"Spare me! Please, spare me! I'll give you the position of Black Blade boss!"
Writhing in agony from his severed legs, the once high-and-mighty Hideki now begged for his life. His fall from grace was instantaneous. All he wanted now was to survive; power and dignity meant nothing anymore.
[Slash!]
Blake remained silent as he coldly thrust his sword again, this time piercing both of Hideki's hands. Another blood-curdling scream followed.
With his hands crippled and his legs severed, escape was no longer an option for Hideki.
Having done all this in a mere two seconds, Blake turned to hunt down the rest of the group. Screams of terror and the sounds of blades slicing through flesh echoed throughout the industrial zone, painting a symphony of horror.
Minutes later, after chasing the last straggler to the edge of the factory district and swiftly dispatching him, Blake finally ceased his movements. He twirled his sword, the blood splattering into a floral pattern on the ground, leaving his blade spotless once more.
Sheathing his sword, Blake surveyed the blood-drenched factory, where the stench of iron filled the air. Taking a deep breath to calm his violent emotions, he began walking back.
"Make a call and summon all Black Blade members here. I might consider letting you live."
Standing over Hideki, Blake spoke coldly.
"You'll spare me if I make the call? You're not lying, are you?"
Despite his blood loss-induced delirium, Hideki's eyes lit up at Blake's words, his tone laced with desperation.
"Cut the nonsense. Or do you want to die right now?"
Blake pointed the black handgun he'd taken from Hideki at his head, his voice impatient. The murderous aura radiating from him, amplified by the massacre of over a hundred men, was suffocating, making Hideki tremble uncontrollably.
"Hello, Guandao? It's me."
The moment the call connected, Hideki forced himself to speak as calmly as possible, afraid that any slip-up might cost him his life.
"Order all Black Blade members to assemble at the Guankou Hall immediately! No exceptions, whether they're busy or not! Failure to show will result in punishment under the first rule!"
He shouted into the phone, hoping to appear earnest.
After receiving a panicked acknowledgment, Hideki hung up and looked at Blake with a sycophantic smile. He no longer cared about anything except staying alive.
[Bang!]
But the next second, a cold bullet pierced his skull. Hideki's face froze in shock as he stared at Blake, who remained expressionless.
Why? Why kill him after all his efforts to comply?
"To still crave life at this point—your intelligence has clearly run out."
Blake tossed the gun aside with a sneer and walked away.
Using the factory's abandoned supplies of motor oil, Blake lit a massive fire to burn the corpses. Without looking back, he drove off in Hideki's luxury black sports car.
---
Ten minutes later, a convoy of police cars arrived at the scene. The officers froze at the sight of the bloodbath and the flaming pile of bodies. Some, overwhelmed by the stench of blood, vomited on the spot.
The Black Blade Group's large-scale operation hadn't escaped the police's notice. After assembling enough manpower to confront them, they'd rushed over, only to witness this nightmare.
"Captain, these are indeed members of the Black Blade Group. I suspect this is a gang turf war."
"A turf war? But who else could match the Black Blade Group in this era?"
The police captain couldn't shake a feeling of unease. Yet, what else could it be? A single individual couldn't have done this… right?
---
While the police struggled to process the grisly scene, Blake used the GPS and internet to locate the Guankou Hall, taking his time to ensure precision.
Parking outside the opulent building, its grand, dazzlingly decorated entrance caught his eye. Above it, three massive characters spelled out its name. A bloodthirsty smile crept onto Blake's lips.
"To leave the roots intact is to invite trouble."
"Old— Who are you?!"
The two young guards stationed at the gate prepared to greet their boss but froze when they saw a silver-haired stranger step out of the familiar car, a sword in hand. It was clear something was amiss.
"Pfft—!"
For weaklings like these, Blake didn't bother to speak much. Drawing his sword, he struck twice, and two streams of blood spurted from their necks. The two collapsed to the ground, choking on their last breaths.
Their throats were slit, rendering them incapable of speaking. All they could do was silently await death. Blake stepped over their bodies indifferently, heading further inside.
After killing so many people, Blake no longer bothered with the effort of decapitating his enemies—it was simply too taxing.
-------------
(A/N: Throw your power stones and comment on this book, please! It will motivate me!)