Chapter 43: Nightmare-Level Otherside Fusion!
And at this moment…
Natsuba Hanae and Mizuō Morishige were in the back seat of the car.
Both were encased in a tortoise-shell barrier, which was then sealed in thick ice by Ijō Hyōka.
This way, if Mizuō Morishige made a move, he would first have to break the ice, giving Ijō Hyōka and Satō Kuki in the front seats time to react.
The other team members were standing on top of the car.
The atmosphere in the car was strange.
Satō Kuki looked at the heavily injured Mizuō Morishige inside the ice and couldn’t help but ask,
“Is the Kujō family head really an A-rank?”
That A-rank was seriously watered down.
Normally, an A-rank’s attack would be a devastating blow to even a peak B-rank, killing them instantly.
But Mizuō Morishige, although heavily injured, still had enough strength to use his ability to protect himself and the beautiful girl.
This prevented them from delivering a fatal blow, forcing them to kidnap them and find another way to kill them.
Ijō Hyōka replied,
“The aura was definitely A-rank.”
“If I had been hit by that palm, I would be deader than dead.”
“This is probably the hidden strength of the Natsuba conglomerate. A senior steward can survive an A-rank attack.”
Ijō Hyōka shuddered at the thought.
If it weren’t for the Kujō head’s sealed attack, they probably would never have been able to break through Mizuō Morishige’s defense.
However, in Natsuba Hanae’s view…
Both the Kujō head’s A-rank attack and Mizuō Morishige’s ability had issues.
Only she, with her A-rank power, could see the truth.
The answer was simple: the Kujō head’s A-rank attack was at the very weak end of the A-rank spectrum, and Mizuō Morishige’s tortoise-shell ability was incredibly strong.
The rumor that Mizuō Morishige’s tortoise-shell ability could withstand an A-rank attack wasn’t just a rumor, but a fact.
It was likely that Natsuba Genryū had tested it himself.
After all, if it weren’t for Mizuō Morishige’s carelessness, if he had used his full defensive power, he wouldn’t have been so severely injured, wouldn’t be at their mercy now, only able to barely defend himself.
Of course, this was hindsight.
Anyone in Mizuō Morishige’s position, no matter how hard they thought, would never have imagined that a team of supernatural users, with a leader who was only a low-B-rank, could pull out such a trump card.
As for the lingering aura of the Kujō head after the blood-red hand attack, some of the Natsuba conglomerate’s sensory-type supernatural users could probably detect it.
However, they certainly wouldn’t publicize it.
This power struggle was none of their business.
Now, Ijō Hyōka was trying to think of a way to break through the tortoise-shell defense and kill Natsuba Hanae and Mizuō Morishige.
If he asked for help from a B-rank with strong offensive abilities, he would have to give up a large portion of the reward, and worse, he risked them getting greedy.
After all, he was in this line of work, and the people he knew were all the same, only caring about money.
As Ijō Hyōka pondered, an idea struck him.
“Kuki, isn’t the Fourth Supernatural Forbidden Zone nearby?!”
Satō Kuki was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood what he meant.
“You mean, use the power of the Nightmare-level Otherside to kill them?”
“But isn’t that too risky? What if we get caught in it too?”
Indeed, the power of a Nightmare-level supernatural being was undoubtedly in the A-rank range.
It could definitely break through Mizuō Morishige’s tortoise shell.
But it was also risky. If they were dragged into the Otherside as well, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Although it wasn’t a guaranteed death…
And because an Otherside was essentially another small world, the chances of encountering the Nightmare-level being that created it weren’t high.
But the restrictive Rules…
If they triggered one, they would be severely injured or killed.
Hearing Satō Kuki’s words, a confident smile appeared on Ijō Hyōka’s face.
“Do you know why I suddenly thought of the Fourth Supernatural Forbidden Zone?”
“My ability potential had maxed out at peak C-rank. It was only after obtaining a large amount of supernatural materials from this Nightmare-level Otherside, and because of its unique environment, that I managed to reach B-rank.”
“I have some guesses about the Rules inside.”
“And most importantly, I know the extent of this Nightmare-level Otherside’s reach.”
“You can rest assured.”
If he hadn’t received this commission from the Kujō family, Ijō Hyōka had actually planned to venture into a Nightmare-level Otherside to seek his fortune.
And the Fourth Supernatural Forbidden Zone was on his list.
He hadn’t expected his past experience to be useful now.
Ijō Hyōka had made up his mind.
He turned the steering wheel, stepped on the accelerator, and drove towards the Fourth Supernatural Forbidden Zone.
Time was running out. They had to be quick.
The Kujō family’s commission was to kill a senior steward. The Natsuba conglomerate must have already found out about their attack.
They had to eliminate the two and complete the mission before the Natsuba conglomerate arrived.
Ten minutes later.
Ijō Hyōka stopped the car and got out.
He looked at the scene before him.
A gray mist rolled and spread, and despite it being summer, the area was incredibly cold. The sky was heavy and oppressive, as if it were about to fall.
A sense of panic filled his heart.
In the distance, a dilapidated hospital flickered in and out of the gray mist.
That was the main body of the Nightmare-level Otherside, created by the Nightmare-level being.
It contained the bodies of countless supernatural users, but also an abundance of supernatural materials.
Once you stepped inside, you were completely in the Otherside.
Unless you found a hidden exit or killed the Lord of the Otherside, you would die inside.
Ijō Hyōka took a deep breath.
Even without going inside, he felt an inexplicable fear.
He shouted to the people in the car,
“We’ll stop here. Throw those two towards the hospital, and then we’ll leave immediately.”
Two team members took the ice-encased Natsuba Hanae and Mizuō Morishige.
Just as they were about to throw them…
A series of incomprehensible characters appeared before Natsuba Hanae’s eyes.
[You have discovered the Nightmare-level Otherside – Old God’s Children’s Hospital]
[Nightmare-level Otherside – Old God Daycare *&… Summer Harvest Mountain shares the same characteristics]
[Otherside Fusion]
Then, the Umbrella Sword within Natsuba Hanae’s body glowed faintly.
[You are embedding a Rule]
[No Nonsense Here]
[Nightmare-level Otherside fusion successful, Otherside expanding]
Suddenly, the gray mist began to rapidly expand outwards.
Ijō Hyōka and the others’ expressions changed drastically. They immediately tried to run, but it was too late.
The gray mist instantly enveloped everyone present.
Natsuba Hanae: “…”
This was an unexpected development.
But it certainly made things more interesting.
