This must be our first real face-to-face encounter, Captain Zheng Hao of the Central Continent Team.”

Zheng Zha also looked toward Miyamoto Kuraki, the young man gripping the Japanese sword. Though an enemy, Miyamoto Kuraki’s conduct during their surveillance period had left Zheng Zha feeling no significant malice toward the man. After all, someone who treated captives kindly and possessed the honor of a warrior couldn't be utterly evil, regardless of his nationality. Furthermore, they currently needed the psychic controller from the East Sea Team, so Zheng Zha merely nodded, saying calmly, "Hello. I am Zheng Zha, Captain of the Central Continent Team... Are the three of you coming to face me alone?"

If anyone else had said this, Miyamoto Kuraki might have perceived it as an insult or arrogance. However, those who knew Zheng Zha's strength understood he spoke purely from a position of fairness. Zheng Zha was simply too powerful—a power so vast it resembled the chasm between a lower organism and a higher life form. Even viewing him from a distance had suggested invincibility, and now, as the three stood before him, the oppressive aura was undeniable, giving them the illusion of facing a colossal mountain. Zheng Zha’s question about the three challenging him wasn't sarcasm; it was fact. Forget three people—to deal with him... they should deploy an entire army!

"I sincerely apologize. I only have two comrades who are fit to fight alongside me. The others... the others are unworthy of being my companions. So, I must ask your Excellency to tolerate a slight inconvenience by facing the three of us with your strength."

A flicker crossed Zheng Zha's mind as he recalled what they had observed earlier. This Miyamoto Kuraki was clearly different from those who spoke with that specific inflection. The girl named Aoi Sora was the same. Though he couldn't know what truly lay in their hearts, these individuals probably weren't excessively wicked.

"Are you prepared to lose your lives? The battlefield is unforgiving. If you have any last words, tell me now."

Miyamoto Kuraki looked earnestly at Zheng Zha and said, "Can we not have peace? Although we are enemies now, we have no significant conflict in the plot—no conflict at all. And with the strength of your Central Continent Team, you probably can't make huge leaps in reward points or side plots in a short time, right? Can we find peace?"

Zheng Zha knitted his brows slightly. He first nodded, then shook his head. "Peace is possible, but not now... Some members of the East Sea Team must die!"

"Is that so?" Miyamoto Kuraki’s expression instantly darkened. He misunderstood Zheng Zha’s statement, assuming the Central Continent Team needed to eliminate some people simply to secure a small gain in reward points or side plots.

"Lastly, I wish to ask one question... Zheng Zha-kun. As a Chinese person, do you hate us Japanese?"

"Hate you? And not hate you!"

Zheng Zha stated directly: "I hate your government. I hate your right-wing factions. And I hate many things you have done—like altering textbooks, seizing our islands, disrespecting history, distorting and rewriting history... I hate those things. But I do not hate certain individuals within Japan—like those who participated in large-scale afforestation in our Northwest, those who knelt at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum, or those who have tirelessly aided rural education in our country for thirty years straight... I differentiate between gratitude and grievance. I hate what deserves hate, and I do not hate what does not. I repay kindness with kindness and grievances with vengeance. Rest assured, even if our Central Continent Team achieves victory in the final battle and returns to the real world, we will not commit the atrocities you might imagine. I have my own pride."

"Thank you, Zheng Zha-kun... You too possess your own Bushido spirit. It is my honor to fight you!"

Miyamoto Kuraki suddenly laughed loudly, invigorated. Gripping his Japanese sword, he stepped forward: "The attribute I have reinforced is called 'Ghost Swordsman.' My branched evolution enhancement focuses on 'Ghost Cry,' which primarily cleaves the soul... Fight! Strong warrior of the Central Continent Team! Let me see just how terrifying the pinnacle of combat prowess in this Reincarnation World truly is!" With that, he swung his sword horizontally, drawing a cut across his own arm, then used his hand to smear the blood onto his body.

As Miyamoto Kuraki smeared blood upon himself, the black runes on his body became far more pronounced, making it seem as if a layer of black mist coated his skin. He laughed maniacally, then raised his Japanese sword high above his head and brought it down in a single slash.

"Oni Giri!"

Zheng Zha did not attack first. He watched silently as Miyamoto Kuraki smeared blood over himself, then saw black light erupt from his form before the sword slash came. As the blow descended, it unleashed a hazy black blade light. Zheng Zha felt startled and forcefully pushed off the ground, leaping backward. However, the black blade light vanished in an instant. Instead, a massive, ferocious ghost several meters tall suddenly charged out from behind the black light, slamming a claw toward Zheng Zha. Caught off guard, Zheng Zha could only block the spectral claw with one hand. To his surprise, his hand passed straight through the claw and into the ghost's body. The arm plunged into the entity instantly vanished, and simultaneously, a gruesome gash was torn across his chest by the ghost’s grip.

"...No! An illusion?"

Zheng Zha was secretly shocked by the terrifying power of this technique, but he suddenly realized that his body...

...had not registered any energy impact. In other words, his defense system had completely failed. He roared out loud immediately.

Sure enough, as he continuously unlocked his Genetic Lock, up until the third stage was activated and in use, both the spectral ghost and the wound vanished completely. Only Miyamoto Kuraki remained before him, relentlessly slashing with the sword light. Zheng Zha pushed off the deck again to retreat, and that slash struck the metal plating. The black blade light seemed corrosive; upon hitting the deck, it instantly began to melt the surface, only disappearing after it had bored a depth of nearly two meters.

"The sword cuts the flesh, the heart cuts the soul. My blade hesitated, and my heart was insufficient to sever the soul... Zheng Zha-kun, please do not hold back; grant me the respect I deserve!" He started laughing heartily again, his tone shifting.

Zheng Zha let out a breath. He also smiled and said, "To be honest, this move has a huge advantage against anyone below the third stage Genetic Lock, and it’s equally effective against those with mental flaws. It's a shame. This technique probably has an even higher realm; that concept of 'cutting the soul' has actually pointed me toward a breakthrough..."

"Then it is time for me to begin my battle as well. Captain of the East Sea Team, and the other two—do not hold back. Use your full combat power, because what follows will be a fight far surpassing your current level. I will continuously increase my strength..."

"First up is... an explosion!"

As Zheng Zha engaged on the aircraft carrier, Aoi Sora was continuously praying inside the room. She truly loved Miyamoto Kuraki with all her heart; no matter what, she desperately wished for him to survive. But now... she didn't know how she could possibly save him.

Suddenly, a violent impact shuddered the cabin door, a loud bang as if someone were pounding on it with immense force. A jolt went through Aoi Sora’s heart, and a sweep of her psychic sense confirmed it was Koizumi Masao and the other members of the East Sea Team. They stood at the door, their faces contorted with malevolence. Koizumi Masao, especially, was flexing his muscles and battering the door.

"Aoi Sora! Hand over that Central Continent Team member to us! If we give her to the Central Continent Team Captain, we can live!" a middle-aged man roared.

Koizumi Masao shrieked even more frantically, "Hand her over? We'll use her as a hostage! As soon as we capture her, the Central Continent Team will rush over to retrieve her. She must be very important to him. I bet she's the lover of that monster upstairs. That has to be it! Using her as a hostage is perfect; we can definitely survive this!"

Aoi Sora said coldly, "Get lost, all of you! You are no longer my comrades, nor are you Miyamoto-kun's. We don't have companions like you. It's best if you stay far away from me; I don't want to see scum like you people!"

The people outside froze for a moment, then erupted in even greater fury. Koizumi Masao’s muscles mutated wildly until he transformed once more into a miniature giant. He slammed his fists against the door with desperate force, roaring as he struck: "To hell with being a captain! I quit too! All I want is to live! To turn against me over a damn Chi-na pig—I don't need partners like you! Give her to me quickly, or I’ll kill you too!"

A deeper cold settled in Aoi Sora’s heart. She said nothing, merely rising slowly with a cold smile. The color in her eyes began to shift, and the space around her body slowly started to distort. It seemed she possessed some other power beyond being merely a psychic controller.

With a tremendous crash, the door was finally smashed open by Koizumi Masao’s fist. He then kicked the broken door toward Aoi Sora. The ruined door carried immense momentum, but it stopped dead just one meter in front of her. Koizumi Masao knew he couldn't let Aoi Sora unleash her full power. He roared and charged toward the wreckage, pounding it with several more reckless punches while shouting, "Everyone, come kill this traitor! Killing her is the only way to survive!"

The people outside were stunned and bewildered until they saw Zhao Yingkong lying dormant on the ground. Every single pair of eyes focused on her turned ferocious. Immediately, a crowd charged into the room. While one or two rushed to seize Zhao Yingkong, the majority used their respective skills and powers to attack Aoi Sora. For a moment, Aoi Sora was forced into a purely defensive posture, and the warped space around her began to shrink.

"Hee-hee, need my help?"

Everyone fighting looked over in astonishment. Zhao Yingkong, who should have been sleeping, stood there grinning playfully. The two who had tried to grab her were contorted in extremely bizarre ways, groaning in agony, yet the young girl maintained an innocent, charming smile, as if she hadn't caused their pain at all.

"Shall I help kill this trash? Hee-hee..." she leaped toward