Chapter 154 - Clang!
The ten officers stood in the center of the cleared out warehouse floor in a wide circle, their bodies trembling in fear and anticipation.
The fiery light of dozens of flaming lanterns and shrapnel cast frantic shadows as the metallic storm spun around the warehouse in an ever-increasing cyclone.
The attack began without warning.
The room exploded inward as all of the windows shattered at once. A flood of glass and shrapnel rushed into the room with a roar. A cyclone of metal filled the room as they blasted at the officers from all angles.
The two Chroniclers in the center of the room thrust their hands up as they projected a shimmering dome around the group. All the metal that passed through the dome slowed tremendously as the momentum was sucked out of their movement.
The other officers kept their eyes peeled as they watched for any sign of the traitorous Chief as a rain of metal drizzled down above them. Due to the slow field they were able to side step the incoming projectiles, which weren’t moving fast enough to cause much harm anyways.
The random poles, plates and shards clattered to the ground, covering the floor with debris. The Astromancers in charge of sweeping continuously formed rifts to clear out the metal that fell inside the dome, but even still the debris continued to pile up.
The lieutenant in charge barked out orders, directing his Astromancers to sweep away the larger pieces of metal before they landed inside the dome. “Keep it up! He can’t hold out much longer! The metal storm is already lightening up!”
The assault had lasted less than a minute, but the rate which metal poured into the room was sharply declining. The defending officers’ eyes brightened as they saw the chance for survival. They just needed to hold on.
Sweat was pouring down the faces of the Chroniclers, but they were still hanging on. Their strategy was working!
“Any sign of the traitor?”
“No, sir!”
“Keep your eyes peeled! Don’t give him an opportunity to approach!” The lieutant paced around the center of the dome as he barked out his orders. The officers kept their eyes on the windows and doors, saving their strength for the inevitable final assault.
Because of this, they didn’t notice the thin film of metallic liquid that seeped across the floor, taking cover under the bed of shrapnel that littered the room. Even though most of the debris inside the dome had been swept away, the floor outside and at its edges was cluttered.
The liquid reached the slow barrier and slowly slipped past it.
The lieutenant was in the middle of shouting orders when his spiritual intuition suddenly triggered. He jumped back as a metallic hand reached out from a puddle on the floor and grasped at him.
Too late! The metallic fingers wrapped around his leg and dragged him to the floor as a chrome Chief Fang rose out from the floor. His entire body glimmered in the firelight as a black metal baton materialized in his hand.
“He’s here!” An officer cried out.
Three officers had already fallen to the floor by the time he’d shouted his alarm.
The slow dome collapsed as the two astromancers were cut down by the Chief.
The rain of metal regained its deadliness as the remaining metallic pipes and bars assaulted the officers.
Chief Fang was mid-swing when he suddenly froze in time.
A split second later a rift sliced diagonally through the chief’s body, bissecting him.
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His two halves fell to the ground as Chief Bear stepped through a portal into the room. Six other officers arrived around him, forming a circle around Jintang’s body.
With a sweep of his hand Chief Bear formed a bubble around the two pieces of Jintang’s body, whose halves had already started to form back together.
“It’s over, traitor.” Chief Bear growled.
The metallic Jintang launched himself toward Chief Bear, but Bear closed his fist and the bubble around Jintang collapsed.
The remaining metal pieces that were flying throughout the room clattered to the ground lifelessly as Jintang disappeared from sight.
“Get me a casualty count.” Bear said gruffly.
“Sir!”
Chief Bear kept his eyes peeled, carefully scanning the room for any disturbances or dangerous presences. The warehouse had fallen silent except for the scraping of footsteps and the moans of the disabled officers.
Chief Bear stepped up to where Jintang had been ported away. On the floor, Chief Fang’s black metal nightstick was lying among the debris.
This weapon was legendary amongst the police force, yet now it was stained with their blood.
Chief Bear hesitated for a moment, then reached down to pick it up.
His intuition rang out too late as the black metal wrapped around his wrist and yanked hard. The Chief fell to the floor as the metal transformed into a pair of shackles while another metallic Chief Fang rose out of the debris around them.
The remaining officers in the area were disabled in an instant by the metallic debris around the room.
The black baton wound its way back to Jintang’s hand as he brandished it toward the Chief with cold eyes. The large man’s arms and legs were bound together by metal and a collar formed around his neck, yanking it up at an extreme angle.
Chief Bear tried to activate his powers, but each time he did the shackles would contort his body violently, causing him to yell out in pain and lose concentration.
After a minute Chief Bear stopped struggling and glared at Chief Fang with hatred.
“Traitor!” Chief Bear growled.
“Indeed.” Chief Fang replied, “I’m sure it would seem that way to you.”
The metallic sheen to his body faded as he returned to his original form.
Chief Fang reached into his pocket, pulling out a small white petal.
This petal was the reason for this whole encounter. From spreading the rumour that he was meeting someone in the tavern, to enticing Chief Bear into running a sting operation against him, to baiting Bear into thinking he’d won.
Jintang knew Chief Bear well. Chief Bear had a careful nature and a tendency to lead from the rear. He let his men face the danger while he stood back and waited for an opportunity.
He took trophies of his victories.
Chief Fang reached out and touched the center of Chief Bear’s forehead with the petal. It turned black instantly, crumbling into ash.
“You were a good Chief.” Chief Fang said, “It’s a shame how this turned out.”
Chief Bear’s eyes went wide as the head of Chief Fang’s black baton expanded and sharpened. The handle expanded as well as the weapon turned into a two handed halberd. The black blade at the end of the weapon was half a meter long and razor sharp.
Chief Bear grunted as he was forced onto his hands and knees by the metal shackles. He was forced to stare at the floor as his neck was stretched out and exposed. He growled in frustration and pain as blood poured from the shackles, preventing him from forming any conscious thought.
Chief Fang raised the halberd up high above Chief Bear’s head. It hung poised in the air for a second before he cleaved it straight down.
The blade clanged against the stone floor as a spray of blood spurted out from the Chief’s decapitated body.
A pool of blood blossomed under Bear’s body as the halberd returned to its original nightstick form.
Jintang let out a long, slow exhale.
His eyes were shaded as he looked down at the executed Chief’s body.
The flames of the fallen lanterns around him flickered softly.
At some point, Jintang’s spiritual intuition went off. As he raised his eyes, he found that he was moving in slow motion as the world around him carried on.
Several rifts formed in space around him as a number of officers stepped out and surrounded him.
Jintang recognized them as the senior officers from the Forensics Department.
Out of one of the portals, the thin wiry form of Police Chief Vox stepped out. He moved at leisure, examining the surroundings, the fallen officers, the executed Chief Bear. He didn’t seem surprised at all.
At that moment Jintang realized his fatal mistake - there wasn’t just one mole in the police force, there were two!
At Vox's command, one of the officers activated his powers. A rift opened up around Chief Fang and the world went dark as he was swallowed up by the portal and disappeared from sight.
“We were too late. What a shame.” Police Chief Vox said, shaking his head, "At least now we have him in our custody.”
“D-did Chief Fang do all this?” The officers beside him were shocked. Unlike Chief Bear’s team, they were not yet aware of the situation with Chief Fang.
“Regrettably, yes.” Chief Vox said with a sigh, “If only I discovered about Chief Bear’s operation sooner, perhaps we could have prevented this.”
“S-sir?”
“The truth is, we had been suspicious of Jintang Fang’s betrayal and were in the midst of investigation. But rather than making bold accusations we decided to gather more evidence.” Chief Vox explained, “Unfortunately, it looks like the traitor decided to move against us first.”
“With Chief Bear dead, don’t need any more evidence.” Chief Vox said, “Chief Fang’s betrayal against Lord Noga and the police force is clear as day.”