The Marquis' consul led a squad of assassins and henchmen, wielding heavy machine guns, and unleashed a barrage of bullets.
"Kill them! Kill them all!" the Marquis roared, his voice laced with desperation. "Since they dare to oppose me, no one leaves here alive!"
He knew that eliminating everyone present was the only way to ensure even the High Table couldn't retaliate—no witnesses, no repercussions. With his command issued, he quickly moved back, positioning himself behind his assassins.
The air was torn apart by relentless gunfire. Bullets sprayed in every direction like a storm of death.
Chen Ye reacted instantly. With a single motion, he flipped the heavy table in front of him, using it as a makeshift shield. The bullets drilled into the wood, leaving thumb-sized holes in their wake.
Instead of deflecting the bullets with his chaos magic as he had done before, Chen Ye wanted to test his newly acquired swordsmanship. With his right hand, he conjured a sword from raw chaos energy, its crimson glow pulsating ominously. Then, he slashed at the incoming bullets.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each bullet was sliced mid-air, sparks flashing as the metal fragments scattered. Then, without hesitation, Chen Ye launched himself forward. He moved like a phantom, weaving through the battlefield with inhuman speed. His blade cut through the assassins like a reaper's scythe, leaving only lifeless bodies in his wake.
Master Ye, listening to the familiar rhythm of swordplay from across the battlefield, was secretly astonished.
How is his technique so similar to mine? Could it be that he has always been a swordsman? But the reports claimed he was skilled in knife techniques… unless… did he learn my style just from our last sparring session?
To think such a genius exists in this world. A true hero among the young. I would love to spar with him.
Amid the chaos, the High Table's messenger, despite wearing a bulletproof suit, was caught in the crossfire. A bullet found its mark, and he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Meanwhile, John Wick sprang from his chair, drawing his handgun in one swift motion. With practiced precision, he chambered a round and rolled into cover.
Bang!
An assassin dropped dead, a bullet hole between his eyes. John quickly moved to another position, taking cover behind a pillar as more gunfire erupted around him.
Seeing the first wave of his forces faltering, the Marquis clenched his fists and turned to Master Ye.
"Caine, it's your turn! Take them out, and I will reunite you with your daughter!"
Master Ye slowly rose from his chair, gripping his cane sword tightly. His expression remained unreadable. Then, in a swift motion, he drew his weapon.
"Actually, the person I want to kill the most… is you."
Without warning, he fired his pistol with his left hand. The bullets struck the assassins on either side of the Marquis, killing them instantly. Then, with his sword in his right hand, he lunged forward.
The Marquis barely had time to react. His face twisted in shock as Master Ye's sword neared his throat. But just before the blade made contact, the consul leaped in front of him, raising his right hand to block the attack.
Realizing his ambush had failed, Master Ye immediately retreated, putting distance between himself and the Marquis' forces.
The Marquis, still reeling from the betrayal, seethed with fury. "Caine! Have you forgotten your daughter?! You dare turn against me? Damn it—you can go join her in hell!"
At his signal, the assassins turned their guns on Master Ye, unleashing another hail of bullets. But Master Ye, with his incredible reflexes, dodged and parried with his cane sword, moving like a shadow through the chaos.
Seeing this, the Marquis' frustration boiled over. He snatched an RPG from one of his subordinates and aimed it directly at Master Ye.
"Die, traitor!"
With a deafening explosion, the missile streaked toward Master Ye.
Trapped in a crossfire, with no cover left, Master Ye knew he couldn't escape. As the missile closed in, regret flashed through his mind—not for himself, but for never seeing his daughter one last time. At least Chen Ye and John Wick would take care of her.
The Marquis watched in twisted satisfaction, expecting to see Master Ye obliterated in the blast.
Then—
A crimson glow.
The missile froze mid-air.
The Marquis' laughter died in his throat.
Chen Ye stood behind Master Ye, fingers outstretched. "You never learn, do you? Guns, cannons… they don't work on me."
With a flick of his hand, the missile spun in the air. Like a guided weapon, it turned back toward the Marquis and his forces.
"No… no, no, no—!"
Boom!
Flames erupted into the sky, debris scattering in every direction. The Marquis' once-pristine white suit was now drenched in blood. He lay collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
Then—
Ring. Ring. Ring.
An old-fashioned phone vibrated in his pocket. With trembling hands, the Marquis answered.
"Lord Marquis! Our businesses are under attack! Our family members—slaughtered! We need support! We've lost everything! You must avenge us!"
The voice on the other end was filled with despair. The Marquis' face twisted in rage, and he coughed up blood.
"Chen Ye…!" He snarled in agony. "Why? Why did you start this?!"
Chen Ye crouched beside him, his expression calm. "If you were the one standing here, would you have shown mercy?"
The Marquis' lips trembled. He had no answer.
Chen Ye had never believed in needless cruelty—but he also knew that sparing an enemy only invited future disaster. Unlike Batman, who kept throwing villains into Arkham Asylum only for them to return stronger, Chen Ye believed in finishing what he started.
The Marquis chuckled weakly and reached into his coat, pulling out a small black box. With a final act of defiance, he pressed a button.
Chen Ye's senses flared. A gut-wrenching feeling of danger crawled up his spine.
"What is that?!" he demanded.
The Marquis' broken laughter filled the air. "You're all going to die with me! All of Paris will burn!"
Somewhere in a remote desert, a missile silo opened. A nuclear warhead was launched—its destination: Paris.
Chen Ye's expression darkened. "You lunatic! Where did you get a nuke?!"
He lunged forward, snatching the black box from the Marquis' grip and pressing every button on it.
"It's useless!" the Marquis wheezed. "Once launched, it can't be stopped!"
Chen Ye didn't hesitate. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at the Marquis' forehead.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The Marquis' reign of terror ended in silence.