Chapter 652: Kazumi’s Reason for Refusal
The room fell into a dead silence, the squirming sounds of the flesh and blood walls seemingly suppressed by some unseen force. Kurokawa Iori’s glasses reflected a strange light, his gaze fixed on the bone armor arm that was slowly retracting into Kazumi’s body.
After a moment of surprise, his expression returned to calm.
“Spectacular.”
*Clap, clap, clap.*
He clasped his hands together at his chest and lightly applauded the girl before him.
“I thought I had estimated you as much as possible, but I didn’t expect your abilities to grow so quickly. No, that’s not right. If you were even a little weaker, you wouldn’t have survived under [White Bone]’s control. There’s no reason for that guy to give up on an easy meal that walked right to him.”
Kurokawa Iori’s praise held a touch of genuine astonishment. After all, Kazumi had only joined the organization less than six months ago. The [Dark] Organization strictly followed jungle law – no mentors, no training, only the strong survived. He had personally witnessed too many budding talents become nourishment for others within their first month.
He had already assessed Kazumi’s abilities as much as possible to utilize his own power for this test, but he hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t even be able to make contact with the girl.
“Even if Kazumi hadn’t gotten up from her seat out of politeness to fight me, she could have easily sat in her chair and calmly enjoyed a drink without any impact on the spar that just occurred between us.”
This was indeed true. Based on Kurokawa Iori’s understanding of [White Bone], in that state, let alone a member like Kazumi who had saved someone with a different intention, even his subordinates wouldn’t hesitate. The fact that she could complete such a mission so directly was enough to prove the girl’s strength. However, Kurokawa Iori still wanted to personally experience her true strength against a powerful opponent.
“It seems I made the test too simple.”
Kurokawa Iori shook his head, seemingly annoyed that his current test was too easy. He raised his right hand again, and the entire flesh-and-blood space began to move once more. A loud sound erupted from the flesh and blood tissue in the corner of the room. A massive tumor ruptured, and after it broke apart, a middle-aged man with a heavy aura emerged.
His bare upper body was covered in a grit-like keratin layer, lifting small air currents with each breath. What drew the most attention were his eyes; the hollow whites and vacant gaze testified to his abnormality.
“This is?”
The familiar appearance of the man before her made Kazumi exclaim involuntarily. After all, it was quite a surprise for a Professional Hero from the Heroes Association to appear in such a setting.
However, Kazumi quickly regained her composure. With her observational skills, she was able to quickly notice the abnormality of the opponent. Coupled with the scene of Kurokawa Iori’s tentacles she had seen earlier, she understood.
The girl’s eyes widened. This was the ability she had seen Kurokawa Iori use in his conflict with [Cloud] before. Kurokawa Iori possessed the ability to copy other people’s powers and create imitations. And the man before her was the imitation of the Hero ranked 43rd by the Heroes Association, [Sandstorm].
Even though it was just a glimpse then, the method of controlling sand he displayed was enough to feel that this imitation could unleash most of the original’s abilities.
“Do you mind if I add a temporary round? I want to see your ultimate trump card.”
The imitation of “Sandstorm” suddenly turned its crystalline eyes, the sound of sand friction making one’s teeth ache. As his sinister gaze fell upon Kazumi, the flesh-and-blood aura in the room was instantly replaced by a scorching, dry atmosphere. The moisture in the air evaporated instantly, and even the rim of the soda cup developed salt frost, as if it were ready for battle.
Kurokawa Iori’s voice was soft but filled with great interest. This interest also piqued the curiosity of most of the [Dark] Organization executives present, who now felt a greater curiosity about this girl.
Kazumi did not immediately answer Kurokawa Iori’s question. She simply snapped her fingers gently, and all the undead soldiers instantly dissolved into green light. The eerie green portal behind her slowly closed, and the city walls that had formed from the land also receded like a tide.
The girl gracefully sat down in her chair and picked up the now-flat soda. She took a small sip of the orange liquid, which sloshed gently in the glass. When she swallowed the last drop, she placed the glass back on the table with a sticky, squirming sound, like a living creature, rather than a crisp clink.
“If I go all out…”
Kazumi looked up, her obsidian eyes meeting Kurokawa Iori’s somewhat puzzled gaze, and shook her head.
As she spoke, the entire room began to shake violently. An unprecedentedly huge portal suddenly opened behind her, occupying almost the entire wall. The edges of the portal were entwined with black chains, inscribed with ancient undead runes, emitting a faint green glow.
Below, a purple dragon head emerged from the portal.
Just this head alone almost filled the entire doorframe, its sharp bone horns scraping against the edges, producing a sickening metallic friction sound. This dragon head was astonishingly huge; its lower jaw alone was larger than Kazumi’s entire body. The purplish-black bone surface was covered with dense, dark red blood vessels that squirmed like living creatures, contracting and expanding from time to time. The dragon’s jaw opened slightly, revealing layers of sharp teeth within, each glinting with a cold light. Deep within the dragon’s throat, dark green poisonous mist and viscous acid churned, and the occasional overflow of gas caused the surrounding space to distort slightly.
Within the portal, numerous holes rotated slowly as energy flowed, emitting a bone-chilling gaze. Most terrifying was what could be seen directly through the gaping maw of the giant dragon: several distorted human faces on its spine, mouths agape in silent screams, dark red blood trickling from their seven orifices, intertwining in the air to form a strange energy network. Every time the dragon head moved, these tendrils convulsed violently, as if enduring eternal torment.
And in front of this terrifying spectacle, the black-haired girl sat calmly on her chair, her slender fingers resting lightly on the rim of the glass. She tilted her head slightly, her obsidian eyes calmly watching Kurokawa Iori. The hem of her dress remained unruffled, as if the terrifying undead beast behind her had nothing to do with her.
Kazumi lightly tapped her fingers on the side of the glass. The crisp sound competed with the terrifying roar of the dragon behind her. The girl’s thin lips slowly parted, and in a calm voice, she finished the reason she had not previously completed.
“It will expose me if it gets too loud.”
