Anastasia: "You're so focused on land, Dark Orb King, but do you have any idea what it's like to be a woman who has to constantly change and grow just to compete with someone like you?"
*She emerges before him and his soldiers, accompanied by her own forces, which include women and a small number of men. The soldiers under her command seem to be indistinguishable from regular citizens, lacking the usual characteristics associated with military personnel. This has raised suspicions that they were coerced into service for the upcoming war, and some of the women and men appear to be suffering from malnutrition.*
Yusuke: "Your country's resources make it a prime target for Orbussia's expansion, and it's likely only a matter of time before Orbran becomes part of Orbussia."
*He readies his scythe, its blade transforming from a single edge to a deadly double blade. As he prepares to clash with his opponent, a dark energy aura envelops his scythe, underscoring his ruthless determination. His eyes, cold and unyielding, betray no concern for the civilians who may be caught in the crossfire.*
Anastasia: "You can't stop me! I feel entitled to this country, given my considerable financial success over the past few years. If I decide to make my own people suffer, that's my decision, and you won't spoil my fun."
*She focused all her energy and summoned the seven deadly sins, seeking their power to boost her strength and defeat the Dark Orb King. However, her determination was short-lived as her entire army fell to the Dark Orb King's scythe in a single swing.*
Yusuke: "..."
(In his mind).
"With one swing of my scythe, I defeated her entire army, expending only a tiny fraction of my energy. Evidently, she didn't take the war threats, including the missiles, seriously. As a result, I won't be receiving any human sympathy."
*He gives a slight smirk, recalling his comments about humans and their tendency towards violence, which makes him consider the possibility of earning their sympathy.*
(Out of his mind).
*Anastasia sprinted towards Yusuke, her dark pink energy slamming into his dark purple energy, and the two engaged in a fierce battle, their sword and scythe clashing. As Yusuke's scythe clashes with Anastasia's sword, his dark purple energy intensifies, causing his scythe to become progressively heavier and more difficult for Anastasia to handle.*
(In her mind).
"Yusuke's power is increasing, and I'm having trouble fighting him."
*As she continues to fight against Yusuke's scythe, the speed of her sword clashes accelerates, but the weight of each impact becomes progressively heavier, hindering her ability to fight back. She pants heavily as she backs away, her trembling hand letting go of the sword.*
(Out of her mind).
*Yusuke's expression changes to a slight smirk as he decides to back off and proceed with the war in a slow and calculated manner, with the ultimate goal of obtaining human support.*
Yusuke: "I'm willing to let you be for the time being."
*He listens to the reports on his earbuds, a faint smile on his face as he learns of Orbran's decision to strike back against civilians with a missile attack, and he smirks slightly, realizing that his plan is taking shape. He instantly disappears into the darkness, taking his soldiers with him, and leaving Anastasia to seethe with anger and frustration at her inability to defeat him.*
Anastasia: "Fuck you."
*With hatred burning in her eyes, she erases her energy from sight, a response to Yusuke's exit.*
(At Middle Corporation in Orbxico).
Takumi: "So this is Middle Corporation."
*With a calm demeanor, he steps into the building and is immediately struck by the sight of several people wearing masks, including a young man in a gas mask that conceals his face, and they exchange a glance.*
Ashton: "..."
*With deliberate slowness, Ashton closed in, maintaining a safe distance, and exchanged a piercing glance with Takumi, whose dark green eyes gleamed through the gas mask.*
Ashton: "Who are you supposed to be?"
*He asked him calmly, yet he remembered the black figure and Mochizuki, the teenage boy, and it dawned on him that it was someone else who had come to convince him to join the unknown organization.*
Takumi: "Since you're already aware of my identity, why not join forces with me and together we can take down the Heaven Orb King?"
*With a calm demeanor, he watches the man in the gas mask, his eyes transitioning from green to light green, anticipating a possible attack.*
Ashton: "The idea of defeating the Heaven Orb King is nothing more than a pipe dream, it's not grounded in reality."
*He speaks calmly, gazing at the young man with white hair and green eyes, who is dressed in a black hoodie, black pants, and black shoes.*
Takumi: "I'm not asking you this time; you're joining my group regardless."
*With a snap of his fingers, time freezes, and everyone around him, including Ashton, is frozen in place. However, Takumi soon realizes that he is being paralyzed by an unknown force, which he discovers is emanating from Ashton, rendering both of them unable to move.*
Ashton: "..."
(In his mind).
"He seems to be a Time Orb, possibly even a King, which is really impressive."
*He uses his dark green energy to shatter his own bones, releasing himself from the time freeze, and his King status allows his body to rapidly heal.*
(Out of his mind).
Takumi: "..."
*By rewinding himself with his light green energy, he broke free from Ashton's paralyzing power, potentially making them evenly matched. He gave Ashton a menacing stare.*
Ashton: "I'm interested in your group since it could offer a chance to do more research without needing to keep it hidden."
(In his mind).
"I'm particularly interested in learning more about that Dark Figure, as I have a feeling there's more to it than meets the eye."
(Out of his mind).
Takumi: "What made you decide to join my group after initially declining?"
*He asked him calmly, wondering what had caused the sudden change of heart.*
Ashton: "I was impressed by your strength and I'd like to see more of it by joining you."
*With a calm demeanor, he looks at the young man with white hair and green eyes, and his gas mask breaks apart, momentarily showing his face before quickly reassembling into a new form that reveals his eyes but conceals his mouth and nose.*
Takumi: "I'll believe it for now."
*He hands his card to the young man in the gas mask, a new member of his group, and once Ashton has taken it, time unfreezes around them.*
(At the Dark Orb Kingdom In Daisuke's Room).
Daisuke: "It's hard to imagine humans supporting the Dark Orbs."
*He checks Orb World News on his computer and notices that most of the comments, which are largely from the human world, are horrific, with some even claiming that what's happening in Orbran is justified because it was originally Orbrussia's land. One comment in particular catches his eye, from a well-known human Metuber named Jasan Hiker, who describes Dark Orb Kingdom as a resistance group fighting against an open-air prison.*
Daisuke: "In the end, my father's plan is succeeding, and that's unfortunate."
*With a sense of disappointment, he shuts down his computer, knowing that his father's desire for human support is rooted in a single reason.*
(In his mind).
"I have a deep-seated hatred for my father, and I'm going to do something that I know will upset him."
*He gives a slight smirk, a hint that an idea has struck him.*
(Out of his mind).
(At the human world in Mexico).
*Following a botched deal, Adriana froze the human cartel members, and the remaining members, using their own abilities, killed a large number of them, but allowed the leader to live.*
Marcial: "What made you decide to go back on your word?"
*He examines the human cartel leader who was kept alive for questioning, after the deal was betrayed without an apparent reason.*
Male Cartel Leader: "I came across a power group that could provide a better offer than yours, Satanic Slaughter Yakuza or Akuma-tekina gyakusatsu in Orbpanese."
*Marcial's brutal punishment for the man's betrayal involves ripping out his tongue, which elicits a deafening scream and a gush of blood from his mouth, yet miraculously, he remains alive. Marcial tears out the man's tongue and drops it to the floor, immediately glancing over at Klaudia, indicating she should complete the task. Klaudia walks over to the man, who is bleeding profusely from the mouth, and with barely any effort, breaks his neck, putting an end to his agony.*
Klaudia: "..."
(In her mind).
"First time I ever killed a human..."
*She sees the dead man, then turns back to see the others beheading and dismembering the remaining dead cartel members. For a moment, she considers who the dark figure is after, since everyone appears strong, and wonders if it could be every single one of them.*
(Out of her mind).
Marcial: "I have reason to believe that Satanic Slaughter Yakuza is operating in Mexico and trying to disrupt our plans, so we must locate them."
*As he checked on his members, he detected a malevolent presence behind him. He swiftly turned around to confront Kaito, the leader of the infamous Akuma-tekina gyakusatsu, also known as Satanic Slaughter Yakuza, who loomed behind him with a twisted smirk. He quickly retreated as his eyes changed from brown to white, triggering his power.*
Kaito: "It's a wonderful sight to see Cártel de Reyes y Reinas here in Mexico."
*A twisted smile lingered on his face, reflecting the amusement he found in playing with Orb Cartels to alleviate his boredom.*
To be continued on the next chapter.