Chapter 287: Ivankov's Escape
Over the next several days, Sengoku examined the situation from every possible angle, but made little progress.
Although he was known as the Strategist, that title referred to his talent for warfare and large-scale planning, not criminal investigation.
The actual detective work was left to the elite intelligence agents gathered before him.
These were people capable of digging up the entire family history of an obscure animal in five minutes if they were given enough clues.
One intelligence officer studied the reports before him.
"Judging from the focus of Saint Clifford's pupils before death, he witnessed something that shocked him greatly."
"That reaction could have come from the fear of realizing he was about to die, but I think it was more likely caused by the identity of the assailant."
Another agent followed his reasoning.
"What sort of person could produce that reaction?"
"An ordinary-looking attacker probably wouldn't."
"So perhaps the culprit had some unusual characteristic. Exceptional height, unusual age, possibly even a woman. Someone whose appearance would immediately stand out."
A third agent shook his head.
"Considering how carefully every incident was arranged to lure the Celestial Dragons into specific situations, I believe the culprit is more likely to be older."
"Someone with considerable life experience."
"What about motive?"
"Revenge?"
"Revenge doesn't quite fit. The seven victims had no meaningful connection to one another."
"Unless each of them happened to be involved with someone the culprit wanted revenge for."
"Or perhaps the culprit isn't targeting specific individuals at all. Maybe the Celestial Dragons themselves are the target."
Sengoku listened to their speculation without interruption.
Then he asked the only question that mattered.
"So who is the murderer?"
Silence.
The room immediately became awkward.
If they already knew the answer, seven Celestial Dragons would not have died one after another without the perpetrator being caught.
The problem certainly was not a lack of military strength.
Mary Geoise did not contain the entire force of Marine Headquarters, but the combat power stationed here was still terrifying.
The presence of three Admirals alone should have been enough to handle almost any threat.
Yet the killer continued to move unseen.
Sengoku sighed.
He had expected this answer.
One of the intelligence officers finally spoke.
"We haven't identified the murderer, but we did discover another lead."
Sengoku looked toward him.
"What?"
"We detected traces of the Revolutionary Army."
Sengoku's brow furrowed.
"The Revolutionary Army?"
"How certain are you?"
"We haven't deciphered the exact contents of their communications."
The intelligence officer continued carefully.
"But we are extremely familiar with the patterns and methods they use."
"One thing is certain."
"Members of the Revolutionary Army have infiltrated Mary Geoise."
"We don't yet know whether they blended into the Marine forces or hid among the national delegations."
"But if you give us a little more time, we should be able to narrow down their location."
Sengoku's gaze sharpened.
"I want results within one day."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral."
The intelligence officer nodded.
Finding a particular individual among everyone in Mary Geoise would have been difficult.
Locating the general area where Revolutionary Army operatives were hiding was much more manageable.
As expected, their traces were soon uncovered.
The Marines immediately launched a large-scale search.
"Hee-haw!"
Ivankov crashed through the Marine encirclement like a cannonball.
His powerful body slammed into the soldiers ahead, sending several of them staggering aside as he forced open a path.
But these were elites from Marine Headquarters.
Even against an enemy as formidable as Ivankov, none of them panicked.
The formation closed again almost immediately, surrounding him from every direction.
Ivankov frowned.
The soldiers themselves were not his greatest concern.
The real problem was time.
If he remained trapped here for too long, one of the Admirals stationed in the heart of Mary Geoise would arrive.
That was what he truly feared.
"Death Wink!"
Ivankov snapped his eyelid shut at tremendous speed.
Boom!
The compressed force erupted ahead of him.
A cluster of Marines was blasted backward, opening a gap in the encirclement.
Ivankov charged through it at once.
Several soldiers moved to block him.
Needles flashed between his fingers.
Before they could react, Ivankov injected hormones into their bodies.
Their physiques changed immediately.
The Marines around them froze.
Several of their comrades had transformed into women in an instant.
For some of the soldiers, that possibility seemed even more terrifying than being wounded.
Their hesitation created another opening.
Ivankov did not waste it.
He burst through the weakened formation and raced toward the edge of Mary Geoise.
His chosen escape route was not one any normal person would consider.
It was the same sheer cliff he had climbed when Axel brought the Revolutionary Army into the Holy Land.
Compared with the other exits, it offered the only real chance of escape.
If Ivankov tried to leave through a conventional route, he might be able to break through ordinary Marines.
Escaping an Admiral afterward was another matter entirely.
The cliff, which everyone else regarded as certain death, was therefore his best option.
He could strengthen his body with hormones.
His enormous hair could also help slow his descent.
It was desperate.
But desperate was better than impossible.
Ivankov reached the edge.
Just before he jumped, a streak of golden light appeared beside him.
His expression changed immediately.
There was only one person here whose ability produced light like that.
Admiral Kizaru.
According to the Revolutionary Army's intelligence, Borsalino was one of the most troublesome opponents among the Marines.
His overwhelming speed made escape extraordinarily difficult.
Ivankov reacted on instinct.
"Newkama Kenpo!"
He launched the fastest defensive strike he could manage.
Particles of golden light gathered before him and condensed into the tall figure of Kizaru.
The Admiral stood there with his usual crooked expression, one hand resting casually at his side.
Ivankov's attack did not seem to trouble him at all.
Kizaru did not even bother dodging.
His leg flashed with light.
A kick shot toward Ivankov, intended to send him flying straight back into Mary Geoise.
The two attacks collided.
For a fraction of a second, Ivankov's Newkama Kenpo resisted.
Then it was overwhelmed.
The Light Speed Kick broke through with crushing force.
Ivankov's pupils contracted.
At the last possible moment, he drove hormones into his own body.
His broad, muscular frame changed rapidly.
In an instant, his body became far slimmer and narrower.
Kizaru's glowing leg swept past.
The kick grazed Ivankov's side instead of striking him directly.
He had changed his body just enough to make the attack miss.
Ivankov immediately took advantage of the opening.
With remarkable agility, he threw himself over the edge of the Red Line.
His body vanished into the darkness below.
Kizaru turned his head and watched him disappear.
"My, my..."
His lips remained twisted in their usual lazy expression.
"How strange."
It was the first time he had personally seen someone transform from a man into a woman in the middle of combat.
More importantly, that brief exchange had already shown him that Ivankov was no ordinary opponent.
Another troublesome enemy.
Kizaru disliked troublesome people.
They usually created troublesome work.
But jumping from the cliff did not mean Ivankov had escaped.
Kizaru was light.
Light traveled freely through the air.
No ordinary falling speed could ever outrun him.
His body broke apart into countless golden particles.
A beam of light shot downward from the edge of Mary Geoise.
Kizaru descended after Ivankov.
....
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