Chapter 260: The Opportunistic Thief

Rinro's lips curled into a sinister grin, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. His heart burned with exhilaration— the balance of the world was about to be completely upended in this very moment!

However, that ecstasy lasted only for a fleeting instant, vanishing like a dream from a past life.

—Whoosh!

The air rippled with an eerie distortion, as if space itself had been gently torn apart. A dark shadow flickered at lightning speed— a slender and grotesque tentacle, slick and abyssal, reached out in silence like the claw of a demon from the depths. In an instant, it wrapped around the small box.

Braque's pupils shrank sharply. Before his fingers could tighten their grip, the box trembled violently— and in the next second, it had vanished without a trace!

The only thing left behind was the residual sound of the tentacle retracting with uncanny swiftness. Before anyone could react, the box had already been snatched away from Braque's grasp as if by a ghostly apparition!

His eyes widened in disbelief. His heart pounded violently as if it had been shattered into pieces, and an uncontrollable fury erupted from the depths of his chest!

"—What!?"

His face flushed red, veins bulging, his entire being consumed by an almost maddening rage!

The box— the one containing the War God KuroAka's blood— was just… gone?!

A thousand curses caught in his throat, ready to burst forth at any moment!

Rinro's expression also twisted instantly. The euphoria he had felt moments ago was now shattered by this abrupt change. His pupils contracted violently, locking onto the direction where the box had disappeared. His heart clenched, as if an invisible hand had gripped it tight—

Who was it?!

Who had been watching them?!

The night was deep and heavy, swirling clouds devouring the last traces of light. Only the flickering glow of a broken streetlamp cast fractured shadows upon the ruins. Zoey gasped for breath, the rise and fall of his chest betraying his shock and fury—

The supreme drop of blood had been stolen in an instant by some wretched tentacle!

The lingering oppressive aura of War God KuroAka's blood still hung in the air. Braque's fingers remained curled in their previous grasping position, his entire body trembling with rage. Rinro's expression had darkened to its limit, his earlier sinister grin wiped away, replaced by gritted teeth and boiling fury.

But it was too late.

Braque's face darkened like a storm, wiping the blood from his lips. His fists clenched, muscles bulging, and he roared, "Who the hell is there?!"

His voice was like a thunderclap, shattering the night, reverberating through the ruins. His fury was enough to tear the air itself apart! The energy within him surged violently, his killing intent flooding the area like a tidal wave. The ground beneath him cracked apart, forming deep black fissures!

The only answer was a lone figure standing atop a tilted streetlamp—a lean yet explosive silhouette, his spiky hair wild, his eyes glowing with a beast's hunger. The smirk on his lips carried a sense of mockery and amusement.

Zoey's eyes widened in shock, his face twisting as he blurted out—

"Watcher 10?!"

"Well, well, 26. You don't call me 'Master 10' anymore?" Watcher 10 sneered, idly spinning the small box in his fingers. The faint tremor of the box hinted at the drop of KuroAka's blood stirring restlessly within, yearning to be unleashed. His tone was playful, yet his razor-sharp eyes studied the trio's every movement, his beastly instincts warning him— These people would not let this go easily.

"Back during the great battle, I was already curious as to why you were nowhere to be seen. And in Gabrielle's final battle, during the 'Beastkin's Descent'… the missing piece of information… it was all so intriguing."

He tapped the box lightly with his fingers, his gaze brimming with predatory sharpness and an unsettling thrill.

"And now, the truth is revealed."

"Either you intended to inject the War God's blood into yourselves—transforming into even stronger monsters…"

"Or… you planned to take this blood to the 'mysterious forest lake' to awaken some forbidden entity."

"Which is it?"

Watcher 10's grin was laced with malice and provocation, like a predator toying with its prey.

Rinro's pupils shrank, and Braque's expression twisted further into madness.

Rinro's voice was chilling as he gritted his teeth, "Give the box back!"

Watcher 10's grin widened, baring his sharp teeth. "Looks like my beastly instincts are as sharp as ever. Well then, if you'll excuse me!" With that, his fingers flicked, and the tentacle retracted in a flash. Without hesitation, he leapt from the streetlamp, vanishing into the ruins like a bolt of lightning.

Braque nearly exploded with rage. "That bastard!!" His entire body trembled violently, his killing intent surging skyward! But just then—

—Splurt!

A mouthful of blood gushed from Braque's lips! The backlash from the War God's blood had finally erupted!

Zoey's expression contorted into something close to madness. His bloodshot eyes, veins bulging on his forehead, made him look like he was about to snap!

"Damn it!! That drop of blood—stolen by some random tentacle in an instant?! What kind of bullshit is this?!"

He was on the verge of losing it, like a bomb ready to detonate!

But Braque, wiping the blood from his lips, eyes blazing red, bellowed like a thunderous storm—

"—Chase him!!! Now!!!"

Zoey's heart pounded wildly, cold sweat dripping down his temples. Seeing the others already in motion, he dared not hesitate. Clenching his teeth, he bolted forward. The night wind howled as their footsteps shattered rubble and debris, chasing after Watcher 10's escaping silhouette with insane speed!

Without a second thought, the three of them unleashed their full power, transforming into three streaks of fury, storming after the wretched thief!

The night loomed dark and oppressive, the wind swirling dust through the ruins. A weighty tension lingered in the air, an invisible force pressing down upon everything. Usagi's hurried footsteps echoed against the broken streets as she fought to steady her breath. The suffocating aura of War God KuroAka's blood still sent shivers down her spine.

In an instant, clarity struck her like a hammer—

The reason Akari had led them to Gabrielle's battlefield… was to retrieve something from War God KuroAka's body!

Her lips pressed into a thin line, fingers whitening from the pressure—

Akari had known all along and kept them in the dark?!

More importantly, why were he and Kanto still nowhere to be seen?!

"What the hell are they doing?!" she cursed under her breath, her unease swelling. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the source of the pressure.

But just as she neared—

The oppressive aura suddenly vanished!

Usagi skidded to a halt, her heart clenching. Her eyes darted around the ruins, searching—

But the battlefield was empty.

"Damn it…!" she whispered through gritted teeth.

Whoever had stolen the blood was already gone.

Yet, she wasn't ready to stop.

Her gaze locked onto the distant ruins, determination hardening in her eyes.

She would take her chances!

And so, she ran into the depths of the unknown.