Faced with a hail of bullets, Nekomata's body tensed instinctively. Her muscles coiled, ready to leap away.
But before she could move—
Even if she managed to dodge this time, what difference would it make?
She was just a stray, always running, without a home to return to.
When the Red Fang Gang fell into corruption, she hadn't tried to fix it—she had just left in disappointment.
When White Boss was killed a few days ago, all she had cared about was revenge, blindly attacking the Hare's House without thinking.
She was done running.
Now, if her life could be exchanged for the safety of Canvas Lane's people, she would gladly give it up—her final act of redemption.
How much was the life of a stray worth?
Ten thousand Dennies? A hundred thousand?
Even though Nekomata had prepared herself for this, she had still overestimated her value. In Sarah's eyes, her life was worth nothing.
Nekomata let go of Perlman's collar, whispering her final apology:
"Sorry… Sam Li, Anby, Proxies. I couldn't hold out any longer. The commission I owe you… I'll have to repay it in my next life…"
In the end, she just wanted to see Sam Li and Nicole one last time—just to say sorry.
That was a wish that would never come true.
With that, Nekomata closed her eyes in despair.
And then, she heard it.
A faint dragon's roar, echoing in her ears.
At first, she thought she was imagining things.
A golden light burst through the darkness, illuminating her vision.
No—this light was familiar. Comforting. Safe.
She had seen it before, back when the Dead End Butcher had chased her through the Hollow. Nicole had called it the Guardian Angel radiance.
It could only mean one thing—
Nekomata's eyes shot open.
Before her stood a towering figure. A golden shield shimmered in front of them, deflecting every bullet.
Brown robes. Ancient patterns. A strong, unyielding stance…
Her last wish—somehow, impossibly—had come true.
Nekomata pinched herself, half-believing she was dreaming. "Meow—ow, that hurts! This is real—!"
Sam Li's voice remained as calm as ever. "Watch Perlman. Don't let him escape."
Nekomata snapped to attention. "Ah—right! Got it!"
To her, Sam Li had appeared out of nowhere, descending with golden light like a divine protector.
But to Vision Corporation's armed forces—
It was something out of legend.
A god from myth. A hero from sci-fi.
Descending from the sky.
Even the faint sound of a dragon's roar lingered in the air, like the grand entrance of a movie protagonist, blending with the relentless gunfire to heighten the tension.
The instant he arrived—
Everyone was stunned.
The soldiers, momentarily frozen in shock, forgot to release their triggers. Their weapons kept firing, unleashing a storm of bullets at Sam Li and Nekomata.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
But the moment those bullets struck the Jade Rampart, they bounced off as if they had hit an immovable mountain. Some ricocheted away, while others fell to the ground, encased in Geo energy.
And when the final round was fired—
The world fell silent.
The armed soldiers finally processed what had just happened, their eyes filled with terror as they stared at Sam Li.
"He… he blocked them all… He's not afraid of bullets—!"
"That golden light around him… It even stopped our rounds! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Those were Security Bureau-issued bullets—"
"I've seen old-era movies in the theater. He's just like those supernatural beings—flying down from the sky, controlling bullets—"
"What was that sound just now? Did you hear it? It was like… the roar of a beast—"
"Could he be from a special forces unit?"
Gripping their weapons tightly, the soldiers instinctively took several steps back, their confidence shaken.
For an ordinary person, these firearms were devastating instruments of war.
But against this man… they might as well have been useless sticks.
"Miss Sarah… What do we do?"
Sarah's expression darkened. "Do I have to spell it out? Bring out the rocket launcher. I refuse to believe that some big shot would waste their time saving a little slum like Canvas Lane."
Even she was stunned by what she had witnessed.
But she couldn't believe that any high-ranking figure would step in for Canvas Lane. The city's elite had neither the time nor the reason to intervene.
That golden radiance had to be some kind of high-tech defense gadget, or the ability of an S-Class W-Engine. And like anything else, it could be destroyed with enough firepower.
As she issued the order to fire the rocket launcher, she subtly stepped backward, disappearing into the crowd.
Without hesitation, she pressed the detonation button for Canvas Lane.
Even from this distance, the deafening explosion was unmistakable.
Nekomata collapsed to the ground, staring in the direction of Canvas Lane. A hollow despair settled in her chest.
"It's over… The people of Canvas Lane… they're all dead…" Her voice cracked as she turned to Sam Li. "We failed, Sam Li… We failed—!"
Sam Li spoke calmly. "No. We haven't failed. Anby and the others will be here soon."
Nekomata froze. "What…? What do you mean? How…?"
Sam Li didn't answer.
Like an indifferent spectator, he simply watched as the soldiers scrambled about.
Watched as they brought out a rocket launcher.
Watched as they took aim at him and Nekomata, treating them like stationary targets.
At this, Sam Li's expression darkened slightly.
"You refuse to repent… Then I shall deliver judgment."
This was already a massive incident.
By now, the authorities of New Eridu and the media should have been arriving.
Sam Li had no intention of interfering with the city's laws.
Even after everything, they were still trying to kill him.
Still trying to wield greater firepower against him.
In the next instant, Sam Li slowly raised a hand.
A surge of Geo energy gathered at his palm, glowing with a soft golden light.
The bullets scattered on the ground trembled—
Then, wrapped in Geo, they floated into the air, one by one.
Sam Li's voice was calm.
"I'll return these to you."
The Geo energy erupted, sending the bullets hurtling back toward their former owners.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of low, dull explosions rang out as the bullets struck the soldiers' thighs, arms—
One by one, they crumpled to the ground.