The moment they stepped out of the palace, Lucci said flatly, "He doesn't trust us."
"I noticed," Kai replied, shooting him a sidelong look. Only now you figured that out? For someone hyped as an "once-in-eight-hundred-years genius," Lucci's people-sense sure lagged a step.
Still, Kai waved it off. "Doesn't matter if he trusts us. We just need results. Let's move—no point wasting time."
"You're right," Lucci nodded, expression unreadable. "Solving the problem is the best persuasion. Once he sees the outcome, belief follows."
"You've pinned down the pirates' main base? And the exact site where they're holding the nobles?" Kai asked. "Are we going straight for the head, or do you need prep time?"
"Straight in." Lucci's eyes narrowed. "What about you? We will hit hard resistance. If you're not confident, it's reasonable to hang back. I won't look down on you for avoiding unnecessary risk."
"Thanks for the concern," Kai snorted. "But no. I already told you—even if you die, I won't. Worry about yourself."
If Kai got serious, he was pretty sure he could flatten Lucci in a single exchange… but there was no need to make a scene.
"Let's go."
They left the palace and headed toward the location Lucci's intel had flagged—the pirates' local hub.
Not long after they disappeared down the avenue, a man in black slipped from a colonnade and followed in their wake, quiet as a shadow. King Rosed IV had sent him; if the king didn't trust the two "boys," then he would have eyes on them at all times.
And a little farther back, two tall figures in pristine white suits and animal masks melted into the flow of foot traffic. Nearly three meters tall and radiating an icy, keep-your-distance pressure, they watched the pair depart.
"So Lucci's partner really is a four-year-old kid," one murmured.
"Marine brass has lost their minds," the other replied.
The two CP0 agents—Joelf and Reis—shook their heads as they tailed the route.
"Reckless," Joelf said. "Lucci's strategic sense needs work. Seventy points." He produced a folding score slate and marked it without emotion. Low for a prodigy—but, at thirteen, forgivable.
"Come," Reis said. "Let's see how he extracts five hundred hostages from under the noses of four thousand pirates."
About half an hour later, Kai and Lucci reached their destination.
"You're certain this is where they're holding the captives?" Kai asked, studying the massive warehouse ahead. It had a single wide entry—effective for keeping people in if you barred the doors.
"Certain," Lucci said.
Bold, Kai thought. Using a site this close to the palace. But with five hundred nobles and royal guards as bargaining chips, the pirates could keep Rosed's army on a leash. One wrong move and the hostages would be butchered. That was the game.
"Going in?" Lucci asked.
"Going in," Kai answered, stepping onto the cobbles without hesitation.
Lucci's eyes flicked, a flash of approval crossing his face. Not that strong… but gutsy. Good.
"I'll clear the sentries," Lucci said. "You get the doors open, calm the captives, and keep them quiet."
"Works for me."
They split.
Lucci vanished into the shadows. A few breaths later, the alley whispered with the soft, regular rhythm of bodies collapsing. By the time he looped back, his hands were wet with blood, his suit spattered with a fine red mist—like he'd just climbed out of a corpse-pit. The guards had been numerous—dozens—but not alert enough to notice their killer until it was too late.
Kai, meanwhile, planted himself before the warehouse doors—thick, reinforced, and banded with an unfamiliar alloy. Cannon-proof, most likely.
He drew a slow breath, rolled his shoulders, and lifted his right arm.
No flourish. Just a fist.
He punched.
The impact cracked the afternoon.
A thunderclap boomed down the street; shockwaves rippled outward, skittering grit across the cobbles and rattling windowpanes. A spiderweb of fractures raced across the metal bands; the plates bent, shrieked… and then collapsed in a roar of shattering bolts and shearing hinges. Dust and splinters billowed, then drifted.
As the haze thinned, the warehouse interior came into focus.
"How is it?" Lucci asked, blood still drying on his knuckles. "Captives inside?"
Kai didn't answer. His eyes had narrowed to slits.
"I think," he said softly, "we've been set up."
Lucci moved to his side—then saw.
Rows upon rows of men stood waiting in the cavernous space, faces split by ugly grins, eyes bright with bloodlust. Broad shoulders. Thick arms. Blades. Pistols. Clubs. A thousand, at least. Maybe more.
Not a single hostage in sight.
Silence stretched tight as wire.
Then boots scraped. Weapons rose. Killing intent thickened the air until it curdled.
An empty warehouse… stuffed with muscle. The "hostage storehouse" had been bait from the start.
Outside, the street went suddenly very quiet.
On the rooftops, silhouettes shifted—more pirates creeping into position. From side alleys, squads pressed in. The ring was already closing.
Lucci's expression didn't change, but a razor-edge slid into his gaze. "Ambush."
Kai flexed his fingers once, the knuckles popping lightly. "Mm."
Somewhere above, a signal whistle trilled—three sharp notes.
All around them, safeties clicked off, steel sang from leather, and the first wave surged forward—
To be continued…
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