"I am a high-ranking officer in the Underworld Mafia!"
"I am one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"How could I fear a mere kid?"
Yet, Greed couldn't help but notice that Ron's aura was now entirely different from before.
Greed concentrated his aura around his eyes.
The intense aura surrounding Ron.
"This… how is this possible?"
In utter disbelief, Greed realized that Ron's aura was even greater than his own.
How could a boy barely in his teens possess more aura than himself?
Just what kind of talent did Ron have?
And what was his true strength?
If he was this powerful, why had he hidden it until now?
"Dead? Impossible! Who could have killed Senior Dandins?"
"Greed, you already know the answer, don't you?"
Ron spoke calmly, "Dandins tried to kill me, so I had no choice but to take him out."
"I was forced to do it."
"Just like you're forcing my hand now, Greed."
"You want me dead, so I had to lure you here… to kill you."
As Ron stepped forward, Greed unconsciously took a step back.
"That message… you sent it?"
Greed gritted his teeth.
"Ron, you've misunderstood me! I never intended to kill you; there must be some mistake. Dandins… it was all his fault. I just asked him to look after you for a while."
"What did he try to do to you?"
"Ron, you must believe me!"
"How could I ever mean you harm?"
"If I wanted to hurt you, would I have brought you to Aurean?"
"I saw in you a reflection of my younger self; I admire you greatly."
"I intended to mentor you."
"Once I join the Shadow Beast, I planned to make you one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
Greed quickly analyzed the situation.
Judging by Ron's words, there was a high likelihood they were true.
Ron had killed him in self-defence.
For Ron to have defeated Dandins, his true strength must be formidable.
Could he still hope to defeat Ron?
Greed couldn't be sure of his chances.
So his best option now seemed to be avoiding a fight.
With Dandins gone, the experiment was now impossible.
Though disappointed he wouldn't gain the power boost, the situation called for minimizing losses.
If he fought Ron and lost, he would die for certain, Ron didn't seem like one to spare his enemies.
Greed wasn't ready to face death!
Even winning the fight would yield no benefit.
As for the potential threat of Ron seeking revenge in the future, Greed could always gather the other members of the Seven Deadly Sins or even the Shadow Beast to deal with him once they left Lab 2.
Exposing Dandins's death by Ron's hands would suffice.
Right now, fighting Ron was the worst possible choice.
"Greed, do you think I'd actually believe you?"
"I overheard every word of your conversation with Dandins."
"You planned to use me as experimental material in a special procedure that would increase your power, helping you compete for a position in the Shadow Beast."
"This was your idea."
"And I was brought into this experiment based on your orders."
"Between you and Dandins, Greed, it's clear who the real mastermind is, isn't it?"
"For Dandins, any test subject would have sufficed."
"But for you, I was the only suitable candidate."
Greed's face darkened.
"Did Dandins tell you all this?"
"I never said any of that."
"Dandins must have deceived you to save himself, throwing all the blame onto me."
"Ron, you have to believe me!"
"No, Dandins didn't tell me. I heard it all through other means."
"So, Greed, there's no point in lying."
"Gluttony? I killed him."
"Sloth? I killed her."
Greed's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on Ron with a mixture of disbelief and dread. His face grew darker, almost stormy.
"Ron… so you're determined to kill me, is that it?"
"Are you really so certain you can defeat me?"
"I'm not like the others."
"If you stop now, I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
"I'll even cover up Dandins's death for you."
"Otherwise, how do you plan to leave Aurean?"
"Greed, you overestimate yourself."
"If I could take down both Gluttony and Sloth in a two-on-one fight, what makes you think I can't handle you?"
"Even Shadow Beast member you revere so much. When I met them, I found they weren't all that impressive. I was disappointed to be honest"
"As for hiding Dandins's death, who gave you the authority to do that?"
"And, Greed, think with that not-so-clever head of yours… if I weren't absolutely confident, do you think I'd be saying any of this?"
"Today, there won't be any surprises."
Two figures stepped out of the shadows.
Ron, Killer Queen, and Hanma Baki each took a position, enclosing Greed from three different directions.
Greed was surrounded.
"Egg of the Parasitic Bone!"
Ron, Hanma Baki, and Killer Queen simultaneously launched their attack on Greed.
Greed now faced a coordinated onslaught from three opponents, each more powerful than himself.
Survival was impossible.
A ghostly light fell upon Greed's body.
Countless insect eggs appeared, absorbing his aura, causing his planned ability to stall.
Then came Killer Queen's strike.
Part of Greed's body disintegrated in a massive explosion.
And it was a vital area.
Hanma Baki landed a direct blow on Greed's body.
The force was so immense that it nearly split Greed in half.
Even as Baki withdrew, Greed's body continued to hurtle backwards.
He collided heavily against a wall dozens of meters away, finally coming to a stop.
A deep dent marked the wall.
Blood splattered, pooling on the ground.
Ron approached Greed, step by step.
Greed mustered all his strength to look up.
But he knew he wouldn't survive this.
He had sustained a fatal wound.
No one could save him now.
A surge of deep regret washed over him.
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