On the smoke-filled battlefield, Kaido stood like a mountain at its edge. His eight-meter-tall frame cast a massive shadow in the sunlight, his black leather boots sinking deep into the soil. His dark red cloak flapped in the hot wind; the spiked club hanging at his waist swayed slightly with his breathing. Kaido's golden, vertical pupils slowly scanned the chaotic battlefield, a cruel curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, revealing sharp fangs.
General Clayton stood three paces to his right. The middle-aged man in his crisp uniform had fine beads of sweat on his forehead; his right hand unconsciously rubbed the holstered pistol at his waist. He stole a glance at the legendary monster beside him, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Mr. Kaido, it's too dangerous here. We should retreat to the rear command post first."
Kaido ignored him completely, his attention fully captured by the slaughter on the battlefield. Suddenly, a stray bullet tore through the air with a shriek. General Clayton's face instantly turned ashen; he instinctively wanted to hit the deck. But Kaido merely raised his right hand carelessly. Ping! A clear, crisp sound. The deformed bullet bounced off his palm, landing on the ground still smoking.
"Attacks of this level..." Kaido's low laughter rumbled like thunder. "...aren't even fit to scratch an itch."
Just then, a thirty-man rebel assault squad spotted them. The leading officer raised his binoculars, his eyes suddenly widening. "Government Forces reinforcements! That physique... it's 'Beasts' Kaido! Open fire, all units!" Following his hoarse shout, dozens of rifles simultaneously swiveled in their direction, a dense rain of bullets pouring forth.
General Clayton and the accompanying soldiers frantically sought cover. Only Kaido remained standing perfectly still. Bullets striking his azure skin sparked and emitted a ping-ping-pang-pang sound like raindrops on plantain leaves, yet they didn't leave even a white mark.
"King. Queen. Sebastian." Kaido's low voice boomed in the ears of the three. "Go stretch your legs."
"As you command, Boss!"
"Muhahaha, just what I wanted!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Three figures shot out like arrows from a bow. King unfurled his black wings with a span exceeding four meters, shimmering with a metallic luster in the sunlight. He swooped down on the enemy formation like the Grim Reaper, the air currents stirred by his wings directly sending the front five soldiers flying.
"Boring." King's cold, handsome face showed no emotion. His longsword traced beautiful arcs of death through the air; each slash precisely severed an enemy's throat. Blood blossomed in the air like gory flowers.
Queen's plump body displayed unbelievable agility. With a weird laugh, he pulled a bizarrely shaped firearm from his white coat. "Let me show you my new toy!"
A giant purple shell shot from the barrel, landing amidst a dozen or so soldiers before spewing forth a purple gas that instantly enveloped a ten-meter radius. Soldiers caught in the toxic mist immediately had bloodshot eyes, their skin visibly festering as they collapsed to the ground, convulsing and screaming in agony.
Sebastian's fighting style was the most primal and violent. The nearly four-meter-tall giant wielded a massive spiked iron hammer in each hand, every swing carrying overwhelming, destructive force.
"Hahaha!" He roared with laughter, bringing a hammer down on a rebel soldier's head. With the dull crunch of shattering skull, the soldier's upper body was directly hammered into the ground.
General Clayton hid behind a rocky barricade, his face pale as he watched this one-sided slaughter. His trembling fingers could barely hold his binoculars—within a single minute, thirty elite rebel soldiers had turned into a field of mutilated corpses. More terrifyingly, the three clearly had plenty of energy to spare, as if playing a game of cat and mouse.
"K-Kaido, sir..." Clayton's voice was so dry it didn't sound like his own. "Your subordinates... they are almost inhuman..." He desperately tried to control his shaking legs; the back of his uniform was already soaked with cold sweat.
Kaido didn't even bat an eyelid. "Fighting at this level doesn't even count as a warm-up." His gaze suddenly locked onto another part of the battlefield. "However, there is an interesting brat on your side."
On the battlefield three hundred meters away, a slender youth stood out. He wore military-grade noise-canceling headphones; his black military jacket hung open casually, revealing a tight-fitting tactical vest beneath. The youth moved with the agility of a leopard, each punch accurately striking an enemy's temple or throat. Soldiers hit by him flew backward as if struck by a truck, never getting up again.
Kaido recognized this youth at a glance—Douglas Bullet.
After reaching Sabaody Archipelago, Kaido had checked the map and realized the Never-Ending War Country wasn't too far. He then ordered Queen to change course and head here, his goal naturally being this future top-tier combatant.
"You jest, Mr. Kaido," Clayton wiped cold sweat from his brow. "Though Bullet is the ace of our Special Operations Force, how could he compare to your subordinates..." His eyes flickered uncertainly, torn between worry over losing this valuable asset and not daring to show the slightest displeasure.
The tide of the battle had already completely turned.
Where King's black wings passed, rebel heavy machine gun positions were neatly sliced in two. Queen's toxic mist was spreading toward a second line of defense. Sebastian was now blood-crazed, swinging two corpses around as weapons. And in the distance, Bullet seemed to sense something. He suddenly stopped his movements, his sharp gaze piercing through the smoke to collide with Kaido's across the battlefield.
Kaido slowly strode forward; the ground trembled slightly with each step. Clayton jogged to keep up, always maintaining a safe distance. When Kaido reached the center of the battlefield, the surrounding sounds of combat eerily quieted down. Rebel soldiers stared in terror at this legendary monster; some even dropped their weapons and knelt, begging for mercy.
Amidst the smoke-filled battlefield, Kaido's colossal frame loomed in the center of the ruins. He looked down at the blood-soaked youth before him, his voice booming like thunder. "Brat, what's your name?"
Bullet casually tore off his blood-drenched headphones, revealing a defiant, unruly smile. "Douglas Bullet. The future strongest in the world!" Though the youth's voice still carried the characteristic hoarseness of adolescence, the unwavering confidence in it made the very air seem to freeze.
Seeing this, Clayton hurried forward to explain. "He's only thirteen this year. His personality is a bit... unique..." Before he could finish, Kaido suddenly erupted into deafening laughter. The air currents stirred by the sound waves made the surrounding rubble tremble faintly.