A harsh voice cut through the air.
Rapi stepped forward, fury in her eyes. "What have you done, you fool!" She swung her staff straight for the man's head.
"Clang!" The blow never landed. Felicia intercepted it with her nunchaku. At the same time, Kaivan hurled his karambit. Rapi dodged, but Kaivan yanked it back with its chain.
Kaivan pulled out his phone and tossed it to Zinnia. "Evacuate everyone. Call the team outside, now!"
Zinnia caught it and sprinted into the panicked crowd, guiding people while calling Radit. "Radit, move in now! Ballroom!"
Radit answered immediately. "Raphael, Frans, Kaivan needs backup. We're going in."
Raphael adjusted his gear with a nod. "The rest of you prep the cars. If we need extraction, head straight to the location."
Meanwhile, Livia stepped forward with resolute eyes. "I'm coming too. I have to see them myself."
Inside the ballroom, Kaivan and Felicia stood side by side. Rapi wasn't alone, several men in black suits emerged behind her, ready for battle.
Felicia tore the hem of her dress, shortening it to move freely. She glanced at Kaivan, her eyes blazing.
"Kaivan… shall we take them all at once?"
Kaivan nodded. "We stay until the evacuation is done. After that, we move out."
They stood back-to-back. Felicia held her nunchaku at the ready, her body poised and fluid. Kaivan tightened his grip on the karambit, his eyes sharp, waiting for the first strike. The air tensed, only their breaths could be heard, blending with the slow, heavy pulse of time before the storm.
Rapi scoffed, swinging his staff with a sharp, taunting arc as he stepped forward. Behind him, men in black suits closed in from every direction. Kaivan moved quickly, slipping past each attack aimed at him, his breathing calm and steady.
Felicia spun gracefully, her nunchaku striking a man's shoulder and sending him stumbling. "Don't think numbers can replace courage," she snapped, her gaze cutting through Rapi.
Seeing an opening, Kaivan threw his karambit. Even though the enemy dodged, he pulled the chain back, the blade spinning through the air with a metallic whir that reverberated across the room. Their movements flowed together, precise, trusting, as if they had trained for years.
Outside the ballroom, Zinnia was forcing open evacuation routes amid the growing panic. She ran, shouting directions, her eyes darting to her phone to ensure the backup team was ready.
Inside, Kaivan and Felicia still stood back-to-back. Their shoulders brushed, grounding each other as they braced for the next wave. Rapi narrowed his eyes, frustrated, as more black-suited men entered, carrying a long ceremonial staff.
The staff was handed to him reverently. He reached for it,
, but Kaivan's karambit shot forward, wrapping around the staff and yanking it straight into Felicia's hands. Without hesitation, Felicia attached it to her nunchaku, forming two long batons ready to face whatever came next.
Rapi's face twisted in outrage. "I wasn't finished talking! That's my weapon!"
Kaivan stepped forward, a cold smirk touching his lips. "You think this is a stage play, and I'm supposed to wait for your monologue?" he replied lightly, then hurled the karambit again, this time aiming straight for Rapi.
Rapi dodged, but Felicia was already tearing through his guards. Her movements were fluid and fierce, the long staff dancing as she struck down enemy after enemy. Kaivan and Felicia fought in perfect rhythm, when Kaivan moved right, Felicia swept left, creating a tempo that overwhelmed anyone who tried to approach.
Kaivan closed the distance between himself and Rapi. The man met him with bare fists, his punches fast, but to Kaivan, everything slowed. His instincts traced each motion, allowing him to deflect and wrap the karambit's chain around Rapi's arm. From that position, Kaivan tried to slam his forehead into Rapi's face,
, only to bounce off as if he had struck stone.
He stumbled back, wincing, rubbing his throbbing forehead.
Across the room, while fending off two armed attackers, Felicia caught the moment out of the corner of her eye. A faint smile tugged her lips before she spun elegantly, striking her opponents down. Her movements were deadly, beautiful in their precision.
Kaivan groaned, still holding his forehead, and shouted, "Felicia! You said you knocked him out with a headbutt before! I thought that was his weak point!"
Felicia, still fending off attacks, managed to shout back between her strikes, "Yes! But back then I hit his head and neck at the same time, with a metal bar! Let me deal with him now!"
She slipped past Kaivan and took over the duel with Rapi. Kaivan stepped back, now focusing on blocking the endless wave of guards pushing into the ballroom.
Meanwhile, far from the chaos, Radit and the others, Raphael, Ethan, Isabel, and Livia, successfully infiltrated the hotel. The lack of guards outside made their entry easy.
Ethan paused in the corridor and turned to Isabel. "Where's Kaivan now? What's our next move?"
Isabel opened the Tome Omnicent, her eyes tracing fresh ink blooming on an empty page. A brief note appeared, precise, unmistakable: "Zinnia is at the rear emergency exit."
Without hesitation, they ran there. Zinnia stood at the doorway, tense, guiding several guests desperate to escape. She turned as they arrived, relief softening her expression. The hallway was empty, no hotel staff, no guards.
Inside the ballroom, Kaivan fought on. His breath grew heavy; sweat dripped down his jaw. His steps faltered, but he refused to slow. "Why won't they run out already?" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Felicia leapt away from Rapi's swinging staff. "Kaivan! We need to fall back! There are too many of them!" she shouted, her voice tight.