Chapter 214 Instant Kill
The air crackled with tension. James's words hung in the air, a challenge that seemed to defy logic. Everyone stared at him, stunned. Even the bodyguards, groaning on the ground, stilled, their gazes fixed on James with a mixture of shock and confusion.
For a moment, the only sound was the gentle lapping of the river against the bank. Harmony, her face a mask of bewilderment, stared blankly at James's back. She couldn't process what she'd just heard.
Then, the silence shattered. Cormac and his crew erupted in laughter, their voices harsh and mocking.
"Did you hear that?" Cormac chortled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "The guy who wouldn't say boo to a goose wants us to gang up on him? This is rich!"
"He's a coward, and he's an idiot," Dorian Harrington, the bald one with eyes like mung beans, spat. "I can't believe he actually thought he could compete with Mr. Perry for a woman. He's delusional!"
"He thinks he's Superman?" Alaric scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "He's going to take on all five of us? He's got to be joking!"
Their laughter echoed across the riverbank, a chorus of derision aimed at James. Even the bodyguards, their faces contorted in pain, shook their heads in disbelief. A loser should know his place, they thought. How foolish to talk tough when you're outmatched.
Harmony's anger simmered, a hot coal in her chest.
"You're being reckless," she exclaimed, her voice tight with frustration. "Don't you see? These guys are professionals. They could kill you!"
She felt cold at the thought of James, who had been so quiet until then, suddenly challenging these thugs.
James, however, remained unfazed. He was used to their mockery, their disdain. He felt a flicker of impatience, a need to get this over with. It was getting late, and after dealing with these five, he still had to find Jared. He had no idea where Jared was, and the thought of a long search sent a shiver down his spine. He had a crucial meeting tomorrow, and every minute wasted felt like a nail hammered into his coffin.
He frowned, his voice clipped and impatient. "If you all come at me together, you might have a chance. But if I make the first move, you won't have any chance."
Dorian, his face contorted in a malicious grin, couldn't stand it anymore. He spat on the ground, his eyes burning with anger. "I haven't seen such an arrogant fool in a long time. I'll teach him a lesson!"
He started walking towards James, his muscles rippling beneath his skin.
Harmony's panic flared. She rushed to James's side, her hand gripping his back. "James, how can you be so stupid?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear. "Don't you know your own level? These are trained fighters. They could kill you with a single finger!"
But before she could finish, James moved. He lifted his leg, a blur of motion in the dim light, and kicked Dorian in the waist. The impact was brutal, sending Dorian flying through the air like a ragdoll and landing with a splash in the river.
James hadn't used his full strength, but the force of the kick was undeniable. It was a display of power, a message to Harmony, a reassurance that he was in control.
Harmony's jaw dropped. Her anger vanished, replaced by a stunned silence. She stared at James, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her beautiful features, frozen in a mixture of shock and awe, held a unique charm.
The others were equally stunned. They had seen Dorian's strength firsthand. He was a formidable fighter, a force to be reckoned with. Yet, he had been sent flying with a single kick.
Cormac's face paled. He quickly recovered, his disdain replaced by a flicker of fear. "He is strong, but don’t panic!" he said, his voice tight. "Let's go at him together. We need to take him down before things get out of hand."
"No need," a voice said.
Cillian stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger. He licked his dry lips, a sinister smile playing on his face. He wasn't intimidated by James's display of power; he was excited. He was a notorious fighter, a man who thrived on violence.
"So, you're a master, pretending all along," Cillian said, his voice a low growl. "You almost had me fooled." He looked at James not as a person but as a punching bag, a prey. "I haven't had a good release in a long time. I hope you won't disappoint me."
James smiled, his eyes calm and steady. "Sorry, but I will disappoint you."
"What do you mean?" Cillian asked, a hint of anger creeping into his voice.
James spread his hands, his expression nonchalant. "Because the fight will be over quickly."
Cillian snorted, his anger flaring. "You're really arrogant!"
He lunged at James, his fist a blur of motion. His speed was incredible, a whirlwind of power that would have overwhelmed most men. But James was different. He moved with a grace that defied his size, his feet shifting effortlessly, dodging Cillian's attack with ease.
Cillian's fist whizzed past James's head, missing its target. He let out a surprised grunt, his eyes widening in disbelief. He launched another attack, even faster than before.
This time, James didn't dodge. He extended his right hand in a blur of motion and slapped Cillian's fist. The impact was deafening, a bone-jarring sound that echoed across the riverbank. Cillian's fist, once a weapon of destruction, was now a bloody mess, and his wrist dislocated.
Cillian's face contorted in pain, a scream escaping his lips.
James didn't hesitate. He followed Cillian's retreat, closing the distance with a swift kick. The kick landed squarely on Cillian's cheek, spinning him three times before he crashed to the ground, unconscious.
Silence descended, thick and heavy. Everyone stared at James, their mouths agape, their minds reeling. Even the couples strolling along the riverbank stopped, their eyes fixed on the scene before them.
Harmony was speechless. She had seen it with her own eyes, the impossible made real. James, the man she had thought was a coward, was a force of nature, a whirlwind of power.
She finally realized he had been hiding his strength, watching her make a fool of herself.
A wave of complex emotions washed over her: shock, disbelief, anger, and a strange, unexpected admiration.
James, his expression calm and composed, beckoned to Cormac and the remaining two thugs. "Now you'll come at me together, right?" he said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.
The three men swallowed hard, their legs trembling. They had seen Dorian fall, they had seen Cillian fall. They knew, with a chilling certainty, that they were outmatched.
Cormac wanted to slap himself. He should have known. Someone who dared to compete with Jared for a woman couldn't be ordinary. He had been so blinded by his own arrogance, so convinced of his own superiority, that he had failed to see the truth.
In a flash, Cormac made his decision. He couldn't afford to get caught. He turned and ran, his legs pumping, his heart pounding in his chest.
The remaining two thugs, stunned by their boss's sudden flight, hesitated for a moment before following suit.
"Are you idiots?" Cormac yelled, his voice laced with fury. "Don't run with me!"
James laughed, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down their spines. He wouldn't let them escape. He needed them to lead him to Jared.
He chased after them, his movements deceptively swift. In a matter of seconds, he had caught up to them, knocking them to the ground with a series of swift, precise moves. Alaric, who had resisted the most, was the worst off, his ribs cracked and his body wracked with pain.
James stepped on Cormac's chest, his gaze cold and unforgiving. "Why did you have to do this?" he said, his voice laced with a hint of disappointment. "I kindly suggested you come at me together, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've made me take you down one by one."
Cormac and the others, their faces contorted in pain, could only whimper in response. They knew they were at his mercy.
James shook his head, his expression weary. "Enough talk," he said. "Take me to Jared."
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