Dragons begin with courage

"What happened!" Manstein exclaimed in surprise.

Nono's voice came through: "We've been attacked!"

"An attack? Is it a dragon? A Deadpool or a Dragon Guard?!"

"Not dragon servants, but hunters, or rather, hybrids." Caesar sneered, his golden eyes burning in the dim light. "And very professional hunters at that. Besides us, there were other people who entered Bronze City."

The people on the ship felt a chill run down their spines instantly. Their mission was top secret; only those inside Kassel and the elites involved in the mission knew about it. How could there be anyone else?

The attacks did not stop. The first shot seemed like a probe and a declaration, followed by attacks from different directions and angles! Those were not bullets, but specially made, streamlined, triangular alchemical crossbow bolts, the arrowheads gleaming with a ghostly blue light, clearly coated with some kind of neurotoxin or alchemical toxin targeting the hybrid's physique.

Ding! Ding! Clang! Clang!

The crossbow bolts either struck where they had stood, carving deep craters into the bronze floor, or grazed the edges of their cover, sending sparks flying. The attacks were precise, ruthless, and extremely patient, not rushing for quick results, but like a pack of wolves, forcing them to reveal weaknesses through constant harassment and suppression, wearing down their stamina and concentration.

The opponent was clearly well-prepared and made full use of the concealment advantage of the Netherworld, its figure appearing and disappearing like a ghost amidst the bronze pillars surrounding the altar, the huge chains hanging from the dome, and the shadow of the Norton statue itself.

"We can't afford to be passively attacked!" Caesar roared. "Zero, suppressive fire! Ye Sheng, Aki, flank to the left! Nono, Pacino, follow me and probe from the right! Find their main attacker!"

The battle erupted instantly. Zero's underwater assault rifle spat out short bursts of fire, and the specially crafted alchemical bullets carved brief vacuum channels in the water, precisely blocking several possible paths for the shadows to move. Ye Sheng and Jiu Deya, like two swimming fish, used the rocks and low-lying bronze artifacts along the lakeshore to quickly move to the left.

However, the other side seemed to have anticipated their actions. In the dim light and the dark environment of the scene, everyone except Caesar, who possessed the Word of Power: Kamaitachi, was at a great disadvantage.

"Word of Power: Illumination!"

A clear, melodious chant pierced the oppressive darkness.

Without warning, pure light burst forth from Shudeya's body. It was not an ordinary light source, but a blazing white tide of light that seemed to originate from the concept itself, possessing the attributes of "dispelling" and "purifying." Wherever the light touched, physical darkness was brutally torn apart, and even the distorted light domain of "Mingzhao" fluctuated violently and melted away, like snow encountering boiling oil!

The attackers, hidden in the darkness, were instantly exposed. Even the densest shadow at its core—Mai Shutoku herself—revealed her clear silhouette under the surge of light, like a dancer suddenly shone with a spotlight in the center of a stage.

"Sister," Aki Shutoku's gaze pierced through the dissipating darkness, calmly landing on the center of the Netherworld Domain. Even though the other person was masked, she could recognize her. "Your joke is not funny at all."

Mai Shutoku paused slightly, then shrugged helplessly, raised her hand, and removed her mask, revealing a face that was both alluring and sharp. "As expected, covering my face doesn't do me much good. People always remember my figure more than my face."

Caesar nodded subconsciously, his movements elegant yet his eyes honest. This body was indeed a masterpiece of the Creator—the tight-fitting diving suit outlined every breathtaking curve to the fullest extent, a form that combined strength, flexibility, and ultimate allure. Even Caesar, who was used to seeing socialites and models in the Gattuso household, had rarely seen such an aggressively beautiful body.

"Word of Power Candlelight and Dark Illumination, two Words of Power with opposite effects?" Nono was also hearing for the first time that Shudeya had an older sister, and that the other party was not only a hybrid but also extremely powerful. From their brief exchange just now, it was clear that the other party's rating was no lower than A-level.

"Commissioner Aki, you have such a beautiful older sister, why don't you introduce her to everyone?" Caesar politely and gentlemanly sized her up, then asked with a smile, "Are they twins?"

"They're twins, Mr. Caesar Gattuso," Mai Shude chimed in, her posture languid yet sharp. "Biologically speaking, we're not identical twins, except that she wouldn't be that ugly duckling who always lacked self-confidence." She deliberately puffed out her chest, displaying her advantages.

Shokuto Aki was already used to her sister's constant boasting, so she steered the conversation back to the core issue: "Sister, what's your purpose in coming here? You didn't come here specifically to assassinate me, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng's heart tightened, and almost without thinking, he took a half-step forward, subtly shielding Aki behind him. He didn't know what kind of past the two sisters had, but the word "assassination" chilled his blood for a moment.

"How could that be?" Mai Shude shook her head, a complex meaning in her smile. "Although my sister is an ugly duckling, she is still my sister. My task was simply to stop you from putting that little toy into Norton's palace. Each serves their own master, nothing more."

"Alright, that's enough about the family acquaintances. Let's start fighting." Mai Shude was losing her patience. She pouted and said, "Don't expect me to have any loopholes just because Aki is my sister. Aki and I haven't lived together since we were little, so we don't have any sisterly feelings for each other. Besides, I'm completely different from those ugly ducklings."

Mai Shude's eyes widened in surprise, then she sneered, "I prefer to move myself."

"I can tell," Caesar nodded.

Before he could finish speaking, Jiu De Mai moved!

Without warning, without afterimage, her slightly bent legs suddenly exerted force, and the water beneath her feet seemed to be blasted apart by an invisible force! In the next fraction of a second, she appeared like a ghost in front of Pacino on the flank of the team! Her right hand slashed from her waist, and a black shadow flashed by—not a sword, but a seemingly ordinary black hilt.

Pacino's pupils contracted sharply, instinctively sensing something eerie.

hum-

At the hilt, a jet-black substance, seemingly both liquid and solid, instantly "grew," extending and shaping, forming in a flash a slender Japanese sword gleaming with an ominous dark light! Even the light around the blade seemed to be slightly distorted and swallowed up.

"What...?!" Pacino's shock choked in his throat, but his B+ level reaction speed saved his life, and he desperately leaned back.

scoff!

The black blade grazed his shoulder. There was no direct contact, but the dark substance surrounding the blade possessed a terrifying corrosiveness! The special fibers of the diving suit instantly carbonized and disintegrated as if doused with concentrated sulfuric acid, causing excruciating burning pain to the skin beneath, which quickly turned charred black!