From Rags to God of War

A Threat

Isabella had just wrapped up a meeting with representatives from the Diamond Group. A faint smile still lingered on her lips, the result of a profitable preliminary agreement. The midday sky was bright above the skyscrapers. Isabella stepped out of the building, phone in hand, intending to find a restaurant for lunch. Business thoughts were still swirling in her head—new expansion plans and market strategies. She savored the moment when everything felt like it was falling into place.

She walked alone on a fairly busy sidewalk, lost in thought. Suddenly, a motorcycle approached from behind at an excessive speed. The bike braked abruptly in front of her, emitting a loud screech of tires. A figure in a dark helmet, concealing their entire face, sat on the motorcycle. Their movements were swift. A glass bottle containing clear liquid was raised in their hand.

"Die!" they shouted, raising the bottle.

In the blink of an eye, the bottle soared towards Isabella. A splash of clear liquid was already visible heading towards her. Isabella could only gasp, her body freezing in shock and horror. Her heart pounded, a terrible premonition hit her. It was acid!

However, before the liquid could reach her face, a shadow darted. A strong hand pulled Isabella with incredible force. She was forcibly pulled back, her body spun, then she fell to the side with a light thud. The liquid from the bottle slammed onto the sidewalk exactly where Isabella had been standing, creating a sizzling sound and a thin, suffocating smoke. A pungent smell immediately assailed her nostrils.

"Get out of here, Miss!" yelled the secret bodyguard Nicholas had assigned.

The bodyguard was one of Martin's men, secretly tasked by Nicholas to protect Isabella. With a swift movement, he helped Isabella up. The bodyguard's eyes darted sharply towards the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist tried to escape, revving the throttle to full speed.

"Damn it!" the bodyguard cursed, "Don't let them get away!"

The bodyguard gave chase. However, the busy street became an obstacle. The motorcycle weaved through cars and pedestrians, disappearing around the street corner. The bodyguard returned, his breath slightly ragged.

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked, checking on Isabella's condition.

Isabella was still in shock, her hands trembling. "I'm fine. Thank you, you saved me." She looked at the puddle of liquid on the sidewalk, still emitting smoke. If it weren't for the bodyguard, her face would have been ruined. They wanted to kill Isabella.

"I'll report this to Mr. Krause," the bodyguard said. "For now, let's find a safe place."

...

Later that evening, Isabella was home. She had reported the incident to the police, giving a full account, and the police were already reviewing CCTV footage from around the location.

Nicholas came home, his expression showing deep concern. He had just finished his work and immediately inquired about Isabella. He sat beside Isabella, holding her hand tightly.

"I've heard the report," Nicholas said, looking at Isabella seriously. "Are you really okay?"

Isabella nodded. "I'm fine, Nicholas. Just a little shaken. The police are handling it. They said they're checking the CCTV around the location. They'll surely find the culprit soon."

Nicholas snorted softly. "The police? I'm not sure they'll do a thorough job in a case like this. This isn't your average criminal."

"I've told them everything," Isabella said, her voice sounding tired. "I just want to forget this ever happened. I'm so exhausted, I want to sleep."

Nicholas looked at Isabella, understanding that she needed rest. But he also knew the threat wasn't over. He had to act. Alone.

"Alright, just rest," Nicholas said. He got up from his seat. "I'm going out for a bit. I want to buy some snacks."

Isabella raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Snacks? Why do you need snacks so late at night?" she asked. "It's already very late."

"I'm hungry," Nicholas lied. "Just sleep. I won't be long."

"In that case, come back quickly," Isabella reminded him. "Don't be out too late."

"I'll be back as soon as possible," Nicholas promised, kissing Isabella's forehead then stepping out.

After making sure Isabella was in her room and lying down, Nicholas immediately left the house. He didn't actually go out to buy snacks. He headed to a secret location where he was scheduled to meet Martin.

Martin was already waiting in the car, looking serious as Nicholas got in.

"Any updates?" Nicholas asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Martin nodded, handing Nicholas a tablet. "I've identified the perpetrator, sir. From hacked CCTV footage and some intel from underworld sources. They're from the same group: Fire Lion."

Nicholas frowned. "Fire Lion? But I killed the King of Death. Who's still causing trouble like this?" There was an angry edge to his voice.

"That's the strange part, sir," Martin pointed to the CCTV footage on the tablet. "The second surprising fact is that the attacker wasn't a man. The culprit is a woman."

Nicholas took the tablet, replaying the CCTV footage on the screen. He carefully watched the motorcyclist's movements, how she raised the bottle, then how she escaped. Although she wore a helmet, her posture and movements indeed seemed slenderer. As she weaved through other vehicles, there was a different kind of agility.

"A woman," Nicholas mumbled, "I've sensed this woman's presence before."

"Her identity isn't fully clear yet, sir," Martin added. "But she possesses an extremely high level of skill. Almost on par with the King of Death, if not more agile."

Nicholas handed the tablet back to Martin. "Tighten security for Isabella. Don't leave her alone. There should always be someone watching her from an unseen distance. I'll find the perpetrator myself."

"But sir, that's too dangerous," Martin tried to argue. "Let me deploy our best team to handle this."

"No," Nicholas cut him off firmly. "This woman moves like a ghost. Your best team might be too slow. I'll face her alone."

Nicholas left Martin, heading towards the location where Isabella was attacked. He wanted to find clues, to sense the aura there. That night, the streets were relatively quiet. Nicholas walked along the sidewalk, his eyes scanning every detail, every corner that might have been missed by the police. He checked the faint residual mark of the acid splash.

As he was bending down, examining a crack in the asphalt, a flash of light suddenly erupted, followed by the deafening crack of a gunshot. The bullet whizzed by, just centimeters from his head, hitting the wall behind him and leaving a fresh mark.

Nicholas immediately dodged, rolling quickly behind a car. He looked up. From the top of a tall building overlooking the street, a silhouette stood. A sniper rifle on her shoulder. After firing, the figure moved swiftly, disappearing over the rooftop.

"Damn it!" Nicholas cursed.

Nicholas immediately gave chase. He moved with lightning speed, through narrow alleys, climbing walls, leaping from one building to another with incredible agility. He was like a shadow in the night. He reached the top of the building where the shooter had been in a short time.

However, when he got there, the place was empty. Only the night wind greeted him. The shooter was gone. She had managed to escape, as fast as lightning. Nicholas stared into the distance, his breath a little ragged. He knew it was the same woman.

"This woman..." Nicholas mumbled. "Her movements are incredibly agile. She might be even slipperier to find than the King of Death himself."