"Doctor, is something wrong with that Lockseed?" the Peach Sister asked from the side.
"That was the very first Lockseed I created when I was working with Takatora's father, but it should only have been a failed prototype," Ryoma said, his eyes sharp.
This Lockseed, like his other creation, the Yomi Lockseed, was a prototype. Anyone who used it was almost certain to be corrupted by Helheim's power and meet a terrible end. It was a hazardous item that inflicted severe damage to the human body. However, while the Yomi Lockseed was still in his possession, the Forbidden Apple Lockseed had gone missing.
Ryoma watched Raven's next move with extreme anticipation.
"Ringo Arms!"
As Raven pressed the Lockseed switch, a giant Apple descended. He instantly switched to the Apple Armor form. A red-and-white Rider, wielding an Apple Shield and a sword, appeared before everyone.
The Yggdrasill staff were all stunned. They had seen many other Fruit Lockseeds, but this was the first time they had ever seen an Apple Lockseed!
"An Apple Lockseed?" Takatora was greatly shocked to see the complete Apple Armor form. He didn't recall developing such a Lockseed. Did this happen before I took over this work?
Nevertheless, he spoke to Raven: "No matter what Lockseed you use, I won't allow you to leave here with that Driver today!"
The surrounding Kurokage Troopers, weapons in hand, lined up beside him.
"None of you move yet." Takatora had his pride; he didn't intend to fight unfairly just yet.
"I suggest you have them all come at once. Otherwise, I can finish you in three moves, tops." Raven drew the Sword Bringer from the Apple Reflector Shield. A strange sense of danger immediately emanated from him.
"Enough talk!" Takatora, one hand holding his shield and the other his sword, immediately slashed at Raven again.
Clang!
As a flash of blade and sword light crossed, the Musou Saber instantly shattered! Even the Melon Shield was pulverized! Raven then lightning-fast swung his sword again, delivering a clean upward slash to Zangetsu's body.
Sizzle—!
A massive crack appeared on Zangetsu's armor. Sparks flew from the damaged section. The immense damage caused Takatora's consciousness to blur. His vision swam.
How could it be... The gap is this huge? This was his final thought.
"Chief!"
Everyone's eyes widened, their expressions frozen as they watched Zangetsu fly backward.
"Is this the true power of that Lockseed?" In the lab, the Peach Sister was completely stunned. Did Raven, using the Apple Lockseed, really just take out the Chief in less than three moves?
"No... it can't be that simple." As the creator, Ryoma felt the power Raven had just displayed was simply too astonishing. Logically, using such immense power should come at a price—namely, corrosion by Helheim. Yet, there was no sign of that happening to Raven.
"What a pity. You couldn't even withstand the third move." Raven said calmly, looking at Takatora, who had been forcibly ejected from his transformation in the distance.
"Chief!"
"Quick, arrange an ambulance!" Several Kurokage Troopers rushed forward to check his injuries.
Takatora now had a shocking wound on his chest. Without immediate medical attention, his life would be in danger.
"Everyone attack together! Don't be afraid of him!"
After Takatora was safely evacuated, the remaining Kurokage Troopers immediately charged Raven. However, Raven was completely unfazed by the mass-produced Kurokage Troopers who surrounded him from all sides, wielding spears.
He pressed the Cutting Blade twice in succession. The Sword Bringer in his hand instantly charged up, and Raven slashed forward.
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped, apple-petal sword wave swept out, striking all the Kurokage Troopers in front, shattering their armor. He immediately followed up with a slash behind him.
Boom!
The remaining Kurokage Troopers met the same fate. They were caught in the wide-ranging attack! Almost none could withstand it; they all fell.
"He's terrifying..." The Yggdrasill staff were all shaken by the absolute power Raven displayed. They were clearly not on the same level.
After eliminating all targets, Raven didn't immediately deactivate his transformation but began walking toward the Yggdrasill base camp.
"He... he's coming!"
"Quick! Close the entrance rift!" someone screamed urgently.
Several staff members immediately pressed a button, and the giant rift closed.
"Did you think that would be the end of it?" Raven used the power of the Forbidden Apple Lockseed to forcibly rip open a new rift in front of him, leading directly into the Yggdrasill Tower interior.
Seeing the closed rift suddenly reopen, everyone was too terrified to speak. They wanted to flee, but the oppressive aura held them immobile.
Raven simply walked in and calmly scanned the faces of the terrified people. Then, he slightly looked up at the security camera above, as if he knew Ryoma Sengoku was watching him.
In the lab, Ryoma was shaking with excitement, biting his finger.
"This is astounding! He can completely master the power of that Lockseed..."
Even through the screen, the Peach Sister was captivated by Raven's unstoppable presence. What kind of man is he, capable of crushing Yggdrasill single-handedly?
"What are you panicking about? I'm not a murderer." Raven found the staff's terrified state amusing. "I just wanted to borrow a path."
Raven then deactivated his transformation, revealing his handsome, harmless-looking young face.
This shocked the Yggdrasill staff. The person under the armor is so young? Some of the younger female researchers were even mesmerized, despite having been terrified moments ago.