"Through the main gate?"
Clarice's hand paused midair, purple energy flickering uncertainly around her fingers. Sabretooth's brows drew together as he stared at Richard, trying to decide whether this was confidence or recklessness.
They both knew he was powerful. They had seen him cut down more than a dozen mutant agents alone without hesitation. But raw strength and frontal assault were two different things.
"Are you serious?" Sabretooth asked, his voice low and edged with concern.
"What's there to hesitate about?" Richard replied calmly. "We're already making enemies of the Department of Mutant Affairs. We might as well make it clear."
He glanced toward the brightly lit building below.
"Sneaking in would be convenient. But it lacks presence. Walking in through the front door? That sends a message."
Neither Sabretooth nor Clarice knew about the system. They didn't know he needed twelve confirmed kills to complete a task and obtain the Phantom Sword reward. To them, this looked like unnecessary risk.
"It's definitely bold," Sabretooth admitted. "But bold makes it harder. You really think the two of us can handle the entire Los Angeles branch?"
He flexed his fingers unconsciously, bone claws threatening to extend. He was durable and healed far faster than ordinary mutants, but he wasn't invincible. A lucky shot through the heart or skull could still slow him down long enough to matter.
Richard considered him for a second before offering an alternative.
"Fine. I'll enter from the front. You use Clarice's portal to go straight to the second basement. We split up."
Sabretooth weighed the proposal quickly. Acting separately wasn't ideal, but it was better than standing shoulder to shoulder in the open courtyard while every gun in the building pointed at them.
"Do it," he said finally.
Clarice nodded and concentrated. Purple energy surged outward and shaped itself into a circular space door. As soon as it stabilized, Sabretooth stepped through without another word.
At the same time, Richard activated Flash and vanished from the rooftop.
He reappeared directly in front of the main entrance.
The metal doors stood tall and reinforced, reflecting the glow of the security lights. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand and aimed his palm at the center seam.
Bounce.
The air in front of him compressed violently under the force of the superpower he had taken from Inissa. The pressure built in an instant, condensing into a dense blast.
Boom.
The invisible shockwave struck the doors like a cannon shell. The heavy metal tore free from its hinges and flew several meters backward, crashing onto the ground with a deafening clang.
Richard stepped forward, genuine blade resting casually in his hand.
Inside the security vestibule, guards scrambled in shock. Several raised their pistols, hands trembling as they aimed at the intruder framed by smoke and twisted steel.
Residual Heart.
Richard lifted the blade and swung once.
Six or seven crescent-shaped arcs of purple-edged energy tore through the air. Before the guards could squeeze their triggers, the slashes passed cleanly through them.
Blood sprayed in thin, sharp lines. Bodies split apart and collapsed in pieces.
The system's proficiency notifications flickered faintly in his mind, but he ignored them. His control over the technique had grown steadier. Unlike before, he could now subtly influence the path of the crescent slashes even after release.
He didn't immediately enter the building.
Instead, he stopped in the open plaza outside the entrance. The night air carried the metallic scent of blood. Concrete, steel, and glass surrounded him, but the open space allowed better freedom of movement.
Inside a confined corridor, even the genuine blade would feel restrictive.
There was another reason as well.
If he drew the branch's full attention here, Sabretooth's infiltration on the second basement level would be far smoother.
In combat experience, Richard knew he couldn't rival a two-hundred-year-old predator. But in raw power, the comparison wasn't close. Even ten Sabretooths wouldn't match him.
As expected, the response came quickly.
A wave of fully armed guards poured out of the building, rifles raised. Their boots pounded against the pavement as they formed a loose firing line.
No mutant agents yet. No special forces.
Just armed personnel.
Richard didn't hesitate.
Flash.
He vanished from sight and reappeared among them.
The genuine blade cut downward in a clean arc. He didn't activate Eight Swords Flash or Earthshaking. He didn't need to waste magic.
These were ordinary slashes.
Ordinary for him was lethal for them.
Steel met flesh again and again. Limbs separated from torsos. Blood fanned outward under the night lights. Screams were cut short mid-breath.
In less than ten seconds, the first wave was gone.
Severed arms and shattered rifles littered the ground. The smell of iron thickened in the air, carried by a restless wind.
Then the alarm began.
A piercing siren echoed through the entire building. Red emergency lights flickered inside the windows, turning the façade into a pulsing beacon of crisis.
Inside the operations room, surveillance screens captured everything. Richard's figure, blade flashing as he moved through guards like a reaper, filled the monitors.
Benjamin and Jack watched in stunned silence.
Richard Wesley.
Recognition dawned instantly.
Benjamin's expression twisted, fury overtaking restraint. This wasn't a random illegal mutant making a spectacle. This was the man responsible for fifteen dead agents.
He grabbed the desk phone and dialed an internal extension.
"This is Benjamin Kem. Activate the Sentinel immediately."
He hung up before the person on the other end could respond.
Without another word, he strode out of his office.
He had assumed tonight's intruder was some reckless fool seeking attention. He hadn't expected the culprit himself to walk directly into the lion's den.
Aiden and Belt had reported Sabretooth and Clarice's capture before their deaths. They had outlined the plan to use them as leverage against Richard.
Now the mastermind stood at the front gate.
Benjamin didn't return to the operations department. Instead, he moved to the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a wide window.
Bang.
His fist shattered the glass in a single blow. Without hesitation, he stepped through the opening and dropped.
Four stories down.
For an ordinary human, that fall would be catastrophic. For a Level 4 Alpha mutant, it was trivial.
He landed on the grass outside with a heavy thud, knees bending slightly to absorb the impact. The moment his feet touched the ground, he activated his power.
Man of Steel.
His dark skin transformed instantly, taking on a metallic sheen like forged iron. Muscle density increased. Bone strength reinforced. Endurance and raw physical power surged to a new tier.
He possessed only this one ability.
But it was enough to secure his position as head of Operations for the Los Angeles branch.
Without wasting another second, Benjamin broke into a sprint toward the main entrance, metallic footsteps pounding against the pavement as he charged toward the battlefield.
.....
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