Michael acted with lightning speed, incredibly swift, his gun skills and strength almost perfectly integrated, striking directly at Kaido's chest.
Bang!!
A large blast of air exploded, scattering the debris on the ground.
However, the scene Michael anticipated did not occur; the ecstasy on his face abruptly transformed into confusion, bewilderment... and horror!
Crack, crack, crack!!
A large hand shattered Michael's long gun into several pieces, which clattered to the ground.
Before Michael could react, Kaido casually smacked him, sending him flying to splat against the palace wall, blood gushing.
Kaido emerged from the dust.
Arrogant, wild, sinister.
"It seems they're ready for war..."
Kaido stepped over the scattered debris, his footsteps firm and resonant: "Wald, prepare to take over and enslave this country!"
"No problem, Kaido!"
Wald laughed maniacally, punching through the floor, then gripping the edges with both hands and lifting it: "Take this!! Seventy-fold Stone Bullet!!"
Wald hurled the stone slab, and the moment it left his hands, it instantly expanded seventyfold, covering more than half of the palace!
Like a meteor!!
"Protect the King!"
Seeing the giant rock bearing down, General Sander roared, drawing his longsword, intending to cleave the boulder.
But it was useless!
Compared to the hundreds-of-meters-wide boulder, his sword technique was tiny and powerless!
The royal family immediately scattered, colliding with each other as the massive rock ominously plummeted.
With a thunderous crash, it demolished the Royal City!!
The resulting air blast blew off the King's crown.
His silver hair fell loose, the King's breath was weak, his lips trembling, and he shakily looked back.
His pupils contracted sharply.
The once majestic Royal City, like a fortress of bronze and iron, had been reduced to dust, a ruined inferno, with more than half of the royal family crushed into a pulp beneath the giant rock.
Scattered limbs were everywhere, blood painted the streets, and the collapsed Royal City had buried countless fleeing citizens and soldiers.
Grey slumped to the ground, shocked and terrified, for a moment he even forgot to breathe.
The King's face was pale, and he closed his eyes in despair, watching Kaido and Wald steadily approach.
But Kaido did not kill the King; instead, he bent down and leaned close to his ear, saying, "Don't be in such a hurry to die, King of Jaltsburg. If you don't want Jaltsburg to become history, then obediently do as I command. The lives of hundreds of thousands of Jaltsburg's citizens are all in your hands."
Kaido's words, like a devil's whisper, echoed in the King's ear: "You wouldn't want your remaining children to be buried with you, would you?"
The King stared at Kaido, lost in thought.
Kaido lightly patted the King's shoulder and said, "Have your Bullets come to see me!"
Wald sneered, looking mockingly at the King and Grey.
The King's lips quivered, his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and finally, he opened his mouth and slowly said, "Grey, go bring the youth soldiers."
Grey was still shaken, and it wasn't until the King reprimanded him again that he glanced at Wald in terror, then quickly got up and rushed towards the youth soldiers' camp.
Meanwhile, in the camp.
When the giant dragon emerged from the thunderclouds and roared, the youth soldiers had already run out of their tents, curiously peering out.
Then they saw buildings toppling and flames wildly spreading between the streets and structures.
Next, a meteor fell, a violent explosion came from the Royal City, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.
The youth soldiers nervously watched the distance, and just then, Captain Grey rushed in, flustered.
"Assemble immediately, and follow me to the Royal City!"
The Royal City?
Didn't the Royal City get destroyed?
Although the youth soldiers were puzzled, they still got dressed and lined up.
Under Grey's leadership, they headed to the Royal City.
The Royal City here had already turned into ruins, the smoke of battle not yet dispersed, and the King sat expressionlessly on the stone steps, his hair disheveled.
The youth soldiers were stunned; it was the first time they had seen the King with such an expression.
Then they all simultaneously focused their gaze on Kaido and Wald.
Kaido's gaze deepened, his devil-like eyes scaring the youth soldiers so much that they dared not meet his gaze, hastily looking away.
However, only Number Nine looked at Kaido with anticipation, a hint of defiance, completely unafraid.
Kaido burst into laughter, then abruptly stood up, his massive figure casting a shadow that engulfed the youth soldiers.
"You brats, your lives are mine now!!"
"Wh-what? We are the glory of Jaltsburg, the sharp swords in Captain Grey's hands, we, we won't serve you!!"
A youth soldier, realizing belatedly, for a moment forgot his fear and shouted out the consciousness instilled in him daily.
"Hmm?"
Kaido's face turned cold, and he glared at the youth, who was immediately blown away by an invisible force.
So, so strong!!
All the youth soldiers immediately clamped their mouths shut.
"I will choose the strongest warrior among you to conquer this world with me. The victor will enjoy glory, wealth, violence, and power."
"One minute from now, the free-for-all begins, until the last person standing on the field is the warrior I want - there can only be one Bullet!"
As his words fell, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
The youth soldiers' eyes burned with fervor, all wanting to contend for the glory of being the strongest warrior.
Then, they unanimously set their sights on Number Nine first.
On the path to becoming the strongest warrior, Number Nine was definitely the biggest obstacle!
Even without a verbal suggestion, at this moment, dealing with Number Nine first became everyone's consensus!
"Hmph, planning to deal with me first, are you?"
Number Nine gave a sinister smile, scanning the nearly hundred youth soldiers who subtly surrounded him, his fists cracking: "Come at me all at once!!"
Immediately, nearly a hundred youth soldiers charged towards Number Nine.
Number Nine was unfazed, swinging his fists, fearlessly confronting these former "companions"!
These youth soldiers had undergone rigorous training, were agile, and their moves were vicious, making them more troublesome than ordinary soldiers.
Facing the surging crowd, Number Nine's eyes held nothing but a surging fighting spirit and a yearning for "glory"!
Half an hour later, Number Nine was breathing heavily, standing atop a pile of people, his face splattered with blood, eyes bruised, and several wounds on his body.
But he still stood tall, like a species at the top of the food chain, letting out a victor's roar towards the sky.
"I won!!"
Number Nine looked intently at Kaido, who was slowly approaching his line of sight.
"Well done... From now on, you are my only Bullet - Bullet."
"Bullet..."
Bullet mumbled twice, then collapsed from exhaustion.
Wald looked at the youth lying on the pile of people and sighed, "I didn't expect such a powerful kid to exist in a kingdom like this."
Wald wondered if he himself, at the same age as the youth Bullet, would have been brutally beaten.
The potential and terrifying strength the youth displayed might make him another "Kaido" in the future.
Wald suddenly felt a sense of crisis and urgency.
It seems he needed to train harder, otherwise, he would become a drag on the entire team later, and then where would he put his old face?