Gravity device disengaged, leaping with utmost exertion, initiating a lateral rotation. The steel cable commenced its movement. As it vaulted over 13's head, 13 had already completed three rotations, the cable coiling tightly around his body like a serpent. Were it not for Night's support, the bones within his frame would have long since fractured segment by segment. This nearly self-destructive act yielded unprecedented torsional force. If the cable was previously a colossal dragon, it now roared with fury!
Slicing through the air, it plummeted towards Orochi's crown at maximum velocity, affording no chance for evasion...
Within the Japanese parliamentary hall, spectators shut their eyes in fear; only Ryuichi compelled himself not to miss a single frame.
Confronting the terrifying weapon, Hideaki's smile remained unwavering. He possessed absolute confidence, his "capital"...
Orochi's chassis began to vibrate. Along the spinal column on its back, two adjacent armor plates opened, revealing eight circular apertures. Crimson light flared.
At the instant of contact, even 13 felt the impact register. Two streaks of silvery light flashed past, and the mountain-cleaving dragon sorrowfully halted.
"So swift!" 13 exclaimed in admiration.
Two tentacles firmly grasped the cable's sides. More accurately, they "bit" down—the serpent-like heads, maws agape, clamped onto the cable's surface.
"Truly akin to serpents..." 13 mused again.
"I told you primitive weapons are useless..." Hideaki stated contemptuously.
"Why didn't you mention that while I was whipping you moments ago?" 13 attempted to provoke Hideaki.
"You will pay the price for your actions!" Hideaki nearly ground his teeth to dust. Undeniably, 13 had succeeded...
The two silver serpent heads began exerting force; even the robust cable, twisted from pure steel wire, started to deform irresistibly.
"Tasty?" 13 watched uncomfortably as the serpent heads continued applying pressure, surmising the "flavor" wouldn't be pleasant.
"Allow me to demonstrate Orochi's true power!!!" Hideaki had no inclination for conversation; otherwise, he might expire from sheer rage within the cockpit.
From the remaining six apertures on the back, the "masters" emerged!
Likely sensing Hideaki's fury, all serpents fixed their gazes upon the black silhouette ahead. They opened their maws wide; save for the absence of flickering tongues, the terrifying essence of serpents was perfectly manifested.
"Consider this a complimentary viewing. Henceforth, you are the serpent's prey!" Hideaki laughed wrathfully, observing the black "whip" on the screen. The recent memory of being lashed like a slave made his teeth itch.
"Yamata no Orochi Technique—Sever!" With a calm command, the serpent heads aimed their maws squarely at the cable. The pinpoint of red light within intensified, resembling an enormous crimson gemstone.
A slender beam rapidly pierced the cable's body as if it were merely a sheet of black glass. The six hovering serpent heads swayed slightly. The red light vanished. Seemingly unchanged, the black steel cable fragmented piece by piece, crashing onto the ground before Orochi. The cuts were impeccably clean, as if crafted by nature. The dragon thus "perished"...
"Did you witness that?" Hideaki stared vacantly at the severed cable, once majestic, now "recumbent" on the ground. "This is the power of a god!"
"A god wouldn't possess so many heads..." The cable attached to 13's left hand finally fell to the earth. Constricted blood vessels surged with rushing blood. The purplish-blue arm regained its ruddy hue, though the numbness persisted, requiring time to recover.
"You are merely a formidable monster... Yet even the mightiest monster remains just that..." No fear showed, for 13 understood trepidation would impair his actions, merely hastening his demise. If, after attempting, he truly lacked the strength to triumph or alter anything, conceding defeat then would suffice...
"Orochi is a god! Not a monster!!!!" Hideaki emphasized this point. To prove it, the eight enraged silver serpents charged towards 13 on the ground, letting power articulate everything!
Without hesitation, 13 leaped abruptly. Beneath his feet, a giant serpent slithered past. The concrete surface rapidly fractured, scattering cement fragments like bullets to either side.
Before descending even an inch, he tilted his body to the absolute limit. Another serpent grazed past Night's chest plate, the friction between the silver serpentine body and black armor generating brilliant sparks, akin to a power saw cutting metal.
The tilted body found no respite. Activating the gravity system in his feet, he abruptly "adhered" to the serpent's body still advancing below, as if instantly boarding a bullet train. Immense inertia nearly caused 13 to stumble.
Indeed, it was extraordinarily fast. In a fleeting moment, 13 had been carried over ten meters. Looking back at his previous position, seven thick serpent bodies were entangled in peculiar postures, like a cluster of mating snakes in fervent embrace. Yet 13 sighed with relief. Had he not caught this "train," he likely would have been extruded into meat paste—no, meat soup—through the gaps between those serpents...
"Hiss!!!" An unpleasant sound from behind alerted him. Turning, he saw the master of the serpent beneath his feet raising its head to observe him. Within its gaping maw were two rows of sharp, elegant teeth...
Apparently displeased by 13 standing upon it, the serpent glared furiously at 13, roaring indistinguishably from a real snake, yet three degrees colder. The crimson gem in its mouth gradually brightened.
"Staring might make me blush!" Disengaging the gravity lock on his feet, he executed a graceful and familiar spinning side kick to the serpent head's temple—assuming, of course, it possessed one. The tremendous force redirected its gaze; an adjacent building was mercilessly penetrated. How many walls it pierced, 13 cared not. His concern was landing safely back on the ground.
The silver torsos rapidly retracted. Eight terrifying serpent heads stood erect in neat formation behind Orochi. Though 13 remained unharmed, Hideaki showed no sign of dismay; his smiling face grew even more radiant...
"Was that amusing?" Hideaki inquired softly.
"Certainly..." 13 drew his Titanium combat knife, gripping it firmly. "Killing you would be even more entertaining..."
"If it's amusing, let's play again!" At his command, the eight restless serpents dove towards 13 in succession, resembling a volley of precisely launched missiles.
He sprinted laterally with all his might. The ground he just vacated was pulverized by the unyielding serpent heads. It wasn't over; the path 13 traversed subsequently met the same fate. 13 mentally tallied the impacts. As the eighth resonated, he dashed towards the wall of a roadside house at extreme speed, executing a leveraging backward leap. His intent was to land on an extended serpent body, then rush towards Orochi for a decisive blow.
However, recalling the fourth impact, a peculiar sensation unsettled him profoundly. Tilting his head back, he saw that where the third serpent should have been, the head had instead created two holes.
"Fooled!" 13 sighed, glancing sideways at Orochi. The final serpent was already hurtling towards him. He intended to activate the gravity device for an extreme descent, but it was too late. The enormous serpent's maw opened obliquely, clamping down on 13's knife-wielding left hand. Sharp fangs instantly pierced the combat suit and 13's muscle; blood erupted like a fountain.
"So, even 13 can be deceived?" Hideaki roared with laughter.
"Can't be helped..." 13 forced a smile, though Hideaki couldn't see it. "Previous enemies weren't as despicable as you..."
"Still talking tough..." Hideaki genuinely couldn't fathom the composition of 13's nerves. Perhaps only marginally more intelligent than an imbecile?
"Watch how I toy with you until your death today?!" The seven serpents on the ground, having completed their task, returned behind Orochi. The serpent biting 13 dragged its quarry towards its master. Observing the clear image of 13 on the screen, suspended before him like a wind chime, induced a thrill comparable to conquering the world. After all, wasn't 13 the epitome of some form of ultimate power?
"So, the one proclaimed god-like also bleeds red?" Hideaki seemed to be examining the "gift" from his father, scrutinizing the black figure of 13 intently.
"Nothing astonishing. Doesn't red blood flow within you, beast, as well..." 13 persisted in provocation, seemingly maintaining complete control.
This was what irritated Hideaki most—that attitude of contempt for all humanity, akin to a deity scorning mortals.
"Tough talk requires strength..." Hideaki's earlier smile vanished; his frigid demeanor could freeze the entire cockpit.
The serpent's maw tightened its grip on 13's arm. Blood, previously trickling slowly, spurted violently again. Excruciating pain forced 13 to clench his teeth. Blood flowed down his arm, across his chest, dripping from his other dangling right hand onto the ground below.
Significant blood loss caused 13's breathing to become erratic. Fortunately, he was suspended mid-air; on the ground, his legs might have buckled powerlessly.
"Even if you are the 'god' of the battlefield, you must now relinquish your throne, for I am the true absolute power!" Witnessing 13's blood, Hideaki's own core seethed. The thought of invading China after killing 13—that ancient, fertile, currently dominant land—made him yearn to tear 13 apart instantly. Yet, the exhilaration of tormenting a god had become an irresistible addiction. Slaying a "god" was arguably the world's most supreme indulgence...
"The power resides with the monster protecting you, not with you..." 13 uttered the words Hideaki detested most. "You are as fragile as everyone else, hence your need to rely on immense power for self-preservation..."
"Silence!!!!" The serpent's force intensified. Were it not for the resilience of the Wing and Night armor, 13's left hand would likely be crippled...
"Let me show you! How the human you deem fragile will cruelly dispatch you!" The serpent biting 13 lunged forward, halting suspended ten meters away horizontally.
Inertia caused 13's body to sway, like a leaf in the wind...
"Die!!!" Hideaki roared the command. The obedient serpents shot forth like hounds chasing prey. The swiftest one slammed violently into 13's chest plate. He clenched his jaw tightly, yet a trickle of blood escaped his lips. The serpent returned satisfied behind Orochi, while another took its place. Enduring the agonizing pain in his arm, 13 desperately contorted his body, causing the serpent to graze past disappointedly, but benefiting another. It struck heavily against 13's flank, eliciting another spurt of blood. No time to swallow; he continued twisting, striving to evade. By the time all seven serpents returned, 13 had been struck thrice, suffering three fractured ribs and severe internal injuries. He laboriously raised his weakened right hand, pulling down his collar. Clotted blood violently spewed from his mouth.
"Much better..." 13 wiped the bloodstain from his lips, his right hand hanging limply again.
With the collar no longer obstructing the view, Hideaki clearly saw his expression. Smiling? He consistently maintained a smile, as if the recent ferocious assault were mere play. Hideaki's face lacked 13's composure. To him, it was mockery! Mocking his own cowardice and impotence! Despising him, the absolute strategist!
"Do not smile!" Losing control somewhat, biting