Emperor Of War

Chapter Fourteen: One Chance

Adam Swift's POV

The four men stared at me. For a moment, the street became completely silent.

Then the leader burst into laughter. A loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the crowd. The others quickly joined him. Their laughter filled the narrow street.

The old man lowered his head. The teenager looked at me with confusion. Even some members of the crowd shook their heads. They thought I was making a mistake. A dangerous one.

The leader wiped a tear from his eye. "You want me to let him go?"

I nodded. "Yes."

The man laughed again. "And who exactly are you?"

I remained calm. "Someone giving you a chance."

The smile immediately disappeared from his face. The crowd felt the change. So did his companions. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. The leader's eyes narrowed.

"A chance?"

I took another step forward.

"Let the boy go."

The man holding the teenager tightened his grip. "What if I refuse?"

My gaze settled on him. "Then you'll regret it."

The street became quiet again. The old man looked terrified. The teenager stared at me in disbelief. The leader suddenly spat on the ground.

"You've got guts." The others laughed. "But around here, guts get people killed."

The man holding the teenager shoved him to the ground. The boy landed hard. Before he could stand, one of the thugs stepped on his back.

The old man cried out. "Please!" He crawled forward. "Don't hurt him."

The thug kicked him away. The elderly man rolled across the pavement. Blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. The crowd gasped. Anger burned inside me. Not because of the money. Not because of the debt. But because men like these always preyed on the weak. They were cowards pretending to be powerful.

The leader pointed at me. "You should leave while you still can."

I smiled. Dax sighed beside me.

"I think they made the wrong choice."

The leader frowned. "What did he say?"

Before anyone could answer, I moved. The crowd never saw it happen. One second I was standing beside Dax. The next second I was in front of the thug standing on the teenager's back. His eyes widened. Too late.

My fist struck his stomach. A sickening crack echoed through the street. The man's feet left the ground. His body flew backward and crashed into a parked vehicle. The windshield shattered instantly. Silence. Complete silence. Everyone froze.

The remaining three men stared at their fallen companion. The thug coughed violently. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Then he collapsed unconscious.

The leader's jaw dropped. The crowd erupted.

"What happened?"

"Did you see that?"

"He's too fast!"

The teenager stared at me with wide eyes. The old man looked equally shocked. The leader finally recovered.

"Kill him!" His roar echoed through the street.

The remaining men charged. The first one swung a metal rod. I caught it effortlessly. His confidence disappeared. I snapped the rod in half. The sound made several people flinch.

Then I drove my elbow into his face. Crunch. His nose collapsed instantly. The man screamed before falling unconscious.

The third thug rushed me from behind. I spun. My kick landed against his ribs. The force sent him crashing through a nearby food stall.bTables exploded. Wood scattered everywhere.

The crowd scrambled away. Only the leader remained standing. Fear finally appeared in his eyes. For the first time, he understood. He wasn't dealing with an ordinary man.

He slowly stepped backward. "You..." His voice trembled. "Who are you?"

I continued walking toward him. The leader's breathing became uneven. Step. Step. Step. Every step increased his panic. The crowd moved aside. Nobody wanted to stand between us.

The leader suddenly reached into his jacket. Several people screamed. A gun. He pulled out a pistol. The weapon shook in his hand.

"Stop!" He pointed it at me. "I'll shoot!"

The old man gasped. The teenager's face turned pale. The crowd immediately scattered. Everyone knew what came next. I stopped walking.

The leader smiled nervously. "That's right."

His confidence slowly returned. "Now you understand."

I looked at the gun. Then back at him. My expression remained unchanged. The leader frowned.

Why wasn't I afraid?

The answer came a second later. I moved.

Bang!

The gun fired. Women screamed. People ducked. The leader's eyes widened.bThe bullet missed.

Before he could react again, I appeared directly in front of him. Impossible. That was the only word visible on his face. My hand closed around his wrist. Crack.

The gun fell to the ground. The leader screamed. I grabbed his collar. Lifted him effortlessly. The crowd watched in horror. The man's feet dangled above the pavement.

"Please!" His confidence had vanished completely. "I was wrong!"

I stared into his eyes. "How much did he originally owe?"

The man swallowed. "F-Five hundred thousand."

The old man looked stunned.

I tightened my grip. "And how much has he paid?"

"Three hundred and fifty thousand."

The crowd immediately began whispering.

The truth was finally exposed. The old man wasn't the criminal. These men were.

I looked at the elderly man. "How much do you still owe?"

"One hundred and fifty thousand." His voice shook.

I nodded. Then I turned back toward the thug.

"Then why did you demand two million?"

The man couldn't answer. Because there was no answer. Only greed. Only corruption. I released him. He crashed onto the pavement.

The leader immediately crawled backward. "Please." His voice broke. "I'll leave."

I looked at Dax. He understood immediately. Dax stepped forward and placed a small card on the ground. The thug stared at it. Confused.

"Take it."

The man hesitated. Then picked it up. His face immediately turned white. The crowd noticed. Something about that card terrified him.

"What is it?" someone whispered.

The thug looked at me. His entire body began trembling. Because he finally recognized the symbol printed on the card. A symbol feared throughout countless battlefields. A symbol belonging to a man whose name had become legend.

His lips trembled. "No..."

The card slipped from his hand. The crowd watched in confusion. The thug looked at me again. Then at the symbol. His face turned completely pale. And for the first time that night—

He realized exactly who he had just threatened.