As the truck closed in on Leo’s location, Linda shouted to the girl beside her.
"Lily, stop! Stop firing! Sir Leo is right in front of us! You might hit him too!"
A hooded figure materialized on the vehicle’s virtual screen. Lily frowned in confusion, unable to make out his face. Then, the truck’s mechanical voice echoed through the cabin.
[Located owner.]
[Confirmed as an ally.]
[Unable to target.]
[Weapon systems deactivated.]
The relentless roar of the guns ceased.
The heavy vehicle ground to a halt with a harsh screech of tires. The door swung open, revealing Danny stepping aside to make room. Leo closed the distance between them.
"Thanks for coming."
Danny shook his head.
"Sorry. I couldn’t come sooner because I hesitated."
Leo shifted his attention to Linda.
"Linda, I need your help. There is a woman here who has a phobia of men."
Though she looked a bit puzzled, Linda nodded.
"We’ll protect you. Please help her get inside the truck."
Linda climbed out of the cabin. Grandpa Jiro joined her, and with Leo and Danny standing guard, the group made their way to where Aldina and Nina waited.
"Okay. You can release your skill now."
Aldina let her skill drop. Grandpa Jiro scooped Nina up in his arms. Linda tried to lift Aldina, but lacking the strength, she wrapped the woman’s arm around her shoulder to support her weight instead.
Danny brought the truck closer to save them a few extra steps. Once they guided Nina and Aldina into the back, the tension leaving Aldina’s body proved too much, and she fainted on the spot.
Grandpa Jiro climbed in behind them. His gaze wandered over the advanced interior, taking in the sleek design. His eyes landed on the kid wearing a strange-looking helmet, prompting him to raise a curious eyebrow.
Interesting.
Outside, Leo scaled the side of the truck, settling on the roof. He tapped the metal to signal Danny.
"Start the car."
Danny slammed his foot on the accelerator.
Further down the battlefield, the fight raged on.
The bullet wounds on William’s body had already healed without a trace. Seeing his firearms were useless, the cyborg soldier abandoned his guns and drew his blade. Worse still, William had grown a completely new arm in the middle of the clash.
William lunged, throwing a devastating punch. Rather than dodging, the cyborg raised his flesh-covered arm to block.
KRUNCH!
The sickening crack of snapping bone echoed over the debris. The cyborg’s arm bent at an unnatural angle from the sheer force of the blow. Yet, his expression barely twitched. He held his ground.
Using the momentum of William’s strike, the cyborg swung his blade toward the monster’s neck with everything he had. The sharp edge closed in, but William jerked his head.
CLANG!
William’s jaws snapped shut, catching the solid steel right between his teeth. The blade jammed firmly in his mouth.
The cyborg stared, his eyes blowing wide. What the—?!
A violent mental attack slammed into the soldier’s mind, shattering his concentration for a fraction of a second. That was all William needed. The beast grabbed one of the man’s legs and clamped his other hand down on the nape of his neck. Hoisting the cyborg high into the air, William bent his knees, preparing to snap the man’s spine in half.
Real panic finally broke through the cyborg’s stoic expression. No!
FWOOSH!
Twin jets of fire erupted from the soldier’s modified leg. The massive thrust dragged both him and William forward like a rogue missile.
BOOM!
They slammed into a pile of concrete debris, bouncing off the rubble and plowing through the battlefield, turning everything in their path to dust.
Just then, the armored truck sped past the wreckage. From his spot on the roof, Leo caught sight of the enormous, rampaging figure in the dust. His eyes narrowed as recognition hit him.
William...?
He leaned over the edge of the roof, shouting to Danny.
"All of you go toward safety."
Danny glanced up through the window. Leo met his gaze, his face set in stone.
"I have a job to finish."
Without waiting for an argument, Leo vaulted off the moving vehicle.
BOOM!
His boots hit the cracked asphalt. He locked his sights on William’s location and vanished into a blur of motion.
Still hurtling through the air, William tightened his grip on the cyborg’s modified leg and squeezed hard.
CRUNCH!
The thick metal casing crumpled like a tin can. Showers of sparks erupted from the ruined machinery, and the jet propulsion died with a sputter. Gravity took hold, and the two heavyweights crashed back down into the earth.
BOOOOM!
William never let go. The cyborg coughed up a mouthful of blood. Part of the skin on his head had been scraped away in the crash, exposing the dull gleam of metal fused right into his skull.
William’s eyes curved into a sickening smile. Grabbing the battered soldier by the throat, he hoisted him up again, pulling his other hand back into a massive fist.
"Hihihi... You can’t run anymore."
A violent shiver ran down William’s spine. His instincts screamed as a crushing wave of danger washed over him.
VOID EDGE!
A katana wrapped in pitch-black energy cleaved down from above, aimed straight for his neck.
Throwing his arms up to guard himself, William caught the blow.
SLASH!
The dark blade sliced cleanly through his newly regenerated arm, sending the severed limb tumbling to the dirt.
"RAAAAAAGH!"
William roared in agony. Dropping the cyborg, he leaped backward, scrambling to put distance between himself and Leo.
But Leo offered him no room to breathe.
"Void Walk."
SHUA!
Leo phased into existence right beside him. The dark katana swept in for a second strike at William’s throat.
William threw up his remaining arm in a desperate block.
SLASH!
This time, the blade bit deep into flesh and bone but stopped halfway. It failed to sever the limb completely.
Leo blinked in surprise. He adapted to Void Edge that fast?
Ripping his bleeding arm away from the blade, William spun on his heel and bolted.
Leo narrowed his eyes. Not this time. He refused to let the monster slip away again.
Reaching behind his back, Leo drew a throwing knife. In a heartbeat, black energy swirled around the metal—Void Edge. Layering his power, he infused the weapon with a second force—Zen. He locked his focus on the tiny, zombified form of Lily, who was still clinging tightly to William’s back.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, the knife launched through the air.
That same terrifying sense of danger spiked in William’s mind. His body stiffened as he sensed the deadly projectile closing in from behind. Whipping his head around, his eyes blew wide.
The glowing, Zen-coated blade wasn’t aimed at him. It was flying straight toward Lily.
"RAAAAAAGH!"
William roared, twisting his massive frame around. Rather than diving out of the way, he threw himself directly into the path of the flying dagger.
THUK!
The knife buried itself deep in his chest. Thick, black blood spilled over his lips as he staggered backward.
"Guh...!"
Leo lowered his stance, watching his target closely.
Usually, William’s rapid regeneration would have closed the injury in seconds. This time, nothing happened. The jagged wound stayed open, and dark blood just kept dripping from his jaw.
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