"Are these your dogs in H City?" Ouyang Zihao sneered at Winter Xueer.

At that moment, Winter Xueer also looked surprised. "Why are you here?"

"Thirteen called us over," Black Gold said. "Miss Winter, who are these people? I just saw this guy grabbing your hair."

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Ouyang Zihao. I'm Miss Winter's fiancé." As he spoke, Ouyang Zihao pulled Winter Xueer into his embrace.

"..." Winter Xueer, in his arms, gritted her teeth and nodded slightly. "Leave now. This has nothing to do with you."

"Is this man from the Ouyang Family?" Yatan said. "Then we can't let you be taken by him."

"Go away immediately," Winter Xueer insisted. "I'm going with them willingly. No one's forcing me."

"Even if you say that, we won't agree," Black Gold said.

"Exactly. We'll stop you by force if needed," Yatan added. "A true man never abandons his comrades in danger."

"What loyal dogs," Ouyang Zihao mocked. "Then I'll give you a dog's death."

He signaled to the four beside him. They charged straight at the muscle-bound men.

"Run! You can't beat them!" Winter Xueer shouted to Black Gold and the others.

But they didn't retreat. Yatan and Weapon raised their Longsword and Giant Sword, swinging fiercely downward.

The two front bodyguards didn't dodge. Their rigid bodies collided with the weapons.

A loud crash echoed with sparks and ground tremors. The force that could slice steel tore only their clothes, revealing metallic skin.

"They're robots!" Yatan exclaimed.

"Run! They're modified humans built for Superpower users!" Winter Xueer yelled. But Ouyang Zihao shoved her into the car.

After taking Yatan and Weapon's blows, the robots looked up. Red lights glowed in their eyes. Four energy beams shot out. Yatan's Longsword morphed into a shield, blocking for both.

A massive explosion erupted. Yatan and Weapon flew backward.

The robots charged the crowd. One engaged Black Gold and White Gold, its hand becoming an Energy Sword while lasers fired from its eyes.

White Gold and Black Gold had body metalization powers, but they struggled. Each robot was incredibly fast—nearly matching B Rank speed-type Heroes.

"I'll go with you. Spare them!" Winter Xueer called to Ouyang Zihao, watching from the car.

"What bargaining chip do you have?" Ouyang Zihao sneered. "Watch closely. These people die because of your boring sense of justice."

The three robots went on a rampage. Their bodies were unnaturally tough, covered in weapons. Most fell into blood at first sight.

"You bastard!" Winter Xueer cursed.

"Call me future husband," Ouyang Zihao said. A sudden danger sense flashed. He spun lightning-fast, raising his hand.

A sniper bullet halted between his palms.

"Interesting. I didn't detect you." He shot the bullet back. A figure materialized from shadows, a hole in his thigh.

"Thirteen!" Winter Xueer gasped, covering her mouth.

"Dodged?" Ouyang Zihao smiled. "Only S Rank or you can hide within 200 meters of me this long."

"Damn, catching bullets with bare hands," Thirteen muttered, clutching his wound.

Before he finished, Ouyang Zihao raised a finger. Invisible energy pierced Thirteen's chest.

"Huh? Dodged the kill shot? I aimed for his heart," Ouyang Zihao mused, inspecting his finger.

A muscular man leaped at him, shield and spear ready. Ouyang Zihao simply raised his finger.

It pierced the shield effortlessly. Energy shot out, piercing the man's abdomen.

Like crushing an ant, Ouyang Zihao flicked his wrist. The giant flew dozens of meters, crashing into a street shop.

Then Ouyang Rui wiped his finger. "Enough. Let's go."

He boarded the Hovercar. Before leaving, he ordered the robots: "Kill them all."

The Hovercar transformed mid-air into a Teleporter and vanished.

...

The battle neared its end. Yatan was gutted by a laser. Weapon lay motionless after a missile strike.

White Gold clung to a robot bodyguard. Black Gold grabbed another part.

"Let these machines taste our twin crush!" Black Gold yelled.

Their muscles swelled, emitting scorching steam. They twisted the robot into a grotesque shape. But as they celebrated, lasers shot from its body, piercing both.

The robot's circuits writhed alive, reassembling its form.

Helpless, they watched it approach, palm raised.

A giant Spike Mace swept over their heads.

The robot shattered on contact.

"Are you alright?" Lin Jie's voice came from above.

"We're fine! Finish those robots!" Black Gold shouted to Lin Jie, holding the Spike Mace.

"Leave it to me." Lin Jie walked toward the remaining robots. He noticed the shattered fragments writhing, reassembling to charge him.

"Self-repair? High-tech stuff." The Spike Mace vanished from his hand. "Then this won't work."

A crimson Longsword appeared. Its terrifying heat radiated even from afar.

The robot sensed the danger. It halted its charge, attacking from range instead.

Machine guns sprouted on its body. Red lasers fired from its eyes.

"Holy crap! Guns, missiles, lasers? The maker must be loaded," Lin Jie said, dodging the barrage.

'Warning! Overheating hazard detected. Evade!' Red alerts flashed in the robot's system as Lin Jie closed in.

It retreated while firing. But Lin Jie appeared beside it. His sword pierced its body. The nano-metal shell crumbled like tofu.

As he withdrew the blade, the robot melted into molten iron.

"If you survive this, I'll tip my hat to you," Lin Jie told the molten heap.

The other three robots sensed their comrade's death. They abandoned their targets, charging Lin Jie from three sides with lasers.

Lin Jie leaped up, dodging all three. He swung his sword mid-air. A crimson beam, scorching like hellfire, struck one robot. It melted instantly.

Lin Jie turned to the last two—but they fled.

'Alert! Unknown high-energy threat! Retreat!' blared in their systems.

"Damn, who built these shameless bots?" Lin Jie caught them. "First robots I've seen run. But none escape today."

...

On the Teleporter, Ouyang Zihao smiled at a message: "Interesting. My four O-30s were destroyed. Made of nano-metal, you know."

"..." Winter Xueer beside him sighed in relief.

"Let me see who did this." Ouyang Zihao opened the robots' final images. His expression shifted.

The picture showed a lazy-looking man holding a crimson Longsword, molten iron pooling beside him.

"This... the lost Flame Spirit Sword!!" Ouyang Zihao stared, then laughed wildly. "To find this legendary weapon here—hahaha! My luck is incredible."

Winter Xueer watched him with complex eyes, sighing softly.

She'd never wanted to drag them into this.