From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 726: The Match Up

Stephen was still in shock that his attack hadn’t quite worked. In his mind, anyone who was able to take a full-strength punch from him while he was moving at super speed had to be superhuman. Although the question was still out there whether Jett was Superhuman or just some type of monster.

Yet, looking at the man in front of him, he just didn’t get that kind of vibe. Even his size wasn’t as imposing as Jett. The fact that the man had to use two hands to support himself, and the way he had blocked the hit by shifting his feet and throwing his entire body weight into it, made it look like a technique. It was a style Stephen had never even heard of, let alone seen, and that was what had allowed him to block the strike.

"There are many things in this world that are lost, or that only a few truly understand," Agent One said, a calm expression on his face. "But is it really important for you to understand how I blocked your hit? You should be worried about something else instead."

Suddenly, Agent Two moved in swiftly, his dagger aimed directly at Stephen’s neck. Using his speed, Stephen was barely able to dodge the strike, but now, acting almost as a single unit, every single one of the other numbered agents charged in at the exact same time.

"If we finish this one off, it will get rid of a huge chunk of their power, right!" the young Agent Three claimed with a grin.

However, what they didn’t know was that the very moment Stephen had initiated his attack, the rest of the Rangers had charged and rushed forward as well.

As Agent Two went to swing his dagger again, his arm was violently knocked away, and a heavy fist went flying straight toward his chest. The man quickly backed up, readjusting his stance to look at the opponent who had suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Ah, man... I was just going for the closest person next to me," Darno complained, shaking his head. "Do I really have to fight against someone who uses daggers? Isn’t it better if someone like Joe went up against this guy?"

At the same time, when Agent One charged in to launch a second attack against Stephen, Aaron stepped in. He swung his baton, hitting Agent One’s incoming fist instantly.

In a pure battle of power, it looked like neither of them had the upper hand. Moments before sparks could ignite from the baton, Agent One quickly pulled his arm back, creating some distance.

Aaron casually swung his batons around, getting used to their weight. Thanks to certain members of the Gilt Rats, his batons had recently gone through a serious upgrade. They were now reinforced with immense power, and a strong electrical current was running through them. It was a weapon specifically designed to withstand and fight against superhumans.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Joe had moved ahead as well, throwing a fast kick toward Skull. But Skull easily slipped out of the way and drove a heavy fist right into Joe’s stomach. Grunting, Joe took a step back as Skull pulled out his favorite set of knuckle dusters, slipping them onto his fingers.

"If I had to take a guess," Skull said, a mocking smirk on his face, "out of this little group of yours, you’re the weakest one, right?"

"Are you just saying that because you’re the weakest one here?" Joe shouted back, dropping into a fighting stance.

In another corner of the courtyard, Na had thrown out a heavy fist, aiming to take down one of the women immediately. But when his attack missed, he suddenly felt a sharp, stinging pain in his hand. Looking down, he saw a small, bleeding hole in his skin.

This is going to be annoying, Na thought to himself, his eyes locking onto the specialized darts she was holding between her fingers.

Then there was Stephen himself. Having recovered from his initial clash, he was forced to quickly raise both of his hands to block a high kick coming down from above. The kick was incredibly fast and heavy—an unexpected level of power considering who was standing in front of him.

"It was you, right?" the Agent Four woman said, adjusting her office attire as she landed gracefully. "I could tell you were aiming for me from the start, so it’s only right that I take you out myself."

Lastly, standing opposite the youngest of the Black Hand members, Agent Three, was Wolf.

"You didn’t take part in the initial rush?" Wolf asked, casually looking him over.

"I knew your guys would come and block the attacks anyway, and I wanted to deal with the least troubling opponent," Agent Three replied, his hands in his pockets. "You didn’t attack either?"

"Right, I thought I would just deal with whatever was left over as well," Wolf claimed. "Because, you see, I like to do something first."

Wolf suddenly raised his hand high in the air, his voice booming across the temple grounds.

"Careful, everyone!" Wolf shouted to his fellow Rangers. "It looks like all of these guys you are facing are S-Rank... so I recommend you level up your game and improve today if you want to win!"

Wolf’s warning hit the group hard, instantly lighting a fire under them. They knew the stakes now. Had they trained enough, and had they changed enough, to actually walk away with a win against opponents of this caliber?

"Haha, well, this is exactly what I was hoping for—that the two of us would be facing off," Agent One said, turning his attention back to Aaron and his crackling batons. "But are you sure you can focus and fight properly while your friends are struggling against the top members of the Black Hand?"

"Yes," Aaron replied, his grip tightening on his batons. "Because they are people that Max picked himself. He believes in them, and so will I."