Chapter Thirty-Seven: Bloody Battle (Part Two)

Ace reversed his blade and sliced the statue Gonghou had thrown at him into two halves. Stepping forward, he twisted the Dark Blade and swung again, the edge pointing forward, slashing Gonghou across the chest. Gonghou’s massive body staggered back over ten paces before he could barely steady himself. The armor on his chest slowly began to regenerate, and Gonghou’s eye twitched slightly. He knew all too well the terrifying defensive power of his battle armor—usually not even a scratch could mar it, let alone cut through it. Yet this man before him could easily breach his defenses with a casual strike. What kind of power would it take to achieve that? Gonghou himself could break his own armor at full force, but never so effortlessly.

“Is brute strength all you possess? Is this what you call a superpower?” Ace forced Gonghou back with a single blow, scrutinizing him, “Your strength is undeniable. The superpower grants you incredible force. But if strength is all it offers, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.”

Gonghou gripped his axe in one hand. “Over a hundred years ago, those genetically modified beings thought the same. They lost, and lost badly. The evolution war was theirs to lose. It was the superpowered who defeated your ancestors.” Gonghou laughed heartily, “You’re nothing more than this.” With that, he raised his middle finger.

“I admit, back then, the superpowered were dazzling in battle—just three thousand of them wiped out a force of a hundred thousand special forces. But so many years have passed. Do you really think we’ve made no progress?” Ace lowered his blade gently. “We’ve studied and unraveled everything about you. Your abilities—most of them, we’ve found countermeasures. In this era, you can no longer defeat us with three thousand against a hundred thousand. Your time is ending.”

Gonghou listened, picking at his ear with a finger. “You’ve never met a Level Ten, have you?”

“Over fifty years ago, the first superpowered individual broke through the third stage of superpower response and entered the fourth—that was the first Level Ten we knew of. But Level Tens never intervened against your Special Forces Alliance. Naturally, you’d never know how terrifying Level Ten is. In fifty years, we’ve created a hundred sixty-six Level Tens; fifteen remain alive today. Yes, you’re strong—but compared to Level Ten, you’re nothing!” Gonghou cursed, “Just wait. In the past, the city was peaceful enough not to use Level Ten, but this time, it might be different.”

“Level Ten…” Ace’s gaze darkened. He’d already heard similar words from someone else he’d beaten into existential doubt. In the minds of these people, was Level Ten truly so supreme? “I look forward to it. Truly, I do.” Ace raised his blade, but before he could strike, he felt a surge of murderous intent rise behind him. In an instant, he sidestepped calmly, and Lin Yang’s pink lightsaber missed its mark. Lin Yang’s sudden attack was easily evaded; he was surprised, his thoughts not yet turning, when Ace, who had vanished, appeared again, right at Lin Yang’s unguarded flank.

Just as Lin Yang was about to meet the same fate as Xie Liu, Gonghou intervened. His axe broke apart into dozens of different components—blades, swords, and strange objects—all hurled at Ace in a chaotic barrage.

Ace released Lin Yang, swinging his blade in rapid succession, deflecting each weapon Gonghou threw. But Gonghou did not retreat, instead advancing, catching the returned components and hurling them again. Ace was momentarily bewildered by this nearly shameless tactic, his blade constantly striking away incoming pieces. Meanwhile, Lin Yang, who had nearly been caught, vanished into thin air.

Ace’s brow furrowed as he looked up—Lin Yang was already above him, pink lightsaber stabbing downward, the air emitting a piercing “buzz.” Ace swung his blade upward, colliding with Lin Yang’s descending strike, knocking it aside and exposing Lin Yang’s flank. But before Ace could pursue, Lin Yang vanished again. Ace spun around, seeing Lin Yang at his back, sword light split into two arcs, slashing at his head.

Ace remained unflustered, his body bending and tilting his head aside. The two arc-shaped strikes swept past his ear without so much as grazing him. Gonghou now stepped forward, grasping a giant sword among his scattered weapons and sweeping it toward Ace’s waist. Ace dodged Lin Yang’s strike, saw Gonghou’s blade coming, and was not surprised. He tapped a foot lightly on the ground, flipping into the air, deftly slipping between the two blades in a seamless evasion.

Ye Ling peeked from the corner of the wall at the ongoing fight ahead. Gonghou and Lin Yang surrounded Ace, fists flying, blades and swords clashing, yet Ace effortlessly neutralized every attack. Ye Ling frowned, “Who is this white-haired guy? How is he so formidable?”

“He’s the only S-class special operative in the Alliance. If the Level Ten superpowered of Fantasy City don’t come out, I doubt anyone in this world can stop him.” Xie Liu’s weak voice came from behind. Ye Ling turned in surprise, “You’ve recovered?”

“Not yet.” Xie Liu pressed his hand to his chest, which had returned to normal, “If not for the regenerative device in the Flash Sword, I’d be dead by now.” The pain in his chest lingered, but Xie Liu was out of time. He struggled to stand, “Where’s my sniper rifle?”

“Here.” A burst of blue lightning and crackling sounds came from behind. Xie Liu turned to see Xu Xiong emerge from the currents, holding his sniper rifle.

“How long can you hold him?” Xie Liu glanced at the distant battle. Despite their combined assault, Gonghou and Lin Yang remained at a disadvantage. Xu Xiong thought for a moment, “Ten minutes at most.”

“That’s enough.” Xie Liu smiled faintly, tore open a new lollipop, and put it in his mouth. He reached into his coat, pulled out a bullet, and flicked it with his finger. The black bullet spun in the air a few times before Xie Liu caught it in his palm. “If we take down this guy, our reward will be worth far more than this.”

Xu Xiong nodded gravely. “I’ll buy you time.” He opened a white pill bottle and poured out two black pills. “I’m going into overload, but I won’t last long. Hurry up—and take this.” He handed Xie Liu a new [Mobile Belt]. Xie Liu laughed, strapped it on, “Well then, I’m off.” With that, two steel wires shot from his waist, carrying him skyward.

Xie Liu raced between skyscrapers, watching crowds flee the streets. He nodded slightly and, after a few leaps, landed on the roof of a building. “Looks like the government has ordered an evacuation. Efficient, indeed.” He ignored the chaos below. “Alright, this is the spot.” The building wasn’t very tall, but he could see the battle zone in the distance.

Xie Liu walked to the edge, checked the angle, and drew his katana from his belt. “Let’s anchor here.”

...

Gonghou crashed through more than a dozen walls like a cannonball, smashing straight through a building. It took him a long struggle to climb out of the rubble, where he saw Lin Yang’s phantom-like form relentlessly attacking Ace. The pink light swept back and forth, but never once breached Ace’s blade. Gonghou cursed inwardly—this guy was truly terrifying. He then noticed a nearby sedan, its front smashed when he collided with it. The valuable-looking black car now lay amid the ruins, the owner crawling out, staring at the demolished building and the ground on the other side, which had sunk more than a meter, the concrete shattered. Even a fool would know how dangerous it was ahead. With that realization, he abandoned his beloved car and fled.

“At least he’s got his wits about him.” Gonghou pushed aside the stone on his thigh and struggled to his feet. “Otherwise, I couldn’t guarantee he’d make it home alive.” He walked to the wrecked car, placed his hand on it, and shouted, “Go!” The next second, the entire sedan was launched like a shell, hurtling straight toward Ace, who stood like the center of the world.

“Move!” Gonghou mentally shouted at Lin Yang. Lin Yang didn’t hesitate, activating his spatial ability and appearing several meters away in an instant. Anything Gonghou threw was deadly to anyone in its path. With Lin Yang gone, Ace lost his target; he spun around and saw the car barreling toward him. Ace swung his blade, an ear-splitting metallic shriek and golden sparks erupting as the car split into two from the blade's edge. The wreckage flew to either side, smashing into the walls behind, and the building collapsed with a thunderous roar, dust billowing.

“Damn it, are you even human?” Gonghou cursed. Not only had he failed to injure Ace, but Ace was left without a scratch. Gonghou wondered if he was dreaming—this guy’s strength was absurd.

“Have you had enough?” Ace glanced at the collapsed structure and then at Gonghou standing amidst the ruins. “Then, it’s my turn.”

“Huh?” Gonghou blinked, and suddenly Ace appeared before him, wearing that wicked smile. “What should I give you?” With that, he pressed his hand to Gonghou’s chest.

Suddenly, Gonghou felt himself launched skyward like a cannonball, smashing through the building behind him, crashing through the rooftop. He landed atop the roof, staring at the hole he’d made, “Such force… Where is he?”

“He’s above you!” Lin Yang’s shout echoed in Gonghou’s mind. Gonghou’s heart tightened; he looked up, and Ace was already descending from above, hand reaching for Gonghou’s head.

“Damn!” Gonghou roared, his battle armor ejecting. Gonghou raised it to meet Ace’s palm.

“Fatty!” Lin Yang yelled in despair, standing on a rooftop across the way, watching the building split open as if by some overwhelming force. Debris flew in all directions, each floor exploding from top to bottom. He saw Gonghou slammed by Ace’s palm into the building, all the way to the ground, the structure collapsing into ruins, Gonghou’s fate unknown.

The fallen building settled into a mound of rubble. Just before it became a heap, Lin Yang saw Ace leap from the dust and land at the front.

“What did you do to him?” Lin Yang shouted angrily, his lightsaber trembling in his hand as he cursed Ace. Ace glanced at him, “He’s probably dead.”

“Impossible!” Lin Yang flung his left hand, his right trembling with agitation. Suddenly, the rubble exploded, and Gonghou staggered out, battered and cursing, “Damn it! You want me dead? Not that easy!”

“Oh? Quite tenacious.” Ace’s gaze swept over Gonghou, “Can you still fight?” Gonghou, though barely standing, straightened at Ace’s question, “Come on, let’s battle three hundred rounds!” He coughed, forcing out a mouthful of blood.

Ace smiled slightly, about to speak, when he spotted helicopters flying in from afar.

“Who sent them?” On the rooftop, Xie Liu put down his task, glaring at the three helicopters overhead. “Are they courting death?”

“Hm?” Ace was also puzzled by the arriving helicopters. The three gunships hovered overhead; Gonghou and Lin Yang could see the armed soldiers aboard.

“You are surrounded. Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately…” The voice from above broadcasted. At that moment, not only Ace, but Lin Yang and Gonghou saw countless red dots appear on their bodies. These people—do they not distinguish friend from foe?

“When did you become so desperate as to need outsiders for help?” Ace turned to Lin Yang on the opposite building, smirking. Lin Yang’s face stiffened; he hurriedly shouted at the sky, “Leave! Get out of here! Quickly!”

A volley of bullets answered Lin Yang, striking the ground at his feet—they clearly didn’t intend to kill him. Ace watched Lin Yang frantically dodging, laughing, “What’s this, they’re targeting you too? How about I take care of them for you?”

“Don’t you dare!” Lin Yang pointed his lightsaber at Ace, murderous intent flaring. “As long as I’m here, you won’t—” Before Lin Yang could finish, Ace moved, his shadow streaking upward past the helicopters, blade raised high, launching an attack.

The gunship split in two with a flash of the blade, a thunderous explosion as shattered rotor blades scattered, piercing nearby buildings. The bisected helicopter tumbled through the air, then fell vertically. Lin Yang could still hear the soldiers’ shouts.

“Enough!” Lin Yang snapped, “Is it fun targeting them? They’re just ordinary people.” His eyes twitched as he watched Ace land on the opposite rooftop, grinding his teeth in frustration. The crashed helicopter exploded violently; no one survived. Lin Yang couldn’t save them—he lacked the power.

“They were in my way.” Ace stood quietly, turning to the other two helicopters now keeping their distance. “Or rather, they were noisy, and I was annoyed.” With that, he flicked a chunk of stone from the wall, snapped his fingers, and sent it flying at the second helicopter. With a roar, an explosion erupted beneath its rotor, sending the blades flying and shredding the lower helicopter. In an instant, that helicopter followed the fate of the first, becoming a brilliant fireball.

“One left.” Ace looked at the last helicopter hovering in the air. Despite their comrades’ destruction, they didn’t flee, but trained their weapons on Ace. “Such courage deserves respect.” Before he finished speaking, he vanished, reappearing above the helicopter. “Too bad, you don’t need to exist anymore.” His blade was raised high.

Before he could strike, a sudden whistling came from above. Ace looked up to see Gonghou’s massive body descending like a meteor, crashing into Ace’s chest in mid-air. The impact was deafening, even causing a sonic boom. Gonghou clung tightly to Ace; the two plummeted straight from a hundred meters high, smashing into the ground like a cannonball.

It was the fiercest collision since the fight began. At the landing point, the earth trembled in waves for hundreds of meters around, dust soaring skyward and enveloping the surrounding buildings.

At this moment, Lin Yang appeared atop the helicopter, his gaze fixed on the dust below. He had just brought Gonghou to high altitude; this strike used the energy blocks in Gonghou’s battle armor, surpassing even Gonghou’s own limits. Though the force was enormous, Lin Yang couldn’t guarantee it would defeat this monstrous foe.

“Hands up!” Lin Yang was still thinking when he felt several gun barrels pressed to his head.

“I’m not your enemy,” Lin Yang raised his hands slowly. “I suggest you leave now; I can’t protect you.”

“Who are you?” came a stern voice from behind. Lin Yang shook his head, “My identity doesn’t matter. Just know we’re not enemies. Listen to me—leave now. You’ve seen it yourselves: you can’t fight that guy.”

Feeling the gun barrels withdrawn, Lin Yang breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard, “We won’t leave. There are many innocent people here; our duty is to protect them.”

“I admire your spirit, but this problem is beyond your capabilities. You’ve done enough—go, no one will blame you. After all…” Lin Yang’s gaze never left the dust below, “He’s five hundred years ahead of the world.”

“It’s our duty. Without orders to retreat, we won’t leave.” Faced with these stubborn soldiers, Lin Yang didn’t know how to persuade them. He pointed below, “See for yourselves.”

The dust slowly spread from the center, gradually covering the streets. The district was shrouded in mist, and the tall buildings within the haze began to collapse one after another. The earlier shock had shattered their foundations, and, like an earthquake, these skyscrapers fell with mournful groans, stirring up even more dust.

“This isn’t something you can handle. Don’t throw your lives away,” Lin Yang said quietly. At that moment, the pilot shouted, “Command has ordered us to withdraw!”

Hearing this, Lin Yang relaxed and turned to the soldiers behind him, smiling, “Don’t worry, I’ll stop him.” The soldiers stared at Lin Yang’s face in surprise.

“What?” Lin Yang blinked. A young soldier sighed, “Even a woman is so brave; we men are ashamed.” Lin Yang’s mouth twitched—he really wanted to shout, “I’m a monk, and I’m a man!”

“We’re retreating,” someone called. Lin Yang nodded in satisfaction, then stood at the helicopter door. In the next instant, he leaped out, disappearing into the dust as the others gasped.