"Very well."
Ryan watched the communication end. He had already planted suggestions in the minds of the two agents. Even ordinary people who had undergone some mental training could be easily influenced after being frightened half to death.
As for their superior's suspicions? Sorry, that plot had already begun the moment he reached Neon.
He had etched his casual, rule-abiding demeanor into their minds. Normally, even if surveillance was exposed, it wouldn't affect him. Not even the people from Neon had any physical evidence of him taking action.
"Still the five-minute report intervals. The sequence is: drinking, gathering intelligence, taking photos and walking around, and then after three hours, you will lose my trail. The last time you will see me will be near City Hall."
"Understood." The two agents nodded stiffly and silently walked into the chaotic alley.
In their minds, the target was not far ahead, still with the same indifferent attitude, dismissing the two followers behind him.
As for the warning, it had to be taken seriously, or the consequences would be unimaginable, so no reinforcements would come.
"With the search time, it's almost ten hours. Hmm, looks like it's still a bit tight." Ryan stroked his chin, his toes lightly tapping the ground.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind whipped through the alley, sweeping the garbage into the air. Ryan had already disappeared, heading toward a thousand meters high.
The city of Jeju quickly shrank beneath him, and Ryan paused in the sky, gazing towards the eastern sea.
Twelve hundred kilometers?
He slowly closed his eyes, and it felt as though an invisible hand struck his back. With the force of an arrow leaving the bow, he shot out, the ground passing rapidly beneath him. Soon, he saw the pitch-black sea, followed by a second and third layer of air currents exploding, accompanied by a shockwave tinged with residual electricity.
Storm dash.
Boom!
The sky exploded with a shockwave. Ryan had already broken the sound barrier, and as his body flew far ahead, the muffled thunderous sound echoed in his ears. There was no trace of him left. With the help of the Mirage system, all the detectors failed to pick up a single sign.
It was still an ordinary night. However, a shadow had silently returned to Tokyo. Within an hour, the lights once again appeared in his sight.
Ryan silently landed on a mountaintop and looked at the buildings before him.
This was a seaside villa area. A few kilometers away, at the edge of the sea, there was a raised hill surrounded by a castle built in a distinctive Neon style. Its outer walls were thin, and the courtyard had a beautiful pond and garden.
The central building was large and towering, resembling the "tensKocheku" in his mind.
Whoosh—
A sea breeze swept across, gently caressing the entire palace, revealing everything in the shadows and light, causing Ryan brows to furrow lightly.
Heavily guarded. Are all the people in this world so cautious?
Even though they knew he was a thousand kilometers away, this place still maintained a high level of vigilance. He could already detect hundreds of people, with heavy mechas hidden in the shadows, and missile launchers under the eaves.
This wasn't a luxury mansion; it was a fortress. Sneaking in was impossible. The earlier reconnaissance had already triggered some people.
"That old pervert still showed up." Ryan muttered with some regret. The amount of Honkai energy contained in his authority was minimal, but enough to alert the defenses. He turned slightly to the side.
"Himeko, keep the Far East branch occupied. You don't need to be on-site."
From the shadows, a red-haired woman emerged, holding a large sword with a complex expression.
"You don't need to go this far. If you plan to flip the table, how can I just watch?" She paused and spoke more excitedly, "Just find a way to get me in. I'll handle the rest!"
She wasn't as downcast as before. Since this man had kept his promise and came, he would surely provide a chance for revenge. Her inner anger immediately found an outlet.
"Shh, quiet. Who said I was flipping the table? Fire Moth is still useful to me."
"How can you not flip the table? Are you going in to chat with them?" Himeko sneered, pointing at the castle. "They've been prepared for you for a long time. Killing those two brothers isn't easy. Extracting information from them is even harder."
She was speaking the truth. Ryan had already analyzed the defenses. It was basically impossible to infiltrate, especially since the enemy had a rare high-ranking fusion warrior. As long as they could delay reinforcements, it was unlikely they would uproot the entire Far East branch.
"I want to kill them, but I'm not prepared to flip the table."
"Has the higher-ups authorized you?"
"No."
"Did you have Mei capture the leader?"
"What's the use of capturing him, and Mei isn't planning to stir the pot."
"Then how..."
Ryan raised a hand to silence her and waved lightly. "Do as I say. Do I look like the kind of reckless person?"
Himeko immediately fell silent. Ryan was certainly not reckless; in fact, he was highly calculated. Even the Herrschers had become smarter due to his tricks.
"I'll go support Hua. I'll make sure she's safe. You're more professional at assassination than I am."
With that, she disappeared quietly into the night. Ryan grinned, enjoying this feeling of mutual assistance.
The smile quickly faded, and his face became serious again.
Ryan took out a few spherical devices, injected Honkai energy into them. As Vil-V had described, these devices were like internal batteries, with the injected energy lasting for three hours.
He threw them lightly, and the spheres scattered, spreading around the villa and entering standby mode.
"That should be enough. Next, it's time to conceal myself."
Under the moonlight, his shadow shifted, almost like black mud, slowly crawling from his feet to engulf his entire body. It made him appear wrapped in black clothes, with no skin exposed, and his body became taller and more menacing.
Clang.
With a flick of his wrist, "The Flute" was drawn. As the black shadow spread, it transformed into a seven-foot black spear, which Ryan gripped with one hand, taking a deep breath.
Time to get to work.
Ryan raised his right foot, took a step towards the cliff, and allowed gravity to pull him down. With a thud, he landed silently on the road.
It was the middle of the night, and the crescent moon was covered by clouds. There wasn't a single figure on the road, except for the distant castle, which loomed like a giant beast at the seaside.
The delicate streetlights cast shadows, but if you looked closely, you'd realize there was no shadow of him.
He walked calmly, staring at the gradually growing castle, and because the thermal energy was also hidden, it wasn't until he reached the gates that the guards noticed him.
Late at night, a black shadow suddenly appeared at the gates. He seemed to be wearing tight clothing, his two-meter-tall body muscled and anything but human.
For a brief moment, the guards were stunned, but then the sharp alarm sounded. Just as they raised their guns—
Bang!
The outer walls and gates twisted at an alarming speed, as if an invisible giant had slapped them. The barricades, gates, guards, and just-raised grenade launchers were all flattened.
Their bodies and the rubble of the buildings floated upwards, rapidly drawing together toward the center.
Boom!!
The air pressure exploded, clearing everything within a hundred meters. Even those in heavy bulletproof vests couldn't withstand the shockwave.
The gate, along with a long section of the wall, was wiped clean, and the black monster casually walked into the castle, glancing around at the chaotic structure.
"You're wrong. This is called open killing."
The alarm blared, and Coleman instantly opened his eyes, reluctantly glancing at the woman beside him, before quickly dressing and cursing as he did.
"Damn it, this guy fooled us again. Looks like he's back, ready to stir up some bloodshed."
Coleman was certain Ryan was flipping the table. He couldn't understand why a calm, calculated man like Ryan had become impulsive.
"Your old partner is definitely fine. They're more nervous than you. Why don't you understand? This is the end. I don't know how many people will die. Maybe we should burn some incense for the leader."
Given Ryan cruelty, the headquarters was probably already fallen, and Fire Moth would soon split. Coleman dared not think further.
As he reached the door, it was suddenly pushed open. His subordinates, fully equipped for extermination, stood in the doorway, staring at him blankly.
Everyone was confused. This mission had been simple, with good food, drinks, and women for company. Then, the enemy came knocking.
"Captain, Mr. Takeuchi said..."
"Enough chatter. Hand me the weapons." Coleman grabbed two sharp, oversized pistols, holding onto the last bit of hope. "Who's the attacker? When will the Far East reinforcements arrive? Has Himeko made any moves?"
"I don't know. All communications are being interfered with, even the Honkai energy detectors are malfunctioning. Mr. Takeuchi and Mr. Koche have gone to the safe house, and we can't get in touch with the Far East branch."
It's him. It must be him!
After understanding the situation, Coleman couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle. He couldn't care less about the mission now and forced himself to calm down.
This was clearly a premeditated attack, but the Far East branch wasn't blind. They'd get the news soon, and even if someone obstructed them, they would be crawling over in two or three hours.
"Hold on. The defense is solid here, and the place is big enough. We can stall until reinforcements arrive. That guy will withdraw on his own."
He suddenly realized he didn't need to fight Ryan to the death. The safe house was underground, solid and hidden. He only needed to hold Ryan off from focusing on his targets.
With that, the mission would be a success, and after the world falls into chaos, he wouldn't have to worry about anything. He just wanted to enjoy the quiet life.
"Go get someone and send this young lady out." Coleman glanced at the girl sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes. He was still very concerned about the night's events. Then, with his squad of armored soldiers, he stepped into the corridor.
The rumbling sounds continued, and everywhere was filled with guards fighting and fleeing maids. Coleman couldn't even sneak a peek at the half-dressed, beautiful women.
The information terminal had been completely disrupted, and he had no idea what was happening. All he could hear were the sounds of machine guns, explosions, and a growing metallic vibration. He couldn't help but kick open the window and lean out.
His mouth dropped open in surprise.
This wasn't a covert assassination. This was a battlefield!