and foe had been extremely close together, Li Qing and Giorno now held complete control of the initiative.
"It's already within fifty meters."
Li Qing carefully controlled the distance between himself and the Meat Chunk. When it reached the preset safety limit of fifty meters, he promptly sent his teammate a signal for help.
"Giorno, your turn!"
As he spoke, he deliberately slowed his motorcycle.
Meanwhile, Giorno, who had been lingering at the edge of the Meat Chunk's sensory range in the distance, suddenly twisted the throttle. With perfect coordination, he charged into the Meat Chunk's "field of vision" and used his slightly superior speed to pull its aggro away from Li Qing.
The mindless monster immediately gave up on Li Qing, whom it had only chased halfway, and turned toward Giorno, who was a full hundred meters away.
Just like that.
The two took turns drawing the Meat Chunk's aggro, effortlessly kiting away this seemingly invincible monster.
Under Li Qing and Giorno's guidance, it moved away from the town and steadily advanced toward the vast sea in the distance.
And there lay this monster's eternal graveyard.
"Great!"
Li Qing could not help letting out a breath of relief.
"The plan is going even more smoothly than expected. Now, as long as nobody comes to get in the way—"
"Mm."
His tone suddenly became extremely strange.
"What is it?"
Giorno's slightly grave voice came through the phone. "Did something go wrong?"
"I shouldn't have raised a death flag."
Li Qing sighed helplessly.
"The troublemaker really did show up!"
While carefully riding his motorcycle to keep the Meat Chunk's aggro, he focused on listening to the sounds at the edge of the battlefield.
"There's a motorcycle with an engine that sounds extremely powerful. It's speeding toward us from a street off to the rear flank."
"That guy will probably interfere—"
Before Li Qing could finish, the nuisance he had mentioned had already appeared.
The man rode a clearly cooler, fiercer customized motorcycle. He roared his powerful engine as he charged in menacingly from another street, accompanied by an earthshaking engine roar.
He was fast, far faster than either Li Qing or Giorno.
And worse, this guy was not some passing street racer. He was—
"Bastards!"
"You stole my bike and took my phone too?"
"Just see if I don't teach you a proper lesson today!"
The young hoodlum who had just "contributed" to the cause of justice roared furiously.
Yes, it was him—the "old acquaintance" Li Qing and Giorno had met only minutes ago.
After being robbed, he had not swallowed his anger and accepted his bad luck. Instead, it had ignited a blazing fury within him.
Having spent many years wandering the local streets, this young hoodlum knew that Naples's useless police had virtually no chance of bringing the bike thieves to justice. So he immediately decided to take matters into his own hands.
Right after the incident, he ran to a nearby friend's home and borrowed a motorcycle with excellent speed and performance to pursue them.
At the same time, in order to intimidate the two bike thieves who seemed fairly capable, he specifically borrowed a revolver from his friend for self-defense—
Because Italy allowed adult citizens to legally possess civilian firearms, and because public safety was not exactly reassuring, many households kept easy-to-use revolvers like this at home, ready for any confrontation.
For an idle street thug, getting a gun really was not difficult.
Thus, this brave young hoodlum rode after them with a gun in hand, charging fiercely along the route Li Qing and Giorno had taken.
"..."
Seeing this old friend who had come specifically to collect his debt, Li Qing's expression turned ugly to the extreme.
"Is this really necessary?"
"I already feel bad enough about taking your phone and motorcycle. Why did you come all the way here just to die?!"
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