In the void of the intermediate space, Daniel observed everyone's movements.
He had already realized that William had reached his limit.
Fixing his gaze on the sniper James, he analyzed his positioning.
He was searching for a target.
Daniel already understood much of what was happening. He had even heard a familiar name…
Michel — director of the CIA and, in the future, one of the architects of humanity's downfall.
He was someone Daniel planned to eliminate, but there was no rush. For now, he posed no threat.
After years of disciplining his disciples, Daniel had come to understand three essential points — non-negotiable for all of them:
They must possess a strong heart in the face of impossibilities.
An analytical mind, capable of perceiving and understanding every circumstance — favorable or not.
And above all: power brings responsibility. Everything they do carries consequences, good or bad.
If William failed to understand this… his death — or that of those he loved — would only be a matter of time.
Life is not a game.
And in this world, the strong devour the weak.
Noticing James' movement, Daniel raised his hand. But upon identifying the target, he lowered it.
In silence, he wondered how William would react in an extreme situation.
°°°
A static noise caught John's attention, along with the others.
It was Alpha Zero-One.
A brief malfunction and static interference.
Seconds passed before the message became clear…
The order made John recall Romeu's words.
His boss really seemed to be trying to get them killed.
John was still reflecting when Alpha transmitted another piece of information, drawing a sigh from him.
— Demi — John said — can you stay alive while carrying out this order?
Demi quickly assessed the situation.
Alan was lying on the ground, being shot by his own weapon.
He didn't care at all about the deaths of Josef and Ralf. Alan was irrelevant.
As a mercenary, only two things mattered: staying alive and getting paid well.
John knew his personality. He called him closer and whispered something that brought a smile to his face.
Picking up his semi-automatic rifle, Demi aimed and fired.
Tah! Tah! Tah!
Three precise shots.
°°°
The sound of gunfire caught William's attention, and with a sudden leap, he threw himself five meters to the left.
But as he remembered that Juliane was there, his expression darkened.
Too late.
At the top of the hill, the scope found its target — and the shot rang out.
Pow!
— J-Juliane!!
Hit directly in the head, Juliane's body was thrown backward by the impact.
William's eyes turned a deep red. The faint golden ki surrounding him began to vibrate violently.
The ground beneath his feet started to crystallize from the intense heat.
His clothes ignited instantly.
Despair took hold of his heart.
He couldn't run to her.
He was afraid…
Afraid of the worst.
Even though his master had said he would protect her… deep down, William doubted it.
His master hadn't moved, even seeing his state…
Would he really protect Juliane?
°°°
His despair was evident, but his enemies wouldn't miss an opportunity like this.
Tatatatatat!!
A barrage of bullets was directed at Juliane.
William's heart pounded violently.
Crushing the ground beneath him, he shot forward like a golden streak and covered Juliane's body with his own.
Blood splattered.
The bullets continued striking his back, one after another.
Tatatatata!!!
Demi, who was firing relentlessly, suddenly felt an arm wrap around his neck from behind.
— What the hell… what are you doing, Rafael!?
A hoarse, irritated shout echoed as the gunfire ceased.
With a dull thud, Demi was dragged to the ground.
Rafael had a broken arm, and the pain was intense; still, he used his other arm to apply a chokehold on Demi.
His legs locked around his waist, immobilizing him.
His well-trained arm pressed tightly against Demi's throat.
— Hurry! Take your girl and run.
Rafael's voice echoed intensely beside Demi's ear.
William, who was holding Juliane while taking every bullet into his back, trembled slightly.
His back was full of holes, though the bullets hadn't penetrated deeply.
A large amount of blood flowed, staining the ground.
Droplets scattered across the surroundings.
His face was pale.
William forced himself to stay conscious.
The pain he felt was nauseating.
If not for his overwhelming desire to protect Juliane, he would have already passed out.
— I-I don't know… who you are, or why, but thank you!
William's voice trembled, almost failing.
Getting up, he used what little ki he had left and carried Juliane in his arms.
Leaving behind only deep footprints and blood trails, he moved forward.
He was much slower than before.
Like a well-trained athlete stumbling as he ran.
°°°
In front of the van, John's eyes turned murderous.
Pulling out a pistol he had hidden, he was about to fire at Rafael.
Pow! Ark!
A shot rang out, and a weapon fell to the ground.
— Leader… do you think I'm an idiot?
Pressing against the bleeding in his hand, John stared at Romeu, who was leaning against the van with a gun pointed at him.
— Why, Romeu?
His voice was rough.
Romeu smiled.
— Your conversation with Demi said a lot. That guy only has two priorities: his life and his money. He's not an idiot like those three fools you sent to die.
John remained silent for a moment.
— Do you think I would kill you? — John asked.
— I don't think so, I'm sure of it. You probably offered my share, Rafael's, and the others' to make that guy risk his life.
— So you and Rafael planned this?
— Well, if I was going to die by staying by your side… why not join him to survive?
— Do you think that monster will let you leave here alive?
John seemed to be buying time. Putting his injured hand in his pocket, he ignored the pain.
His hand moved slightly, as if trying something discreetly.
He did this while maintaining a position that made it difficult for Romeu to notice.
— Leader… I decided to bet on the fact that he helped that girl… and now he's doing it again. Maybe I have a chance to live, better than certain death by following you.
— You're a fool, Romeu…
Just as Romeu was about to respond, a radio static echoed from John's pocket.
— You'd better not say anything unnecessary, or the next shot will be in your head!
— Like I said, you're a fool! — John repeated.
John knew Romeu wouldn't kill him immediately.
He knew that greedy heart well. His love for money was second only to Demi's.
He understood that before killing him, Romeu would try to get his hands on all his money.
Clearly, this attitude was good for John, as it bought him time.
The static continued for a few seconds.
Then, the message:
— Charles One-Two, this is Alpha Zero-One. Requesting status update.
Alpha Zero-One's voice was heard.
With the gun pointed at John's head, Romeu smiled.
He knew how much his leader valued his own life and wouldn't play around in a life-threatening situation.
John kept a neutral expression. He didn't seem desperate.
But seeing this only made Romeu's smile widen.
— Alpha Zero-One, this is Charlie One-Two. Situation under control. Primary objective secured.
Alpha Zero-One remained silent for five seconds before responding.
The radio crackled.
Then came the reply:
— Charlie One-Two, this is Alpha Zero-One. Hold position. Roger.
As it ended, John smiled at his colleague.
Sensing something off, Romeu was about to pull the trigger, but it was too late.
Seven seconds were enough.
James already had him in his sights.
Pow!
The bullet pierced his head, leaving a hole.
Romeu's body slid off the van before hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Blood traced his fall.
John was no ordinary man. He would distrust even his own mother, let alone mercenaries.
He had already prepared a few commands with Alpha Zero-One.
It was already confirmed that the reinforcement was a sniper, so he was confident.
Romeu's gaze was empty and perplexed, as if he couldn't accept his end.
°°°
At that moment, on the hill, the sniper James Oliver had just blown Romeu's brains out.
Now he was repositioning.
William was in his sights.
Director Michel had informed him that if the specimen showed any intention of escaping, he should eliminate him.
His boss was very interested in studying his body, in search of the secret behind that absurd capability.
Whether he was alive or dead no longer mattered.
He was about to fire at William when suddenly, he saw the ground beneath him drift away.
A firm hand, like a vise, grabbed the back of his neck and lifted him.
— You managed to push my disciple to the extreme… this day is very important for his growth…
The voice was that of a young man.
But there was a coldness and dominance James couldn't explain.
It sounded like the voice of a veteran of countless wars.
Even so, James tried to complete his mission, firing the rifle still in his hands.
But no matter how much he pulled the trigger, nothing happened.
Looking at the weapon more closely, he finally realized.
The entire barrel was twisted — pointing at his own face.
"How did I not notice this before?"
A chill ran down James' spine, and he felt relieved the rifle had failed.
— You know… if no one eliminates the pests, they end up devouring the entire crop!
The voice sounded by his ear, and his eyes widened.
Green veins became completely visible on his face.
It was as if something was crawling inside him, writhing.
He tried to scream, but no sound came out.
He struggled. Tried to resist.
But it was useless.
The pain only increased, his eyes revealing a terrible despair.
Suddenly, his body began to break apart into particles.
And then… it exploded.
A blue glow, like fireworks, appeared for a brief moment before calm returned.
On that hill, only a young man with deep blue eyes and terrifying beauty remained.
He seemed thoughtful and distant, as if everything that had happened was nothing.