“How come there are fireworks?” Xu Wanyue looked out the window in pleasant surprise. She stood up and walked to the balcony, but when she turned back to Lin Cheng, she noticed that his expression had turned grave.
He took out his phone and called Litchi.
“Why did you use the summon order…?”
“Grape Sis heard you got attacked and was about to go kill them all herself… I thought about it and decided we couldn’t let Grape Sis keep doing that on her own, so I used the summon order.”
“Killing a few higher-ups to make an example should be enough. Leave the low-level ability users to the Alliance as much as possible.” Lin Cheng’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.
Grape was a born killer—in fact, she was addicted to slaughter.
It was a habit she’d developed since childhood, and Lin Cheng had spent years trying hard to correct it. He’d made some progress, but if he let her go on another rampage tonight, there was no telling if her cravings might relapse.
He knew Grape was furious because of the attack on him, but he didn’t want her slipping back into the mad frenzy of her past. Litchi’s approach was a good compromise, but Lin Cheng knew full well that every one of those Silver Wing assassins was a killer at heart.
“You’ll have to tell that to Grape Sis yourself. You know no one else can talk her down…” Litchi handed the phone to Grape. Grape took it and held it to her ear, softly saying, “Hello?”
A cool female voice came through the line. Lin Cheng paused for a moment before speaking gently. “Don’t make a move tonight, okay?”
“No.”
“Why won’t you listen to me?”
“You’ve been dodging me every time we meet. I’m mad.”
“Be good and listen, alright?” Lin Cheng’s voice was soft and gentle, hardly the stuff of persuasion, but soon enough, a slightly aggrieved voice came from the other end. “I won’t make a move unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Good. That’s my girl.”
Lin Cheng let out a soft sigh. The phone went back to Litchi, and he instructed her to keep a close eye on Grape. Litchi promised she would. Lin Cheng gazed out at the intensifying rain and hung up with another helpless sigh.
Xu Wanyue looked at him curiously. “Who were you talking to?”
“Grape.”
“The conversation sounded pretty brutal.”
Lin Cheng rubbed his forehead. “I just don’t get it…”
“Don’t get what?”
“Has Black Beast lost its mind…?” Lin Cheng sighed helplessly.
Even if Black Beast had provoked Litchi, that was one thing—wrongdoer meets their match. But coming after him? Lin Cheng was even starting to regret telling Litchi at all… Tonight, the city was going to light up.
The downpour grew heavier, blurring the view. A shadow of worry crossed Lin Cheng’s face.
Truth be told, he wasn’t all that concerned about the body count anymore. Over the past two years, he’d grown increasingly numb. He’d long since cast aside any vows against killing. No, what worried him was Grape reverting to her old self.
“Mission changed.”
“Kill all Black Beast higher-ups.”
Every Silver Wing assassin received the update, along with photos of four people on their phones: Black Beast, Viper, Spirit Monkey, and Black Bear—the ones who ran all of West City for the organization.
Silver Wing assassins rarely mobilized en masse. The group had disbanded years ago, and back then, Yue Sha herself had said that even if the Silver Wing Summon Order came again, anyone who wanted a normal life didn’t have to answer.
But now, all twenty-four had gathered, not a single one missing.
They’d been raised as killers by Silver Wing from childhood. A few years of civilian life couldn’t erase the bloodlust in their veins.
Excitement gleamed in every eye as they cracked their knuckles, eager to get started.
The fireworks were so dazzling that every corner of the city could see them.
Black Beast wasn’t about to sit idly by. Its four leaders had gathered in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of West City, along with dozens of their handpicked core ability users who could fight.
Black Beast watched Viper’s bewildered expression. He was still lost in Hongshao’s mental suggestion, unable to grasp why Black Beast had ordered Lin Cheng’s assassination. His son’s death had been justified, after all. Black Beast had brought in everyone he could to break the suggestion, but no one could. It seemed to be weakening with time, though.
Everyone in the factory looked grim. They’d misjudged the intel. They knew about Grape at the Fruit Shop, but every report pegged her as just a former ace Silver Wing assassin with S-rank powers at best. But the only one who could issue a Silver Wing Summon Order was the former Silver Wing Leader 【Yue Sha】.
He’d only heard legends about that woman, never seen her in person. During the catastrophes, rumor had it she’d killed an SS-rank disaster variant demon beast with her own hands. But most SS-rank beasts died from human wave tactics—maybe she’d just delivered the finishing blow.
The four leaders huddled inside the factory, strategizing, while their core members waited quietly. Then engines roared outside. Cars pulled up, and fully armed Silver Wing assassins disembarked, kicking open the factory doors.
Back at the Fruit Shop, Litchi was the one calling the shots.
“I think we should talk this out.” Black Beast rose from his chair, facing Litchi across from him.
Black Beast was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in a suit that gave him a mild, scholarly air. Litchi, opposite him in her black tactical gear, still couldn’t hide the youthful softness in her cheeks.
“Who ordered Shadow Sting to make his move?” Litchi stared into Black Beast’s eyes.
Black Beast fell silent for a moment. The one who could command Shadow Sting was, of course, him. He’d heard Shadow Sting’s dying words through the earpiece, which was why he felt so uneasy. Someone who could kill Shadow Sting in one clash… he’d never heard of them.
That was the root of his fear now. But there were deeper reasons for sending Shadow Sting that he couldn’t voice. For now, he could only nod. “Me.”
“You’ve provoked the one person you should never have.” Litchi’s eyes grew cold. Suddenly, they flashed brilliant gold. Black Beast, standing there, felt an immense pressure like a heavy mountain bearing down, bending his spine. Only when he activated his power—black liquid enveloping his body—did he straighten up again.
“This is a misunderstanding. We can still negotiate…”
“The moment you gave that order, you were a dead man walking tonight.”
The Silver Wing assassins behind her stepped forward. Three men in identical silver masks muttered among themselves. “It’s been a while since we teamed up, huh?”
“Gotta be a year or two.”
“S+ level. Should be fun.”
“Don’t hold me back.”
“You’re still as cocky as ever. Don’t expect me to bail you out later.”
In an instant, the three assassins lunged, their prism thorns aimed straight for Black Beast’s heart.
They’d never intended to negotiate from the start!
The battlefield ignited. Black Beast and all his core members bared their fangs, while every Silver Wing assassin behind Litchi charged out. Litchi and Grape hung back, Litchi’s eyes gleaming gold the whole time.
Litchi’s power was mental domination, command over all psychic abilities.
Her mind now blanketed the entire battlefield, split across every corner, anticipating and dismantling any fatal strikes the core members might land on her assassins. It was the ultimate control from the psychic system. And the Silver Wing assassins were killing machines forged in mountains of corpses. Bodies already littered the ground, but not a single assassin was worse for wear.
Grape stood quietly by Litchi’s side as her shield. After a moment of silence, she murmured, “Didn’t he say… to kill fewer people?”
“He’s just worried about you. Once war starts, it doesn’t stop. He knows that better than anyone. Whether to bear the sin? He stopped caring long ago.”
Litchi remained calm. Every scene played out in her mind, her brain processing at lightning speed. It was like she was playing a game, commanding soldiers against the enemy—directing every single one. She wasn’t just a strategist; she was the commander.
Fights between ability users didn’t last long. Killing someone took only an instant.
Five minutes later.
“Fall back.” Litchi’s voice rang in every Silver Wing assassin’s ear.
Silver Wing always obeyed orders. In a flash, they all retreated to her side. No fatalities, though some bore minor wounds. Aside from Black Beast’s four leaders, everyone else lay on the ground. Some groaned in agony; others would never make a sound again. Their bodies still held a faint warmth.
For Black Beast, the sight was a nightmare.
This middle-aged man in his thirties stared wide-eyed at the carnage before him. He wasn’t unscathed either—a black prism thorn protruded from his chest. He yanked it out, and black liquid sealed the wound, stanching the blood.
Viper behind him was barely breathing. Even in death, he stared blankly ahead, uncomprehending. Black Beast’s head throbbed like it might explode. Blood welled in his throat. He opened his mouth to explain—to reveal why he’d sent Shadow Sting after Lin Cheng the very next day…
But then, another group entered through the factory’s main doors.
They wore the Alliance’s white uniforms and carried standard-issue weapons. Sixteen of them swarmed in like bees, fanning out in a line to surround every Silver Wing assassin.
Leading them were two figures wearing orange and red masks.
They were the Alliance’s two SS-rank adjudicators: 【Futian】 and 【Solar Corona】.
Hope flickered in Black Beast’s eyes.
