Chapter 578: Black Skull. (Part Ten)

Dante did not know about the existence of Sorcery until four months ago. Back then, it just so happened that he crossed paths with members of the Shirogane clan working for the rich bastard he was trying to rob. Though they were only a branch banished from the main clan, the skills they displayed had left a strong impression on him, and to this day, they remained some of the strongest opponents he had fought.

The Sorcerers currently blocking his path were different. They didn’t rely on the long-range attacks like the others, and they used physical weapons instead of manifesting them out of the air. However, the most important difference was their mastery of the Silent Breath art.

Being able to become entirely imperceptible was a powerful skill, but hiding one’s presence and fighting while keeping it hidden were two different things. Few could reach a level of mastery where they could fight at sub-sonic speeds while keeping their camouflage on, and even fewer could ensure that they remain hidden at the moment of the attack.

Still, the fact that the bastards attacking him could bypass Volcan’s sensors was more than most assassins would ever be able to achieve. The only reason Dante had yet to die was his body’s automatic reaction to the minute killing intent channeled into the attacks aimed at him. Dante didn’t even know he was capable of that much until now.

Nevertheless, there wasn’t much he could do even if he were to notice. He might be able to react to one or two attacks, but with how short the openings he had, anything beyond that was impossible. The Shirogane Sorcerer had undoubtedly realized that, which is why they synced their attack, always ensuring that at least one of them landed.

Focused on guarding his weak spots, Dante had no choice but to take the less dangerous attacks. The bastards were focused on halting his progress, attacking whenever he tried to run and forcing him back into a position where the other hunters could take a shot.

At first, Dante had thought that they were making use of the openings he unintentionally creates when trying to run. The words spoken by their leader, the one who showed himself from time to time, told him otherwise. Dante began to suspect that their goal was not to kill him, but to keep him occupied, stop him from leaving.

No sooner had the thought crossed Dante’s mind than his desperation spiked, and he began taking more and more risks. No matter what he tried, however, nothing worked, and time was catching up to him, rendering the amount he bought by accelerating his perception and reflexes meaningless. Realizing that, he quickly sent a message to Lion of the Los Aros, as well as Ben and his other acquaintances from the Tenebrosan gang. Dante didn’t think they could make it there faster even with him still occupied, but they might be able to warn the people at the Sanctuary so they could buy him a few more seconds.

The entire fight, Dante’s hand hovered over the command to equip armor. Anything was fine—so long as he had one of them on, dealing with the bastards coming after his life would be easy. Just 9-3 could turn the tables on the Sorcerers, allowing him to crush them entirely, but that’s not how things would go, and Dante knew that all too well.

The bastards from the BEO were watching, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they had their freaks waiting for the moment Ghost would appear. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Paragon himself was hiding up in the sky above the intersection. Someone must have reported the incident by now. Dante wasn’t under the illusion that the freaks would abide by their deal, so the only reason they hadn’t shown up was that they didn’t want to, and not because he told them to keep their freaks away.

’Damn it…’

Dante had already given up on the strategy of appearing weakened to draw out the Shirogane Sorcerers and was going all out. Riot had a lot on his plate, too, so he couldn’t rely on him. Requesting backup from his gang was an option, but most of the members were mundane and wouldn’t make any difference.

’DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT-’

Feeling another sudden premonition, Dante slammed his foot into the ground and punched.

“DAMN IT!!!”

Breaking the sound barrier created an explosion that silenced the battle for a second. Dante had meant to parry the attack, but to his surprise, he managed to hit something, though he wouldn’t have noticed if not for the cracks that appeared on the wall in the direction of his attack. Streaks of blood manifested, and a man wrapped in dark garbs followed.

“Impressive.”

Dante didn’t even get to savor the satisfaction of the solid hit he just landed when the sting of another oncoming attack forced him to turn. This time, he wasn’t so lucky. The attack he reacted to was a faint, and the real one landed on his right thigh, as if to mock the ability he had displayed until now.

“You are everything we heard about and more. It is a shame that you chose the cyborg route.”

Until now, Dante only heard one voice, making him believe it belonged to the leader of the Shirogane Sorcerers. He was the only one who appeared before him, which was an act of disrespect more than anything. Dante didn’t let it get to him, however. Even with everything before his eyes turning red, he still kept looking for the exit—for a way to escape the battle and rush to his destination.

Overwhelmed, his hold wavered, and his perception slowed to normal levels. They say when one’s life is in danger, the world would slow around them, giving them the time to watch their entire life flash before their eyes, but all Dante saw was how the battle would appear to a normal person, and for some reason, that allowed him to see his way out.

“Truly a shame.”

Feeling another oncoming attack, Dante’s body reacted, and just like before, he fell for the faint. The Sorcerer didn’t just slash at him this time. Instead, he stabbed his leg with a blade much longer than the short sword he had been fighting with so far, using it to pin him to the ground.

Dante lashed at him, but the Sorcerer jumped away, his form visible as if to mock Dante’s attempt. As he glared with hatred befitting only the worst of his enemies, Dante’s eyes widened, and his head shot up. Right above him, several missiles were dropping down from the sky. He reached for the katana stabbed through his leg, but by the time his fingers wrapped around the hilt, it was already over.

~[ ]~

BO-BO-BO-BO-BO-BO-BO-BO-BOOOOM!!!

Nine missiles hit the ground, each birthing a cloud of smoke and fire that spread through the intersection, hitting the walls of the surrounding buildings not a second after the spreading shockwave. Those who could escape were quick to do so, but others were swallowed by the flames.

The initial explosion shattered everything in its immediate radius, and the flames burned everything that could be burned and melted the rest. Watching it from the safety of a corridor on the upper floors of a nearby building, the Shirogane Sorcerers released their arts one after the other, making themselves visible.

“Daaaamn… that was an overkill, wasn’t it?” One of them said, then turned to their leader. “Are you sure about this?”

“No need to waste any more time.” Standing a short distance from the others, the leader looked down at the devastation with crossed arms. Every now and then, the crater created by the explosion became visible between the rising smoke and dancing flames. It had been a powerful explosion, and a normal human would have easily been erased. Most Sorcerers wouldn’t, in fact. But what about an Ascended Cyborg geared for strength and durability, one capable of withstanding attacks delivered using weapons forged by the masters of the Shirogane clan?

“Guess we have to wait for them to put out the fire before we can confirm the kill…”

Though he heard the comment, the team’s leader didn’t offer his thoughts. Something about their victory didn’t feel right. Not only did they lose two of their members, but they were forced into ending the job using a weapon other than what they already had. That just went to show how dangerous the target was this time.

The very fact that he could react to them even when they were concealed showed how dangerous he truly was. If the fight had gone on for a little longer, his monstrous instinct might have adapted to their arts, and their victory would no longer have been assured. That’s why the leader chose to end it with the salvo of missiles. Despite that-

“Is it just me or…” One of the others said in a hushed voice.

“Yeah…”

Listening to their comments, the leader realized that he wasn’t the only one who felt that they had yet to win.

~[ ]~

An area of effect attack—that was the best counter to invisible enemies. Sorcerers were tough, but what reason would they have to risk being burned alive just to stay close to their target? Dante knew that would be the case, and so he decided to make use of the burning chaos, timing his mental command to the moment Absolute Awareness detected the sound waves blasted by the explosions. The threads of light enveloped his body in a fraction of a second, and though the shockwave and heat managed to reach him, he still got away with only minor burns. The threads of light from granted him a short moment of invincibility, and he had gambled it all on timing it right.

8-5 manifested itself before the initial explosion ended, and Dante didn’t hesitate to teleport out of there, not giving anyone the chance to witness the armored form that had replaced him. He planned on returning soon enough, making a grand entrance to draw the attention away from him, but that was for later. Right now, he needed to check on the Sanctuary.

Teleportation was the fastest mode of travel possible. When used, the scenery would instantly change, as if a different frame had replaced the one before it, without any gaps or lag that indicates a transition. Dante arrived at his destination before the flash from the explosion could fade from his sight. His bionic eyes were quick to adjust, and the housing complex came within sight soon enough. However, no sooner had he laid his eye on it than another flash blinded him once more, and before he could even begin to guess what it was, he was swallowed by the light.

The entirety of Neo-Vatra was shaken by an explosion unlike any other.

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