Chapter 135: Face Off

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Face Off

"Derrick!" Beth gasped, she channeled her Enhanced energy to protect herself but she noticed that her body was already covered in a layer of Derrick’s energy.

"I’ve got you," Derrick growled low. "Stay low. Another attack could be coming."

He shoved a heavy piece of fallen shed aside and moved Beth into a sheltered corner near the surviving stone wall.

"I will look for the attacker, you have to be ready to move. Wait for my signal."

He turned his golden eyes back toward the mountain trees.

The pine branch where the assassin had been standing was empty, snapped in half by the sheer force of his jump.

Derrick turned back to Beth, taking her shaking hands in his.

"Get inside the house," Derrick ordered softly. "Head into the interior rooms, away from the glass."

"Derrick, wait!" Beth gasped, her fingers tightening around his wrists in terror. "You can’t just go out there into the dark! What if he shoots again?"

Derrick looked straight into her eyes, his expression completely calm and steady.

"Don’t worry about me, Beth," he said smoothly.

"I was trained by the greatest fighter I know in the world."

A slight, confident smirk touched his lips.

"No one can touch me."

Beth looked at him, her chest rising and falling fast. The absolute certainty in his voice made the panic in her chest quiet down.

"Silly B," Derrick called out into the night.

"Active, sir," the AI’s voice chimed from his phone.

"Take care of Beth," Derrick commanded. "Secure the house, lock down the doors, and keep an eye out for any other targets."

"Understood, sir. Securing Miss Beth’s location and monitoring for secondary thermal signatures now."

"Go," Derrick whispered softly, giving her hand one last firm squeeze. "Wait for my signal."

Beth nodded, swallowing her fear, and sneaked back inside through the broken doorway into the villa.

Derrick turned toward the forest edge.

High up on the tree crown, the sniper watched him like a predator tracking its prey.

The man showed zero intention of aiming at Beth. His cold, locked gaze proved Derrick was his only true target.

Derrick didn’t jump, and he didn’t charge ahead with raw force.

Instead, he simply took a calm step off the ruined terrace into the open night air.

High up in the pine canopy, the sniper kept his eyes locked onto Derrick, preparing to track his trajectory.

Derrick took another step forward.

Flicker.

Right beneath the sniper’s locked gaze, Derrick’s figure blurred softly.

His entire body faded into the shadows like ink dissolving into water.

The assassin’s eyes widened behind his mask in total shock.

He snapped his head left and right, his dark aura flaring in sudden panic. He scanned the trees, the mountain slope, and the empty air below.

Derrick was gone.

There was not a single trace of him left in the dark.

The assassin stood frozen on the high pine branch. Despite how much experience he had, he could not figure out, what Derrick had done.

Whoosh.

Suddenlty...

A sharp rustle of wind whistled past his left shoulder.

He snapped his head toward the sound, pointing his fingers into the shadows.

Fwip!

He fired a fast, uncompressed shot of energy straight into the dark.

Thwack!

The beam pierced through the pine tree and faded uselessly into the night.

Did I miss? How could that—

"Are you aiming at the wind?" a low voice spoke from behind him.

The assassin’s blood ran cold.

He whirled around in a split second, flicking his wrist to unleash another lethal bullet straight toward the voice.

Fwip!

The shot cut through the night air, streaking straight for the target.

Derrick was standing high above him, perched casually on the top branch of an even taller pine tree.

His arms were crossed loosely over his chest.

A cool, quiet smirk touched his lips, his eyes were no longer glowing anymore.

The fiery wind shot tore straight toward his face.

Derrick didn’t flinch.

Right as the bullet reached his face, he simply twisted his head an inch to the side.

Fwhoosh!

The lethal shot grazed past his cheek, singing the air beside his ear.

It shot straight past him and slammed into the solid mountain cliff face behind the trees.

BOOM!

The compressed energy detonated against the rock, blasting granite into a cloud of smoke and flying rubble.

Derrick didn’t even bother to look back at the explosion.

He tilted his head back, his black eyes locking onto the assassin below with absolute composure.

Then, Derrick stopped holding back.

Hum.

He unleashed his all of his energy.

A violent, colorless wave of Enchained energy exploded outward from his body.

The sheer weight of his aura rolled down the mountain like a heavy wave, pressing down on the entire forest.

The pine trees groaned, their branches bending violently beneath the sudden, crushing pressure.

Derrick looked down at the pale assassin, his smirk widening just a fraction.

"My turn," he said softly.

Derrick blurred forward, dropping off his high perch in a fraction of a second.

The air cracked around him as he closed the distance instantly.

The assassin didn’t panic.

His energy flared wildly around his body, instantly boosting his speed and reaction time.

BANG!

Derrick threw a heavy fist straight at his throat, but the assassin brought his forearm up to meet it.

Shockwaves echoed in the silent forest as their fists and elbows collided.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

They traded vicious strikes right on the narrow pine branches.

The assassin moved like a pro anticipating Derrick’s movements and matching his sheer physical power step for step.

How is he matching with me?

He wasn’t just a simple hitman; he was a battle-hardened veteran who knew how to fight at close quarters.

I have Reached the peak of the middle stage The Enhanced Being realm.

I have touched the cusp of the next stage and yet... even with my wind element enhanced speed, he is keeping up with me.

Fierce gusts of wind and scorching heat waves clashed violently against Derrick’s golden aura.

CRACK!

Their palms slammed together in a heavy lock, sending a sharp shockwave through the canopy that shattered nearby pine branches.

Neither man gave up an inch.

They shoved off each other at the exact same moment, landing firmly on separate branches ten feet apart.

Derrick stood tall, his breathing completely calm.

"It’s about you tell me why you are after me." Derrick said as he rolled his shoulder. He slowly flexed his fingers, opening both bare palms toward the assassin.

Whoosh.

Two sharp, deadly chakra blades materialized directly from his palms.

They hummed with a pure, white cold energy, casting a pale, moonlight glow across the dark forest.