The night in Arc City remained as prosperous and dazzling as ever.
Yet, in a desolate corner visited by few, an elegant and quiet Hunter was silently conducting a deadly hunt.
The blue-black armor clung perfectly to her slender figure.
Dark green light flowed along her every movement, showcasing a cold mechanical aesthetic without losing the delicate carving of feminine curves.
The black skirt and armor overlapped, revealing crossed carbon fiber straps and ghostly green fluorescent patterns tracing up her long legs.
Her figure drifted like a shadow traveling through the concrete abyss.
Her long legs wrapped in black silk moved gracefully through the dark underbelly of the city.
The sharp sound of her blue-black high heels tapping against the ground intertwined perfectly with the heavy, metallic footsteps of the mechanical hound pacing beside her, forming a rhythmic and deadly cadence.
“Miss Kiana, why bother hiding any longer?
Return to Schicksal Headquarters with Rita.
It would be a good thing for you, for me, and for everyone in this city.”
Schicksal’s S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse, spoke with a flawless, polite smile.
She had originally intended to meet with Gray Serpent, the informant who uploaded the photo.
She certainly did not expect Schicksal’s scouting network to capture an image of Kiana and a blue-haired girl casually dining in a local hotpot restaurant.
She had chased them non-stop through the neon-lit streets, but her targets were highly alert and eventually fled into this abandoned industrial sector.
The chaotic terrain here was indeed suitable for hiding.
However, for Rita, a veteran who had dealt with human targets for years, rooting them out was not a difficult task.
The Phantom Iron battlesuit she wore was highly integrated with the autonomous tracking weapon development code HD-603, scientifically named the Carbon-based Hunter.
Through seamless neural synchronization, she issued silent commands to this steel hound, directing it to conduct an endless, relentless pursuit of the enemy.
As long as the Herrscher of the Void did not fully awaken and tear through space, she had more than enough confidence to find and capture them.
Footsteps echoed from the gloom.
Rita stopped and looked toward the direction of the sound, her signature smile unwavering.
The Carbon-based Hunter beside her also halted, sitting obediently in place like a well-trained pet.
Slowly, she furrowed her beautiful brows.
Judging by the heavy, measured sound of the footsteps, the approaching figure was a male, roughly 1.8 meters tall and weighing between 75 to 80 kilograms.
This was clearly different from her intended target.
The distant neon lights became weak and fragmented by the time they reached this alley.
Rita watched as a pair of casual sneakers stepped out of the shadows first.
Then came a pair of straight legs.
The newcomer was indeed a male with a tall and well-proportioned figure, wearing casual streetwear with a prominent 0011 logo printed across the chest.
His facial features were as distinct and sharp as if drawn in a manga.
His sleeves were pulled up near his elbows, and the muscle lines on his exposed arms were well-defined, hinting at explosive power hidden just beneath the surface.
A pair of dark sunglasses rested lazily on the bridge of his nose, and his smile was entirely flippant.
“It seems like quite the encounter.
This is the third time we have met, Miss Rita.
Of course, for you, it is the very first.”
“Uninvited gentleman, could you tell me where those two beautiful girls went?
Could you please answer?
I would be most grateful.”
No matter which version of Rita it was, that charming face always wore an impeccable smile, projecting a good impression while maintaining a polite, dangerous distance.
“Actually, I should be in a bright sunny afternoon right now, sitting at a table with a group of beautiful girls, enjoying a wonderful afternoon tea time.”
Frez had no intention of answering her question directly.
He looked down at his well-defined knuckles, inspecting them casually.
“But there is too much to do today.
I am just someone who loves to meddle.
Sigh, a fortune teller said when I was a kid that I am destined for a life of toil.
My grandmother also said that people sometimes need to be a bit more cruel to live more comfortably.”
He lowered his hands and met her gaze.
“I do not see it that way.
Because there are some things I just cannot stand to watch.
I have always been the type to do what I can, and if I cannot, then we will see what happens.”
Frez smiled warmly.
“So, could you please go back?
The night is just right.
Why do you not go back and enjoy a rare evening off?
Or, if you want a date, I would not mind a fateful encounter with a great beauty like you.
I will even pay for the room.”
Rita gripped the long handle of her scythe, her posture shifting into a battle-ready stance.
The Carbon-based Hunter beside her also began to lower its center of gravity, baring its metallic fangs.
Frez slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a heavy gas mask, an action that made Rita’s eye twitch slightly.
That gas mask even had the official Schicksal logo stamped on the side.
According to her extensive knowledge of their armory, it was the most effective model available.
The Carbon-based Hunter was equipped with specialized neurotoxins that could spread rapidly through the air to incapacitate opponents.
The man standing before her was clearly well-prepared for her specific loadout.
At this moment, Rita wondered if Lady Theresa had already found Miss Kiana and provided tactical support for this man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
‘Was I set up?’
“It seems your flirting skills are not very good.
Such talk will only make girls dislike you.”
The fluorescent patterns on her armor flared to life.
Her figure moved like a Phantylia, blurring across the distance in a heartbeat, and the Carbon-based Hunter followed in perfect sync.
The Gene Reaper in her hands swung upward in a vicious arc, its green blade glinting coldly in the dim light.
As long as the scythe caused even a small cut and obtained a genetic sample of the target, the weapon’s core could decode all the opponent’s biological data and synchronously change the armor’s tactical mode.
At the same time, the Gene Reaper would specifically formulate the toxin ‘Avalanche’ based on the target’s genetic sequence to rapidly disintegrate the enemy’s flesh.
It could truly be said to be an armor dedicated to assassination, completely turning Rita into a Toxic Hunter who hunts alone in the dark.
Blinding golden light gathered in Frez’s right hand.
Rita watched as Frez constructed a massive golden pistol out of thin air, causing her pupils to shrink involuntarily.
Judgment of Shamash.
Even though it was a Divine Key she had only seen recorded in the deepest Schicksal archives, Rita understood exactly what kind of terrifying destructive power this sacred object possessed. The source of this chapter is g.com.
It was a weapon passed down through generations of the Kaslana family, born purely for absolute destruction.
Her toes tapped the ground hard as she immediately aborted her attack and dodged violently to the side.
At the exact same time, she tried to signal the Carbon-based Hunter to retreat via neural signals, but it was far too late.
The roaring tongue of fire spat from the golden muzzle instantly engulfed the metallic body of the Carbon-based Hunter.
That overwhelming power could not even be called a gun; it was a heavy artillery cannon hidden inside a pistol’s shell.
The Carbon-based Hunter gave no further response.
Only a large, glowing crater and a few melted metallic fragments remained on the spot where the hound had just stood.
“It seems you are much more dangerous than I imagined.
Has Mr.
Siegfried contacted you?
He was even willing to entrust his signature weapon to you.”
“Who knows?
Miss Rita, for you to still be thinking about gathering intelligence at a time like this, you really are dedicated to your job.”
Frez raised his free hand, his fingers crossing to form a complex hand seal.
“Miss Rita, do you know what a person’s brain becomes like after receiving a thousand years’ worth of junk information in a single instant?
Today, I will tell you.
Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void!”
Nothing happened.
The fabric of reality did not warp.
Instead, the ground directly in front of Rita instantly exploded.
The secondary flames spat by the Pseudo-Judgment of Shamash blasted Rita into a clumsy, desperate retreat.
The equipment gap was simply too large, and Rita could not gain any tactical advantage.
Her every movement seemed to be completely seen through by the man in sunglasses.
“The position is just right.
Also, look behind you.”
Rita subconsciously looked back over her shoulder, but the alley behind her was completely empty.
Nothing happened.
However, directly behind her head, a jagged spatial rift silently tore open.
A fair little hand clutching a heavy wooden baseball bat, with veins popping on the back of the hand from sheer grip strength, swung out and hit the back of Rita’s head with a heavy crack.
Her vision instantly went black, and Frez’s amused words rang out once more as she fell.
“I told you to watch your back.
See?
You have blundered.”
At the very last moment before losing consciousness, Rita saw a Damselette who looked similar to Kiana flying out of the space behind Frez with a mischievous, triumphant grin.
“Despicable!”
[Akarin’s Note:
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