Zongman: The wrong person on the ground, double Shenwei at the beginning

The sky overhead stretched rapidly into the distance, while the ground seemed to expand at an alarming rate.

Upon hearing this, the archer paused for a moment, then chuckled helplessly.

"I'm really outmatched by you. Hey, let's have another match when we get to Hell. I'm really curious to see your weapon—"

With a loud crash, the two men fell into an abandoned building on Daedalus Street, their blood splattering everywhere.

A moment later, a figure slowly stood up from the ruins.

Shimomura Izumi was covered in blood, and while shaking off the remaining flesh and blood from his body, he calmly spoke.

"I'm sorry, there is no place for me in hell. I belong only to Lord Rhodes."

She raised her hand and summoned IBM, which propelled her into the sky.

pat-

Soon, Shimomura Izumi landed gracefully from mid-air, her feet firmly planted in front of Kaguya and Layla.

She carried a faint smell of blood, yet her demeanor remained calm and composed, her expression as usual.

Kaguya sat on the ground, her legs weak, and looked up at Shimomura Izumi, who was smiling. Her gaze lingered on his arms for a moment, repeatedly confirming her suspicions.

—That's right, it's the complete Shimomura Izumi.

It's not that a vengeful ghost has resurrected and come back to claim my life.

Her voice was a little hoarse.

"That guy..."

Shimomura Izumi squatted down to be at Kaguya's eye level and said softly.

"Just like I was before... but unfortunately, she can't be resurrected."

Leila, who was walking over from the side, twitched at the corner of her mouth.

"Please don't bring this up again. I don't feel like eating meat for a while now. I might even have nightmares about being chopped into mincemeat every night."

"Speaking of which, Kaguya, why don't we sleep together? Maybe it'll have some amazing effects?"

Kaguya weakly patted the little man's arm.

"Get lost..."

"Heh, I knew you just wanted to sleep with Rhodes. Before, everyone in the Familia dreamed of the goddess's embrace, but now it's all about Rhodes's chest. How cold the world is..."

"Be careful, or I might tell Lady Astrea!"

After a rather pointless banter between the two, Kaguya's previously complicated emotions eased considerably. She felt a sense of gratitude towards Lyra, but couldn't bring herself to say it.

Looking at the obedient and docile Shimomura Izumi in front of them, she couldn't imagine that he was a terrifying guy who could calmly endure being cut into mincemeat.

Kaguya finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her.

"...Do you have a grudge against that archer? Are you willing to endure this pain to kill her?"

Shimomura Izumi shook her head, her eyes simple and kind.

"I'm new here, how could I have any enemies?"

"and you...."

"I am simply following the rules that Lord Rhodes taught me: once you have a complete enmity with someone, as long as there is even the slightest possibility or ability to eliminate them, no matter the cost, you must chase them to the ends of the earth and grind them to dust on the spot!"

Shimomura Izumi's expression was matter-of-fact, as if he were proclaiming the most ordinary truth.

Upon hearing this, Kaguya and Lyra's eyelids twitched violently almost simultaneously.

Rhodes... is he really this vengeful in private?

They were suddenly somewhat relieved that Rhodes was their companion...

Izumi Shimomura recalled the expression on Rod's face when he said those words, adding.

"Lord Rhodes hates the kind of plot where 'you accidentally let the enemy escape, and then the enemy later causes trouble behind your back and keeps provoking you'."

"He even said that, given the ability and opportunity, he would investigate the enemy's relatives, friends, and comrades thoroughly, nipping any potential trouble in the bud!"

Chapter 74? Weren't you here to assassinate me?! (Please subscribe and vote!)

Suddenly remembering something, Shimomura Izumi quickly added...

"Oh, right, deliberately letting the other side escape and then catching a big fish doesn't count!"

Kaguya and Lyra unconsciously huddled together, swallowed hard, and trembled.

The concept of "royal escape" doesn't exist in this world yet, and Rhodes's actions clearly gave them a slight shock to the Central Plains culture.

Shimomura Izumi sensed the subtle atmosphere and realized that he had inexplicably described his master as a great demon king. He quickly waved his hand to make amends and changed his tone.

"Of course, Lord Rhodes also said that everything should be based on 'having the strength and confidence'."

"Pure recklessness isn't courage; it's courting death."

"If we encounter an invincible force, it is not unreasonable to yield and temporarily avoid its sharp edge!"

However, this explanation only made Lyra and Kaguya tremble even more.

—This is the most terrifying kind of villain setting ever!

Shrewd, principled, patient, and capable of forbearance, yet ruthless and decisive...

I've seen this kind of character in novels before; if even one of them gets upset, the entire enemy team will be wiped out!

Think quickly! Think quickly! Have I ever offended Rod in any way...?

Lyra was pale, recalling the night she secretly replaced Rhodes' honey water with strong liquor. She was filled with remorse and vowed to immediately beg Rhodes for forgiveness when she saw him later.

Kaguya felt so guilty that cold sweat poured down her forehead, and she deeply regretted that she had pretended to pass by but actually secretly glanced at Rhodes's abs while he was taking a shower.

Seeing the increasingly unpleasant expressions on their faces, Shimomura Izumi felt that the more he tried to explain, the worse it got.

It seems best to leave this kind of thing to Suzuki Jun... I should probably keep quiet from now on.

She slumped her shoulders and said in a low voice.

"In fact, Lord Rhodes is happy to see enemies come to challenge him, but he just doesn't want the people he cares about to suffer any schemes or threats."

"That's why he was so harsh on the enemy's '470' and why he reacted so excessively."

Kaguya and Lyra were stunned by what they heard, and a feeling of indescribable emotion welled up in their hearts.

So... it was to protect me.

The thought popped into both of their minds at the same time, and they felt an indescribable sense of secret joy and happiness.

Kaguya and Laila sensed each other's emotional changes, exchanged a glance, and then suddenly pushed each other away in disgust.

Kaguya dusted herself off and stood up, glancing at Layla with disdain.

Hmph, Rhodes must be talking about me. You little human are nothing but an appendage!

Layla put her hands on her hips and glared back defiantly.

There are too many mature women in this era. We little people are legal lolis. Rhodes should definitely be doing this for me!

The two of them snorted simultaneously, and then, as if in a contest, rushed quickly toward the red house of Valca.

—Wait for me, Rod, this time it's my turn to help you!

Shimomura Izumi blinked blankly, not understanding what was going on, so he could only summon IBM and follow along as far as he could.

"correct."

During a brief pause in their frantic run, Leila suddenly asked a question.

How did you determine that you would be resurrected from your severed hand, rather than from that pile of flesh and blood?

Shimomura Izumi explained with a faint smile.

"That... that's because of one of the two absolute rules of demi-humans."

"The demi-humans collect scattered pieces of meat around a large chunk of meat and then regenerate them. However, pieces of meat that have strayed too far away will not be collected but will instead be regenerated into new ones."

"So as long as one of the pieces of meat is made to be the largest, I can ensure that I can be resurrected from it."

Leila squinted, immediately inspired by another use, and pondered.

"I see..."

the other side.

Unaware of each other's presence, Lunova and Chloe stealthily approached Rhodes, carefully controlling themselves to conceal any hint of murderous intent.

"He discovered someone was following him (meow)!"

"It must have been some stupid colleague who stole my job that exposed me (meow)!"

Both experienced girls had already noticed Rhodes's unusual behavior.

Who would deliberately and leisurely walk towards a secluded place?

They were very confident in their concealment skills and immediately concluded that someone else must have exposed their presence, which aroused Rhodes' suspicion!

The two girls simultaneously felt disgusted with their unknown companion and immediately realized one thing.

We can't delay any longer; we have to take action, but...

Lunova leaned against the shadow of the wall and sighed softly.

Although it would be strange to describe it as betrayal, perhaps it was because it was the first time she had investigated someone in such detail that she felt a sense of kinship with Rhodes.

It was only then that Lunova realized with a start that she actually felt a touch of envy towards the girls of the Astrea Familia.

Family, companions, relatives... being secretly cared for and protected... all of these are things I have no chance with.

Lunova looked up at the gloomy sky.

When you left the empire where you grew up, was it in such terrible weather?

Living freely is both fascinating and exciting for Lunova.

This labyrinthine city was more unique than any other place in the world that Lunova had ever seen.

She had no idea what things would be like years or decades from now.

However, Orario, which transitioned from the era known as the "Dark Period" to the transitional period, was practically like hell.

Justice and evil are in opposition, and various forces are fighting to climb the ranks. It is no exaggeration to describe it as a power struggle among warlords in the center of the world.

Originally, I fought my way here with the idea of ​​testing my skills amidst the turmoil, but when I finally arrived at my destination, I suddenly felt lost.

She has never stopped fighting. Born with an indomitable spirit, no matter how many injuries she suffers, she will only grit her teeth, roar, and then throw her fist again.

Unbeknownst to her, the fact that she was always alone was causing her great distress.

In the chaotic world of Orario, loneliness is a deadly poison that can erode both body and mind.

It's impossible to survive alone here. Even if you manage to get through this, you'll eventually reach your limit.

Upon encountering the united and loving Justice Clan, this thought began to emerge uncontrollably.

"...Thinking about it carefully, I'm probably already exhausted."

Indeed, Lunova was exhausted, both physically and mentally, by the fact that she was all alone.

"But is there really a place for me in this world...? With my hands stained with blood, can I really imagine having everything like those innocent girls...?"

Lunova remained silent for a long time, then pulled up the scarf around her neck and took a deep breath.

Her eyes were sharp as blades, and she finally made up her mind, crouching down in a strike stance.

Kroy darted across several rooftops like a wildcat, finally crouching on a rooftop that was easy to ambush, pulling her hood down to cover her eyes.

"The noise in other parts of Orario has subsided. Those guys' so-called easy way of holding off reinforcements has resulted in this, meow."

Kroy twitched her cat ears that bulged out of her hood and exhaled a breath that sounded almost like a sigh.

"If we wait for those monsters to arrive, we won't have a chance to make a move. This is the last job for Cat to retire from crime, meow."

That being said, ever since Rosie was forced to accept the commission, she has never really been motivated.