The snake wasn't very large, only about a meter long. The patterns on its body resembled the peeling, mottled surface of a painted wall. Its body split into two tails from the midsection down, and at the traditional 'seven-inch' vital point, there was a black fleshy tumor. Its head was covered in rope-like patterns.
The two-tailed snake crawled along the tree trunk outside the hollow. The bell-like flesh at the end of its tails was strung with a needle as thin as a toothpick, emitting incessant, alternating urgent and slow chimes as it swayed.
Looking at the two-tailed snake less than fifty meters away, Law's mind immediately recalled one of the calamities recorded in the [Journey to the New World], also one known to humanity… a magical beast that used sound as a medium to transmit killing intent.
'Was it created based on my memory?'
Law couldn't be sure if this snake was truly one of the known Calamities, as his knowledge of it came solely from the book's contents and Ging's accounts.
"If it is, it's really uncomfortable, as expected."
Law took a deep breath. The feeling of having his memories taken and utilized was deeply unpleasant. He desperately wanted to find that 'it', crush it with his own hands, and end this arbitrary farce.
The urgent and slow chimes intertwined, spreading through the air and seeping into the tree hollow where Law was.
Just as Law was about to summon Shin, two surges of Aura Fluctuations) suddenly arose within the hollow… one originating from Tonpa, the other from Biscuit.
"Hmm?"
Law turned his head to see Tonpa standing up, eyes wide open with whites showing, his features twisted and terrifying, radiating a frenzied killing intent. What was more exaggerated was that, judging by subtle signs, Tonpa should still have been unconscious.
'A magical beast that transmits killing intent... this was the Twin-Tailed Snake, Hellbell.'
Whether real or fake, the transmitted killing intent could actually make an unconscious person stand up autonomously, becoming a puppet controlled by killing intent.
In contrast, Biscuit also showed a face of frenzied killing intent. Her delicate, petite figure slowly transformed into her tall, muscular, developed form, emitting an oppressive aura.
As for Bruna...
Law looked calmly towards Bruna's location. She had also awakened, her body glowing fiery red, her remaining tentacles waving menacingly.
However, it didn't look the least bit threatening… in fact, it seemed somewhat silly and cute.
'All three were controlled by killing intent. That snake was indeed one of the known Calamities.'
Law understood something, remaining calm as still water, but he wondered why that 'it' would go to the extra trouble?
'If the goal was to make me fight my close companions to the death, was it really necessary to deliberately fabricate the Twin-Tailed Snake? Couldn't 'it' just directly control Tonpa and Biscuit?'
Recalling each previous experience, it seemed there was a thread between rationality and contradiction, extremely fine. If he glanced away for just a second, it would be hard to find again upon looking back.
"I have to admit, you really make me uncomfortable." Watching Biscuit and Tonpa poised to strike, Law sighed softly, "The one I can bring myself to kill is only..."
Before he finished speaking, a thought stirred within him, and he erased the heart sealed within the book.
Tonpa's body jolted violently. His hands clutched his chest tightly, his expression pained as he knelt on the ground, staring at Law with an extremely resentful gaze before quickly collapsing face down, ceasing to breathe.
A perfect fictional scenario, infinitely close to true reality, even copying the detail of Tonpa's heart being sealed in the book.
Law completely ignored Tonpa's resentful expression before death.
A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes but was quickly concealed.
Pushing off with his foot, his figure shot backward rapidly… because Biscuit, having returned to her original form, was charging towards him.
To dodge Biscuit's immensely destructive punch, Law leaped backward, arriving above the Twin-Tailed Snake. His eyes turned cold. Twisting his waist mid-air, he kicked an Aura Blade towards the snake below.
Whoosh!
The Aura Blade struck the Twin-Tailed Snake's head directly, severing it and the thick tree trunk in one clean cut. The snake fell silent.
Almost immediately afterward, urgent and slow chimes came from all directions.
If 'it' could create one Twin-Tailed Snake, naturally it could create a second, a third.
Hearing the chimes coming from all around, Law understood the 'it' behind the scenes was determined to fully utilize the Twin-Tailed Snake's ability to transmit killing intent.
He landed from the air, steadying himself on the trunk of the opposite tree.
At that moment, Biscuit burst out of the tree hollow, leaping through the air towards him, raising her arm and gathering a large amount of Aura.
Seeing this, Law chose to evade without the slightest hesitation, continuing to leap backward into the air. Biscuit's punch landed on the giant tree with a loud boom, creating a large crater and causing the massive tree to tilt over.
Almost without pause, Biscuit retracted her fist, stepped down, and pursued Law who was still in the air.
Her relentless assault seemed driven by frenzied killing intent, utterly devoid of defense, single-mindedly pursuing destruction, leaving numerous openings.
Even in this illusion, Law didn't want Biscuit to think him a pervert, and naturally, he didn't want to harm Biscuit either.
Facing Biscuit's all-out frenzied offensive, Law had no choice but to use [Sky Walk] to ascend into the air, trying his best to avoid contact with Biscuit.
However, Biscuit climbed the trees swiftly like an ape, using the giant trees as springboards to attack Law again and again.
After several rounds, Law kept dodging, Biscuit couldn't hit him, and the two reached a stalemate.
Right then, Kuro suddenly emerged from the back of Law's hand, transforming into his panther form, and swiped a claw at Law's right shoulder.
Caught off guard, the clothing on Law's right shoulder tore apart, blood sprayed out, and the force transmitted sent him crashing heavily to the ground like a meteor, creating a large crater upon impact.
Immediately after, Biscuit fell from the sky. While still mid-air, she gathered all her Aura into her fist, condensing it into an extremely proficient Ko, shining brightly.
Law silently watched the Biscuit who might smash him into a pancake the next second. He made no move to defend or dodge, planning to just let Biscuit's fist end him.
However, if it ended so quickly, how could that 'it' possibly agree?
The killing intent-transmitting chimes weren't just aimed at Biscuit and the others.
The sound entered his body, and it felt like something was flowing through his bloodstream.
Law's expression changed. A killing intent arose from the depths of his heart for no apparent reason.
The surging Aura Fluctuation was already pressing down from above. A crimson gleam flickered in Law's eyes. A jade-white humanoid phantom materialized from his Nen, its palm transforming into a blade, slashing towards the descending Biscuit.
Focusing solely on frenzied offense, with not a bit of defense… if this palm blade struck, one could foresee Biscuit's body shattering into dust, leaving behind only a perfectly intact fist.
Just as the palm blade was about to touch Biscuit, Law's eyelids suddenly lifted. The crimson gleam in his eyes vanished.
At the last moment, he forcibly halted the palm blade swung by the jade-white humanoid phantom.
Boom!
The raised fist ultimately struck Law's chest. Accompanied by a violent gust of wind, Law's chest became a bloody, mangled hole. His consciousness faded into darkness.
Inside the tree hollow, everyone lay on the ground.
Near the entrance, Kuro lay on his side.
A swollen, round-shelled beetle, several times his size, was attached to the back of his neck. Its back was slightly raised, with a vertical slit several centimeters long running from top to bottom, part of a pupil faintly visible within.
In contrast, Tonpa, Biscuit, and Bruna all had similar round-shelled beetles on their bodies, though the size of the swelling differed.
Not far from the fire, Law lay with his eyes closed. A similar beetle was on his back, though this one was only the size of an apple, and the vertical slit on its back was so faint it was almost invisible.