As Noel struggled to get up, the officers started to close in, their presence like a tightening noose.

They moved with precision, a well-oiled machine executing a flawless maneuver, circling around him with military exactness.

Their shadows converged, creating a formidable barrier of dark silhouettes that stretched ominously across the ground.

Some had taken strategic positions on the surrounding rooftops, their long, dark forms cutting starkly against the fading daylight.

While others blocked every possible escape route on the ground, leaving Noel no avenue of retreat.

Above, the drones hovered like mechanical vultures, their lenses trained unblinkingly on him, capturing his every move in cold, clinical detail.

The constant hum of their engines droned in the background, a relentless reminder of the all-seeing eyes tracking his every breath.

The tension in the air was palpable, a heavy, suffocating blanket that pressed down on Noel, making his every movement feel labored and slow.

"Now what will you do, Noel?" James’s voice crackled through the communication device, laced with a mixture of challenge and morbid curiosity.

The question hung in the air, heavy with implication and expectation.

Noel, his breath ragged and labored, finally managed to get to his feet.

Sweat trickled down his face, stinging his eyes and blurring his vision, but he forced himself to stand tall.

His heart pounded in his chest, a wild, frantic rhythm that echoed in his ears, yet he drew himself up, summoning a last reserve of defiance.

"Very well, Mr. Officer," he replied, his voice tinged with weary determination and a trace of bitter irony.

He glanced around, taking in the sea of determined faces, the set jaws and steely eyes of the officers, their ready stances signaling their preparedness to act at a moment's notice.

They formed an impenetrable wall, a living barricade that seemed to pulse with collective resolve.

The realization hit him like a blow to the gut – he was well and truly trapped.

"You've really got me trapped here," he admitted, a grudging respect creeping into his tone.

David's strategy had been flawless, a masterful execution that left no room for error or escape.

The acknowledgment was bitter, but Noel couldn't deny the brilliance of the trap that had ensnared him.

Many officers surrounded him, their expressions tense and focused, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Their eyes bore into him, a collective force of will that made every breath a struggle.

Stolen novel; please report.

The weight of their expectation pressed down on him like a physical burden, amplifying the exhaustion already creeping through his bones.

"I've very little energy left," Noel confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, ragged with fatigue.

"Maybe enough for three more teleportations at most."

He took a deep breath, the air heavy and oppressive, trying to steady himself.

His eyes darted around, scanning the circle of adversaries.

Each one was poised, muscles taut, ready to react instantly.

They were a living barricade, a wall of human determination against his freedom.

Despite the dire situation, Noel couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration for James’s efforts and tactical brilliance.

He had underestimated his opponent, and now he was paying the price.

The realization was a bitter pill to swallow, but it only fueled his resolve, sharpening his mind even as his body grew weary.

"Well, you've perfectly used my weaknesses against me. Truly awesome," Noel acknowledged, a flicker of genuine admiration in his eyes.

He forced a faint smile, a stark contrast to the tension surrounding him.

It was the smile of a man who, despite being cornered, recognized and respected the skill that had led to his entrapment.

The officers remained silent, their eyes never leaving him, the pressure of their collective presence almost palpable.

Noel knew his situation was dire, perhaps even hopeless, but the smile on his face was unyielding.

It was the smile of a man who had accepted his fate yet found some hidden amusement in the game being played.

Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, every breath a reminder of his diminishing strength.

Yet, standing there, surrounded and outnumbered, Noel's spirit remained unbroken.

The faint smile lingered on his lips, a testament to his indomitable will.

He was a man pushed to the edge, but not yet defeated, still finding a perverse joy in the challenge before him.

"But let me ask you one thing, Mr. Officer," Noel's tone shifted, taking on a playful yet intense curiosity, a spark of something wild and untamed flickering in his eyes.

"What if I remove these weaknesses from me? What would you do then?"

James, monitoring the scene closely, felt a pang of confusion at Noel's cryptic question.

"What do you mean?" he responded, his voice tinged with genuine puzzlement.

Noel's smile widened, a gleam of mischief dancing in his eyes.

"I have these weaknesses only because I'm a mortal. So, what if, for the time being, I stop being a mortal? Tell me, what would happen?"

James's brow furrowed deeply, struggling to grasp the implications of Noel's words.

The very idea seemed absurd, an impossibility that defied reason.

"Becoming a non-mortal? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" he demanded, his voice rising with incredulity.

"I truly didn't want to do this," Noel muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of regret and resolve.

"But you've left me with no other choice. Now I have to see that scary fella again."

James’s confusion deepened, his frustration mounting.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, his tone a mix of impatience and bewilderment.

Noel looked up, his gaze piercing through the tension-filled air, a sense of finality in his eyes.

"Sauron!" he called out, his voice echoing with an eerie resonance that sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.

Instantly, Noel's eyes began to glow with an otherworldly blue light, a luminescence that seemed to come from some unfathomable depth.

An intense, swirling aura enveloped his body, a tempest of energy that crackled and shimmered around him.

The transformation was both mesmerizing and terrifying, a stark contrast to the beaten, weary figure he had been moments before.

The officers, sensing the shift, reacted with swift aggression.

"Take him down!" someone shouted, and a barrage of attacks was launched in unison.

Mana balls, sound waves, and other potent long-range assaults hurtled toward Noel, the air crackling with lethal energy.

Explosions erupted around him, and thick clouds of dust and debris filled the air, obscuring him from view.

The ground shook with the impact, a series of tremors that rippled outward, distorting the very earth beneath their feet.

The officers held their breath, hearts pounding, waiting for the dust to settle.

They were certain that no one could withstand such an onslaught unscathed.

But as the dust began to clear, their anticipation turned to shock.

Noel stood there, completely unharmed.

His blue aura now blazed with a fierce, almost blinding intensity, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the battlefield.

His eyes, no longer just glowing, were filled with a madness that seemed to transcend human comprehension, a look that spoke of limitless power and uncontainable fury.

"You only have a few seconds. Be careful not to break your mind," a voice resonated within Noel's consciousness, a voice he knew all too well. Sauron.

The name echoed in his mind, a reminder of the perilous power he now wielded.

There was no time to dwell on him.

Pushing the thought aside, Noel raised his hand with a casual flick, as if swatting a fly.

Instantly, the officers surrounding him were hurled backwards, their bodies crashing into the buildings with bone-jarring force.

The air was filled with the sounds of splintering wood, shattering glass, and the pained cries of the fallen.

Noel didn't waste any time and started to rise from the ground, his feet lifting off the earth as if gravity no longer held sway over him.

He floated upward, his aura growing even more intense, casting shadows that danced wildly in the dim light.

He stopped mid-air, surveying the scene below him.

The once-coordinated ranks of officers lay in disarray, scattered and broken.

The surrounding buildings bore the scars of the confrontation, walls cracked and windows shattered.

The drones still hovered, capturing every moment, their lenses reflecting the ethereal glow of Noel's aura.

Now he was prepared to make his biggest move.