"Heh, heh."
General Ilya stopped in front of King Bradley, placing his right hand behind his ear, pretending to listen, and said with a smile that wasn't a smile.
"Excuse me, what did you say? I didn't hear clearly."
"I'll allow you... to organize your words again."
"You have five seconds."
"Poof!" x2
As soon as his words fell, two thuds sounded behind Ilya.
Looking back at the sound, he saw the short, suited man who had originally been standing behind King Bradley was now standing in front of his sofa, his hands stained with blood, and his two subordinates had fallen in pools of blood.
"You...!"
General Ilya was about to speak, but his body shuddered. A blood-stained military knife burst out from his abdomen with a "poof."
"You... are dead!"
General Ilya's breathing trembled. He tightly grasped the military knife that had pierced through him.
"No one can contend with the army. Even a Star Hunter cannot escape from my military zone!"
General Ilya stomped hard on the ground, suddenly took a step forward, and pulled out the military knife that King Bradley had plunged into his body.
The intense pain made his lips twitch uncontrollably, and at the same time, a flicker of madness rose in his eyes. These people who dared to lay hands on him in his military camp were dead.
"Shit, this has gone too far..."
Behind King Bradley, Lust stared at the insane scene before her, her eyelids twitching.
She only felt that these guys named King Bradley and Envy were insane, weren't they? To actually attack General Ilya in the warlord's lair. Did they want to die?
"That's none of your concern."
Just as General Ilya was thinking this, a familiar voice echoed within the tent. General Ilya's eyes trembled. He looked at the figure before him, his face full of disbelief.
"From now on, I am General Ilya." Envy walked step by step towards General Ilya, who was bleeding profusely from his abdomen. At the same time, a white light shimmered around him, gradually transforming into General Ilya's appearance and physique.
Envy stopped in front of General Ilya, grinning sinisterly. "And you, will return to dust."
"You... what exactly do you want to do!? For the army? For power?" General Ilya gasped for breath. He had already clearly realized the fact of his impending death.
But he still wanted to know the purpose of King Bradley and the man in front of him.
"Purpose?"
Envy, who had already transformed into General Ilya's likeness, his eyes suddenly became ferocious. Just as Ilya thought he was about to state his purpose...
"Swish!"
A flash of blade light.
General Ilya felt a lightness in his shoulder, and his vision wavered. The world before his eyes spun continuously.
Immediately after, a soft "thud" sounded beside his ear, as something dropped to the ground.
The head on the ground blinked. He saw a headless torso standing in front of him, clutching its abdomen, blood streaming profusely.
"That's... my..."
As his thoughts churned in his mind, the headless corpse in front of him suddenly let out a "poof" and sprayed a sky-high rain of blood, staining the surrounding ground and tent crimson.
The headless corpse then fell before his eyes, drenched by the bloody rain.
"My body..."
The head on the ground opened its mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but no sound came out.
"Bang!"
King Bradley slammed his foot down. The head instantly burst open, brains and blood splattering everywhere, a disgusting sight.
"Our objective is to use your family and influence as a springboard to liberate this country."
Envy looked down at the puddle of white and red pulp beneath King Bradley's foot, grinning sinisterly, but unfortunately, General Ilya could no longer hear him.
"Inform Boss, the first step of the plan has been completed. The Santo Domingo military zone is completely under our control."
King Bradley lifted his leather shoes, stained with white and red filth, and slowly walked out of the tent, speaking to Ike-san who was waiting.
"Here, I leave it to you." Just before King Bradley left the tent, he turned back to look at Envy, his gaze profound.
"I will definitely make this country lively," Envy's lips stretched to his ears, and the corners of his eyes curved upward in a terrifying arc, sinister and frightening.
January 15, 1987, the Republic of Padokea.
The temperature was minus 8.6°C. Snowflakes gently drifted down from the boundless sky, fluttering and falling onto the earth, covering it in a white coat.
"Whoosh... whoosh..."
At an altitude of two thousand meters above the Dentora region, Illumi Zoldyck stepped on a giant eagle. The strong airflow pressed against his facial skin. At this moment, Illumi was traveling towards Kukuroo Mountain at a flight speed of seven hundred kilometers per hour.
Soon, Kukuroo Mountain, which perpetually emitted dark, thick smoke, came into view.
At the same time, the Zoldyck family's half-mountain mansion also appeared in Illumi's field of vision.
"Hmm?"
In the Zoldyck family's backyard, Zeno Zoldyck, who was sitting in a pavilion drinking hot tea, suddenly looked up at the sky, his eyelids dropping slightly.
"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Milluki Zoldyck, who was diligently sitting on the stone stool opposite, noticed Zeno's movement and couldn't help but ask.
Milluki was now five years old. Compared to his infant appearance back then, he had grown considerably taller, and his skin was fair with a healthy blush, though his belly already showed a noticeable tendency to be pudgy.
"Your eldest brother is back," Zeno retracted his gaze, picked up the hot tea in front of him, gently blew on it, and took a small sip.
"Which eldest brother?" Milluki narrowed his slender eyes and scratched his head. He had two elder brothers; he really didn't know who Grandpa Zeno was referring to.
"The one who barely comes home once a year," Zeno shook his head slightly, picked up the teapot placed beside him, and refilled his cup with water.
"Uh..."
Milluki's face froze. A blurry figure appeared in his mind. Just as he was about to utter the name of that figure...
"Boom~!"
A gigantic black object swept over the courtyard from above. A strong wind swept through, kicking up large patches of snow and making Milluki's small face sting. When the strong wind dissipated and Milluki came back to his senses, Illumi's figure was already standing in the pavilion.
"Big Brother Illumi!" Milluki rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen things.
"Milluki, you've grown," Illumi said with a smile, rubbing Milluki's chubby head. Then he looked at Grandpa Zeno and greeted him, "Long time no see, Grandpa."
"Running around everywhere at such a young age, and not coming home for an entire year," Zeno put down his teacup and casually lectured him.
"This year, I'm going to stay at home for a long time. After all, another younger brother is about to be born." Illumi retracted his left hand from Milluki's head, bent his legs, and sat on the stone stool to Zeno's left.
"You know it's another younger brother?" Zeno glanced at him. He hadn't even seen his pregnant mother yet, and he was already so certain it was a brother.
"Just a guess," Illumi said, a faint smile on his face. He smoothly took a teacup from beside Zeno, then grabbed some tea leaves from the tea bag by Zeno's hand, poured in hot water, washed the tea, and brewed it.
Then, he took a small sip.
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