A sandstorm met the shockwave, colliding and causing another massive explosion. Sword energy surged, slicing through the shockwave, but it also scattered the sword energy in the process.
Although Rosen did not know who the camouflaged woman was, her strength was terrifying, likely not weaker than his own and possibly even stronger. Her sword energy was too fearsome.
Whoosh!
As she sliced through the shockwave, her figure darted forward, sword in hand, closing in on Charles. Rosen, unsure if they were allies or foes, recognized that this was indeed a great opportunity.
After the recent battle, Rosen was certain that it would be difficult to kill Charles alone. Given Charles's superior strength, one misstep could lead to his own death. Now, however, he had a living ally by his side, which made capturing or killing the illusion beast demon Charles the top priority. From its earlier demeanor, it was clear that it had set its sights on him. If there was a chance to eliminate it, it was best to act quickly.
Thus, Rosen charged forward, the Yellow Sand Sword in hand. He leaped to the top of the sandstorm and aimed a strike at Charles, using the storm as a feint to distract him.
Charles noticed their attack and hesitated for a moment, but the assault was already upon him. The woman wielding the sword had reached him, and her sword was instantly enveloped in a high level of powerful Armament Haki. The Haki emanated a black-red hue, exuding a strong bloodthirsty aura.
Clang!
The Demon Hand expanded instantly and became harder, lifting as the long sword struck his palm, creating a blinding spark, with the air charged due to intense friction. The shockwave from their clash was undeniably powerful and overwhelming.
As they stood in a stalemate, Rosen had a sudden realization. His lower body turned to sand, swirling around him as he maneuvered behind Charles, the Yellow Sand Sword wrapped in Haki aiming directly for his nape.
With the sandstorm sweeping indiscriminately in front, Rosen's attack from behind created a pincer movement that alerted Charles to the danger. Both of them were formidable humans; if it were just one of them, it might have been manageable, but with both, significant results were unlikely.
Rumble!
The sandstorm surged downward, engulfing the woman and Charles together, but they were not at risk of dying. At this moment, Rosen couldn't concern himself with the woman's temporary ally status; his only focus was to ensure Charles's death, after which he could calm the sandstorm. Given the woman's power, she would not perish simply due to a sandstorm.
Yellow Sand Absolute Sever! The strike concentrated all power into the sword's tip, rather than a horizontal slash, enhancing its penetration. Rosen was confident he could break through Charles's demonic defenses.
Charles had clearly detected Rosen's maneuvering behind him. Even within the chaos of the sandstorm, he summoned countless mantis arms for defense.
Sizzle! The upright arms shielded his head at incredible speed. Rosen's sword pierced through the overlapping limbs, eventually halting just before Charles's forehead, unable to advance further.
"Damn it, a troublesome guy," Rosen's expression changed as he realized his assassination attempt had failed.
Charles's counterattack was swift; he abandoned the clash with the woman. He allowed the sword she held to pierce through his body before turning, both Demon Hands brewing shockwaves.
With a powerful motion, his hands struck towards Rosen. If hit, Rosen felt he might lose half his life. At this moment, there was no choice but to brace himself; getting close to Charles was inherently dangerous, and he was mentally prepared for it.
Just then, the woman, one hand gripping the sword embedded in Charles, freed her other hand, covered in Haki, and delivered a punch to Charles's back.
She did not aim for his head because to do so required her to leap, and Charles's height would make him aware of that, allowing him to evade. Instead, she aimed to damage his body.
Boom!
Her punch landed on Charles's back, sending him flying and sparing Rosen from taking the hit directly.
Rosen glanced over, only to find the woman's expression calm, devoid of any other emotion, her gaze locked on Charles.
As the two sought to capitalize on their advantage, they saw Charles unleash two even stronger shockwaves, surging towards them. The shockwaves came in a forward and backward wave.
From their perspective, the rear half-circular shockwave appeared higher, creating an illusion of dual waves crashing together.
The double attack was more potent than any previous shockwave. Thus, Rosen and the woman had no choice but to shift from offensive to defensive.
After enduring this attack, Rosen could only hear Charles's furious roar. When he tried to locate him again, Charles had vanished, replaced by a surge of bull-headed demons rushing in.
"Did he run?" Rosen stood in stunned silence. Such a powerful creature had fled?
Although their combined strength was formidable, Charles had not attempted to test them further. Instead, he had called upon the bull-headed demons for backup and escaped.
Charles was not only strong but also cunning.
Sizzle!
The bull-headed demons charged in, clearly modified by Charles, obedient to his command.
Fearless of death, or perhaps seeking it, the Yellow Sand Sword swept through, severing demon heads.
Now, Rosen had greater control and strength, significantly increasing the time he could wield the Yellow Sand Sword.
Meanwhile, the woman swept her long sword, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy over a hundred meters long, clearing a path through the horde of monsters.
Though some did not die, their bodies were severed, making further attacks difficult.
After both had harvested a wave of zombies, more continued to flood in. Rosen tossed the Yellow Sand Sword, which he could no longer maintain, into the mass of corpses.
The condensed yellow sand instantly blossomed into sand spikes, impaling the zombies within a radius of hundreds of meters, pinning them in place…
At that moment, a sense of crisis surged within him. From beside him, Rosen quickly activated his Armament Haki to block. A long sword slashed at him, and in a critical moment, he raised his Haki-imbued arm to intercept.
However, in the hasty defense, Rosen's arm was cut through, piercing his defenses until it reached the bone. If he had been slightly weaker, he would have lost that arm.
To his shock, the attacker was the woman he had considered a potential ally. Rosen did not trust her and remained on guard, even as he had just thrown the Yellow Sand Sword.
"What do you mean?" Rosen kicked out, landing a heavy blow to the woman's abdomen. However, her midsection was covered in Armament Haki; the kick only sent her flying a few meters without causing serious injury, but Rosen's killing intent was evident.
"You should know what I mean, Crocodile, or should I say, one of the Shichibukai." The woman looked coldly at Rosen, her eyes flat yet carrying an air of superiority, as if she were a ruler born to look down upon the masses.
(End of Chapter)