Norman heard that sound.
A thud, a dull, low, but large thunderous sound.
It was the collision of Lonzder’s middle kick and Filgie’s fist.
“Hahahaha!”
“Hihihihi!”
Overlapping mocking laughter, the beauty and the old woman engaged in combat.
The close-quarters combat with the physical abilities of the [Deviant Form] was a high-speed, ultra-powerful exchange.
Each feinting jab contained enough force to shatter a person’s head, and a serious body kick could rupture internal organs. They exchanged dozens of these blows in a second.
Battles between [Deviants] above a certain level were extremely rare occurrences.
In the year and a half Norman had been in this city, he had only seen a handful of ‘Unlaws.’
“Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!”
The old woman in tattered clothes leaped around with a twisted grin.
From her acrobatic movements, she lashed out with her short limbs like flailing punches.
It wasn’t trained martial arts movement. Just aimless waving of arms like a child.
However, with her monstrous strength, ordinary people couldn’t even see it coming, let alone evade or defend against her lethal blows.
“Hah, if your heart is childish, your moves are too!”
Lonzder stepped forward, fists raised in front of her chest, neatly deflecting the sloppy attacks.
Her movement was close to boxing, but incorporated kicks utilizing her long legs in her own style.
She used her fists to deflect Filgie’s attacks defensively, while attacking and evading with her legs.
“You have quite a graceful way of moving too! Even monsters train, huh!”
“The slums are good practice!”
Lonzder smiled wryly and drove a kick into the freak.
Filgie leapt back sharply to evade, landing on a shaggy rug.
Then,
“——《Intangible Grudge Bloom Sleuth – Snatch》”
The shaggy rug bent——and with a sudden acceleration several times faster, the old woman’s body shot forward.
●
“Uoh…!?”
Wincing from the pain in his abdomen, Lonzder instinctively bit down on the cigarette in his mouth.
His shirt on the left side of his waist was torn, the flesh beneath gashed.
The suddenly accelerated Filgie had slipped past Lonzder’s defenses and made contact.
But no matter how much she accelerated, it shouldn’t have been enough to gash flesh.
Yet it happened, and it was Norman who voiced this realization.
“An application of matter penetration ——“
“You fool Norman! Look closer than that! That cosplaying old hag launched herself cackling like a catapult!”
“Hyoh-hyoh-hyoh-hyoh! Something like that, yes!”
The right hand of the Cosplay Catapult Granny, drenched in blood, landed on the wall, causing it to bend.
In that instant, Lonzder’s sharp mind processed the reality.
Two things became clear.
The attack penetrated matter, then ripped out what it had passed through.
Like passing through a showcase or vault to steal the treasures inside.
That’s why the crime scenes were never disturbed.
The other was her acceleration method.
She used her power to partially sink into the floor, creating tension in the sunken matter, and launched herself off that spring-loaded force.
Her power application was skillful, using two derived abilities simultaneously as a 《Category III》.
Theoretically and physically considering matter penetration, she would have to insert her own flesh into matter.
A [Deviant Form]’s abilities affect their own body, so logically they shouldn’t influence other matter, but logic doesn’t apply to ‘Unlaws.’
If she believes herself able, then it becomes so. Clothing is a prime example.
If she can pass through matter, her clothes should too, potentially leaving her nude each time she uses her power.
Yet Filgie remained clothed.
She must perceive clothing as part of herself, and have a clear image regarding matter penetration.
“Getting a bit wild there, Lonzder…!”
“Hih, hih, hih…!”
Bounding, leaping around, using her power to create spring forces off floors, walls, and ceilings to accelerate continuously.
Laughter echoed from all directions in what seemed like a dance.
“Trying to dance, freak?”
“Ah—–It’s the dance of our deaths!”
A booming don shook the air, the limit of acceleration Filgie’s [Deviant Form] physicality could withstand as she charged forward. In that moment, Lonzder saw her bare, gleeful grin.
She was reveling in it. Fully unleashing the power she possessed.
Being able to do as she pleased came with euphoria.
Especially when staking her life on it.
She understood that feeling. She wanted that too, but…
For an instant, the gaze turned to the still upright Norman Hamisch.
This old woman and herself were quite alike, harboring the same fundamental cravings at their core.
Yet the difference was that steadfast innocent standing there.
“——You and I are different.”
Between freely indulging those cravings, and…
Being satisfied —–was the difference.
“《Intangible Grudge Bloom Sleuth》——!”
The instant Filgie’s hand touched Lonzder’s chest,
“——《Unsullied Gemstone Anvil Maiden》”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
●
Guchari —–the thief’s hand was shattered.
“Hih……hee?”
“Let me teach you one thing.”
Her hand had certainly made contact with Lonzder’s chest, yet it was shattered.
If you struck something extremely hard head-on with your fingers, this would be the result. But Filgie had touched Lonzder’s left chest. Nevertheless, the fact was her hand was pulverized.
The supposedly untouchable grudge bloom had been…
“When abilities collide, the stronger one wins. It’s that simple.”
An abnormality surpassing Filgie’s matter penetration to steal her heart was:
“You…hardened your body?”
“A pity.”
The tanned beauty smiled.
“Quite a pity. The phenomenon is close, but the truth differs.”
Smiling so widely her lips might split.
“…..!”
The old woman leapt back. There was pain, but instinct moved her body.
Her power activated, her body sinking down through the floor like when she first appeared, down to the first floor.
Passing through a few more walls, she moved through a path of connected exhibition rooms.
“Hah……hah……!”
Ragged breaths echoed through the dim, quiet exhibition room.
Both reason and instinct were sounding alarms.
“…Hih.”
Yet what welled up from her throat was a dark delight.
Her instincts had made her flee to the first floor, but in the maze-like first floor her matter penetration gave her the advantage. Display items lined the area – she was well acquainted with their value from her work maintaining many of them. Even Lonzder would have trouble moving freely surrounded by these.
“Not yet, not—–“
She muttered those resigned words when a loud noise came from upstairs.
“Wha…!?”
Reflexively looking up,
“——!?”
“Hahha! Miss me already!?”
Lonzder burst through the wall behind her,
shredding the stone, wood, and display pieces.
“—–?”
In that moment, she saw something strange.
Faintly glowing red patterns like tattoos covered Lonzder’s hands and feet.
But there was no time to consider it.
The woman’s face split in a grin as she grabbed Filgie’s neck from behind in a vice grip.
“Hahahaha! Shall we take a museum tour?”
Slamming Filgie into the wall, she took off.
Clutching Filgie, Lonzder ran rampant, smashing through walls and displays with no regard for the route.
“You, damn…!”
The pain was no issue – instinctively using her phasing negated any damage except to her neck.
But the problem was,
“Gah…you, bastard! The exhibits…!”
Lonzder’s rampage destroyed everything.
Each piece worth far more than Filgie’s yearly income.
And she pulverized them all while swinging Filgie around.
Surely even she understood their value.
“Hahaha! Are you stupid!? It’s too late to complain after starting this here! If you cared, you should have picked the location more carefully!”
Ancient swords used in wars a thousand years ago. Coins circulated two millennia past. Taxidermy specimens of extinct animals with only a few remaining in the country. Stone statues by historically renowned artists. Original texts penned by ancient philosophers.
Even the museum building itself was a centuries-old historical structure.
She trampled and defiled everything that had accumulated immense value and history over the ages.
The embodiment of brazen recklessness raged for around ten seconds, demolishing the first floor before –
“Whoops, can’t stray too far or I’ll get scolded again.”
“Hyo…!?”
A floating sensation.
She was thrown straight up, realizing she was back on the second floor when she came to.
“Oh, there you are.”
For an instant, her gaze met Norman’s as he continued standing stock-still.
There was no time to be dumbfounded at his nonchalance.
“What is this…!?”
Just before smashing into the ceiling, her left hand was pulled back.
Something had become wrapped around it at some point.
Not something –
the bandages previously wrapped around Lonzder’s right hand.
The wrinkled eyes flew open.
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