The mont the Guardian gave in so easily, Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed.
Suspicion flickered across his face.
Even if they were temporary hires, they were still Guardians.
With Lilith's imprint carved into their bodies, how could they fold this fast?
At the very least, they should have struggled a little. They should have tried to endure.
More importantly, that imprint was supposed to bind them. Betrayal should not co so smoothly.
Yet this man had crumbled like rotten wood.
Ryuunosuke's unease deepened.
It felt wrong.
Too clean.
Like the world itself was following a script.
"Where are Roger and the others?" he asked anyway, forcing his tone steady.
"Roger?" The captive blinked, then hesitated. "Captain Ryuunosuke… do you an Jeff?"
"Yes." Ryuunosuke nodded once.
They used codenas more often than real nas, so a delayed reaction was normal.
That was exactly the problem.
Everything looked normal.
And that made it more terrifying.
"Jeff and the others seem to have gone on another mission," the man said, sounding almost apologetic. "That's why we're the ones fighting this ti."
"If you want their information… I can't help much."
He spread his hands helplessly.
Guardians were not always connected. Many of them operated without contact for long stretches.
And Jeff's rank was higher than his. He had no right to ddle in Jeff's affairs.
Ryuunosuke stared at him.
"Then what were your orders this ti?"
If this man truly knew nothing about Jeff, fine.
But he had to know what mission he was here to carry out.
"To stop you." The captive answered imdiately.
Then his lips curled into a strange smile.
"If you can kill us, then do your best to kill us."
"We can even self destruct and take everyone down with us."
The mont he said it, the aura around him beca violently unstable, swelling like a rupturing tide.
Ryuunosuke's pupils tightened.
"Oh no!"
He moved on instinct, but the space around them was already being swallowed by a massive compressed blast.
Boom!
A monstrous explosion tore across the sea.
The shockwave carved a crater into the ocean itself, as if the water had been punched out of existence.
Even as the surrounding seawater rushed to refill it, the void lingered for several seconds before the pressure finally forced it shut.
The ocean's pressure was terrifying. Under normal circumstances, even a catastrophic blast would be backfilled in two or three seconds.
The fact it took longer told only one thing.
That self destruction was terrifying.
Mist and steam rolled across the surface.
"Captain… are you alright?"
Escanor erged from the haze, brushing off torn scraps of his clothing as if it was rely annoying.
"It's fine," Ryuunosuke replied. "I was just caught off guard."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But if these Guardians ca here planning to self destruct, we need to warn everyone."
"That blast was no joke."
As his voice fell, a vast, solemn wind swept across the sea.
The fog and steam were torn apart and scattered.
At the instant of the explosion, Ryuunosuke had thrown up a barrier, wrapping the blast.
That single heartbeat bought him ti.
Then the AT Field unfolded.
The destructive energy was forced outside, sealed away.
At their current level, both Ryuunosuke and Escanor could manifest the AT Field directly.
Ryuunosuke raised the Dragon Hunting Token.
His voice carried cleanly to every squad.
"Everyone, be careful. If these guys realize they can't win, they will self destruct."
"The power of that self destruction is significant."
"It might not kill you instantly, but it can cripple you."
"And it's a terrible idea to face these bastards while you're seriously injured."
…
"Self destruct?"
Ban grinned, staring at the Guardian in front of him like he had just found a fun toy.
"So you can self destruct too?"
His opponent was a brute, built like a fortress, overflowing with raw power.
A pure close quarters fighter.
Ban liked that.
The Guardian's gaze was steady.
"Self destruction is just a road chosen by weaklings."
"I am Singh."
"I would rather die on the battlefield than self destruct."
He lifted his chin slightly, muscles swelling again.
"And Ban, you are a very good opponent."
Then he charged, power crashing forward like an avalanche.
Bang!
Their fists collided head on.
Ban's grin widened.
"Then let kill you!"
"Don't self destruct."
"Don't beco the kind of opponent I'd spit on."
He leaned in, eyes burning.
"Of course, if you can kill , go ahead."
The mont he finished speaking, his tight jacket shattered.
His strength rose again, pushing Singh back.
Ban pulled out his three section staff, swung it into motion, and rushed forward.
No tricks.
No fancy moves.
Just brutal, relentless violence.
Soon, Ban forced Singh into a more secluded area, cutting off angles and escape.
Singh's breathing was heavy, but his eyes were bright.
"So this is the power of your Dragon Hunter Pirates."
"No blessing marks."
"No borrowed miracles."
He laughed hoarsely.
"Fine."
"You really are worthy."
Then his expression shifted.
"But from here on… I need to be careful."
"Liberation."
As he spoke, a carriage appeared behind him.
It felt like it had been dragged out of nothingness, yet it radiated an ominous pressure that made the air go cold.
Even Ban's smile dulled when he sensed it.
He tightened his grip.
His instincts scread caution.
Singh exhaled slowly.
"This is the horse drawn carriage from my hotown."
"I have always kept it with ."
"Every ti I was liberated, it never let forget I am a person."
"And that I have a hotown."
Sharp spikes began to push out from Singh's body.
His form twisted.
Changed.
His eyes turned hazy, unfocused.
A strange force began to gnaw at his soul, like sothing inside him was eating him alive.
Weng.
A ripple spread from the carriage.
A woman's spirit appeared on it, faint and unreal.
Ban's expression shifted.
"Is that… your lover?"
For a mont, Ban's gaze softened.
He understood that feeling too well.
There had always been a woman behind him, holding him together.
So much of his desire to return to his own world existed because of her.
In that instant, Ban felt an uncomfortable kinship.
"Yes." Singh's voice beca quieter. "The only one who can bring back to clarity."
He lifted his head.
"Are you ready?"
Puff!
A huge hole suddenly opened in Ban's chest.
Fresh blood poured out in an instant.
Ban's body dropped.
Bang!
He crashed onto the sea's surface, sinking slightly before his body stabilized.
Singh looked down at him.
"I really didn't want to beat you like this."
"But I don't have ti to play."
"As long as we win this ti…"
He glanced back at the spirit on the carriage.
"Then she can co back."
He turned, preparing to leave.
The battle elsewhere was still ongoing. He needed to support his comrades.
Then a voice drifted up behind him, light and amused.
"Hey."
"Leaving already?"
Singh froze.
Ban stood up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
The massive wound in his chest was already gone.
He looked almost untouched, apart from the stains.
Ban shook his head, laughing.
"Really. You even had soone prepared for a sneak attack."
"At your speed, even if I was prepared, there's nothing I could've done."
He tapped his chest once, as if reminding Singh what just happened.
"You aid straight for my heart."
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