Chapter 133: The Escape

The atmosphere reached a stalemate. The four members of the Special Alliance were hesitant, wary of the consequences, and merely circled Xie Liu and his companions without daring to strike.

A precarious balance had been struck, with no one willing to make the first move. However, Xie Liu knew that the Special Alliance cared little for the lives of their own; if they couldn't find a better solution, they would eventually charge in regardless of the hostages.

The one these special operatives feared most was, in fact, Xie Liu. It was not for any other reason than the insignia of the Hunting Squad's direct unit on his chest. Within the military ranks of the Special Alliance, the direct units of the Hunting Squad were legendary.

To date, nearly half of all the soldiers and special operatives lost by the Special Alliance had fallen at the hands of these specialized hunting squads. Though few in number, they were immensely powerful. Even though Xie Liu appeared alone, no one dared to underestimate him—this was the formidable reputation built by the direct units over decades.

"Damn it, how is a member of the Hunting Squad here?" the operatives cursed. They were mostly C-rank or D-rank, common enough within the Alliance, whereas Xie Liu was one of the most outstanding warriors in the Fantasy City.

"Call Lord B107 immediately! A direct-unit hunter has appeared; we cannot handle this." Dealing with a direct unit usually required a B-rank operative. Yet, there were fewer than three hundred such individuals in the entire Alliance, and even fewer who had infiltrated the Fantasy City's territory. They immediately thought of the B-rank operative overseeing this sector.

Xie Liu understood their intentions. He tilted his long blade, appearing as if he were about to decapitate the large man he held captive. "I don't have time for your drivel. If you want this guy to live, clear a path for us."

The operatives, however, did not seem to buy into the threat. One of them sneered, "Go ahead and cut his head off. That way, we won't have to waste any more time talking to you."

"Oh?"

Xie Liu raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected them to be unmoved by his threat, which complicated matters. Still, they hadn't completely slammed the door shut; the fact that they hadn't launched an all-out assault was proof enough that there was room for negotiation. He spoke immediately: "I'll skip the small talk. How about a trade?"

"Speak," said the leader, a young man who did not look particularly muscular. His hand rested on the lightsaber at his waist; should Xie Liu make the slightest suspicious move, his blade would strike.

Xie Liu took a closer look at the man. He was young, but his gaze was incredibly steady. Compared to the eager posture of the other three, this one was clearly much more composed. Even after answering Xie Liu, his eyes flickered toward a distant rooftop; he had clearly spotted the Allied Task Force hiding there.

This one was no ordinary man.

Xie Liu grew vigilant. He had encountered many opponents from the Special Alliance, including Ace, and his impression of them was always that they were strong in brawn but easy to trick. This man was completely different; his composure gave Xie Liu a very bad feeling.

Even so, the negotiation had to continue. Xie Liu knew that since the enemy had discovered the ambushing Allied Task Force, they would not attack lightly. With that thought, he spoke.

"I know that for this objective, losing a few lives doesn't matter to you. So, expecting you to just let us go is unrealistic. Let's compromise."

"What kind of compromise?" The leader nodded, his eyes fixed intently on Xie Liu, as if no one else existed.

"It's simple. From this moment on, you clear a path and let us cross this street. Once we have cleared the street, I will release him. You can continue your pursuit if you want." Xie Liu stated his terms quickly, then offered a slight smile. "What do you think?"

"And if I let you pass, but you don't release him?" the leader asked, seemingly unconvinced.

Xie Liu shook his head. "Even if we were to flee, we wouldn't bother dragging a prisoner along. As for turning around and killing him, the time it would take would be enough for you to reach us. Don't tell me you special operatives lack that kind of speed."

"Fair enough." Xie Liu was speaking the truth. Killing a special operative was not easy; even a decapitation did not guarantee an immediate death. As long as it wasn't an instantaneous kill, the Alliance's advanced biotechnology could reattach a severed head.

When he had killed the operative inside the shop, Xie Liu had kept his dagger plunged into the man's chest for quite some time to ensure he was dead. It was impossible for him to finish off an operative right now, and dumping the man after clearing the perimeter was the best choice.

"I accept your terms." The leader signaled for his three subordinates to step back, clearing a path. His gaze flickered toward the rooftop again, where the presence of the Allied Task Force soldiers still lingered.

Neither Xie Liu nor the young operative knew the full extent of that hidden soldier's abilities or weaponry, so neither dared to take the risk.

Assured by their compliance, Xie Liu allowed a strange smile to touch his lips. He signaled for Qili to push the large man—who was actually Wang Qi in disguise—forward. They walked straight out of the encirclement.

The four operatives followed, keeping their distance until Xie Liu and Qili had cleared the perimeter.

"You've achieved your goal. Give him to me." The leader stared at Xie Liu, his eyes cold. Xie Liu let out a loud laugh. "Thanks for the escort! Catch!"

Qili shoved the large man forward. At that moment, the leader moved, flicking a throwing star that streaked past the flying man, heading straight for Xie Liu.

Xie Liu had anticipated this. He whipped his blade around, and with a shower of sparks, he sliced the throwing star in half.

"I've handed him over; the rest is none of your concern!" Xie Liu laughed heartily, grabbed Qili, and prepared to leave.

"Not so fast!" The young leader could not let Xie Liu escape. He caught the large man and tossed him to his comrades, then prepared to give chase. Even if he wasn't Xie Liu's match, he only needed to stall him until the higher-up arrived to finish the job.

Another operative stepped up to catch the man, but at that very instant, Wang Qi, disguised as the large man, struck. His dagger, like a scythe of death, plunged into the chest of the operative who had come to receive him.

No one had expected this. In the blink of an eye, before the victim could even react, he felt a searing pain in his throat—another dagger had been driven home!

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. One of the four was down, and though not dead instantly, he was close to it.

"Damn it! We've been tricked!" the leader roared. Just then, Xie Liu shouted at the top of his lungs: "Do it!"

Before the words had even faded, a gunshot rang out from the distant rooftop. A gust of wind followed, and the ground beneath another operative exploded, tearing the soldier apart in a spray of blood and gore.

"Damn it, that guy actually used a Level 5 round? Is he not afraid of causing a panic?" Xie Liu cursed. His strength far surpassed the average, and he had long since noticed the Allied Task Force sniper on the roof, but he hadn't expected the man to use a Level 5 round right off the bat.

While it had taken out the target in one hit, the destruction was massive.

Neither Xie Liu nor the remaining operatives had the leisure to dwell on that. In a mere instant, two of the four operatives were dead, and with the one Xie Liu had killed inside the shop, more than half of the Special Alliance’s force had been wiped out in minutes.

The power dynamic on the field had instantly reversed!

If Xie Liu had held any reservations before, now was the time to strike. Without a word, he swung his blade toward the young leader’s head. Qili struck simultaneously, charging at the last remaining operative. Wang Qi, though lacking in raw combat power, coordinated with Qili to pin the operative down.

The battle raged on the sparsely populated street. The Allied Task Force member on the roof changed ammunition; this time, he dared not use another Level 5 round. His sniper rifle had overheated after the first shot, and though he used cooling measures, firing another Level 5 round would risk the barrel exploding.

Though he couldn't fire again, he served as a powerful deterrent. The operative fighting Xie Liu had to constantly watch his back for the sniper, and was soon overwhelmed.

Xie Liu controlled his folding blade, relentlessly hammering the operative’s defenses and forcing him back step by step.

Meanwhile, the combined efforts of Qili and Wang Qi quickly suppressed the final operative. Among the group sent on this mission, he was the weakest; trapped in a pincer attack, he could only offer passive defense while retreating.

Seeing the momentum shift entirely to his side, Xie Liu let out a roar and swung his blade with a whistling force. The young leader’s expression changed; he drew his lightsaber in an arc to block, but the force of Xie Liu's strike was immense. Just before the blades collided, Xie Liu engaged the propulsion system on the back of his blade.

With a thunderous "boom," the blade struck the lightsaber with overwhelming force.

The lightsaber hissed and flickered violently. The impact sent the operative flying like a ragdoll, crashing into a stone planter by the roadside and sending debris scattering.

At the same time, Xie Liu heard a roar behind him. Qili’s claws had torn open the throat of the final operative. As the man staggered back clutching his neck, Wang Qi stepped out from behind and plunged his dagger into his body.

The operative stiffened, then collapsed onto the dusty ground with an expression of deep resentment. Xie Liu was surprised that Qili and Wang Qi had finished the enemy so quickly. As he looked over, he saw the young leader scrambling up from behind the shattered planter. Seeing that his team was wiped out, he didn't risk further combat and turned to flee.

"Don't chase him," Xie Liu said, stopping Qili. He turned his gaze toward the rooftop and offered a cold smile. "We still have one more friend who hasn't been greeted yet."