Chapter 67: Secret Mission
Vespera’s office felt colder than usual.
She stood behind her desk, while the mission folder lay open in front of all three disciples. A rough map showed the city’s eastern border, marked with red circles at three separate locations.
"For the past three weeks, academy supply shipments have been hijacked along this route," Vespera said, her eyes scanning each of them in turn. "Medical supplies. Training equipment. Weapon shipments destined for the combat division."
Cora leaned forward slightly. "Who’s responsible?"
"A rogue mercenary named Steve Kingston." Vespera’s lip curled slightly. "Rank 2, two-star. Former military desertion. He’s been working with a small crew of bandits, using hit-and-run tactics to steal cargo before vanishing into the abandoned industrial sector."
Sera studied the map. "Why haven’t the city guards handled this?"
"Politics." The word came out sharp. "The hijacking zone sits on a jurisdictional boundary. City guards claim it’s academy territory. Academy administrators claim it’s city jurisdiction. If we send official instructors to handle it, it becomes a political incident that drags on for months."
She looked directly at Holden.
"That’s why I have disciples. You operate outside official channels. No paperwork. No accountability. Just results."
Cora and Sera exchanged a glance. Their synchronization was uncanny.
"We understand," they said together.
Vespera nodded. "Eliminate Steve. Scatter his crew. Recover whatever cargo remains. Do not get caught. Do not leave witnesses."
She dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
Location: The abandoned warehouse
Holden stood at the edge of a crumbling loading dock, watching Cora and Sera move through the shadows ahead of him. They moved like ghosts, their gear blending with the darkness.
The twins stopped at a corner and looked back at him.
"Stay here," Cora said.
"Watch and learn," Sera finished.
"This is a simple operation," they continued in sequence. "A little freshman will only slow us down."
"Don’t get in our way."
They vanished around the corner before Holden could respond.
He leaned against a support beam and crossed his arms. "Fine by me."
From his position, he could see the main warehouse through a gap in the crumbling walls. Flickering lantern light spilled from broken windows. Shadows moved inside. At least five figures, possibly more.
The twins struck without warning.
Whoosh!
Two blurs of silver exploded through the warehouse doors. Cora came from the left, Sera from the right, their curved short swords catching the lantern light in deadly arcs.
The fighting style was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
They moved in perfect harmony. When Cora lunged low, Sera struck high. When Sera spun to parry, Cora was already following up with a slash at the exposed flank.
Three bandits went down in the first five seconds.
The twins flowed through the space smoothly, never hesitating, never colliding. Every movement complemented the other. Holden had never seen anyone kill so perfectly before.
A fourth bandit tried to run. Sera’s thrown blade caught him in the back of the knee before he took three steps.
Then everything went wrong.
The fifth figure stepped out from the shadows at the back of the warehouse. He was bigger than the others. Taller. Broader. A massive broadsword rested on his shoulder, its edge nicked but still lethal.
Steve Kingston.
"Nice dance," the mercenary growled. "But you two forgot something."
His boot slammed down on a hidden floor tile.
Bzzt!
Runes flared to life across the warehouse floor. A blast array, hidden beneath layers of dirt and debris, exploded into a wave of blinding white energy.
Cora was hit by most of the blast. She staggered backward, her swords dropping from her numb fingers as electricity moved all over her body. She collapsed to one knee, gasping.
Sera was in slightly better shape. The blast hit her from an angle, but the force was still strong enough to break her guard. Her sword was knocked out of her hand and went skidding across the concrete, landing somewhere in the dark.
Steve laughed.
"Rank 2, three-star assassins. Impressive credentials." he said, lifting his big sword. "But I’ve been planning this trap for weeks. You think I didn’t prepare for academy dogs?"
He turned toward Sera, who was struggling to stand without her weapon.
"Time to die, little girl."
He charged.
The broadsword came down in a killing arc, aimed at Sera’s exposed neck. She tried to dodge, but her body was still recovering from the blast. She was too slow. The blade was going to hit her in a split second.
Holden moved.
The world seemed to slow around him as his 1,000x processing kicked into overdrive. He calculated the trajectory. The timing. The exact position he needed to be in.
Gale-Step activated.
He vanished from the doorway.
The mercenary’s blade was inches from Sera’s skin when a figure appeared directly beside him. No warning. No sound.
Holden raised his forearm.
Clang!
The broadsword slammed into his flesh.
And stopped.
Steve couldn’t believe his eyes. His sword was designed to slice through thick armor, yet it barely left a scratch on the freshman’s arm. Sparks flew as tempered steel met Iron-Body skin that was harder than any metal the mercenary had ever face.
Crack!
The broadsword shattered.
Fragments of steel scattered across the floor. Steve stumbled backward, suddenly holding nothing but a broken hilt.
"What the..."
Holden’s fist hit the mercenary’s jaw.
Thwack!
The impact lifted Steve off his feet. He flew backward three meters and crashed into a support pillar, sliding down to land in a heap. His eyes rolled back. He didn’t get up.
Cora knelt on the floor, still trying to shake off the blast’s effects. Sera stood still, staring at Holden with an expression of pure shock. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Holden rolled his shoulder casually and looked around at the destruction.
"You missed a spot," he said, nodding toward where Steve had triggered the trap. "It was under the third-floor tile. Only an amateur would miss that. Good thing I was here to save you."
Cora finally found her voice. "How..."
"Did you just block a Rank 2 broadsword..." Sera continued.
"With your bare arm?" they finished together.
Holden shrugged. "Iron-Body cultivation. You should try it sometime."
He walked over and retrieved Sera’s sword, tossing it to her with a casual flick of his wrist. She caught it automatically, still staring at him like he’d grown a second head.
"Steve’s unconscious, which means mission accomplished. We can search for the stolen cargo, or we can report back." He looked at both of them. "Your call, backup dancers."
The twins exchanged a long glance.
Their synchronized arrogance was gone. Something else had taken its place.
Something that looked almost like respect.