In that instant, Odis quickly assessed the situation...
Theoretically, Capim should have been slowly dying inside the dining room under the effects of the 'Biological Poison Bottle'.
But the problem was that Capim had come outside!
After a brief hesitation, Odis made his decision. He shouted to Beck, "Throw me the case! You two, get out of here!"
*Bang!*
Parker fired a shot, hitting the ground in the courtyard, "Nobody moves."
At this time, he didn't want to engage in direct conflict with the 'Machinery Hivemind', so he deliberately aimed at the ground.
Odis glared coldly at him while watching Capim, who was barely mobile at this point, being helped away by his subordinates.
Beck mustered his courage and hurled the case toward Odis...
*Bang!*
Parker fired again, this time at Beck.
If he had witnessed Odis's earlier fight with Capim's men, he would've known his pistol was useless.
Odis's cane was a mystical artifact. When infused with Spirituality, it could generate immense magnetic force for a brief period, attracting nearby bullets and metal weapons. That was why Odis had entrusted his other weapons to Beck.
Beck scrambled out of the driver's seat, dragging Byron with him as they fled toward the gate...
...
Meanwhile, a shadowy figure clad in solemn black armor and wearing a dark crown emerged from the dining room. It was Klein...
Only those with Spirit Vision could see this apparition.
His plan had been proceeding smoothly until Capim abruptly left the dining room just as the poison from the 'Biological Poison Bottle' was about to take full effect.
Since killing Capim was his primary objective, Klein pursued him outside.
"Imprison!"
The air around Klein thickened like viscous amber, trapping him mid-air and rendering him immobile.
Harras, who had followed closely, intercepted the shadowy figure, while Katy, who emerged right after, raised her gun and fired.
*Boom!*
A pale golden bullet engraved with intricate patterns pierced the dense air, striking the black silhouette.
*Snap!*
The figure spontaneously combusted, revealing itself to be nothing more than a crudely cut paper effigy.
Though unharmed, Klein was now stalled by these two Mid-Sequence Beyonders...
....
At the same time, Parker realized that his gun was ineffective, so he shattered a window and lunged at Odis...
He understood the situation was volatile and decided to pin down the 'Leader' first. Once Harras and the others resolved their problem, they could deal with him at their leisure.
Odis had already made up his mind to assist Klein and eliminate Capim.
As Parker charged, Odis swiftly retrieved weapons from the case; two axes strapped to his back, a sword and blade secured at his sides, metal gauntlets donned, and a crossbow loaded.
His first shot whistled toward Parker, who, being a 'Sheriff', dodged with remarkable agility.
This crossbow was no ordinary weapon. Its arrows packed the punch of rifle bullets, and had impeccable accuracy. Even a novice could hit a target twenty or thirty meters away.
Seizing the moment, Odis pivoted and loosed two arrows toward Capim. The projectiles shattered glass as they flew. One embedded itself in Capim's skull, and the other pierced his shoulder.
Just like that, the life of this human trafficker came to an end...
Byron and Beck hadn't gone far. They hid just beyond the black-iron gate to watch the battle.
This was Byron's first time seeing the 'Leader' in action. He hadn't expected such ruthless efficiency...
...
The sudden turn of events stunned both Klein and Harras' group...
Only now did Klein notice Odis in the courtyard. There was something eerily familiar about him. He was reminded of that man from the Rosewood Pavilion… Mr. Gale.
But there was no time to dwell on that. The fight raged on.
To free the captive girls in the basement, Klein had to defeat these two adversaries...
...
In the yard, Odis slung the crossbow across his back, stuffed spare bolts into his pocket, and swung a gauntleted fist at the approaching Parker...
Beyonders of the 'Arbiter' Pathway excelled in combat, and Parker was no exception. He dodged with fluid grace, and at the same time, his presence swelled to an oppressive magnitude.
Odis found his attacks sluggish, as though an invisible resistance weighed on every motion. It seemed to be a psychological barrier whispering that the person in front of him was not to be defied.
This was Parker's Beyonder ability, Authority, which greatly reduced Odis's combat prowess.
Seizing the advantage, Parker pressed the assault, forcing Odis into retreat.
Odis drew his blade in response. Parker unsheathed a dagger.
A faint smirk flickered across Odis' lips... his trap was sprung. He slashed at Parker, who attempted to parry with his dagger. But this was no ordinary sword. The blade cleaved through Parker's dagger like paper, taking the man's forearm with it.
Parker stared in disbelief at the weapon in Odis' hand. It was another mystical artifact... Its edge could sharpen to such a point that it could split iron as easily as mud.
If Parker had witnessed Odis shattering the gate earlier, he would never have tried blocking with a mere dagger...
Before Parker could react further, Odis reversed his swing, slashing the man's throat open, then kicked his collapsing body into the villa's corridor...
...
Inside the villa, the battle raged on...
The sight of Parker with glass shards raining around him as he convulsed on the floor stunned both Harras and Katy.
Then, the 'Leader' hurled an axe etched with crimson mystical symbols into the hallway.
Katy dodged with ease. but Harras, who had been considering whether to negotiate with 'Leader', felt his spiritual intuition screaming danger... not from the axe's trajectory, but from its impending impact with the ground.
As the axe was close to hitting the ground, the sense of danger grew more intense!
"Exile–!"
*BOOM!*
Harras' Exile was a step too late. The axe detonated like a high-yield bomb, engulfing the corridor in a firestorm. All the windows in the corridor shattered, and half of the wall crumbled.
Harras and Katy were hurled backward. Harras, the veteran soldier was stunned at this, because even artillery fire was not this powerful...
The flames of the explosion dissipated as quickly as they had erupted. Katy, had been struck by shrapnel in the head and chest, and bled profusely from her charred body.
Harras, having shielded his vital points, rolled upon landing and bolted for the rear exit...