Bad Born Blood Chapter 239

Chapter 239

Jafa’s corporate headquarters was no different from a military facility. This formidable fortress had proven its defensive capabilities during the noan Guard raid incident.

It was a building that could withstand air raids and bombings without issue. And yet, now, the upper floors and rooftop had collapsed so easily, as if in vain.

An attack that could penetrate all the way to Jafa’s office was no ordinary event.

‘What is it?’

How was the attack carried out? What kind of weapon was used?

‘Who did it?’

Kinuan? Or one of Jafa’s enemies? Mushir al-Kashura? CEO Son Seok-jae? Or the Federation?

‘What was the goal?’

That part was easy to narrow down. It was either or Jafa.

I opened my eyes, thoughts racing. The first thing that hit was pain.

Throb, throb.

The aftershock had thrown around, leaving my entire body creaking in protest.

‘I can still move. My condition is better than expected. At worst, a few broken ribs and torn muscles. My spine is intact.’

I stared at my left hand.

‘Jafa’s arm.’

That’s right… Only Jafa’s arm was left, gripping my left hand. Everything beyond the elbow had been torn away.

Srrrk.

My gaze stopped on Jafa, half-buried in the wreckage. The air still humd with the lingering aftermath of the explosion.

“Tss… tsk…”

Jafa let out a faint, shallow breath. She was covered in blood. Her limbs were twisted and torn—if soone were to pull on them, they might just co off entirely.

In fact, the arm I was holding had already been ripped away. If I hadn’t held on, she would have been sucked into the explosion and died instantly.

Jafa had been caught in the blast far worse than I had. Unlike , she wasn’t trained to instinctively protect her body. The injuries she sustained were extre.

Srrk, srrk.

The Equessians who had been blown away by the explosion began to rise one by one, preparing for battle. So of them had died on the spot, while others were severely injured.

‘En.’

En forcefully popped his dislocated shoulder back into place and assessed the situation. He signaled to another Equessian, then ordered Jafa’s evacuation.

‘At first, he looked at with suspicion.’

But En wasn’t a fool. If I had wanted to kill or harm Jafa, she would already be dead.

Kuuuurung!

A deafening roar continued from the ceiling. Even at a glance, the office ceiling was layered with dozens of reinforced support structures, each several ters thick.

‘This isn’t sothing a standard bomb or attack could break through. It’s a military-grade penetration bomb.’

A weapon designed for a specialized purpose. Sothing neither civilians nor individuals could easily obtain.

My mind began racing.

‘A military-industrial company, or soone in the privileged class with enough power and wealth to obtain military-grade weapons. If not that…’

The worst-case scenario surged into my mind.

‘State-sanctioned violence. In other words, the military.’

Even in Border City, this was still Bellato Federation territory. If a foreign nation were conducting official military operations here, it would inevitably lead to diplomatic friction.

‘Then… could the Federation have deployed its military?’

Did the Federation even have a motive for this?

Soon enough, I confird the grim reality of this overwhelming force.

Kuu-woong!

A direct path had been carved from the rooftop straight down to the office. A dark mass was dropping through the opening.

Kkiririk, kkirik.

chanical noises echoed. They weren’t loud or harsh. Instead, the soft frictional sounds spread smoothly through the air.

Giiiiiing!

Through the thick haze of dust, a massive optical lens glead.

“…Legion.”

I quietly uttered the na as I gazed at the iron knight.

Its exterior and color were an unfamiliar shade of dull black, as if it absorbed light itself. But its distinct skeletal fra gave it away—I could never mistake a Legion.

Kiririririk!

The single-eyed Legion unfolded a heavy spear. The collapsed shaft and blade snapped into place with a sharp jolt.

Kkik.

Then, gripping the spear tightly, the Legion extended a finger—pointing directly at .

…Its target was .

Ivan Accretia had moved swiftly. He had sent his subordinates to take .

‘This isn’t a Legion under the Imperial Guard. Most likely… it’s a Shadow’s Legion, one that has lost its sense of self.’

I had fought against the Shadows' combat prosthetics before. But against a Shadow’s Legion… this would be my first ti.

‘Can I take it on?’

A bad habit of mine was kicking in. My fighting spirit flared. Right now, I didn’t even have the Firelight Saber.

‘Not enough firepower. Not enough offensive capability.’

An auto-tracking pistol wouldn’t stand a chance against a Legion.

Essentially, I had to fight an ard Legion relying only on Lapis’ prosthetic enhancents.

Kadak, kadak.

As my grip strength increased, my fingers twitched. Even knowing how difficult this would be, I wanted to take on the challenge.

Kuu-woong! Thud!

Two more figures dropped behind the first Legion.

…Correction. This wasn’t just a challenge—it was impossible.

There were three Shadow Legions. Even three Shadow combat prosthetics would be a nightmare to handle. The Empire’s elite forces were never easy prey.

The Equessians had evacuated Jafa and were now watching the situation unfold.

‘There are no orders from Jafa right now. The Equessian rcenaries will act on their own judgnt.’

The attackers were clearly targeting . Their movents made it obvious that they had no interest in the Equessians or Jafa.

The Equessians didn’t like . And it wouldn’t take them long to understand that the attackers in front of them possessed overwhelming firepower.

‘The Equessians have no reason to help .’

The single-eyed Legion stared at for a mont, then turned its gaze to the side—toward En.

Tu-woong!

A deafening blast erupted. From the Legion’s head, the distinctive spherical energy burst of an impact round flared out.

I looked toward En. He was pulling the trigger of his shock rifle repeatedly.

Tung! Tung!

Impact rounds struck the Legion’s body and head. However, the Legion’s armor emitted a bluish energy reaction, dispersing the force.

Clack. Shiiii!

Spent coolant casings dropped to the ground at En’s feet.

—We have no intention of fighting you. Our objective is the Empire’s traitor, Lukaus Custoria.

The Legion, staggering slightly, steadied itself and addressed En. But it wasn’t saying this out of kindness or to avoid unnecessary casualties.

‘They know that if the Equessian rcenaries join the fight, it’ll complicate their mission.’

En gestured, giving tactical signals to the other Equessians.

—You barged into Jafa Corporation’s headquarters and injured our employer. Our mission is to repel you. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you belong, you dumb tin cans.

I had been mistaken. There was no reason for the Equessian rcenaries not to fight.

Even if they disliked . Even if the odds weren’t in their favor. Equessians fought by the book, with unwavering adherence to duty. If Jafa had hired them for the long term, they were likely among the most honorable and dedicated of their kind.

Maybe I had gotten too pessimistic. Expecting everything to turn against had made overlook sothing so basic.

…Perhaps the world could be just a little kinder to .

There were 18 Equessian rcenaries on this floor, including En. If we could buy ti, reinforcents would arrive.

Tung!

I moved toward a fallen Equessian and stomped my foot down.

The blade pinned under my boot bounced up from the pressure. The airborne weapon spun, rising to my eye level.

Swish.

I snatched the Equessian’s sword out of the air. To them, it was the size of a utility knife—but to , it was a decent longsword.

Bwoong!

I swung it. It had the heft of a machete. The blade shimred with a dispersed bluish glow.

‘A monomolecular-coated blade.’

It would be effective against the Legion for at least a few strikes.

The battle between the three Shadow Legions and us began.

Tung! Quang!

Explosions erupted all around. The deafening blasts made my ears ring. The Equessian rcenaries dispersed efficiently, taking cover as they returned fire.

The Legion unleashed a barrage of high-powered projectiles, obliterating cover in its path, yet the Equessians managed to endure.

Equessian rcenaries were relentless. Even when their comrades died right beside them, they didn’t waver. Not because they were devoid of emotion or grief.

‘Emotional aftermath can be dealt with after the battle. No matter how much the interest stacks up, it has to be suppressed for now.’

Their emotional control and combat execution were on par with elite military units.

Two of the Legions were occupied by the Equessians. But the single-eyed Legion, its red optical sensor gleaming ominously, launched itself toward .

Despite the confined space, the Legion maneuvered its massive fra and landed directly in front of . The floor cracked beneath its weight, sending debris flying.

I didn’t flinch. I simply stared at it.

“Ivan Accretia ordered you to take alive, didn’t he? Quite the troubleso order.”

Its target would be my limbs.

The single-eyed Legion didn’t respond. It simply swung its spear in a sweeping motion, aiming to take out my legs.

This space was ridiculously small for a Legion to fight in. But with its battle-specialized neural system, it calculated the optimal movents with inhuman precision.

Swish! Swish!

The Legion moved as if it had all the space in the world, wielding its spear with effortless grace. Occasionally, it reached out with a hand, attempting to grab my legs.

Tuung!

I planted my hand on the shaft of the Legion’s spear and vaulted upward, swinging my sword at its head.

Srrrk!

The Legion smoothly tilted its head, evading my blade.

‘Impressive.’

But I wasn’t impressed by its raw power.

‘Even if it can’t go for the kill, it’s still keeping up with .’

I was handling the Legion far better than I had anticipated. Even without the high of combat hormones, I felt like I could take it on.

‘Mushir al-Kashura was a much tougher opponent.’

My victory against Mushir al-Kashura had been riddled with lucky breaks.

‘Kashura never intended to kill . He even put himself at a disadvantage by testing in close combat.’

My lips twitched as I maneuvered behind the Legion. No matter how much power it had, its turning radius was massive. It couldn’t be faster than .

‘Kashura was arrogant. And so are you.’

I wasn’t soone who could be captured so easily.

‘If you keep trying to take alive, you will lose your head.’

Before the Legion could turn around, I grabbed hold of the armor plating at the back of its neck.

Tuk!

As I was flung through the air, I yanked on the back of the Legion’s neck armor, pulling myself close. The best ti to strike was when the monomolecular coating’s cutting power was at its peak. If I wasted it on hacking at limbs, I’d have no way to sever its throat when it mattered.

‘Die.’

I aid to stab through the base of its skull.

Tu-woong!

But the armor on the Legion’s nape suddenly detonated. The blast hit like a sledgehamr, sending flying backward.

‘Damn it. What don’t they have built into these things?’

Thinking about it, the feature made sense. With a massive fra and wide movents, a Legion would frequently be vulnerable from behind.

I forced my hazy mind to focus. Under normal circumstances, I would have died just now.

With the Legion’s tracking capability, power output, and reaction speed, it could have easily sliced in half mid-air.

‘So they really can’t kill .’

No matter how imposing the armor, that thing was nothing more than a slave.

A mindless war machine. Ivan Accretia’s puppet.

But even a puppet’s violence was real. Unlike , the Equessians were dying rcilessly. In re monts, fewer than ten remained.

Kwa-jik!

But there was a breakthrough—En’s spear had impaled a Legion clean through, from its jaw to the top of its head. Its circuits crackled, and its legs gave out beneath it.

‘So when he said he was strong, it wasn’t just bravado.’

Good. If I survive this, I need to get on En’s good side.

Thud!

But then, the “dead” Legion swung a fist, slamming En straight into a wall. I saw his stomach cave in from the impact. His internal organs had ruptured completely.

Cybernetic prosthetics sotis retained excessive residual signals, causing brief movent even without a functioning brain. We called this a phantom phenonon. I knew it well… but it seed En didn’t.

“Ha, fuck.”

A curse slipped out.

The single-eyed Legion was approaching, rubbing the exposed gap where its armor had blown off.

‘If En hadn’t gone down just now, we could’ve won this. Our odds were actually higher.’

But with En taken out so easily, our chances had plumted straight to the bottom.

‘Goddamn, you dumbass Equessian—!!’

If I live through this, I’m going to mock him rcilessly. Idiot. Moron. Loudmouthed alien bastard.