"Speak."
"Tsk, at least let a girl go first."
"No. I know you can speak perfectly well like that."
Despite his words, Asahi released his grip on Suzuka. She gasped for air, straightened her clothes, and quietly scanned her surroundings.
There were no openings.
This narrow alleyway only had three potential escape routes, and the maneuvering space was incredibly tight. This armored warrior had completely sealed off her exits. Even though he wasn't restraining her, Suzuka knew that the moment she tried to bolt, her head would be meeting the pavement again.
"At least tell me why you're picking a fight with The Path of Peace. You're a strange one—I've never seen your type in any faction."
"I'm not with the Revolutionary Army or the Empire. Picking a fight? No, you lot started it."
"Just imagine not having a decent meal for three days, finally getting a hot bowl of food, and then finding out some bastard drugged it so you'd have to starve for another day."
"Besides, I hate drugs."
Suzuka blinked, stunned. This man... had beaten her to a pulp simply because he found drugs in a bowl of charity food?
"I've answered your question. Now, spit it all out. Everything you know, Suzuka."
"Old man Borick is truly unlucky. To provoke a monster over a bowl of charity rice... fine, fine! I'll talk!"
Suzuka explained that the "we" she referred to was a group known as the Four Rakshasa Demons.
Asahi, of course, had no idea who or what the Four Rakshasa Demons were, which left Suzuka slightly disappointed. she began boasting about their feats, including killing Teigu users.
Asahi didn't care for the bragging; the information behind it was what he needed. The "notorious" Four Rakshasa Demons turned out to be the Prime Minister's personal guards. All four had been tasked with protecting the advisor to the High Priest of The Path of Peace, Borick. This man was a mole planted inside the cult by the Prime Minister. The scheme to drug the followers was also his brainchild.
As for the cult itself, The Path of Peace remained a legitimate, good organization—at least until Borick could complete his mission to eliminate the High Priest and seize control.
Borick was the "client"; controlling The Path of Peace was the "interest."
"You are very strong, but also far too arrogant."
"Sten, Mez, Ibara!!"
Suzuka smirked and suddenly let out a loud cry. At that exact moment, three more presences entered Asahi's sensory range.
Sten was a massive, bare-chested man with a rugged, curled beard; he moved to Asahi's left. To his right was a dark-skinned girl, Mez, who was also bare-chested save for a simple bra. The last was Ibara, a freakish-looking man with unnaturally long, dangling arms.
"Seems you've run into trouble, Suzuka."
"Let me bring you salvation!"
"Oh, what shall we do after we kill him?"
Suzuka, Sten, Mez, and Ibara—The Four Rakshasa Demons had assembled!
Asahi was surrounded, but he showed no sign of concern. He wasn't underestimating his opponents; he was calculating his next moves.
"Be careful! This one is strong!"
Suzuka warned them gravely, but Sten charged in regardless. His massive fist swung forward, and Asahi met it with a direct punch of his own. As their knuckles collided, Sten's pupils dilated; it felt like hitting a solid block of metal. He was forced back, three of his fingers shattered and bleeding.
Mez began to sweat, but it wasn't normal perspiration. She used it as a projectile; her sweat sprayed toward Asahi like a viscous slime. He dodged. Ibara didn't let up from above, his long arms stretching like rubber as he unleashed a barrage of punches. Asahi caught one of the arms and yanked hard, slamming Ibara to the ground.
CRASH!!!
He stomped Ibara into the dirt, the force of the impact caving in the man's chest.
A sudden noise erupted behind him as Sten rushed out, wrapping his arms around Asahi's waist and tackling him out of the alley. Asahi grabbed Sten by the neck and flung him away, the man smashing through a nearby wall.
Amidst terrified screams, the townspeople fled the area, leaving the main road instantly deserted.
Asahi watched as the three stepped out of the alley. Ibara twisted back to his feet, the indentation in his chest miraculously popping back into place as he let out a wide, jagged laugh.
"We Four Rakshasa Demons haven't just endured brutal training—we've also consumed the flesh of the Draken Sea Monster. Thanks to that, we can control our entire bodies in ways you can't imagine!"
That was why Sten was so durable, Ibara was unnaturally flexible, Suzuka was sharp, and Mez's sweat was heavy and viscous.
"Hundred-Rending Fists!!"
Sten roared, unleashing a relentless flurry of blows. Asahi constantly parried, eventually breaking Sten's rhythm with a low sweep. The giant lost his balance but maintained a savage grin.
SLASH!
A sharp strike cut in from behind—Suzuka had ambushed him. Simultaneously, Ibara's elongated arms wrapped around Asahi's descending fist to restrain him.
Mez moved with such speed she left afterimages, spraying a rain of slime over Asahi. It was as heavy as mercury, slowing his movements by a fraction.
"Hundred-Rending Fists!"
Sten deployed his signature move again, dozens of tons of force crashing into Asahi without a single miss. He was sent flying, crashing through a house and several layers of walls before coming to a stop.
Looking at the wreckage, all four Rakshasa members were panting. They had never encountered such a frustrating opponent. His armor didn't just provide all-around protection with no blind spots; it was incredibly hard and durable. Sten had to admit the man's physical strength was terrifying.
"Damn it, hopefully he tires out from wearing that armor too long. I heard armor-type Teigu drain the user's stamina."
Ibara was extremely irritated. He was a dangerous assassin accustomed to stretching his arms to "pluck" heads with ease. This time, however, he could only play a supporting role in restraining the target; his attacks couldn't pierce Asahi's casing.
Mez slumped to the ground. Producing enough sweat to slow Asahi down had been a massive drain on her energy, leaving her exhausted.
Suzuka rubbed her aching hands. As for Sten, he had acted as the tank for this fight, absorbing the most damage. He had always been proud of his hardened body, but now it was screaming in agony.
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
Three massive impact sounds startled the four, sending debris flying. From the ruins, a white-armored hand emerged. Then, Asahi hauled himself up.
He vanished from the spot.
Mez tried to flee in terror, but a glancing kick caught her in the stomach, sending her flying and leaving her trembling, unable to stand. Sten lunged with a fist but met Asahi's gaze; he felt an overwhelming aura that caused him to hesitate for a split second. That was enough. A direct kick to Sten's chin launched him off the ground. Asahi's hand shifted from a punch to a thrust, his fingers straightening and grouping together like a spear, piercing through the giant's neck.
Sten vomited blood, his hands weakening and then going limp. He fell to his knees and collapsed.
Ibara stretched his arms—not just his limbs, but his fingers as well. But this time, Asahi didn't let Ibara catch him. He dropped his center of gravity close to the ground, simultaneously evading Suzuka's slash.
RIP!!!
Ibara's long arm was torn open by Asahi. The man let out a pathetic wail before Asahi's fist punched through his chest, leaving a gaping hole in his body.
"Damn it... that bitch Suzuka..."
Ibara was the third to fall. He turned his head only to see that Suzuka had already fled, abandoning her comrades.
Asahi didn't give chase; he already had what he needed. He left the now-ruined battlefield and found a secluded corner to deactivate his armor.
The Rakshasa Demons' coordinated attack wasn't as useless as they thought. Asahi still felt exhausted and slightly sore, but such a state was normal for him. In fact, in this condition, his combat prowess became even more terrifying.
"Alright. Now, only Borick remains."
He took a deep breath to regain his strength and began walking steadily toward the headquarters of The Path of Peace.