Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 491 - 437: Capture and Kill

Chapter 491: Chapter 437: Capture and Kill

The Shilou Maru blade vibrated, slicing through skin and flesh, as blood gushed forth.

The intense pain of the sword’s bite, hot as flames, scorching the heart and gnawing at the bones—how could the body of a mythical fox withstand the sharp slash enhanced by modern technology? The blade tip rotated inside its body, and Nanase Kizuna realized that even Yama himself would be injured by such a strike, let alone her.

So Nanase Kizuna immediately moved away from the Quantum Warrior, jumping from her original position, using her giant paws to climb the wall, her body swift as the wind, desperately fleeing for her life, bleeding all the way.

Her huge body directly knocked away any ninjas blocking the way, causing Minamoto Makoto to change color and retreat.

"It’s escaping!" a ninja knelt to report to Minamoto Makoto, "Subordinate will immediately pursue!"

"No rush," Minamoto Makoto instructed them to stand by, watching how Nanase Kizuna fled in panic, smashing countless pieces of furniture along the way, "The monster cannot escape; this is the company building, after all."

She took out a ring from her bosom, which bore the ancient emblem of the Vampire Dynasty. Minamoto Makoto had come into contact with the local mystical powers during her studies in the Taixi Continent, and received this award.

Upon seeing the wounded fox, Minamoto Makoto was intrigued by the Blood Throne ranks she had heard of and took out the ring to devour the blood on the ground completely.

The Quantum Warrior silently watched by.

Indeed, robots that remain loyal are best, Minamoto Makoto sneered. She picked up the ring which, after absorbing the blood of the monster, shone even more brightly, concealing infinite power.

Minamoto Makoto put on the ring and turned to follow.

On the other side, Nanase Kizuna ran on all fours, sprinting as if her life depended on it.

This place was on the 79th floor of the building; to reach the ground, one had to pass through countless spaces below, all complexly wired with surveillance and adversaries. Nanase Kizuna was acutely aware of her impending fate—within ten minutes, she would be arrested by security personnel scattered everywhere.

But what other choice did she have? To stay and wait for death?

Rushing down the stairs, the Eternal Cherry Blossom Talisman on her chest pulsed, reminding her of Kirino Reisei with every impact.

Piercing alarms sounded throughout Kyoto Infinity Building, floors sealing off everywhere, constantly pinpointing Nanase Kizuna’s route and intercepting her in a timely fashion.

As she fled, Nanase Kizuna left claw marks on the stairs. The building was plastered with the trademarks and advertisements of Kyoto Infinity, internal promotions, and exquisite decorations. How many years had she haunted this place and left her mark? She couldn’t be more familiar with it, including all its changes, from nothing to world-renowned.

How much had corporate ideology distorted? Facing a dead-end now, Nanase Kizuna couldn’t help contemplating the pivotal points in her life.

If she hadn’t expanded and strengthened Kyoto Infinity, would her fate have been different?

But when the capitalists offered the poisoned chalice of profit, who wouldn’t drink? She chose to accept the baptism of wealth, allowing Kyoto Infinity’s barrage network to soar, transforming into a giant marketplace that came crashing down, becoming yet another pastime to fill human lives.

Could she have refused? To let Kyoto Infinity retain its original format, turning into one of the forums for the diehard enthusiasts? That would become the tears of the era, a laughingstock.

Another barrage network that became famous alongside Kyoto Infinity started even earlier, but Kyoto Infinity’s traffic grew faster. After securing its position in the industry, it easily snatched away the user base of the other company, making it irrelevant in today’s world, a hundred years later.

All is past.

Nanase Kizuna ran, head down, her blood continuing to flow.

"Monster, ah!"

"What a huge fox!"

"Block it!"

Chaos ensued wherever Nanase Kizuna passed.

Security personnel rushed over, company staff evacuated in batches. Once Nanase Kizuna ran to another floor, the floor previously evacuated immediately resumed work, continuing production as if nothing had happened.

In a daze, Nanase Kizuna found that they had brought in emergency barricades, blocking every gap, further restricting her range of fleeing.

The stab in her abdomen made her feel uneasy and weary, her bodily functions declining, everything feeling half a beat slower than usual.

So exhausting... so tired...

Now in her true form, her fur pale, eyeshadow light pink, and deep blue tail fluff trailing behind her, her multiple long tails did not encumber her but were a natural part of her body.

To survive, she forced the magic power beads inside her to revolve rapidly, increasing her strength for one final burn.

Bang!

She broke through the barricade, roaring into the midst of the security personnel, blades of spiritual energy emitting from her body, sharp and prominent. As she charged forward, the blades spun wildly, cutting through enemies and drawing blood, creating a bloody path through the prepared lines of the security forces.

They fired madly at Nanase Kizuna, bullets bouncing off her fur, as she stepped over the bodies of security personnel and charged toward the balcony on the same floor, looking for a chance to escape.

There it was—

The balcony!

What faced her was even deeper despair; military shuttle machines had already targeted the floor she was on and were hovering in formation outside the balcony.

Six shuttle machines surrounded her from different angles through the glass walls, myriad cannons and special operatives aimed their firepower at Nanase Kizuna, ready to blast and capture her at a single command.

"It’s over," Minamoto Makoto arrived, escorted by the Quantum Warrior. "This is the 50th floor of the building; you can’t escape."

The steel jungle, after all, did not offer the same concealment as the wild, and all escape techniques were of no use. The fact that Nanase Kizuna was a great fox finally came to light.

Filled with immense fear, Nanase Kizuna knew all too well the desperate fate awaiting her; like all her unlucky peers before, she would be sent to the lab to endure inhumane treatment.

But what grounds did she have for complaint?

When the various labs under Kyoto Infinity sent in their applications to conduct heinous experiments, she too had easily signed the consent forms, forwarded them to the finance department for budget approval, and indulged the researchers to abuse their test subjects at will.

For a century, countless evils had been committed under the approval of Nanase Kizuna—there was a constant retribution!

Yet, in this shameless, profit-driven age, who could truly claim a clear conscience?

Nanase Kizuna roared loudly at the enemies approaching from all directions.

Their loyalty had long since shifted to Tenjouin Shino and the New Xisheng Group. Now, their faces cold as iron, they were only willing to inflict the cruelest methods upon Nanase Kizuna, who stood alone.

Minamoto Makoto strode over quickly, and upon seeing Nanase Kizuna trapped and awaiting death, she immediately felt a joy that surged through her entire body. Just like that, she had effortlessly taken control of the "Sakura Witch," revered by Kyoto Infinity, and her true nature was revealed to the world.

The smile on her face could not be hidden.

Fight against me, Minamoto Makoto?

"Prepare to fire," Minamoto Makoto raised her hand, wanting to execute Nanase Kizuna with a dramatic gesture.

"Wait!" A loud female reprimand sounded from behind, "Don’t fire!"

At that voice, even the most rash soldiers had to move their fingers away from the triggers and stay alert. More people turned to look behind them, towards the person who was quickly approaching.

"It’s her!"

"Ah—"

"Now..."

Minamoto Makoto couldn’t help but turn around, and she was immediately startled—Tenjouin Shino!

"Miss Tenjouin, you’ve come as well," Minamoto Makoto bowed to her.

As a powerful Dominator Witch, Tenjouin Shino had always been an important figure in the Northern Archipelago.

"I, Tenjouin Shino, will not allow you to lay a hand on anyone inside the Kyoto Infinity Building," Tenjouin Shino clenched her teeth, "nor will I allow you to kill it."

"If monsters run amok, no one will be able to sit still," Minamoto Makoto said with a smile. "I sincerely suggest we kill it and be done with it."

"You don’t understand!" Tenjouin Shino retorted indignantly, "If it dies, who will draw ’Siphon!’? Who will follow an anime that’s doomed to remain unfinished? Do you know how heartbroken the crowdfunding people will be? Those who have been following the updates, if the author suddenly dies... their entire lives will be filled with regret!"

"At the end of the day, it’s just an anime," Minamoto Makoto shrugged, uncaring. She never watched anime and didn’t understand why people enjoyed such foolish two-dimensional entertainment.

"Disperse, disperse!" Tenjouin Shino brushed past Minamoto Makoto, commanding loudly while waving her hand. She had a compelling aura, and now, hearing her trademark command, the soldiers couldn’t help but start retreating.

"Please wait a moment," Minamoto Makoto snapped her fingers, "Don’t interfere with my actions, miss."

"What exactly do you want to do?" Tenjouin Shino frowned.

Minamoto Makoto took a deep breath and turned her head to look at the weakened Nanase Kizuna, a massive fox monster that occupied the entire space of the terrace. It was a life of epic proportions, but now, with its belly sliced open and still bleeding from the wound inflicted by the Quantum Warrior, it seemed especially vulnerable.

Behold, people of the world!

She had solved the mystery that troubled Kyoto Infinity for a hundred years and subdued an ancient monster—something many had strategized but few could achieve!

This feeling excited Minamoto Makoto especially.

"I’m doing this to save everyone!" Minamoto Makoto spread her arms wide, and Tenjouin Shino saw a bloody ruby ring on her finger, "My goal is to protect everyone from the threat of Nestor Corporation. Let me ask you, do you want to live under the rule of Nestor Corporation?"

"I do not wish for that," Tenjouin Shino frowned, "That Lila Nestor, she looks like someone who isn’t into anime."

"That’s it, then," Minamoto Makoto coaxed earnestly, "To defeat Lila, I need to rally the power of Kyoto Infinity, Tenjouin! Please assist the New Xisheng Group!"

Tenjouin Shino gave a half-surrender gesture.

"Listen, Miss Minamoto, I don’t want to fight," Tenjouin Shino said bitterly, "I just want it to survive and finish the manga."

"So you’ve made your decision," Minamoto Makoto approached her.

The thought of Minamoto Makoto’s magic being of the psychic type made Tenjouin Shino’s heart race, and she was forced to defend herself.

"Omni-directional—" she summoned her magical power.

"Shut up!" Minamoto Makoto activated the bloody ring on her finger, and a powerful force burst forth, sucking the blood from Tenjouin Shino’s body, causing her to lose her vitality in an instant.

Immediately, Tenjouin Shino felt dizzy and uncontrollably collapsed to the ground.

"Hu... hu..." She was in agony and struggled to mobilize her magical power.

"To the death, to protect the miss!" The samurai guards behind her rushed forward to ensure her safety.

"Protect the miss with our lives!"

"Charge!"

"Fire!"

Seeing the enemy coming fiercely, Minamoto Makoto retreated.

The Quantum Warrior spun into action, cleanly cutting the bullets shot at Minamoto Makoto and advanced forward. Shilou Maru swept across like a bladed storm, and in just a few breaths, all six members of the Tenjouin Family’s guards present were slain, many of them still in the posture of charging, instantly cut down.

With a Quantum Warrior present, no one could harm Minamoto Makoto!

It was over. Tenjouin Shino was in immense pain.

"She’s hurt," Minamoto Makoto feigned calmness, looking at the terrified crowd around her, then ordered the Quantum Warrior to take Tenjouin Shino away.

Tears streamed down Nanase Kizuna’s face, and in pain, she watched as Tenjouin Shino was dragged away... It was over. This was the greatest shame of Kyoto Infinity.

Within their own building, the founder and chief supervisor had been captured like beasts and had become slaves to the New Xisheng Group!