Leon stood in front of the gate and gave a gentle push. The heavy iron gate collapsed.
Tony and Ethan were stunned by his swift, decisive action.
Before they could process what had happened, a loud voice rang out from outside the iron gate.
"Fire!"
Gunfire erupted. Bullets rained down like a torrential downpour, hammering the ground.
The terrorists had already noticed something was wrong when they heard the loud noise from inside the cave. Under their leader's command, they lined up in the corridor outside, rifles at the ready. The moment they received the order, they fired without hesitation, determined to empty their magazines.
But Leon reacted faster than their bullets.
He quickly glanced around, then stretched out his hands to shield Tony and Ethan.
The next second, countless bullets struck him almost simultaneously.
Metal clashed against flesh with sharp, ringing impacts—yet not a single shot did any harm. The bullets deformed upon contact, falling harmlessly to the ground. Even the one that hit Leon's cornea was no exception.
Meanwhile, bullets struck the mountain walls and ground, kicking up thick clouds of dust that obscured everything. The terrorists kept firing for over thirty seconds before the gunfire finally stopped.
"Jili Gulu!"
"Jili Gulu!"
The terrorists shouted in triumph, convinced that nothing could have survived such an onslaught.
Their leader, standing at the corridor's corner with his arms folded, leaned out and peered into the dust-filled cave. After a few seconds, he waved his hand, signaling his men to check inside.
No one took the order seriously. To them, there was no question—whoever had been inside had been torn to pieces. The only thing left to see was how many pieces.
But then—
Two glowing red dots appeared in the smoke.
A chill ran down their spines. Those eerie lights radiated an overwhelming sense of menace.
"What is that? A bat?" someone asked, dumbfounded.
No one answered.
The next second, everyone understood.
The twin red lights flared intensely—then, in an instant, two burning heat rays shot out.
A thick, searing beam of energy sliced through the air. In one sweeping motion, it cut through every terrorist in its path, splitting them in half. The wounds were charred and grotesque.
No one had time to scream.
The terrorists on the other side of the corridor barely registered the red flash before the men in front of them were reduced to smoldering halves.
They stood frozen, their minds blank.
The first to snap out of it was their bald leader.
"That… that's Tony Stark's laser weapon!?"
His voice was a mix of shock and certainty.
"Damn it! So that's what he's been building these past few months!"
"We were fooled!"
His words snapped the others out of their daze. The confusion in their eyes faded, replaced by realization.
"That's right!" the leader declared. "It's just a weapon! And weapons need people to use them! If we kill the ones inside, that laser weapon is ours!"
He raised his hand and gave the next order.
"Fall back! Bomb the cave with grenades! Kill Tony Stark!"
Greed flashed in his eyes.
"I just need that laser weapon. As for Stark—kill him and let Obadiah Stane pay us!"
The leader's reasoning reassured the terrorists.
Of course! No matter how powerful Stark's laser weapon was, once Stark was dead, it would be theirs!
They quickly retreated, pulling out grenades—
But then—
A single set of footsteps echoed from deep within the cave.
Slow. Unhurried.
Like someone taking a leisurely stroll through a garden.
"Wait!" The leader raised his fist, signaling his men to stop.
They lowered their grenades, gripping their guns instead. All eyes turned toward the corridor's corner.
Click. Click.
The footsteps grew closer.
The leader sneered. "Tony Stark, do you really think you can escape with a weapon? You tricked me, but it doesn't matter. You're dead today, and your laser weapon will be mine!"
A calm voice replied, "Oh? Really? But my name's not Tony."
The terrorists stiffened.
Tony Stark?
No—
A man stepped into view.
He was barefoot, dressed only in trousers, his muscular chest fully exposed.
Who was this? When did he enter the cave?
What the hell?
A ripple of confusion and disbelief spread through the corridor.
"Who are you? Where's Stark?" the leader demanded, his expression darkening.
This was their cave—so how had a complete stranger walked out?
Had Stark been rescued? Had they been fooled again?
Leon met his gaze. "I'm Stark too."
The leader gritted his teeth. "You're kidding me—"
"Fire! Kill them all!"
The terrorists obeyed instantly.
Gunfire roared again.
But Leon didn't move.
Bullets slammed into his body, but he walked forward at the same steady pace, completely unscathed.
To him, this was as relaxed as a stroll at home.
To the terrorists, it was a nightmare.
Their hands kept pulling the triggers, but their minds were in chaos.
What kind of monster was this? Even rifle bullets couldn't harm him!
As Leon drew closer, some of them lost their nerve.
"Ahhh! Monster!"
A few dropped their guns and turned to flee.
"Stop!" the leader barked, raising his gun to shoot the deserters.
But two blazing heat rays shot out first.
The fleeing men were incinerated before they could take another step.
The leader watched, his blood running cold. Then, he turned his gaze toward "Stark"—
Scarlet eyes burned like they had crawled out of hell itself.
"No one from the Ten Rings escapes," Leon said, his voice a whisper from the abyss.
The next second—
The heat rays swept across.
The corridor was instantly emptied.
A heartbeat later, only Leon remained.
Before he died, the leader finally understood.
His lips trembled.
"That… wasn't… a laser weapon…"
His empty eyes froze. His body went still.
Leon shook his head. "I already told you—I'm Stark too."
Then, he turned and walked out of the cave.
The moment he stepped outside, three rockets flew toward him.
Leon sighed.
"These Ten Rings guys sure are persistent. Even with those casualties, they're still fighting back."
He raised his right hand.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The rockets exploded, flames engulfing him—followed by another storm of bullets and grenades.
The terrorists poured everything they had into the attack, unwilling to take any chances.
Then—
A figure leapt out of the fire.
Completely unharmed.
Not even a tear in his trousers.
The terrorists' expressions froze.
Leon vanished—
And reappeared among them.
Necks snapped one after another.
One by one, they fell to the ground, lifeless.
In mere seconds, the battlefield was silent.
Leon dusted off his hands and turned back toward the cave.
"Tony, Ethan," he called. "The terrorists are dealt with. Come out."
...
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