"Death brothers?" Bob questioned as his expression quickly went grim. Noticing this, Hutton quickly asked with a serious look on his face.
"You know them?"
"Yes I do" Bob replied as his eyes were rested fully on Lynch and Vile while he continued. "Based on what I have heard and seen with my own eyes, the Death Brothers are known for being the most ruthless pair in the mercenary world at the U.S region. They are so ruthless that they performed their first murder which were on their parents at the young age of 6, and right after, they did a genocide on the entire family both immediate and extended."
"Such ruthlessness...." Ling Fei muttered as a chill ran through her spine while she had cold feet. As for Hutton, he remained quiet but his expression became more dark as he stared at Lynch and Vile.
"Oh? Now this is unexpected, I never knew someone apart from those old hags will have such detailed information on us Vile" Lynch suddenly said with an uncanny smile on his face while he turned to look at Vile.
"This is truly unexpected indeed. But at this point it doesn’t matter, since they will soon carry that information to their graves" Vile quickly replied with the same uncanny smile on his face.
"Who sent you people to us?" Bob suddenly asked with a vigilant look on his face. "Sorry but you aren’t qualified to know that. The only thing you are meant to know is that today is the day you lot will meet your end in the hands of the Death Brothers, members of the Harbingers" Lynch replied as he suddenly began to lick his lips.
’Harbingers?’ Hutton thought in surprise as he gave Bob a side glance. Bob clearly noticed it as he quickly whispered to Long Fei. "Young Mistress, please be far away from the place as quick as possible"
"You don’t have to tell me twice" Ling Fei replied as she suddenly vanished from that spot spontaneously. "Oh? You let your comrade abandon you guys, that’s just sad" Vile spoke up with a tone of mockery laced in his voice.
"And who told you death wannabes that she abandon us" Hutton suddenly answered which caught the brothers attention as he continued cooly. "She is just going to the restroom for a quick wash-up since she knows that before she is done, you guys will seize to exist by my hands"
When Lynch and Vile heard him, their faces instantly darkened as Lynch spoke up. "... Seems like you have a death wish, well we are the death brothers so we will gladly dish it out for you"
Without further warning, Lynch lunged forward, his fists suddenly conjured up and wreathed in black flames. He aimed a devastating punch at Hutton, who sidestepped with practiced ease, retaliating with a quick palm strike infused with spiritual energy. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
At the same time, Vile charged at Bob, his hands clawed out as it began slashing wildly. Bob raised his forearms, deflecting the strikes with a defensive technique that generated a shimmering barrier of golden light. "You’ll need more than brute force to take me down," Bob said, countering with a swift kick that caught Vile off guard, forcing him to stagger backward.
Lynch snarled and unleashed a barrage of fiery strikes at Hutton, who responded with measured precision, blocking and countering each attack. "You demonic cultivators always overestimate yourselves," Hutton said, his voice steady. "Let me show you the true path."
Meanwhile, Bob and Vile engaged in a brutal exchange of blows, their fists colliding with explosive force. Vile grinned wickedly as he unleashed a burst of corrosive energy, forcing Bob to leap back. "You’re resilient," Vile sneered, "but how long can you last?"
Bob smirked, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "Long enough to put you down." He thrust his hands forward, releasing a powerful beam of golden energy that slammed into Vile, sending him sprawling across the tarmac.
As Lynch’s frustration grew, his attacks became more reckless. Hutton took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he began to gather energy for his trump card. His hands glowed with a radiant golden light, the air around him vibrating with power.
"Heavenly Palm Technique," Hutton said solemnly, his voice resonating with authority. "Peak form."
Lynch widened as he realized what was coming, but it was too late. Hutton surged forward, his palm glowing brighter than the moon above. The force of the technique was overwhelming, striking Lynch squarely in the chest. The impact shattered his defenses, sending flying backwards and crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.
"Lynch!!"
Vile, still recovering from Bob’s attack, turned just in time to see his brother defeated. But before he could react, Bob appeared behind him, delivering a decisive blow to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious.
The area quickly fell silent right after, the faint hum of the wind and the distant chatter and alarms blaring the only sound that was present. Hutton lowered his glowing hand, his breathing steady but his eyes sharp.
Bob walked over, brushing dust over his sleeves as he spoke. "Nice work, that heavenly palm technique really is something."
Hutton nodded, his gaze lingering on Vile as he spoke. "We should take this one with us for interrogation, the other should quickly be disposed of"
"On it" Ling Fei suddenly said right after she appeared beside Hutton as she brought out a talisman from a small purse she is holding. "What is that?" Noticing the talisman, Hutton quickly asked with a curious look on his face.
"This is a Talisman of Eternal Flames" Ling Fei answered as she held the talisman close to Hutton for him to see more clearly. "It is a talisman that will incinerate this one out of existence in a matter of seconds"
"Oh, that disturbingly useful" Hutton replied as she watched Ling Fei placed the talisman on Lynch who is already dead. Then right after, she did a strange hand sign before she uttered the word "pinyin"
Spark!
Vroom!!
And in a moment, the talisman suddenly transformed in a black flame before it hungrily devoured Lynch’s body in a matter of seconds till there was not even a speck of Lynch’s remains left on the ground.
’Now this truly is disturbing’ Hutton thought as a chill ran through his spine. But he didn’t dwell on it as he shifted his attention towards where Vile’s body was expected to lay. "Huh? Where is Vile?" Hutton quickly asked when he noticed that Vile was no more at the place he was laying.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
"Don’t worry Mr. Hutton, I have kept him in a safe place in me" Bob replied with a light smile on his face. "Uhhh... Ok" Hutton said as he looked at Bob strangely for some moments before he removed whatever thoughts that was in his head as said while he resumed his walk towards the airport command centre at the distance.
"Since everything has been settled here, let’s quickly find where we can settle down before the awards begin"
–––––
The room was dimly lit, its only source of illumination a single flickering bulb hanging precariously from the ceiling. Shadows danced across the cracked walls, which were stained with dampness and years of neglect. The faint scent of mildew lingered in the air, mingling with the sharp tang of rust and iron. The floor was uneven, littered with debris and old, dried stains that hinted at the room’s dark history.
In the center of the room sat Powell, the mayor of Cornerstone City. The aged man, with graying hair matted against his forehead and his face marred with cuts and bruises, was bound to a rickety wooden chair. His clothes, once a symbol of his authority, were torn and smeared with dirt. His labored breaths echoed softly in the oppressive silence, and his sunken eyes reflected a mixture of exhaustion, defiance, and dread.
Suddenly, the creak of a door shattered the stillness. A young man stepped into the room, his cyan-colored hair glinting faintly under the weak light. His sharp features were illuminated just enough to highlight the sly grin spreading across his face. His posture was relaxed, almost mocking, as if he were savoring the moment.
Powell’s head lifted slightly, his weary eyes narrowing as he stared at the intruder.
The cyan-haired man chuckled, his voice smooth yet dripping with malice. "Well, well, Mr. Mayor," he began, spreading his arms theatrically, "you look worse for wear. Rough day?"
Powell didn’t respond, his jaw tightening as he glared at the man.
Undeterred, the young man sauntered closer, the faint tap of his boots on the cold concrete floor reverberating through the room. He stopped a few feet away, his grin widening as he leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with cruel delight.
"I came to share some delightful news," he said, his tone laced with mock cheerfulness. "Your dear daughter, Vivian, has finally arrived at the lion’s den."
Powell’s eyes widened, a flicker of panic breaking through his defiance. "What... what did you do?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.
The young man straightened, clasping his hands behind his back as he began to pace leisurely. "Oh, don’t worry, Mayor," he said with a smirk. "I haven’t caught her. Yet. But you see, brave little Vivian thought she could best us with just an old man beside her. Well if that’s what she’s thinking then she has another thing coming for her."
’Old man?’ Powell thought with a confused look on his face.
And not long after, he paused, turning to face Powell once more. "Such bravery. Such... naivety." He tilted his head, feigning pity. "I wonder where she gets it from."
Powell strained against his bindings, his voice rising despite his weakened state. "If you touch her—"
"Ah, ah," the man interrupted, raising a finger. "Temper, temper, Mr. Mayor. You’re in no position to make threats."
The young man stepped closer, his grin now inches from Powell’s face. "The question is, how much will you give to ensure her safety? Because, trust me, you don’t want to know what happens if you disappoint me."
With that, he straightened and turned toward the door, his laughter echoing hauntingly as he left the room. Powell slumped in the chair, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a suffocating shroud. The flickering bulb above continued its erratic dance, casting eerie shadows that seemed to close in around him.