Chapter 206 The Competition Begins
At this moment, dozens of bodyguards on the first floor also rushed over upon hearing the noise!
They had just reached the stairs, seeing the metal fence by the flower bed twisted and deformed.
The spikes on the fence began to rotate automatically, detaching from the main structure.
In the next moment, they flew out like sharp swords, turning into deadly darts.
Although battle-hardened, these bodyguards had never seen such a scene.
In the blink of an eye, blood splattered as painful cries filled the air!
In an instant, they all fell to the ground, dead!
Inside the house, Invictus slowly sheathed his katana.
The other black shadows in the room instantly disappeared.
"Chain Bridge," he said emotionlessly, "this is my mission."
The remnants of the ceiling rained down as three figures descended from the newly formed hole. Three young men who were barely old enough to drink, were triplets with blonde hair and distinct Victorian features. Each extended a hand, their arms forming a linked chain as they landed gracefully.
"Invictus," they spoke in unison, their voices chillingly synchronized, "These are but appetizers."
"Consider this a friendly gesture between comrades," they added.
Invictus's expression remained unchanged. "This mission requires no assistance. I am more than capable."
"Your mission, perhaps," they countered, their voices a single entity, "but ours is Paul Three."
Invictus whirled around, his voice dangerously low, "Andrew Powell was but a trifle. Paul Three is mine as well."
A sinister chuckle echoed through the room as the triplets responded, their unified voice echoing, "Then let us see whose skills reign supreme. Paul Three is of little consequence to Chain Bridge. However, you, Invictus, Ace of Spades... you present a challenge we eagerly accept."
Invictus's eyes narrowed. "Do not mistake your parlor tricks for true power."
As if acting on its own accord, his katana sprang from its sheath, the blade hovering menacingly against his throat. The sight was unsettling – the master swordsman seemingly threatened by his own weapon.
"Really?" the triplets sneered, their expressions turning predatory.
A voice echoed their taunt, emanating from every corner of the room.
"Really?"
Three spectral duplicates of Invictus materialized from thin air, each wielding a katana poised at the throats of the startled triplets.
"Very well," the Chain Bridge trio conceded, their unified voice laced with begrudging respect. "We shall set aside our differences for now."
"Let the race for Paul Three commence!"
8:00 PM. Lab Graveyard.
Elbert stood atop the dome of the Lab Graveyard, looking across Wavehaven's cityscape. with its lights twinkling faintly in the distance. Behind him stood Quentin and Summer, their earlier sparring session having ended in a stalemate.
Summer, as always, remained silent, her presence a comforting weight behind Elbert. Quentin, however, was a whirlwind of nervous energy. He paced back and forth, stretching, polishing his baseball bat, and rubbing his hands together, his face betraying an air of barely suppressed excitement.
"Quentin," Elbert sighed, turning to face the fidgety athlete, "Is there something you wish to share?"
Quentin jumped, startled. "What? Me? No, no, everything's perfectly normal!"
Summer shot him a look that spoke volumes. It was as if Quentin had a neon sign above his head flashing, "I have a juicy secret!"
Elbert returned his gaze to the city. "Quentin, you have two minutes. Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Quentin ran a hand through his hair. He did have a secret, one he'd been bursting to share. However, he'd also been relishing the knowledge, holding it close like a prized possession.
"Alright, alright!" he blurted out, unable to contain himself any longer. His initial dejection vanished, replaced by a wide grin. "Remember I'm the Two of Diamonds? The Card Club has no idea I'm a killer of killers! I've got intel!"
"Mm," Elbert responded, his tone carefully neutral.
Quentin stroked his chin, trying to gauge Elbert's reaction. No bite? Time to up the ante.
"Paul Three, my man, the Card Club is sending a hit squad after you! 26 assassins are all gathering on this very spot at midnight!"
"I wasn't going to tell you," he added, puffing out his chest, "Figured I'd handle it myself, you know; widen the gap between us." He closed his mouth, realizing he'd said too much.
Elbert smiled faintly. "Actually, there are thirty, all foreign nationals. 27 men, 3 women."
"And," he continued, reaching to the glittering cityscape, "they are currently... there, there, and there."
Elbert pointed to several seemingly innocuous locations. His combat awareness, heightened to an almost supernatural level, clearly saw the assassins scattered throughout Wavehaven. Thirty points of heat, burning bright red in his mind's eye.
"What? How do you know more than me?" Quentin sputtered, flabbergasted.
Elbert's smile widened. "And let's not forget the two hiding in those bushes over there, completely unaware of their impending doom."
Quentin's eyes widened in alarm. He gripped his bat, squinting into the darkness, but the assassins remained hidden from his sight.
"Paul Three, you've got some kind of power, don't you? Some kind of awakened ability!"
"Something like that," Elbert replied enigmatically. He turned back to Quentin, his eyes gleaming with challenge. "You've always wanted to compete with me, haven't you?"
"How about a little contest tonight?"
Quentin's face lit up. "We talking about who takes down the most assassins?"
Elbert nodded.
"But..." his excitement waned, "I don't even know where they are."
"Summer," Elbert said, turning to his sister, "Referee?"
Summer nodded, stepping forward and fastening a watch onto Quentin's wrist.
"What's this? A digital watch?" Quentin scoffed, but he soon turned speechless.
The watch lit up, projecting a holographic map of Wavehaven. Red dots, representing the assassins, blinked ominously across its surface. It was easy for Robert to pinpoint their locations based on the data Elbert fed him through their link.
"Whoa! High tech!" Quentin exclaimed, his earlier skepticism forgotten.
Summer smirked. "Doesn't matter what gadgets you have; you're still going to lose to my brother."
"Oh, you're going down, little sis!" Quentin retorted, brandishing his bat. "Bring it on!"
Summer smiled, shaking her head. "You're too late. He's already gone."
Quentin spun around. The rooftop where Elbert had been standing was empty.
"Damn it! I'll get you next time, Paul Three!" he yelled into the night before leaping off the building, disappearing into the darkness. He had assassins to hunt, and a score to settle.
Ten minutes earlier.
Leonard, engrossed in the Trinity research project, received a message from Elbert. It was five simple words, [Big harvest tonight.]
He scratched his head, bewildered. What in the world was Elbert talking about?
Pushing his confusion aside, he barked out orders. "All SWAT teams, gear up! We're moving out!"
"Sir?" Trinity asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's going on?"
"Beats me," Leonard admitted. "But I have a feeling our resident deity is about to unleash some serious hellfire."
He paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Speaking of deities... Trinity, about that charming spell..."
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