The Imperial Hunter Chapter 80 - Metamorphosis (7)

The bike riders turned on their headlights to confuse our vision. They weren’t normal headlights but concentrated beams with such high luminance they could leave afterimages in the eyes of onlookers. With over ten such headlights, it was impossible to properly return fire with normal visibility. Even my subordinates wearing protective goggles for anonymity had reduced accuracy.

“Damn it!”

Hu Shanliang cursed through gritted teeth. In the meantime, I alone precisely shattered the enemy’s spearhead with accurate aim. Semi-auto precision firing, pulling the trigger continuously with the gun resting on the makeshift shield. The vanguard of the charging squad relying on tremendous luminance was obliterated in an instant. With the front row collapsing in a heap, the rear row hastily initiated evasive maneuvers.

“Watch out!”

“We’re gonna crash!”

Urgent shrieks from the other side. But avoiding it all was nothing short of a miracle when eight bikes were spinning like tops and twice as many riders were rolling on the ground. Additional collisions occurred here and there as people and machines amiably flew up into the air.

I yelled as I somersaulted over a skidding bike headed my way in a low stance,

“Now! Fire! Concentrated fire front right!”

The situation where the group that succeeded in evading split left and right, exposing their broad flank. I focused firepower on the right group to first collapse one side, limiting the enemy’s offensive to a single direction. Fighting while only guarding one side was easier than not doing so. Hu Shanliang’s group also unconsciously followed my order when I shouted in Cantonese.

Katkak! Katkak! Tic- The thin clicking sound interrupted the continuous firing. My magazine was empty at this crucial moment. Blocking the enemy’s shots with my shield and kneeling on one knee, I fixed the rifle behind my knee before swiftly changing the magazine with just one hand. This took less than two breaths. Around when I shot five rounds with the new magazine, the right front group gave up their charge and scattered amidst the obstacles. In exchange, the left charge neared the point-blank range. The deafening exhaust notes were painfully close. When even shooting wouldn’t penetrate my shield, the enraged enemy vanguard drew their broadswords back over their shoulder. I briefly redirected more of my circuit’s limited output to physical enhancement. 

“Die!”

When I fully parried the incoming blade, the sword got stuck and the man was knocked back. The wooden thunk sound was from his wrist. As the one who tumbled wordlessly and his partner who fell from the rear seat looked back, I marked each with three-round bursts twice. At the same time, I continuously blocked the following sword strikes.

“Hyungnim! Grenade!”

Following Kyung-tae’s urgent warning, I saw the just-thrown grenade. The colors of the explosives emphasized by my vision stood out clearly, making my heart race. The sensation of adrenaline surging through. They must’ve taken those explosives as spoils from the earlier combat. Should I block the detonation with ignition prevention? No, that would be too conspicuous a coincidence. In a split second, I came up with an alternative method. I threw down the rifle and drew out the sword stuck in my shield.

Swish!

The drawing and swinging were a single motion, and the broadsword’s wide side was optimal for batting away the grenade. Hitting it with all my strength, the grenade became a projectile flying several times faster than when it was thrown, bouncing off in a completely different direction.

The ground convulsed. Dust on the asphalt shuddered from the grenade’s explosive bang and vibration. After rolling along the ground beneath the burning vehicles, the detonated grenade’s shrapnel, reflected off the ground, scattered only in a shallow upward angle. The group in the front right I had blocked earlier happened to get hit by some shrapnel as they were reassembling their formation behind cover.

However, there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries. Their heads were protected by helmets, and the leather jackets they wore actually had metal plates fastened inside – a type of brigandine. Although it didn’t cover their whole bodies, because of that some were bleeding from minor wounds.

“Argh! Help! Help me!”

I looked towards the screams and it was Hu Shanliang. The widely open car doors didn’t provide cover as the passed group had fired from behind. Although the inaccurate shooting from the zigzag evasions of the Black Children’s Party members didn’t have any hits yet, it was plenty to frighten the self-preserving bureaucrat. He was in the midst of hurriedly crawling into the car. However, that was the purpose of suppressive fire.

“Guard the rear! Expose yourself to draw their eyes!”

At my direction, Kyung-tae led six subordinates to newly secure cover in the rear. Taking this chance, I completely discarded the empty rifle and charged into close combat after grabbing the sword in my mouth. Towards the right front group peeking out from behind cover and smoke to commence a new attack.

“What the?!”

The rider in front who first emerged from the six-car pileup used as cover opened his eyes wide when he discovered me at a distance of just 5 meters, then immediately twisted the throttle to full. To counter that sudden acceleration, instead of shooting I held up my shield diagonally and barged into him bodily. As the distance from the Hu Shanliang group had widened, it was fine to increase my circuit’s output. As the front wheel seemed to jump off my shield, the entire motorcycle was launched into the air. Shocked by my suddenly amplified presence, the Black Children’s Party rider and fighter rolled through the air like a warthog thrown at an elephant. I unleashed automatic fire at the fuel tank of the bike I had pushed away, utilizing an ignition spell formula. It just had to look plausible from the outside with all the cameras aimed here!

Bang!

The bike exploded in midair. The two people roasted alive let out agonized screams. Some sparks landed on my shield as well, igniting a brief fire. Now only four bikes remained on this side. Towards the group squeezed together in the narrow gap trying to pass through, I emptied the remaining ammo in my rifle with a burst fired at head level. Several visors broke with gunshots exposing the perforated faces behind them. The bikes toppled over domino-style from the deaths of the riders. However-

“F-fuck!”

The swordsmen and gunners in the rear seats survived using the riders as meat shields. The rifle bullets weren’t able to penetrate the awakened ones’ skulls and the back of their helmets simultaneously. Cursing, they hastily recovered their postures from the collapsed stance. The distance between us was 6 or 7 steps at most. This time, I completely discarded the empty rifle and engaged in close combat.

Ratatata-!

I slapped aside the gun aimed at me as I closed in and smashed the head with the wide blade. Teeth fragments mixed with blood sprayed out from below the descending sword.

Three left now. Two swordsmen and one gunman. Their terrified faces behind the visors resembled the dead Chinese soldiers from earlier. Thud! I threw the shield, folding the gunman in half, then bisected another swordsman diagonally before they could coordinate their breathing. Continuing the motion, I finished off the moaning gunman by chopping him down with the broadsword.

“Spar…”

The last swordsman was unsteady on his feet as he pissed himself.

“Spare me…”

“Throw down the sword first.”

The swordsman quickly discarded the broadsword, and I cleanly severed his neck with a murky horizontal slash. I couldn’t let live someone who briefly experienced my circuit’s output rising. His sliced-off head tumbled and met its end after blinking twice. The loose eyeballs were fixed on me. A foolish expression, not comprehending what had happened to him.

I retrieved the fallen shield and claimed guns and ammo from the dead bodies. After completing this new combat preparation and revealing myself, the Black Children’s Party group on the other side who had been waiting for a chance to attack from both front and rear grew restless. Then the guys watching the situation while firing from behind cover made a realistic, wise decision.

“Retreat!”

When someone who seemed highly ranked shouted with a shaking fist, the remainder of the bike attack squad receded like the receding tide. Though they still outnumbered us in raw numbers so continuing to draw out the battle with firepower could’ve allowed them to grasp victory, the possibility of reinforcements arriving here could not be ruled out either.

“Amazing, Chairman!”

Hu Shanliang, who had watched the situation from inside the car, finally crawled out to pay his respects.

“You saved my life! To defeat so many rebels alone! When you charged out alone, I thought you were done for good!”

“Don’t exaggerate. This is supposed to be your grand achievement for public eyes, but if you fawn over me in front of all these spectators, what’s the point?”

Realizing my criticism over the watching eyes, the 3rd-grade Superintendent finally corrected his attitude. But his next words still contained cautious courtesy and awe, with greed and anticipation added in.

“Would it really be alright for me to take all the credit for this? After Secretary Gao provides an identity, you may even be able to get promoted to a real security bureau chief-“

“I won’t go back on my word so don’t worry.”

“Yes, thank you…”

Discovered to be shallow, Hu Shanliang made an embarrassed yet excited expression.

“No reinforcements yet?”

“Yes. It seems the ambush occurred in more than just this location.”

“Then request an ambulance at least. Since the hospital is close by, they should prioritize sending rescue teams here.”

“No one is seriously injured so why an ambulance-“

“Are you still not thinking straight? It’s the citizens, the citizens who were hurt!”

“Ah.”

Shouldn’t I solidly wrap up the hero role I gave him? When combat excitement paralyzes thoughts, this idiot’s behavior tests my patience. I set up the stage and he couldn’t even eat it properly. Hu Shanliang finally used the radio to request medical support. Guangzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital was nearby so they could be dispatched with high priority.

“Hyungnim! There’s a first aid kit here!”

Kyung-tae found a red bag in the open trunk and took it out. I scolded the radioing Hu Shanliang once more.

“At least pretend to direct the rescue efforts. We’re currently undercover cops following your command.”

“Ah, got it. Chairman.”

And so my men and I commenced rescue activities resembling a play. We pulled out passengers stuck in the crushed accident vehicles, sorted them by the degree of injury to determine transport order, and provided emergency treatment beginning with those in critical condition.

“I can’t see, I can’t see…”

“Please bear it just a little longer. The ambulance will arrive soon.”

The blood-drenched middle-aged man leaning against me had been shredded by the glass fragments from the windows shattered by the shockwave the instant the bomb exploded. The sole survivor from the hailstorm of reinforced glass shards pouring down from the high-rise buildings. Even as she bled, this mother frantically screamed her child’s name.

“Xinyan! Xinyan! Sir, please find my son Xinyan! He was wearing a red top and white pants!”

I was immediately able to locate who Xinyan was. There was only one child’s corpse on the spot glinting sharply with broken glass. Although the pants were dyed with blood so the clothing was different.

“…I’ll look for him so please calm down for now.”

My irritation simmering here was surely because the next nightmare would be intense. The remains of that damn master never failed to grate at my psyche.

Indeed, this was just a trivial tragedy compared to the day I was pursuing.

I made an effort to shake off the unpleasant feeling as cheers, encouragement, and praise poured towards me from all directions.

“The security bureau is the best! Long live the great motherland!”

“Kill off all those rebel bastards!”

“We believe in you!”

Such rapture soon became the delight of the privileged class residing in affluent districts. With Party membership at 90 million, converging to the number of the wealthy, they might as well be called a nobility clan. I resumed the roleplay to enrapture them.