I am a former Flame Chasers

The battlefield had expanded from the surface to the underground, and the legislators could not comprehend it. Despite gathering an unprecedented force, how could they not stop a single person?

In truth, there was still a fresh force observing the spectacle. However, this battle was filled with doubts, and with the appearance of the Executors, the will to fight had already dissipated. Especially after Ryan came once again and, in less than half an hour, swept away the poison cocoons, the fact that they hadn't united in chaos was already a sign of obeying orders.

Buzz...

The entire surface trembled, the ceiling began to shed dust, but the noise wasn't only from Ryan's actions; the battle underground had already commenced.

A figure, like lightning, struck through the corridors. The knife moved so swiftly that its trail was hard to see, even the heavy protective doors couldn't withstand it. The flash of the blade cut through, splitting steel in two.

The legislators panicked. The underground monsters were still unchecked, and the surface was experiencing sudden changes. The executioner's blade, hanging overhead, was descending inch by inch.

"What's going on?"

"Why hasn't Major Coleman launched an attack? Are they trying to betray us?"

"Hold on a bit longer, reinforcements from Europe are on their way. Tell them to ignore the Executors and come straight to help!"

"South Africa's branch is also almost here, they are absolutely reliable."

...

The roar echoed in the conference room, the bigwigs no longer cared about appearances, acting hysterically.

Carius wiped the sweat from his forehead; the situation was completely out of control. He still couldn't understand how things had devolved into this.

The defensive forces were strong enough, and precautions had been taken against enemy infiltration. How could it all go wrong?

He unconsciously glanced at his adjutant, who stood behind him with the last remaining forces—the final two dark cocoons.

"Carius, send them out. First, stop the traitors underground, and what about the 'Beast'? Why can't we reach Dr. Damian?"

The blonde man stood still, his face still showing shock. He had only been on the underground for a few hours, yet the situation had reversed so quickly. He couldn't help but glance at the giant screen ahead.

Offshore, the two Executors had not even come close; in fact, they had retreated some distance. According to intelligence, Hua and Mobius had already arrived, with double the force, engaging in a relatively balanced battle.

It had all been calculated, and the Executors were directly excluded from this gamble.

Looking back at the surface, after the airship crashed, the forces remaining on the ground were scattered, faster than he could react.

Also part of the calculation, the clues had been planted the previous night. Without that terrifying ice storm, I could have lasted until I returned.

He quickly stopped this meaningless regret, looking at the chaotic hall and feeling disgusted.

'I never wanted to do this. I just wanted to get what I wanted. I could have destroyed the Executors, but now I can't escape.'

Carius knew that no matter his reasons, that man would never spare him. It was a dead end, and it seemed bitterly ironic.

"You acted too quickly, leaving me with no choice. Why didn't you wait a little longer, let me get what I wanted? I wasn't even deep enough in the mud, yet you hastily pushed me in."

But what to say, choosing to trust the Executors meant paying the price. It was fair.

"Are you daydreaming? Have you gone dumb?"

At that moment, Carius tightened his collar, his eyes bloodshot.

The commander-in-chief had only wanted to take advantage, pushing things along slightly, but now he was at a dead end.

Carius looked at the officer, who resembled him, grinning and showing an elegant smile, "Sir, it's too late for anything now, we've reached the point of stopping the losses."

"Stopping the losses? Do you think there's a way out now? Even if we escape, where in the world can we hide?"

"There is. Dr. Ryan is just one side of this vast war, and not necessarily the victor."

Carius's pupils contracted as he immediately looked at the big screen. He suddenly understood why the Executors had arrived—it was this most trusted assistant who had been scheming.

"You dare to betray humanity!?"

"When we decided to take action against Dr. Ryan, not hesitating to split for this group of fools, we had already become traitors." Carius remained calm, not even mentioning the grand philosophical concept of 'humanity.'

"Since ancient times, the victor is king, and the loser is a thief. Just like how you've woven a crime for Dr. Ryan, he can also make you a traitor. Do you think this is hard?"

Not hard at all. As long as Ryan comes in with a knife, these blustering legislators will throw all the blame onto themselves. In terms of shirking responsibility, all thirty-five of them here are Executors.

"So, you and I both have choices. How will you choose?"

The seductive voice drilled into Carius's ears, but he felt no fear, only replying coldly, "I have no choice. What I wanted, they can't give me, and I won't become a dog for humans!"

"Indeed, what you want is power, and only the moths to the flame can bring that," Carius didn't get angry, just staring at the familiar and determined face. "You've completely failed, and as your subordinate of twenty years, I can only give you one final gift."

"Poof."

The commander-in-chief slowly lowered his head, seeing a pale hand already reaching into his left chest. His eyes froze, first in disbelief, then gradually becoming calm, as if he already knew what the gift was.

Killed by a human traitor, he could be called incompetent, but at least he could exit with dignity.

The surging blood stained Carius's robe, and the ending was always sad. He didn't look at his old superior again, only facing the stunned legislators.

No one knew what the two had said, but Carius's sudden death gave an ominous feeling.

"I don't know how Dr. Ryan will convince you all and take control of the entire Moths to the Flame, but since I've done it, I must finish it," Carius opened his mouth, almost like an explanation, but more like self-mockery.

He didn't make a long speech. Now, any explanation would be futile. Saying too much was like a child throwing a tantrum. So before these legislators could recover, he raised his hand.

"Time is limited. Let me give you this dignified exit."

A group of soldiers numbly raised their guns and pulled the triggers.

Tat tat tat tat...

The metal storm was unleashed, but Carius froze, along with the legislators who were fleeing in disarray. Some were lying on the ground, others turned around in surprise, seeing the bullets suspended in the first row, as if a pause button had been pressed, frozen in the air.

Carius stiffly raised his head, seeing at the other end of the circular conference hall, a certain black-haired girl standing silently.

She wore a white lab coat, with a neat ponytail, hands in her pockets, but her eyes were exceptionally peculiar.

They were iridescent, as if emitting a faint glow, and the collapsing energy in the air caught attention.

"So, you didn't escape. Instead, you became a fusion soldier, just to protect these idiots." Carius's shock faded, and he became calm again. He wasn't a man to lose control in rage.

"Dr. Mei, I must admit, in terms of intelligence, you and Dr. Ryan have completely crushed me."

"That's because the Executors are beyond your control. If you and your team could quietly appear here, you would still have the advantage," Mei replied calmly, showing no sign of arrogance.

"No need to flatter each other. I'm just curious, do you and Dr. Ryan really think so naively? Or do you think saving their lives will make these people obedient?" Carius pointed to the stunned legislators, his face full of disdain. This battle had fully exposed their worst traits.

Cowardly, arrogant, and selfish, believing everyone should sacrifice for their cause, that even the strongest forces should be wielded like tools for their benefit.

An obvious attempt at incitement. Mei also held doubts but simply didn't respond.

"This isn't something a traitor like you should be concerned about. Make your choice: fight me to the death, or run with your tail between your legs?"

"This is indeed a difficult choice. Let's leave it for now."

Before the words even left his mouth, the front of the conference hall exploded. An invisible knife cut through the steel floor, spreading in a straight line up the stairs. Carius's eyes glowed with a green light.

"You've quietly become a fusion soldier after all."

Mei showed no surprise, narrowing her brow as she saw the spreading line suddenly stop.

No flashing blade, no energy explosion, not even any movement, it was as if they were mentally clashing, a terrifying pressure enveloping the hall.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Time flowed imperceptibly. Mei suddenly took a step forward, exerting all her will.

"Go."

Beep—

A sharp and strange sound flashed by, not like air vibrating, but the floor, podium, projection equipment, and even an entire wall were lifted up, as if struck by an invisible giant hand, everything shattered into dust.

Buzz buzz buzz...

Several rooms vanished without a trace, leaving behind huge holes, and complicated pipes could be seen emitting thick smoke.

Mei tensed her muscles, feeling a buzz in her head, desperately keeping herself from showing weakness. Looking ahead, except for a few flattened corpses, she saw nothing.

Very decisive. A strike, and if it missed, a quick retreat. A tough opponent.

She didn't relax but furrowed her brows even more, knowing that this wasn't a mere crushing victory.

It seemed like certain victory, but Carius had already prepared a retreat plan. He was a smart man and hadn't let Ryan root out every trace.

She glanced at the ruins ahead, the shattered Moths to the Flame emblem, and traced back through the war, before slowly turning her head to look at the Moths to the Flame legislators who had narrowly escaped.

Just as Carius said, it was impossible to reform these people because, for them, profit was far more important than sentiment, as the famous saying goes:

If the profit is enough, they would sell the rope that would hang them. Having come this far, what family, love, or gratitude was just a façade?

Mei lifted her head, staring at the cracked ceiling, where a terrifying energy source was approaching.

"I'm curious, how do you plan to reform them?"