NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

Only cherry blossoms have the composure to restrain themselves and continue to obey someone's commands. If it were Rosanna or Peony, they probably would have plowed up the entire block on the spot.

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

As the distinctive clatter of high-heeled wooden clogs faded into the depths of the alley, the head of the Qingming Society finally met the man hiding in the abandoned food storage room.

A man wearing a metal mask and a Qingming Festival suit.

Without pointless threats, unnecessary questioning, or insincere small talk, Sakura laid bare the unspoken truth the moment she met Phoenix.

"condition."

The lieutenant was extremely satisfied with this; he liked women who were straightforward, decisive, and didn't crave his kidneys.

The man said, "I'll give you the person, but you have to take me across the guard post at the isolation wall."

"Is this why you made me drive here?"

Without giving Phoenix a chance to argue, Sakura directly pointed out someone's awkward situation and regained the initiative that belonged to her.

"You're not from the Outer Edge Zone, are you? You don't even know the power structure of the Outer Edge Zone."

Actually, the Qingming Festival is quite far from here. Even if you don't emphasize the need for driving, I still need to drive here.

However, you emphasized the need for vehicles, and then you emphasized the time constraints.

It's not hard to guess that this is your first time in the Outer Zone, and you've only been here for less than two or three days. You're probably eager to return to the Ark, but you're unable to enter or leave through the regular guard gates due to your illegal status.

Those who can and dare to smuggle themselves into the outer edge of the region almost all have powerful backers and can easily return by using smuggling routes.

But you didn't. From this perspective, you are a member of the minority group visiting the outer perimeter area as an individual.

I'm the head of the Qingming Society. Trust me, based on just these few characteristics alone, I guarantee I can uncover everything about you on the Ark.

"..."

Sakura's reasoned and well-founded deduction successfully silenced Phoenix for five seconds.

hiss--

Isn't this woman a little too clever?

"As expected of the leader, I'll add two more chips then." The lieutenant, whose underwear had almost been pulled down, continued in a low voice:

"The first bargaining chip was that your subordinates were involved in human trafficking behind your back, and they even opened a secret passage. I took care of that for you. Now, this is the only one left for you to deal with."

The second bargaining chip, as far as I know, is that a girl named Claudio Niki is secretly preparing a bomb to blow up the elevator and lure Letcher into attacking the Ark.

How about exchanging two chips for one pass?

"You think that by voluntarily revealing your so-called bargaining chips, I'll give you enough trust?" Upon hearing that someone was trafficking people behind her back, Sakura's expression finally revealed a hint of displeasure unique to those in power.

"The actions of the Qingming Society are judged internally by the Qingming Society itself. It is not the place for an outsider to interfere or to purge the Qingming Society."

As for that Niki named Krau, I will investigate her myself. If she truly intends to sabotage the Ark, I will eliminate her without your intervention.

"Um……"

After hearing the response from the underworld queen in front of him, Phoenix understood why this matter was unlikely to end well tonight.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem.

If negotiations fail, you can resort to force.

Chapter 161 You're Great

"Boss, don't worry about me! This guy killed several of our brothers and has at least thirty fingers."

When the two people present fell silent, Uemura, who was the only one lying on the ground, finally steeled himself and, with a ferocious expression, issued a death-defying warning to his master.

"This guy is a monster, his right hand..."

However, just as the foreman was about to use all his speed to expose Phoenix's secrets, the man beside him not only did not choose to kill him, but instead darted out through the back door of the food storage room and ran away.

They...they escaped?

This scene astonished not only Sakura, but even Uemura, who thought he was doomed, was speechless with shock.

He just... ran away??

"wrong!"

The next second, Sakura suddenly realized something and her expression changed slightly. She didn't care about the extent of her subordinate's injuries. Her figure was like a swallow returning to its nest. She took a few quick steps and chased after him out the door.

If what Uemura said is true, then the man dared to kill thirty or forty adults in one night, so he was not running away at all.

His target is a military jeep!

"They've provoked our Qingming Society time and time again. Do they really think I wouldn't dare to kill someone?!"

The girl who chased after him said that, but she was actually aiming her pistol at the target's calf.

Compared to expending manpower and resources on investigation, interrogating the parties involved is clearly more...

"Master, watch out! Bullets are useless against him!!!"

"?"

Hearing the shout from Uemura inside the house, even the exceptionally intelligent Sakura couldn't immediately understand what her subordinate meant. However, she still trusted that the members of the Seimei-kai family wouldn't betray her when facing an enemy.

Therefore, the girl decisively put down the pistol, reached her left hand to her hip, pulled out the kunai hidden under her kimono, and strode quickly toward the man's back.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta——

A flurry of footsteps, as loud as shuffling a mahjong tile, pounced on Phoenix from behind like a demon.

Get ready! She's too fast!

In fact, Anick didn't even need to remind him; the lieutenant, who had already observed the situation behind him, knew that this fierce battle was unavoidable.

He never expected that a gangster Nikki from the outer district would be faster than most Nikkis in terms of agility with her prosthetic body.

Bang-!

In the blink of an eye! Just as the cherry blossom kunai was about to pierce Phoenix's shoulder blade, the man, who had already thought of a countermeasure, quickly turned to the side, using his metal right shoulder to deflect the attack.

It's a familiar scene, but with a different recipe.

He remembered that Yulsha had done the same thing a few days ago, except that Ms. Shark Tooth was from a regular army and used the instep instead of a kunai.

Why does it seem like every time Niki fights with herself, she's so keen on cutting off her own right hand?

Thinking this to himself, Phoenix didn't hesitate at all. The moment he broke the kunai, he raised his right hand, grabbed Sakura's left arm, and pushed her outward. Then, before she could stop completely, he pulled her sharply, intending to disrupt her balance.

who knew...

Cluck! Cluck la la la la—!!

Sakura, whose center of gravity was indeed disrupted, desperately chose to relax her thighs, her high-heeled clogs scraping against the bedrock, and she immediately did a split accompanied by the sound of tearing fabric.

As she regained her balance, the girl didn't forget to retaliate. With her back to the man, she chose to raise her right elbow and strike Phoenix's thigh.

Clang!

The femur fractured instantly.

Then, in the instant he knelt down on one knee, the lieutenant, who had been unilaterally crushed by Niki in the fight, did not harbor any resentment. At this moment, he was more confused and astonished.

Is this even possible?

Given that Niki's report was far more credible than the tales of the outlaws in the outer region, Phoenix was unlikely to reveal the secret of the nano-right arm to Sakura.

Just now, when he thought the other party was going to shoot, he even instructed Anik to let the nano-metal flow along his skin to his calves as a simple protective layer.

Unless someone intends to kill the other person right here.

But how is this possible?

What a wonderful woman! She's smart, a good fighter, stunningly beautiful, and possesses exceptional management skills—she's practically a legendary all-rounder.

Most importantly, the other person seems to be a celibate type. As long as he keeps his distance, the other person probably won't be tempted by his kidneys for no reason.

If they don't start a business together with me, wouldn't it be a waste of their talents?

But now, it seems like I've messed things up...

……

On the other side, after hearing the sound of bones breaking in her ears, Sakura, knowing she had already succeeded in her attack, thought of getting up and twisting off another arm as a warning. However, the sensation coming from her wrist reminded the girl that something was not quite right.

Why does the other person's right hand feel so hard when they are still wearing the Qingminghui artificial soft leather glove?

A robotic arm? Or a robotic arm on the right arm?

Extracting the key information contained within, Sakura's breath hitched. In recent days, everyone who had been able to communicate with the Ark's aristocratic class had become extremely sensitive to anything related to the "right arm prosthesis."

To test the somewhat absurd idea in her mind, the girl hastily tore open the sleeve of the man kneeling on the ground...

Beneath the suit was a strikingly industrial-looking mechanical prosthetic limb.

"You...you're Lieutenant Phoenix?!"

It was Sakura's slightly surprised words that made Anick stop his killing move.

That's the same killer move that just recently dismantled the cat killer's two arms—the one used to attack Niki.

As for Phoenix, despite his twitching eyelids, his desire to recruit "outsider" Sakura is incredibly strong.