Tap tap tap...
Owenn fled hastily; he was the last known clone. The DarkStar pursuers were like a persistent leech, relentlessly following behind. The man Pursuit him was Sherman, the vice-captain of the Fossatude team, a Grade B superhuman. He had recently launched a sudden attack, keeping Owen constantly on the run.
He had already sensed that DarkStar was preparing to make a move and had notified Nagokin and the others to request reinforcements, but the reinforcements had not yet arrived, Owenn was secretly anxious.
Bang!
A beam of light as thick as a bucket pierced through the wall and struck Owenn. A rippling magical shield appeared, absorbing the main damage, before shattering and exploding. Owenn was knocked down by the aftershock and tumbled dozens of meters away.
Not far behind, a short, stocky man wearing a sighting goggles slowly approached. He was dressed in a lightweight gray-iron mechanical combat suit and carried a huge gun that was disproportionate to his body. The gun had a complex structure and a large caliber. In addition to the main cannon, it also had many twin-mounted secondary cannons, making it a multi-functional weapon.
This man was Sherman, who was said to have some dwarven Bloodline and was a gunner.
"I only have three Responsive Defense Shield badges left. I can't run far. If reinforcements don't arrive soon, I'm doomed. The people of DarkStar will show me no mercy..." Owenn's face darkened, realizing the situation was dire.
Sherman, expressionless, pointed his gun at Owenn, who was slowly getting up, and said, "Don't move unless you think your legs are too long."
Before the words were finished, a sharp whistling sound of something falling from the sky suddenly rang out. Looking up, one could see a guy dressed in a combat suit that looked like knight's armor flying nimbly between the buildings, his white cape fluttering on his shoulders. He quickly approached Sherman from high above, carrying a ship-slaying sword several meters long, and came with a menacing air. It was Melos who had come to the rescue.
Without saying a word, Sherman raised his gun and fired.
Bang bang bang--
Thick beams of light came hurtling towards him. Melos's eyes sharpened, and he slashed with Dao Dao, unleashing bursts of energy. Before the beams even reached him, they exploded into dazzling bursts of light, roaring incessantly. Passing through the scorching fire, just as he was about to hit the ground, Melos slashed fiercely at Sherman's head. But Sherman had already begun to dodge a second earlier.
Boom!
The blade struck the ground, creating a ravine along the direction of the cut. Silvery-white flames, like erupting magma, shot straight out of the ravine, and the crack continued to extend forward for dozens of meters.
"Reinforcements?" Sherman was thrown back by the aftershock, crouching on the ground, staring at Melos, licking his lips, tasting a sweet, metallic flavor, and his killing intent instantly turned chilling.
At this moment, many of the recruited mercenaries appeared and protected Owenn, Owenn breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, someone has arrived...
Hundreds of mercenaries were eyeing him menacingly, but Sherman remained calm and unhurried. He pointed at Melos, who had given him a minor setback, then pointed his fingers like a gun, pretending to fire a shot at his own head, a sinister grin on his face. This gesture meant, "I've got my eye on you."
The next moment, the people of DarkStar also arrived, their numbers roughly equal, with even more elites. They were eager to make a move. Anur stepped forward, glanced around, and said in a deep voice, "Goddora people, don't hide to the side. You can't escape my senses."
Upon hearing this, Nagokin stepped forward. The two Grade A superhumans were locked in a tense standoff. His expression was grave as he said in a deep voice, "Where is the other person?"
Anur didn't answer. He glanced around, counted the number of mercenaries, and frowned. Most of the recruited mercenaries were here. There shouldn't be anyone in the enemy's main camp. He knew Ashes was going to come up empty-handed, but it didn't matter. Ashes wouldn't have to wait long to return. A pincer attack would cut off their retreat.
They were enemies, and neither side shared their plans. They didn't exchange a single word, their eyes meeting, as if a taut string had been snapped. At a single command, the battle erupted.
The battle erupted!
Tear--
Anur's body swelled up, transforming in the blink of an eye into a bizarre monster, four or five meters tall, with a triangular, flat head and a streamlined, beast-like body. Its skin was rough and covered with small holes, which it used to manipulate wind pressure. It had a long tail trailing behind it, and its forelimbs and hind limbs had become thick, powerful claws. Eight strange, angular, and curved skeletal limbs grew on its back, somewhat resembling wings, but they were special organs, like hollow jet pipes, extending from its ribs. These allowed high-pressure airflow to circulate between its internal organs and the outside world, enabling it to fly and balance the internal and external pressures, protecting its body at high speeds.
This form is what Anur looks like after transforming, nicknamed "Wind Demon," and possesses the special ability to manipulate air currents.
Bang!
Anur's eight jets simultaneously spewed out high-pressure airflow, accelerating rapidly and traversing hundreds of meters in a flash before colliding with Nagokin.
With him at the cone's angle, invisible, enormous wind pressure cannons flank his body on both sides, the airflow transforming into shockwaves that sweep across with a thunderous roar.
Rumble--
As the wind pressure cannon passed by, the ground cracked open with a bang, the windows of the buildings on both sides of the street shattered, the steel structures bent, and everyone present felt short of breath, as if they were in the middle of a storm.
Nagokin pierced through the wind curtain and slammed his fist into Anur. The golden flames and invisible wind pressure exploded into a shockwave, sending both of them flying. A ring of gray dust erupted at the point of impact, and a circular crater several meters in diameter immediately appeared on the ground.
When he looked up again, Anur's body had vanished, leaving only the raging wind. Nagokin had seen this ability before; the small holes on Anur's body manipulated airflow to cover his entire body, forming a shield and absorbing light in some way, so that his body no longer reflected light, making Anur invisible to others.
The two Calamity Grade must keep each other in check, otherwise the others fighting on the sidelines will be in danger. Nagokin is on high alert. Just one Anur forces him to go all out. If another person is added, he will surely be defeated.
"Black Star said that the enemy would most likely split into two groups, and one of the Calamity Grade would rely on their individual strength to single-handedly attack our base. He chose to stay behind to hold off the enemy. Only by holding off one Calamity Grade enemy can we have a chance to rescue people."
However, he's only Grade B superhuman; Calamity Grade is too dangerous for him. Can he really handle it...?
Nagokin was secretly worried.
Meanwhile, at another location.
Ashes slowly stepped into the mercenary stronghold, fully prepared to wreak havoc, but it was pitch black inside and seemed to be empty.
"Did everyone abandon the stronghold and follow the Goddora? Looks like we made a wasted trip. Let's go find Anur and rendezvous."
Ashes remained expressionless and was about to turn and leave when suddenly, with a snap, the lights blazed on, and the base's loudspeaker blared.
"Don't go, I've been waiting for you for so long."
Ashes narrowed his eyes.
That voice sounds so familiar...
He looked up at the monitor in the corner, his tone indifferent.
Black Star?
"Ashes, that's the nickname DarkStar gave you. You don't have a real name. You were taken in by DarkStar when you were very young. They valued your talent and used you as a weapon, subjecting you to all sorts of rigorous training. You weren't originally Goddora, but you were instilled with hatred that wasn't yours. DarkStar cultivated your loyalty, but in their eyes, you were nothing more than a useful tool. Your faith was meaningless because it wasn't your true belief at all."
Han Xiao spoke to himself, his tone calm and collected, yet his words were piercing. Based on information from his previous life, he knew about Ashes's life, a life of countless killings, which was extremely hateful. But even the most hateful person has a pitiable side.
If he had lived a different life, if he hadn't been adopted by DarkStar as a child but had grown up normally, perhaps he wouldn't have become the infamous Ashes, perhaps he would have had his own name, and perhaps he wouldn't have given everything only to be seen as a discarded pawn whose value had been exploited.
Ashes subconsciously clenched his fist, then released it, showing no intention of engaging in verbal sparring. He said indifferently, "All the other mercenaries have left. Why are you the only one left?"
"Of course I'm waiting for you."
Click...
A metal door opened, and Han Xiao stepped out, his eyes meeting those of the Ashes.
A brief separation followed by a reunion brought intense longing.
DarkStar dispatched two Calamity Grade experts. Han Xiao guessed that the other side would want to maximize this advantage, so he sent one of them to act alone, which would be more flexible from a strategic point of view. Fortunately, he guessed correctly. Sure enough, one of the Calamity Grade experts took advantage of his individual strength to split up the forces and act.
When recruiting, Han Xiao knew he couldn't hide it from DarkStar. If the enemy wanted to storm the base alone, the one who would come would most likely be Ashes, because his abilities were best suited for group battles. Any carbon-based creature weaker than him in rank or strength could be instantly killed, making him extremely efficient. So Han Xiao had most of the mercenaries help Nagokin rescue people, and those who stayed behind would only be sent to their deaths.
Only he can hold off the Ashes; the longer the time, the higher the chance of Nagokin successfully rescuing them.
He was extremely confident in his ability to wage a protracted war.
"Wait for me?" Ashes's expression changed slightly. "You want to hold me off by yourself?"
"It's not just one person." Han Xiao shrugged, and a flash of light appeared beside him, with the Energy Transformation Aroshia floating around him. Besides her, there were a few mercenaries in another monitoring room, intently watching the screen.
Han Xiao had deliberately left these mercenaries behind. Their mission was to detonate the explosives placed throughout the building at the right time to hold back the Ashes. At this moment, their palms were sweaty, their breathing was rapid, and their tension was almost written on their faces.
Their tension was understandable; after all, the enemy on the surveillance footage was Calamity Grade. To be honest, if they were in Han Xiao's position, they felt they wouldn't even be able to speak fluently. They couldn't help but feel worried for Han Xiao, their hearts pounding with anxiety, always feeling that Black Star would be in big trouble when the enemy made their move.
If Black Star dies, their plan to curry favor with others will fall through.
Ashes twitched his fingers, but his powers couldn't sense Aroshia. He shook his head and said, "So your confidence comes from this energy life form. You think this can stop me?"
Han Xiao tossed a compressed ball around and laughed, "We didn't settle our score last time we played against each other. Are you scared?"
Upon hearing this, Ashes found it amusing. He had crossed the threshold and entered the next level, and was no longer the same person he used to be. He didn't understand where Han Xiao's confidence came from. Did Han Xiao still think he was at the same level as before?
"Overestimating yourself." Ashes's tone turned cold. "Even though you're alone, eliminating you wouldn't be bad. It would fulfill a small wish I had long ago. I can come to your aid after you're dead."
A rustling sound arose, as if countless particles were rubbing and colliding, but it quickly turned into a rumbling torrent. Around the Ashes, countless carbon particles spread wildly like an unpredictable black cloud, almost filling half of the stronghold.
Now, the Ashes ability has a wider range and is more freely controlled, allowing for more flexible changes. Countless carbon particles adhere to the surface and lining of his clothing, like weapons he carries with him, making him unafraid to fight in carbon-free environments.
"This is the power of Grade A..." The mercenaries in the monitoring room swallowed hard, feeling a powerful pressure emanating from the screen. Their legs went weak, and they almost wanted to turn and run away.
However, the next moment, they saw Han Xiao's body sway, and electricity shot out in all directions, precisely connecting to every compressed ball in the ceiling, the ground, and the corners, forming a spider web of electric wires around him!
Click click click--
In an instant, hundreds of machines deployed simultaneously, creating a spectacular sight!
These compressed balls had already been set up; Han Xiao had completed the setup long before the battle even began!
The entire stronghold was a trap he had laid!