Chapter 2: Protect And Avenge

Words : 2696 Updated : Apr 10th, 2025

Joshua threw the captured mercenary onto the ground. The man's legs had already been broken by Joshua, leaving him sprawled out in agony. His eyes, filled with hatred, burned into Joshua. Alice glanced at the captive. He was a foreigner, possibly from Zafria, dressed in camouflage gear. His skin was as dark as coal, and his eyes were filled with venom as he glared at Joshua and herself. "Alice, I'll do the torturing. You handle the questioning," Joshua said with a calm smile. Alice snapped out of her thoughts and began interrogating the mercenary in Albionese. "Are you from the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps? How many of you are here? What's your deployment strategy?" The captive sneered and spat in broken Chanaean, "I don't know! I'm not telling you anything! You're all going to die!" Smack! Joshua delivered a sharp slap to the man's face, knocking out two bloodied teeth. Yet, the mercenary remained defiant. Another slap followed, swelling one side of his face, but he refused to speak. "Joshua, what now? This guy won't talk," Alice said, her frustration growing. The mercenary seemed professionally trained—determined to keep his mouth shut, even if it meant death. That worried Alice. They were surrounded by the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps, a ruthless organization intent on wiping out all of them. Escaping would be nearly impossible without solid intel on enemy numbers and positioning. "It's fine," Joshua reassured her with a smile. "Alice, step aside and get some rest. I'll handle this." Alice hesitated. She found herself relying on Joshua more and more. It was strange—he was a new recruit, far less experienced than she was, yet she kept turning to him. Women are like that. Whether strong or fragile, when there's a man around, they instinctively lean on him. Joshua was a man in every sense—serious, commanding, like a different person. "You have two choices," Joshua told the mercenary, speaking in Chanaean despite being fluent in Albionese. "Talk or die." "Dream on!" the mercenary snarled. "You're all dead! The Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps has surrounded you! None of you will make it out alive!" Joshua said nothing. Instead, he drove his dagger straight into the mercenary's thigh. The captive screamed in agony. Alice blinked, momentarily stunned. As a special forces soldier, she knew better than to show mercy to an enemy. She just hadn't expected Joshua to be this ruthless. Maybe it was the deaths of their comrades. Perhaps that loss had awakened something deep within him. Unaware that Joshua was the reincarnation of a Divine Esper, Alice could only rationalize his change this way. "You… you're all going to die—" Joshua plunged the blade into the same spot again. "Monster! You're a monster—" A third strike, straight through the thigh bone. The mercenary's screams turned into raw, unfiltered agony. By the time Joshua raised the dagger again, the mercenary had cracked. Terrified, he spilled everything. The ambush had been orchestrated by a group smuggling firearms from the Golden Triangle. Fearing interference from the Chanaean government, they had gone to extreme lengths to secure their operation. The shipment was massive, including heavy-duty weapons capable of widespread destruction. To ensure success, they had hired elite mercenaries from the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps at an exorbitant price. The most dangerous among them was Bernard Scott, the corps' deputy commander. A notorious figure on the international wanted list, Bernard was known for his brutality. He was the mastermind behind this operation, having planned the ambush under the belief that Chanaean special forces were weak and easily disposable. "Thank you," Joshua said with a smile. Before the mercenary could react, the dagger flashed across his throat. A fountain of blood erupted as his lifeless body collapsed, eyes frozen in terror. "Let's go, Alice. We can't stay here any longer. I have a feeling the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps will be here soon," Joshua said as he stepped before Alice. "Where are we going?" Alice was still trying to process everything. She had heard the mercenary's confession—enemies surrounded them, determined to wipe them out. Escaping seemed nearly impossible. "We're heading straight to their base to wipe them out," Joshua said with a smile. Alice froze, staring at Joshua in disbelief. Seven of their team had started this mission—now, only the two of them remained. The enemy had overwhelming numbers, superior firepower, and, worst of all, elite mercenaries from the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps. Their deputy commander, Bernard, was especially dangerous—an internationally wanted criminal known for his deadly skills. Taking him on would be suicide. Usually, after gathering intelligence and confirming the enemy's encirclement, the logical choice would be to find a weak spot to break through or locate an escape route. Charging straight into the enemy's stronghold was madness—only an idiot would do something so reckless. "Joshua, we should find the weakest point in their defense and break out. Reinforcements can take care of them later," Alice said, her concern evident. "Alice, I understand what you're saying. But I want to avenge our fallen comrades, and I won't let anyone underestimate us Chanaean special forces. Some things must be done!" Joshua's gaze was unwavering as he spoke. Alice was momentarily stunned by his conviction, but then she nodded, his determination fueling her own. "Alright, Joshua. I'm with you. Let's strike them and catch them off guard." "Let's move!" Joshua took the lead, striding forward with deadly intent. The old Joshua might have agreed with Alice—escaping would have been the rational choice—but he was no longer that man. The current Joshua refused to let anyone take away what was his. His friends, his family—anyone who dared to harm them would pay with their lives. When he was reborn, he made a silent vow: Bro, since I've taken over your body and been given a second chance at life, I owe you a debt. From now on, your burdens are mine. Your loved ones are my loved ones. Anyone who dares to harm them—I will make them pay in blood. The first step in fulfilling that promise was avenging his fallen comrades. Not a single one of these mercenaries would leave here alive. Even though his Esper abilities had yet to awaken, and he could only use a fraction of his true strength, slaughtering the enemies was still more than enough. "Ahh!" Just a few steps in, Alice let out a sharp cry and nearly collapsed. She would have hit the ground hard if Joshua hadn't reacted quickly. Holding her steady in his arms, Joshua saw her face flush with embarrassment. He could tell she was remembering the time she had to undress in front of him. As a woman who had never been with a man, Alice naturally felt shy about such memories. "Alice, are you alright? Do you want me to carry you? You've lost a lot of blood. You need time to recover," Joshua said, concerned. "N-No, I can walk on my own." Alice was both embarrassed and stubborn. She was a special forces soldier, trained to be tough, and being carried would be humiliating. Joshua could see her struggling with every step. He might not be the same Joshua as before, but he remembered everything about the old Joshua's life. Alice had taken a bullet for him. He always repaid his debts. Before Alice could react, he scooped her onto his back. She instinctively tried to resist, but Joshua gave her a firm squeeze on the backside, his voice laced with playful warning. "Stay still. If you fall, it'll hurt. With that big ass of yours, it'll hurt even more. Besides, you don't want the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps catching up and killing us both, do you?" Alice's face burned red. She stopped struggling, resting her hands on his shoulders and leaning her head against his back. She hadn't expected him to be so muscular. Joshua, however, wasn't thinking too much about it. He was a man, after all. Even as a Divine Esper, he had desires. He found beautiful women attractive, but he wasn't the type to lose his head over them. He had more important things to focus on. Alice, exhausted from blood loss, soon drifted into unconsciousness, her head resting against Joshua's firm back. The fact that she had made it this far, despite her injuries, impressed Joshua even more. Joshua carried Alice on his back as the sky darkened and continued toward the Crimson Fiend Mercenary Corps' base. Those mercenaries had no idea the special forces soldiers they thought they had defeated were about to strike back. Tonight, their screams and spilled blood would shatter the silence of the night.

Chapter 2: Protect And Avenge

Comments (0)