Chapter 297: A Game

The four A rank officers – Hank Webb, David Park, Jennifer Liu, and Sarah Doss – stood frozen not by Domains this time, but by pure primal terror.

Warren James’s face was showing the look of someone in shock as looked at the new arrivals.

Ashley remained kneeling, her mind racing through options and finding nothing but dead ends.

The four officers looked at each other, then at Ezra, then at the senior SFD Officer

"Please!"

Hank Webb’s voice cracked, all professional composure shattered.

"We were following orders! We didn’t know! Please, Arch-Inquisitor, you have authority here! You can stop this!"

David Park fell to his knees, his pride abandoned completely.

"I have a family! Children! Please, we were just doing our jobs! We didn’t mean to–"

"We’ll resign!" Jennifer Liu interrupted, desperation making her voice shrill. "Right now! We’ll leave SFD and never work in law enforcement again! Just please–"

Sarah Doss looked at Herman and Ezra, her eyes showing wild hope.

"You’re the Senior Officers! You can pardon us! You can–"

Lyandra’s smile widened.

The expression was absolutely terrifying, twisted into something that enjoyed their fear.

"A game then."

Her voice emerged soft, almost gentle.

"Run... If you can escape this building, I’ll let you live."

The four officers stared at her, not quite believing what they’d heard.

"Run," Lyandra repeated, her smile growing. "I’ll even give you a head start. Ten seconds."

Hope blazed in their eyes – foolish, desperate hope born from having no other options.

They ran.

Hank and David bolted for the nearest exit, their bodies moving with A rank speed.

Jennifer turned and sprinted toward the stairwell, her tactical mind choosing vertical escape.

Sarah, the smartest tactically, ran directly for the window at the hallway’s end.

’If I can break through and fall, I can use my Aura to cushion the landing! This height is nothing for an A rank! I just need to–’

But... Lyandra’s chained blade moved.

The weapon extended with liquid grace, links flowing like water as the blade whipped through the air.

Slash

Hank Webb’s scream cut off mid-breath as the blade passed through his torso at waist level.

His upper and lower body separated, momentum carrying both pieces forward for several more steps before crashing to the floor.

’No... no, this can’t... I was supposed to... my daughter’s wedding next month... I promised...’

His consciousness faded as blood pooled beneath him.

Slash Slash

David Park tried to dodge, his A rank reflexes screaming warnings.

But the chained blade moved faster, wrapping around his legs and yanking him off balance.

He hit the ground hard, rolled and tried to activate his defensive Aura–

But the blade retracted and struck again, this time separating his head from his shoulders in one clean motion.

’Fuck... FUCK! I knew investigating that kid was wrong! I knew Ashley was obsessed! Why didn’t I just refuse?! Why didn’t I–’

Darkness.

Slash

Jennifer Liu made it three steps up the stairwell before the blade found her, piercing through her back and erupting from her chest.

She looked down at the metal protruding from her body, her mind unable to process the reality.

’This isn’t... I’m A rank... I’m trained... How is she so fast? How is–’

The blade retracted, and she collapsed, blood flowing down the stairs like a crimson waterfall.

Sarah Doss reached the window.

Her Aura flared, her fist shattering the reinforced glass with desperate strength.

’Almost! Almost free! Just need to–’

The chained blade wrapped around her throat from behind.

"No!"

Her scream emerged as barely a whisper as the chain tightened, cutting off air and crushing her windpipe.

She clawed at the metal, her nails breaking, her Aura flaring wildly as she tried to break free.

’Can’t breathe... can’t... explode the core! I WILL TAKE THIS BITCH WITH–’

She reached for her core, tried to force the destabilization that would turn her body into a bomb.

But Lyandra’s hypnosis activated, crashing into Sarah’s mind with overwhelming force.

"Stop."

Sarah’s body obeyed against her will, her attempt at core explosion halting instantly.

The chain retracted, pulling her backward through the air, her feet dangling as she was dragged toward Lyandra like a fish on a line.

Her hands clawed desperately at the chain around her neck, her face turning purple.

’Not like this... please not like this... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...’

Lyandra yanked the chain hard.

Snap

And Sarah’s head separated from her body with the sound of tearing flesh and breaking bone.

The chain unwrapped, and the head flew through the air in a perfect arc, straight toward Herman.

The Senior Officer’s hands came up instinctively, catching the head before conscious thought could stop him.

He stared down at Sarah Doss’s face, her eyes still showing the terror of her final moments, her mouth frozen mid-scream.

His hands were shaking, blood dripping between his fingers.

"I..."

His voice emerged as barely a whisper.

"I..."

He couldn’t finish the sentence, staring at the dead woman’s eyes as they seemed to accuse him.

****

Lyandra’s eyes found Warren James and Ashley Blackheart, both of them pale-faced and trembling.

Warren was using his Will reinforcement to keep his mind stable.

Ashley knelt where she’d been left, her hypnosis finally released, but terror kept her frozen anyway.

Lyandra walked toward them slowly, her chained blade retracting to normal length, blood dripping from the metal links.

She sat down directly in front of Ashley, her maternal smile returning.

Then she grabbed Ashley’s hair with sudden violence again.

"You are lucky... If not for causing unnecessary trouble for my family, you would be dead as well!"

Her voice was almost conversational.

"But... let me teach you something about the gap between S ranks."

Slap

She slapped Ashley across the face.

The blow carried S rank strength behind it, sending Ashley flying sideways like a ragdoll, her body crashing into the wall twenty feet away with bone-breaking force.

Lyandra appeared where Ashley landed before she could even process the movement.

Slap

Ashley flew in the opposite direction, crashing through a doorway, plaster and wood exploding around her.

Lyandra followed, her movements casual, almost bored.

Slap

Ashley tumbled down the hallway, blood streaming from her nose and mouth, her consciousness barely holding on.

Slap

Across the other direction, bones cracking and vision blurring.

Slap Slap Slap

Lyandra played with her like a cat with a mouse, each blow sending the S rank officer flying in different directions, each impact breaking more bones, causing more damage.

’I’m S- rank... How is she... the gap can’t be this wide... I’m S rank too...’

Ashley’s thoughts fragmented, pain overwhelming everything else.

Ezra stood watching, his eye twitching slightly at the brutality.

But he looked away deliberately, studying the opposite wall with sudden fascination.

’Not my problem. Not my problem. Definitely not getting involved with this mad woman.’

Finally, Lyandra stopped.

Ashley lay crumpled against a wall, covered in blood, her face swollen beyond recognition, both eyes blackened, her professional severity reduced to broken humiliation.

Red tears mixed with blood streamed down her face as she tried to focus on Lyandra through the haze of pain.

Lyandra crouched beside her, her voice emerging soft and almost kind.

"Before having another power trip in the future... remember the gap among S ranks."

She grabbed Ashley’s hair again, forcing eye contact.

"You’re nothing but a newly promoted S rank. Barely past the threshold... In a real fight, I could kill ten of you before breakfast."

Her smile became cruel.

"And if I get any information about you investigating my son again... don’t blame me for visiting your house, your family’s estate, your relatives and everyone you’ve ever loved."

She released Ashley’s hair, letting her head drop limply.

Then Lyandra stood and began walking toward Damian’s room where Sebastian and Luna were still tending to him.

She didn’t look at Warren James at all as she passed him.

She just walked by him like he was furniture.

Ezra called after her, his voice carrying genuine gratitude despite the horror around them.

"Thank you for sparing them, Madam Valcor."

Lyandra didn’t respond as she just kept walking toward her son.