"Millions!"
Hearing Floyd's words, Geralt couldn't hide his surprise and instinctively let out a low exclamation.
Ciri, sitting in the back seat, immediately joined the conversation.
"Millions, tsk. That's a terrifying number. But are you sure those people weren't killed by Axel?
The first time I met Axel, it was in a world with cities very similar to yours. It looked almost identical to this one.
Do you know what happened there? Axel killed hundreds of millions of people across the entire world.
Of course, he only eliminated people involved in crimes, and he nearly wiped out an entire city as well.
Before I met Axel, I thought hundreds or thousands of deaths were already an unimaginable catastrophe.
But now... millions?"
Ciri sighed softly.
"In the eyes of gods, millions of people are probably less significant than an interesting ant.
And honestly, don't you think we're all just ants compared to Axel?
Still, from a woman's perspective, a scoundrel like him is incredibly attractive.
He's handsome, capable, and makes people feel safe.
Geralt, what do you think?"
She looked at Geralt expectantly.
Geralt inhaled deeply before shaking his head.
"What do I think? There's nothing for me to think about.
If you're asking my opinion, then stay away from Axel. That's my advice."
He turned and looked at her seriously.
Ciri was silent for a moment before chuckling.
"That's impossible. It'll be hard for me to ever meet another man like Axel.
Besides, if I ended up with him, wouldn't I be the one benefiting? After all, I'd be dating a god."
Crack!
Geralt clenched his teeth, his grip tightening around his Magnum revolver.
Then...
Bang!
The deafening gunshot shattered the silence as a bullet pierced through the car window and struck a distant building.
The sudden gunfire immediately put half the street on alert.
Dozens of people instinctively pulled out weapons and carefully scanned their surroundings.
Gotham was already a city where people were accustomed to violence, and recent disturbances had only worsened the situation. Even though the street wasn't crowded, almost everyone carried some kind of weapon.
At the same time, two motorcycles parked nearby roared to life and pursued the Rolls Royce.
Maintaining a safe distance, the gang members riding them pointed their pistols directly at Floyd.
Geralt gritted his teeth.
"Sorry. It looks like I damaged your car and attracted unnecessary attention."
Floyd laughed.
"No big deal. Just don't get cut by the glass.
It's only a car. If Axel and Bruce wanted to, they could probably move an entire Rolls Royce production line into their house.
As for the people aiming guns at me, that's interesting. I just hope they aren't ours."
He drew his firearm.
Then he rolled down the window and revealed his face.
One of the motorcycle riders immediately stiffened.
"Deadshot Boss! Why are you driving yourself? Wait... is that Wraith Boss sitting in the back?!"
Floyd helplessly shook his head.
"Ah, so you're one of our Dead Souls Gang members?"
The subordinate quickly put away his pistol.
"Deadshot Boss, I used to work for the Irish Gang.
But after what happened in Washington a few days ago, Boss Oswald came to our territory and met with my boss.
I don't know what happened, but after that meeting, even my boss became Boss Oswald's subordinate.
Then Mr. Oswald assigned me here to watch over this old street."
Even he looked confused.
In the past, gang members guarded bars, clubs, casinos, and entertainment venues.
Now he was guarding an entire street.
Did the Dead Souls Gang own all of Gotham now?
Why did he suddenly feel like a police officer?
Floyd paused before waving him away.
"Alright, scram. You don't have the authority to know who's in this car."
"Yes, Boss!"
The subordinate quickly slowed down and rode back to his patrol group.
After he left, Floyd rolled up the window and smiled helplessly.
"I was hoping for a nice street shootout.
But this city has changed so much that I barely recognize it anymore.
Actually, everything changed after the Falcone family disappeared.
Boss Axel's influence just kept growing until Gotham no longer had any rivals.
Besides working at night, I barely find anyone worth shooting during the day anymore.
If this keeps up, I'll have to visit other cities just to keep my skills sharp."
He put his gun away with a disappointed expression.
Geralt looked at him enviously.
"If your city no longer needs violence, isn't that a good thing?
I just want to find a place that's kinder to Witchers, somewhere peaceful where I can settle down.
Damn it, if that ever happened, I'd even give up rescuing all those girls in brothels."
"Hey, Geralt, I'm still here. Could you not talk about that in front of me?"
Ciri jokingly gave him the middle finger.
Geralt rolled his eyes.
"You were saying worse things a moment ago. I thought you'd grown up."
"So discussing brothels means I've grown up?"
"What other definition is there?"
The two continued bantering.
Floyd couldn't help smiling.
As someone who had once played The Witcher games, seeing Geralt and Ciri living so happily genuinely pleased him.
Then suddenly, a massive shadow engulfed the entire Rolls Royce.
Floyd instinctively looked up.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
A colossal silver black dragon floated high above them.
"Damn!"
Floyd exclaimed.
"Axel actually brought that thing back.
Scholars all over the world are going to lose their minds.
Before this, hardly anyone knew what Axel was doing, except his family and a handful of insiders.
And almost nobody knew he could travel between worlds.
But now?
Ha, I can already imagine how many times today's news will be shared."
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he admired the dragon's magnificent appearance.
Starting from Gotham, news of the creature spread across the world like a storm.
At that very moment, in New York City, inside an upscale coffee shop near the New York Stock Exchange.
Slade Wilson held a tablet and pointed at the live broadcast.
"Are you sure that's the target you want me to eliminate?"
He set the tablet face down and casually tapped it.
"Such a terrifying target, and you're only offering three billion dollars?
Are you joking?
That's a dragon, a silver black dragon that's at least a hundred meters long.
And your target is standing on its back.
Think carefully about how difficult it would be to fight someone who controls a monster like that.
We're sitting here right now and don't even dare say his name out loud.
And you think three billion dollars is enough?"
Slade stood up.
The employer hurriedly spoke.
"I can raise it to five billion!"
Slade laughed.
"Five billion?
Keep that money and spend it on your dozen illegitimate daughters.
If you want me to deal with Axel, put fifty billion dollars in front of me.
And I want every cent transferred before I act.
Maybe after wasting all fifty billion, I'll suddenly have the urge to go die in front of him."
He scoffed and walked away.
Slade had an unmatched mission success rate.
And there was a reason for that.
He carefully chose his targets.
Axel would never become one of them.
After thoroughly investigating him and analyzing his abilities, Slade was convinced of one thing.
Axel could literally throw him into the sun.
And he still had unfinished business.
He still hadn't taken revenge on that bastard in Star City.
He wasn't foolish enough to seek death.
Even if part of him longed to challenge an impossible prey like Axel.
Before that, he had another target.
Three days ago, according to his intelligence, Oliver Queen had returned to Star City.
I've already lost everything.
And yet you're planning to return to your old life and inherit your family's fortune?
Oliver, wait for me.
I'm coming.
His expression turned colder.
Meanwhile, the employer stood up.
"If you don't dare fight him, just admit it.
Fifty billion, what arrogance..."
Whoosh!
Before he could finish speaking, a throwing knife buried itself directly into his heart.
His eyes widened in terror.
"You... how dare you attack me? I'm from the DuPont family..."
"Shut up.
That'll let you live a few seconds longer so you can appreciate your journey toward death."
Slade walked back over.
"My knives are precise. If you leave it in, you'll survive for a little while.
But do you really think I'm going to leave behind such a carefully crafted weapon?
The DuPont family is influential, sure.
But that's the family.
You're just a disposable glove they wear while doing dirty work."
He grabbed the knife's handle.
The employer desperately reached out.
"No! Don't pull it out!
I have money!
Two hundred million dollars, please!
Call an ambulance, I..."
Splat!
Slade yanked the knife free.
Blood erupted from the wound and sprayed all the way to the five meter ceiling.
The coffee shop was designed for private meetings between influential figures.
But privacy couldn't conceal a fountain of blood.
Screams erupted instantly.
People began calling emergency services.
Listening to the chaos, Slade calmly wiped his knife with a napkin and returned it to his coat.
Then he burst through the partition and shouted.
"Help!
This idiot accidentally stabbed himself in the heart with a dining knife!
Call 911!
He's a member of the DuPont family!
He can't die here!"
After steering everyone's attention elsewhere, Slade blended into the crowd and disappeared.
Meanwhile, in Gotham.
Everyone stared at the giant dragon soaring above the city while listening to its earth shaking roar.
Inside Arkham Asylum, doctors and patients alike stood frozen in place as if hypnotized.
Only one patient remained fully aware.
Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter, stared out the window in disbelief.
"What the hell is happening to Gotham?
First came the Greek gods.
Then that mysterious doctor from World War II.
Then Bruce Wayne.
Then that terrifying man whose name people barely dare mention.
Ever since Axel arrived, everything has changed.
I actually miss the days when Carmine Falcone was still around."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
But the moment he did, a piercing scream echoed through the asylum.
"How strange.
Why is everyone standing still?
Oh, I get it.
Are we playing a game?
Is this Red Light, Green Light?
How could you start without your director?
Hahaha!"