Chapter 166: The Last Hunt [ 4 ]

On the shattered industrial road outside Zenith City, Jet stood surrounded by the defeated Awakeners who had attempted to protect Damian Visconti’s convoy.

Golden-white flames flickered along the Vorpal Blade in his right hand, while two additional arms extended from his back, their dark-red markings pulsing with Mana.

Several meters ahead, Damian stood beside his armored vehicle, watching him with an expression of undisguised interest.

Behind Damian, the remaining guards were gathering. There were seven of them, including the heavily armored swordsman who had accompanied their employer from his residence.

Unlike the Awakeners Jet had already defeated, these men hadn’t rushed into battle. They had observed his abilities and were now approaching with considerably greater caution.

Damian glanced toward the armored swordsman. "Garrick, I assume you understand what I expect. Capture Saint-Clair alive, and make certain he can still answer questions afterward."

Garrick drew the enormous sword strapped across his back. "Understood, Mr. Visconti. Although I should warn you that restraining someone with four arms might require a little more effort than usual."

Damian smiled faintly. "That’s why I hired professionals."

Jet watched the exchange without responding. He had already noticed that Garrick possessed considerably denser Mana than the other guards.

The man’s movements were controlled, his breathing steady, and the enormous weapon in his hands appeared almost weightless despite its size.

A 3-Star Awakener, Jet estimated.

That made him dangerous. However, the other six guards were spreading outward, attempting to surround Jet while Garrick occupied his attention.

Jet tightened his grip around the Vorpal Blade.

He had no intention of allowing them to dictate the battle.

The first attacker approached from his left, raising a crossbow-like weapon fitted with several metallic bolts. Mana gathered along its mechanism before three projectiles shot toward Jet.

Jet immediately moved. His Asura Physique propelled him sideways, allowing the bolts to strike the road behind him. Before the attacker could fire again, Jet extended his additional right arm and seized a broken section of concrete.

He hurled it forward. The enormous fragment struck the crossbow wielder directly, sending him crashing against an abandoned cargo container.

At the same moment, two swordsmen rushed toward Jet.

Their weapons flashed in coordinated strikes, one aiming for his neck while the other attacked his legs.

Jet intercepted the upper blade with the Vorpal Sword and twisted his body to avoid the second. His additional arms moved independently, one catching the lower attacker’s wrist while the other delivered a devastating punch to his face.

CRACK!

The man staggered backward. Jet stepped forward and drove the Vorpal Blade through his chest.

The Awakener collapsed immediately. His companion attempted to retreat, but Jet seized his shoulder with an additional hand and pulled him backward.

Golden-white flames erupted around Jet’s left fist.

BOOM!

The flaming punch struck the man’s abdomen, burning through his armor and throwing him several meters across the road.

He landed motionless.

Two dead.

Five remaining.

Garrick’s expression hardened.

"Stop attacking him individually!" Garrick roared, raising his enormous sword. "Coordinate your abilities and restrict his movements!"

The remaining guards immediately responded.

One slammed both palms against the ground, causing thick stone pillars to erupt around Jet. Another extended his hands, releasing several translucent bands of Mana that wrapped around the pillars and formed a tightening enclosure.

Jet glanced around. The stone structures blocked his immediate escape routes, while the Mana bands contracted toward his body.

A coordinated restraint technique.

He could have attempted to break through with brute strength, but doing so would leave him exposed to the attacks gathering beyond the enclosure.

Instead, Jet lowered his stance. Golden-white flames spread across his shoulders, forearms, and chest.

Samadhi Flame surged outward. The surrounding air distorted beneath the intense heat as the Divine Fire consumed the Mana bands and washed across the stone pillars.

Jet drove both original fists forward.

BOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion shattered the enclosure. Fragments of superheated stone erupted in every direction, forcing the guards to retreat.

Jet emerged through the smoke, his four arms moving in perfect coordination. The Awakener responsible for the Mana restraints barely managed to raise his defenses before Jet reached him.

A flaming fist struck his chest. The impact sent him crashing into a warehouse wall, which fractured beneath his body.

Jet followed immediately, refusing to give him an opportunity to recover. He drove the Vorpal Blade through the man’s throat.

Blood splashed across the damaged concrete.

Three dead.

The stone-wielding Awakener attempted to flee.

Jet turned toward him and swung the Vorpal Blade. A compressed wind blade tore across the road, striking the fleeing man before he reached the nearest warehouse.

He collapsed, his body motionless.

Four dead.

Damian watched the slaughter with growing displeasure. His guards had been hired at considerable expense, yet Jet was dismantling their formation with frightening efficiency.

What disturbed him most wasn’t the young Awakener’s strength.

It was his adaptability. Jet switched between swordsmanship, physical combat, and Divine Fire without hesitation. His additional arms allowed him to attack and defend simultaneously, making conventional fighting techniques remarkably ineffective.

Damian’s golden eyes narrowed.

"Interesting," Damian murmured, examining Jet’s burning fists. "That Divine Rune is far more troublesome than I expected."

He glanced toward Garrick.

"Enough playing around," Damian ordered, his expression becoming cold. "If you can’t restrain him, cripple his limbs. I only need him conscious."

Garrick nodded grimly.

"Understood, sir," Garrick answered.

He stepped forward, releasing the full pressure of his Mana.

The remaining guards immediately withdrew behind him.

Jet turned toward the approaching swordsman.

A powerful aura spread across the road, stirring the dust and loose debris beneath Garrick’s feet.

"You’re strong," Garrick admitted, resting his enormous sword against his shoulder. "Stronger than most 2-Star Awakeners I’ve encountered."

Jet studied him carefully.

"But?" Jet asked, his expression unchanged.

Garrick smiled grimly. "But you’ve never fought someone like me."

The swordsman vanished from his position.

Jet’s eyes widened slightly. Garrick appeared directly before him, swinging his enormous weapon horizontally.

Jet raised the Vorpal Blade.

CLAAAAANG!

The collision sent a violent shockwave across the road. Jet’s feet slid backward, carving two deep marks into the asphalt.

Garrick immediately followed with another strike. Jet twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the blade as it tore through a nearby concrete barrier.

The man’s strength was extraordinary. More importantly, his swordsmanship was considerably more refined than that of the previous guards.

Garrick advanced relentlessly, delivering a succession of powerful attacks that forced Jet to retreat several steps.

"What’s wrong, brat?" Garrick demanded, swinging his weapon toward Jet’s shoulder. "You were moving much faster earlier!"

Jet intercepted the attack with two arms. His additional right fist immediately struck Garrick’s abdomen. The armored swordsman grunted but barely moved.

Jet frowned. His opponent’s armor possessed exceptional defensive properties.

Garrick grinned and drove his knee toward Jet’s chest.

Jet twisted his body, avoiding the strike before retreating several meters.

"That armor is troublesome," Jet observed, examining the reinforced plates covering Garrick’s torso.

Garrick laughed. "You’ll need more than ordinary punches to break through it!"

Jet slowly raised his left hand. Golden-white flames gathered around his fingers.

"Then I’ll use something else," Jet replied.

He accelerated forward. Garrick immediately swung his enormous sword.

Jet ducked beneath the blade and drove his flaming palm against the man’s chest.

Samadhi Flame erupted.

BOOOOM!

The explosion engulfed Garrick’s upper body, sending him stumbling backward.

His armor glowed red beneath the tremendous heat. However, he remained standing.

Garrick roared and charged again.

Jet met him directly.

Their weapons collided repeatedly, producing deafening metallic echoes throughout the abandoned district.

Jet’s Weapon Master proficiency allowed him to anticipate the swordsman’s movements, while his additional arms created openings that ordinary opponents couldn’t exploit.

After several exchanges, Jet caught Garrick’s sword between two of his hands.

The swordsman’s eyes widened.

"What?!" Garrick exclaimed, attempting to pull his weapon free.

Jet tightened his grip.

His remaining two fists erupted with Samadhi Flame. He struck Garrick’s chest simultaneously.

BOOOOOOM!

A devastating explosion tore through the armored swordsman’s defenses. The reinforced breastplate shattered. Garrick was thrown backward, crashing through the wall of an abandoned warehouse.

Jet immediately pursued him. Inside the ruined building, Garrick struggled to rise amid shattered concrete and twisted metal.

His armor had been destroyed, and blood flowed from several injuries. Nevertheless, he reached for his fallen sword.

Jet landed before him. Garrick looked up, his expression filled with disbelief.

"Wait!" Garrick shouted, raising one bloodied hand. "I surrender!"

Jet stopped. For a brief moment, neither moved. Then Garrick’s other hand darted toward a concealed dagger beneath his damaged armor.

Jet reacted instantly. The Vorpal Blade flashed and Garrick’s head separated from his shoulders before the dagger could leave its sheath.

His body collapsed.

Five dead.

---

Outside, the final two guards exchanged terrified glances as Jet emerged from the warehouse.

Their strongest companion had been killed.

Neither possessed the strength to challenge the young Awakener alone.

One immediately turned toward Damian.

"Mr. Visconti, we need to leave!" the guard shouted, his expression desperate. "That monster is going to kill us!"

Damian stared at him coldly.

"And where exactly do you intend to go?" Damian asked.

The guard hesitated. Before he could answer, Jet accelerated across the road.

The first man attempted to raise his weapon.

Jet struck him with a flaming kick, sending him crashing into the side of an armored vehicle.

The impact crushed the metal plating. The man fell motionless. The final guard abandoned his weapon and ran toward the nearest warehouse.

Jet watched him flee. Then he raised the Vorpal Blade. Mana surged through the weapon.

A powerful wind blade erupted from its edge, crossing the distance in an instant.

The fleeing Awakener collapsed before reaching the building. Silence gradually settled across the industrial district.

Jet lowered his sword. All seven guards who had remained standing beside Damian were dead. The earlier escorts lay scattered around the damaged convoy, no longer capable of interfering.

Only Damian Visconti remained.

Damian stood beside the central armored vehicle, examining the destruction surrounding him. His expensive jacket fluttered slightly in the afternoon breeze, while his golden eyes followed Jet’s movements.

Despite losing his entire security detail, Damian showed no signs of panic.

Instead, he slowly removed his jacket and placed it across the vehicle’s damaged hood.

Jet approached, the Vorpal Blade resting in his right hand.

"Your men are finished," Jet announced, his expression cold. "There’s nobody left to protect you."

Damian glanced toward the bodies scattered across the road.

"Apparently, I overestimated their abilities," Damian replied, sounding more disappointed than frightened. "A rather expensive mistake."

Jet stopped several meters away.

"You’re coming with me," Jet declared.

Damian smiled faintly.

"Am I?" Damian asked, rolling up his sleeves.

Golden markings began spreading across his forearms.

Jet immediately noticed the change.

Damian’s Mana was rising.

The young mastermind raised his head, revealing eyes that had turned completely metallic gold.

"Tell me something, Saint-Clair," Damian asked, his smile widening. "Did you honestly believe I needed those men to protect me?"

Jet tightened his grip around the Vorpal Blade.

Across Damian’s chest, an elaborate golden tattoo began glowing beneath his shirt. At its center stood a horned golden calf surrounded by ancient coins and interlocking chains.

Damian extended one hand toward Jet.

"Now," Damian declared, his voice filled with confidence, "let me show you what real power looks like."