Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Slaying Takeda Yushin
Chapter 76: Slaying Takeda Yushin
"Bastard."
An Ziyu had to dodge aside to avoid the fireball's attack.
Meanwhile, Takeda and another man wielding a katana seized the opportunity to rush through the crowd. The powerful Takeda engaged with the mutated dog, Xiaowu, while the katana-wielding man squared off against An Ziyu.
The alleyway defense was breached, and a large number of pursuers immediately tried to bypass An Ziyu to continue chasing the escaping team members.
"You are courting death."
An Ziyu sidestepped the katana attack and swung her broadsword at a pursuer, her weapon infused with spiritual energy, instantly decapitating him.
A headless body thudded to the ground.
"If you want to harm my teammates, you'll have to step over my dead body."
An Ziyu pointed her broadsword forward, activating her ability. Besides the Qi shield formed by the passive Chaos Yin-Yang art, a unique earth-toned protective barrier also enveloped her.
"Yamamoto-kun, Honda-kun, you need to take her down quickly. If those team members make it back to the stronghold, things will get complicated."
Takeda suggested as he fought the mutated dog. Xiaowu was being firmly suppressed by Takeda.
Siege warfare was different from field battles; casualties would be much higher.
The man named Matsuboto nodded and shouted a phrase in Japanese to the crowd, prompting six ability users to step out and surround An Ziyu.
Indeed, there were quite a number of ability users among them, which puzzled An Ziyu.
She murmured to herself, "The City Lord said ability users are extremely rare initially. Most of those who awakened in our stronghold had either practiced with the City Lord or were naturally gifted elites."
Matsuboto's katana was parried by An Ziyu, but the other six took the chance to attack. Their weapons hit her but were deflected by the barrier on her skin.
Seeing herself unharmed, An Ziyu sighed in relief.
'Thankfully, I awakened a defensive ability. I hope I can hold out until the City Lord arrives for support.'
The escaping team members saw Ye Zian's RV and immediately shouted, "City Lord, City Lord!"
Ye Zian was driving north and saw about a dozen team members fleeing toward his location, calling his name.
He stopped the vehicle, a slight displeasure evident on his face as he assessed them.
Although still armed, their food-pack backpacks were gone, giving them the appearance of deserters.
I had just ordered them to organize a defense, and they fled?
Sensing Ye Zian's killing intent, none dared speak, fearing his wrath.
A leading team member, undeterred, explained through gritted teeth, "Captain An ordered us to retreat. She said there are at least 20 ability users among them, and even Xiaowu can't match the leader."
Ye Zian was stupefied. Twenty ability users?
When did ability users become so common?
I've painstakingly nurtured twenty ability users here, mostly drawn from the story's original female protagonists and a few highly talented societal elites.
Ye Zian needed to understand the source of this anomaly.
"Get in the car. Where is An Ziyu?"
Now wasn't the time to argue with them. Regardless of the truth, the priority was to repel the invaders.
"Captain An is holding them off in the alleyway ahead," the team member said, pointing between the distant buildings.
Ye Zian hit the gas, sending the RV speeding toward the indicated direction.
A bloody figure leaned against a wall, clutching a broadsword tightly, its tip pointing at the invaders. Around thirty corpses lay on the ground, slain by An Ziyu, including an ability user.
The mutated dog Xiaowu lay panting heavily at her feet, marred with stab wounds, struggling to stand but still poised protectively before An Ziyu.
Takeda approached leisurely, his large sword aimed at An Ziyu as he spoke, "Where's Su Chen? I heard he's looking for your City Lord."
Some guys identified Ye Zian after fleeing Xiacheng University, leaking the intel to Xiacheng base's management, who relayed it to Takeda Yushin, revealing Su Chen's whereabouts.
Does this guy not know Su Chen is dead?
But Su Chen was no friend, An Ziyu retorted, "Spit. I'll never tell you, even in death."
Takeda Yushin, infuriated, sneered, "You're too stubborn; keeping you is trouble. Otherwise, I'd like to see how an ability user tastes."
With that, he slashed at An Ziyu's abdomen with his sword.
Blood gushed from her wound, yet she retaliated, slicing Takeda Yushin's cheek.
In the distance, Ye Zian furrowed his brow, extending his mental senses to locate An Ziyu.
Her spirit registered nearby, though weak.
Ye Zian's probe confirmed fewer than two thousand invaders, with about a dozen displaying the presence of abilities.
Where did things go off track?
"Takeda-kun, if you kill him, how will you find Su-san?"
"Kill him then; anyone who obstructs me deserves death."
Takeda spoke with viciousness.
On the ground, An Ziyu barely clung to life; only her status as an ability user kept her from death's door.
Just as Takeda Yushin moved to finish her,
Ye Zian drove the RV straight at Takeda Yushin.
He sidestepped reflexively, but those behind him were hit and sent flying, their fate unknown.
From the vehicle, Ye Zian and Su Wei emerged.
Seeing the gravely injured An Ziyu, murderous intent flared on Ye Zian's face.
Takeda Yushin also infuriatedly yelled, "More lambs to the slaughter."
Before he could continue, a shadow blitzed past, charging him.
Takeda barely managed to raise his sword before the swift shadow struck, leaving him no time to react as Ye Zian's Soul-Devouring Blade pierced through his mouth to the back of his head.
In disbelief, he stared at Ye Zian.
I couldn't even take one move from him?
As the soul-slashing activated, Takeda Yushin's memories flickered like a film reel before vanishing into white light, absorbed by Ye Zian.
Retracting his weapon, Ye Zian flicked the blood from the blade and spat at Takeda's corpse, silencing his bluster.
"Takeda-kun."
The event unfolded so swiftly that, besides Ye Zian, the surrounding onlookers barely reacted before he was taken down.
The followers he left behind, assailed by shock, hadn't anticipated Takeda succumbing to this stranger so quickly, stifling any chance to intervene.
Listening to their addressing of Takeda as "Takeda-kun," their accent held a distinct Japanese flavorโthese were indeed Japanese.
---
๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ. ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐!
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐๐ผ:
โข ๐ฝ๐ค๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐จ๐๐ช
โข ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ
โข ๐ผ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ป๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ:
โข ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐: ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฏ๐ฑ+ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐.
โข ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐-๐ข๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ!
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐!
๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ค๐ฃ.๐๐ค๐ข/๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง