The wall disintegrated as Kamakyuri lunged through the debris, his praying mantis exoskeleton gleaming under the apartment lights. His scythe-like forearms clicked menacingly as he landed, towering over the space.
"There you are," Kamakyuri hissed, his compound eyes fixing on Yoshino with predatory intent. "Dr. Genus wants you for experiments."
Yoshino's fist collided with Kamakyuri's head—a Divergent Fist delivery. The initial physical impact connected with brutal force, followed by the delayed cursed energy explosion that tore through skull and brain matter.
Kamakyuri's head exploded violently, gray matter and dark blood spraying across the apartment walls. His body jerked once before falling in a heap.
Genos and Yoshino leaped through the gaping hole in the wall, landing simultaneously on the pavement below. Two figures emerged from the shadows—Frog Man, his powerful legs coiled, and Sluggerous, his slimy form undulating.
Frog Man lunged first, but Yoshino's Piercing Blood cut through him effortlessly—a high-pressure stream of blood erupting from his fingertips.
Sluggerous tried to retreat, his slimy body attempting to pull away into the shadows. But Yoshino's Piercing Blood followed—a precise, high-pressure stream that tore through his soft form, bisecting him cleanly.
Both mutants collapsed, their bodies dissolving into dark ichor on the pavement. Genos's sensors swept the area, scanning for more threats.
Ground Dragon's massive claws scraped uselessly against the pavement where Yoshino and Genos had stood moments ago, leaving deep gouges in the concrete. The beast roared upward, snapping at empty air.
Above, Nue circled with electrical discharges crackling across its wings, the owl-like shikigami carrying both Yoshino and Genos away from the immediate combat zone.
Two massive figures rose from the smoke, blocking the horizon. Armored Gorilla stood at twelve feet tall, his muscle mass augmented by natural plating and iron-fisted brutality. Beside him loomed Beast Lion King—a twelve-foot hybrid of man and lion, mane flowing wild, teeth clenched with murderous intent.
Both warriors tensed, calculating the trajectory of Nue above.
Yoshino unsummoned nue. " Genos Handle the gorilla I can handle the other two."
Genos nodded once, his processors locking onto Armored Gorilla. "Confirmed. You handle Beast Lion King and Ground Dragon. I'll take the gorilla." He launched forward, his metallic body blurring with speed as he engaged Armored Gorilla head-on.
Yoshino summoned Great Serpent: A giant snake capable of sudden, high-speed ambush attacks. "giant serpent, kill ground dragon."
Great Serpent coiled and struck—a sudden, high-speed ambush that slammed into Ground Dragon's exposed throat. The massive snake bit down, jaws locking around the beast's neck with lethal precision.
Ground Dragon shrieked, clawing desperately at Great Serpent's coils. Simultaneously, Beast Lion King crouched and prepared to spring. Yoshino met the beast's gaze.
Beast Lion King launched himself forward with a earthshaking roar, his massive paws outstretched to crush Yoshino. Simultaneously, Great Serpent and Ground Dragon tumbled together in a deadly struggle, the snake slowly constricting its prey. Yoshino's eyes locked onto the approaching lion beast.
Yoshino moved like a shadow, dodging Beast Lion King's ferocious swipes with effortless grace. He studied the beast's patterns—predictable, brutish, but powerful. Then he struck.
A series of precise martial arts counters shattered ribs and joints. Then came the Black Flash—a delayed teleport behind the beast, followed by a devastating strike that tore through muscle and spine.
Beast Lion King's body contorted painfully under Yoshino's Black Flash—the spiritual impact tearing through its soul directly, leaving deep, ethereal wounds that defied physical healing. The beast howled in agony, its massive form collapsing as Yoshino methodically demolished it with brutal martial arts and soul-piercing strikes.
With a final, decisive motion, Yoshino unleashed Dismantle and Cleave—his cursed energy slicing through Beast Lion King's body like a hot knife through butter. The lion beast was instantly divided into countless tiny pieces, its soul scattered and destroyed along with its physical form. Yoshino's task complete.
Yoshino's gaze fell upon Great Serpent. The massive snake had successfully crushed Ground Dragon's throat, the beast struggling weakly against its coils before finally going still.
The serpent turned its cold eyes toward Yoshino, waiting for further commands. Behind him, the sounds of battle continued—Armored Gorilla and Genos trading blows in a clash of metal and muscle.
Great Serpent vanished into thin air as Yoshino unsummoned it. The massive snake's body dissolved without a trace, leaving only the lifeless corpse of Ground Dragon behind—its throat crushed, body unmoving.
Genos continued his fight with Armored Gorilla, the sounds of metal clashing against muscle echoing through the streets.
Genos stood victorious, his metallic chassis dented but functional. Armored Gorilla hung limp against the building wall, all four limbs severed clean—the stumps cauterized by some method. The beast was still alive, breathing heavily, but completely immobilized.
Genos's sensors flicked to Yoshino, assessing the remaining threats. Beast Lion King and Ground Dragon were neutralized.
Yoshino walked in front of him "OK, start talking. Who is this doctor genius? and what does he want with me?"
Armored Gorilla wheezed, blood bubbling from his severed stumps. His eyes widened at Yoshio's calm interrogation—the same cold demeanor he'd seen from the other House of Evolution members.
"Dr... Genus..." he coughed, spitting dark blood. "He's the head... of the House of Evolution. A mad scientist..." He chuckled weakly.
"He wants you," Armored Gorilla wheezed, blood bubbling from his severed stumps. "You're... an anomaly. Unfamiliar energy signature... unlike anything Dr. Genus has ever encountered." He coughed violently. "And that fight with Mosquito Girl... you destroyed her effortlessly." His eyes widened with fear. "He needs to study you... experiment on you..."
"Tell us where we can find this house of evolution."
Armored Gorilla's remaining eyes darted nervously between Yoshino's cold gaze and Genos's glowing red optics. He knew he had nothing left to protect—his limbs severed, his comrades dead.
"Beneath... the mountains east of the city," he rasped. "Hidden lab. You'll find it... it's where the experiments began." He spat blood.
Genos's processors whirred, mapping the coordinates. "The eastern mountains." He looked at Yoshino. "The House of Evolution's stronghold. If Dr. Genus is truly as dangerous as this brute suggests, we should prepare for the worst."
Armored Gorilla laughed weakly. "You think... you can walk into my master's lair... and survive?"
"Don't worry about us we will." He said, turning and leaving going towards the mountains.
Yoshino and Genos moved eastward, leaving the immobilized Armored Gorilla behind. The journey through the mountain range was silent—heavy air filled with the scent of pine and distant storms.
As they ascended, Genos broke the quiet. "Your cursed energy... it truly is foreign to this world. That likely explains Dr. Genus's interest."
"True there's also This."Yoshino Made a binding Vow that he will not have the ability To fully summon Nue for the next 10 hours in exchange for all of his abilities maxed out 10 times their normal limit. As the binding Vow took affect, As the binding vow took effect, Yoshino's form shifted dramatically. Massive, feathered wings erupted from his back, sparkling with electrical discharges. His overall energy signature tripled, then quintupled, pushing his abilities far beyond their normal limits. Genos stared, sensors overwhelmed by the sudden surge.
"Binding vows," Yoshino explained, his voice carrying over the wind as his wings beat rhythmically, "are a contract with oneself—a trade. By imposing a restriction, you gain power in return." He gestured at his wings. "For the next ten hours, I cannot fully summon Nue. In exchange, I have access to his abilities maximized tenfold." He looked at Genos.
Genos's processors whirred, attempting to calculate the implications. "A trade of power for restriction," he summarized, his red eyes tracking the electrical discharges crackling across Yoshino's wings. "The more severe the restriction, the greater the power gained." He paused, analyzing the current state. "You've maxed your abilities tenfold..."
"Correct," Yoshino replied, banking sharply through the mountain peaks. "Tenfold increase. Speed, strength, durability... everything amplified." He glanced back at Genos. "But there's a cost. For ten hours, my ability to summon Nue is completely severed. I can use his wings, his electricity, his agility—but not him."
"Ten hours," Genos repeated, his processors whirring. "A significant limitation. But... the power boost is... considerable." He watched Yoshino's wings beat steadily, electrical sparks dancing across the feathers. "It should suffice for reaching the House of Evolution's lair."
The climb through the eastern mountains continued—silent and cold. Wind whipped against Genos's metallic chassis as Yoshino's wings cut through the air effortlessly, his newfound power making the arduous journey feel trivial.
After two hours, the mountain range shifted. Below them, nestled in a deep valley—a massive, hidden fortress.
"There," Yoshino pointed.
Genos's sensors zoomed in, scanning the fortress below. "Massive structure. Multiple entry points. Energy readings suggest underground levels." He paused, his red eyes narrowing. "Sensors detect multiple life forms inside. Dozens, possibly hundreds."
Yoshino's wings beat steadily, his enhanced abilities making the descent feel almost effortless. "That's the House of Evolution."
A massive, glowing charge built up within Genos's chest as he fired a concentrated beam from his incineration cannon. The white-hot light tore through the mountain valley, striking the House of Evolution fortress directly.
Explosions rocked the valley as concrete and steel disintegrated. Within seconds, the entire base was leveled—reduced to smoldering ruins and crumbling debris.
"Well that was effective."
Genos's chest plate hissed, steam escaping from his overcharged incineration cannon. "Optimal solution," he replied flatly, his red eyes tracking the falling rubble. "Eliminated all threats simultaneously. Minimum time, maximum efficiency."
Yoshino's wings carried him forward, electrical sparks crackling along his feathers as he stared at the smoking crater below. "Dr."
Yoshino descended into the smoldering crater, his wings beating steadily despite the heat and smoke. Genos followed closely, his sensors scanning the debris. Amidst the wreckage, Yoshino's keen eyes spotted something unusual—a metallic door leading underground, miraculously unscathed by the incineration cannon's blast.
The door was made of a reinforced titanium alloy, etched with the House of Evolution insignia—a DNA double helix inside a gear. No handles, no keyholes—only a biometric scanner glowing faintly red.
Genos stepped forward, his sensors scanning the door. "Reinforced underground bunker. Likely designed to withstand nuclear blasts—or incineration cannons." He paused. "No manual override."
With a sudden, powerful kick, Yoshino's foot connects with the reinforced titanium door. The metal groans under the force, bending inward with a loud *bang*. Dust and debris shower around the impact site as the door hinges snap, leaving it hanging precariously from one side.
"Crude but effective," Genos muttered, scanning the now-exposed underground tunnel.