Having received Ryder's response, the dwarf didn't dare say another word. Though he continued to bow, his footsteps grew faster and faster.
Shortly after the two left the alley.
The alley walls suddenly manifested strange, pulsating veins. The brickwork turned a dark, bruised red, resembling the flesh of a massive heart wrapped in thick arteries. Murky blood flowed visibly just beneath the surface.
The mohawk-haired punk who had previously fainted slowly stood up from the ground. His expression was utterly serene. He looked around casually and waved his hand.
An astonishing scene unfolded.
His left hand, which had lost all its fingers moments ago, rapidly generated new flesh and bone. In the blink of an eye, the fingers had completely regenerated.
"Ryder Zenin! I'll remember you! Heheh~"
...
"How much longer?"
Ryder lounged in the passenger seat of the sports car, looking half-asleep.
The dwarf driving beside him didn't dare delay. Hearing Ryder's question, he quickly replied.
"Soon, very soon, Mr. Zenin."
"Let me give you a hand," Ryder drawled lazily.
Seemingly casually, he extended a hand wrapped in spectral blue energy and lightly brushed the car's interior.
Vroom! Boom!
The sports car instantly surged forward as if blessed by some divine force. Its speed increased so dramatically it left afterimages in its wake.
"This is!! A cursed tool!! He turned an ordinary sports car into a cursed tool in an instant!! It's possible!! He can definitely repair the Kusanagi Sword!!"
Ecstasy surged in the dwarf's heart.
The car raced forward. In less than thirty seconds, it screeched to a halt in front of a shopping mall.
"Mr. Zenin. You've finally arrived. Welcome to the Orochi Association!"
A chilling voice rang out.
The dwarf quickly opened the car door and retreated respectfully to the side.
Ryder, still reclining in the seat, didn't move a muscle.
His eyes half-open, looking as if he hadn't fully woken up, he glanced at the black-robed figure standing at the mall entrance.
The mall should have been bustling with people.
Summer in Osaka was a time for office workers to unwind, and mall sales drew countless crowds. Yet now, let alone the mall, the entire street was devoid of life.
For ten miles around, it was like a dead city.
The black-robed man made no attempt to hide his immense cursed energy. Dark purple aura swirled around him, making him look like a demon descended to earth.
Though his face was hidden beneath the hood, Ryder sensed a familiar presence.
"Oh~ I was wondering why this cursed energy felt familiar. It's you, Skull."
Ryder's tone was eerie as he continued.
"Seems my guess was right. Even devouring part of your soul didn't affect you much, did it?"
"YOU!!!"
Ryder's words struck the black-robed man's reverse scale. The humiliation Ryder had inflicted upon him kept him awake at night. The pain that had seared into his soul still throbbed faintly even days later.
He roared.
Cursed energy exploded from his body like a storm, recklessly sweeping through everything around him.
Rumble!!!
"Want to fight?"
Ryder looked at the black-robed man unmoved. The smile on his face remained, but his thoughts churned.
So this is the main body. Gluttonous Devourer can't drain his cursed energy freely like before. Tsk. Pity.
Ryder had planned to provoke the man and enjoy a buffet, but he was disappointed. The opponent clearly knew he couldn't do anything to Ryder right now.
Facing Ryder in person, the man finally felt just how terrifying the boy's aura truly was.
Though his cursed energy wasn't flaring, the information transmitted by the destroyed soul fragment made it clear:
At the very least, until the Kusanagi Sword was repaired, he could not touch Ryder.
"Hmph! Follow me!"
The black-robed man forced down his rage, suppressing the killing intent surging within him. Without looking back, he strode forward.
Ryder didn't continue provoking the temperamental man. He shrugged.
He followed behind. The dwarf, meanwhile, stood guard at the mall entrance like a sentry, seemingly lacking the clearance to enter.
The moment Ryder stepped into the mall.
Fog suddenly materialized around him. The mist was infused with cursed energy, obscuring Ryder's vision of the surroundings.
Moments later.
The two appeared in a hidden chamber.
In the center of the room stood a highly conspicuous crystal display case.
A slender, traditional Japanese sword lay in the middle of the case. Though it looked like an ordinary longsword, it seemed to possess a demonic allure. Even Ryder's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. Though only for a fleeting instant, it was enough to make Ryder wary.
Divine Forge refines the heart first. With 100% mastery of Divine Forge, Ryder's mental fortitude should have been as solid as a rock. Yet even he experienced a moment of distraction.
The black-robed man beside him was in even worse shape. Though Ryder couldn't see his face, the fluctuations in his cursed energy betrayed the naked greed twisted across his features.
"Ahem! Is this the cursed tool that needs repairing?"