A slacker was pinned to the floor by a soldier who had caught him. His partner was squirming beside him, trying to break free from another soldier who had grabbed his arm.
On another side, a brawl had erupted between some slackers and soldiers. One slacker was lying on the ground injured, bleeding from a stab wound on his chest.
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out that made Moriarty jump.
He turned around and saw a sword aimed at his throat and a gun pointed at him from 2 meters away.
*Gulp*
He felt his mouth go dry as the pressure mounted on top of the wall.
This scene was not only happening on the wall, but in every area and every corner of the fortress. The soldiers had gone on high alert, capturing every slacker they could find.
'Is this their way of capturing me?' Moriarty thought. But he was wrong, he just assumed that the fortress cared about him at all. In reality, he was not even a threat. He was just a pawn in a bigger game.
'And here I was hoping they would take their time…'
He stared at the sword and the gun that were aimed at his life. He saw the faces of the soldiers that were holding them. They were young and determined, wearing the Lorelei insignia on their backs.
"Surrender! Traitor! Or die!"
A soldier yelled at Moriarty, pressing his sword against his throat. He had a serious expression on his face, but Moriarty could see a glint of excitement in his eyes. He seemed to relish the thrill of hunting down his foes.
'Traitor? Come on, now. Isn't that a bit much?'
Moriarty thought to himself, feeling puzzled and baffled. He had no clue why he was being called a traitor, when clearly they knew him as a spy and never been their allies in the first place.
He was just a nobody who had wandered into their territory, nothing more. He had no loyalty to any side, he was only looking for information and opportunities.
As he thought this, rows of soldiers had already surrounded him and the other slackers, pointing their guns at them. They looked ready to fire at any moment, creating a tense atmosphere.
One of the slackers sneered, "Traitor!? Hahaha is that what you think, huh. Well then, I resist!!"
As he said this, he vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of a soldier holding a gun. He moved so fast that Moriarty barely saw him. He punched the soldier in the face, sending him flying back and hitting the mana shield. The soldier went unconscious instantly.
He faced a barrage of bullets from the rows of soldiers, but he simply slammed his feet on the ground and sent a shockwave that deflected them all. He flashed a smug smile and taunted, "Is that the best you can do?"
A soldier trembled and tried to explain, "Hold on!!! Commander, this is just…"
But he was cut off by his partner's elbow and a whispered warning. "Quiet, follow the script…"
The soldiers knew they were doomed. They had no hope of defeating a certain slacker, who was more powerful than all of them combined.
But they did not give up. They smiled brightly, eager for the challenge.
They took their positions, ready to fight.
"MUTINY!!!"
The slackers roared together, announcing their rebellion against the fortress. They grinned at the soldiers.
A massive battle erupted, leaving Moriarty stunned by the sudden turn of events.
A soldier attacked him after the declaration, but he dodged it effortlessly by tilting his body to the side. The sword missed him by a hair's breadth.
He wasted no time and swung his elbow back, aiming for the soldier's chin. He also placed his left foot behind the soldier's foot.
Just like that, the soldier found himself on the ground, and Moriarty delivered the final blow, punching the soldier's abdomen.
Moriarty won easily, as he was confident in his hand-to-hand combat skills. After all, he had fought many thugs in every corner of the Seiren Kingdom.
But he knew he was just lucky this time. The soldier had underestimated him and let his guard down. That would not happen again. They would adapt to his fighting style and exploit his weakness.
Moriarty could manage with a sword to some extent, but he knew too well that a projectile like a gun was his weakness. So in this fight, no matter how much he endured, his defeat was already assured. He knew he could not win this fight in the long run.
The soldiers were not fools; they quickly realized that Moriarty was no ordinary slacker. They saw how he moved and fought with skill and accuracy. They decided to team up and overpower him with their numbers.
They formed a circle around him, swinging and stabbing their swords at him. Moriarty had to fend them off with his bare hands.
He snatched a sword from a soldier and twisted it out of his hand. He used it to block another sword and then hurled it at a third soldier.
He did not mind his bleeding hand as he leaped over a low attack and kicked a soldier in the chest.
He bent under a high strike and punched a soldier in the throat.
He rolled away from a stab and elbowed a soldier in the face.
He was like a storm of fists and feet, knocking down every soldier who approached him.
But in a blink of an eye, one of the fallen soldiers vanished and another one with a gun took his place.
Moriarty barely had time to react when a blunt object hit his chin, making him stagger to his right.
*Bang!*
A bullet grazed his cheek, drawing blood from it. Moriarty scrambled backward, thinking 'This is bad, I'm done for.'
But then…
"Hohoho, looks like I have to step in here."
He heard this voice and saw blood splashing everywhere. His shoulder was even injured by something he couldn't see.
That was the last thing Moriarty saw before he blacked out.