GBP Chapter 117 My Devourers
Chapter 117 My Devourers
"Ouch, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Lying on the grass outside the mansion, Kuromon clutched his back, which still throbbed with pain, as he waited for his body to recover. He would occasionally gasp, "I made a mistake. There really is a difference between theory and practice!"
A bullet penetrating the brain is one of the least painful ways to die, and the recovery of the remaining bullet site is slower than that of a normal wound.
He intended to use this principle to allow the body to recover before the brain, thus achieving painless and rapid movement... but it seems there was a problem with the shooting angle; the bullet pierced the skull perfectly, making the movement painful and slow.
"That's why I have absolutely no idea what you're thinking."
A crow flew out from the treetops and complained to the chaotic images in Black Gate's mind: "Humans cherish their lives. Even if they become immortal, no one wastes their life recklessly from the beginning like you."
"Black Gate, I apologize for my previous probing and malice."
This time, the language it spoke was no longer Japanese:
"You are a human being worthy of my respect. Your doubt and vigilance prove your worth. As a gift, you will no longer be a plaything in this farce."
The deep itch in his bones vanished. Kuromon, bracing himself against the blade, slowly stood up: "What is your purpose?"
"I want to understand you and reach a consensus with you."
Understanding—what a sweet and kind word.
"You've given me a sense of novelty I haven't felt in a century. If you agree to this proposal and open your heart to me, you won't have to worry about being eliminated by your own kind or by me. It's okay if you refuse; I will never disrupt the balance of the game."
"But you've finally been given a second life, you don't want it to end so soon, do you?"
Faced with this very tempting offer, Kuromon remained silent for a few seconds.
He surveyed the ancient castle shrouded in black mist, took a deep breath, drew the long sword from his cane, and sprinted toward the backyard of the villa.
The instant he moved, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the bushes behind him, sending dirt and rocks flying and leaving several bullet holes in the outer wall!
"Prepare for the next round, fire!" He recognized the sharp call; it was Siling's voice.
Shhhhhhhhh
The sound of wind cutting through the air was uniform and swept past my cheek as the black door maintained its erratic "Z"-shaped movement, advancing while dodging.
Whenever the bodyguards locked onto him with their guns, he would leap to the side, feigning an escape route, then use his long sword for leverage in mid-air to forcefully change his trajectory. Several shots, dozens of shots, all missed their mark thanks to his ghostly, elusive movements!
With such a disparity in firepower, in this open outdoor space, once the enemy hits you and renders you incapacitated, locking onto your target, you will face suppression and death!
The attackers were clearly aware of this as well, and as he got closer and closer to the building, the gun barrels spewed out enough flames to illuminate the area.
Hiding behind a marble portrait in the courtyard, Kuromon took a mirror from his pocket, located the enemy, pulled the pin on a grenade, and threw it behind him.
Suddenly, a thick bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, and torrential rain poured down, violently slapping against everyone's eyelids.
Boom!
The explosion and the thunderous roar sounded together, successfully pausing the fire blockade for a few seconds. Taking advantage of this opportunity, a dark figure quickly darted into the porch of the back courtyard.
After hastily wiping away the rain, Siling pressed his helmet tighter over his forehead, looked up, and met the gaze of Wuji, who was peering out.
Wuyi quickly pulled his head back and looked for other ways out.
Siling looked up at the treetops; the person she cared about had gone far away, and of course, the crows were nowhere to be seen. Realizing that she was inferior even in the eyes of the demon, she felt even more agitated:
"Tch, a bunch of useless trash! Forget about the others, give chase!"
Tick, tick.
Bright red blood seeped from his abdomen, dripping onto the floor. He was curled up in the corner of the stairs, panting heavily, rapidly refreshing his short sword as his mind raced.
According to the intelligence he had just obtained from Ishii, Sada and Kyouyu had already been absorbed by her, leaving only four of the seven major powers. Based on his previous orders, the servants belonging to the original owner should be silencing the guests in the front courtyard, which would temporarily delay their attacks.
Of the two hundred servants, half were domestic workers and half were armed. In preparation for tonight's cleanup, the original owner assigned 56 armed men, led by the butler Kuroda Ran, to surround the area, while the remaining 12 high-ranking officials, 31 elite soldiers, and several domestic workers were responsible for guarding the mansion.
The banquet had nearly a hundred guests, but he had already devoured the capable ones, leaving only defenseless individuals who were not to be feared.
"And that demon, although it has always shown its desire to kill me, has never personally intervened, at most it has only made verbal interference... Is there some kind of restriction?"
Hei Men raised his hand and turned the hands of the clock on the wall, opening a secret passage. During his childhood, the original owner often roamed through the secret passages, and with the help of his memories, Hei Men could reach all the places with his eyes closed.
The hidden door to the lounge opened again. Apart from the four men and three women who had followed Karasuma to create confusion, the other seven people were waiting there according to his orders. As servants trained by the Karasuma family, their willpower had been worn down from childhood, and they regarded serving the family as their mission, so they had no need to worry about betrayal.
"Lord Karasuma, the mansion's signal has been completely blocked by unknown means, and we have been unable to contact Lord Kuroda. The cleaning of the front hall is expected to be completed in ten minutes, and all eleven of us have drunk the medicine you gave us."
"Very good. Continue with the original plan and clear the entire area."
Black Gate tore off his tattered cloak, using the transferred weapons and equipment to supplement firepower while pondering a way to break the deadlock.
Negotiating cooperation with Ishii served two purposes: firstly, to temporarily quell hostile forces, and secondly, to have a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances. He could handle real-world crises, but he wasn't so confident about "that method" that required a magical ritual.
The demon has currently demonstrated three abilities: movement using shadows, reading minds, and creating the elixir of immortality. Most of these abilities are supportive or intelligence-related; maintaining a flexible mind and constant vigilance is sufficient to keep it at bay.
'But I always feel like something's not right.' Kuromon looked at the face in the mirror that was exactly the same as his past life, his eyes darkening slightly.
"Lord Karasuma, the cleanup is complete, and we have 15 elite men remaining. We have received intelligence from the front that Lord Yotsuba has annexed the Shuanghe Group and is leading his men toward this location."
Closing his eyes and calming his emotions, Heimen fastened his helmet straps, picked up the cane symbolizing the head of the family, and declared: "Except for the Fifty Wells Group and the young master, all other forces will be wiped out without exception."
"As ordered."
...
Apart from the howling wind and rain outside the window, there was not a sound in the silent mansion, like an empty tomb, with only an atmosphere of anxiety wandering around.
No, Siling corrected himself in his mind as he walked with harsh footsteps. Karasuma's residence was now a veritable hell on earth!
No one, including her, could have imagined that the top echelons of the Japanese business community would lose one-fifth of their power today. The country's economy was already sluggish after the defeat, and Karasuma Renya's outrageous atrocities have only exacerbated the situation.
Because of this dire situation, the Siling Group had no choice but to step in and help these companies continue to operate smoothly.
Thump, thump.
Two sniper shots rang out, and the men scouting five meters ahead were instantly taken down. A squad of servants carrying antique shields rushed forward, attempting to absorb and restore the corpses.
At this point, her men would throw a grenade, scattering the opposing camp, and then rush forward to fight to the death. Sometimes her men were suppressed by the firepower, and sometimes the servants of the Karasuma were too slow to react. This back-and-forth continued for half an hour.
"After surviving the next wave, the front and back queues will rotate."
Seeing his subordinates becoming increasingly agitated, Yoshitsugu had to raise his voice once again to emphasize: "You have all absorbed the enemy's memories. Now Karasuma only has 13 men left, while we still have 20! Victory is not an option for you to lose your composure!"
Hearing the boss's instructions, the unease in the team was barely suppressed, but when they looked at each other, they could clearly see their own fear.
Step by step, they seemed to hear the approaching sound of death.
Compared to a battlefield with all-out firepower, this kind of gradual annihilation is far more agonizing. At times, they even have the illusion that this place is not human, that the servants do not feel fear, do not wail in pain, but simply stand there woodenly, one by one, going to their deaths.
Turning away indifferently, Si Ling looked at the anxious young man behind her: "Young Master Wu Wan, you're standing so far away. It wouldn't be good if you got accidentally hurt."
"I know." Karasuma Jin looked around at the murderous atmosphere and had no choice but to stand in front of Yoshiro for his own "safety".
The situation at this mansion is completely out of control. The massacre, the demons, the elixir of immortality—any one of these factors leaking out would severely damage the prestige of the royal family.
In order to leave a message for the Iga-ya, he finally managed to get rid of those annoying butler maids, but unfortunately he was captured by Akiko Iwasaki, the head of the Yotsubi Group, who even took him as Karasuma Renya's illegitimate son!
Karasuma Jin had no way to defend himself, since he could not reveal the layout of the Iga-ya, nor could he explain the mansion's servants' deliberate protection of him.
His expression was calm as he turned to Yoshitaka and whispered, "Under these circumstances, your defeat is only a matter of time. The remaining men of Karasuma are all elites in individual combat, and the efficiency of the exchange between the two sides in the later stages of the battle is never equal."
The Karasuma clan's ambitions are self-evident; it would be better to offer a few more reminders and wear down their fighting strength.
Upon hearing his suggestion, Si Ling paused for a few seconds, then gave him a deep look: "Young man, these are not the words a young master should say."
"Varied?!"
Before Karasuma Jin could be shocked by his exposure, he suddenly felt a burning sensation on his cheek as a warm liquid splashed onto his face.
He reacted quickly, lying face down on the ground, and kicked the object that had attacked him with his right foot.
Clang! The slender silver throwing knives clashed together.
So that's it! They were using melee weapons. No wonder we didn't hear any gunshots!
"Enemy attack alert!!"
The light bulbs on the ceiling were broken, and in the flashes of lightning outside the window, Karasuma could vaguely see a surging, dark mass of shadows emerging from the end of the corridor.
The bodyguards stationed at the front raised their guns, aimed at the large group of servants attacking them, pulled the triggers, and began firing wildly.
In contrast to the gunshots, the servants in black robes silently reaped lives one after another, sending chills down one's spine.
Karasuma Jin initially thought this was his emotional intuition in the face of slaughter, but he quickly dismissed it.
Strands of hair fluttered beside her ears, this was…
The air inside the mansion was moving slightly!
Boom——
Amidst the flashing electric light, a dark shadow seeped out from a secret chamber opened in the wall.
In the dim light, suddenly, a sharp, silvery-white blade flashed across his nose and pierced Si Ling's heart!
"Well…!"
Kuromon turned his head, his gaze towards him devoid of any emotion, and fired a shot at Karasuma Jin's torso.
'I didn't expect this mascot to still be alive.'
Siling wanted to call for help, but due to the different nature of the weapons used by both sides, the bodyguards subconsciously assumed the gunshot was an attack from multiple parties and did not pay attention.
Without hesitation, Kuromon bent down, removed Yotsuba's helmet, and extended his right hand to her—
The moment their palms touched, Kuromon felt the long-lost sensation of hair rubbing against his skin, a slightly itchy, foreign feeling, still carrying a gentle warmth.
But he did not sense permission to devour his own kind!
Black Gate: !
Looking down, the last thing Kuromon saw was Yotsuba's twisted, triumphant smile amidst his pain.
'A substitute? Could it be that she's not immortal?! But why are her wounds healing…'
Without thinking, he instinctively tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The sword, carrying a chilling aura, pierced his back with force, penetrating his lungs, and then emerged from his heart.
The cold air rushed into his torso through the wound, and a burning pain, as if he were being roasted by fire, ignited at the pierced wound, causing him to tremble instinctively.
"Huff, huff..."
A sour and bitter taste began to linger at the back of my tongue, and even heavy, deep breaths couldn't alleviate the feeling of oxygen deprivation.
Kuromon gripped the sword tip tightly to his chest, turning his head slowly and haltingly, his pupils slightly contracted.
A dozen or so figures wearing similar crow masks stared silently at him.
One by one, they raised their longswords high and thrust them down forcefully.
Long, needle-like blades pierced through his wrists, knees, spine, and neck, pinning him firmly to the cold floor.
Through the reflection in the glass on the wall, Hei Men's disheveled appearance was on full display: rapiers were stuck in his body, looking anything but beautiful, like a hedgehog.
This reminded Heimen of a specimen enthusiast who shared a dorm room with him in college; that's how he ruined his first specimen.
The shirt fabric on the back was torn by the crude attack, and upon closer inspection, one could feel the grain of the ebony floorboards. It was late December, and the weather was cool.
'If I could be reborn… never mind, one of these exhausting rushes is enough.'
As the four-sided object drew closer to his palm, Kuromon averted his gaze and closed his eyes indifferently…