CHAPTER 149: CHAPTER 149 | UNQUESTIONABLE

*thud! *thud! *thud! *clutter!

"Platoon C follow me!"

"Platoon A returning to routine patrol!"

"Platoon B returning to the maintenance location!"

The air was alive with the rhythmic sound of boots striking stone as the soldiers filed out in strict formation, their movements disciplined and efficient.

The high-ranking officials followed soon after, their long cloaks brushing against the ground as they dispersed in different directions,

"That boy’s in it... for ... ing..."

their voices hushed now in the presence of what had just transpired.

One by one, their silhouettes slipped into the distance, fading into shadow until the square was emptied of all but two figures.

Jinn and General Gaius remained,

locked in the pale brilliance of the massive banner overhead.

Its blinding glow spilled down upon them, bathing the scene in stark light that cast long, heavy shadows.

The square felt colder now,

quieter,

the silence almost unnatural in its weight,

as if the city itself was holding its breath for what would come next.

Yet,

the stillness broke with a sudden

*crack!

Gaius struck his burner, a small flare igniting as he drew the flame to the end of a thick cigar clenched between his teeth.

The ember glowed brightly in the dimness, painting a faint red glow on his hardened features.

He drew in deeply, the tip burning hot,

*phew!

before releasing a heavy exhale.

Smoke coiled from his lips and slipped into the air like a serpent, winding and twisting upward toward the night sky.

.

.

.

Seconds stretched into minutes.

The cold night air drifted through the square, carrying the mingled scent of steel, ash, and the acrid sting of tobacco.

The silence stretched taut, broken only by the faint rustle of the banner above and the steady crackle of Gaius’s cigar.

Jinn’s eyes narrowed, blue irises flashing faintly under the banner’s glow.

His patience thinned, his jaw tightening.

"Get on with i—" he began, voice low, ready to force the General’s hand.

But Gaius cut him off.

"Irez kil en Kazar," he spoke, the words of the Zeraf, rolling from his tongue like a ritual, laced with weight and authority.

Smoke bled from his mouth as he exhaled slowly, his sharp gaze locking with Jinn’s.

His voice followed in the common tongue, low and edged like steel.

"Unquestionable strength."

His eyes narrowed further, their sharpness intensifying before his hand snapped forward with lethal speed.

*BOOM!

The handcannon in his grasp unleashed a thunderous blast, the recoil shaking his arm as a powerful shot tore through the air with a shrill whistle.

It flew toward Jinn at near-instantaneous speed, a streak of death aimed straight for his chest.

But Jinn’s eyes caught it.

His instincts roared alive as his body shifted, twisting with perfect precision.

*Fwhip!

The projectile tore past him, missing by inches, as his boots scraped against the ground.

His breathing remained calm, but his gaze sharpened further, locking back onto the General with razor focus.

Yet,

Gaius was already in motion.

With a single, devastating dash, the General closed the gap between them,

*THUD! *THUD! *THUD! *THUD!

his form a blur of speed and force.

The ground cracked beneath the power of his step, and in less than a heartbeat he was upon Jinn, his presence crashing forward like a boulder rolling down a mountain, unstoppable and merciless.

Gaius’s massive hand then shot upward, fingers spread wide like the talons of a predator reaching for its prey.

His intent was clear—

one crushing grab, and the fight would be his.

But Jinn was already moving, instincts honed through countless battles igniting in that split second.

*Shhhhhhht!

His blade flashed, drawn free with a hiss of steel as he snapped the hilt upward in a brutal strike.

*Thwack!

The motion connected against Gaius’s forearm from below, the impact forcing the limb to jolt upward under the force.

"Mhm!" Jinn grunted through clenched teeth, every muscle in his body straining as he forced the grab off-course.

Yet Gaius barely flinched.

The seasoned warrior released a guttural grunt, not of pain but of annoyance, before exhaling with deliberate malice.

A thick cloud of smoke burst from his mouth, a billowing haze that engulfed Jinn’s vision in an instant.

The pungent stench of burning tobacco stung his nose and eyes, clouding the square in a gray veil.

Jinn’s reaction was immediate.

*crunch!

He pushed off the floor stone with a backward leap, boots scraping as he launched himself out of the cloud.

His crimson hair whipped violently as the cold air rushed back into his lungs, clearing his senses.

But the brief reprieve was gone as quickly as it came.

Gaius was already upon him.

*BANG!

The General’s body blurred as he exploded forward with a single earth-shattering leap, his boots cracking the stone beneath him.

His arms stretched wide, ready to seize Jinn with crushing force.

The air split with the sound of his charge, and for an instant, the illuminated square trembled beneath the sheer momentum of his presence.

Jinn’s blade hummed, a faint crimson glow sparking to life along its edge.

The energy of his eidra licked across the steel like buzzing lightning, snarling with restrained power.

His grip tightened, every fiber of his being screaming at him to unleash the strike.

But then—

he faltered.

The light dimmed.

The red sparks scattered and faded.

His hand froze for a heartbeat, hesitation clutching him in chains.

The world slowed.

"Hesitation is death, fool!" Gaius’s voice thundered across the space, ripping through the haze of doubt as his body surged forward with a speed that seemed to defy his massive frame.

"Tch!" Jinn’s teeth clicked as frustration burned in his chest.

His eidra flared to life again, this time wrapping his blade fully in a furious glow.

The crimson aura writhed, ready to carve through anything in his path.

But it was too late.

Gaius’s arms slammed around him in a crushing embrace, locking his body in an unbreakable grip.

His arms were like steel bands, muscles rippling as he constricted tighter.

"Kurghk!" Jinn’s breath ripped from his lungs in a strangled grunt as his ribs groaned under the suffocating pressure.

His sword arm strained, trapped in the vice-like hold... until his grip became loose, making the sword fall.