Capítulo 4: Magical Enforcement Division
Afternoon
The main lobby of Rockstar Mall was swarming with police and military personnel standing guard. Military vehicles were strategically parked across various roads, effectively blocking enemy transport routes.
The heavy security presence was not limited to the main lobby; police and military forces encircled the entire area surrounding the mall. However, most of the officers and special units were gathered in the main lobby, engaged in discussions about the next steps they would take.
A mature woman with striking red hair, clad in black tactical combat gear adorned with the rank badge of a lieutenant colonel, stood confidently. She puffed out her chest as she issued commands to several officers ranked two steps below her:
"Alright, it's been decided. The Magical Enforcement Division will go undercover during the direct transaction with the enemy. Once the transaction is completed, secure the hostages and send them out using the transposition gate artifact. Afterward, commence the suppression operation and, of course, reclaim the money."
"Is everything clear?!" she demanded assertively, her voice echoing through the lobby as she assessed her subordinates' readiness.
"Yes, ma'am, clear!" the three officers responded in unison, standing at attention.
With the orders given, they dispersed, heading to their respective divisions to meticulously prepare for the operation.
Dressed in casual attire, the three officers regrouped after briefing their individual divisions.
Gathered in front of an armored truck, they examined the mall's layout, taped to the side of the vehicle.
A tall man with short, curly brown hair began the serious discussion, pressing his palm against the layout:
"Alright, folks, our objective is clear. They've gathered the hostages on the top floor, concentrating them at four different points—each corner of the top floor."
As he spoke, he pointed to the four corners on the Rockstar Mall blueprint.
For 20 minutes, the three captains exchanged ideas, formulating an appropriate procedure to handle the situation. However, given the unpredictable movements of the Silver Wolf terrorist group, a more adaptive and proactive approach was deemed necessary.
The other two captains were a burly, bald middle-aged man and a 30-year-old woman with long black hair and a proportional physique.
Gary, the captain with curly brown hair, often appeared lethargic. Henry, the bald captain, always wore a peculiar smile. Meanwhile, Ericka, the female captain with black hair, was exceedingly serious about every situation, her gaze sharp and penetrating.
With preparations complete, the trio ventured into the mall.
### Fourth Floor of Rockstar Mall
At present, a burly man, who had previously killed an old man, was focused on using his controlled fire elemental magic to incinerate the elderly man's corpse.
Directing his right palm downward, the man released concentrated red flames, reducing the old man's body to ashes within minutes.
Ceasing his magical power, the young man gently brushed his palms together, as if dusting off filth.
Footsteps sounded from behind him, and a tall, long-haired man named Charles approached, his voice tinged with irritation:
"Hey—Smith, why did you kill him?!"
Grabbing his shoulder, Charles forcibly spun Smith around.
"Captain Charles, why are you here?" Smith was taken aback, recognizing the figure gripping his shoulder.
Initially, he was infuriated, ready to obliterate anyone disrupting his enjoyment. But upon seeing Charles, his expression softened.
Charles sighed deeply, speaking with resignation:
"Well—never mind, just clean up that ash. Now, the most important task awaits. Come with me to meet those damned government emissaries."
"What the hell is this?!! Wasn't our agreement to avoid any casualties?!" One of the government emissaries, Gary in disguise, suddenly appeared behind them. He shouted angrily at the sight of human-shaped ash remnants on the floor.
Without hesitation, he pressed a specific red button, triggering an emergency signal to the entire squad.
"What's going on, Gary?"
"Why did you press that button?"
Henry and Ericka quickly arrived behind Gary, asking with urgency, suspecting an emergency.
"Change of plans, they didn't hold up their end of the deal. They've cruelly killed one of the hostages." Gary explained concisely, trying to keep his voice low.
Without further ado, Henry stomped his right foot on the floor, instantly summoning several stone spikes from the floor beneath Charles and Smith.
The spikes struck Smith's abdomen, sending him flying towards the ceiling, vomiting blood. His eyes threatened to roll back as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Charles managed to evade the attack by leaping swiftly upward, utilizing blue flames erupting from his soles.
"Damn it, it seems they can no longer be negotiated with." Charles muttered softly, realizing their plan had utterly failed.
Withdrawing a military knife from his clothing, Ericka launched a diagonal slash, harnessing water elemental power to release two razor-sharp water blades that converged into a cross pattern from her blade's edge.
"Raging ball!" Charles shouted, aligning his right palm with the water blade's trajectory, channeling moderate mana energy to create a compact blue fireball.
With a casual intent, he propelled the fireball at high speed.
The collision between the two attacks created a burst of hot steam, dispersing in all directions.
Suddenly, Gary appeared before Charles, who was gradually descending to the floor.
Startled, Charles cursed reflexively: "Damn it, that was fast!!"
Gary readied a right fist, empowered by his 'augmentation magic' talent. With a swift uppercut, he struck Charles' jaw, sending him soaring into the air.
"Arggghhhh--" Charles screamed in pain, expelling several gulps of fresh blood. His consciousness began to fade from the sheer impact of the powerful attack.
Upon landing, Gary bent both knees, channeling moderate mana energy throughout his legs to enhance his muscles to a superlative level.
With a single thrust, he leaped high into the air at lightning speed.
Reaching the same altitude as Charles, Gary immediately clutched his neck with his reinforced right hand.
'Argghh---this bastard's grip is like steel!!' Charles screamed in his mind, unable to speak due to the immense pressure around his neck.
His body weakened from the lack of air, yet he refused to succumb without a fight. Using his remaining strength, Charles ignited blue flames around his neck, then grasped Gary's arm with both hands, igniting high-intensity blue flames from his palms.
"Urrgghh" Gary winced, hissing softly in pain.
With sheer willpower and mental fortitude, he endeavored to overcome the searing pain from the burns inflicted by the enemy's blue flames.
"I won't let it all be for nothing!" Gary yelled with determination, amplifying the mana flow within his body before hurling Charles downward with a rapid swing.
Before throwing Charles down, Gary had aimed his landing trajectory at a stone spike Henry had previously conjured.
"Die, you Silver Wolf bastard," Gary muttered quietly, yet with profound hatred.
"Damn it, I've never even banged a dog!! How can I die first?!!" Charles screamed like a madman, feeling utterly helpless as he faced his death ticket.
"Look who it is, isn't it Charles the super rookie?"
Unexpectedly, a young man with glasses and parted black hair appeared in the midst of the battle arena. With a strange smile, he mocked Charles for being defeated so handily.
Using his Translocation magic, the man arrived beside Charles, who was still airborne. Grabbing his shoulder, the man transported Charles instantly to the floor below.
"Instantaneous movement that defies conventional space-time limitations, using small particles as the medium. Certainly, that's the power of limited Translocation magic,"
Ericka analyzed the new opponent's abilities with calm and composure.
"Wow--you're a walking magical power encyclopedia," the bespectacled youth praised, clapping his hands together.
A streak of lightning appeared in the midst of both parties.
From the bluish-white flash, an elderly man with long white hair, clad in silver and black tactical combat gear, tall and muscular with a sword scar across his face, appeared suddenly, undetected by those around him.
"I've captured all your squad members. So, surrender now, young ones."
The old man spoke, delivering shocking news to Gary, Henry, and Ericka.
Spontaneously, the three activated their communication devices, attempting to contact squad members in their respective units.
Receiving no response, worry began to etch onto their faces. The old man grinned with satisfaction, relishing their doubt and concern.
"Finally, you've arrived, Mr. Darren," the bespectacled youth sighed in relief, welcoming the old man's arrival.
Turning his body around, Darren asked with mild curiosity:
"How's that boy, Chou? Is he still conscious?"
Chou nodded, providing a brief explanation that Charles was alright, though not in the best condition, at least his life was safe.
Rotating his body once more, Darren faced the three Magical Enforcement Division agents before him with a sinister gaze. Channeling a large amount of mana energy, he generated a high-intensity bluish-white lightning wave enveloping his entire body.
Feeling the immense pressure, Gary, Henry, and Ericka unconsciously stepped back a few paces.
Furrowing his brow tightly, Henry spoke with urgency:
"It's impossible for the three of us to fight him. That old man is on a level we can't even begin to reach."
The other two nodded in agreement, and Ericka offered a wry smile as she suggested the best solution:
"It seems we can't negotiate fairly right now. Should we hand over the money to him so our team members can be freed?"
"If we do that, the hostages won't be released just like that. He'll definitely add some conditions that might burden us," Gary interjected, reminding them of the consequences of Ericka's proposed action.
"Damn, the situation's getting more complicated," Henry cursed, massaging his temple in frustration.
"Tch—I thought you three were tough guys, but you're too scared to take on a big challenge for a brighter future."
Lucius sneered mockingly from behind, speaking with a condescending tone toward the three MED agents.
"Who are you?!!" They instinctively turned their heads, asking with caution.
Lucius didn't answer immediately and continued walking past the three individuals, approaching the old man, who appeared strong and possessed certain capabilities to face him.
"Lightning elemental power, huh? You must have incredibly destructive offensive abilities, right?" Lucius stopped a few meters away, asking with enthusiasm and excitement.
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