Raizen moved through the lower districts of the city, his steps light, his senses heightened. The mercenaries House Valen had hired weren't just ordinary thugs—they were trained, dangerous, and most importantly, unpredictable. Letting them strike first was a mistake he wasn't going to make.
The data chip Ayaka had given him contained three locations where the mercenaries had last been seen. He decided to start with the closest—a back-alley weapons trade post where one of them had reportedly been purchasing advanced gear.
The system chimed softly.
[Tracking Target: Xelvar Dain – Former Military, Combat Rating: E2]
[Mission Update: Engage and Neutralize]
Raizen's lips curled into a smirk. Time to test himself.
The weapons trade post was buried within the slums, a makeshift armory filled with stolen goods, black-market energy weapons, and illegal enhancements. Raizen slipped inside unnoticed, the Stealth-Weave Suit dampening his presence.
His eyes scanned the room. Xelvar was easy to spot.
A heavily built man with cybernetic arms sat at a table, checking the charge on a high-powered plasma rifle. His movements were precise, military-trained. This wasn't some common thug.
Raizen approached silently, closing the distance until he was just behind him. He struck.
A swift hand sliced across the mercenary's wrist, sending the rifle clattering to the floor. Before Xelvar could react, Raizen followed up with a palm strike to his ribs, forcing him off balance.
The ex-soldier recovered fast. Too fast.
Xelvar's cybernetic arm shot out, catching Raizen mid-step. The force sent him skidding backward. Strong. But predictable.
The system pulsed.
[Draconic Reflex Boost Activated]
Raizen dodged the next attack with inhuman speed, twisting beneath Xelvar's strike and countering with a brutal knee to the gut. The mercenary grunted, staggering, but he wasn't down yet.
A gleam of energy coursed through Raizen's veins. His bloodline was stirring, fueling his strikes with increasing precision. Xelvar lunged again—Raizen sidestepped and drove his knife into the mercenary's cybernetic shoulder joint, disabling the limb.
The man let out a sharp growl of pain. "Who the hell—"
Raizen cut him off with a spinning kick to the jaw, sending him crashing into the crates behind him.
He crouched, pressing his blade against the mercenary's throat. "Tell House Valen they're hunting the wrong man."
The system chimed.
[Target Neutralized – Mission Updated]
Raizen stood, stepping over the unconscious mercenary. One down. Two to go.