Chapter 578: Encounter Again, Executive [Poisonous Snake]
Panting heavily, Riku finally caught up. The dust kicked up by the overwhelming power slowly dispersed. Satō Shin’ichi waved his hand, clearing the remaining dust from his vision. His chest, as broad as a city wall, rose and fell with exertion, while in front of the young boy, a small stone cube, enveloped in dark blue energy, floated.
His eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the energy portal shimmering with a faint green light beside him. A flicker of realization crossed Satō Shin’ichi’s gaze. This incredibly familiar appearance and energy fluctuation belonged to none other than the “Viper,” a member of the Dark Organization he had previously fought against.
The young boy’s mind raced, taking in the scene and quickly deducing the current situation.
“I don’t know whose power created that rift, but regardless, they seem to want to pass through this portal to the sealed land. I just need to stop them from entering!”
*Whoosh—* *Whoosh—* *Whoosh—*
The sound of air being cut reached his ears. Satō Shin’ichi instinctively leaped backward, dodging the attacks of several poisonous snakes that emerged from the shadows. He then stomped heavily on the ground, neutralizing an attack from snakes that burrowed out from the earth. Satō Shin’ichi looked up, his gaze fixing on the figure slowly emerging from the shadows.
“Hey, I’m in pain, you know? You hit way too hard.”
The form of the tall, long-haired youth gradually materialized from the shadows. His lazy demeanor suggested he wasn’t taking the situation seriously at all. He held his head, which had spun around from the impact, and forcefully twisted it back. His sinister-looking eyes glinted eerily in the darkness, staring directly at the figure before him.
“You are…”
“[Poisonous Snake]!!!”
The familiar attack method, the familiar appearance, and the familiar tone. In almost an instant, Satō Shin’ichi recalled the enemy he had fought in his memories. Back then, it was a brief encounter in the academy while they were in their ordinary forms. Limited by his normal state’s strength, he had been utterly thrashed. If not for relying on years of training to shift the position of his heart, he would have sustained serious injuries.
She Cangya tilted his head, a playful smirk forming at the corner of his lips. His eerie eyes appeared even more menacing under the faint green light. His voice was lazy and casual, as if he considered the Satō Shin’ichi before him to be nothing more than an insignificant ant.
“Relax, relax. Unfortunately, I don’t know you, so would you mind dying for me?”
Before his words even finished, a colossal serpent’s maw emerged from beneath Satō Shin’ichi’s feet and swallowed the young boy, who was still standing in place, whole. The fangs of the serpent’s mouth gleamed coldly. The breath exhaled from its mouth washed over him, and Satō Shin’ichi’s vision turned black as he was engulfed in endless darkness.
“Tch, how uninteresting.”
She Cangya pouted his lips and lazily stretched, appearing completely unfazed by the outcome of the battle. He turned around and walked towards the energy portal that shimmered with faint green light, humming an off-key tune.
After all, since it was a hero he didn’t recognize, they were likely some of the less prominent figures. They were practically inviting their own demise by coming here. What he needed to do now was to quickly enter the sealed area through the [Ghost Gate]. Otherwise, if he waited until Crimson Flame arrived, there might really be a tough fight ahead.
However, the moment he took his third step, a violent energy fluctuation suddenly erupted from behind him.
She Cangya’s footsteps halted. His sinister eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly turned around.
*Thump-thump-thump— Thump-thump-thump—*
A dull knocking sound came from within the massive python that was now half-exposed from the ground. Following this, something seemed to be expanding wildly inside, causing the python’s body to swell uncontrollably.
She Cangya’s brow furrowed slightly, and his tone held a hint of impatience. “Oh? Not dead yet?”
*BOOM—*
The colossal, dark purple python was torn apart by a surge of violent energy. Satō Shin’ichi burst out from within, his muscles bulging even larger due to the blood flow. The high temperature radiating from his body evaporated the snake blood splattered on him, making him appear like a demon emerging from hell.
His golden figure vanished instantly, appearing before She Cangya as if by teleportation. His right fist struck out heavily. This time, he had deliberately controlled the point of power release, and instead of sending the opponent flying as before, he concentrated his power and aimed a direct punch at his chest.
*Pu—*
The sound of flesh being pierced came from in front of him. The sensation in this instant surprised Satō Shin’ichi. He understood immediately and quickly tried to twist his body to withdraw his right hand, but the suction force from his right hand prevented the young boy from pulling his arm away.
At some unknown point, the body Satō Shin’ichi had pierced had transformed into a swarm of eyeless snakes emitting a strange purple energy, coiling around him like persistent parasites. The immense power and the special energy attached to them made it impossible for Satō Shin’ichi, even with all his strength, to break free from the attack.
“Your body’s resilience is quite good, kid. I suppose that’s thanks to your own talent and effort.”
The same lazy voice came from in front of Satō Shin’ichi. At some point, She Cangya had reappeared in front of his previous position. He glanced back at Satō Shin’ichi, who was trapped by the swarm of snakes, without the slightest pause. He simply waved his hand and continued walking towards the [Ghost Gate].
Satō Shin’ichi gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing from the exertion, veins bulging. He tried to break free from the eyeless snakes that were entwining his arm, but with every surge of strength, the snakes coiled even tighter, as if trying to crush his bones.
The purple energy seeped through his skin via the snakes, sending shivers and a sense of numbness through him.
“Damn it, I can’t let him go in!”
Satō Shin’ichi’s heart raced with anxiety as his gaze was fixed on She Cangya’s receding back. He had finally found the enemy who was attempting to infiltrate, only for this executive named [Viper] to have such a bizarre ability. After just a few exchanges, he was already entangled. Director Yashiro’s effort to sever the connection rift would still take some time. If this enemy were to get through now, it would be completely over.
“Wait, if this power…”
A scorching power surged from his arm, reminding Satō Shin’ichi of his previous battles. He bit his lip hard, spitting the blood from his mouth onto his left fist, and then slammed that fist into the swarm of snakes encircling his right arm.
“It’s working!”
Although it wasn’t as effective as against ghosts before, Satō Shin’ichi could still feel the peculiar sense of restraint lessening under his attack, bit by bit. He was gradually able to break free with the power of his physical body.
Even so, the young boy didn’t have time to stop She Cangya’s actions. By now, She Cangya had reached the edge of the [Ghost Gate]. Seemingly sensing Satō Shin’ichi’s efforts on this side, he turned around, waved goodbye to Satō Shin’ichi, and then turned his head and stepped into the gate.
“Damn it!”
He slammed his fist heavily onto the swarm of snakes on his right arm. At this moment, all Satō Shin’ichi could do was let out a cry of frustration, watching the enemy’s figure disappear into the shimmering portal.
But just as the figure in the young boy’s field of vision gradually faded, a dazzling red afterimage streaked across Satō Shin’ichi’s vision, followed by the roaring sound of explosions and his vision filled with crimson flames.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM—*
