In less than a minute, the situation at the center of the battlefield took a drastic turn.
Just as the Demon was reveling in the creation of its own macabre artwork, several figures quietly appeared not far from it.
Several Exorcist team members slowly opened the specially made box, and a pure white halo instantly suffused the air.
"Damn it, is that a Holy Artifact?"
The Demon realized what was happening the moment the box opened and was instantly terrified. Its wings flapped furiously as it attempted to flee the area immediately.
But the box, delivered so close to the Demon at such a tremendous cost, was not to be trifled with.
Within the pure white Holy Power, the Demon's body only managed to lift two or three meters off the ground before crashing heavily back down.
"Go!" Moody waved to those behind him, and the elite team members, already prepared, sprang towards the Demon.
Chu Feng, who had watched the entire scene from the rooftop, wore an indifferent expression.
To avoid alerting the Demon with the Holy Artifact's proximity, they first used the soldiers' fragile lives to stir the Demon's bloodthirsty instincts, letting it indulge in slaughter.
What a 'good' method! Though his words sounded complimentary, his tone was exceedingly cold.
Under the protection of the Holy Artifact's Holy Power, the people below proceeded to bind the Demon and load it onto a vehicle.
In no time, the Demon was loaded into that familiar modified truck.
Watching the people below escort the truck away, Chu Feng let out a sigh before leaping down from the building.
Just as Chu Feng returned to his off-road vehicle, an explosion suddenly echoed from afar.
That direction... could it be them? Following the direction of the sound, Chu Feng instantly recognized it as the route Moody's team had taken.
A thought struck him. Instead of driving, Chu Feng vanished from the spot like a specter.
Minutes later, Chu Feng reappeared before a top-floor window of a tall building, silently watching the battle unfolding below.
"Who are you?" Surrounded, Moody's face was extremely grim. He secretly pressed a button before shouting out, attempting to stall the attackers through negotiation.
However, the group of armed individuals, their faces completely concealed, showed no reaction. Instead, at their leader's command, they began the final encirclement of Moody and his men.
"Fire back! Fire back..." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
Although Moody and his men possessed physical fitness far surpassing ordinary humans due to their awakened Spiritual Power, their assailants, daring to ambush them, were clearly not weak either.
Soon, with huge discrepancies in weapons, morale, and numbers, Moody's subordinates fell one after another into pools of blood.
"Don't kill me... I surrender!" Under immense pressure, one of Moody's subordinates finally chose to lay down his weapon, raise his hands, and surrender.
Once there was a first, a second and a third naturally followed...
Quickly, in the confined space, over half of the dozen or so remaining team members chose to surrender.
"You bastards, pick up your weapons! Reinforcements will be here soon!" Moody shouted furiously at those around him. Unfortunately, they merely glanced back at him and remained motionless.
"Apologies, gentlemen," the leader of the armed group, who had drawn near, said coldly. "We are on a top-secret mission and cannot accept your surrender." He then aimed his gun at an Exorcist who had his hands raised.
With the gunshot, that Exorcist crumpled to the ground.
A hail of bullets immediately followed, engulfing the remaining Exorcist team members.
"The Federation... gov-government... won't... let you... get away with this!" Moody, the strongest among them, riddled with bullets, was somehow still alive.
The leader of the armed assailants adjusted his black mask, gave a soft chuckle, and walked over to Moody.
"Lieutenant Colonel Moody, 38 years old, born in Easton, Washington. Naturally awakened Spiritual Power on March 2nd, Blue Star Calendar 2025. Currently the captain of the Lionheart Exorcism Squad, urgently formed by the Federation's Military. Is my information correct?"
"Who... who in the world are you?" Moody's eyes widened as he stared at the man before him, his voice cracking.
The man in the black mask didn't answer. He merely gestured to a subordinate beside him, then turned and walked towards the modified cargo van.
"Wait, I know! You're..."
Before Lieutenant Colonel Moody could finish, the indicated subordinate stepped forward, delivered a swift karate chop to his neck, and Moody collapsed, unconscious. The subordinate then bound Moody's hands, quickly bandaged his wounds, and dragged him into a waiting car.
Soon, a convoy sped away from the scene, leaving behind a scattering of corpses.
Whose soldiers are these? To dare ambush America's Military within America's own borders!
Chu Feng, who witnessed everything from the top floor, was genuinely surprised by the assailants' strength and audacity.
Their coordination was seamless, their marksmanship precise, and even their gaits were remarkably similar. They're definitely from some military unit.
Standing by the window, Chu Feng silently watched the convoy disappear into the distance. I just wonder which state they're from, he mused.
「Inside a Federation military base in Oregon State.」
"Can anyone tell me when the hell we'll connect to the satellite?" General Harris's angry voice echoed throughout the command and control center.
While everyone stood deathly silent, an excited voice suddenly rang out.
"Alright, we're connected to the satellite now!"
"Immediately show me the coordinates sent by Lieutenant Colonel Moody!" Harris immediately ordered in a stern, loud voice.
"And order the special operations team, upon arrival, to search for any clues! Find those damn bastards for me!"
About ten minutes later, a battlefield littered with corpses appeared on the large screen in the command and control center.
"Search! Find that modified truck!" General Harris stared intently at the large screen for a moment, took a deep breath, and then barked the order.
A few minutes later, an officer reported, "Report, Sir! The truck's tracking device shows it's currently... in the Columbia River! We can confirm the enemy has transferred the Demon and the Holy Artifact to another vehicle."
"FUCK... Keep searching!" General Harris's expression was now verging on ferocious.
「Portland. The special operations team had just reached the city outskirts. Given the special circumstances of this mission, they were quietly awaiting the arrival of the Military's Exorcists.」
After all, they could handle humans, but as for the Bizarre?
These dozen or so individuals were likely lambs to the slaughter.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng had returned to where his off-road vehicle was parked and was swiftly heading towards the last Gate of Breaking Boundary.