It was still before dawn.
Yet Swimming City was already bustling with people.
News of the peace talks between Commander Ridge and Rhys Cook had spread quietly, though no one knew when.
The two factions stood in a tense standoff outside the City Lord’s Mansion, swords practically drawn!
Commander Ridge had already led his n into the conference hall of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Rhys Cook had done the sa.
Before arriving, both n had arranged for their subordinates to inspect the other party.
Only after confirming there were six people each did they enter the conference hall together.
Outside, their respective armies waited.
Should anything unexpected occur, the armies would be able to storm in within five minutes to provide support.
"Mr. Cook, we are brothers. Why must we fight?"
Commander Ridge was the first to sit on a chair in the conference hall, with five neatly arranged n standing behind him.
He held no fear that the opponent might suddenly open a weapon box.
The agility of a Great Grandmaster was astonishing.
Opening a weapon box would be the most foolish choice.
More likely than not, the chanism wouldn’t even have been triggered before the throat was crushed.
The weak favor weapons; the strong are themselves mortal killing machines.
"You ask why we fight, but isn’t that sothing you should answer?" Rhys Cook glanced at the masked figures behind Commander Ridge and felt curious.
He had co here only because of Devlin’s request, but was Commander Ridge also hiding his own agenda?
Strange!
But he didn’t dwell on it too much.
Among those five behind Commander Ridge, he had placed his own ally!
As soon as the mont was right, Rhys Cook could have him killed!
"Ask ?" Commander Ridge pointed at his own nose and laughed heartily: "What if I said we should divide Swimming City between us? That way, everyone would agree it’s fair and reasonable. Nine factions, plus the City Lord’s Mansion—all gone in a single night, leaving just us two. What do you say? Isn’t this fate?"
"How does Brother Ridge propose to divide it?"
Rhys Cook asked casually.
But he was calculating how best to kill Commander Ridge—peace talks were never his intention.
Both sides were seasoned manipulators; pretending to co in good faith would fool no one.
"I’ll take the city interior, and you can have the outskirts," Commander Ridge replied with a smile. "Logically, I am ahead of you in rank. If you let be the City Lord, I’ll withdraw my troops imdiately and send you out of Swimming City with full honors."
"Bullshit!"
Whip!
Rhys Cook slamd the table and stood up, pointing at Commander Ridge: "Don’t push too far!"
"And what if I do?" Commander Ridge leaned back in his chair, grinning: "Still unaware your subordinates have already betrayed you?"
"What?!"
Before Rhys Cook could finish his sentence, a man suddenly raised a weapon box and aid it at his head.
"Haha! Rhys Cook, this is your guard captain!" Commander Ridge stood abruptly and shouted: "Kill him for !"
The odds were six against three now!
What were they waiting for!
"Go! Don’t worry about !" Rhys Cook showed no sign of fear.
According to the plan, this was all part of Devlin’s performance.
As long as Devlin aid the weapon box at him, Commander Ridge would undoubtedly seize the opportunity!
Sure enough!
They made their move!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Grandmasters were locked in fierce combat!
Blades whirled wildly as eight n savagely clashed!
The Grandmasters’ skills were evenly matched; for now, there was no clear victor.
"Sothing’s wrong!" Commander Ridge suddenly realized he might have been tricked!
The man who approached him—his abilities were assuredly that of a Grandmaster!
If the one holding the weapon box to Rhys Cook’s head was supposedly the guard captain, how could Rhys Cook’s faction have five Grandmasters?
That was impossible!
This was no secret!
Rhys Cook had only, and exactly, four Grandmasters under his command!
Eight people fought fiercely, evenly matched, with no one giving ground.
Anyone who wasn’t a Grandmaster entering this fray would be effortlessly slaughtered!
Suddenly.
A cool sensation ca over him.
Commander Ridge felt a chill at his temple and turned blankly to the side.
"Apologies, I am one of Commander Cook’s n."
As the words were spoken.
Whip!
The weapon box fired.
Commander Ridge slumped facedown on the table, blood gushing endlessly from his temple.
His eyes were wide open.
Even in death, disbelief lingered there.
"Commander!"
The four Grandmasters were stunned and charged at Rhys Cook desperately!
"Brothers, send him to accompany Commander Ridge in death!"
The battlefield, once reciprocal and asured, instantly turned into reckless self-sacrifice!
Commander Ridge’s four Grandmasters went mad, attacking with abandon despite injuries—even resorting to mutual destruction, dragging enemies down with them in their final monts!
anwhile, the man who killed Commander Ridge calmly walked back to Rhys Cook’s side.
"Black Tiger, excellent work!" Rhys Cook trembled all over!
Commander Ridge—was he really dead just like that?
Finally, Rhys Cook could seize control of Swimming City alone!
He was exhilarated!
An uncontrollable surge of joy flooded over him like a tidal wave!
Thud!
When the last of Commander Ridge’s Grandmasters fell to the ground, Rhys Cook had only one survivor left at his side.
"Hiss..."
Looking at the corpses strewn across the floor, pain gripped his chest!
The Grandmasters he had nurtured painstakingly for years were reduced by three in a single fight!
Thankfully!
A close call.
Thankfully, Commander Ridge was dead.
Rhys Cook stood up and walked over to Commander Ridge’s corpse, whose wide-open eyes stared into the void.
Suddenly, Rhys Cook laughed.
"You never dread you’d face this day, did you?"
He pulled out his weapon box, a sneer forming at the corners of his mouth.
To dare aim a weapon box at him...!
Even if it had been a ploy to bait Commander Ridge.
Still—Rhys Cook couldn’t forgive Devlin!
Whip!
He turned around!
The man in black fell instantly, struck between the eyebrows!
"Haha! Devlin! You dared to aim a weapon box at ! You mongrel, aren’t you supposed to be resourceful? Didn’t you outwit Commander Ridge? Yet you still ended up dead by my weapon box! Trying to oppose ? Too naïve!"
With that, he stomped on the corpse fiercely.
"Black Tiger, let’s go!"
As Rhys Cook walked, he kept imagining what life would be like once he ascended as City Lord.
Swimming City was finally at peace.
Devlin eliminated, Commander Ridge killed by the weapon box!
From now on, he would reign supre!
"Black Tiger, it’s all thanks to you this ti. Otherwise, who knows how long the fighting would have lasted." Rhys Cook bent down, reaching to pull off the "Devlin" mask, eager to see the true face beneath.
"You calculated everything, but failed to foresee your own end?"
As he fully lifted the mask!
He froze on the spot!
"Azure... Azure Mount?" Rhys Cook’s eyes widened in disbelief.
How had his own sworn brother appeared here, taking Devlin’s place?
"I failed to foresee my own end?"
A silent weapon box pressed against his temple.
"Black Tiger! Have you gone mad!" Rhys Cook turned, glaring furiously at the man in black who had helped him kill Commander Ridge.
"I’m not Black Tiger." Devlin chuckled softly: "Thank you for all the help. I heard your reward for was a dart. Isn’t it only fair I return it?"
Before the final word was spoken.
Whip!
The weapon box fired.
Rhys Cook never dread that the man he had secretly placed by soone else’s side would turn against him.
Slumping against the wall, he died.
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