"Come on then, you monster!"
The outsider tore off his cloak, revealing the crimson high-tech armor beneath. The armor resembled a suit of some kind, adorned with intricate red patterns and filled with a flowing liquid.
In his hand, he held a 140cm long sword. The hilt, matching the armor, was also crimson red.
Both edges of the blade were marked with a red stripe, adding to its aesthetic appeal.
(Hmm, it looks quite exquisite.)
Zavia's eyes lit up slightly as he observed the man's crimson attire. He had to admit, the man's sense of style was commendable.
The outsider gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, raising it before him as he fixed his gaze on Zavia.
Seeing this, Zavia's interest piqued. The man's posture suggested he was preparing for some kind of attack.
This wasn't just speculation; the sword occasionally emitted a red glow, giving the impression that he was charging up for a powerful move.
However, Zavia knew better. This wasn't an offensive stance, but a defensive one. The red glow emanating from the blade was likely some form of enhancement magic, possibly increasing its sharpness or durability.
The man's posture appeared full of openings, but in reality, if an enemy dared to approach, he would swiftly strike with his crimson blade.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Zavia, a battle-hardened individual. While his past enemies hadn't been particularly strong, Zavia always approached every fight with seriousness, unless the opponent was clearly outmatched.
After all, there was always the possibility of encountering a hidden powerhouse, and underestimating them could lead to his downfall.
(Seems like a tough one, but he hasn't seen much combat. Probably someone who excels within a team environment.)
Zavia assessed the enemy's capabilities. He couldn't sense the man's true strength, which was a cause for concern.
It wasn't difficult to guess why. They had someone specializing in perception-type magic, which meant they could not only sense others but also shield themselves from detection.
More specifically, they could disrupt an enemy's perception, as Arthur had confirmed when Zavia inquired about it.
However, Arthur had also mentioned that not everyone could achieve this level of control; it required a unique talent for perception magic.
This suggested that the perception magic specialist among the outsiders was a prodigy in this field, capable of both sensing enemy locations and disrupting their perception.
But their skills were still unrefined, perhaps due to limitations in their physical body or lack of experience. They had failed to detect that Zavia's strength surpassed their own, which was a grave mistake.
Back to the present situation, Zavia, for some reason, didn't feel threatened by the outsider. He had a hunch that the man wasn't as strong as him.
From the man's earlier attempt to flee to his current expression of defiance, Zavia suspected he was weaker. However, he remained cautious; being from another world, the man might have some hidden tricks up his sleeve.
Clang—
Just as their standoff reached the one-minute mark, a crisp metallic ring echoed through the air. A three-meter wide, azure-colored energy wave shot towards the outsider at incredible speed.
The outsider's eyes widened in shock as he saw the approaching energy wave. The muscles in his armored arms tensed, and the red patterns on his armor began to glow, accompanied by the whirring of machinery.
With lightning speed, he swung his crimson blade, attempting to cleave the azure energy wave.
Boom—Whoosh—
An invisible shockwave erupted from the clash, the force of it destroying some of the research equipment within the Spatial Barrier.
"Hmph! Damn it, how can he possess such power!" The outsider gritted his teeth as he struggled to withstand the force of Zavia's attack, his expression strained.
"If that's the case, I can't hold back anymore." His eyes narrowed with determination, and his aura shifted dramatically. The crimson armor whirred to life, steam hissing from its vents.
Red and blue energy surged through his body and hands, converging on the blade and enveloping it in a vibrant glow.
Then, to Zavia's surprise, the outsider forcefully deflected the energy wave upwards.
Clang—!
The energy wave scraped against the Spatial Barrier above and slammed into the ceiling, leaving a deep and jagged scar.
Arthur, who had been observing the battle from the sidelines, stared in disbelief at this incredible feat.
Zavia, however, remained unfazed. If Arthur had witnessed Diamond Jozu deflecting Mihawk's slash during the Summit War, he would have been even more astonished.
"Ha... ha..."
After deflecting the energy wave, the outsider gasped for breath, his crimson blade plunged into the ground as he knelt, his body trembling with exhaustion. If it weren't for the sword supporting him, he would have collapsed entirely.
(Hmm... He's a bit weak. And he might be even weaker than I initially thought.)
Zavia observed the outsider, his eyes narrowed in a mix of confusion and surprise.
He was puzzled by the man's weakness. A single energy wave had exhausted him to this extent. He was far inferior to Roman, the 'Might Sky' Zavia had encountered on Sabaody Archipelago.
The 'Azure' energy wave he had unleashed was only three meters in diameter, and Zavia hadn't even used half his strength. It was merely a test to gauge the enemy's capabilities.
However, the enemy had proven to be unexpectedly weak. He had resorted to what seemed like his ultimate move (at least according to Zavia's assessment) and used two different types of magic just to deflect a single energy wave. This left Zavia utterly astonished.
"Spirit, I... might... be done for..." The outsider, kneeling on the ground, muttered to himself, seemingly speaking to his comrades.
"Hey, hey, Red Armor, don't joke around like that."
A trembling voice filled with concern came from the Bluetooth earpiece – it was Spirit, the perception magic specialist.
She didn't seem entirely surprised by the man's impending death, but it was clear she was struggling to accept it.
"Spirit? Is that your comrade's name? How interesting. Is that her real name, or a code name?" Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from behind Red Armor, sending chills down his spine.
"You...!" Fear gripped Red Armor's heart as a bead of cold sweat trickled down his cheek.
He quickly drew his crimson blade and swung it behind him with all his remaining strength, but his attack met only empty air.
Having exhausted his last reserves of energy, Red Armor collapsed to the ground, his sword clattering beside him.
"Hmph hmph hmph, old man, if you tell me everything you know about your comrades and your organization, I might consider sparing your life."
Zavia picked up the fallen crimson blade and examined it, his cold blue eyes fixed on the defeated outsider.
"Hmph! Do you think I'd believe your lies? I won't tell you anything! Just get it over with!" Red Armor sneered and closed his eyes, seemingly ready to meet his end.
"Is that so? Well, whatever. I can just ask your comrades instead. Since you're not talking, there's no point in wasting time on you."
Zavia's expression remained unchanged. He had anticipated this response; his offer had simply been a test to gauge the man's attitude.
As for actually sparing him? That was a foolish notion that Zavia wouldn't entertain.
Once the blade was drawn, you became his enemy, and Zavia had only one approach towards enemies: kill them!
Unless there were exceptional circumstances, like with Roman, Zavia would hunt down his enemies no matter how far they ran.
Clang!
A silver flash of light, a spray of blood, and Red Armor's head rolled away from his body.
"Arthur, you can come out now." Zavia flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it, then glanced at the outsider's corpse before turning to address Arthur, who had been hiding nearby.
Arthur, cloaked in his gray robe, quickly approached Zavia. He glanced at the body on the ground but showed no signs of disgust or fear.
"Hmm, to the east, huh? Hmm? They haven't run away? Interesting."
Zavia closed his eyes and sensed the remaining outsiders located in the eastern part of the underground lab. To his surprise, they hadn't fled. Instead, he could feel waves of hostility directed towards him.
It was clear they intended to fight him to the death, even knowing they were outmatched. A smile crept across Zavia's face as he retracted his Observation Haki and headed east.
…
"Hey, Spirit, is he coming?"
In the eastern part of the underground lab, behind a metal door, three individuals stood guard.
Two of them held weapons, their faces grim and determined, as if awaiting the arrival of someone.
"Yes, he's slowly approaching. Seems quite confident in his abilities," a woman cloaked in a robe replied, her voice filled with anger. She was Spirit, the perception magic prodigy. It was clear she was furious about the death of her comrade.
"Tch, to encounter such a monster is our misfortune. If there's an afterlife, I would still choose to be your comrades." A man with short, off-white hair and light armor spoke with a sincere tone.
"Me too!" Another man in light armor beside him echoed the sentiment.
"You guys..." Tears welled up in Spirit's eyes. Having such loyal comrades made her feel that her life had been worthwhile.
Clang!
A minute later, a crisp metallic ring snapped them out of their emotional moment.
A silver flash of light appeared on the metal door before them, followed by the door collapsing inwards.
A white-haired man in a blue trench coat, holding a long sword with a silvery white glow, emerged from behind the fallen door. His expression was cold and emotionless.
"So you're the one who killed our comrade! Unforgivable!" The man with the off-white hair was the first to react. He spun his spear, its sharp tip aimed at Zavia, enveloped in a blue aura.
Puchi!
The spear pierced through Zavia's body, entering through his abdomen and exiting from his back, staining the spearhead with blood.
"Got him!"
The man, ecstatic at having landed a blow on Zavia, believed he had finally slain the monster who had killed his comrade.
However, before he could celebrate for more than two seconds, Zavia moved his neck slightly, his expression remaining unchanged, and uttered a single, chilling sentence:
"Is that all you got?"