The Illuminatus member was incredulous. For the first time, someone, and a human in the bargain, withstood his Negation Spirit Mode.

“I can feel Zosimus’ energy. My Spirit Mode may have been nullified, but I can still fight!” Susumu thought and shouted a battle cry before running towards the snake.

With the Progressus Justitiae unusable, Susumu engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Martyr blocked his punch with Visibility, then touched him with his bandaged hand as he negated the Chains Man’s Spirit Mode and triggered the detective’s Spirit Mode to the latter’s delight. A negations loop thus began as the teenager alternated between long and short range depending on the Spirit Mode at his disposal.

“So far so good. Here’s a little extra help” Zosimus said and summoned his chains, even though his power was limited due to his location and Susumu using it.

“Martyr is under pressure. Could he actually stand a chance?” Core thought.

Just when the tide of the battle seemed to have turned in favor of the human, the snake grinned as if mocking his efforts.

“This hasn’t changed a thing. Don’t think that…” Martyr vanished and reappeared in front of Susumu “…you can fight on equal terms with me!”

The Illuminatus member landed a quick succession of blows as the boy had a slow response time. At the end of the day, there was a difference between them that could not be shortened.

“Gah!” Susumu exclaimed when he got kicked in the stomach.

The teenager tried to make a comeback, but the snake once again aced him out with its superb reflexes and punched him in the face. The young man fell on the dark ground.

“’Justice will steer my spirit to victory’? Hah! Do you seriously believe in the crap you spouted? Is your world that fair?” Martyr grabbed the boy by the tie and lifted him up in the air “Well, good for you, because MINE ISN’T!”

The Illuminatus member then struck another blow with his fist as Susumu was sent flying backwards. Finally, the glimmer of hope dissipated. None of the spectators believed in the detective’s victory anymore.

“Now it’s really the end…” Nemo muttered, feeling thoroughly defeated.

Martyr walked up to Susumu who, in the meantime, stood up catching his breath with his hands on knees. He could barely stay on his feet.

“You’re a very unlucky person. If you hadn’t come across me, you’d live a little longer and die with everyone else” the snake said.

“With everyone else?” the lad said.

“After I am done with you, I will kill ALL the humans on your island! HAHAHAHA!”

“…!!”

“I want to see you talking about justice when their blood is on your hands!”

“Y-YOU SCUM…!” Susumu said while thinking about his father and the police guys.

The human fired twice at Martyr who easily dodged the shots. It was then that chilling howls were heard across the floor. Dozens of Animus had suddenly arrived on the scene looking for the intruders who were yet to be detected by the Upper Block authorities.

“Damn it, they’re back already” Pantera said.

“It seems like the entertainment is over” Blasius commented.

“AAAAAAH, we’re all doomed!!” Nemo was in the depths of despair.

“We stayed too long here!” Core complained about it.

The monsters besieged Core, Nemo, Susumu, and Martyr. Meanwhile, the detective looked pleased as he saw this situation as a major turnaround for him.

“Hey, Zosimus. Do you want to bet on whether or not I will survive?” the teenager asked his shadow.

“Heh, I didn’t know you liked betting that much” the Chains Man replied.

Zosimus understood what was going on in his mind without exchanging further words. That was because he knew him since he was a kid.

“Huh? Why are you smiling?” the snake noticed the young man’s smiling countenance.

“It’s true that I can’t win over you in a fight in my current state. But you speak like I am the only defense that Ganeden has. Let me tell you something: on that island there are several brave people. I may not know him well, but I’m sure he’s thinking about beating you up right now” Susumu said, referring to Lied “Don’t… underestimate humans!” the detective said and aimed his pistol at the ceiling above him.

“No way… Have you gone mad?!” the Illuminatus member stared at the gun and asked.

“Bullet of Justice”, his Spirit Mode’s skill where the third bullet fired, in addition to chasing the target until it hits, had double the power of a normal projectile. It consisted of the Expandability (making of the bullet) and Density (automatic trajectory calculation) properties. The lad’s goal was to destroy the floor by hitting the weakest point of the damaged ceiling.

“It’s time” Susumu said.

“You really think you’re getting out of here alive?!” Martyr asked him.

“I will not die” the detective waited before replying.

“G-Guh…”

His assertion sounded like déjà vu as Lied said the exact same thing to the snake. When Core, Nemo and the others became aware of his intention, the boy was already pulling the trigger. The blonde male tried to stop him, nevertheless, he could not forestall the catastrophe as much of the ceiling collapsed and fell on them.

[END OF CHAPTER]