"So that's why you killed everyone in the kingdom?" Kuro asked.

"If it were you, and someone important to you died in such a foolish way, what would you do?" Rice countered.

Kuro thought for a moment and said honestly, "Probably the same as you."

"Then why did you say you were taking your anger out on someone else?"

Rice was clearly taken aback. He had considered all sorts of answers, but he never expected the navy officer to say that.

That's because...

laugh!

A spray of blood splattered from Rice's body, and Kuro appeared behind him, flicking his blade.

"I'm a hypocrite."

"Forehead..."

Rice fell down, his black hood billowing up to reveal a pale but handsome face. He looked to be no more than forty, not old at all; in fact, he looked somewhat youthful, like a boy next door.

"All these years, you've only focused on developing your abilities, haven't you? You haven't trained your body at all," Kuro said, glancing back at him.

In fact, he completely abandoned his physical body. In Kuro's experience, he had absolutely no combat experience and was pitifully weak.

"Forehead..."

Rice reached out and wiped the blood from his chest, his expression calm.

It seemed as if he had foreseen his own death long ago.

He just stared blankly at the sky, a smile appearing on his lips:

"What's the use? You can't stop me. Everyone here is dead."

"Kuro!"

The warship then began to move in this direction, and Lida waved frantically at him.

Rice turned his head, his pupils shrinking, "Nello..."

On the deck, the crazy old man, laughing and crying, came into Rice's view.

Upon seeing this person, his gaze drifted away, as if recalling some distant memory.

"Thank you for saving me, but... my parents and family are all gone, and I don't want to live anymore."

"Don't give up hope. The future has just begun. It's a perfectly good life. Don't talk about death so easily."

...

"Wow, Lisala, you saved so many people, you're amazing!"

"Rice, you helped me too, thank you, you're such a good person."

...

"Lisala, so you're a doctor? Speaking of which, what is a doctor?"

"Being a doctor is a profession; it involves healing and saving lives through herbal medicine."

"Oh, you seem to be similar to the priest. Wait, so you're a female priest? There are no female priests in the Kingdom of Tada! That's illegal. But you're a good person, you wouldn't do anything illegal, would you?"

"Hehehe, Rice, you're so cute."

...

"Rice, what kind of person do you want to become when you grow up?"

"Me? I want to set sail. I've heard that there are many interesting things on the sea, and I want to record them all and compile them into a book."

"That's really amazing, much better than me."

"No...no, Lisala is the amazing one! I...I love Lisala the most!"

"Rice? Why are you running, Rice!"

...

"Lisala, recently the Pope has started spreading rumors that you are a heretic. You should leave quickly, I'm a little worried about you."

"I won't leave until I've cured the patient."

"Lisala... okay, I'll protect you!"

...

"Lisala!!! Let me go, Gugas, let me go! You also benefited from Lisala's kindness; she healed your wife and daughter!"

“Shut up, Rice! Going up there is just suicide. His Holiness the Pope said she is a witch, and everything is beyond repair. I am grateful to Lissara for saving my wife and daughter, but I still want to live here. No one can defy His Holiness the Pope.”

"You're insane! You're all insane! It was clearly her who cured our illnesses, what does it have to do with the Pope or the Church! Nilo, you bastard, throw away the torch!"

“Don’t cry, Rice. I’m just a lucky person who happens to be able to treat this plague by playing with herbs. In my country, I’m a quack doctor who is not qualified to save people. I’m already very satisfied that I can save people in this country.”

"Thank you so much for your company during this time, Rice. Keep striving to achieve your dreams."

...

The scene shifts, and the innocent, dream-filled boy from our memories is gone. In his place is a dark boy who, after sailing across the sea, obtained the fruit and returned home, begins to write curses.

From that day onward, the sun never rose in the heart of the Kingdom of Tada.

"Lisala..."

He laboriously moved his hands and pulled a book from his pocket. "Sorry, I'll have to wait a bit before I can see you."

A dangerous aura emanated from him.

"Um?"

Kuro narrowed his eyes, about to finish the man off with a single strike, when suddenly a scorching heat came from behind him. He flipped his blade and slashed backward.

Bang!

The blade of the black knife got stuck at the back.

It was a black-haired monster with wings on its back, long and thin limbs, and a decoration on its head that resembled a religious crown, which was integrated with its face and highlighted its four eyes.

Like a big fly.

Autumn water was stuck inside its body.

The giant fly let out a strange roar, and something that looked like a hand reached out to hug him.

"Slice the Waves".

A golden slash emerged from the blade, cleaving the giant fly in two with a single blow.

"Yet another being that is not fire."

Kuro flicked Shusui, shaking off the strange fluid on the blade. This fly-like thing had actually been cut by Shusui.

boom!

A suction force emanated from behind him, and the fly monster that he had just cut in two flew over directly, its broken body bypassing Kuro and arriving behind him.

Kuro turned his head and saw that a large hole had been torn open where Rice had been lying, and Rice had disappeared into the huge palace. At the same time, a large number of fire monsters gathered from all directions and broke into the palace.

Kuro raised an eyebrow, picked up the book he had left behind, opened it, glanced at it, and immediately gasped, "That's outrageous?"

"The third chapter, the day of atonement has come, and all sins will gather in my body to become the final judgment."

The content of this book, coupled with all those monsters rushing in, makes it obvious that this thing is playing a combination game.

It's very similar to Moria's 'Shadow Collection'.

and...

Kuro looked down and saw countless fire monsters rushing past. This person was simply reckless. Even Moria only absorbed the shadows of a thousand people, and this number must be tens of thousands.

"Shishiwei·Royal Palace Scroll."

Kuro clenched his fist, and the palace began to shatter from its center, splitting into individual islands that broke off from the land and were then flipped over and crashed into the sea.

"You may not care about your life, but I do. If I really let you absorb tens of thousands, even the Four Emperors would have to temporarily retreat," Kuro said calmly.

However, it's unknown how many seconds Rice could last at that level.