The Next Opponent

Seeing that Bai He’an remained motionless, Ran Jiuyi urged her impatiently, “Choose quickly, or I’ll do exactly what I said and subject them both to it.”

Hearing the pressure, Bai He’an desperately tried to roll her eyes up and down as she had planned. However, she found she couldn’t. No matter how hard she struggled, her eyes remained fixed on Ran Jiuyi, unable to move a fraction of a millimeter.

Did Ran Jiuyi drain my life force specifically to paralyze my eyes?

No—Bai He’an dismissed the thought. Ran Jiuyi wouldn’t do that. That would be equivalent to making the choice for her, which would strip the act of any meaning for the torturer.

Excluding interference from Ran Jiuyi, the remaining answer was obvious: Bai He’an’s own body was rejecting her plan.

Though she intended to take all the pain for her friends, deep in her heart, she had already been defeated by the horror in Ran Jiuyi’s words. The sheer fear of the punishment prevented her from making the decision.

Why won’t I move? Hurry up! Move, damn it! Bai He’an screamed internally.

Yet, no matter what resolve she reached in her mind, her body and subconscious stood in firm, terrified defiance.

“Why is making a decision so much trouble for you? I’ll give you five last seconds. Five, four…”

Ran Jiuyi’s voice rang in her ear.

“Two, one. It seems you want them both to experience the skinning. Fine by me. Once I’m done with them, I’ll skin you, too.”

Bai He’an closed her eyes in despair. She realized that until the very last second, she had failed to find her resolve, succumbing entirely to her fear of Ran Jiuyi.

Looking at Bai He’an’s look of resignation, Ran Jiuyi shook her head. This won’t do.

She checked the other two Magical Girls. They, too, were scared out of their wits.

Ran Jiuyi calculated her next move. The act has gone far enough. Now I just need a suitable way to make an exit. How should I do it?

Just as she was pondering a way to leave, the roar of an engine reached her ears. Looking up, a familiar car was driving toward her position.

It was Meng Shan. Perfect timing—there was her exit strategy.

“Good grief, someone’s coming to interrupt at a time like this,” Ran Jiuyi muttered, feigning annoyance. “Wait here. Once I’ve settled the trouble nearby, I’ll come back and deal with you three slowly.”

With that, Ran Jiuyi ramped up the life force absorption. Within moments, the trio slipped into unconsciousness due to excessive drain.

When Meng Shan arrived, he found the three girls fainted on the ground, the “John Doe” woman with her neck snapped in the distance, and Ran Jiuyi standing by the trio, waiting for him.

Ran Jiuyi was still in her transformed state. As Meng Shan stepped out of the car, she greeted him: “Hello. You timed that well. A little later and I would have started skinning these three.”

“I look away for one second and you guys create a massive mess,” Meng Shan said, exasperated. “How are they?”

“Just fainted. They’ll be fine after two or three days of rest.”

Meng Shan hurriedly checked the girls. Confirming they were merely unconscious, he let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened here? And what’s the story with the naked woman over there with her neck twisted 180 degrees and clearly riddled with machine-gun fire?”

During the battle, Bai He’an had maintained a wide area of suppressive fire; Cheng Ya’s corpse had been caught in the crossfire and was now essentially a heap of shredded meat.

“It’s complicated.”

“Then tell me slowly.”

Just as Ran Jiuyi was about to explain, the “dead” Cheng Ya stood up again. Her wounds began to knit together at a staggering speed. In just over ten seconds, every part of her body was restored except for her neck, which was still facing the wrong way.

Under the watchful eyes of Ran Jiuyi and Meng Shan, a sharp crack echoed as Cheng Ya twisted her neck back into place. She tilted it left and right to test the fit before speaking:

“It seems your business over there is finished. Now, shall we talk again?”

Meng Shan shot a look at Ran Jiuyi. “A friend of yours?”

Ran Jiuyi rolled her eyes. “How could this possibly be a friend of mine? Do I look like the type of person who hangs out with perverts like that?”

Meng Shan looked Ran Jiuyi’s transformed figure up and down. “Actually, you look exactly like the type.”

“Fine, I can’t argue with that.” Ran Jiuyi’s expression turned solemn. “Listen, that woman calls herself Cheng Ya.”

“Take these three and get out of here, as far as possible. I need to talk to her alone. Based on that regeneration speed, I can tell she isn’t someone who can be handled easily.”

“If a fight breaks out, I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.”

Hearing her grave tone, Meng Shan realized the severity of the situation. If a top-tier combatant like Ran Jiuyi wasn’t confident, he and the “Three Little Ones” would only be a hindrance.

Meng Shan and Ran Jiuyi quickly loaded the three girls into the car.

Before leaving, Meng Shan asked, “Is there anything else I need to do?”

“Hmm…” Ran Jiuyi thought for a moment. “Prepare plenty of food today. The more the better. They’ll be starving when they wake up. Also, don’t let anyone else near this place.”

“Understood.” Meng Shan nodded. “Be careful.”

“I’ll take the blessing.”

Once Meng Shan drove off, Cheng Ya stepped toward Ran Jiuyi. “Is your business done? Can we talk now?”

“I already finished talking to you earlier. There’s nothing left to say,” Ran Jiuyi said bluntly. “And put some clothes on. Running around naked like this… have you no shame?”

Cheng Ya pointed to where her clothes used to be; only a few scraps of cloth remained. “I’d love to, but your little friends made such a ruckus they shredded my outfit. It’s unwearable.”

“Besides, there’s no need for clothes.” Cheng Ya scanned the perimeter, confirming they were alone. “Let’s have a fight.”

Ran Jiuyi was puzzled. “What are you playing at? Why the sudden urge to fight?”

The corners of Cheng Ya’s mouth curled up. “Your abilities, your combat style, and the way you threatened those three… it all fascinates me.”

“To be precise, it excites me. Based on your tone, those threats were based on pain you’ve experienced yourself, weren’t they? How wonderful. In my spare time, I quite enjoy peeling my own flesh off bit by bit, or finding creative ways to self-mutilate.”

“You see, we have such similar backgrounds. Why not have a good fight to deepen our bond?”

Even with that level of injury, she was still gathering information? Ran Jiuyi assessed the threat. Combined with that insane regeneration, even blowing her head off might not work.

This is going to be a war of attrition. What a pain.

Furthermore, based on what Cheng Ya just said, she was likely a mentally unhinged deviant. Ran Jiuyi had no desire to fight someone like that.

“Why should I fight you?” Ran Jiuyi asked. “What’s in it for me, other than a bunch of injuries?”

Cheng Ya thought for a moment. “How about the fact that it will hurt both of us very much? Does that count?”

Ran Jiuyi remained silent, staring at her with a look reserved for the mentally disabled.

“Oh, you don’t like pain? Fine.” Cheng Ya thought again. “You don’t seem to care for money or power. In that case, I’ll go back and do some research, then prepare a ‘mystery gift’ for you.”

“…Are you treating me like a child?”

Cheng Ya shook her head. “No, no. I promise the contents of the gift will be exactly what you want. So, can we fight now?”

“Suit yourself. If you’re hell-bent on fighting, I can’t stop you.”

Claw-like gauntlets materialized on Ran Jiuyi’s hands. Because this weapon easily caused fatal injuries, she rarely used it.

“I’ll fight you, but let’s get one thing straight: if you die, don’t blame me.”

“I’ll try to hold back, but because of your regeneration, I can’t guarantee I won’t strike a vital spot, nor can I judge at what point you’ll stop regenerating.”

“So, if you’re about to die, let me know.”

Cheng Ya laughed. “You’re quite kind. Don’t worry. Attack however you like—crush my head, rip out my spine—I won’t die.”

“My regenerative power is far beyond what you imagine. I’ve tested myself; I know my limits.”

“But as for you… don’t be too confident. I am much stronger than you think.”

“Is that so?” Ran Jiuyi took her stance. “You don’t think I was using my full power just now, do you?”

“Of course not. If you were only at that level, the Research Institute wouldn’t have bothered to hire you for commissions,” Cheng Ya said. “But talk is cheap. Let’s let our hands do the talking.”

The words had barely left her mouth when Cheng Ya moved.

She lunged at Ran Jiuyi, throwing a heavy punch straight at her face.

But such a straightforward attack was far too insulting to Ran Jiuyi, especially since she was already in a combat stance.

With a flick of her left claw, Ran Jiuyi shredded Cheng Ya’s incoming right hand into chunks.

Capitalizing on the opening, Ran Jiuyi’s right claw drove straight through Cheng Ya’s chest.

Judging by the feel of the impact and the spray of blood, the strike had torn Cheng Ya’s heart to pieces.

But it didn’t stop her. Ignoring the wound, Cheng Ya lunged forward, using the hole in her chest to trap Ran Jiuyi’s left arm in a death grip.

Then, her left fist slammed into Ran Jiuyi’s face. The brute force of the blow sent Ran Jiuyi flying dozens of meters.