When Pierre opened the door and saw them, he broke into a wry smile. "What brings you two troublemakers to my doorstep this time?"
Rice, ever the blunt one, stood with arms crossed and offered no greeting. Dressed sharply in the black suit he'd borrowed from Kerry, Xiao Feng returned a composed smile. "Naturally, I come with a favor to ask of Commander Pierre."
Pierre raised a brow. "Well then, speak. If there's something within my power, I'll see what I can do."
"I'll be direct," Xiao Feng said. "I want Turner appointed as Second-Class Sergeant of Protection Zone 64. What do you say?"
"You speak as though it were a trivial matter," Pierre replied, chuckling. "I'm afraid you overestimate my influence, my young friend."
Xiao Feng said nothing more. Instead, he calmly handed over a bulging sack—its weight alone suggested its contents. "Commander Pierre, this is but a token of goodwill. I trust this small request is not too heavy a burden for a man of your reach."
Pierre took the sack, his fingers brushing over its surface before peeking inside. At the sight of the stacked bills—ten thousand alliance credits—he faltered for a breath. It wasn't a sum easily ignored. Even for a man in his position, it was a small fortune.
"You're surprisingly wealthy for someone your age," Pierre mused with a grin. "Very well—on account of this generous contribution, I'll see what can be done."
"My thanks, Commander Pierre. Since you've agreed, we shall take our leave." With that, Xiao Feng and Rice turned and climbed back into the vehicle, heading for camp.
"I really can't stand that bastard cousin of mine," Rice grumbled once they were back on the road. "He's a complete and utter scumbag."
Xiao Feng laughed as he drove. "Having such a scumbag for a cousin isn't all bad—at least he can get things done."
"But he took your money!"
Xiao Feng waved it off. "Money's easy to come by. We're not exactly hurting. After a couple days' rest, we'll head back out and hunt some more E-class beasts."
Rice chuckled. "This time, don't leave us behind. And be sure to cut us in on a bigger share!"
Just as they were joking, Xiao Feng suddenly jerked the steering wheel, swerving the vehicle sharply to the right.
Out of nowhere, a figure in a long black robe appeared beside the driver's side window, wielding a blade nearly five centimeters wide and a meter and a half in length. With a shriek of steel, the sword struck the side of the vehicle, sending sparks flying and carving a deep gouge through the cabin's outer frame.
Xiao Feng reacted just in time, narrowly avoiding the blow.
He slammed on the brakes, heart steady. Rice, staring at the long gash slicing through the vehicle, cursed under his breath. "Fuck—who the hell is that? Has he lost his damned mind?!"
This particular car, though technically Xiao Feng's, was one of Rice's favorites. Seeing it defaced so brutally sent fury surging through his veins.
Without hesitation, Rice flung open the door to leap out, but Xiao Feng grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Watch out!"
Rice barely managed to close the door when a blade came crashing down from above, rending a vertical scar down the cabin in another blaze of sparks.
Furious now, Xiao Feng shoved open his own door and rolled to the ground, dodging yet another strike. Rising swiftly, he surveyed the area—only to find themselves surrounded.
Dark figures—dozens of them—circled the vehicle like wolves. Each wore identical black robes, brandished long blades, and donned stark white masks. Upon each mask, a single black dragon was painted, coiled and menacing.
One of them lunged without warning, blade swinging toward Xiao Feng with deadly precision. The strength and sharpness of that strike were terrifying—had it landed, it would have cleaved a man in two.
What unsettled him even more was their sheer speed and coordination. The black-robed assailants moved like a singular organism, blades flashing in synchronized fury, giving Xiao Feng no room to retreat.
He could do nothing but desperately dodge, the circle tightening with every strike.
From inside the vehicle, Rice watched in alarm as Xiao Feng was slowly overwhelmed. He reached over the back seat, grabbed the black alloy blade, and snatched up an automatic rifle. Without hesitation, he leaned out and unleashed a burst of gunfire.
Bullets sparked against one of the robed figures, but the man didn't falter. Their armor was reinforced—clearly these weren't ordinary foes.
Even so, the barrage forced the enemy back a few paces. Rice leapt from the car, continuing to fire until the clip ran dry. Only then did he discard the rifle.
A lone black-robed figure moved toward him, blade raised. Unlike Xiao Feng, Rice faced only one opponent.
As the enemy struck again, Rice sidestepped, letting the blade crash against the SUV. He seized the moment and hurled the alloy blade skyward toward Xiao Feng.
"Catch!" he shouted. He had aimed it high—high enough to take advantage of Xiao Feng's incredible leap.
Xiao Feng saw the arc of the blade and sprang upward, catching it mid-air. In the same fluid motion, he drew the weapon and, as he descended, swung with lethal intent.
A black-robed attacker met the blow with his own sword. Steel clashed in a thunderous ring. Xiao Feng unleashed a surge of electric current—but to his dismay, it had no effect. The enemy's gloves were insulated.
It was then that Xiao Feng truly grasped the danger. These were no ordinary enemies. They had come prepared—for him.
Meanwhile, Rice was faring better. With only one opponent, he easily dodged the next attack, seized the man's wrist, and spun into a sudden, brutal takedown. The figure hit the ground hard, Rice following with a flawless cross-lock around his neck.
Even then, Rice felt the telltale rigidity of armor beneath his opponent's collar. "Shit," he muttered, "You guys really came dressed for war."
But Rice was no pushover either. He was an evolved combatant—one gifted with flame.
As he tightened his grip around the enemy's arm, fire suddenly surged forth from his palm, the temperature rising to a level capable of melting steel.