Chapter 78: Mission
The agents carried their captives up the slope. The commotion must have alerted the colonels, but the swift resolution left them no time to intervene.
As the agents reached the top, they encountered Chandra Banerjee and Kenya Washington hurrying towards them with a retinue of agents.
"What happened?" Chandra demanded, his eyes narrowed.
"Something big... but it's over now," Miles Wagner stammered, struggling to explain the chaotic events. He continued upwards, carrying the unconscious swordsman.
Excited whispers filled the air, the agents recounting the clash of swords and the power of the black blade.
Chandra gradually pieced together the events, his expression a mixture of astonishment and confusion. The sight of the gravely injured Mendy Snow confirmed his suspicions, yet he struggled to comprehend the situation.
He had explicitly instructed Kane to keep an eye on her, but this... this exceeded his wildest imagination. Kane had not only subdued Mendy Snow but also captured a Crown Mountain instructor.
The instructors of Crown Mountain were formidable opponents, even for him. He would be hard-pressed to gain an advantage against one.
"Colonel, how should we handle them?" Miles Wagner asked, carefully placing the two captives on the ground.
"Kill them," Kenya Washington stated coldly. "These are desperate times. There's no need to waste manpower guarding prisoners. She nearly got her colleagues killed. She's a traitor."
Chandra frowned at him, then turned to Miles. "Was Kane injured?"
"Uh... no, sir," Miles replied, his brow furrowed in thought. "Captain Kane looked remarkably at ease."
"Nonsense!" Kenya scoffed.
A one-on-two fight against such opponents couldn't be as effortless as these First Realm agents made it sound.
Chandra ignored him, his gaze lingering on the three stars adorning Mendy Snow's sleeves.
They represented countless battles fought, countless lives saved. If Kane had the power to incapacitate them both so thoroughly, he could have easily killed them. Instead, he had spared them, bound them, and sent them here. Perhaps Kane had a motive beyond simply following orders.
With a sigh, Chandra said, "They're already severely injured. Guarding them is unnecessary. Keep them alive. If they survive, we'll take them back to H.A.R.M. for punishment."
Mendy, barely conscious, her face pale and drawn, looked at her lover, the metallic taste of blood thick in her mouth.
They exchanged a glance, a shared sense of bitter irony passing between them. The young man who had blocked their escape had inadvertently saved their lives. Had they not been so severely injured, they would have been executed.
"Stubborn fool," Kenya spat, his voice laced with contempt. "Clinging to those useless rules will get you nowhere. You'll never achieve anything worthwhile."
Kenya Washington sneered at Chandra. The higher-ups said to guard the valley, and Chandra Banerjee really didn't advance an inch. If he'd known Chandra was such an rigid automaton, he wouldn't have asked for reinforcement in the first place.
Feeling ignored, Kenya's frustration grew. "Where's that Captain Kane?" he demanded. "Such a significant incident, and he doesn't even bother to report?"
Miles Wagner and the other agents bristled at his arrogance. They were about to retort when they noticed the captain ascending the slope, his expression calm, his demeanor unruffled. He showed no signs of having just fought a grueling battle.
Kenya's face twitched, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. The agents' accounts were accurate. He turned away, his silence a testament to his unease.
Chandra Banerjee, however, beamed with undisguised admiration. He clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Captain Kane," he said, his voice filled with warmth, "your skills are truly impressive." He felt a pang of envy, the prowess of this young agent putting his own abilities to shame.
… …
I approached Chandra, "They'll be making their move on the mountain soon," I warned.
Chandra's hand froze mid-gesture. "It was just a single instructor acting rashly," he dismissed, his voice laced with confidence. "There's no need for concern, Captain Kane. General Grant—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his square jaw slack with shock. The instructor's escape under cover of darkness signaled a dissent from his leader's decision. And the Angry Sword Elder, despite his presence on the cliff, hadn't intervened.
If Crown Mountain was divided, if the old Headmaster was truly defying H.A.R.M....
If the disciples aligned with the school leadership—whether to resist or surrender the accused—the pressure would be concentrated at the summit.
However, if the leaders sought to protect the swordsman while those below wished to flee, wouldn't they flood the valley? In that case, wouldn't the forces blocking the exit become the target of a desperate attack?
"Thank you for the warning!" Chandra exclaimed, his voice tight with urgency.
He snatched a torch from a nearby agent and hurried to an open space.
He strained his Wave Realm eyesight, scanning the cliff top. The Angry Sword Elder, once seated in meditation, now stood, his sparse silver hair freed from its wooden pin, cascading over his shoulders.
His cloudy eyes, though devoid of emotion, burned with a fierce intensity. It wasn't merely anger, but a concentrated inner strength, a resolute defiance.
The old man looked down, his gaze settling on the fallen instructor. Seeing his own disciple still clung to life, he sighed, the anger in his eyes intensifying, yet held in check by a lingering restraint.
"Didn't you claim to have severely wounded him?" Chandra roared at Kenya Washington.
"I... I did injure him," Kenya stammered, his confidence faltering. The aura emanating from the Angry Sword Elder was even more potent than before. "What's the fuss?" he blustered. "If he dares to come down, we'll form the H.A.R.M. Grand Formation and ensure he doesn't leave alive."
While Kenya might be unreliable, his confidence wasn't entirely unfounded. H.A.R.M. colonels had access to top-tier martial arts and potent elixirs. Against most martial artists, even those from renowned schools like Crown Mountain, they held their own.
With two mid-Wave Realm colonels and a formation of trained agents, capturing the aging Angry Sword Elder shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge.
But Chandra's concern was evident. The Elder's demeanor suggested either a suicidal desperation or a planned escape through Hanes Valley, the most likely route.
"Captain Kane," Chandra barked, turning to me with a newfound urgency. He pulled a metallic token from his belt. "Take my verbal decree and, in the name of the Hanes Valley commander, request the presence of these eight colonels. Speed is of the essence! And be careful!"
I nodded, accepting the task without hesitation.
This was only my second mission. Offering suggestions was one thing, but I wouldn't presume my judgment superior to this veteran colonel's.
My peak Wave Realm was formidable, but it couldn't single-handedly turn the tide of this battle. Eight experienced colonels would be far more valuable than my individual strength.
I reached for the command token, but Kenya snatched it first. "I'm injured," he growled, his jaw clenched. "Let me go."
My expression remained impassive, but the golden eagle agents exchanged tense glances, their faces a mixture of resentment and disgust. They quickly looked away, unwilling to meet each other's eyes.
Chandra glared at the arrogant colonel. Washington was the activator of the H.A.R.M. Grand Formation—a closely guarded secret of the Containment Division. This technique was unknown to Purge Division members.
"Go quickly and return quickly!" Chandra ordered, his gaze fixed on the cliff top. He seemed relieved that the Angry Sword Elder still needed time to gather his strength.
I observed the scene, a knot of unease tightening in my gut.
Unlike Chandra, I felt no sense of reprieve. My enhanced vision pierced the distance, revealing a group of figures with weak auras slowly gathering behind the Elder. Some were at the First Realm, others yet to break realm barrier.