Chapter 438: Ghost Gate · Open
“Humph.”
Exhaled from the young boy’s nasal cavity.
“By the time we truly encounter a problem, Satō Shin’ichi actually suppressed the flames of anger in his eyes. As if grasping at air, he directly grabbed the black-robed figure he was looking up at and lifted him into mid-air. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he spoke slowly.
“Since you know who my teacher is, you should also know what fate awaits those who play such cheap tricks in front of him.”
He stomped his right foot down fiercely, and the ground beneath him immediately cracked. The scattered rubble was blown into the sky by his incredibly precise control. Satō Shin’ichi reached out his left hand and caught a piece of rubble. He brought the small stone to his front, looking unlike himself as he continued talking to the black-robed figure.
“No matter how shoddy the trick, it’s useless in the face of absolute strength!”
As the last word of the young boy fell, the rubble in his hand transformed into a black shadow and shot out. The fist-sized stone, carrying immense power, precisely struck the head of the ghoul walking at the very front. The pitiful ghoul didn’t even have time to react; half of its body was turned into minced meat by the powerful impact, leaving only the other half to sway before falling to the ground.
“Hoo -”
Feeling the suffocating feeling constantly transmitted from her body, the girl’s battered legs dangled mid-air. However, a sigh of relief slowly bloomed in her heart. Kazumi, of course, wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think she could escape from a simple “trolley problem” by succeeding on her own. Reality did not allow for it. The fact that the opponent could be a professional hero proved that he was not a brainless saint.
When she thought of her teacher, [Takeru Kamikami], his teacher, Lei Ming], was never bound by such matters. Even when threatened with hostages by an enemy, he would always choose the faster method of directly killing the enemy. In the dictionary of this “Symbol of Peace,” there were no words for compromise. While the solution was a bit unexpected for the enemy, the overall development was still within the girl’s plan.
Ignoring herself and using the surrounding stones with extreme efficiency to deal with the distant ghoul, Kazumi silently manipulated the black robe that had enveloped her head and the back of her neck, retracting it. Then, she turned to face the iron-like grip holding her, moving forward. In the girl’s mind, as long as the opponent didn’t incapacitate her or seal her powers within the time they controlled her, she would still have a chance to escape back to her territory.
The subsequent development was clear to [Takeru Kamikami], a physical ability user. He clearly did not possess such abilities. With Little Black’s defensive wrap, he could withstand a blow without passing out. Fortunately, [Takeru Kamikami] hadn’t heard to that extent, or perhaps it was because Kazumi had held back, that she hadn’t inflicted severe harm on her.
As any discerning eye could see, Kazumi possessed the strength to kill civilians. Yet, instead of threatening to call someone else away, she acted herself. This proved that, to a certain extent, the girl was reluctant to openly antagonize the Heroes Association. Otherwise, with the power she had displayed, Kazumi wasn’t sure if Little Black could withstand the blow. If she were captured by the Association, it would be a major problem.
“Thump — thump —”
As two large boulders were pressed down, the Ghost Gate, gradually appearing from the cracks, along with rolling smoke and dust, transformed into a massive amount of energy and dissipated into the air. [Takeru Kamikami] wiped his head with his left hand, turned his head to look at the black-robed figure he was holding, and said after a long silence.
“You’re staying. As a hostage, I won’t harm you now. But don’t make any more small moves. This one will only make things worse for you later.”
Without any casualties, the anger in the young boy’s eyes gradually subsided. His clear blue eyes reflected the black-robed figure held in his hands, his expression complex. Actually, Satō Shin’ichi wasn’t sure why he had such a strange feeling about this enemy. From the beginning, his rational exchange made people think he was someone who could be swayed, but his subsequent actions, regardless of the means, were exactly like those of the “underworld.” In the end, when there was an opportunity, he even held back.
Although he knew the enemy’s goal was only to create an opportunity for himself to escape, it was unfortunately thwarted by his own actions. However, it was rare to encounter such an enemy, one so manipulative.
“Senior Ryū, do you have any news?”
“No, why…?”
A sudden, flat voice from the front made Satō Shin’ichi instinctively reply. He quickly realized what he had said and swallowed his words. The eyes of the black-robed figure, which still showed no ripple, seemed to indicate that the previous ferocity was just a facade.
“You really can’t let me go?”
He muttered to himself, seemingly unconcerned about the other’s answer. The black-robed figure shook his head, moving his neck twice.
“Don’t move!”
Regardless of whether this was part of the other’s plan or not, the black-robed figure began to move. Satō Shin’ichi directly exerted force with his right hand, holding onto this increasingly restless hostage. However, the stone-hard feeling in his hand made the young boy’s heart sink. He saw the black-robed figure lean back, the entire person escaping from his grasp. What Satō Shin’ichi was now holding was that somewhat familiar gray monstrous figure.
“If possible, I really don’t want to antagonize the Association to this extent—”
Stretching her slightly stiff body after being suspended in the air for a long time, Kazumi sighed deeply. Behind the black wooden mask, the girl’s final trump card had also entered its activation time.
“What’s going on?”
Just as Satō Shin’ichi was about to rush towards the black-robed figure again, a gap of deep green light suddenly opened directly in front of him. This light gate, many times larger than any previous Ghost Gate, made the young boy stop his actions, his brows furrowed as he stared at the unfolding situation.
“Rumble — rumble —”
The sounds of fierce metal collisions and chains echoed from the rift. A thick aura of death surged upwards, dyeing the originally rotten blue sky a hazy gray-white. A massive black shadow slowly rose from the rift. By the time the towering structure appeared before the two people present, Satō Shin’ichi could clearly see this terrifying gateway, larger than any building behind it.
The tall and imposing gateway was covered in visible, tangible energy, with ferocious ghost heads appearing and disappearing within the energy. The stone structure and special metal construction gave off a strong sense of low pressure, as if all living things should be kept outside this active gate. Rusty skull chains, like pythons, coiled around the gateway, signaling the presence of the most terrifying evil within.
“Bang — bang —”
At this moment, accompanied by the sound of a siege hammer striking, the entire land trembled with the force. The tight chains, under this force, were on the verge of collapse. The previously closed iron gate was slowly opened a crack, revealing a suffocating stench of decay that was enough to make one gasp for air.
“Bang!”
With the final blow against the iron gate, the tottering chains finally gave way and shattered. The originally solid iron gate cracked into several pieces and flew out, revealing the green, twisted space within and the dense death energy gushing out.
A massive purple arm shot out from the Ghost Gate. Its claw alone seemed as large as the Ghost Gate itself. Sharp spikes covered its skin, and each spike was adorned with visible souls swirling around it. The giant arm, with an unusually forceful movement, raised itself high and then slammed down. The colossal shadow that blotted out the sun was none other than Satō Shin’ichi, who was standing directly in front of the Ghost Gate!
