"..."
Chen Ye froze at the doorway, his breath catching as he witnessed the rare sight before him.
This wasn't just rare—it was the first time he had ever seen the entire Yozakura Family gathered in one room. Not to mention the presence of two people Chen Ye had never seen before.
Even more surprising, Cecilus Segmunt was present, alongside Kurogane Ouma.
However...
'This atmosphere... it's absolutely suffocating!'
Chen Ye felt cold sweat beginning to dampen his palms. Without realizing it, his body started trembling slightly—not from cold, but from the invisible pressure that filled the room.
Earlier, at the sudden command of someone called Flashy Flash, he had been forced to attend this gathering. How could he refuse? Especially when it was closely related to the Sword King's presence.
Even so... Chen Ye had to admit that when people like Kurogane Ouma and Cecilus Segmunt were in the same room, the air seemed harder to breathe. Even Konno Yūki, who usually never ran out of words and could always lighten the mood with her cheerfulness, now sat in silence with her lips pressed tight.
Fortunately...
"So... Is there something important you two wish to share with us, Yoruka, Flash?"
That gentle voice broke the suffocating silence. Yozakura Tsubomi—the petite head of the family—finally spoke up. Her warm and calming tone instantly eased the tension gripping the room.
"I won't beat around the bush since our time is limited." Flashy Flash responded with a serious tone rarely heard from him. "In the near future, we will face an attack from a certain organization."
"..."
'Straight to the point without any pleasantries...' Chen Ye fell silent, slightly taken aback by Flashy Flash's frontal approach.
"I see..." Yozakura Tsubomi nodded, her face showing no trace of panic. "Do you already know the identity of those who will attack us?"
"Yes, and..." Flashy Flash's sharp eyes shifted to stare at Chen Ye with an intensity that made the young man feel completely exposed. "This person has a direct connection to that threat."
"Huh?" Inaba Tsukuyo furrowed her brow. "You keep mentioning his involvement. Why don't you both explain in more detail so we can fully understand the situation?"
"With pleasure, Miss Tsukuyo." Kirihime Yoruka answered with a sweet smile. "Based on the information I've gathered, it appears there's a certain organization actively targeting this young man. If my memory serves me correctly... Black Mamba, isn't it?"
"Black Mamba?" Konno Yūki tilted her head. "What kind of organization is that?"
"We can consider them a high-level criminal organization, Miss Yūki," Kirihime Yoruka replied.
"Oh!" Konno Yūki nodded quickly. "So... how strong are they?"
"Not too bad for a criminal organization." Flashy Flash answered, though his eyes remained sharp. "They have an SSS-rank Hunter named Dean as their leader, plus several members who've reached S-rank... Well, personally, I'm still confident I could handle them all."
"Hmm... Okay?"
Several Yozakura Family members fell silent, their lips twitching at Flashy Flash's somewhat over-confident statement. True, Flash was incredibly strong—especially in terms of speed—but there were still limits, right?
"However, if we're only talking about their members' strength, that's not a big problem~" Kirihime Yoruka continued in a lighter tone. "After all, with just Master Cecilus's presence alone, we could easily defeat combat power of that level. And if the entire Yozakura Family moves together... basically, only a handful of forces in this world could stop us."
"I do appreciate sincere praise like that." Cecilus Segmunt smiled broadly with unshakeable confidence.
"..." Several others, even Kurogane Ouma, merely frowned but chose not to comment.
Meanwhile, Chen Ye was stunned. From Kirihime Yoruka's explanation, that meant Cecilus Segmunt had at least SSS-rank power.
So... that man was the strongest individual in the Yozakura Family?!
"However, SSS-rank power isn't the problem. As explained, we have the ability to win against threats of that caliber. The real problem lies in... the power hiding behind them."
"Stop making us more curious with this drama. Just lay it all out completely," Kurogane Ouma said in a cold, piercing tone.
"Simply put," Flashy Flash glanced at him, "they have extremely strong backing. Among them, thousands of professional mercenaries and elite-level assassins—most likely S-rank—hired from various renowned guilds. Besides that..." His gaze turned slightly cold. "there's a possibility of Transcendent beings involved in their plans."
"..."
"O-okay... It seems the situation is a bit..." Konno Yūki looked awkward, her words hanging in the air.
The entire room fell into suffocating silence. Even Kurome, who had been busy munching on snacks, stopped.
Although the Yozakura Family had sufficient power to fight S to SSS-rank Hunters, Transcendent beings were a different story. It wasn't impossible to defeat them, but it would certainly cause casualties on their side.
SSS-rank and Transcendent beings were basically equal in terms of raw power, but the problem was that unlike SSS-rank, Transcendent beings were almost 'immortal'—killing them required extraordinary effort and was nearly impossible, like trying to kill a cockroach.
Of course... if we're talking about Unknown rank, that's an entirely different story altogether...
"It can't be that simple." Ji Xuanyuan finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence. "Would they really not consider the reputation of the two founding families of this city? Besides, isn't there also the Hunter Association that—"
"I'm afraid I must disappoint your expectations, Miss Ji Xuanyuan." Kirihime Yoruka cut in gently. "It appears some kind of secret agreement has been made between the Shikai Family and Resonance Family with the enemy."
"..." The room's atmosphere grew even heavier. Cecilus Segmunt appeared to be stroking his chin while lost in deep thought.
"Therefore, with all humility, I request the Sword King to share his valuable knowledge with us~" Kirihime Yoruka said with a smile.
"Sigh... It seems this old man has brought tremendous trouble to the Yozakura Family."
The Sword King, with his figure draped in gently flowing white robes and snow-white hair, let out a long sigh with an expression that looked utterly exhausted and full of regret.
"You have a personal vendetta with Black Mamba, don't you?" Flashy Flash looked at him with an investigating gaze.
"It's not a complicated story to understand." The Sword King raised his head, his eyes that once shone now dim from the burden of the past. "Simply put, Black Mamba is an organization that worships a Transcendent being that should never be worshipped by anyone—a creature known as the 'Demon Dragon Lord'."
What followed was a lengthy explanation. The Sword King detailed the Demon Dragon Lord extensively. In summary, the Demon Dragon Lord was an entity obsessed with attacking extremely powerful sword users.
Even other Transcendent beings weren't spared—including gods and goddesses who specifically used swords as their primary weapons, all became targets.
What was the purpose of this terrifying obsession? It turned out the Demon Dragon Lord wanted to use the pure souls of sword users to create a weapon capable of even killing Unknown-rank beings.
During this horrifying process, Black Mamba was created as a shadow organization specifically designed to attack, capture, and "process" expert swordsmen.
Naturally, other Transcendent beings wouldn't stand idle against such a threat and tried to fight back with all their might. Unfortunately, they all realized that the Demon Dragon Lord's power was abnormal even by fellow Transcendent standards.
Therefore, the only hope was to form an alliance to face this common threat. One of those who joined this alliance was the Sword King himself.
If calculated carefully, there were three Transcendent beings and four SSS-rank Hunters at that time, forming the alliance of the strongest swordsmen in human history.
Unfortunately, this hope-filled alliance met with tragic failure. They did manage to severely wound the Demon Dragon Lord, but at a horrifying cost—almost all alliance members died in the final battle.
At the most critical moment, when they were on the verge of victory, Black Mamba members attacked them. The result was a massacre—nearly all of humanity's strongest swordsmen died in one dark night...
"I was quite fortunate because of my status as a Transcendent being, so it wasn't easy to truly die. But you can see my current condition." The Sword King raised his transparent hand. "I exist only as a bound soul, and my power level can now only touch S-rank."
"..."
All Yozakura Family members listened with full attention. Chen Ye also looked heavily shocked—this was the first time he'd heard his master's tragic past...
"However, you can trust my words completely," the Sword King continued with a firmer tone, trying to convince them. "No matter how strong the Demon Dragon Lord is, he's still in severely wounded condition. There's almost no way to recover from those injuries because they resulted from our entire alliance's combined attack at that time."
The Sword King explained hurriedly, his tone reflecting hidden desperation. Honestly, he had to admit that the only hope for himself and Chen Ye was this Yozakura Family.
After all, the Yozakura Family had a monster of Cecilus Segmunt's caliber, equivalent to SSS-rank. Though he hated to admit it, he even sensed that Kurogane Ouma possessed power at least equivalent to SS-rank.
This didn't include calculations for terrifying individuals like Kokushibo, Xiang Yu, Kirihime Yoruka, and Flashy Flash, who were most likely at S-rank or even S+ level.
Although several other members like Inaba Tsukuyo, Tomioka Giyū, Aoi Sui, Konno Yūki, Kurome, and possibly Tsukuyomi Tsukasa were still around B to A-rank, that wasn't a big problem.
Besides, the Yozakura Family also had someone like Ji Xuanyuan with her Art of Taixuan Sword, claimed capable of killing Transcendent beings—though the Sword King still had doubts about that claim.
Overall, the Yozakura Family's total combat power was almost equivalent to several top guilds.
And the Sword King's concerns weren't misplaced. Currently, almost all Yozakura Family members seemed to be considering the option of simply handing over the Sword King and Chen Ye to avoid unnecessary conflict...
However...
"I'm afraid... their goal isn't as simple as just seeking the Sword King and Chen Ye..."
Yozakura Tsubomi's gentle, calming voice was heard. Several people looked surprised by that statement, while others—especially the more experienced ones—seemed to realize something.
One of the first to understand was Cecilus Segmunt. "Ah, so that's what it means." The young man chuckled with a tone that sounded more dangerous than before. "It seems they're targeting our cute little family head. They're greedy enough to want everything at once."
"What do you mean?" The Sword King looked completely confused. Shouldn't Black Mamba only be interested in him and Chen Ye?
"You two are just a cover—far from the real objective." Aoi Sui, sitting beside Yozakura Tsubomi, had an extremely cold expression. "The true purpose of this attack is... the unique ability possessed by the Family Head."
"Eh?" That statement only added to the confusion, especially for Chen Ye, whose head was starting to throb.
However, no one intended to give further explanation to the unfortunate young man because...
"It seems we have some uninvited guests." Cecilus Segmunt suddenly said casually while smiling—a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Chen Ye couldn't smile at all because several purple circles emanating evil and terrifying aura suddenly appeared one by one, surrounding each Yozakura Family member with frightening precision!
The Sword King and Chen Ye's expressions immediately changed to total panic when they recognized the magic pattern. "DANGER! These are forced teleportation circles—"
CRASH!
—But just before the Sword King finished his warning, each evil circle shattered into pieces like glass hit by a hammer, destroyed without a trace.
A foolish and stunned expression was clearly visible on the Sword King's face. The old man really hadn't expected to witness such an event...
"W-what just—"
"Calm down, old man." Inaba Tsukuyo said indifferently. "Do you think the Yozakura Family is so easily breached?"
Several members like Konno Yūki seemed to want to laugh, finding the Sword King's previous panicked reaction amusing.
However... the fact that the enemy had dared to launch the first attack couldn't be ignored.
"Okay, now we need to move with our respective strategies. But since the enemy's true objective is still unclear—we can't be certain whether the Family Head is also a primary target—we must play it very safe. So..."
Somehow, Cecilus Segmunt had already changed position and was right beside Chen Ye. With a seemingly casual movement, he grabbed the back of the unfortunate young man's collar and easily threw him toward Yozakura Tsubomi.
"Woaaah?!"
"For now, take this person along with the Family Head to the 'Root' to keep them safe. As for the others..." That statement ended with Cecilus Segmunt's smile. "Well, I suppose it doesn't need to continue, does it?"
***
"So we're going to a place called 'Root'?" Chen Ye asked with a trembling voice, nervousness clearly audible in his tone.
In the dimly lit corridor, five figures moved hurriedly. Their footsteps echoed, creating a tense rhythm. Inaba Tsukuyo led vigilantly at the front, followed by Chen Ye who occasionally glanced back anxiously. The Sword King floated like a ghost, while Tomioka Giyū carried Yozakura Tsubomi princess-style—the petite girl looked so fragile in his strong embrace.
"Yes," Tomioka Giyū nodded calmly. "In dangerous circumstances like this, where the Family Head could be the primary target, only Root can guarantee her safety. There's no safer place in all of Master Swordsman City."
Chen Ye furrowed his brow, curiosity overcoming his fear. "But what exactly is 'Root'?" He glanced at the Sword King, who also looked confused upon hearing the place's name.
"Simply put," Inaba Tsukuyo answered while continuing to walk, "it's the safest place in the Yozakura Family and..."
"Part of my power..." Yozakura Tsubomi's gentle voice suddenly sounded, though weak but clear enough for everyone to hear.
Chen Ye gasped. His eyes immediately focused on the girl being carried by Tomioka Giyū. Yozakura Tsubomi's pale face looked peaceful, but there was something deep behind her words that remained unrevealed.
'Part of her power?' Chen Ye wondered silently. 'What does she mean by—'
CRACK!
The terrifying sound of something like giant glass breaking suddenly split the night's silence. The sound was so loud and piercing, as if the sky itself was being torn apart.
BOOOOOM!!
A tremendous explosion shook the entire building. Dust and stone fragments fell from the ceiling. They immediately stopped, their bodies tensing as they felt incredibly terrifying pressure from above—pressure so heavy it made the air feel thick and difficult to breathe.
"I take back my words," Inaba Tsukuyo said flatly, though cold sweat began flowing down her temples. "The Yozakura Family's barrier has been breached."
*'Not the right time for that, is it?!'*
The next second, terrifying and murderous auras began approaching from various directions. Wave after wave of heavy, suffocating pressure drew closer to them, as if giant monsters were approaching with evil intent.
Even more terrifying, glowing red magic circles began appearing around them. One, two, three... dozens of magic circles floated in the air, surrounding them from all directions with blinding light and frightening aura.
Sensing the mortal danger threatening them, Tomioka Giyū immediately shouted with a voice that split the air!
"SCATTER!"
BOOOOOM!!
A tremendous explosion destroyed where they had been standing. Swirls of ash and dust rose into the air, creating a thick fog that stung eyes and throats. Chen Ye coughed violently, tears streaming from the stinging dust. However, when the fog cleared slightly, his expression turned deathly pale upon seeing something terrifying.
A giant black fist—the size of a car—shot at high speed directly toward him!
The pressure emanating from that fist was terrifying. This wasn't a joke—this was the power of an S-rank Hunter!
'Damn! I won't have time to dodge—'
Just as Chen Ye felt death was imminent, his body was suddenly pushed hard to the side by someone.
His eyes widened in horror as he saw petite Inaba Tsukuyo replacing his position, standing firm with her katana raised against that deadly attack!
KABOOOM!!
"Agh!" Inaba Tsukuyo grimaced in pain.
The girl did manage to block the giant fist with her blade, but the defense only lasted a few seconds. A terrifying cracking sound rang out as her beloved katana shattered into pieces like glass.
Without protection, her small body was immediately thrown hard, crashing through the wall of a nearby house with a painful impact sound.
"Huh?" The owner of the previous attack—a giant man over two meters tall—looked slightly confused. His bulging muscles and scars covering his body showed just how dangerous he was. The S-rank aura emanating from his body made the surrounding air feel heavy and suffocating. "It seems there was a small bug blocking my attack earlier?"
He shrugged indifferently, a cruel grin carved on his scarred face. "Well, never mind. That wasn't my target anyway." His sharp, malicious eyes shifted to stare at Chen Ye, Tomioka Giyū, and Yozakura Tsubomi. "You're the ones I'm after."
"You bastard! How dare you—"
Chen Ye, filled with rage, immediately rushed to attack, his red eyes blazing with deep hatred. However, his arm was immediately held back by Tomioka Giyū, who shouted in a cold but firm tone!
"Calm down!" Tomioka Giyū looked at Chen Ye with serious eyes. "Inaba Tsukuyo is fine. She won't fall just from an attack like that. Besides..." His eyes swept across the entire area around them. "We need to ensure our safety first before doing anything foolish."
Chen Ye managed to calm himself despite his racing breath, but the young man continued staring at the S-rank Hunter before him with eyes full of blazing vengeance.
Their situation was indeed very bad. They were now surrounded by dozens of hunters and assassins from various directions. Some stood on the ground in attacking positions, others perched on rooftops with bows or long-range weapons. Black shadows moved in the darkness, showing many more enemies still hiding.
Most terrifyingly, their power was no joke. Several among them even emanated auras no less than Tomioka Giyū's!
"Hahaha!" Thunderous laughter split the silence.
"So pleased to meet you all on this beautiful night!" The giant man stepped forward with earth-shaking steps, making the ground tremble under his feet.
"Allow me to introduce myself—I'm an S-rank Hunter leading the Blade Assassin guild. My name is Quila."
He bowed with a mocking gesture. "And I hope you'll kindly hand over that sweet girl named Yozakura Tsubomi to us."
Tomioka Giyū stared at him with an ice-cold gaze. "You want her?"
He slowly raised his hand to the nichirin katana at his waist. "Then come and try to take her."
"Hahaha! I really love that stubborn attitude!" Quila clapped enthusiastically, but his eyes grew more dangerous. "Unfortunately... this isn't a 'request' that can be refused."
As a terrifying grin formed on Quila's rough face, Chen Ye's danger instincts screamed loudly in his head. Every cell in his body warned of approaching mortal danger!
Reflexively, he and Tomioka Giyū immediately leaped away at full speed!
BOOOOOM!
The spot where they had been standing moments before exploded into a small crater, sending fragments of stone and earth flying in all directions. But the attack didn't stop there—dozens of hunters and assassins lying in wait around the perimeter immediately launched a coordinated assault from multiple angles!
Arrows gleaming with light, daggers thrown with deadly precision, and small magical explosions began raining down on them from every direction.
Realizing the situation was becoming critical, Tomioka Giyū shouted again with a loud, decisive voice.
"Chen Ye! Take the Family Head to the 'Root' immediately!"
"What?!" Chen Ye was stunned, his eyes widening as Yozakura Tsubomi's figure was suddenly thrown toward him with careful yet urgent force!
The sudden weight pushed Chen Ye back several steps, but at the same time, the movement successfully saved him from the swing of assassin blades that had nearly sliced his throat!
"You fool! You need to move faster than this! They're already targeting your life!" The Sword King's voice scolded harshly in his mind, clearly tinged with worry.
"I know!" Chen Ye gritted his teeth in frustration. The problem was he had no idea which direction led to this place called 'Root'!
However...
"Don't worry," came the gentle, soothing voice of Yozakura Tsubomi in his arms, somehow clearing Chen Ye's chaotic thoughts. "I will guide you..."
Chen Ye looked down at the girl now in his arms. Her petite, light body felt almost weightless. The sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms emanating from her provided strange comfort amidst the chaos of battle.
Trying to calm his racing breath, Chen Ye asked, "Where should I go?"
"Keep straight like this," Yozakura Tsubomi answered with a voice that was gentle yet confident. "You'll be fine..."
"Alright!" Chen Ye nodded with firm determination. His expression became serious and focused.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ran at full speed, leaving the increasingly chaotic battlefield behind!
Meanwhile, Tomioka Giyū now faced Quila directly, along with five other Rank B hunters surrounding him in a neat and dangerous formation.
"I have to acknowledge and praise your courage," Quila said while raising his large hands, the muscles in his arms tensing in preparation to strike. "Even though you're just a Rank B Hunter, you have the guts to stop all of us alone. Quite admirable!"
Tomioka Giyū didn't respond. He simply stood upright with his hand gripping the handle of his nichirin katana tightly, his sharp eyes never leaving the movements of enemies surrounding him.
"But unfortunately, you're gravely mistaken if you think only we came here tonight," Quila continued with an increasingly cruel and terrifying tone.
Tomioka Giyū frowned. Something in Quila's tone made him feel uneasy. At that moment—
The sky suddenly became pitch black, as if all the lights had suddenly gone out.
"ROAAAARRRR!!"
A thunderous, terrifying roar accompanied by an extremely heavy dark aura spread throughout the city. The darkness was so thick and frightening that it made anyone who felt it shudder to their bones.
Everyone except Quila looked shocked and horrified as they looked up and witnessed two giant purple-black dragons flying through the night sky! Their massive bodies blocked the moon, their purple scales gleaming like steel, and their glowing black eyes gazed down with a bloodthirsty hunger.
Even more terrifying... Both darkness dragons emanated auras equivalent to normal Rank SS Hunters!
"Crazy! Absolutely crazy! Black Mamba is truly insane! HAHAHA!"
Witnessing this magnificent sight, Quila couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter with extraordinary satisfaction.
Honestly, attacking the Yozakura Family with forces consisting of thousands of hunters and tens of thousands of mercenaries did sound very excessive and unreasonable.
But for the fantastic payment from Black Mamba, his guild had to participate in this massive assault. Besides, the amount of money offered was too large to ignore—enough to make a small guild like his one of the richest!
He had initially thought the assembled forces were already excessive, but it turned out Black Mamba was far more serious about this attack, going so far as to summon two Darkness Dragons to destroy the Yozakura Family!
"Damn, this makes me even more curious about what secret the Yozakura Family is actually hiding!" Quila said with eyes sparkling with excitement!
Not just him, but several other assassin guild members also hired by Black Mamba looked extremely enthusiastic and bloodthirsty!
"So..." Quila stared at Tomioka Giyū with the gaze of a predator ready to pounce on its prey. "Are you ready to die in an excruciating way?"
All eyes fixed on Tomioka Giyū with cruel, bloodthirsty stares.
***
"Hmm... I don't remember our guild hiring this many assassins and mercenaries?"
From atop a tall tower overlooking the Yozakura Family residence, one of Black Mamba's Rank S Hunters seemed slightly surprised witnessing just how many hunters were storming and attacking so aggressively.
Not just him, but the three other Black Mamba Rank S Hunters standing with him on the tower were also astounded by the scene below.
After all, the number of attackers wasn't just tens of thousands as originally planned, but nearly hundreds of thousands! A sea of armed people flooded the entire residential area, like ants swarming sugar.
Dean, the Black Mamba leader standing at the front, also frowned with deep confusion. He felt very strange because among the attackers, there were also several hunters who apparently came from local guilds in Master Swordsman City—people who had never been hired or invited by his guild!
This made Dean stare sharply at Observer α. "What have you done?"
"No need to look at me with such serious and frightening eyes~" Observer α laughed with a melodious and charming voice, but there was something dangerous behind her smile. "You all still underestimate the true power of the Yozakura Family members, so I just added a little... 'motivation' that could attract the evil intentions of hunters in this city~"
She touched her lips with her fingertip teasingly. "There's a Yozakura Family member named Tsukuyomi Tsukasa. He has an extremely rare and amazing Rank SS Talent called Immortal Being - Hourai Elixir, which makes him eternal and everlasting..."
Observer α paused for a moment, letting that information sink in, before continuing with an even wider smile.
"And anyone who manages to eat flesh from Tsukuyomi Tsukasa will obtain the same immortality."
As Observer α finished that shocking explanation, not only the Black Mamba Hunters, but even Dean's gaze became unstable and turbulent!
Dean's breathing became heavy and irregular. He stared at Observer α with flashes of madness beginning to appear in his eyes. His voice became very deep as he asked.
"Is that information truly accurate?"
The question was very understandable. After all, unlike Transcendent beings who would never die from natural aging, even Rank SS or even Rank SSS Hunters still had age limits. Their maximum lifespan was only around 300 to 400 years at most.
And Dean... he was a Rank SSS Hunter whose age had already exceeded 400 years. The reason he could still survive until now was thanks to a special blessing from the Demon Dragon Lord who had once saved his life in the past.
But he was very aware this was only a temporary solution. Sooner or later, even with the Demon Dragon Lord's blessing, he would still die from his ever-increasing age...
"Fufu, who knows~" Observer α only responded with a teasing and mysterious voice, as if she enjoyed the uncertainty she created. "Besides, it seems we have a guest who I really don't want to see~"
"Well," a casual voice suddenly came from an unexpected direction, "I'm curious what makes a beautiful girl like you not want to see me."
At that moment, everyone on the tower's expression immediately turned wary and cold. They all simultaneously stared with full alertness at the young man who had suddenly appeared without any trace or sign of presence whatsoever.
The young man had brilliant blue eyes as sharp as diamonds, and his long dark blue hair was casually tied into a slightly messy ponytail. Despite his relaxed and indifferent expression, everyone who saw him immediately took defensive positions and even... their bodies began trembling as their survival instincts screamed that this person was extremely dangerous!
Dean also didn't dare underestimate this young man's presence because... he had heard of his terrifying name and reputation.
"Cecilus Segmunt... Truly unexpected to meet you in a place like this."
"Oh?" Cecilus Segmunt raised his eyebrows with feigned surprise. "You know me? Hmm..." He stroked his chin casually. "It seems this is one of the risks of becoming too famous as the strongest, isn't it?"
For several moments, the atmosphere became very quiet and tense. No one dared move or speak.
Cecilus Segmunt. Not much information was available about him for a very simple reason... Every person who had ever fought him in serious combat no longer existed in this world.
The only thing they knew for certain was that Cecilus Segmunt was one of the strongest swordsmen among all of humanity in the current era!
So even Dean, with all his experience and power as a Rank SSS Hunter, had to treat this young man very seriously.
"I don't know what reason made you choose to join the Yozakura Family, but..." Dean said with a cold tone. "The Yozakura Family is finished. Tonight is their last night."
Cecilus Segmunt blinked several times, then suddenly laughed loudly. "Hahaha! What the hell was that?! You sound like you're reciting dialogue from a third-rate villain in cheap novels!" He wiped tears that came out from laughing too much. "It's just that..." His expression became serious with a confident smirk. "It seems it's time for the Yozakura Family to show their true class, isn't it?"
Cecilus Segmunt grinned with extraordinary confidence.
Initially, Dean and the others didn't quite understand the meaning behind Cecilus Segmunt's seemingly arrogant words.
But in the next second—
BOOOOOM!!
A truly amazing and astounding scene occurred before their eyes.
One of the Darkness Dragons rampaging in the sky was suddenly attacked by a tremendous tornado spinning at incredible speed, creating a wind vortex that pierced the sky up to the clouds above!
Not stopping there, six different elements—blazing fire, freezing ice, howling wind, rumbling earth, striking lightning, and thick darkness—spread in all directions in the form of energy swords that tore apart and annihilated thousands of attacking forces!
Two figures stood majestically atop the main residence roof.
Kurogane Ouma and Ji Xuanyuan.
Both, despite just standing calmly side by side, made everyone who saw them immediately feel pressure from auras no less terrifying than Rank SS Hunters!
But the display of power wasn't over yet.
From various corners of the city, dozens of bright green lasers moved in complex zigzag patterns, moving at the speed of light and exploding most of the mercenaries who couldn't dodge in time!
BOOOOOM!!
A thunderous, frightening roar came from a large figure that looked like a fusion between human and mechanical horse. Its metallic body gleamed under the moonlight, with green flames blazing around its entire body.
Four to six sharp, slender swords moved as fast as lightning around it, directly entering the battlefield and rampaging while slicing through all enemies within its range!
"What the hell is that?!"
"An artificial human?! No, a robot?!"
Everyone was clearly very shocked and confused seeing this figure that looked human but clearly wasn't human. The heat radiating from the green flames on its body made anyone nearby have to move away to avoid burns.
Moreover, what truly struck them was the fact that this creature's power was no less terrifying than a Rank SS Hunter!
"Don't panic! Attack them all in formation—" One of the Rank S Hunters tried to mobilize and organize the hunters who were starting to panic, but suddenly a tremendous earthquake shook the entire city and made them lose their balance!
"What's happening?!"
At that moment, all eyes turned to a figure resembling a giant dinosaur with only its skull remaining, moving at incredible speed while firing destructive energy from its gaping mouth!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
And the figure atop that skull monster's back was Kurome. The black-haired girl raised her katana that emanated terrifying dark flashes, and suddenly one by one strange creatures began emerging from the ground!
Five humans and two monsters! They all gathered around Kurome in a protective formation, ready to carry out their master's orders!
Without the slightest hesitation, Kurome immediately gave orders with a cold, deadly voice.
"Attack. Destroy everything."
Her skull dinosaur immediately roared with ear-splitting sound while firing energy that directly turned the entire battlefield into a sea of fire and destruction!
KABOOOOOOOM!!
Dean narrowed his sharp eyes seeing this then his gaze pierced toward his opponent. "I see... no wonder you could still act calm but... That won't last long."
BOOOOOOM!
An explosive release of [mana]. Tremendous energy radiated from Dean's body, so powerful that the clouds in the sky changed color to a frightening deep purple. The air around them vibrated violently.
"All your composure..." Dean spoke with a low voice full of threat, "means nothing before me."
Without taking his eyes off his enemy, Dean gave firm orders to his subordinates. "All of you, go help the others in battle. Now!"
"Understood!"
In the blink of an eye, several Black Mamba members—including the Rank S Hunter who had been standing beside him—vanished like shadows, leaving trails of strong wind. Now only Dean and Cecilus Segmunt remained in this suffocating battle arena.
Observer α, that girl had disappeared at some point. But Dean didn't care about her presence at all. His focus was entirely on the man before him.
Dean stared at Cecilus Segmunt with blazing eyes. "You don't intend to stop the Hunters I brought?"
"Ah?" Cecilus Segmunt tilted his head as if the question was ridiculous. "Stop them? Why would I bother doing something like that?"
A thin smile carved across his calm face. "Besides... you were all destined to fail from the beginning."
A vein in Dean's temple twitched as he held back his anger. "Heh, you're indeed skilled at making people angry. I'm curious—is your strength comparable to that big mouth of yours?"
"Hahaha!" Cecilus Segmunt's laughter echoed in the night air. "How interesting! So you want to personally experience the power of one of the world's strongest humans?"
Slowly but surely, a frightening aura began gathering around Cecilus Segmunt's body. Energy flowed like thick fog, making the air feel suffocating.
"Very well..." he whispered with a tone that turned dangerous. "I hope you won't bore me."
---
In a far different place, a masked figure stood upright atop a tall building, watching the chaos below with cold eyes.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan," Lux murmured softly, his voice muffled by the mask covering his face.
The scene before him showed the Yozakura Family territory under relentless siege. Explosions and screams filled the night, but Lux's expression remained unchanged.
To ensure the situation remained under control, he utilized the power of one of his possessed templates. In the blink of an eye, his body disappeared from the human continent's borders and reappeared in Master Swordsman City through teleportation.
Yes... as could be expected, this massive assault on Master Swordsman City was the result of Lux's careful planning from the beginning.
But he wasn't a naive person. Lux knew very well that no plan was perfect. There were always unexpected variables that could mess everything up in an instant.
But this time was different. This time he had prepared for all possibilities very carefully. From the number of templates prepared, the involvement of Chen Ye—the Son of Destiny—to cooperation with various secret organizations. Everything had been arranged in the scenario.
Thanks to Observer α's help—who resembled a super artificial intelligence in gathering information—Lux successfully devised an almost perfect strategy.
But what was all this done for?
The answer was simple yet complex. Besides gathering the points he needed, Lux also wanted to test how tough the strength of the 'Yozakura Family' he had painstakingly built really was.
But most important of all was... the 'small experiment' he had long planned.
He wanted to see how this 'world' would react when his experiment succeeded...
Lux's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception gleamed with cold light.
"So show me your best..."