Chapter 124: Heavy Rain, Tokyo, the Bloody Storm Auction (8) |
The time was three minutes ago. Tokyo, Japan. Inside the Amamiya Building, within the Mirror World of the auction house.
Looking out from the entrance, the scene inside the auction house could only be described as a complete disaster.
Fragments of red seats were scattered chaotically across the floor. The smoke from the explosion had not yet fully dispersed, hanging in the air like a hazy fog. A flock of crows flapped their wings, flying lazily through the mist and shedding a cascade of black feathers.
The light from the Crystal Chandelier cast a wide glow over the area, revealing two perfectly intact seats remaining in the center of the auction house, completely out of place amidst the surrounding devastation.
In the very center seat sat a young man in a Sun Yat-sen suit. He rested his cheek against his fist, sleeping as motionlessly as a puppet. No matter how deafening the commotion outside became, it failed to disturb his deep slumber.
Not far away, in the other intact seat, sat Li Qingping with his fingers interlaced. He lowered his face, staring expressionlessly at the Brigade Members on the auction stage.
The Second Prince was currently being protected by the Octoprism.
Blue Arc remained silent for a long time. He glanced up at the ten Members emerging from behind the Wooden Door, then looked straight ahead at the young man—the leader of the White Raven Brigade, Qi Yuanli.
"Where is Kyomori?" he whispered.
"Why did you kill him?" Blue Arc asked, enunciating each word.
Qi Yuanli lowered his eyes, teasing a crow perched on his fingertip as he spoke slowly:
"Based on my understanding of Celestial Drives, after his death, the exit to the Mirror World will be temporarily sealed for a short while... In other words, during this time, there is only one way for you to leave here: kill all of us."
He paused. "Oh, right. Since time flows slower in the Mirror World than outside, my Members have probably almost finished off everyone outside while we were chatting."
As soon as his voice trailed off, deep blue lightning suddenly reflected in Qi Yuanli's profound pupils, surging right at his face. But in the next second, his figure vanished from his spot, reappearing on the auction stage.
Blue Arc came to a halt in the center of the flock of crows, looking up at Qi Yuanli, who had just appeared on the stage.
He instantly realized one of the Brigade leader's Supernatural Abilities: Position Swap with the crows he controlled.
At the same time, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a spine-chilling scene:
Every single crow in the flock held a Playing Card in its beak, the corners of the cards faintly visible.
In an instant, the Playing Cards in the crows' mouths detonated simultaneously, not even leaving Blue Arc a fraction of a second to react.
Fortunately, his speed was fast enough. Lightning burst from his entire body, expanding outward to form a Magnetic Field.
A long moment later, the flames from the explosion dissipated. Blue Arc still stood motionless in his original spot.
Blue Arc slowly turned his head to look at Li Qingping, the Second Prince, and Zhou Jiuya, who was still dozing in his chair.
A moment later, he turned back to look at the exit of the Mirror World. Just as Qi Yuanli had claimed, the mirror surface left behind by Kyomori had already lost its original luster.
Moreover, a web of cracks was spreading across the mirror. To leave this Mirror Auction House now, he feared the only viable route was through the Wooden Door opened by Brigade Member No. 7, Robert.
'But... using the enemy's ability to leave might just mean walking straight into their trap,' he thought.
Thinking of this, Blue Arc took a deep breath. "No, I need to go back and find Xiaomai. If the Brigade's door is the only way back to the real world, then I'll go through there..."
Hacker and Robert had already left the auction stage, heading to the Vault in the back to transfer the auctioned items. Therefore, the only Members remaining on the Mirror World stage were Jack the Ripper, An Lunsi, Andrew, and White Wolf.
"Leader, how are we distributing the targets?" Jack the Ripper asked expressionlessly.
"Oh man, my little gun is practically crying from boredom. Leader, hurry up and give me something to do," Andrew declared, beaming with joy as he dropped to one knee and set up his Sniper Rifle.
The body of the gun flowed with a night-like gleam, resembling a wild beast ready to pounce.
Qi Yuanli replied without hesitation: "Ripper, An Lunsi, and Andrew will take on Blue Arc." He paused. "White Wolf, test out that Anecdote Envoy sitting in the chair."
Yet, from beginning to end, Qi Yuanli's profound gaze lingered solely on one person: the young man in the Sun Yat-sen suit sitting in the center of the auction house.
A strange glint flashed in An Lunsi's eyes as he summoned a massive Slot Machine beside him. Leaning casually against its side, he pulled the lever. Immediately, the prize wheels of the Slot Machine began spinning at high speed.
Finally, on the digital screen, two of the three icons landed on a Billiard Cue, while the last one stopped on a bomb.
Followed by the cheerful clinking sound of scoring coins, a hatch suddenly opened at the bottom of the Slot Machine. A two-meter-long Billiard Cue dropped out from the slot.
"A medium-quality Billiard Cue... Not the best luck, but it will have to do," An Lunsi muttered softly, reluctantly bending down to pick up the cue from the Slot Machine.
Immediately after, he and Jack the Ripper vanished from the auction stage at the exact same moment.
In that very second, Blue Arc suddenly felt a sweeping wind pressure coming from his left and right. The killing intent carried within it felt like two man-eating beasts lunging at him.
Jack the Ripper's Short Blade carved a beautiful dark red arc through the air, slashing straight toward his face.
An Lunsi swung the Billiard Cue like a baseball bat, aiming a vicious strike at Blue Arc's waist.
Blue Arc's eyes clearly tracked the trajectories of both weapons.
Crossing his arms, he raised his left palm toward the right and his right palm toward the left. Instantly, roaring lightning erupted from his hands, forming two thick Lightning Pillars that blasted into the Short Blade and the Billiard Cue!
The Ripper and An Lunsi were simultaneously knocked back dozens of meters. An Lunsi flipped smoothly in mid-air, his blond hair dancing upward.
He assumed a billiards-playing stance, and an Invisible Billiard Ball suddenly materialized in his left hand.
An Lunsi narrowed his eyes, adjusting the position of the ball in front of him before thrusting the Billiard Cue forward with immense force.
Catching sight of this from the corner of his eye, Blue Arc sharply leaned backward to dodge. The Invisible Billiard Ball grazed past his face, plowing a web-like trail of fractured ripples through the air.
Even so, the fierce wind pressure wrapped around it still tore several gashes into his armor.
"Nice shot," An Lunsi said with a smile.
The next moment, a booming gunshot rang out. Capitalizing on the split second Blue Arc was suspended in mid-air while leaning backward, Andrew pulled the trigger of his Sniper Rifle from the stage.
The bullet burst from the muzzle, transforming into a streak of pitch-black light that flew straight toward Blue Arc's heart!
In that fleeting half-second, the oncoming bullet reflected in Blue Arc's pupils!
Continuing his backward lean, he moved with godly speed, throwing his arms up and crossing them defensively in front of his chest.
In a flash, wildly dancing arcs of electricity formed an Electrical Net that enveloped the space before him.
However, the massive net failed to completely absorb the bullet's kinetic energy. The streak of light slammed Blue Arc's body backward for a hundred meters, smashing him into the wall of the auction house and carving out a gigantic crater.
Before he could even catch his breath, An Lunsi swung his Billiard Cue, firing another Invisible Billiard Ball into the pitch-black crater! Amid a deafening boom, the wall of the auction house shattered completely, revealing the boundary of the Mirror World—a void of black nothingness.
The next second, An Lunsi suddenly blinked. A deep blue trajectory had appeared in the darkness without him noticing, wrapped in layers of terrifying electrical arcs.
Moving with the speed of a thunderbolt, Blue Arc dashed behind him. Pressing the five fingers of his Metal Gloves tightly together like a knife blade, he chopped downward, wreathed in blinding lightning.
But in that exact moment, a dark red Short Blade spun through the air, slashing over to block the path of the metallic hand chop.
The dazzling current traveled up the blade of the Short Blade, illuminating Jack the Ripper's eyes, which were as dark as an arctic night. Yet, acting like a lifeless machine, she completely ignored the numbing sensation. The force she applied to her wrist didn't wane in the slightest; instead, it surged higher.
With a sharp crack, the dark red Short Blade violently slashed through the metal surface of the glove. Amid a shower of flying metal fragments and electricity, the three figures simultaneously bounced back a short distance.
Then came another deafening gunshot. Suspended in mid-air, Blue Arc's back was intercepted by one of Andrew's bullets.
The bullet acted like a pitch-black meteor. Carrying tremendous kinetic energy, it slammed into Blue Arc like a speeding train hitting him head-on, sending his body crashing through one massive pillar after another.
Amid the booming crashes of impact, a thick cloud of dust spread across the area as the pillars of the auction house collapsed in succession.
At the same time, Blue Arc's figure was blasted into a corner wall of the auction house. His body was deeply embedded in the crater, looking like Jesus nailed to the cross.
An Lunsi and Jack the Ripper glanced over at the same time, walking briskly toward the exaggerated crater.
But in that split second, electric arcs suddenly brushed past their cheeks, bringing a faint numbing sensation. A blood-soaked, Ghostly Figure abruptly appeared right in front of them, his eyes leaving a deep blue trail of light in the air.
The two raised their eyebrows just as Blue Arc grabbed their heads with his shattered Metal Gloves and forcefully smashed them together.
An Lunsi and the Ripper's heads collided violently. The impact nearly gave them a concussion, making the entire world spin wildly around them.
A terrifying blast of lightning struck their faces point-blank. Half of their faces were instantly incinerated into a gruesome mess of charred flesh. Blood sprayed out, leaving no visible skin or meat on half of their faces—only ghastly white bone remained.
Blue Arc took a deep breath. His expressionless face was framed by a shattered mask, with metal fragments digging into his cheeks. Blood dripped down freely, dyeing his eyes and the bridge of his nose crimson.
He violently ripped off a piece of bone from each of their faces before pulling his arms back. His lightning-wreathed left fist lashed out to smash An Lunsi's skull, while his right elbow drove ruthlessly into the Ripper's chest.
In that fraction of a second, An Lunsi raised his Billiard Cue to block the left fist, while the Ripper held her Short Blade in a reverse grip to deflect his right attack.
The bodies of both Members were sent flying backward, slamming into the remains of a pillar. Wisps of electricity still danced across their skin as their entire bodies twitched slightly.
The two slowly lifted their heads. Their faces—half exposed bone, half scorched flesh—looked exactly like the visage of evil demons.
A calm smile still hung on the intact half of An Lunsi's face. He slowly picked himself up from the ground, dusting off his suit.
He muttered softly, "I wonder if little sister Lan Duo Duo's Anecdote Fragments will be able to fix our faces."
"Get serious... or your other half is going to disappear too," the Ripper warned, wiping the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.
The blood trickled down her face and dripped onto her dark red Short Blade. As if drinking the life force within the blood, the blade grew visibly longer. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a three-meter Long Saber.
The Ripper stood up, shifting her grip from a dagger style to a Katana stance. Her eyes, deep as an endless night, reflected Blue Arc's silhouette.
Andrew lifted his head from his sniper scope. His grumbling voice drifted over from the auction stage: "I'm being serious here... You two are seriously getting in the way. It's a hassle to even shoot with you guys standing there! Otherwise, this Blue-whatever guy would have been dead a long time ago. Can't you see my bullets are doing all the heavy lifting?!"
"Shut up, or I'll butcher you alongside him," the Ripper stated coldly.
"Careful, or I'll stuff your head into my Slot Machine as a prize," An Lunsi added with a smile.
Blue Arc hung his head low. Blood oozed from his shattered armor, trickling down to the tips of his broken gauntlets before splashing onto the floor in a steady rhythm.
Panting heavily, his shoulders slumped as he slowly raised his eyes, looking at the three of them with a frosty expression.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the auction house.
Li Qingping sat upright in his chair, dressed in his sleek black suit.
He looked up at the slowly approaching White Wolf and said expressionlessly, "I have no interest in fighting you people. I'll take my guy and leave, and we can all pretend this never happened."
"You make a fair point." White Wolf paused. "But the Leader's order was to leave no one alive in this auction house."
He blinked his scarred, cataract-clouded left eye. A cloud of steam suddenly emanated from his body as his muscles bulged like small mountains, enveloping him completely in a blinding white aura.
"What a shame... I actually planned to spare your lives."
As his words fell, Li Qingping summoned his Anecdote Catalog into his hand. With a casual squeeze, he crushed four cards. Silver streaks of light flashed briefly in the air:
Common-tier Anomaly "Phoenix", Common-tier Anomaly "Volcano Giant", Common-tier Anomaly "Will-o'-the-Wisp Ghost Bride", and Common-tier Anomaly "Flame Acrobat".
White Wolf glanced at the Octoprism shielding the Second Prince, then at the four cards dissolving into dust. He remarked:
"Binding five Anecdote Fragments at once. An A-rank Anecdote Envoy, I presume?"
Li Qingping remained noncommittal. "Don't misunderstand... It's just that I don't need to use the final one to deal with you."
As soon as he spoke, four shadows materialized beside him. Standing at the very front was a giant entirely covered in volcanic lava. A fiery red bird, resembling a phoenix, circled above the giant's head, releasing a clear and resonant cry.
Next to Li Qingping appeared a woman wearing a wedding dress, her face concealed by a veil. In her hand, she carried a lantern, within which burned an eerie blue ghost fire.
Finally, there was a red-nosed clown dressed in a circus costume. He was only half a meter tall, looking exceedingly inconspicuous.
White Wolf stepped forward.
The woman in the wedding dress suddenly tossed her lantern. Expanding in mid-air, the lantern dropped down to trap White Wolf's body inside. Thousands of ghostly flames illuminated its interior, turning it into a massive steamer oven as wisps of fire rippled outward.
The circus clown performed a series of somersaults, nimbly leaping over. He suddenly took a massive gulp of oily liquid into his mouth, his cheeks instantly puffing out like a toad's.
He then opened his mouth and spewed a torrent of fire toward the lantern. The paper surface of the lantern caught fire, causing the inferno inside to surge even more fiercely, raging like a burning forest.
Seeing White Wolf motionless inside the lantern, the tiny circus performer lay on his side on the ground, propping his head up with one hand. Humming a cheerful tune, he used a finger to draw circles in the air.
Rings of fiery patterns leisurely spread upward, gradually converging to form a grinning clown face.
But in the very next instant, the burly silhouette projected on the lantern's surface suddenly raised his right hand. Clenching his five fingers into a fist to gather power, a light as blinding as daylight violently erupted from his knuckles. He punched! The world fell entirely silent. A strike powerful enough to deafen ears and blind eyes shattered the lantern to pieces.
A pillar of white light swept out. The circus clown's mouth fell open in an "O" shape right before his tiny body was instantly annihilated into ash.
The woman in the wedding dress standing behind him couldn't escape death either; she was swept straight to the other side of the world by the white light, perishing instantly.
Li Qingping raised an eyebrow.
White Wolf emerged from the sea of flames. His cloak and clothing had already been incinerated, revealing a body covered in a layer of grayish-white wolf fur. His pupils shone with a strange white gleam.
With a thunderous rumble, the five-meter-tall Volcano Giant charged forward to intercept him.
White Wolf clenched his fists and leaped into the air, landing a devastating blow to the giant's abdomen. The impact caused the giant's body to cave in and its head to bow downward. Following up instantly, White Wolf delivered a brutal uppercut, launching the colossal entity straight up into the air.
Immediately after, White Wolf flashed directly above the giant's head. Clasping his fists together like a sledgehammer, he slammed them down, releasing a burst of daylight-bright radiance. In an instant, the giant's head shattered into thousands of fragments.
The crushing force traveled from its head all the way down its body, cracking the giant apart layer by layer.
In the end, fiery red chunks of rock mixed with magma poured down like a waterfall, creating a blistering cloud of white steam on the auction house floor.
Amid the rain of fire and white mist, White Wolf landed on his feet, striding forward over the scattered magma. The lines of his face were taut as iron, his cataract-clouded left eye fixed intently on Li Qingping's face.
"Alright... You're certainly tougher than I thought, but you're not that great either."
Li Qingping shrugged, speaking without a hint of emotion as he rose from his chair. The Phoenix that had been circling in the air came to rest on the back of his hand.
He then slowly pulled a card glowing with orange patterns from his Anecdote Catalog in his right hand. The intricate lines on the card's surface were exceedingly luxurious and elegant, clearly depicting the majestic form of a giant dragon.
"Orange patterns..." White Wolf frowned, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "A Generation-tier Anomaly?"
In the very next instant, Li Qingping crushed the orange card in his hand. A deafening dragon's roar instantly echoed throughout the entire auction house.
A monstrous sea of flames surged skyward, looking as if it intended to swallow the entire world.