Kwaaak!
A resounding blast reverberated through the air.
Lennok instantly recognized the attack as a retaliatory strike from Heizer. With a mighty swing of his colossal hammer, he had raised the train car and mercilessly slammed it onto the man's head.
Despite his ruthless dispatching of the gang members, he seemed to maintain a cautious demeanor towards this adversary. It was as if he had been anticipating the man's retaliation, and the ensuing counterattack from the trio was impressively precise, exceeding all expectations.
Amidst the chaos, Jode and Kainy displayed their sharp judgment by choosing to focus on eliminating the remaining gang members rather than diverting their attention. Kainy, in particular, with her expertise in high-speed movement, unleashed her fury upon the mob, swiftly striking their vulnerable necks. Even Lennok couldn't help but admire her exceptional agility.
Lennok wonder if she is working as a freelancer under the Madam with such talent.
A brief pause followed the combined assault of the four.
With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Lennok slowly expanded his mana, enveloping the surroundings.
Whoosh…
Beneath the wreckage of the destroyed train car, traces of devastation were still visible.
The man's hand, which had been twitching slowly, trembled faintly before falling limp. Lennok let out a quiet sigh only after confirming this.
"Phew…"
In response to Lennok's sigh, the other team members realized the mission was complete and began to emerge one by one.
Allen, who appeared last, wiped his brow and remarked, "That wasn't easy."
"It was easier than I anticipated," Jode replied curtly, shrugging his shoulders.
"And do you think it would have been easy without the captain?"
"………"
Lennok remained silent, but internally he agreed with him.
Ever since he initiated the operation by obliterating the train car with a thunderous blast, most of the work had been done—it wasn't an exaggeration.
After shooting down the executive who was charging toward Lennok, rendering the initial attack futile, there was little else to be said.
Even in that chaotic moment, the man who identified the thunderbolt's source and swiftly neutralized it displayed an impressive sense of awareness, but Lennok's preemptive strike had been simply faster.
"Since we finished it in one go, there's no point in arguing," Heizer remarked, brushing off his hammer with a friendly smile as smoke wafted around it.
If he could lift an entire train car, it was clear that Heizer's strength wasn't the sole factor at play—his hammer possessed some extraordinary capabilities.
Lennok nodded as he observed Kainy cleaning her blood-stained blade in the distance, and Agria reloading her spent cartridges.
Their surprise attack, exploiting the advantage of insider information, had been completely one-sided.
Thanks to the assistance of a professional hacker organization called Mirror Diver, they had infiltrated the gang's entire network, making their task relatively easy.
However, Lennok knew that sustaining this momentum wouldn't be effortless. If the gang operated like a well-oiled machine, they would quickly identify the source of the leak and bolster their network security. This tactic might work once or twice, at best.
‘In the meantime, it's crucial to inflict as much damage on the gang as possible,' Lennok pondered, fully aware that Panua was likely considering the same strategy.
With that thought in mind, Lennok turned his back and prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
"Let's move. There's no reason to linger here."
"…..Well, if we stay too long and leave behind any traces, it could pose a problem."
"It doesn't matter much now that we've decided to face the gang. In fact, it might be better to double-check our kill."
As Jode spoke, Lennok was about to respond when…
A flash of light tore through the void, detected by Lennok's expansive magic sense.
Instinctively, Lennok erected a shield, covering Allen who stood beside him.
Ssssssaaak!!
In an instant, something long collided forcefully with Lennok's shield.
Kwajik!!
The transient light shattered the shield, piercing Allen's chest with chilling accuracy.
"Keuaa….!"
Unable to utter a proper word, Allen stiffened and collapsed to the ground like a lifeless log.
There was no need to look. A wizard's delicate body couldn't possibly withstand a blow like that. It was instant death.
In that moment, Lennok identified the object that had impaled Allen's lifeless body and let out a hollow laugh.
It was a tall signpost that stood near the train station.
The rusted iron rod now served as a macabre tombstone, lodged within the curse wizard's chest.
They had lost a team member in the blink of an eye, yet no one lost their composure.
Swiftly creating distance between one another, they turned their attention toward the direction from which the spear had been hurled.
A lanky figure emerged through the billowing smoke of the burning field.
Recognizing the man's face, Lennok involuntarily let out a deep sigh.
"Whew…"
The other team members also identified him and swallowed nervously.
The newly arrived man, upon recognizing Lennok, approached them and paused, giving a wry smile.
"I made a mistake."
"……….."
"I should have torn out your throat back at the bar. I shouldn't have been swayed by Kaiser's bluff."
Beck Clinton.
The executive of Cigar Bang, who was supposed to be away on a business trip outside of Vulcan, had appeared here, albeit late.
As Lennok locked eyes with Beck, his mind began to race.
Had Dyke Corporation made yet another egregious error? Or was this an intricately laid trap set by Cigar Bang from the beginning?
‘No, both assumptions are wrong.'
If Beck had known about their plan from the start, he wouldn't have stood idly by as the gang members and soldiers burned to their deaths.
Furthermore, he wouldn't have arrived alone, well after the chaos had unfolded.
As if affirming Lennok's suspicions, Beck continued his monologue.
"I happened to drop by when the negotiations with the supplier got delayed, but it seems I'm too late."
"I told you."
For the first time, Lennok responded, exhaling a long stream of smoke.
"Our client won't simply sit back and watch."
"Hehe…. Ever since Paul Ackerman's demise, we've been gathering information in our own way as well."
Beck let out a joyless chuckle.
"Dyke Corporation…. you've struck quite a deal. I never expected the 10th district dealers to be so desperate that they'd snatch even their underlings' lunch boxes."
"………."
"Especially this particular deal—it was kept under tight wraps. Judging by your resolute entrance, I can assume that the gang's network has been completely compromised. I warned the boss not to trust network management with rats…."
Beck grumbled with a wry expression, shaking his head as he slowly assumed his stance.
"Well, it's settled."
He grinned wickedly, locking eyes with Lennok.
"If I know the problem, I can fix it. And I'll start by ripping out your spine right here."
Beck, who had been gazing at the burning railway station, discreetly reached for his waistband.
He pulled out a long iron handle and, with a slight twist of his wrist, the handle extended at both ends, transforming into a lengthy iron rod.
Woong!!!
A bluish blade emerged from the end of the rod, casting a faint light in all directions.
"I have no choice but to behead you and place it on the tombstone of those who went before you."
Lennok knew.
Beneath Beck's seemingly calm exterior, his eyes concealed a boiling rage akin to oil.
The failure of this deal would deal a significant blow to the gang, and it would likely be challenging to recover from it.
Whether Lennok perishes here or not, Cigar Bang's finances will undoubtedly be strained.
How long can he maintain that carefree smile?
At the very least, his expression will change drastically once his limbs are shattered and his head is crushed into the ground.
Lennok, too, channeled mana and grinned.
"I'm curious if you can still maintain that demeanor once I flatten you beneath my foot."
"Hahaha!!!"
As if he couldn't bear to hear those words from anyone but Lennok, Beck burst into hearty laughter.
And without hesitation, he charged towards Lennok.
"This damned bitch… to the bitter end…!!!!"
Kwaang!!!
A bull-like figure emerged and vanished behind Beck's back as he charged at terrifying speed, thrusting his elongated spear directly at Lennok.
The speed was so astounding that it was difficult to react to with the naked eye, and the velocity carried immense weight.
The force behind it was formidable, strong enough to rupture flesh from a direct hit.
However, instead of foolishly bracing himself, Lennok immediately activated the prepared spell.
[Upper Ground]
At that very moment, Lennok's standing ground surged upward, his body soared high into the sky.
In that split second when their paths diverged, Beck's spear shattered Lennok's shield before rebounding upward, creating a swift distance between them.
As the blue magical spear collided with the shield, Lennok frustratingly realized that at least three layers of shields had been breached.
‘Even with the rotating shield, it possessed such power…'
Nevertheless, he had successfully withstood the initial assault.
Beck, momentarily thrown off balance by the unexpected evasion of his full-speed charge, did not escape Lennok's notice.
During his descent, Lennok concentrated mana into both hands and cast another spell, not directed at Beck, but towards the neatly placed rusted iron rod beside him.
[Magnetic Control]
Kiing!!
It was his first time employing magnetic-type magic.
Despite the limitations of Common magic, which only allowed for simple manipulation of metals, Lennok's mastery of mana control had far surpassed those constraints.
Kiinggg!!
The contorted iron rod swiftly wrapped itself around Beck's ankle, effectively immobilizing his entire body.
"Ugh….!"
Beck had been keenly observing Lennok's movements, but he had never anticipated that Lennok would exert control over the entire railroad beneath his feet to ensnare him.
Driving the remaining portion of the iron rod into Beck's head, Lennok disrupted the flow of mana within him with all his might.
Uddddd!!!
"Cough!"
Beck, who had attempted to channel his mana to shatter his iron prison, succumbed to a fit of violent coughing.
Having safely landed using levitation magic, Lennok swiftly retreated while surveying the surroundings.
With just a single deflected spear attack from Beck, Lennok had successfully subdued his opponent, temporarily cutting off his mana flow.
If the other team members wished to preserve their lives, they couldn't afford to stand idly by, observing the two combatants in such a precarious situation.
As if reading Lennok's thoughts, Jode accurately seized the opportunity presented by Beck's vulnerability and swung his short spear, aiming for Beck's leg.
Squish…!!
With a chilling sound of flesh being cleanly cleaved, blood spattered, and Jode, having accomplished his modest goal, didn't look back as he made his escape.
It was a cunning yet strategic move.
And just as the injured Beck turned his head in search of another adversary, Heizer seized the perfect moment to meet his gaze.
As he lightly twisted the handle of the hammer held in both hands, bright red flames erupted from the back of the hammer as the booster kicked in.
"Don't take it too personally."
Heizer spoke as he reignited the desolate train station field.
"Consider it retribution for engaging in defense corruption, brother."
Before Beck could retort, Heizer charged towards him, swinging his hammer with force.
The booster propelled the swing at an astonishingly agile speed, converting all that velocity into kinetic energy that pounded into Beck's chest.
Zerrrrrrrrr!!
A massive shockwave erupted between the two superhumans who collided.
Heizer's plump cheeks quivered, and his straining arms trembled slightly.
Despite the raging flames of the booster, and with the hammer unable to advance any further, Beck madly laughed.
"Retribution? You ignorant pig, you know nothing about this world."
"……th, this!!!"
A massive figure resembling that of a bear towered behind Beck, seemingly looking down on him with mockery.
With his slim yet sinewy arms, he tightly grasped the face of the hammer with unimaginable strength.
Beck, his eyes burning with fury, declared,
"No one but myself can deliver such a thing to me."
Woosh!!!
Under Beck's grip, the thick steel face of the hammer began to warp.
Only then did Heizer, his face turning blue, struggle to retrieve the hammer, but it was too late.
Even as Agria and the others noticed the anomaly and promptly unleashed their firepower, it was in vain.
Beck, taking a step forward and shattering the iron rod that had bound him, swiftly drove the hammerhead into Heizer's left shoulder.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
