"So it's that Zanku. Where is he?"
"At the moment, around the corner of Eighth Street in the black market in District Twelve. The informant said he was heading south."
Although Lin Feng had only recently become a district captain of the Imperial Guard, he had spent a long time helping Ogre handle official business,
so he was very familiar with the "most wanted criminals" on those wanted posters.
Most people on the wanted posters were vicious criminals who could be dealt with dead or alive.
As a newly appointed Imperial Guard captain, Lin Feng naturally wanted to earn some merit quickly and get his superiors' attention. That was only one reason,
while the other was that Lin Feng could not tolerate a lunatic like this running wild in his District Thirteen.
Even with bandits and scoundrels like the Gathered Heroes Group, if you gave way for a while, there would still be ways to deal with them later,
but with a lunatic who killed anyone he saw and could not be reasoned with, Lin Feng only wanted to eliminate him as soon as possible.
[Alucard Template System] [Experience: 10.58%] [Skill points: 0 → 1]
Such a voice echoed from his subconscious, bringing Lin Feng a truly unexpected delight.
It's actually rising this fast?
It seemed the rate at which his experience increased was not constant, but depended on Lin Feng's current condition and rate of growth.
After Lin Feng became an Imperial Guard captain, his template points had soared as his experience in handling affairs increased.
No wonder my shots with the Casull felt so powerful earlier... now my whole body seems filled with a thin layer of energy. It's completely different from the simple strength enhancement I had before.
With the boost from those ten experience points, Lin Feng felt even more confident about killing Zanku.
"Five lives, hah! But it seems I'm still one short!"
Beneath the scarlet full moon, even the surrounding clouds and mist were stained crimson.
As if frightened by something, the thick, dense clouds scattered in all directions. The red moon's faint light fell upon the murderer, making the scene even eerier.
Zanku's thick right hand gripped a woman's neck firmly, leaving just enough room for her to breathe and speak as he lifted her bodily into the air.
"Please, let me go! As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything!"
The woman sobbed and begged Zanku for mercy, and this was precisely the moment he had been waiting for.
"Really?"
"Really! I swear it's true!"
"I'm a man who loves to talk. Can you keep me company?"
"I can! I'll talk with you!"
Tears streamed down her face as the woman struggled to stay lucid through her terror, hoping this murderer would spare her life.
"Then, how does it feel to have your head separated from your body?"
"Huh?"
The instant the woman froze, Zanku's right hand squeezed violently-
The neck he held aloft burst under the violent pressure of his muscles. As though squeezing out shrimp paste, Zanku squeezed the woman's entire head off.
The woman's remaining, limp body dropped to the ground, while Zanku's laughter grew ever more unrestrained.
"Hahahahaha!!! Delightful, delightful!!!"
As he laughed, Zanku's smile receded again, leaving only a trace of pleasure at the corners of his mouth.
"Looks like tonight's sixth victim has arrived."
Before he even turned around, Zanku had already seen the boy behind him-Tatsumi.
Sent by Night Raid to assassinate this executioner, Tatsumi knew he had found the right man just from the distinctive Teigu device on his head.
And now was the perfect moment for Tatsumi to launch a surprise attack from behind.
Tatsumi swiftly drew his blade and charged at Zanku, but without so much as looking, Zanku turned and drew his blade behind him, sending Tatsumi flying with a single slash!
"That was close... I almost forgot about his Teigu. If I hadn't reacted quickly and raised my blade across my chest to defend, I'd definitely be dead."
Tatsumi had previously read an introduction to Zanku's peculiar Teigu-Five-Sight Omnipotent: Spectator-in Night Raid's classified files.
This Teigu possessed five different abilities, the first of which allowed him to see through everything and perceive his opponent's attacks from every angle.
Zanku turned around, surprised that Tatsumi had not been killed outright by his slash. It seemed this boy had come prepared.
"Boy, come on. Attack me with everything you've got. Let me enjoy myself a little longer!"
Tatsumi glanced out of the corner of his eye at the woman Zanku had killed beside him, and anger involuntarily flared in his heart.
Ever since joining Night Raid, Tatsumi had undergone harsh training every day,
and now was the time to put the swordsmanship he had practiced under Akame to use!
Tatsumi brought every muscle in his body into play, launching fluid thrusts from five directions within a single second. The sequence was dazzling,
but even such superb swordsmanship amounted to nothing before Zanku.
As though he had known beforehand which direction Tatsumi would strike from, Zanku blocked every attack in turn,
then wounded Tatsumi's shoulder with a single thrust.
Although Tatsumi suffered only a minor injury from that thrust, his confidence took a severe blow.
"My Future Vision lets me predict all your movements. Whether you're attacking or defending, I can see it all perfectly clearly in that future."
Zanku smiled wickedly, seemingly enjoying the pleasure of tormenting Tatsumi.
"Hurry up and surrender. If I'm in a good mood, I might let you die a less painful death!"
Tatsumi's eyes darkened. Even knowing that his swordsmanship alone might not be enough to defeat this man's Teigu, he would never surrender to someone who slaughtered ordinary people.
That would insult not only Tatsumi, but also Night Raid, to which he belonged.
Coordinating his waist and stance, Tatsumi held his blade horizontally and focused his thoughts.
Even if you can predict my direction, you might not be able to keep up with my speed!
This was the ultimate sword technique Tatsumi currently knew, a single-point thrust that pursued the limits of speed,
a strike that no one could evade, however fast their reactions.
In the space of a held breath, before even the sound of wind could be heard, Tatsumi had already completed his strike.
His long blade was at his waist, sliding into its sheath. Completely unaware that he had been cut, Zanku had a long, narrow line of blood bloom across his chest.
"Urgh-!"
This was the first time Zanku had been injured in years. Clearly, Tatsumi's swordsmanship could be called the strongest among all his opponents,
but-he still seemed to fall just a little short of Zanku.
Having returned his blade to its sheath, Tatsumi suddenly felt warmth at his waist, followed by a sharp burst of pain.
At the same moment he had cut Zanku, Zanku had landed a slash on him as well.
The pain from his two blade wounds forced him down onto one knee, drenched in cold sweat. He watched Zanku turn back toward him, not knowing how to respond.