At first, people thought it was just a patch of overly thick dark clouds.
It wasn't until beams of light began to gather at the muzzles of the Sky Fortress's cannons that the people of Golin City gradually realized the situation wasn't as simple as they had imagined.
The Sky Fortress, Unit No. 2 was one hundred seventy meters long and one hundred thirty meters wide. Unlike Unit No. 1's fortress-like structure, its overall build was sharper, straighter, and hanging in the sky it carried an overwhelming sense of oppression.
It no longer carried large numbers of Sky Ninja Legion soldiers. Not because Shinnō suddenly cherished the lives of his subordinates, though he did indeed treasure them, so that he could hear their most heartfelt roar of "Nation of Sky! Long live!", but because it was simply too inefficient.
Since receiving funding from the syndicate through Lord Arima, Shinnō possessed a massive amount of heavy firepower.
The weight of thirty Sky Ninja Legion soldiers could be exchanged for one heavy cannon, and the latter clearly had far more practical combat significance.
What's more, Unit No. 2 carried a true Zero-Tails core, which had absorbed the negative emotions of millions of people over half a year.
It could be said that in terms of speed, range, destructive power, and barrier defense, it was several times greater than the Sky Fortress, Unit No. 1.
This was the true weapon of war, and also the reason why even knowing Ryosuke had come for him, Shinnō didn't pack up and flee, but chose to stay and face him head-on.
According to Shinnō's judgment, his chances against Ryosuke were roughly fifty-fifty.
"This is the probability on paper. On an actual battlefield, there are too many factors that can affect the outcome of war, such as..."
Through the display screen, Shinnō saw the massive oasis city below.
He picked up the transmission device.
Shinnō's voice appeared in the ears of millions of people in Golin City.
"Residents of Golin City, I hereby issue a notice. Ryosuke and his group of terrorists have already invaded the city and committed atrocities."
"We will complete the eradication tonight. Please, all citizens, remain calmly in your homes. Do not move about at will, so as to avoid…"
Shinnō added emphasis, "Unnecessary casualties."
After speaking, he tossed aside the transmission device and lifted his chin toward his subordinates.
"Fire the cannons… and make sure to aim for the residential districts."
Shinnō wanted the entire city to know that Ryosuke had already come to Golin City.
If Ryosuke chose self-preservation and did not come to block this destructive ray, then his so-called ideals would begin to crack, 'Aren't you the one they call "invincible"?'
An invincible man, who doesn't even dare this?
If Ryosuke instead made the choice true to his heart, rushing out to block the cannon fire with his own body, then that would be even better.
The destructive ray's power was on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb. Shinnō didn't believe any normal human could withstand such a strike.
The main cannon's muzzle condensed a dazzling light. After one second of charging, the destructive ray blasted out.
Not only the main cannon, at this moment, the eighty-one secondary cannons on either side of the Sky Fortress also fired simultaneously.
Shinnō stared at the screen.
From the Sky Fortress's view overlooking the city below, the monitor displayed one despairing face after another gazing up at the sky.
Among them were officials carrying documents, searching for Arima Teru.
Old men and women heading to the church to collect eggs.
The "rats" who followed Iwamine.
And even more were workers who hadn't yet finished their shifts.
Just seconds before, they sat along the assembly lines, peeking through the small windows to see the sky.
The workers heard Shinnō's words.
Every gear on the assembly line was slick with oil, running smoothly, while their brains, having worked nonstop for more than ten hours, were long like rusted clocks, unable to precisely, calmly think through or analyze the meaning of those words.
The only thing they could do was stare blankly out the window.
Watching as a beam symbolizing death gradually condensed. They felt no fear, no panic, only numbness, soaked into their bones through skin by the accumulation of endless days and nights.
Yet, before death arrived, an angry shout did.
"What are you looking at?!"
The workshop foreman's roar rang out, "Get back to work! Even if you die, you'll die at your post!"
The workers hunched their shoulders.
The workshop foreman was just a man in his forties, pot-bellied, less than one meter seventy in height. Any young worker picked at random could knock him flat.
But no one dared defy him.
Such a mediocre middle-aged man, in this tiny workshop, was far scarier to the workers than cannon fire falling from the heavens.
Because cannon fire might not land on them or their families' heads. But if they angered the workshop foreman, they would lose their jobs.
Hunger, poverty, and disease would arrive in their place, slowly grinding them down, turning them into nourishment for this oasis metropolis.
They couldn't afford to lose their jobs.
It hadn't been easy for them to get this work. Outside, there were countless more diligent people without jobs. If they didn't cherish this, they'd be replaced by the next day.
But the workers didn't know.
That keeping part of the population unemployed at all times was precisely the syndicate's tool to control people, to continually squeeze their work hours and drive down their wages.
They lowered their heads, ignored the cannon fire falling outside, and prepared to resume work.
Only one thin young man was still staring at the sky. He tugged the sleeve of a coworker beside him, lifted a hand pointing out the window, and with a hoarse, voice-breaking shout that reverberated through the workshop said, "Look… someone."
Everyone's eyes turned once again to the sky.
They saw a blade.
A massive, straight blade, spinning through the sky, crashing heavily into the destructive ray.
But how could a single blade possibly block the full-force barrage of the Sky Fortress? It only delayed it for less than half a second before the blade's rotation faltered, about to be knocked away.
At that moment, a hand gripped the hilt.
"Ryosuke!"
Shinnō burst into wild laughter, "Fool! Utter fool!"
"For the sake of a pack of lowly peasants, you'd actually resist the destructive ray head-on. Ryosuke, you truly are an idiot! In that case, disregard consumption, raise the output by 150%!"
"Yes, sir!"
The destructive ray, already seven or eight meters wide, swelled again, bearing down on Ryosuke like a mountain.
From the city, countless gazes fell upon him. He looked so small.
Anyone capable of manipulating chakra could infuse it into their eyes and see Killer Queen and Aerosmith working together once more.
Aerosmith was strafing the secondary cannon fire, trying to intercept them all midair.
Ryosuke had countless ways to avoid this strike.
But since he was here, he wouldn't dodge.
This had nothing to do with Shinnō's talk of foolishness.
It was simply because Ryosuke knew, this was something no one else could do. But perhaps he could. So he stepped forward.
Two of his substitutes swept aside other incoming blasts.
Ryosuke was far from the ground he could normally draw strength from.
All he had left was his body and the blade in his hand.
Ryosuke had once directly clashed against attacks on the level of Tailed Beast Bombs, and now he understood just how ferocious this level of power truly was.
His clothes shredded, golden flames extinguished under the destructive ray's scour. Every inch of his skin was stripped away, then regenerated, only for even his regeneration to be suppressed.
And yet, Ryosuke lifted his head, his breathing gradually steadying, his gaze fixed on the Sky Fortress, "Nothing more than this."
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