OLD-WORLD EXTRA

This fanatic wasn't much different compared to his peers.

They looked the same. Acted the same. Attacked in the same way.

There was only one difference.

He had an explosive vest around his waist.

"FOR TEMPLAR'S GLORY!"

Jamal's eyes widened, and, using all the strength he could muster, he rushed back, shooting behind him with each step.

But the man didn't let him go.

He was going to die today, and he was determined to take Jamal down with him.

The bullets intended to shred him apart bounced harmlessly off his augmented suit, its shield set to maximum.

Nothing-not even air-could penetrate it, allowing him to withstand the barrage for a little longer.

A soldier suddenly appeared in front of Jamal, blocking his escape route.

Still sprinting, Jamal glanced back, then forward, eyes locking on the gun aimed straight at his head.

'No way I'm dying to this racist fucker!'

Ratatatatatat!

A bullet grazed past as Jamal dove into cover.

Without wasting a moment, he took a deep breath, steadied himself, then returned fire.

He moved from cover to cover, left to right, shooting every time the soldier tried to peak out.

Once he got to the alleyway's end, the soldier rushed him, about to dump his mag, but Jamal was ready for him, ending his life with three bullets.

That brief moment of focus had cost him, though.

The quick pause to accurately aim, combined with his earlier dive, allowed the suicide bomber to close the distance-now only a few meters away.

Glancing over his shoulder as he sprinted, Jamal's eyes widened in horror.

The vest on the bomber began to glow.

'Dammit... Guess the Steel family was destined to die.' Whinee-BANG!

A loud shot rang out, interrupting the bomb's buildup.

Just before it could go off, the bullet struck the bomber's upper chest, a few centimeters above the vest.

The impact lifted him off the ground for a moment, and as the armature ripped through his shield, he was propelled backward by the sheer force of the shot.

BOOM!

The bomb detonated almost immediately afterward, sending a blinding explosion tearing through everything around it—including Jamal.

Initially, the force of the blast pushed him away, but his shield couldn't hold up.

It shattered, and the full brunt of the explosion hit him directly.

Heat seared across his back, the pain almost overwhelming, burning him to a crisp.

that moment, his world became a chaotic mess of flames and debris.

Yet, amidst all of that destruction, Jamal clung to life.

The combined distance from the force shield's last stand and the impact of Longshot's round had given him just enough space to survive.

"Hahh..."

Chuckling, Jamal flipped on his back, ignoring the throbbing pain, and raised his hands, showing a thumbs up, knowing that Longshot was watching.

And he was indeed, a relieved sigh escaping him as he saw his best friend remain among the living.

He had noticed that Jamal was in trouble near the beginning, but he couldn't save him due to the lack of a clear shot.

When they finally got to an intersection of alleyways, in the middle of four buildings, he fired, using the ability that his nickname was based on, Longshot, saving Jamal.

After that, without pause, he took out the stragglers near Jamal, making sure that he would remain safe while he recuperated.

It didn't take him long, no more stragglers remained after his fourth shot.

He scanned the area to make sure there wasn't anyone else, and once he was certain, he reloaded his railgun, resuming to follow the plan.

Jake and Emma, who noticed the lack of action from Jamal's point, knew that something had happened to him, so they separated.

She remained near the routes to the exit while he moved up to where Jamal should've been, flanking the enemy, cutting off the other routes to the exit, and driving them further into the trap-laden maze.

He grew fear in the enemy ranks, this was his playground, a place where he could use his runes as he liked without anyone using their abilities.

Suicide bombers began to appear more often to counteract his domination, but he killed them as well, not letting them get close.

The soldiers were in disarray, whatever information they had was shattered by the assault.

They were being hunted, cornered like rats in a maze with no escape.

And when Jamal was healed back up, rejoining the battle, it got even worse for their

opposition.

The cohort was relentless, methodically taking them down one by one.

It was a brutal, efficient slaughter.

But those of Templar weren't completely defenseless.

The remaining soldiers managed to regroup once they retreated near the black market.

This many of them would certainly pose a challenge to the cohort.

Unfortunately for them however, the Elite Cohort was prepared.

As they fought back, chasing Jamal, returning fire with a desperation born of fear, he led them

somewhere special.

A tight checkpoint where death was guaranteed.

"C'mon you bastards! You ain't killing me anytime soon!"

Acting like a reply to his ridicule, a gunshot rang out and he felt a bullet whizz past his ear,

close enough to feel the heat.

Smiling, he ran faster and once he reached the checkpoint, he jumped, running from wall to

wall, easily dodging the wires.

Those chasing him didn't even pause to think about why he moved like that.

They weren't dumb, if their emotions weren't at an all-time high, they would've suspected that a trap was laid, but Jamal made sure that this wouldn't happen.

And combined with the fear they felt, well...

This was expected.

Just as he got out the other side, he dove to the ground, rolling into cover behind a pile of

rubble.

BOOM!

The explosion occurred right after, rumbling the slums itself.

Every building in the surrounding area trembled while the ones attached to the trip mines crumbled, the remaining concrete falling to the ground, squashing the remnants of the

soldiers.

Not all were killed, as the lucky ones at the end of their group were out of the explosion range,

surviving the impact and the subsequent blast.

But they weren't alive for long.

Jake appeared behind them.

He pulled up his submachine guns. "Die."

...

"Steel, take the left flank!"

Jake ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos around him.

"On it!"

Jamal replied, his loud voice coming from a distance.

Jake could hear the faint thuds of his boots as he moved to outmaneuver the enemy.

He then peeked around the corner, assessing the situation.

What remained of Templar's soldiers were pinned down, their numbers dwindled from no

less than a hundred, to around fifteen, rapidly.

But before the cohort could end them, they had managed to set up a makeshift defense point freeweɓnøvel.com

around a partially collapsed building.

It was their last stand, and they were making it a hard-fought one.

"Emma, with me."

Jake said, signaling for her to follow.

The two moved quickly, darting from cover to cover, their movements synchronized.

As they approached the building, Jake could see the fear in the eyes of the Templar soldiers.

They knew they were outmatched, but they were fighting to the last breath.

Jake admired their tenacity, but he wasn't about to let it slow him down.

He signaled to Jamal, who had successfully flanked the enemy, and then to Longshot, who

was already lining up his next shot.

"NOW!"

The coordinated attack was swift and devastating.

Longshot's shot rang out, taking down the soldier who seemed to be leading the defense.

At the same time, Jamal launched a volley of grenades into the building, the explosions ripping through the structure and sending debris flying.

Jake, Emma, and a few of the unnamed were on them before the dust had settled, their guns

spitting out bullets with precision.

Those soldiers didn't stand a chance.

Within moments, it was over.

The last of the enemies fell, their bodies crumpling to the ground.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Jake stood amidst the ruins, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

Smell of gunpowder and blood filled his nose and lungs, mixing with the acrid scent of

burning debris.

"Status report."

At his command, his cohort gathered around him in under ten seconds, their faces showing

exhaustion.

"All clear. No movement."

Longshot was the first to reply.

"Minimal injuries on my end."

Jamal added, wiping sweat from his brow.

"They never saw it coming."

Emma took out her bottle and took a sip.

"Good."

Ignoring it again, Jake nodded and looked around at his team, their faces illuminated by the

flickering fires of a few nearby buildings.

"We've done our part. Templar's forces have been weakened, and only a few bombers will join

the main battle."

Emma stepped forward, putting away the alcohol, her gaze meeting Jake's.

"What's next?" "...We hold this position. Make sure no stragglers get through. The main force will be

engaging soon, and we need to make sure they're not reinforced."

His team nodded in unison, their objective now clear.

They had dealt with Templar's warmup.

In the eyes of others, this might seem like a critical blow against them, but they knew better.

This was just the beginning.

They had to ensure that Templar's momentum in the slums was completely shattered.

A smiling Jake took a moment to look out over the slums as his cohort spread out, setting up a

defensive perimeter.

The fabricated sun had risen fully, casting a bright light over the devastated landscape.

Their battle here was far from over, but at least, this victory was theirs.