Third floor.
After Margarita's RPG blast, Alex Cross took over command remotely.
Following the principle of "strike while they're weak, kill them outright",
he gave swift orders.
The six assassins closest to the stairwell immediately moved to reinforce the front line.
Four rushed into position—
two shouldering rifles, two pushing open the doors.
The moment the doors swung wide—
smoke and wails greeted them.
But the killers executed Alex Cross's orders flawlessly.
Their Remington M870 shotguns and Kohari CA-415 rifles alternated fire into the smoke.
Boom! Boom!
Ratatatat! Ratatatat!
In just one round of staggered fire,
two enforcers were killed, three wounded.
As the two doormen joined in, the barrage became even fiercer.
Three shotguns and three rifles in alternating volleys—
pinning down the thirteen surviving enforcers,
forcing them into retreat toward the lower floors.
But Alex Cross's plan didn't end there.
At the very moment the stairwell erupted in battle,
the building's power briefly flickered back on.
A second order came through:
"Another six assassins—take the elevator to the second floor. Block the stairwell from below."
The command was obeyed instantly.
Six killers in cover moved quickly, slipped into the elevator, and arrived at the second floor.
They rushed to the stairwell, raised rifles, and aimed upward.
The half-destroyed staircase became the perfect kill-zone.
When an enforcer appeared at the gap—
they opened fire without hesitation.
Ratatatat!
Bullets poured upward like a tide, tearing through the enemy's backs.
Blood sprayed.
Bodies toppled.
Wounded and unable to steady themselves, the enforcers slipped one after another from the broken steps—
falling to their deaths.
In moments, thirteen enforcers had been reduced to eight.
Finally, the surviving eight mounted a desperate counterattack.
Gunfire clashed in the stairwell—
Ratatatat! Boom!
Eight enforcers fell in futile resistance.
But six of Alex Cross's own assassins also perished in the crossfire.
[Ding! Reminder: One of your green-ranked assassins has died.]
[Ding! Reminder: Another of your green-ranked assassins has died.]
…
System notifications echoed in Alex Cross's mind.
But his heart remained calm.
With a Level 2 [Assassin Camp], six green-quality killers could be replaced in just two days.
Meanwhile, first floor.
Anna and Fox confronted the last four enforcers.
Ratatatat!
Charging through the doorway, they each dropped one opponent in seconds.
Then—
a whip kick.
A knee strike.
A chokehold.
A swift blade across a throat.
Their teamwork was flawless.
In less than a minute, the four remaining enforcers were dead.
Thus ended the second wave of the battle.
High Table casualties: 120 enforcer-assassins.
Lighthouse casualties: 6 green-quality killers.
Additional bounty hunters slain: 21.
As Anna and Fox prepared to sit and rest, Anna's phone rang.
She answered.
Alex Cross's voice came through calmly:
"Anna, take Fox to the rooftop to rest. You won't be needed for the next stage."
"Understood, Mr. Cross," Anna replied.
The two women entered the elevator and soon reached the top floor.
Moments later, the power cut again.
Susie stepped out from Alex Cross's room and led them inside, guiding them into a large bathroom.
Two bathtubs stood side by side, each filled with clear water.
Alex Cross stood between them, holding two bottles of milky-white liquid.
He slowly poured the contents into the tubs.
Fox's eyes widened in recognition—
it was her former organization's rare Healing Wax Elixir.
"Undress. Soak in it. For the next twenty-four hours, you won't participate in combat," Alex Cross instructed, stirring the water.
The second wave had been harsher than the first.
Both women had been injured—
especially Anna, who had tumbled multiple flights down the stairwell, taking several rounds even through her bulletproof suit.
Bruises covered their bodies.
Several bone fractures were obvious from their pained expressions.
They stripped, revealing blood seeping from fresh wounds,
then sank into the milky baths.
Within a minute, exhaustion overtook them.
They drifted into deep sleep.
Alex Cross dimmed the lights, set the heaters on, and left with Susie.
The second wave was finished—
but the war was far from over.
The High Table would not relent simply because two hundred killers had died.
The 48-hour Judgment would continue.
This time, however—
Alex Cross intended to show them what absolute power truly meant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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