"'Eliminate'? Don't tell me you want to go kill people again. Dad just had your wanted notice revoked."
Upon hearing Gusion's words, Sayaka's expression turned sour, and Agito frowned.
Although Agito often puts on exaggerated expressions and looks like a villain, he's essentially someone with a decent sense of right and wrong. He despises those who use power to bully the weak or wield violence.
When he woke up yesterday and heard Gusion was a wanted criminal who had killed many and was sentenced to death, he was surprised. Based on his instincts as a martial artist, Gusion didn't seem like a psychotic killer.
Anyone who'd fought him would know: Gusion was an outstanding martial artist with conviction and couldn't possibly kill innocents indiscriminately.
But now it seemed like Gusion was going out to kill again.
"This is hard to explain. Do you two know about the Worm?"
Gusion thought for a moment and decided to just make something up. After all, he still needed the Association and Kure family's power to gather intelligence in this world, so he needed to supply a reasonable motive for his hunt.
Gusion himself didn't like Setsuna, but he wouldn't kill him just because he found him annoying. However, now that this matter was tied to his mission, he had no way out.
He was determined to get the Origin Seed, even if Shin Wu Long stood in his way—he would kill him.
"The Worm!?"
Sayaka exclaimed in shock, while Agito's expression became more serious.
When Agito was a child, he was captured by The Other Tokita Niko for Guritual, and the Worm was involved behind the scenes. His life was nearly ruined, so of course, he held a grudge against the Worm and The Other Tokita Niko.
"I suspect the Worm is planning something big recently. One of the participants in the Kengan matches is a Worm in disguise."
Gusion said gravely, "Don't ask me why I'm hunting the Worm. I have my reasons."
With that, he left the dojo, leaving the two behind.
Gusion thought his acting and improvisation skills weren't great, so he decided to leave the rest to their speculation.
Agito watched Gusion's back. "So he's doing it to kill the Worm... In that case, the people Mr. Gusion killed before, those Snakehead guys, might have been the Worm too?"
Sayaka was stunned. She hadn't thought of that before, but she had a good eye for people and was sure Gusion wasn't a psychotic killer or someone who enjoyed killing.
So, was there a reason behind Gusion's previous crimes?
Come to think of it, with his abilities, how could he possibly be caught by the police?
According to her investigation, when the police arrived, Gusion surrendered without resistance. There was no conflict.
Thinking about it, maybe Gusion didn't kill innocents.
But what about him killing the CEO of Juoh Communications? Could it be that Takeda had already been corrupted by the Worm? Had the Worm already infiltrated the upper echelons of the Kengan Association!?
Thinking of this, Sayaka's eyes grew serious. She thought she needed to see her father.
…
The summer night breeze swept through this restless city, and through the man's hair, bringing a touch of coolness.
Flourishing Tokyo, under the night sky. On a rooftop, Gusion yawned.
He didn't know that the two sentences he uttered would stir up a storm in the Kengan Association. He was focused on a more important mission.
In a dark alley, Exchange was fleeing for his life. He was a level 6 Explorer with a solid physique, but tonight he'd run into a monster.
He didn't want to run into such a deserted place, but after being ambushed on the main street, he was forced into the alley.
"Damn it, I just got my Fighter qualification—how can I die here, in a place like this… killed by a freak like you!"
Finally, Exchange was cornered. He panted, determination in his eyes.
He knew he'd run into the one who'd been hunting Explorers recently, and it would be hard to escape. Still, even in death, he wouldn't let his opponent off easy.
He drew a shield with his right hand, and with his left, hidden behind the shield, he gripped a special high-explosive grenade purchased from the spatial store.
"Ohma… Did you kill Ohma? Didn't you?"
Kiryuu Setsuna walked out from the shadow, arms dropped, tears on his face, and a twisted expression.
Then, as he staggered, his speed suddenly increased. Despite his madness, his Koei style footwork was perfect. With the boost of Blink, he closed the distance in a flash.
Boom—!
To the Explorer's shock, his shield twisted under a spiraling force and shattered into countless fragments.
Next, Setsuna's high kick landed. In Exchange's stunned moment, his explosive grenade flew from his hand into the sky—he hadn't even pulled the pin.
Bang—!
The Explorer was seriously wounded and forced back. Their brief contact triggered a prompt, shocking Exchange even more.
He spat blood, murmuring to Setsuna, "It's you… it's you… hahaha…!"
He burst out laughing. This behavior puzzled Setsuna, who stopped attacking and tilted his head to observe.
"Damn it… who could complete this mission!?"
He cursed. The Kengan world was one of the toughest first-order mission worlds; the difficulty rating didn't match reality.
The End Space rated this as level 7, mainly based on attributes, but the fighters here often had combat skills far beyond ordinary first-order Explorers.
Put simply, even a level 10 Explorer might struggle in this level 7 world. Against a monster like Shen Wulong, with supernatural skills, they'd be utterly crushed.
Standing before him was Kiryu Setsuna, a prodigy among fighters. Now, boosted by the Origin Seed, who could snatch the seed from him?
To expect sub-level-7 Explorers to snatch a seed from a monster with master-level combat and no attribute disadvantage? What a joke!
"Mission? Is your mission to kill Ohma-kun?"
Setsuna tilted his head, killing intent surging.
Exchange grimaced. He knew he couldn't beat Setsuna. He had a basic level 10 in combat, two tiers below his opponent. Even if his total attributes were five points higher, escape was the best he could hope for.
The ratio of effective damage they could deal in battle was different.
He'd have trouble hitting Setsuna, who could already predict his moves, while Setsuna could use extreme techniques to hurt his higher-attribute self.
In despair, Exchange remembered something. News of someone hunting Explorers had spread throughout the public channel these days. That afternoon, someone with the ID "Mazuko" said if you were attacked, you could send him your coordinates for help.
He'd sent his coordinates the moment he encountered Setsuna, but he wasn't sure if the guy would come. Even if he did, could any Explorer beat this monster?
As Setsuna approached, Exchange gritted his teeth and shouted with all his strength, "Boss, are you there? I'll pay—please save me!"
His voice rang out to the sky as if praying to a god.
Then, like a night owl descending from above, a man in a black coat fluttered down like unfurled wings, holding a black blade like a reaper's scythe.
In the moonlight, the man's invisible aura made Setsuna instinctively step back. The man smirked and glanced at Exchange: "How much is your life worth?"