The banquet hall was no longer a place of celebration; it had become a battlefield of smoke, debris, and fractured spirits. Kai stood firm, his hand still glowing with the stolen orange essence of Mr. 5's explosive power.
Beside him, Silas stepped out of the shadows, his pipe gripped between his teeth, eyes narrowed with a cold, veteran intensity.
"You take the bird, I'll take the bomber," Silas grunted, his hand resting on the hilt of his heavy cutlass.
High above, Miss Valentine let out a shrill, piercing laugh. She adjusted her yellow umbrella, her body suddenly becoming light as a feather. "You think you can touch me? I am the queen of the skies here! 10,000 Kilos!"
Suddenly, her weight shifted. The air itself seemed to groan as she plummeted toward Silas like a falling meteor.
[Warning: Massive Kinetic Force detected!]
[Target: Miss Valentine.]
[Action: Deploying Soul Barrier...]
"Not today," Kai whispered. He didn't wait for her to land. He channeled 10 Soul Coins into his [Soul Blade Projection], but instead of a dagger, he formed a wide, shimmering net of violet energy in the air above Silas.
CRASH!
The impact between Miss Valentine's 10,000-kilo form and Kai's soul-net sent a shockwave through the floorboards, shattering the nearby tables into splinters. The violet net stretched dangerously, turning a deep crimson as it struggled to hold the weight.
[Ding! Soul Barrier Integrity: 42%.]
[System Notice: Kinetic energy is being converted into Soul Coins...]
[+5 Soul Coins gained from impact.]
"What is this?! My weight is being... absorbed?" Miss Valentine gasped, her face turning pale as she felt her spiritual energy leaking into the net.
Kai's golden eyes flared with a predatory light. "In this shop, everything has a price, even your momentum. Silas, now!"
Silas moved with a speed that belied his age. In one fluid motion, he drew his blade, which was now infused with a faint emerald glow provided by Kai's [Youthful Resonance]. He didn't strike to kill; he struck the air beneath Miss Valentine, creating a vacuum of soul-pressure that sent her spinning out of control.
[Combo Move Identified: Emerald Gale.]
[Effect: Target Disoriented | Soul Shield Fractured.]
Mr. 5, still reeling from Kai's previous [Soul Siphon], tried to crawl toward his partner, his fingers trembling. "You... you monsters... Baroque Works will never let you leave this island alive..."
Kai walked toward them, his shadow stretching long and dark across the ruined floor. "Baroque Works sees you as numbers. I see you as inventory. Tell me, Mr. 5... if I take your soul now, will Crocodile even remember your name tomorrow?"
The mention of 'Crocodile' sent a wave of pure terror through the officer agents. Their souls, once arrogant and silver, were now flickering like dying candles in a storm.