With the guns blocking their sight, it was clear they needed more firepower. But the real question was how they would act under this pressure.

"I will take the lead," Duke Serpentine stepped forward and looked around at everyone.

"I will attack first. I am sure the SSS ranker on the other side will react. I will draw him away, and then all of you jump in together."

His gaze moved across the group and finally settled on Gare.

"You seem to command well, so you will lead them."

Gare stepped forward and bowed slightly. "I will do my best, Your Highness."

......

Duke Serpentine drew his sword.

His aura flared violently, pouring into the blade. The energy thickened and condensed, turning deep and heavy as it coiled around the sword like a raging storm. The air screamed under the pressure.

He took a single step forward and swung.

BOOOOOOM!

A terrifying sword arc exploded from where he stood and shot straight toward Creole. The ground cracked under the force, and the air split apart. But before it could reach the city, another attack met it midair.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The two forces collided and detonated, shaking the sky and throwing more smoke and dust into the air.

From within the thick smoke, a figure slowly walked out.

He supported himself with a staff, his steps calm and deliberate. Half of his face was hidden behind a mask. The other half looked smooth on the surface, but beneath it one could sense a hideous scar.

"I cannot believe a Duke would stoop so low," the man said calmly, "to attack those beneath him."

Duke Serpentine stared at him coldly. "Everything is fair in love and war."

He raised his sword again, but the masked man vanished in an instant and appeared above him.

Duke Serpentine reacted immediately, raising his blade to counter the strike.

CLANG!

Their weapons collided, and both figures disappeared from sight.

In the next instant, a scream echoed through the battlefield.

"Now!"

SWOOOSHHH!

Three figures shot through the air at terrifying speed. The wind itself was cut apart as they moved, leaving blurred afterimages behind them.

The moment the gunmen heard the sharp whooshing sound, they opened fire.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Bullets tore through the air in long trails of sparks, but the figures blurred again and again, making it impossible to lock onto them.

A sword slashed through the air.

The bullets were cut apart cleanly, sparks scattering in every direction.

BOOOOOM!

A massive blast erupted as buildings were torn open. Walls collapsed, rooftops shattered, and debris rained down like a storm.

Kael, Melvin, and Ariana flashed through the city leaving behind afterinages. Their sword attacks came down one after another, precise and merciless.

Kael slammed into a building, his blade tearing through the stone wall as if it were paper.Inside, gunmen barely had time to turn before the floor split and the ceiling collapsed on them.

Melvin's serpent roared as it unleashed energy blasts. Entire houses were blown apart, sending gunmen flying through the air. Fires broke out with smoke rising high up into the sky.

Ariana moved through the streets like a streak of light. Her attacks were clean and decisive, her power tearing through defenses and crushing resistance.

The city turned into a battlefield reminiscent of ancient wars mixed with modern slaughter. Explosions echoed like thunder, and screams mixed with the roar of collapsing buildings. It felt like a scene from a nightmare, where steel and fire ruled everything.

BOOM! BOOM!

Inside a half-destroyed building, one gunman slammed a fresh magazine into his weapon. An empty cartridge fell to the floor as he reloaded and aimed.

"Fuck those bastards," he cursed under his breath. "I told them it's hard to locate anyone above B rank, but those sons of bitches never listen."

He locked his sights onto a white-haired figure moving through the smoke and prepared to fire.

But the figure vanished.

"What—"

Before he could react, a cold sensation pressed against his throat.

A sword.

The gunman froze completely.

Kael stood behind him, his blade resting lightly against the man's neck. His eyes were calm and terrifyingly clear.

"I heard what you said," Kael spoke quietly. "From that, I am sure you also hate the Abyssal Sect."

The gunman swallowed hard, sweat pouring down his face.

"So," Kael continued, his voice steady, "do you want to give me a hand?"

The gunman swallowed hard as he looked at Kael from such close range.

For a brief moment, his mind raced. He weighed his options, fear and desperation mixing together. Slowly and carefully, he moved one hand toward his waist, trying to draw a hidden blade.

Kael noticed it instantly.

"GYAAAAAAAA!"

Kael grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it without hesitation. A sickening crack echoed through the room as bones crushed under the force.

"Aaaarghh!"

The gunman screamed as his arm bent at an impossible angle.

"Stop… stop… I surrender!" he cried, tears streaming down his face.

"You should have decided that earlier," Kael replied coldly.

He pressed the blade closer to the man's neck. "Now tell me the internal layout."

The gunman gulped and spoke in a trembling voice.

"The entire outer layer of the city is fortified by gunmen. They were waiting for your troops to advance so they could ambush them."

"And the inner layer?" Kael asked.

"It's filled with mages and warriors of the Abyssal Cult, assisted by Nightstar soldiers," the man continued hurriedly.

Kael listened carefully and asked about hidden paths, secret routes, and fallback positions. The gunman tried to twist the truth here and there, hoping to save himself.

Each time he lied, Kael struck him down brutally, slamming him into walls or twisting his injured arm further.

"I've told you everything I know," the gunman said weakly at last. "You'll let me go now, right?"

Kael's blade flashed.

The man's head rolled to the floor.

"Are you kidding me?" Kael said calmly.

He wiped his blade clean. "Who knows how many traps you've laid, or how many people will be sacrificed if I trust your routes."

Kael already had similar information from Brawn but for some reason Brawn info lacked depth.

Kael asked about it but the guy said that he was hidden in the core zone.

This was only to confirm it.

Sadly, until they reached the inner layer, there were no shortcuts.