“Ugh…!!”
In a situation where his world turns topsy-turvy, hurtling towards the earth below, Lennok finds himself grappling with an overwhelming disorientation of balance.
Devoid of the ability to withstand this unsettling sensation even for a moment, Lennok’s body succumbs to an inevitable malfunction.
Despite his complexion paling to an eerie shade reminiscent of motion sickness, Lennok clenches his teeth and perseveres, redirecting his gaze towards the ground.
In his descent from the building, he could have employed a levitation spell on his attire or garments to elevate his body, yet he consciously refrains, reserving this choice for a purpose: to allow Girard to continue his pursuit.
Even in the midst of his tumultuous fall, relentlessly buffeted by the fierce wind, Lennok maintains vigilant watch over Girard’s every move.
Girard’s astonishing physical prowess and impeccable balance are on full display as he swiftly descends the side of the skyscraper in relentless pursuit of Lennok. However, the true source of the monstrous strength that allowed him to shatter the Fire Prison and make his daring escape must lie concealed elsewhere.
Trapped within a fiery prison before his emergence, Girard appears utterly disheveled. Yet, even in this state, Lennok keenly observes a long, deep gash on Girard’s uniform, sparking a flicker of interest in his eyes.
‘A wound I never inflicted. If the first time he bled from splitting his tongue was for the same reason… what an annoying adversary.’
It’s evident that he possesses some constitution or spell that enhances his physical capabilities when injured – he transcends the boundaries of mere humanity at this juncture.
This unique ability may be linked to a somewhat deranged mindset…
But it also means that if Lennok cannot swiftly conclude the battle, it might unnecessarily drag on.
While Girard’s peculiar fighting style can be distracting, Lennok has not lost sight of his true objective.
Eliminating the Cartel’s top executives would be advantageous, but the paramount goal is to cripple the colossal organization before it can fully mobilize by severing its vital limbs.
A relentless assault on their operations, a stranglehold on the Cartel’s cash flow, and a substantial reduction in their operational capacity.
Even if Girard’s arrival here was somewhat delayed, his purpose must be to pin down Lennok, summon reinforcements, and resolve the confrontation in this very spot.
With this in mind, selecting this location as their battleground made no sense.
“Davi.”
[Ready.]
“…Can you catch me properly?”
[The calculations are perfect. I’ll seat you in the saddle perfectly as soon as Master deploys the floating spell.]
“Alright. I have to trust…”
Boom!!
As he utters these words, a monstrous motorcycle, patiently awaiting Lennok’s descent, springs forth from beneath the building.
Controlled by Davi, the bike is perfectly primed and ready, even in the absence of a rider.
Recognizing Lennok’s intent, Girard clenches his teeth and accelerates.
“Aaaah!!”
Crash!!
Despite the tumultuous chaos, with windows shattering under the berserker’s topsy-turvy dash, it is too late.
Lennok slows his descent with the levitation spell, and as he approaches the ground, the bike, gliding close and executing a graceful turn, flawlessly catches him.
Roar!!
“Ugh!”
Despite the dizziness and the shock of being flipped upside down twice, Lennok’s complexion pales. Nevertheless, the bike accelerates smoothly down the road, quickly distancing itself from the scene.
Only after retrieving another cigarette with trembling hands on the bike does Lennok’s queasy stomach settle, and he begins to relish the sensation of the wind against his face.
While repairing his shattered shield, Lennok promptly enquiries Davi.
“Is he following?”
[Look behind.]
Roar!!
“…More than I imagined.”
A dump truck swerves wildly on the road, its erratic path resembling that of a vehicle driven by a drunken driver.
No words are necessary to identify the blood-soaked individual behind the steering wheel of that truck.
“Ughhh!!!”
Lennok lets out an exasperated click of his tongue as he spots Girard, his face drenched in blood, protruding from the driver’s seat and shouting.
“He’s insane. Shouldn’t he be in a different criminal organization, not the Cartel?”
Within the underworld, there exist organizations predominantly comprised of felons and fugitives.
In Lennok’s estimation, Girard appears more fitting to thrive amidst lawless gangs than within a corporate behemoth like the Cartel.
[Have you considered other possibilities?]
“Like what?”
[As a senior member of such a huge organization, in this situation, he might decide it’s more advantageous to chase you to the end. Or…]
Screech!!
As Lennok tilts his body, the hefty frame of the motorcycle sharply leans, executing a lengthy drift on the road.
Leaving deep tire imprints, the bike maintains its velocity, hurtling down the narrow two-lane path.
[There might be a reason he can’t stop the pursuit.]
“…”
Upon Davi’s statement, Lennok gazes down at the bike with a mildly surprised expression.
Naturally, Lennok had already contemplated similar scenarios when Girard opted to chase him, but for Davi to make a corresponding deduction was an entirely different matter.
Why would Davi, who had hitherto remained reticent during the battle, now commence a discourse with Lennok in this manner?
Up until now, Lennok had solely tasked Davi with calculations for driving, flying, and administrative duties, but what if Davi possessed the capacity to undertake more intricate roles?
What manifestation might the automatic ‘combat’ algorithm computed by Davi assume?
To what extent could the spirit crafted by Lennok progress?
A plethora of thoughts whizzed through Lennok’s mind in an instant, yet he elected to temporarily set aside these burgeoning revelations.
This is neither the time nor the place for delving into advanced spirit magic research.
As Davi pointed out, what holds significance now is-
“Velita. We’re almost there. Get ready.”
[I’ve been on standby for an hour. Just give me the first mark and I’ll move in immediately.]
Hearing the composed voice through his earpiece, Lennok accelerates on the bike.
In that very moment, Girard, realizing the absence of vital signs on the nearby roads, adopts a stony expression.
Velita, stationed atop the vacant two-story building, commences her maneuver.
Clutched in her hands is a magical particle cannon, considerably larger than her own frame.
Voom…
With its intricate geometric design, the cannon emits a brilliant blue magical radiance, directing an immense surge of heat toward the dump truck.
The exposed engine erupts, generating a colossal explosion.
Boom!!
“Huuuuuuuuh!!!”
Amidst the fiery wreckage of the dump truck, Girard springs forth like lightning, hitting the ground and sprinting.
The mana surging from his form vigorously augments his movement, transforming him into a streak of lightning.
Sssssh!!
Although Girard could have pursued Lennok on foot, he deliberately opted for the sizable transport vehicle.
Despite the unexpected assault, Girard’s every action, devoid of any trace of hesitation, suggests that he had been awaiting this precise moment.
Girard must have foreseen employing that substantial object as bait to swiftly narrow the gap between himself and Lennok.
“I anticipated thiiiis!!”
Whiiirr!!
As the whirling saw-blade sword in his grasp spins violently, Girard’s hand gripping the blade is soaked in blood.
Despite his skin being turned inside out, adorned with various injuries and bloodstains, Girard’s movements differ from before.
His exceedingly enhanced physical prowess must be an outcome of the internal mana property alterations he has devised in his own unique way.
Creeeeak!!
Extending his arm, he distorts time, unleashing a shockwave.
Girard’s lightning-fast strike, surpassing the speed of sound, swiftly closes the gap with the bike, its trajectory aimed towards Lennok’s neck like a spectral apparition.
Yet, the clattering blade never finds its mark on Lennok’s back.
Before Lennok can fully turn around, a sizable ax materializes seemingly out of thin air, descending upon Girard’s arm with impeccable precision.
“……!!!”
A perfectly timed strike, executed as if it had been meticulously measured.
Girard, leaning forward, is left with no room for resistance.
Boom!!
The ax doesn’t sever the arm, but the weight of the unusually hefty weapon proves too much for Girard’s body to bear, causing him to plummet.
Almost immediately, Velber, as if awaiting this very moment, materializes from the ether, descending onto Girard’s back, pinning him with the weight of the ax.
Vroom…
“Gaaaak…!!”
“You won’t last long. Move quickly…!!”
It’s evident that Girard’s thrashing grows increasingly frantic as his injuries mount.
Draped in black, Velber amplifies his mass to further subdue Girard, but even this proves challenging.
“15 seconds is enough. Hold on!!”
Having dismounted from the bike, Lennok strides toward Girard and removes the glove from his left hand.
Within the custom-made glove forged at the Blackpalace Forge resides the sorcery tool [Charm of Earth’s Embrace]bestowed by Lapis.
As the 108 beads adorning his wrist emit a radiant glow, Lennok’s wristlet swiftly encircles Girard’s neck.
“Uuuuuuh!”
Lennok’s reaction is uncharacteristically subdued.
His actions had been meticulously orchestrated as an escape strategy, drawing Girard’s attention before the timely arrival of his comrades.
Now realizing Lennok’s intent to capture him alive, Girard struggles ferociously, but to no avail.
Keeeeng!!
The beads, akin to a dog collar, constrict around Girard’s neck, and his previously frenzied movements on the road cease abruptly, almost as if by magic.
His body becomes rigid as ice, his tongue protruding in an expression of disbelief.
Even Lennok himself can’t help but be astonished by the potency of the artifact that has ensnared such a formidable adversary in a single stroke.
Velber, who has just confirmed Girard’s capture, regards Lennok with a bewildered expression.
“We did it.”
Lennok remarks calmly as he approaches, and Velber shakes his head.
“If the timing had been slightly off, the consequences would have been significant. It was risky.”
“There probably wouldn’t have been such a mistake. My calculations are quite accurate.”
After instructing Davi to recognize the coordinates of Velber’s ax, Lennok used Compassion of Archangel at precisely the right moment to neutralize Girard’s lethal strike.
With Davi calculating the timing, the possibility of miscoordination was virtually eliminated.
All that remained was for Lennok to employ the artifact bestowed by Lapis to collar the frenzied warrior.
Gazing down at Girard’s stiffened, elongated form, Lennok nods.
“It was absolutely necessary to contact a Cartel executive who knew the internal affairs. Even with the risks, it was worth trying. I didn’t expect success in just four attempts, though…”
The fourth objective behind dismantling Cartel-affiliated enterprises was to apprehend a mid-level manager within the Cartel ranks and extract valuable internal information.
Lennok, having discerned that Girard was operating independently, consciously adopted a restrained approach during the ensuing confrontation. This strategy allowed the pursuit to unfold and ultimately led to the successful capture of the frenzied warrior.
The mercenaries from the Antares Office undoubtedly demonstrated remarkable competence, displaying exceptional coordination during brief exchanges to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.
With merely a prompt from Lennok, both Velita, the artillery specialist, and Velber, the vanguard, had impeccably timed their interventions to catch Girard off guard.
Their ability to execute such precise maneuvers stemmed from their extensive experience in navigating real combat scenarios through concise exchanges of intentions.
“A capitalistically unsound decision. Van is the most valuable asset here, more than anyone else. You shouldn’t be used as bait so recklessly. Be more cautious next time.”
Velber uttered this advice and effortlessly hoisted his massive ax, a weapon that appeared to weigh hundreds of kilograms.
“That way, I can trust my colleagues and join the operation with confidence.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Only then did Lennok nod, finding himself mildly intrigued by Velber.
Certainly a different personality compared to Dylan.
Despite Dylan’s musings about money and stocks, he seemed to lean towards meticulous planning when orchestrating an operation. Perhaps one’s investment style was reflective of their character…
“Oh, look who’s talking, always bragging about the money you make in stocks.”
As Lennok entertained these thoughts, Velita, carrying a substantial magic particle cannon on her shoulder, emerged and promptly rebuked Velber.
“If you’re even half as good as Van , your biological clock should be accurate to less than a second. What’s with the worry about timing?”
“It wasn’t something to be taken lightly, the murderous intent that madman just released. It’s natural for a sorcerer’s performance to degrade when directly exposed to such intensity.”
Velber attempted to defend himself, but Velita’s expression only grew more disdainful.
“He’s a wizard known for his combat sense that can match warriors of that level. Do you really think he’d make a mistake in such a simple operation? Focus on yourself, you pig.”
“Pig… That’s harsh. I’m just a bit heavy.”
Muttering, Velber effortlessly swung his ax, slung it over his shoulder, and stood upright.
Only then did Girard’s form, pinned beneath Velber, become fully visible.
With nothing more than a string of beads around his neck, he lay on the ground in a contorted posture, resembling a frog with shattered limbs.
Velber marveled at the sight, the earlier ferocity of the now motionless and rigid Girard taking on an almost comical aspect.
“Anyway, it’s really an incredible artifact. To easily capture such a big shot like this. Can I ask how much you acquired it for? I know some pretty good investment opportunities in the physical goods market… Ouch!”
Velber, inevitably steering the conversation toward money, received a swift kick from Velita, who promptly changed the subject.
“Really thorough planning, though. Destroying Cartel businesses while capturing executives for inside information… Did you foresee all this from the beginning?”
Velita couldn’t help but gain a profound appreciation for the way high-level wizards think.
The concept of dismantling Cartel businesses while simultaneously capturing their high-ranking members to extract vital information was far easier said than done. The required manpower and opportunity costs were substantial.
Yet, Lennok executed this plan successfully on only his fourth attempt, and with just two mercenaries at his side.
For a mercenary, such a plan might appear almost surreal, let alone its successful implementation. It was only natural for Lennok’s actions to leave a profound impression on Velita.
