As Makima finished her sentence, she softly uttered:
"Bang."
A force unlike anything Higuruma had ever experienced tore through his body.
As he looked down, he saw it.
Half of his body was gone.
The entire left side had been erased in an instant by Makima's mysterious attack.
"Fuck."
Strangely, Higuruma could still feel pain in the limbs that no longer existed.
Phantom pain.
His body collapsed onto the ground.
Makima silently stared at the corpse.
"..."
Somewhere deep inside her, a faint sense of disappointment bloomed.
As she turned around, preparing to call over an assistant, a strange sensation suddenly washed over her.
"Hm?!"
Makima could feel it.
Her stamina—
No.
Not her stamina.
Her life force was being drained.
That should have been impossible considering her contract with the government.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
The same voice that had been speaking to her less than a minute ago.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
Unknown to both Higuruma and even herself, a small smile appeared on Makima's face.
"Ah, Hiromi-kun. What a delight. I'm glad to see you're alright."
"Tch."
Higuruma clicked his tongue.
"But I am curious, Hiromi-kun. How did you heal?"
Higuruma stared at the red-haired woman.
He had already confirmed it.
This woman was dangerous.
"If I had to guess," Makima continued, "perhaps it's an ability that absorbs your opponent's life force?"
Higuruma's eyes narrowed.
Had she already started figuring out his ability?
"But, Hiromi-kun, I wonder..."
Makima tilted her head slightly.
"Does this ability have an activation condition? Or is it automatic? Perhaps you need to consciously activate it?"
"Let's test that theory."
Once again, Makima raised her hand and formed a finger gun.
"Bang."
Higuruma's body was violently torn apart once more.
This time, however, his head was destroyed as well.
As his corpse hit the floor, Makima felt it again.
That sensation.
Her life force was being drained.
She watched carefully as Higuruma's mangled body began to regenerate.
Flesh, bone, and blood rapidly reconstructed themselves.
Within moments, even his head had completely regrown.
"Hiromi-kun," Makima said with interest, "it seems my theory was wrong."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"But my guess about the effect was spot on."