Chapter 41 : Lightning

“Ugh…! That’s impossible…!!”

The purple-haired, squinting man, once so composed, now lay sprawled on the ground.

Standing tall before him, Lycan breathed heavily. But the man’s gaze was fixed on the green-haired woman beside him.

“You… what the hell are you…?”

From the moment she saw through his hologram, something felt off, but the recent fight confirmed it. This woman wasn’t an ordinary human.

To the enemy’s question, Mary responded in a cold, flat tone.

“I have no information to share with you.”

Crack!!

As if further talk was a waste of time, Lycan crushed the man’s head underfoot without a moment’s hesitation.

Wiping the blood splattered on his face, Lycan asked calmly.

“The kids?”

“No response.”

“Hey, you two need to come out and see this.”

At Franklin’s call from beyond the door, the two slowly stepped outside.

A wave of scorching heat hit them. Flames spread in all directions from afar. Hell’s inferno was swallowing Rat Town.

“…Where did this fire start?”

“It’s gonna take a while to put out.”

A simple fire would’ve been contained early. For it to spread this far, something must’ve gone wrong with the initial response.

People fled in panic from the blaze, running in the opposite direction. Amid the chaos, looters raided shops, and thugs assaulted passersby—a common sight.

“Lycan, what now…?”

At Mary’s question, he stared at the fire’s origin for a moment before answering.

“We split up and find the girls. Contact immediately if you spot them, then we regroup and leave Rat Town.”

“Tch, nothing but hardship till the very end. Still, not bad… hic!”

The three scattered to search for the Lapis sisters. Lycan, without hesitation, moved forward. Instinctively sensing where the girls were, he headed toward the fire’s source—the trash incinerator.

My head throbbed. My heart pounded as if it would burst through my ribs. Every swallow brought searing pain and the metallic taste of blood.

I’d long surpassed my physical limits. The only reason I still stood on two feet was the Stone’s power.

My brain screamed for rest, but the Stone energy coursing through my veins forced my mind awake, driving me to focus on the fight.

Rat Town is a garbage dump. Not metaphorically—literally, all of Neotopia’s trash ends up at its incinerator. The area around it reeks, crawling with rats and bugs.

The final destination for the city’s filth. The explosion of the massive incinerator, meant to burn that filth, sparked a fire beyond imagination.

In moments, the dump turned into a fiery hell.

How massive was that explosion? For a split second, I lost consciousness. When I checked myself later, my back stung as if the skin had been peeled off.

It was a wound from shielding Ruby from the blast. Burns like these would surely leave scars, even with time.

What did it matter? Scars only form when wounds heal. I didn’t have enough time left for healing.

Still, Ruby seemed unharmed, thankfully. I sighed in relief, scooped her up, and started running.

It wasn’t over yet. But Ruby couldn’t be dragged into this any further.

‘I’m sorry for leaving you alone.’

I wanted to stay with you until the end. But it seems impossible now. Please, live happily enough for both of us.

Running as fast as I could to escape the dump, just before breaking free—

I stopped dead, seeing the figure ahead.

“…Boss.”

Lycan’s state wasn’t remotely fine, even as a courtesy. Yet the mere fact he was alive brought me relief.

“Let’s go back. Everyone’s waiting.”

It was such a tempting offer. I almost accepted it on impulse.

But I couldn’t. If I irresponsibly fled now, I’d never break free from this cycle. Ikazuchi would hunt me endlessly, and in the end, not just me but everyone around me would suffer.

There was only one way to escape this cycle.

‘Cause a commotion.’

Become the city’s monster, create chaos. Draw all eyes to me alone. If I could end it with just me, I’d do it gladly.

Lycan stepped toward me but paused, as if noticing something.

“You…”

“Please take care of Ruby. I’m sorry for being such a burden until the end.”

Since it was my final farewell, I forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile.

“Thank you.”

“…”

He just stared with a complicated gaze. I smoothed Ruby’s hair as she slept in my arms, then carefully handed her to Lycan.

I had so much I wanted to say, but now wasn’t the time for indulgence. My voice wouldn’t reach Ruby anyway. For my own satisfaction, I lightly kissed her pale forehead and said goodbye.

“Bye, my sister.”

A powerful presence approached from behind. The white wolf, chasing me.

I turned and ran back into the blazing dump. From behind, Lycan’s hollow mutter reached me.

“…Stupid kid.”

I completely agree. Even I think I’m an idiot.

“You’re foolish. Why come back instead of escaping?”

Hound asked, seeing the girl reappear before him. She replied in a flat tone.

“Escape is for the weak. I’m stronger than you.”

“All bark, no bite. You missed your only chance to beat me.”

As he said, the incinerator’s explosion was enough to rattle even the mighty Hound. If she’d seized that fleeting opening, Lapis might’ve had a future where she won.

But then, Ruby, unconscious, wouldn’t have survived. So it was never an option worth considering for her.

Drip.

Noticing the purple blood trickling from the girl’s nose, Hound said indifferently.

“No need for me to bother. You’re already dying.”

“…No. I won’t die.”

“You used the Stone recklessly, ignorant of your limits? Your blood’s irreversibly tainted with its energy.”

“Shut up! We’re not here for casual chitchat. Didn’t you want my ring back? Stop yapping and take it yourself.”

“Hmph. Cute provocation. If you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige.”

Round two began.

But this time, the opponent wasn’t unscathed either. The incinerator’s explosion behind him had dealt significant damage.

Lapis wasn’t in great shape either, but there was a difference. She’d been pushed to her limit from the start. Having long transcended her boundaries, fighting through sheer will, now was no different from before.

This became evident in the fight’s dynamics.

Thud!

Though fast, his punch was slower than before, and Lapis blocked it with ease.

Their eyes locked, and a battle beyond human limits unfolded.

“You’re strong. You’d hold your own against most of my men.”

As their fight continued, the surroundings lost their original shape. Each leap cracked the concrete floor. Missed attacks collapsed walls.

“But you can’t handle that power.”

Cough! Spitting blood mid-fight, her balance faltered. Seizing the opening, the hound pounced like a predator.

Crackle—!

Lapis shot sparks from her fingertips, but they were blocked by the Stone-embedded cane. ascended to the top of the list. The tingling sensation in her hand made Hound genuinely marvel.

“Releasing Stone energy as electricity? What kind of synchronization rate makes that possible? Truly impressive.”

Staggering, the girl realized she had little time left and began gathering her remaining energy.

“Argh…!!”

Threatening sparks surged around her.

That’s dangerous. Following instinct’s warning, Hound charged to finish her off.

Lapis smirked and muttered.

“Gotcha.”

“What?”

Realizing something was off too late, he tried to pull back, but she stepped forward, closing the distance.

Lapis grabbed his cane and forcibly connected her Stone to the connector.

“What are you—!!!”

With a scream of shock.

Crackle—. Crackle—!

BOOM!!!

Lightning struck from the sky.