Tower of Overturn

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...But fortunately.

His lungs, which had been modified and strengthened due to excessive smoking... now saved his life.

At the moment his right lung collapsed, his left artificial lung urgently activated.

— He's an Illegal Spiritual Energy User!

Damn, just as I expected, one of my own kind!

"Go to hell!"

The fear of life-threatening crisis instantly ignited Fury within him, and with his left fist, he heavily hammered the girl's cheek.

His left fist, implanted with a steel framework, was strong and forceful. It sent her flying off the chair, tumbling to the ground. The table with the tea set was also knocked over. The delicate tea wares shattered with a crisp cracking sound.

If it were his right fist, which had been augmented with a more powerful prosthetic body, a single punch would have been enough to send her head flying.

The reason why he used his left hand, his less dominant hand, was because Trigger's right hand was holding the gun. He subconsciously did not want the precious weapon to be damaged by impact—after all, they didn't have experts skilled in repairing such contraband.

But Trigger was confident.

This punch should be enough to knock that fragile Spiritual Energy User out cold...

"Hmm...?!"

Trigger immediately sensed something was amiss.

Because the feel was wrong.

The initial contact felt indeed like hitting just below the cheekbone, above the jaw... He clearly heard the sound of a neck vertebra twisting and cracking and felt the vibration from the "segmentation" of bones breaking from his fist.

But after that, there was no resistance.

It was like shattering something very thin and brittle, a crisp sense of breaking.

Suddenly, the "girl's" form wavered like a screen with poor signal, turning into a cat-eared boy, bigger in size but with a face about seventy to eighty percent similar.

Just a second ago, she had taken a severe blow... Even her neck vertebrae had been damaged.

But now that guy looked as if he hadn't been hurt at all.

...I see. Is it shape-shifting Spiritual Energy?

"This must be your true form," Trigger said with a cruel smile on his face, raising the newly acquired shotgun and aiming at the cat-eared boy on the ground, who was warily watching him but not attacking again. "Then, let me send you on your way with it."

Getting any closer might expose him to that strange Spiritual Energy capable of penetrating defenses.

Better to end the fight at this distance.

Although the firearm's power might shatter the glass... since the captain had taken control of the cockpit, even if the glass broke, the airship wouldn't sound the alarm anymore.

With a bit of caution, he should be able to avoid falling out.

Yet, looking at Trigger, the cornered cat-eared boy suddenly smiled and appeared to relax a little.

— Is he looking behind me?

Trigger's experience immediately gauged where the other's gaze was directed.

No, it was a trap. He was trying to trick him into looking back.

He had casually shut the door, and his hearing, enhanced by the prosthetic body, had not picked up any footsteps; the cockpit monitor showed that no one had entered or left first class since the airship's departure.

There couldn't be anyone else here.

"Naive."

Trigger scoffed.

He detested those who, even when death was imminent, remained silent and didn't beg for mercy.

The appearance of not recognizing the situation repulsed him just by looking at it.

Thus, without further words, Trigger pulled the trigger without hesitation.

He imagined the scene of his adversary's head being blown apart by the bullet, his lips curling into a satisfied, cruel smile.

— However, nothing happened.

All that sounded was a sharp click, causing his spine to instantly tense.

...No bullet?

Trigger looked down incredulously at the gun in his hand, re-confirming that it was indeed ready to fire.

There was only one other possibility.

The gun had no bullets.

...Are you kidding me?

What's the point of disengaging the safety on a gun with no bullets?

But in the next moment.

Trigger's consciousness abruptly vanished.

Without pain, the view before his eyes shifted rapidly—starting from his toes, the camera angle of his vision suddenly moved upward.

It wasn't until he clearly saw his own headless corpse and the man slowly approaching from behind that he realized what had happened.

...Where did he come from?

This was Trigger's last thought before losing consciousness.

"Russell... your mother's 'Nonexistent Device' Spiritual Energy is not meant to be used this way."

Like a Ghost, the white-furred Big Dog soundlessly reappeared in the room.

But Russell could clearly see that in his hand was not a knife or any sharp object.

He was merely holding a plastic straw he had used to drink his beverage a moment ago.

He hadn't even touched the two-meter-tall bear-eared masked giant of a man!

With just a distant sweep, the strong body of the mercenary, half-transformed into a Prosthetic Body, was severed head from body.

The young man looked up at Russell, returning with a complicated gaze.

Seeing his expression, Russell subconsciously revealed a pure and harmless smile.

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