“AAAAAHHHH!!”
The sudden explosion of the wall instantly terrified several timid mutants, making them scream in panic.
But more of them stared curiously toward the dust-filled breach.
This definitely wasn’t something the base personnel would do.
Could it really be—
Someone had come to save them?
“Hahaha—sorry, sorry!”
“Did I scare you guys?”
A cheerful voice suddenly came from within the smoke.
Moments later—
A young man ducked through the opening and stepped into everyone’s view.
“…Huh?!”
The mutants stared.
All of them looked surprised.
The screaming mutants also stopped immediately and stared.
Golden hair.
A handsome western face.
Sharp features.
But none of that shocked them.
What truly caught their attention—
Were his eyes.
Pure blood-red eyes without a trace of impurity.
The gleaming katana in his right hand.
And the pile of cold weapons hanging behind his back.
This newcomer was naturally—
Alex.
The same Alex who had violently demolished walls all the way here.
Everyone silently thought:
“Is this guy a traveling weapon salesman?”
Even though the timing felt wildly inappropriate…
They couldn’t help thinking it.
One of the nearby girls gathered her courage.
Her voice trembled.
“U-um…”
“Excuse me…”
“A-are you also a mutant?”
“Did you come to save us?”
Alex immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“I’m not a mutant.”
Instantly—
The joy on everyone’s faces dimmed.
Not a mutant?
Then he wasn’t one of them.
Maybe…
Not their savior.
Alex saw their disappointment and roughly understood.
These people had been locked up and treated like lab rats.
Naturally they’d desperately hope for rescue.
Finally seeing an outsider—
Only to learn he wasn’t what they expected—
It hurt.
So Alex smiled lightly.
“I may not be a mutant…”
“But I also won’t stand around watching people get subjected to inhuman experiments.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ll get you out.”
Silence.
Then—
“Really?!”
“You’ll save us?!”
The mutants stared at Alex with expressions of overwhelming joy.
Even the usually cold and calm White Queen looked excited.
They were finally leaving this iron prison.
Alex blinked.
“If I wasn’t here to save you…”
“Then why the hell did I come?”
Walking forward, he raised the Adamantium katana.
Then swung.
CLANG!
Several metal bars instantly split apart.
Then—
CLUNK
The heavy lock fell onto the ground.
The cage door slowly opened.
The three mutants inside erupted in celebration.
“WHOOAAAH!!”
Elsewhere—
Several mutants cried from happiness.
Everyone stared at Alex like he was a savior descending from heaven.
Their hell was finally ending.
“Relax, relax.”
“One at a time.”
Alex casually walked toward the next cage.
Along the way, he glanced at his katana.
Not a single chip.
Not even a rolled edge.
The quality was absurd.
He raised the sword again.
The nearby mutants covered their mouths.
Ready to cheer.
But—
At that exact moment—
Danger.
A warning exploded inside Alex’s mind.
This feeling came suddenly—
But compared to when he’d been targeted by snipers—
This danger felt even stronger.
“MOVE!”
His pupils shrank.
Without hesitation—
Alex leapt backward at insane speed.
While moving—
He swung his Adamantium katana more than ten times toward the left front.
Blade light exploded into dazzling arcs.
Protecting himself while intercepting whatever was coming.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Metal collision sounds suddenly erupted through the air.
Sparks exploded everywhere.
And then—
A tall figure suddenly appeared where Alex had just been standing.
“AAAAHHHH!”
“AAAAHHHH!”
Several mutants completely panicked.
Some crouched while covering their heads.
Others ran wildly.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Alex landed and stared seriously at the newcomer.
Bald head.
Bare upper body.
Strange black markings across his skin.
And most shocking—
His mouth had been sealed shut.
Judging by the scars—
Someone had done it brutally.
Alex’s expression darkened.
“That speed…”
Cold sweat formed.
He could clearly feel his clothes had already been sliced.
Out of the corner of his eye—
He saw blades extending from the man’s hands.
“That was close…”
That speed wasn’t human.
No—
More accurately—
Not an ordinary mutant.
Normal people didn’t grow weapons from their arms.
Alex immediately understood.
This wasn’t random.
This guy had purposely attacked while Alex was rescuing people.
Because people naturally lowered their guard while doing something else.
That meant:
Strong combat awareness.
Patience.
Intelligence.
This guy wasn’t simple.
Alex cursed inwardly.
“Damn…”
“I got careless.”
“Almost died.”
He suddenly remembered advice from an old acquaintance:
“Be careful.”
“Always be careful.”
Alex silently engraved the lesson into his mind.
Never again.
Meanwhile—
The giant man completely ignored the surrounding mutants.
His eyes stayed fixed on Alex.
Nothing else existed.
“So…”
“I’m the target.”
Alex understood.
The people behind all this still hadn’t given up on capturing him alive.
This guy was their weapon.
Alex glanced at the panicked mutants nearby and couldn’t help clicking his tongue.
Pathetic.
Most were older than him.
Yet when danger appeared—
They immediately lost all rationality.
If this man’s target had been them instead—
They would’ve been slaughtered already.
Mutants possessed incredible powers.
Yet these people had ended up as lab rats.
A large part of that was because of weakness.
If it were Alex?
If someone tried capturing him—
Fight.
Use abilities.
No abilities?
Use intelligence.
No intelligence?
Risk your life.
Anything.
Never let others decide your fate.
Still—
Alex wasn’t the type to leave people to die.
While confronting the man—
His left hand quietly untied one of the metal daggers behind him.
Then tossed it toward a mutant boy.
“Take it.”
“Free the others.”
“I’ll handle him.”
The boy froze.
Then somehow gathered courage.
“Got it!”
He grabbed the dagger and ran.
CLANG!
CLANG!
Another cage opened.
Alex looked back toward the strange man.
“You’re obviously a mutant too.”
“Yet you’re stopping your own people from escaping.”
“Aren’t you ashamed?”
Silence.
Of course—
The guy couldn’t answer.
His mouth had literally been sealed shut.
His eyes remained emotionless.
Like a machine wearing human skin.
No feelings.
No hesitation.
No humanity.
Alex sighed.
“Guess talking won’t work.”
Then—
He raised the Adamantium katana.
Blood-red Demon Eyes glowed.
Battle intent slowly rose.
Ever since obtaining Demon Eyes—
He’d never truly used Shinmei swordsmanship in a real fight.
But now—
A true battle had finally arrived.
For the first time in a long while—
Alex felt his blood boiling.
Across from him—
The giant raised the blades extending from his hands.
The battle—
Was about to begin.