Chapter 34 Pursuit and Escape, Heavy Rain

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Pursuit and Escape, Heavy Rain

The uproar from the crowd behind did not deter Feng Yin’s actions. He swiftly crossed the dozen meters to Kondo Makoto’s room. Facing the tightly shut entrance, he slashed out fiercely with the Canfeng Sword.

CRASH!

With a loud bang, the area around the wooden door’s lock was chopped clean through. Feng Yin then raised his foot and delivered a kick. Currently, his Armor’s Strength was close to twenty. Even just a simple lift could likely generate nearly two tons of force, not to mention an explosive kick. The wooden door was instantly sent flying, smashing into the room.

Feng Yin rushed in silently, taking in the entire scene with a single glance. The lights in the room were on, but it was dead silent. The window was wide open, and there was no one in sight. He immediately dashed to the window and looked out, spotting a figure retreating into the distance down the alleyway.

Kondo Makoto had actually run away!

Beneath his mask, Feng Yin’s eyes were calm. He vaulted out the window and gave chase at an astonishing speed.

Right after Feng Yin vaulted out the window in pursuit, the small group of loyal lackeys from the Ren Sheng Group rushed into the room, only to find it completely empty.

"The Leader ran away?" one of the subordinates muttered in disbelief.

The others exchanged looks, completely speechless. These men had accompanied Kondo Makoto to meet Ya Lie that night, so they hadn’t personally witnessed the Black Armor Swordsman’s terrifying Strength. That was the only reason they had managed to muster the courage to gather and "protect their master."

But now, their invincible Leader—who usually seemed like a Superman to them, capable of taking on ten men at once with just a Wooden Blade—had actually fled in the face of the enemy’s attack!? This meant Kondo Makoto had realized the attacker was an expert even more formidable than himself!

Upon realizing this, the lackeys’ morale completely plummeted. No one dared to give chase.

To put it bluntly, everyone who ended up in Sin City was a hardcore felon guilty of heinous crimes. The fundamental reason for joining the Ren Sheng Group was simply to find factional protection, ensuring they wouldn’t end up as meat on the chopping block, but rather the ones eating the meat. Mustering the courage to protect Kondo Makoto stemmed from this exact same motive. They had merely assumed Kondo Makoto would fight the opponent head-on, allowing them to just stand by and cheer him on.

But now that Kondo Makoto had run away, what was the point of chasing after him? To just throw their lives away?

Kondo Makoto dashed through the labyrinthine alleys of the Ren Sheng District, his Katana strapped to his waist and his right hand tightly gripping its hilt. His expression was stern, and amidst the fear in his eyes lay a hint of deep calculation. Through the window, he had witnessed the entire scene of the Black Armor Swordsman slaying Yamanamikawa. It confirmed that the man’s Strength and sword techniques were incredibly fierce, making him an opponent he could not face head-on.

But that didn’t mean there was no chance to escape.

He thought, "The Black Armor Swordsman is clad in Heavy Armor and wields a Heavy Sword. Judging by how he killed Yamanamikawa, he isn’t a true Instant Level... Even if he is a true Instant Level, he can’t possibly run too fast, let alone sustain a long-distance pursuit!"

Kondo Makoto’s mind raced while he maintained a steady breathing rhythm, his feet alternating rapidly as he sprinted at an astonishing speed. As a top expert among Fierce-level Powerhouses, he naturally possessed a physique far surpassing that of an ordinary person. His physical strength, endurance, and balance were several times greater than normal. And even though an Instant Level expert would possess a stronger physique than a Fierce Level, they were still weighed down by Heavy Armor.

He reasoned, "Unless he’s wearing the most cutting-edge military exoskeleton currently used by the Angsa Alliance or the Ousu and Soviet Countries, it’s absolutely impossible for him to catch up to me..."

And how could anyone on Border Prison Island possibly have access to such high-tech equipment! Furthermore, exoskeletons had a highly technological design; they would never resemble the ancient Magical Armor worn by the Black Armor Swordsman trailing him.

As Kondo Makoto pondered, he grew increasingly certain of his deduction. Focusing entirely, he could hear the rapid drumming of footsteps behind him. It was clear the Black Armor Swordsman was in relentless pursuit, yet there was no sign of him closing the distance.

Feeling slightly relieved, Kondo Makoto concluded that this strange Black Armor was likely just normal defensive gear.

He thought, "I’ll drain his stamina first... I’d like to see how long he dares to chase me!"

A fierce look flashed across the Ren Sheng Group Leader’s face. Relying on his familiarity with the Ren Sheng District, he rounded another corner and darted into a different alleyway.

Further back, Feng Yin sprinted silently with his sword secured on his back, his tufted cape billowing in the wind. As he watched Kondo Makoto fleeing frantically ahead, his face beneath the mask remained completely calm.

He thought, "Is he... trying to drain my stamina?"

The next moment, feigning the desire for a quick resolution, he suddenly accelerated, surging toward the desperately sprinting figure ahead. Just as he expected, Kondo Makoto quickly increased his own pace, instantly widening the gap once more.

Feng Yin understood perfectly, the corners of his mouth curling upward into a smile. He thought, "Then have it your way. Let’s see how long your stamina can hold out..."

And so, the two engaged in a tacit game of cat and mouse. Both of them shared the exact same goal—to drain the other’s stamina.

However, despite all his calculations, Kondo Makoto would absolutely never realize one crucial detail: Feng Yin’s Armor was an existence that fundamentally defied all scientific logic.

About ten minutes later, Kondo Makoto finally ran out of the Ren Sheng District and arrived at an empty lot. Panting heavily, his clothes were completely drenched in sweat. Maintaining an explosive sprinting speed of over ten meters per second for so long was unbearable, even for a Fierce-level Powerhouse whose physique far exceeded that of ordinary people.

The Leader of the Ren Sheng Group turned around, resting a hand on the hilt of his Katana. Under the dim, yellowish glow of a streetlight, his face was slightly pale and dotted with beads of sweat.

"How... how were you able to chase me... for so long?" he rasped into the pitch-black street.

No one answered. The only response he received was a slow, rhythmic CLANK, CLANK. It sounded like metal grinding against itself, or heavy boots scraping across the pavement.

In the darkness, a pair of symmetrical, vicious, scarlet lights appeared—glowing patterns resembling the eyes of a malevolent demon. Soon after, the silhouette of a pitch-black humanoid Armor emerged from the profound shadows.

SHING!

Kondo Makoto abruptly drew his blade, dropping into his most proficient stance from the Natural Reasoning Heart Style. Though his face looked fierce, it was overshadowed by an undeniable sense of dread.

Feng Yin slowly raised a hand to the hilt on his back, unhooking the long, heavy Canfeng Sword. Standing sideways, he gripped the weapon with both hands and angled the tip backward, assuming the Hidden Blade Form.

He didn’t speak. Firstly, there was no need to waste words on a dead man walking. Secondly, he vaguely recalled a certain saying, though he couldn’t remember where he had heard it—"Those who cannot be communicated with will double their enemy’s fear."

His "human identity" only needed to be maintained during his everyday life. When donning the Armor, he wanted to be something that struck absolute terror into his enemies—

"Monster..." Kondo Makoto rasped, the Katana trembling slightly in his grip.

This was partly due to the sheer exhaustion from his prolonged sprint, and partly because of the deep-seated unease festering in his heart. Still, he forced out an explosive shout, "Leader of the Ren Sheng Group, Kondo Makoto, presents himself!"

Feng Yin remained completely silent.

RUMBLE!

Lightning flashed from the dark clouds that had been obscuring the moon, illuminating the two men in their standoff. In the blinding flash, Kondo Makoto caught a clear glimpse of that ferocious Wolf Head Mask. The blood-red streaks around its eyes seemed to glow with an even more vibrant scarlet hue.

An inexplicable terror gripped his heart.

Suddenly, a torrential downpour began.