John had no choice but to stay a little longer. He turned to the mayor and asked, "Mr. Mayor, is there anything else you need? I really must leave now—I have something very important to do."
Hearing that John was about to leave, the mayor quickly said, "Respected martial artist, you've helped us repel the invading Red Ribbon Army."
"While you're here, I'm sure they wouldn't dare attack us. But once you leave, I fear these madmen will retaliate fiercely."
"So, you want me to help you eliminate this Red Ribbon Army faction?" John asked.
The mayor immediately nodded. "Yes, is that possible, Mr. John?"
John thought to himself—he was already planning to search for No. 17 and No. 18, who were likely at the Red Ribbon Army's new headquarters. Since he was heading there anyway, he might as well wipe out their base.
So, John nodded and agreed. "No problem. But do you know where their new headquarters is?"
Overjoyed, the mayor replied, "It's in a northern district. The Red Ribbon Army recently built a new base there."
"Alright, I'll go now." John flew into the air, bid farewell to the townspeople, and sped northward.
However, what John didn't know was that No. 17 and No. 18 had not returned to the Red Ribbon Army headquarters. At that moment, they were standing on a cliff, watching the sky through binoculars.
Before long, No. 17 said to his sister, No. 18, "Look, John really is flying toward the headquarters."
No. 18 took the binoculars and confirmed that John was indeed heading north.
The most obvious target in the north was the Red Ribbon Army's new base.
No. 17 grinned. "Sis, if John destroys their headquarters, we'll finally be free from their control. Then you can live like a normal girl—wearing swimsuits, sunbathing, even falling in love."
Despite their cold exteriors, both androids secretly longed for warmth.
No. 18 brushed back her golden hair and said softly, yet wistfully, "I don't care about dramatic love. Something simple and lasting would be better."
Suddenly, No. 17 remarked, "You know, John's actually a decent guy. Handsome, good personality. If he weren't our enemy, you two might've made a good pair."
"Shut up!" No. 18 cut him off. "Let's go. There's something unusual about John. To avoid detection, we should head the opposite way."
With that, the two sprinted south at full speed. Their only thought now was to get as far away from John and the Red Ribbon Army as possible.
Meanwhile, John was still obliviously flying toward the base, wondering how he could improve No. 18's opinion of him and convince her to leave with him.
He had no idea she was already moving in the opposite direction. The next time they'd meet, who knew when it would be?
As John approached, the Red Ribbon Army headquarters was in chaos.
Their surveillance had already spotted him closing in fast.
"Sound the alarm! Enemy approaching—extremely powerful!" a lookout shouted.
A shrill siren blared through the base as soldiers scrambled for weapons, ready to fight for their lives.
"The target has entered our air defense zone. Radar locked—fire missiles!" a commander barked.
The moment the order was given, John sensed a lock-on. Seconds later, a barrage of missiles shot toward him.
Rather than confront them head-on (which would waste time), John accelerated and dove low. The missiles, using some advanced tracking tech, swerved to follow.
But now John was weaving through a dense forest, dodging between trees. One by one, the missiles crashed into the foliage, exploding harmlessly behind him.
With a smirk, John continued toward the base.
As he drew closer, hidden turrets emerged from the treetops, unleashing a storm of bullets.
John raised his hands and fired a volley of energy blasts, obliterating the guns in a series of fiery explosions.
The base commander paled, sweat dripping down his face. "This guy's even stronger than the one who destroyed our last HQ!"
Seeing their defenses annihilated, his subordinates looked to him for orders. Gritting his teeth, the commander said, "Send every fighter jet we have. He must not reach this base!"
A soldier eagerly rushed out to relay the command—unaware that moments later, the commander would slip away, claiming he needed a bathroom break.
Instead, the commander hurried to the treasury, popped open a capsule (which materialized a large duffel bag), and stuffed it full of cash.
The attack had come too suddenly. Regretfully eyeing the stacks of bills he couldn't carry, the commander lit a match and tossed it inside.
Without a backward glance, he bolted to the airfield, commandeered a jet, and fled the newly built headquarters.
Back in the command center, the soldiers waited in vain for their leader's return. Soon, they realized they'd been abandoned.
With no reason to stay, they scattered like startled birds.
A few tried looting the treasury, only to find it engulfed in flames—their "loyal" commander had disabled the fire suppression system.
Just as they debated whether to reactivate it and salvage some cash—
BOOM!
The wall exploded inward.
And there stood John, gleaming in the smoke.