Inside a slightly run-down civilian house, the corpses of two elderly white men were tossed into a corner like trash.
On the sofa, Kozumi Masao—who had chosen the Toguro bloodline enhancement—was casually checking his Reincarnation Wristwatch, as he always did.
The moment he saw it, his eyes widened dramatically, filling with shock and wild joy.
He jumped to his feet in a rush, nearly knocking over the broken table and chairs beside him, then hurriedly shouted to wake the other two members of the East Sea Team who were still fast asleep.
"Wake up, quickly. Something big happened."
Kozumi Masao's voice trembled with excitement, carrying both urgency and barely restrained anticipation.
Tanaka Jūsuke was dragged out of a pleasant dream by the sudden shouting, and already irritable, he shot upright on the bed with a sharp motion, his eyes half-open and filled with anger.
Kozumi Masao raised his wrist, about to explain, but before he could speak, Tanaka Jūsuke exploded in rage and swung his hand, slapping him hard across the face.
A crisp smack echoed through the cramped room, the sound lingering in the air.
"Baka! You dare wake me up!? Are you looking to die!?"
Tanaka Jūsuke glared fiercely, his expression savage, as if he wanted to tear Kozumi Masao apart on the spot.
Kozumi Masao covered his face as a bright red handprint quickly appeared on his cheek.
A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, but he clenched his teeth and swallowed it down.
The situation was too urgent to argue.
Forcing a smile, he hurriedly said, "Our points increased."
Those words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Tanaka Jūsuke's head.
His anger vanished instantly, replaced by shock.
His mouth hung open as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
The East Sea Team's captain, Miyata Kuraki, rushed over the moment he heard this, his face tense yet hopeful, as he quickly checked Kozumi Masao's Reincarnation Wristwatch.
He leaned in close and stared at the display, the numbers seeming to wobble before his eyes, making him doubt his own vision.
He rubbed his eyes hard, leaned in again, and carefully checked once more.
Still uneasy, he raised his own wrist and compared the numbers on his watch.
"It's real. It really increased."
Miyata Kuraki's voice trembled with uncontrollable excitement, rising several pitches without him realizing it.
"Huh!? How is that even possible!?"
Tanaka Jūsuke, who had chosen a Three-Sword Style enhancement, frowned deeply, his face filled with confusion.
"Ikumi was captured by the Central Continent team. I figured they'd torture her one by one, squeeze out all the information, and only then kill her to get the points."
As he spoke, filthy images seemed to surface in Tanaka Jūsuke's mind, and a cruel smile crept onto his lips.
Then, as if he thought of something absurdly funny, he burst into loud laughter.
"Don't tell me those guys got killed by her while they were having their way with her. Hahahaha!"
Miyata Kuraki was not amused in the slightest.
Anger surged across his face as he shouted and cut him off.
"No matter what, Ikumi is still alive. I'm going to save her!"
Seeing this, Kozumi Masao hurried forward and grabbed Miyata Kuraki's arm tightly, his expression anxious and desperate.
"Captain, please don't act rashly. From what I can see, this has to be a trap."
"That Central Continent team has put us at a disadvantage ever since we arrived. Haven't you noticed that yet?"
"Even when they give up one of their members, they gain far more than they lose."
Kozumi Masao grew more agitated as he spoke, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Now that we've lost Ikumi's psychic scanning, we're basically blind in this hellhole."
"We can't see the other two teams at all, and that's exactly where the Central Continent team's strategist is terrifyingly clever."
"Captain, you absolutely cannot fall for this."
Miyata Kuraki hesitated, stopping in place.
His brows were tightly furrowed, and conflict filled his eyes.
He knew that every word Kozumi Masao said made sense.
But deep in his heart, the urge to rescue Ikumi continued to grow wildly, like weeds spreading out of control, leaving him unable to decide.
He struggled painfully between reason and emotion.
On one hand, he knew that acting recklessly could drag the entire East Sea Team into irreversible destruction.
On the other hand, he simply could not bear to watch Ikumi remain in danger any longer.
If there was anyone to blame, it was Tanaka Jūsuke and those few sentences he had spoken.
Miyata Kuraki had always felt uneasy about Ikumi's former profession, yet he still believed she was a good person.
To lose love at the very moment it is born is the most fatal kind of pain.
And Tanaka Jūsuke's brutally realistic description filled Miyata Kuraki's mind with horrifying images—Ikumi's clothes torn apart, being abused in front of the perverted members of the Central Continent Team.
The more he thought about it, the more frantic he became.
At last, he picked up the weapon that had a two percent chance to cause bleeding when attacking an enemy—the Redemption Angel's Scepter—and walked toward the door.
"Captain!" Kozumi Masao suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
His eyes widened, his back straightened, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Let her die with honor!"
"What did you say!?" Miyata Kuraki was already burning with anxiety and rage, like a powder keg ready to explode.
Hearing those words, his blood surged.
He took a single step forward, closed the distance in an instant, and without a word, swung his fist hard into Kozumi Masao's face.
"Say that again!" he roared.
His eyes were filled with murderous intent, as if he wanted to tear Kozumi Masao apart piece by piece.
His teeth ground together, and the muscles in his cheeks bulged with fury.
Kozumi Masao was completely enraged as well.
Flames of anger burned in his eyes as he shouted again, "Let her die with honor!"
Smack!
Another solid punch landed squarely on Kozumi Masao's cheek.
The force was so great that his head snapped violently to the side.
However, Kozumi Masao possessed the enhanced physique of Toguro.
His body was far tougher than that of an ordinary person.
The blow only left mild swelling on his face, and his body did not budge at all.
He still shouted loudly, "Please let Ikumi die with honor!"
At this point, Miyata Kuraki had completely lost control.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Kozumi Masao.
Both fists were clenched, his entire body tense, muscles coiled and ready to strike.
It looked as though he would tear Kozumi Masao apart in the very next second.
Seeing this scene, Tanaka Jūsuke curled his lips into a schadenfreude-filled smile.
He flickered to the side, crossed his arms, and prepared to enjoy the show.
Miyata Kuraki pushed off the ground with explosive force and slid forward.
"Ghost Slash!" he shouted.
A black blade of energy wrapped in sinister aura howled through the air as it slashed toward Kozumi Masao.
This was none other than the Asura skill from Dungeon Fighter Online—Ghost Slash.
With a dull thud, the blade energy struck Kozumi Masao head-on.
His body shook violently, his throat tightened, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst out.
Yet stubbornness ran deep in Kozumi Masao's bones.
He quickly steadied himself, straightened his back again, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked directly at Miyata Kuraki.
****
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