Chapter 192: Caliber is Justice, Artillery is Truth

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Surrounding enemies opened fire, forcing Fang Cheng to retreat under heavy suppression.

He raised two Fire God Gatlings and pulled the triggers under the enemies’ terrified gazes.

“Get down!”

An armed personnel roared. Nearby enemies immediately ducked behind cover or pressed themselves to the ground.

Click!

The triggers clicked uselessly – both Gatling guns remained silent.

The atmosphere froze momentarily.

Fang Cheng’s face fell. Some component had malfunctioned. Last-minute preparations never worked well – he’d need proper maintenance later.

“He’s out of ammo!”

The shouting armed personnel cheered hoarsely. “We could drown him in our spit!”

Fang Cheng hated show-offs with poor hygiene. He aimed both Gatlings at the man and unleashed steel needle bullets.

Malfunctioning parts didn’t prevent firing. Though lacking the Fire God Gatling’s signature roar, the weapons still spat deadly streams.

Twin blood-red torrents of steel needles instantly shredded the would-be spitter into Swiss cheese. Other armed personnel emerging from cover were met with a barrage of fire, scattering like roaches.

Dual-wielding Gatlings, Fang Cheng advanced relentlessly. Above, two training-model Iron Men rained down fire like mechanical grim reapers.

This cutting-edge combat equipment, even in stripped-down versions, outclassed ordinary rifles completely. Ground enemies were blown apart before they could counterattack.

Sato Mai and Ye Yuqing’s drones patrolled like a deadly whac-a-mole game, taking shots at every head that popped up.

Fang Cheng pushed forward through the courtyard into the building. The enemies he encountered included both Aoki family’s human mercenaries and unidentified monsters.

Perhaps some monster factions opposed peace talks with humans, as he’d suspected. But Fang Cheng focused on his bulletstorm baptism, skewering enemies into human hedgehogs with steel needles.

This firepower supremacy felt exhilarating – better than bare-knuckle brawling. He finally understood that doctrine: “Quantity brings beauty, size ensures superiority; caliber embodies justice, artillery proclaims truth.” At this rate, he’d develop firepower deficiency anxiety.

Storming through smoke-filled corridors littered with debris, Fang Cheng reached a circular hall. No need for blind searching – Uka Mirai’s tracker from Kanzaki Rin gave clear directions. He simply followed the signal, eliminating occasional resistance along the way.

The grand hall had turned into a frozen wasteland, with thick ice covering every surface – the ground, walls, and ceiling.

Frozen corpses of armed personnel and monsters littered the area like grotesque ice statues.

The space bore brutal scars of destruction, evidence of a recent fierce battle.

The collapsed circular staircase in the hall’s rear revealed Uka Qingxue lying in the rubble. Her maid uniform hung in bloody tatters, half her body trapped in ice.

Her closed eyes and pale face suggested death had claimed her long ago.

Fang Cheng lowered his mask and sighed. Though this catgirl’s sharp tongue often made him want to punch her, she’d been a dutiful subordinate.

He turned to leave when Uka Qingxue’s eyes snapped open.

Fang Cheng: …

He jumped. “Still alive, huh?”

The gravely injured woman’s weak breath hitched as she saw him. “Save… mistress…” she rasped. “Study… still holds…”

Fang Cheng would go regardless, but he hated her permanent million-yen-debtor attitude.

He left without conversation.

Uka Qingxue watched his retreating back, uncertain if he’d help Uka Mirai or abandon her.

“Save her…” she gasped with final strength, “…I’ll get you into Iron Fortress…”

Fang Cheng froze mid-step, throwing a thumbs-up over his shoulder.

…

BOOM!

Flames and smoke erupted from the study door with a deafening clang.

When the smoke cleared, the blackened door stood intact while shattered wall panels exposed metal reinforcements.

“Damn it!” Nishitani Kyohei spat saliva in frustration. They’d wasted precious timeline trying to breach this study where their target hid just beyond reach.

Beside him, Otsutai nursed wounds from battling the Snow Cat – his hands and feet showing severe frostbite as he rested.

Sudden battle noises outside made Nishitani pale. “Uka family reinforcements?” He barked orders at two armed personnel to investigate.

His phone rang. Aoki Tsugumi’s name flashed.

“Yeah old man?” he answered.

The driving Aoki demanded, “Have you got Uka Mirai?”

“Stuck at some fucking door!”

Aoki’s voice hardened. “Finish before electromagnetic interference ends. When government and Uka family learn of this failed coup…”

The unspoken threat hung heavier than smoke in the ruined hall.

“Stop the gloomy talk, old man. I’ll catch her and show you soon enough.”

“Notify me immediately once she’s captured!”

Aoki Tsugumi hung up the phone with darkened features.

He’d thought this would be resolved quickly, never expecting the chase to drag on. Threatening Uka Mirai’s life alone wasn’t enough – who knew if that woman Uka Kaori might sign the contract regardless of her daughter’s safety?

His plan required capturing Uka Mirai first, then posing as government opposition to leak the incident online. Public pressure would force both sides to delay peace talks indefinitely. But everything had to happen before either the government or Uka Kaori got wind of it, or their small force couldn’t withstand reinforcements.

Mid-thought, a big rock suddenly flew from the roadside toward his windshield. His blood turned icy as he jerked the steering wheel, sending the car spinning into a streetlight.

Dazed for several heartbeats, Aoki Tsugumi finally looked up to see a delicate-featured youth in Countermeasures Department combat gear emerging from the roadside. The stone-throwing left no doubt about hostile intentions. Though no spring chicken himself, he’d never underestimate an opponent for their youth.

But he’d deployed all forces to capture Uka Mirai, leaving himself unguarded. Gritting his teeth, Aoki Tsugumi grabbed a handgun from the car and pushed the door open.

“Identify yourself!” He kept the weapon hidden in his sleeve as he shouted.

Sato Hayato stayed silent, drawing a nervous breath. This marked his first solo mission since Fang Cheng’s strict orders: capture this middle-aged man alive if possible, kill if necessary. No escapes.

Seeing the boy’s obvious tension, Aoki Tsugumi pegged him as a green recruit. “Who are you? Let’s discuss this rationall-”

Mid-sentence, he whipped up the gun – only to have an invisible force slam his chest. His body flew backward, skull cracking against the car door as consciousness fled.

Sato Hayato withdrew his mental powers with relieved exhale.

At least he hadn’t encountered any perverts this time.