The next second.
"BOOM——!!!"
The earth trembled, and the accumulated snow was swept away by the violent air currents like a tsunami.
The three heavy tanks, faced with this calamitous force, were instantly crushed into flattened scrap metal along with their crews and the infantry outside.
Dark red liquid slowly seeped out through the cracks in the ice, a horrifying sight.
Inside the off-road vehicle, Baron Strucker was thrown against the roof by the massive impact, seeing stars.
He stared through the window at this scene of divine punishment, his eyes wide and his body trembling uncontrollably.
Through the swirling snow, he could see a tall woman in a pure white military uniform standing atop the crystal-clear iceberg—it was Esdeath.
The Baron gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
When on earth had he offended these freaks?
Could they all have been sent by Pierce to silence him? What a vicious move!
Just as he was cursing wildly in his mind, a strange sound suddenly came from the window.
The Baron whipped his head around, and what he saw left him dumbfounded.
A stream of clear, living water, like a serpent, was continuously pouring into the cabin through the gaps in the bulletproof door, rapidly flooding his ankles.
This was a snowy field at over twenty degrees below zero! Where was this water coming from?!
The cramped cabin offered no retreat, and the water level was rising sharply.
The driver in the front seat didn't even have time to unbuckle his seatbelt before the backflow choked his windpipe; he struggled painfully a few times and then fell still.
Watching the water rise above his head, Baron Strucker, in his despair, erupted with astonishing potential—holding his last breath, he kicked with all his might, and actually managed to force open the somewhat deformed door.
He tumbled out of the vehicle, soaking wet.
The biting cold wind hit him, and he lay on the ground shaking like a leaf.
"Huff... huff..."
So cold!
He lifted his head with difficulty, and what met his gaze was a pair of calm eyes.
A middle-aged man in a crisp uniform with gray hair—Liver—was looking down at him from above.
Liver
Liver's expression was stern. With a flick of his wrist, he delivered a sharp chop to the Baron's neck.
Baron Strucker's eyes rolled back, and he cleanly lost consciousness.
Confirming the target was unconscious, Liver turned and bowed slightly towards Esdeath, who stood atop the small iceberg not far away.
Esdeath gave him a slight nod in return.
Su Modie's plan was proceeding smoothly so far.
If an outsider were to look down from high above at this moment, they would realize the weather in this area was a completely unnatural marvel.
Around the HYDRA castle, fierce winds howled and a blizzard raged, like a shaken miniature snow globe, while just a few kilometers away, only scattered snowflakes fell.
A clear dividing line existed between the two.
This abnormal weather was naturally Esdeath's handiwork.
With her abilities, easily altering the climate of an area or even a city was a trivial matter.
All of this was within the plan devised by Su Modie and Makima—
Using extreme weather to conceal their movements, while simultaneously cutting off all communication inside and outside the castle, turning it into a true isolated island, preventing the Baron from contacting Pierce for help even after Makima revealed her true intentions.
No one outside knew what was happening under the cover of this blizzard.
Makima directed from within, Esdeath sealed off the outside; the pincer movement was complete.
Baron Strucker had been a fish in the net from the very beginning.
...
Before long, the swirling wind and snow above the castle gradually subsided.
Inside the great hall, the chaotic battlefield was being cleaned up in an orderly fashion. The HYDRA soldiers who had resisted with guns were now all puppets under Makima's Control, moving chunks of flesh and debris, washing away the bloodstains from the stone floor.
Sawatari Akane was also forced to join the labor crew.
While struggling to drag a heavy piece of armor plating, she muttered resentfully under her breath.
"Damn it, why do I have to do this too..."
The annoyed little snot-nosed kid
At the far end of the hall, Makima lounged lazily on the Baron's exclusive stone throne, looking down from above.
Old cover, probably quite a few people still see this as the book's cover
Quanxi and Bronski stood guard on either side below the steps.
Bronski couldn't help but keep glancing at Quanxi out of the corner of his eye.
This woman was just too beautiful...
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; why were all the women around My Lord Makima so good-looking?
It must be said, Bronski's taste in people was somewhat unique; the ones he fancied were either cross-dressers or lesbians...
Quanxi naturally noticed the blatant stare from beside her.
However, she paid it no mind. As a demon hunter who had lived for centuries, she was long accustomed to men's lustful gazes... even her old partner Kishibe used to look at her that way.
The most tragic episode; Kishibe chased after Quanxi for a full nine years, getting beaten up every time, only to finally discover the goddess was a lesbian
But accustomed as she was.
If not for the fact that they were both under Makima's command, Quanxi would have already smashed Bronski's jaw with an elbow strike.
At that moment, accompanied by footsteps, Esdeath entered the hall leading the Three Beasts, who reeked of blood.
Quanxi lifted her eyelids slightly, her gaze first landing on Nyau.
She seemed to have keenly sensed something, and the faint flicker of interest that had arisen instantly vanished.
Then, she turned her gaze to Esdeath at the front.
It lingered for only a brief two seconds before she lazily withdrew it, not sparing another glance.
Although Quanxi was a formidable Chinese lesbian, she was by no means the fickle type who fell for every woman she saw...
Alright, she was indeed quite fickle.
She had four girlfriends alone, truly a queen of the sea, but compared to someone with diverse tastes, Quanxi's aesthetic standards were always singular and clear—she only fancied the slender, cute, delicate, and easily overpowered type of beauty.
Someone like Su Modie, for example.
As for Makima.
Quanxi's affection for her stemmed solely from the passive ability of the Control Devil, not from aesthetic appreciation.
Esdeath was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, but that innate sadistic queenly aura clearly fell outside Quanxi's aesthetic range. When two women with such powerful auras met, there was a certain sense of 'top energy repelling each other.'
On the other side, the Three Beasts also noticed Makima and the others on the throne.
Nyau's large eyes darted around and immediately locked onto Sawatari Akane, who was moving things.
He quickly approached, wearing an innocent smile: "Hey, big sister, your face is so pretty~"
Sawatari Akane stopped her work, blinking in bewilderment.
Who the hell are you?
Who's this little brat?
Hitting on me right off the bat?
Am I even familiar with you?
Although Sawatari Akane had a bad temper, she didn't immediately catch the deeper meaning in his words.
However, Su Modie, Esdeath, Makima, and the others understood clearly that this comment was far from well-intentioned.
Quanxi and Kishibe - The Aftermath
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