Chapter 63: The Deadly Finale

When the assassins saw another of their comrades collapse in just thirty seconds, reality hit them hard. They began to believe that Marielle truly was from the Innovation family, an undeniable fact given her lethal skills. The air around them grew heavy with tension, and their faces turned serious. They each drew their secret weapons, preparing for what was sure to be a deadly confrontation.
One of the assassins, a skilled marksman, pulled out his gun, taking up a support position. The remaining four, knowing this battle was now a matter of life and death, steeled themselves for the fight of their lives. "So, you’re from the Innovation family. But your name is all you have now, woman, because this is where you’ll die and become fertilizer for this forest," one of the assassins sneered.
"Is that so? I thought we were all going to become fertilizer here," Marielle retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm, trying to unnerve them once more.
"Boom!" A shot rang out, and Marielle felt a searing pain as a bullet struck her. She dropped the object she was holding—a small, heart-shaped box containing a poison more deadly than the venom of a king cobra or any other toxic creature. This poison, once released, would kill everything within a 200-meter radius in just ten seconds. It was so potent that it could penetrate armor, seeping through the pores of the skin, destroying human cells almost instantaneously. Marielle was the only one who knew how this poison was created, but even she hadn’t found a cure for it yet. It was a dangerous weapon, one that could be used as a chemical weapon to bring down entire nations.
"Quick, finish her off!" the leader of the group ordered.
"Boom!" Another shot echoed as the assassin serving as the marksman fired from the back, the bullet hitting Marielle squarely in the forehead. Time seemed to stop for Marielle as she felt death creeping closer, inching toward her.
With her last breath, she smiled—a smile devoid of regret, for to her, dying with dignity and fighting for her dreams was a victory in itself. She had reached the final mission, almost completing the record system and secrets of the Vermudez family. "Father, Mother, forgive me. I may not win the position as the new leader of our family, but I’m happy I could contribute something to our clan. Now, Father and Mother, we will be together because this is my last breath, a taste of victory," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Marielle’s mind flashed back to the day her parents were murdered before her eyes by their own family, punished for breaking the family code. Since then, she had been an orphan, swearing vengeance on her grandfather, who ordered their deaths. She was filled with rage, determined to avenge her parents, and her selection as a candidate for the new head of the Innovation family had been a moment of triumph. She had dreamt of becoming the head of the family so she could kill her grandfather and all those who tormented her parents. But now, in this final moment, she realized that her dreams were slipping away, impossible to achieve.
As darkness slowly consumed her vision, signaling her final farewell, the leader of the assassins spoke. "She’s dead. That woman put up a fight, but we got her in the end," he said, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.
The four remaining assassins approached Marielle's lifeless body, circling it with a mix of relief and triumph. They laughed, but their laughter was cut short when a sudden alert sounded from the heart-shaped object Marielle had dropped. Unknown to them, Marielle had set a timer on it before she was shot, knowing that if her plan failed, she had a Plan B in place to ensure her enemies would fall with her. This was why she had told them that they would all die together and go to hell.
"Boom!" The heart-shaped object exploded, releasing a thick, toxic smoke that spread rapidly through the area.
"Poison!" one of the assassins screamed. "Cover your mouths and stop breathing!" the leader shouted urgently.
They began to flee, using their experience to try to escape the deadly gas. But this was no ordinary poison. One of the mercenaries suddenly collapsed, followed quickly by a hunter who fell to the ground, vomiting blood. An assassin succumbed next, choking on his own blood as he fell lifeless.
The leader, realizing the poison was beyond anything he had ever encountered, looked down in horror to see his skin starting to burn as if it were being eaten away. The toxin had penetrated his body, attacking his cells with relentless speed. He froze, his mind reeling as he understood that this was the end for him as well. Marielle had been right—they would all die together and become fertilizer for the forest that surrounded them.
The scene that night was one of carnage and bloodshed, as if a massacre had taken place in the darkness of the woods. The once proud and deadly assassins of the Vermudez family lay scattered on the ground, victims of the deadly trap set by Marielle. The forest, silent and eerie, became their final resting place, their bodies left to decay under the pale moonlight. It was a haunting and gruesome sight, a reminder that in the deadly game of life and death, even the most skilled can fall to a well-laid plan.