"Liver's target is Section 13!"
"Here, take the phone! Jade, call Uncle right now!"
Handing the phone to Jade, Jackie found himself caught in a painful dilemma. On one side, his friend's protégé lay wounded, perhaps dead; on the other, Section 13 held magical artifacts that could determine the fate of the world.
Standing in the middle of the street, Jackie didn't know what to do—should he stay with the Bull Warrior to check on Paco's condition, or hail a cab and rush to Section 13 to stop Liver?
If he were a true professional soldier, the decision would be simple: protect Section 13. Duty before emotion. But Jackie wasn't a soldier.
That was the team's greatest weakness. They were strong, yes—but amateurs. Compared to seasoned warriors like Liver, who had honed the art of killing and whose resolve was as unshakable as steel, they were still far too soft.
"Jackie, why are you standing in the middle of the street?! Uncle already finished the dissolution potion! Where's the person wearing the mask—Aiyah! What happened here?!"
Rushing over with Tohru, who was still dressed in his bee costume, Uncle held a dried pufferfish in one hand and a vial of glowing green potion in the other, shouting urgently.
"You people demolishing buildings now?!"
Uncle looked around. Buildings were wrecked, cars were scattered like toys, the asphalt was cracked everywhere, and jets of water burst from the fissures in the ground.
"Uncle, you're finally here! Liver, he..." Jackie exclaimed, running up to him like a lost child who had finally found his father figure. He quickly explained everything that had happened.
When he finished, Uncle didn't whack Jackie on the head as usual. Instead, he fell silent, deep in thought.
"So... Uncle's guess was correct. The warning from the magic circle was right as well. Tarakudo was just a distraction—the real disaster must be the 'Great General' that Liver spoke of!"
"Jackie, contact Captain Augustus Black! Tell him to prepare the defenses! We're heading there immediately. No matter who stands behind Liver, we must stop him!"
At that moment, the Bull Warrior ran over, cradling Paco's battered body in his massive arms. "Uncle! Please, you have to save Paco!"
Uncle hesitated for a moment, just like Jackie had—but his kind, lawful heart couldn't ignore the plea. He nodded solemnly. "Paco... very well. I'll do what I can."
Using a healing incantation, Uncle managed to stabilize Paco's fading life force. His expression turned grim. "I've done all I can to keep him alive... but it's only delaying the inevitable."
"The only thing that can truly save him... is in Section 13."
They had no idea that this brief moment of hesitation—this act of compassion—cost them the most critical time, and with it, their best chance to stop Liver.
...
Late at night. Section 13. Captain's office.
"Jackie? What... Liver is going to attack Section 13?"
"Alright, I understand. Don't worry—Section 13's defenses are absolutely secure! It was designed by top military security experts. The average wall thickness is 3.5 meters, made of composite armor. Even heavy artillery couldn't breach it easily..."
Hanging up confidently, Captain Augustus Black stepped out of his office. Just as he was about to alert his agents to prepare for battle, a shrill alarm blared through Section 13.
BOOOOOM—!!
A thunderous explosion shook the entire facility. Dust rained down from the ceiling as the ground trembled violently.
Realizing what was happening, Captain Black shouted, "Don't panic! The walls are 3.5 meters thick! Even with sustained bombardment, they can hold for a while! Everyone, to your positions—prepare for combat!"
But before he could even finish, one of the reinforced walls began to twist and warp under extreme heat. The electrical conduits embedded within the surface started to melt, sending showers of sparks flying.
Then, as if reaching its limit, the concrete-and-titanium alloy structure liquefied into a molten torrent—an inferno of searing heat that surged toward the stunned agents.
Moments later, the air was filled with screams.
"Th-this can't be..." Even the battle-hardened Captain Black was horrified. "Quick! Evacuate the wounded! Prepare defenses!"
But Liver clearly had no intention of giving them any time to regroup.
The moment the wall collapsed, through the molten opening spewing scorching lava, swarms of Ninja Khan soldiers poured in like a flood of wild beasts unleashed from the mountains.
Every living person in sight became their target. The instant they spotted movement, they pounced like starving predators.
Shuriken, throwing knives, grenades, daggers, spikes, single-edged blades—every weapon, no matter how small, became a deadly instrument of slaughter in their skilled hands.
Not everyone was Jackie. Ordinary agents had no chance against these fearless, death-defying warriors trained in the art of killing. Even if one managed to take down a single enemy, they would be overwhelmed by others the very next second.
To the Ninja Khan soldiers, mercy was a meaningless concept. Whether the victim was wounded, disarmed, or desperately resisting—it made no difference. Under Liver's cold orders, they even delivered finishing blows to every corpse they passed.
Stepping through the molten breach, Liver lightly brushed the violet-red rhombus Honkai Cube embedded at his collar, murmuring in admiration, "As expected of Milady's power."
Scanning the chaotic scene, Liver frowned slightly at the continued resistance. Raising his right hand, he uttered coldly, "Turbulent Stream Lance."
At his command, the entire Section 13 water system ruptured. Countless streams of water burst from the shattered pipes, rising and condensing into deadly precision.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of spinning high-pressure water blades took shape, slicing through the air like divine weapons and cutting mercilessly into every surviving agent.
Clang, clang, clang—!
In an instant, a crimson "rain" began to fall within Section 13's central hall. Mixed among the drops were chunks of flesh and fragments of bone, pelting the ground like gruesome hailstones.
Within seconds, Section 13 had transformed into a hellish scene of blood and carnage. The metallic tang of death filled every inch of the air.
The few survivors who had somehow escaped the initial slaughter stood frozen, staring in horror at the massacre before them—the blood, the fragments clinging to their clothes, the unrecognizable remains strewn across the floor.
Even the most seasoned Section 13 agents could not hold themselves together. Trembling violently, they dropped to their knees and retched uncontrollably.
Terror. Dread. Panic. Every possible fear flooded their hearts.
"Run!" someone screamed. That single word shattered what remained of their discipline.
The surviving agents broke into a full retreat, fleeing in every direction.
Liver didn't bother to chase them down. He had no interest in wasting time on such rabble.
He had a more important task ahead.
"I can feel it... the mask is just ahead!"