Ares wiped the blood streaming down his face—wrought by Old White's strike—with a grimace of ferocity. "All of you are doomed today," he snarled. "Mark my words, I will not let you off."
Old White clutched his chest, struggling painfully to rise. "Damn you, bastard... you're finished..." he cursed, his voice laced with bitter resignation.
Rush furrowed his brow, surprised that Ares still had the strength to stand. Without hesitation, he unleashed his psychic powers again, attempting to seize control of Ares.
Just as Rush's abilities neared Ares, the latter suddenly sprang into motion, delivering a savage back kick that sent Old White flying once more—this time toward Rush. With a grunt, Rush abandoned his pursuit of Ares to catch Old White. But in that instant—
Ares appeared suddenly before Rush, his fist glowing with golden light, and unleashed a brutal punch.
With a thunderous impact, Rush's psychic shield manifested.
Yet, with a crashing sound, that barrier shattered beneath Ares's blow. Furious, Ares displayed a devastating force against Rush's level-eight psychic defense, breaking it with a single strike without needing a follow-up.
Caught off guard, Rush was felled to the ground by Ares's punch.
Ares pressed his advantage mercilessly, pinning Rush beneath him and raining down a fierce blow to his head. The punch struck a new psychic shield, but this one held firm.
Rush exhaled deeply; had that punch landed directly, it would surely have shattered his skull.
Ares's brow furrowed as he cursed, "Damn you, just die..." Raising his fist high, he swung another fierce punch at Rush.
This time, Rush seemed to understand something. Fear gave way to a mocking smile.
With another resounding thud, Ares's fist still failed to connect with Rush's head.
Growing increasingly enraged, Ares struck again and again, but the shield fractured and reformed continuously, rendering his attacks futile.
At that moment, a voice rang sharply behind Ares: "Enough. Save your strength for hell."
A gun barrel pressed against Ares's temple.
Stunned, Ares recognized the voice instantly.
A gunshot thundered as Xiao Feng, standing behind Ares, pulled the trigger of the Black Angel. Ares's head jerked violently before he collapsed to one side.
Xiao Feng, gripping the imposing Black Angel in one hand, stood dominantly in the street. The black tendrils that had enveloped him fully withdrew, and his wounds sealed, no longer bleeding.
Behind him, the proud White Wolf lifted his head in defiance. An armored vehicle sped toward them, carrying fully armed mech warriors—a breathtaking spectacle.
In the distance, Black Dragon and the mutt Rice were locked in battle. Witnessing Xiao Feng's lethal shot take down Ares, they froze in disbelief.
Xiao Feng sprinted toward Black Dragon, calling out, "Clear the way..."
Rice and the mutt obeyed, leaping aside. Xiao Feng raised the Black Angel in both hands, switching it to rapid-fire mode. It roared like twin heavy machine guns, though the Black Angel's bullets were far more potent.
Bullets flew unrelentingly at Black Dragon.
The sleek projectiles shimmered brilliantly, tracing dazzling arcs. Thanks to the automatic targeting system, Xiao Feng barely needed to aim—the bullets tore into Black Dragon relentlessly.
Black Dragon was stunned, overwhelmed by the torrent of fire. The pain and numbness were unbearable. He shielded his head with his tendrils, but under the onslaught, they offered no protection. Within moments, Xiao Feng had blasted every tendril to shreds.
Just as Xiao Feng aimed for Black Dragon's head, ready to turn it into a wreck, a figure suddenly rose behind him.
Xiao Feng sensed an odd presence behind him.
Everyone else present froze, stunned—Ares had risen once more, a bullet lodged in his head like a nail.
Without hesitation, Ares hoisted Xiao Feng and slammed him into a nearby wall. "Die..."
Under the dim streetlights, Ares smashed Xiao Feng against a residential wall, creating a sizable hole.
What kind of strength was needed to carve such a breach?
Black Dragon blinked in disbelief and thought only one thing: retreat.
From the shattered wall, a figure was abruptly flung out. The faint golden glow swirling around his fist revealed his identity.
Ares, kicked out from the hole by Xiao Feng, struggled to his feet on the street.
At that moment, Rice shouted, "What are you waiting for? Open fire..."
Several mech warriors standing side by side raised their enhanced automatic rifles and unleashed a hail of bullets on Ares.
Meanwhile, Black Dragon had vanished.
Though their rifle fire lacked the power of the Black Angel's rounds, the barrage visibly began to affect Ares's form.
He raised one arm to shield his eyes, seeking to flee. Yet another formidable psychic, Rush, lay on the ground—not yet recovered—but still able to act. With psychic might, Rush firmly grasped Ares, holding him fast amid the storm of bullets.