The streets of H-City were nothing but chaos and carnage.
"Die!"
With a flash of crimson light, a blade of energy swept across the battlefield, tearing through the ranks of the cultists like paper. The twisted followers of the Blood Lotus Cult barely had time to scream before they were reduced to ash and gore.
Shane Mountain landed beside Julian Drake, the ground beneath his feet cracking from the impact.
Julian frowned. "Bro, how the hell did those cult lunatics get into H-City? Wasn't the whole place sealed off?"
"There are always ways in," Shane replied with a lazy grin. "Underground tunnels, sky drops you name it. But too bad for them, they ran into us. Guess today's their unlucky day."
The two laughed as they surveyed the smoldering remains of the last skirmish. Since entering H-City, they had already annihilated several invading factions and even killed the Blood Lotus Cult's Left Hand Prophet. His weapon, the Blood Demon Blade, now rested comfortably in Julian's hands. The enormous crimson greatsword radiated a menacing aura, and Julian couldn't help but swing it experimentally, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Perfect balance," Julian said with a low whistle.
Suddenly, his instincts flared. He spun around and slashed the air behind him. A blood-red arc tore through the sky. Two shadowy figures tumbled down from a nearby rooftop, lifeless before they even hit the ground.
"What the hell are those?" Julian asked.
Shane held up a hand to stop him from approaching. "Use your hawk vision. Don't get too close."
Julian's pupils shifted, transforming into golden eagle-like eyes. His gaze sharpened, and he zoomed in on the fallen bodies.
"Damn… they're foreign operatives. Ninjas," Julian muttered. "They were spying on us."
Shane snorted. "Figures. When a virus this powerful breaks out, it's not just a disaster it's an opportunity. Everyone wants a piece of it."
He gestured to himself and Julian. "We're living proof of that, aren't we?"
Julian nodded in agreement. The two continued moving forward, their movements leaving behind afterimages in the smoky air.
"So, what's the next move?" Julian asked.
"This mutation didn't just appear out of nowhere. There's a core, a source," Shane replied. "We find it."
Shane remembered the records he'd seen how the Corpse King once fought the Immortal Master right here in H-City. The battle had nearly leveled the district. In the end, the Immortal Master's sudden mental collapse had allowed the Corpse King to escape.
This time, Shane wasn't planning to let such a chance go to waste. If he could show his power before the global authorities, it would make his future operations much easier.
Moments later, the two stopped near the city library, where they both felt it the clash of two monstrous energies colliding like storms.
"They're here," Shane murmured, eyes gleaming. He leapt onto a rooftop, looking down at the figures below.
A man cloaked in golden light the Immortal Master was locked in combat with a pale creature with white hair and razor claws: the Corpse King, Ryuu Long.
Their powers tore through the air, the ground splitting under the pressure. But as they fought, both suddenly turned their gaze upward to the stranger standing on the rooftop.
Shane waved cheerfully. "Yo! Need a hand, Master?"
He compared their energy signatures for a moment, and a grin crept across his face. His own energy… was actually stronger than the Corpse King's.
Well then no point in holding back. Time to dominate.
He leapt down from the roof, drawing the Divine Edge, the blade's blood-red light howling through the air.
The slash was instantaneous a single arc that split a nearby skyscraper clean in half.
The Corpse King barely managed to dodge, his expression twisting. He didn't hesitate; he turned and vanished into the ground, fleeing without a word.
"What? He ran?" Shane blinked. "Wasn't he supposed to be some unstoppable monster? In the records, he fought multiple god-tier beings without retreating. Why's he running now?"
The Immortal Master sighed, his aura fading until he looked like a frail old monk once more. "Alas, the fiend escaped once again. It was this monk's misjudgment that allowed such evil to spread."
Shane scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry about that, Master. I think my appearance scared him off."
The old monk smiled kindly. "No, child. Your arrival saved my life."
Before Shane could respond, a woman came running toward them tall, fierce, and visibly worried.
"Master!" she cried.
The old monk turned, his face lighting up. "Ah, Nima, my dear disciple! I'm sorry I couldn't avenge you for what that monster did to you!"
Her face turned bright red. "What?! I was never violated! Stop saying that!"
"Oh? You weren't?" The old monk looked genuinely relieved. "That's good! That's very good!" Then, just as suddenly, he started humming an offbeat tune about the moon.
Julian leaned toward Shane, whispering, "Bro… this guy's a bit off, isn't he?"
"Old age," Shane said with a shrug. "Totally normal."
He turned to the woman. "Miss, H-City is far too dangerous. You should take your master and leave. My partner and I will finish clearing the remaining foreign forces."
Nima hesitated. "You're not going after the Corpse King?"
Shane shook his head. "The Corpse King's immortal and can evolve endlessly. Killing him outright isn't possible not yet. Unless he destroys himself, no one on Earth can kill that thing."
Nima didn't quite understand, but she nodded anyway. "Alright. Then I'll leave the rest to you. Honestly, young people like you give me hope. My poor master shouldn't have to risk himself anymore."
As she led the old monk toward their aircraft, Shane tossed his phone into the air and caught it again, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
"Phase One complete."
The two men vanished once more into the ruins of H-City, hunting down the last remnants of chaos.
Meanwhile, far away in the Global Defense Command headquarters, a group of military leaders examined a thick dossier.
"These two… Shane Mountain and Julian Drake," one of them said grimly. "Both were top-tier geniuses. After the scandals a few years ago, they went rogue. Now they've resurfaced and they're stronger than ever."
The elderly general at the head of the table slammed the file shut. "Investigate the one who framed them. Now."
When the officer left, the general rubbed his temples wearily. "Let's pray they don't turn against us. If they ever decide humanity isn't worth saving… it'll be our end."
Back in H-City, Shane and Julian had no idea they were already on the radar of the world's most powerful leaders.
For two straight days, the duo tore through every hostile force they encountered mercenaries, cultists, foreign operatives. None survived more than a single strike.
In the face of absolute power, every trick and title meant nothing.
By the time the elite Special Warfare Unit finally arrived in H-City, the two men had already done what armies could not purged the city clean.
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