That single shot radically changed Luke's view of Emily.
Since she had started killing, there was no need to hide their actions anymore.
A black circular disc rolled onto the floor.
Boom!
A high-pitched sound wave spread out, causing two drug dealers to clutch their ears and howl in pain.
Emily raised her hand and unleashed a basketball-sized fireball down the corridor. Just before reaching the dealers, it exploded. Deep red flames engulfed their bodies, and the walls cracked from the heat.
At the same time, loud shouts mixed with incomprehensible Arabic dialects came from upstairs.
Luke and Emily exchanged a glance. They abandoned the second floor and rushed directly to the third.
From the easternmost bedroom on the third floor, a pajama-clad Adousan kicked the door open.
"Damn Batman, die!"
Dakka-dakka-dakka-dakka!!
The distinct sound of a Tommy gun—a "Chicago typewriter"—reverberated through the hallway. Fifty rounds of ammunition poured out like a rainstorm. One unfortunate man rushing out of the room, failing to keep up with his boss's rhythm, was instantly cut into a sieve.
Luke and Emily ducked behind the staircase. Emily commented strangely,
"He thinks we're Batman!"
Luke, while counting the gunshots, replied,
"Then let's be Batman for once."
After the count hit thirty shots, Luke pulled a metal sphere from behind his back and hurled it forward.
The sphere landed, its surface flickering with a pale blue electrical discharge, then exploded with a piercing sound. An overwhelming torrent of plasma surged out, filling the entire view like a blue tsunami.
The current ripped through the air, forming large negative charges. These charges then served as new diffusion points, bypassing the doorway and penetrating the walls, destroying everything in their path.
Three drug dealers hiding behind the walls were utterly unlucky. The current washed over their bodies again and again. Every cell in their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Emily's eyes widened in disbelief.
"A plasma grenade?"
"I prefer to call it an Electro-Pulse Grenade."
Even after the explosion, the current hadn't dissipated. Blue electron streams hovered in the air, creating a magical spectacle.
Adousan was terrified by the sight. He quickly slammed the door shut. While reloading, he pulled out his phone and dialed three numbers, all of which showed a connection failure.
Damn it!
He cursed furiously. After replacing the magazine, he frantically sprayed bullets at the door without a second thought.
The dakka-dakka-dakka-dakka sound echoed through the corridor, wilder than before. Bullets ricocheted everywhere, pinning the duo down.
The longer they waited, the worse it would be for the attackers. Emily knew this clearly and whispered,
"We could circle around from the roof?"
The moment she spoke, the sound of shattering glass came from ahead. Adousan had smashed the window, leapt from the third floor, rolled twice upon landing, and was limping toward the garage.
"Oh no, he's escaping!"
Emily was alarmed, but Luke remained calm, as if he had anticipated this. He unhurriedly took out two Electro-Pulse Grenades, tossing one upstairs and one downstairs. Then, he grabbed Emily and jumped out the window.
Boom!
The explosive sound came from behind them, the blue electrical light serving as the perfect backdrop.
Luke hooked his left arm around the girl's slender waist, pulled out his dagger, and stabbed it into the wall. Using the friction between the blade and the concrete, they descended slowly.
Just as they landed, the garage door burst open, and a grey Toyota SUV roared out.
Adousan flipped them the middle finger and sped away with a wild laugh.
Luke chuckled, "I like this guy!"
Hearing that, the tense Emily was instantly speechless.
"It's no time for jokes! He's getting away!"
"Relax, he won't get far."
One-Shot Kill
The grey SUV sped down the Bay Avenue. Inside, Adousan steered with his left hand while pulling out his phone with his right to call his boss.
"I'm being hit."
"It's not that damn Batman, it's two guys I haven't seen before. They have very advanced weapons."
As he was speaking, a black Lamborghini appeared in his rearview mirror. Through the car window, he could vaguely make out two figures in tight suits.
"Those bastards! They're catching up! I'm on Bay Avenue. Send people now!"
Adousan hung up and slammed the gas pedal.
The two cars raced one after the other, moving at over 180 miles per hour on the sparsely populated road.
A bartender who had just finished her night shift looked up. Two streaks of black light appeared in her vision, followed by the roar of the engines. Just a second later, the black lights vanished, but the roar lingered in her ears.
Inside the car, Emily gripped the handle tightly. As the speedometer neared 230, her heart was in her throat.
"Don't go any faster! It's too fast! I can't take it!"
Luke turned his head. Seeing the pale color in the girl's cheeks from the high speed, he nodded.
"As you wish. I won't play with him anymore."
He then pressed the button on his right. A soft, synthesized voice came through the speakers.
Activating auto-pilot mode...
Auto-pilot mode activated!
Loading forward weapon...
The hood split down the middle, revealing a weapon that looked like a rocket launcher.
Weapon loading complete!
Luke pulled off the steering wheel, put on his sunglasses, and took a massive game controller from the glove box, fitting it over the steering column.
Emily: "..."
Is he playing a first-person shooter?
Luke used the game controller to aim the weapon. When a voice from the speaker announced, Target locked, Luke couldn't help but curve his lips, murmuring a phrase only he could hear,
"May your mama bless you."
He pressed the 'A' button!
A blue electrical current, thick as an arm, shot from the muzzle. It struck the rear of the SUV and passed through the vehicle with an unstoppable force, vanishing into the night sky.
The beam of light was like a sword thrown by a god, piercing the entire world.
Emily was dumbfounded. A tramp rummaging through a trash can was dumbfounded. Two yawning cats were dumbfounded.
What in the world was that?
With just one hit, the SUV's drive system was destroyed. The out-of-control vehicle careened off the road, slammed into a guardrail, flipped over a dozen times, and crushed countless rocks before finally coming to a rest in the grass.
Emily stammered,
"He's not dead, is he?"
Luke pulled out the controller, put it back in the glove box, and said casually,
"Who knows?"
"Luke!"
Emily turned, glaring angrily at the young man beside her.
"We came here to capture him, not to kill him! You... you... how could you do that?"
Luke spread his hands, looking helpless. "You're the one who said the speed was too much. I had no choice but to go for a one-shot kill."
Emily: "..."
You bad person! I don't want to talk to you!
The girl flung open her door and quickly ran toward the SUV. To prevent any fire, she deployed a thick layer of ice in front of her.
The SUV was a gruesome wreck. The back door was missing, two tires were gone, the body was crushed inward, the frame jutted outward, and black smoke was rising from the engine and fuel tank area.
Emily quickly raised her left hand and sprayed a freezing mist, cooling the car until the frame was coated in a layer of ice before stopping.
Luke pulled the Lamborghini alongside and, after inspecting the wreckage, let out a sigh.
"Looks like he won't make it."
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