"I was just wondering where these people have gone." (Bai Yaxin)
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Bai Yaxin leaned comfortably against the back of the chair and casually tapped the car window with his fingers, gesturing for Kumo to look in the direction he was pointing.
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About a hundred meters away, at the gate of the main hall of the castle, under the shadow of the tower, two people came out one after the other.
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The two who emerged were two fully armed police officers, one holding a riot shield and the other holding a gun, wearing helmets and bulletproof vests.
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They had clearly spotted the off-road vehicle and were walking quickly but cautiously towards it.
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Through the riot shield, Bai Yaxin could vaguely make out that these two well-trained police officers were none other than Kurokawa and Shiraishi, who had appeared on the top floor of the main hall.
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Bai Yaxin was not concerned about their approach but instead looked around as if searching for something else.
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"…However, someone's missing." (Bai Yaxin)
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"Has Dojou Kazuaki disappeared into thin air? Where did he go?" (Bai Yaxin)
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Scanning the area, Bai Yaxin could only spot Kurokawa and Shiraishi, with no sign of anyone else.
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"I hope he's dead in the castle, and won't come causing trouble again." (Bai Yaxin)
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As Bai Yaxin spoke, she clasped her hands together in a prayer gesture, then rolled up the car window, relaxed against the back of the chair, looking completely at ease.
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"The helicopter will be a while, Kumo, go take care of these nuisances." (Bai Yaxin)
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Bai Yaxin gave the instructions lightly.
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In fact, without Bai Yaxin saying much, Kumo had already begun to put on her combat gear, preparing for the impending confrontation.
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She strapped bandages around her thighs, inserted several throwing knives, attached a pistol and a grenade to her belt, wore a tactical bulletproof vest, donned knuckle dusters and finger claws on her hands, fully prepared.
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"Alright, I'll handle it." (Kumo)
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Finally, Kumo tied her short hair behind her head, a sign of her entering combat mode.
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"Mr. Bai, the driving ahead might get a bit rough, please bear with me." (Kumo)
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With that, Kumo slammed the accelerator, revving up the exhilarating engine of the off-road vehicle, roaring towards the direction where the two police officers were positioned, without hesitation and with full force.
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The off-road vehicle's tires initially skidded on the sandy ground, then, like a sprinter in the starting blocks, shot out with a burst of speed.
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Anyone could see that with Kumo's driving momentum, she intended to ram both police officers head-on.
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Seeing the off-road vehicle charging towards them, the two police officers reacted instantly, dodging to the sides and seizing the opportunity to open fire.
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Several bullets struck the bulletproof windshield successively, making loud "bang" sounds, but did not penetrate or shatter the glass, leaving only a few small bullet holes.
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The intense impact did not intimidate Kumo but rather excited her.
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She screamed, keeping her foot on the throttle, steering wheel spinning rapidly in her hands, undeterred by the evasive maneuvers of the two officers. She decisively chose to target the one closest to the vehicle for a continued chase.
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"I'll crush you to death!" (Kumo)
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The off-road vehicle forcefully made an almost 90-degree turn, heading straight for Officer Kurokawa. Kurokawa couldn't evade in time and was grazed on the back by the front of the vehicle, sending him flying several meters before landing and rolling several times on the ground.
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Meanwhile, the other officer, Shiraishi, immediately crouched down in place, aimed at the car tires and fired several shots, finally managing to blow out a tire but a moment too late to save Kurokawa.
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After the tire burst, the off-road vehicle began to skid continuously. While Kumo tried to brake immediately, she lost control of the direction, causing the vehicle to slide onto the steps of the main hall, swaying dangerously close to tipping over, but eventually coming to a stop.
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However, after the fierce collisions, the hood of the car flew off, and white smoke billowed from the engine, indicating it had overheated or suffered mechanical failure, making restarting impossible for the time being.
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A stationary car became nothing more than a large box to contain people.
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"This is… Kurokawa!" (Kurokawa?)
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At that moment, Kurokawa's gasping voice came through on Shiraishi's radio, sounding exhausted yet resolute.
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"Shiraishi, I… I'm fine! I'll watch this side, you… keep an eye on the other and shoot as soon as they… get out of the car!" (Kurokawa)
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Upon hearing Kurokawa's words, Shiraishi located Kurokawa's position, confirmed nothing was amiss, and relaxed.
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"This is Shiraishi, understood." (Shiraishi)
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After replying, Shiraishi maintained a half-crouched position, gradually moving closer to the off-road vehicle.
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His gun constantly aimed between the driver's seat and the rear door, fingers on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.
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On the other side, Kurokawa, who had just been grazed and flung by the off-road vehicle, was fortunate to have protected his body with the riot shield upon landing, rolling a few times on the sand, sustaining minor abrasions but nothing serious.
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After using the roll to absorb the impact of the off-road vehicle, Kurokawa remained crouched in place, protecting his body with the riot shield, gun at the ready, aimed at the off-road vehicle, prepared to shoot at a moment's notice.
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In that moment, the tables had turned. As long as someone in the vehicle opened a window or door, Kurokawa and Shiraishi would immediately take advantage and open fire to suppress them.
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If the occupants of the vehicle attempted to fire through the window, the glass would affect the accuracy, risking exposure and a rain of bullets in return.
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Inside the car, Kumo and Bai Yaxin were recovering from the impact.
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The consecutive collisions had left them feeling quite battered.
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In this critical situation, Kumo set aside her usual flattery towards Bai Yaxin. She checked through the rearview mirror to ensure Bai Yaxin was uninjured, but refrained from asking, "Mr. Bai, are you okay?" or apologizing, "Sorry, my mistake caused you harm," swiftly preparing to leave the vehicle to counterattack.
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Kumo knew that in such a situation, only the ultimate victory mattered.
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Other concerns, comforting words, and apologies would be meaningless if they lost here.
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Regaining her composure quickly, she first located the helicopter through the skylight, estimating another five minutes before it landed.
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Furthermore, she observed that the two police officers were positioned on either side without directly shooting through the glass at the vehicle. It appeared they were either low on ammunition or intent on capturing Bai Yaxin alive.
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With this knowledge, Kumo's mind was clearer.
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She opened the glove compartment of the off-road vehicle, pulled out a Glock pistol, checked the magazine for bullets, and then tossed the gun to Bai Yaxin in the back seat.
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"Mr. Bai, please wait in the car, leave the rest to me." (Kumo)
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With those words, Kumo partially opened the skylight of the off-road vehicle, a blind spot in the enemy's line of sight according to her observations.
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True to her expectations, neither of the police officers on either side made any moves even with the skylight open.
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Without hesitation, Kumo threw a grenade through the skylight towards Officer Kurokawa, pulled the pin, and began counting down in her mind: five, four, three, two…
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As the grenade exploded, Kumo simultaneously opened the door on the same side as Kurokawa and swiftly got out of the car.
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The explosion diverted Kurokawa's attention, forcing him into evasive and defensive actions, leaving him unable to focus on the side where the off-road vehicle was parked.
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Once out of the vehicle, Kumo immediately drew her gun and fired three shots at Kurokawa.
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Reacting, Kurokawa raised his shield in time, blocking one of the accurate shots, but the strong impact numbed his wrist, nearly causing him to drop the riot shield.
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Upon hearing the grenade explosion and gunshots, Shiraishi circled around the off-road vehicle and arrived at the side where the confrontation was taking place.
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Although, on the whole, he and Kurokawa had flanked Kumo, her extensive combat experience allowed her to maintain a strategic position between Kurokawa and Shiraishi.
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This prevented Shiraishi from firing easily since any missed shot could hit Kurokawa on the opposite side of Kumo.
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Likewise, Kurokawa could not fire at Kumo without risking hitting Shiraishi.
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Seizing this opportunity, Kumo immediately lunged towards Kurokawa.
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Her instincts told her that the man, having been struck and sent flying by the off-road vehicle, must have weakened physically and would be easier to handle.
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Indeed, Kurokawa's instinct compelled him to stand up and prepare to engage in close combat, but his legs and knees refused to cooperate, leaving him unsteady on his feet.
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Kumo noted these details and quickly devised a strategy in her mind.
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With a gun in one hand, she deftly drew out two throwing knives with the other.
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As she aimed at Kurokawa, she rapidly threw the knives at his left and right legs.
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Kurokawa, now less nimble on his feet, managed to dodge the knives but became unstable in the process.
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Seizing the moment, Kumo aimed directly at the riot shield, firing two shots that struck the shield squarely, shaking Kurokawa from the impact and causing him to lose his grip on the shield, sending it flying.
He also failed to stand firmly and fell to the ground, losing balance in a vulnerable posture, landing in Kumo's hands as easy prey.
