Chapter 78: The Phantom Madman

The instant the tent in the sky was torn apart, the sound of shredding fabric hadn't yet dissipated. Akari's gaze, as sharp as a hawk's, fixed intently on Usagi. Bound and dangling, Usagi's legs hung high, the iron chains resembling merciless serpents tightly coiling around her.

Hovering midair, Akari looked down with a cold sneer. "You guessed it right—the dagger I just threw was my last weapon. But tell me, do you really think you can harm me even a bit?"

Usagi's gaze was icy, sharp as frost. She didn't respond verbally but subtly adjusted her posture. Suddenly, a violent gust surged forth. The blade in her grasp spun wildly, forming a whirlwind of ferocious attacks that lunged at Akari with unrelenting force.

At the same time, a piercingly cold bullet came shooting from the flank. It sliced through the air, leaving a trail of bone-chilling frost in its wake.

Akari, hands still resting casually in her pockets, curled her lips in a disdainful smile.

Suddenly, a figure swung through the air in a bizarre trajectory—it was Hayato. Gripping the steel wire from the "parachute tent," he moved with the grace of a pendulum. In his other hand dangled the corpse of a dark-skinned man, which he abruptly swung with brutal force. The body spun in midair, colliding with the blade and frozen bullet, shielding Akari.

Bang! Bang! The bullet struck the corpse, instantly freezing it into a crystalline ice sculpture, eerily enchanted. Usagi's spinning blade cut deep into the frozen body, spraying blood and ice shards into the air in a chilling spectacle.

"Ahahahaha—" Hayato cackled maniacally, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with madness. His tongue darted out uncontrollably, saliva spraying everywhere. Still gripping the corpse, he spun it like a weightless toy, completely disregarding the chaos around him.

In the next moment, Hayato hurled the frozen corpse at a dual-bladed boy on the ground. The enormous impact sent the boy crashing down with a dull, jarring thud. Meanwhile, the chains binding Usagi shattered as a flurry of bullets struck them. The crisp sound of metal breaking sliced through the air.

Usagi, now freed, adjusted her stance mid-fall. With a slight push off the ground, she rose with the elegance of a breeze, her form gliding through the air like a fleeting shadow. Landing softly, she moved with a silent rhythm that exuded both grace and resolve.

She cast a wary glance toward Hayato and Akari, her expression calm but her muscles taut. Her twin ponytails swayed lightly, catching the moonlight and blending seamlessly with her fluid movements.

In the shadows nearby, two figures emerged with measured steps. Though their footfalls were light, they carried an overwhelming sense of dread. Their silhouettes gradually became distinct under the pale moonlight, exuding a chilling, murderous aura.

Akari descended slowly along the steel wire, Hayato following closely. Their figures, under the silver glow of the moon, appeared both stoic and menacing. Surveying the two figures on the ground, Akari smirked and said coldly, "So it's Akaba Shiji and Gengo Rinro. Seems like no one else is left, huh?"

Shiji Akaba walked ahead, his stride unhurried, exuding a calm indifference that seemed to disregard the killing intent surrounding him. His deep eye bags, like battle scars, hinted at an unending fight. His long bangs covered most of his face, but his exposed gaze cut through the tension like a blade, piercing into everyone present, betraying his lethal speed and power.

Trailing behind, Rinro Gengo looked even more nonchalant. His disheveled hair parted naturally at the forehead, his drowsy eyes betraying a hint of impenetrable depth, as if no amount of danger or bloodshed could stir him. His loose posture belied a dangerous agility. His hand dangled lazily, a pistol seemingly floating in his fingers, exuding a casual lethality.

Lifting his head, Rinro glanced lazily at Hayato, a smirk curling his lips. "Hayato, these guys just called you a moron."

"What?! Then I'm going to kill them!!!" Hayato's response exploded like a volcano. His pupils shrank, veins bulged in his bloodshot eyes, and saliva dripped from his snarling mouth. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and charged like a berserk beast, shouting incoherently, "Kill the idiots! Kill the idiots—!"

As Hayato barreled forward like a rabid dog, Rinro calmly raised his gun and took aim. However, Hayato's erratic movements defied all logic. His chaotic footwork—dodging here, lunging there—caused every bullet to miss. Instead, they struck the ground, instantly freezing it, radiating a frosty chill.

Usagi and Shiji moved in tandem. One wielded twin blades, the other brandished dual knives, their attacks harmonizing as they closed in on Hayato. The three surrounded him in a perfect pincer maneuver. But Hayato ignored the encroaching danger. Exploiting the icy surface created by Rinro's stray bullets, he slid like a skater across the frozen terrain.

"This guy... Is he an ice skater?" Usagi muttered under her breath, her attacks unwavering.

"Raaagh—!" Hayato roared like a beast, skating toward Shiji. Shiji's eyes sharpened as he swung his dual knives to meet Hayato's charge, while Rinro provided precise cover fire from the rear.

The twin blades and gunfire cleaved through the air, flashing coldly. Yet even under such a relentless onslaught, Hayato danced unpredictably, his deranged laughter echoing through the air.

"You're the idiots! I'm the ultimate idiot!" Hayato howled, his skating weaving a chilling wind through the battlefield.