The night sky shattered with a deafening boom! A jagged bolt of lightning, serpentine and furious, tore through the darkness. Thunder growled low and ominous before the heavens opened up in a deluge. Outside, police sirens wailed their monotonous plea for surrender, but Hong Fei and Frank tuned them out as if they didn't exist.
The two men launched rocket-propelled grenades first, then emptied their stashes of stun grenades, flashbangs, and hand grenades, hurling them in every direction. The resulting explosions sent shockwaves through the air, followed by shouts of confusion and panic outside. Crouching beside Murakami's lifeless body, Hong Fei and Frank exchanged urgent whispers.
"We can't hold out much longer," Frank muttered, his voice tight. "They've got us outnumbered. We'll run out of ammo long before we take them all down."
Hong Fei smirked, his tone teasing. "Why so bloodthirsty? You planning to wipe out the whole force?"
Frank shot him a glare. "You—"
"Relax, I'm kidding," Hong Fei interrupted, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Even without the Time Stone, I saw this coming. An organization that's survived for thousands of years? Of course they've got connections, especially here in Japan, where syndicates operate in broad daylight."
Frank's brow furrowed. "What's the Time Stone?"
"Something worth stealing—er, borrowing," Hong Fei corrected with a sly grin. "If we get the chance, let's 'borrow' it and have some fun."
Frank exhaled heavily, frustration creeping into his voice. "Cut the jokes. What's your plan?"
Hong Fei's grin widened, his teeth gleaming like blades in the dim light. "Did you forget what I sell?"
For a moment, Frank froze. Then his eyes widened, and his heart, hardened by countless battles, began to race. "You're insane!" he hissed.
Outside, the rain hammered down, and thunder rolled across the sky. The villa was encircled by vehicles, their flashing lights cutting through the storm. Police officers and men in black suits advanced cautiously, weapons drawn. Inside the lone armored vehicle, a middle-aged police commander barked into his walkie-talkie, his voice sharp with urgency.
"One minute! If there's no movement in one minute, storm the place and take them down! And remember—do not damage the corpse. Understood?"
As more police gathered and three helicopters closed in from above, Hong Fei and Frank had no choice but to retreat into the house for cover. Bang! Another explosion rocked the building—not thunder this time, but the simultaneous collapse of all four walls.
Hundreds of beams of light pierced through the shattered windows, illuminating the room. A sea of figures marched forward, shoulder to shoulder, tightening the perimeter. As they neared the room, one of them peered cautiously through the window.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Three muffled explosions sent the advancing crowd scrambling back in panic. A low, guttural roar, like that of a prowling beast, echoed through the rainy night. The men exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale with sudden fear.
Just as they prepared to push forward, the roar intensified. At the same time, the heavily surrounded room collapsed in a cascade of debris, fragments of wood and stone exploding outward. Gunfire erupted instantly, muzzle flashes lighting up the chaos. Bullets tore through the air, their sharp reports mingling with the deep, resonant vibrations that drowned out the rain.
Amid the ruins, a thick cannon barrel emerged, piercing through the swirling dust and rain.
The thunderous roar grew louder as it approached. Like a tiger's growl echoing through mountains, a steel beast—a symbol of war and death—burst into view with an overwhelming, brutal presence. It plowed mercilessly through the ruins ahead, indifferent to the rubble or debris beneath its treads, like a giant elephant trampling a grassland without a care for the ants scurrying below.
The sudden downpour, driven by fierce winds, became its backdrop. Thunder rumbled, and flashes of lightning illuminated the scene. Gunfire ceased abruptly as the rain drenched everyone in seconds. On one side stood police cars with flashing lights, surrounded by officers and gangsters with raised weapons. On the other side, the tank stood alone in the rain, an unstoppable force.
Murakami's corpse was crushed into unrecognizable fragments, and the members of The Hand knelt helplessly on the ground, unable to even gather the remains. "Lunatic!" Frank muttered from inside the tank, though a flicker of excitement gleamed in his eyes.
"Can you swim?" Hong Fei asked, grinning fiercely. "Yes," Frank replied. Hong Fei pointed ahead. "I checked when we arrived. Straight ahead is a broad avenue. After this flat stretch, two thousand three hundred meters later, we hit the ocean."
Frank frowned. "Ahead are over a dozen police cars and two hundred officers. Two hundred meters beyond that is downtown—crowded streets, high-rises on both sides. Past that is the Metropolitan Police Department, and then Tokyo Bay." "What's the difference?" Hong Fei shot back. "The difference is, in those two thousand three hundred meters, you'll face even more police—maybe even the Self-Defense Forces."
"I'll fire the cannon if they dare stop me. What about it?" "And once you hit the water? They'll use force without hesitation. Don't tell me you plan to swim out of Tokyo Bay." "Didn't you arrange a boat?" "The boat's at the port. And let me remind you—the U.S. military base isn't far. They might get involved."
"So what if they do? We'll fight them too." "Can you win? Compared to these small fry, they're elite!"
"That's exactly who I fight—the elite! Trust me, I've got this all planned out. Let's move!" Before Frank could argue further, the tank roared to life, surging forward like a caged beast unleashed. The police officers surrounding them didn't hesitate—they scattered instantly.
The tank's engine roared with raw power, fueled by Hong Fei's energy. As he pressed the accelerator, he felt himself pushed back into the seat. The tank crushed the collapsed walls effortlessly, speeding toward the line of police cars in moments.
Frank's sharp eyes caught a detail. "There's an armored vehicle!" "Take it out! You aim, I'll fire!" Hong Fei's energy served as the tank's ammunition, allowing him to control the firing mechanism effortlessly. Even a fraction of a second faster made all the difference. The cannon barrel swiveled into position.
The driver of the armored vehicle frantically turned the ignition, but before he could hit the gas, the tank's artillery fire struck. With a deafening boom, the vehicle exploded into flames. The tank didn't slow. It plowed through the police cars, the screech of bending and snapping steel grinding against the ears.
Gunfire ceased completely as everyone scrambled to escape. Only then did the helicopters overhead spring into action, unleashing a torrent of machine gun fire. Beyond the dense greenbelt lay the downtown area Hong Fei had mentioned earlier. The sudden downpour had cleared the streets, leaving them eerily empty.
Neon lights glowed through the sheets of rain, casting the wet pavement in vibrant colors. On both sides of the commercial district, countless faces pressed against office windows, straining to peer into the darkness. They'd all witnessed the explosion moments before.
A deafening roar shook the air, like a dragon's bellow. The steel beast launched itself skyward, scaling concrete steps with terrifying ease.
It violently broke through the trees blocking its path and charged into everyone's sight with an unstoppable momentum, scattering debris and screaming pedestrians in its wake.