The soldiers quickly dispersed upon entering the warehouse.
Rifles raised in tactical stances, they advanced cautiously in formation - some moving front-to-back, others side-to-side, providing mutual cover.
"Stay alert! Our scans show a shuttle departed from here recently. Siegel Clyne has likely escaped, but we absolutely cannot let Ogsha-Clyne get away. Find her at all costs!"
A shout came from outside: "Captain! We caught someone who just left this area. He claims to have transported a beautiful pink-haired woman and a black-haired boy here earlier."
"Good." The squad leader addressed his troops. "Search every corner. Ogsha must be hiding here."
"Don't lower your guard. Remember she's still a Coordinator - even as a woman, she's extremely dangerous."
A soldier asked: "What about the boy?"
"Handle that at your discretion. I only need Ogsha-Clyne alive."
"Sir!"
After issuing orders, the captain began searching while shouting: "Mrs. Clyne, you heard me. I don't want your life - the boy with you is innocent. Surrender now if you want to spare him harm."
"You know the situation. Escape is impossible. Your husband Siegel has already abandoned you. Why throw your life away needlessly?"
The captain's voice echoed through the empty warehouse.
Zhou Tianming quietly returned to the changing room, finding Ogsha heading out with a pistol.
Frowning, he grabbed her arm: "What are you doing?"
"Tianming, stay hidden. They want me. I can't let them capture me to use against Siegel."
"So you're going to your death?"
Ogsha remained silent but kept her grip firm on the weapon. "I'm not seeking death, just—"
Zhou Tianming snatched the pistol away. When Ogsha reached for it, he caught her wrist instead.
"This isn't your fight. Get ready to activate the Mobile Armor when the time comes. No matter how many soldiers they have, they're no match for an MA."
Ogsha looked troubled, sighing. "I know, but the MA's position is too exposed. I could never make it through their gunfire safely, and startup takes time."
Zhou Tianming moved to the changing room bench where Ogsha's previously carried white coat lay unfolded, revealing two remaining military pistols wrapped inside.
Flipping the pistol in his hands, Zhou Tianming somewhat clumsily checked the magazine's bullet count: "Leave this to me."
"Tianming, this isn't a game—you just woke up—"
"You don't think I escaped from the research facility, do you?" Zhou Tianming loaded two full magazines with a click, racked the slide, then repeated the process with another pistol, holding one in each hand. "I fought my way out properly."
Ogsha stared in surprise at the petite Zhou Tianming, hesitating before finally saying, "Be careful."
Zhou Tianming took the lead, with Ogsha following closely behind as they reached the locker room door.
The warehouse was vast, offering clear sightlines with no complex terrain, so the soldiers' search progressed quickly. The closest ones were already within 10 meters of the locker room.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Tianming's gaze sharpened.
[Overdrive 10] [Concentration 15] activated.
He burst forward like a black phantom.
Aim—fire!
The nearest soldier collapsed from the impact, but the bullet was deflected by the sturdy Tactical Helmet.
Zhou Tianming's expression darkened.
The other soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately training their guns on him at the muffled gunshot and their fallen comrade.
Gunfire erupted, muzzle flashes lighting up the space.
Zhou Tianming darted rapidly, bullets chasing after him, sparking against the ground.
"What the hell is that?"
"Open fire!"
"Team 1, Team 2—suppressive fire, box him in!"
Two streams of bullets no longer aimed at Zhou Tianming but instead blocked his path, while a third relentlessly pursued him.
Zhou Tianming remained calm. Under [Concentration], the bullets appeared to move slowly in his vision.
With [Overdrive], as long as the bullets didn't enter within a 2-meter radius, he could dodge in time.
His speed was so extreme that only a black blur remained in others' eyes.
The shadow weaved—forward, backward, stopping, moving.
Bullets struck all around him, yet none found their mark.
The soldiers grew unsettled by the sight, their aim faltering.
Ogsha stood frozen, muttering in disbelief, "Is this the finished product of an [Ultimate Coordinator]?"
Zhou Tianming fired only a few shots while evading. Though precise, the soldiers' armor—helmets and body protection—deflected the bullets.
His mind raced. Those few shots provided him with detailed ballistic data for the military pistol in his hand.
As the soldiers regained composure under their leader's orders, emboldened by Zhou Tianming's ineffective shots, some even dared to advance, trying to close the distance for better accuracy.
But Zhou Tianming's counterattack had already begun.
Gunfire rang out in rapid succession.
The soldiers scoffed.
Then—bullets shattered goggles, piercing eyes.
Instantly, five or six soldiers jerked backward and collapsed, lifeless.
Chaos erupted. Those who had been advancing scrambled back, obstructing their comrades' lines of fire. The barrage weakened by half.
Zhou Tianming narrowed his eyes. Instead of weaving sideways, he charged forward.
The soldiers hurriedly took aim, but Zhou Tianming was faster—raising his gun, he felled several more in an instant.
As he swung his muzzle to target again, the soldiers ducked, using their Tactical Helmet brims to shield their eyes.
Seizing the moment, Zhou Tianming plunged into their formation.
Arms spread wide, his body spun rapidly like a top.
Gunfire erupted in an instant.
Bang bang bang—
Bullets pierced through soldiers' chins and out their skulls, instantly killing three or four men in the surrounding circle as they collapsed.
The squad leader, not far from Zhou Tianming, completely broke down at the sight: "Monster! You fucking monster!!!"
Muzzle flashes lit up.
Zhou Tianming retreated hastily, but at that moment, both [Concentration] and [Overdrive] effects vanished simultaneously.
The bullets in his vision instantly blurred beyond recognition, and his body grew heavy as his speed plummeted.
At the critical moment, Zhou Tianming threw himself backward, curling into a roll while yanking a soldier's corpse in front of him as a shield.
Bullets thudded into the body, stopped by its bulletproof vest.
This move, however, gave the squad leader immense confidence. He rallied the remaining soldiers to concentrate fire relentlessly.
Pinned down, Zhou Tianming could only rely on the corpse for cover.
The scene also jolted Hibiki awake. Without hesitation, she dashed from the changing room toward the Mobile Armor.
A soldier on the left glimpsed Hibiki's striking pink hair in his peripheral vision and instinctively swung his gun to spray bullets her way.
The squad leader shouted in alarm, "Don't split your fire!"
The command made the soldier hesitate for a split second—just enough for Hibiki to sprint across the open ground and vanish behind a pile of debris.
Meanwhile, Zhou Tianming immediately noticed the gap in the left-side suppression. He feinted left, leaning as if to escape through the opening.
The remaining soldiers shifted fire to block his path, but this left the right flank exposed.
Zhou Tianming ducked back and lunged right instead. By the time gunfire readjusted, he'd already dived into a stacked clutter of supplies.
Bullets shredded the pile to splinters in an eyeblink—but Zhou Tianming was gone.
Simultaneously, the roar of the Mobile Armor's ignition thundered.
The squad leader's face twisted in despair as his gun drooped uselessly.
A split second later, the Mobile Armor's dual autocannons growled with lethal finality.
The remaining soldiers exploded into crimson mist, painting the ground in gory fragments.