Star Cross Casualties

"That's enough. Don't even think about going any further."

Are you talking to me?

Rocks stopped in his tracks, looked at Maron blocking his way with a cigar in his mouth, and burst out laughing in exasperation.

Maron's reaction to this was rather indifferent.

"Rocks, you have no idea how much of a boost we get here, and you'll never understand how unfathomable the power of the Quincy is."

"After today, the sun will always rise, and a new sun will bring about new changes in everything."

"You are going against the world itself."

"Is that so..."

Suddenly, Rocks sprang into action, his longsword already swung out, the sword energy forming a turbulent flow, the sound of it cutting through the air like a heavy hammer.

This was a horizontal slash; the ground was ripped open, and all the buildings on both sides of the road were cut in half at the waist. The upper body briefly floated in mid-air.

When Maron faced Rocks's attack head-on, his choice was simple: to activate his Vollständig.

"The Familiar of God!"

Boom!

The explosion collided with the sword energy, triggering an even greater impact.

Rocks, however, saw the brilliance in it.

Maron used a close-range explosion to change the trajectory of the sword energy.

As the smoke cleared, Maron, whose body had mostly turned into a machine, was revealed. At this point, half of his face was also covered, and one of his electronic eyes was flashing with data streams.

"Five-Finger Missiles!" Maron stretched out a hand.

His five fingers, trailing white smoke, transformed into missiles that flew out.

But this didn't bother Rocks much.

With a casual slash of his sword, Rocks severed all the missiles, causing them to explode in mid-air as if intercepted, even blowing Rocks' hair wild.

"I don't have time to waste here with you, take me to find Kaya!" Rocks shouted, pointing at his sword.

"Rocks, you've become naive over the years. Forget about the friendship you had when you were in the same pirate crew, just make your move!" Maron said dismissively.

"You will die," Rocks said calmly.

"Hahahaha!" Maron burst into laughter. "I haven't wasted these years; I've trained to the point where I can fight you!"

"It's a pity..." Rocks shook his head, "I don't want to have to kill my former comrades with my own hands again."

"Then go die! Aha!"

Suddenly! A scream rang out, followed by a series of violent explosions that engulfed Rocks! Dazzling flames shot into the sky.

One minute... ten minutes...

The explosions hadn't stopped! It was as if the entire arsenal had been detonated, a continuous barrage that created a small earthquake.

"You're not feeling good now, are you!"

On a rooftop, Ganzui stuck out his tongue and grinned, his back fluttering like wings made of gunpowder.

Ganzui here earlier than anyone else, and then he began to transform the area, turning the ground and surrounding buildings into bombs.

It's great that Rocks stepped in, because he can kill his former boss with his own hands!

"Ganzui you, you bastard!" Maron roared.

"Don't blame me, Rocks's head is worth a lot of money, right!" Ganzui shrugged and shouted at Maron.

"Is that so..." A faint voice suddenly sounded from behind Ganzui, as if a demon was whispering in his ear as it approached his neck.

At that moment, a chill ran down his spine.

"Abyss Curse!"

Rocks swung his swords with both hands, unleashing a Conqueror's Coating slash that shattered the very air.

Ganzui in agony, blood gushing from his body.

He didn't have time to think about why Rocks had suddenly appeared behind him; he quickly shouted.

"Maron, help me!"

That idiot bastard!

Below, Maron cursed under his breath, and pipes extended from behind him. These slender pipes were closely arranged together, forming a pair of silvery-white wings.

The next second, Maron shattered the ground and flew up, rushing towards Ganzui at full speed.

But when Maron arrived, the scene before him made his heart stop.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!" Ganzui rolled his eyes and coughed up blood, his large limbs hanging limply at his sides.

Rocks's sword pierced Ganzui's chest, impaling Ganzui in mid-air, blood dripping down the long blade.

"They lost already! "Maron exclaimed in shock.

"Without the Blut Vene, what are you Quincy?" Rocks said coldly.

As Rocks tightened his grip, Ganzui's eyes widened suddenly, and he managed to stammer, "Marlon... Maron, watch out, Rocks... watch out, he is..."

Sizzle!!

The black and white slashes were exceptionally striking; amidst the bursts of electricity, even blood was annihilated.

From the lower abdomen and waist, up to the opposite shoulder.

Ganzui was cut in two!

Boom!!

The explosion occurred suddenly, Rocks retreated, stepping out of the flames and black smoke.

Then Rocks looked up and saw Maron flying in the sky.

Maron remained expressionless, seemingly unaffected by Ganzui's death; he had even just helped blow up Ganzui's body.

"Rocks! Try this!"

Maron raised his hands, and the tube on his chest extended, spewing out Reishi that materialized from the energy body, forming a perfectly round bomb.

The bomb was huge, bigger than Maron, and it started to grow larger than the entire building complex.

At that moment, Rocks suddenly extended his hand with a cold smile.

Um?!!

Maron immediately sensed something was wrong; he lost his balance and went out of control in mid-air.

Under his horrified gaze, he suddenly felt himself no longer high in the sky, but beginning to fall, rapidly plunging towards the direction of Rocks.

"If you represent the sun..."

Rocks sheathed his sword, making a drawing motion.

"Then I will!"

"It's a black hole that devours the sun!"

Brake--

One sword separates black from white!

All color was stolen from this space, and the Wandenreich was briefly reduced to a black and white comic strip!

In the blurring image, a figure is suspended in mid-air, leaning back, as if someone has drawn a few strokes on its body with a fine-tipped pen.

The body was torn to pieces, and even the blood spurting from its body turned into thick ink.

I don't know how much time has passed; it could be a few seconds, or it could be centuries.

The deathly silence faded, and the clamor of the world rushed in.

Despair!

With a crisp click, Rocks sheathed his longsword in the scabbard strapped to the side of his belt.

Rocks glanced at Maron on the ground. Maron had been reduced to fragments; his wings and mechanical body were destroyed, and his head was split into three pieces.

Without lingering any longer, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

Whoosh~ Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

He saw countless Reishi surging forth, and the collapsed buildings, the floor beneath his feet, and even the airflow changed, as did the space itself.

He turned around, his gaze following the flow of Reishi, finally landing on Maron.

A strange glint flashed in his eyes.

They're still alive?

As a massive amount of Reishi filled in, Maron's mutilated body became fuller, while his head was repaired.

"Damn it... damn sinner!"

"Why! Why must you prevent the birth of New World! Are you that afraid?!"

"I'm afraid of that evolved world!!"

Maron's mangled body trembled, and his head, which had barely been reassembled, suddenly swelled up, becoming as large as a balloon.

His roar made the air in the area heavy, and the space seemed to be sealed off.

Rocks understood, but it was precisely this understanding that stirred his previously calm emotions.

"Planning to self-destruct...?"

Sizzle~

Maron suddenly stopped, the sound and the expansion ceased, and a compressed beam of fire pierced his head!

In an instant, it deflated like a punctured balloon.

Rocks turned his head and looked into the distance. On the roof of a relatively intact building, he saw a figure with his hand raised, and flames flickering at the fingertips.