Vol2 Chapter 16: Free Day(3)

The sunset, like a rusted blade, sliced through the ruins of Cassell College. The air reeked of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood. Lu Mingfei stood in the clearing’s center, the barrel of his M4 glinting coldly in the sunlight. His pupils suddenly rippled with gold, like twin burning suns. A piercing wind howled past, and in the shadows of a distant building, Bai Ci’s breath caught. Her dragon bloodline’s instincts gnawed at her spine like a viper. She saw her own reflection in those golden pupils, her forehead’s cold sweat swallowed by the vortex in his eyes.

Damn it, you still say you’re not a dragon?

Only Dragon Kings had ever made her feel this fear.

Bai Ci’s right index finger curled around the trigger, the metal’s chill seeping through her skin, straight to her veins. Each heartbeat synced with the crosshair’s tremble, as if her pulse echoed in the sniper scope.

Lu Mingfei suddenly sidestepped, melting into the shadow of a half-person-high concrete barrier. In that instant, the AWM’s roar shattered the sky. The bullet, a night-stalking serpent, left a charred hole where he’d just been. Debris rained on his face. Bai Ci’s pupils contracted, her eardrums burning from her own shot. She swiftly adjusted her aim, the crosshair roving where Lu Mingfei might reappear. Her breath became a gale, weaving a requiem with the scope’s reflection.

Lu Mingfei peeked from cover, the M4’s burst fire tearing the air, carving a barrage into the lab building’s outer wall. Bai Ci ducked back from the window, pressing against the wall. Her ears rang with her heartbeat, each thump matching the M4’s fiery bursts.

A green figure darted out. Simultaneously, a sniper shot rang, but the real threat came from the left—Lu Mingfei slid from cover, his full-auto fire weaving a deathly net.

He actually thought to throw his jacket as a decoy?

The moment she fired, Bai Ci knew she was done. She saw what Lu Mingfei was doing, but there was no stopping him.

It was like when he’d swarm her with Zerg in StarCraft or flood her with Kirovs in Red Alert.

A tranquilizer bullet struck her forehead precisely. Bai Ci shuddered, the anesthetic taking effect, her consciousness fading. Instinctively, she pulled the trigger, the AWM’s echo ringing out, but she could no longer aim. Her body swayed, collapsing, the sniper rifle slipping from her hands with a dull thud.

Lu Mingfei, gun raised, emptied his clip in a single moment. Doubting his aim, he bet it all—bet he’d hit, bet he’d win. And he did.

Not bad, Lu Mingfei.

He waited, panting, crouching in the ruins. His golden pupils faded back, but he kept staring where Bai Ci fell. No movement for a while.

Got her?

Lu Mingfei stood slowly, smoke still curling from his M4’s barrel. He turned to leave, the sunset stretching his shadow into a lonely silhouette across the ruins. In the distant shadows, as Bai Ci’s consciousness slipped away, she caught his backlit figure, gilded faintly by the sun, dazzlingly bright.

A faint curve touched her lips, her whisper barely audible: “Next time…”

Then, darkness claimed her.

—

Lu Mingfei walked to Zero, squatted, and bowed to her.

“General Zero, I avenged you… rest in peace.”

Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice boomed from all directions through the PA system—a familiar senior’s voice: “Caesar, how many of your people are left?”

“Lu Mingfei and me,” Caesar’s voice blared from the same system, loud enough to echo across campus. “By numbers, I win. Chu Zihang, you’ve lost. With so many down, Lionheart has no chance dragging this out. Lu Mingfei did great—he took out at least ten of your members. You saw it; he even dropped your S-rank. Chu Zihang, I respect your choice. Surrender or fight to the end.”

“I surrender.”

Chu Zihang’s voice was flat. “If it was just you, I might manage. Two? I won’t waste my energy.”

Lu Mingfei froze. What? The sniper I took out was Lionheart’s S-rank?

Haha, think positive—maybe it was the principal reminiscing about his Lionheart days, joining in for fun… Yeah, right!

Forgetting Zero, Lu Mingfei bolted into the building to find answers.

—

Fingel tackled Lu Mingfei in a bear hug, wailing dramatically.

“Senior, it’s you? I thought some Lionheart guy was hiding in the dorm for revenge!” Lu Mingfei recognized the voice, his bravado fading. “You trying to murder me?!”

Fingel, nearly 1.9 meters and built like a bull, crushed Lu Mingfei in the hug, nearly suffocating him. A bit more force, and the great S-rank would’ve been strangled.

Hearing Lu Mingfei, Fingel reluctantly let go. “I heard you won Free Day and took out Bai Ci at the last second, so I wanted to celebrate! You know I’m broke, got nothing to give, so I figured a hug full of love was the best gift.”

“Your love almost killed me,” Lu Mingfei waved him off. “And it wasn’t one shot—I unloaded a whole clip.”

“Still counts as one hit! But damn, you’re ruthless, shooting the girl you like?”

“I didn’t know it was her!” Lu Mingfei argued. “And… she seemed happy?”

Fingel leaned in, smirking slyly. “Happy getting shot by you? Is she a masochist?”

“Get lost!”

“Haha, enough of that. Caesar says you’re the MVP of Free Day. They’re throwing a celebration at Norton Hall.”

“Celebration?”

Lu Mingfei shivered, recalling the Amber Hall fiasco. If Zero hadn’t bailed him out, he’d have lost all dignity.

Zero was a great friend—barely noticeable day-to-day, but when you were in trouble, she’d appear silently with a solution, like the ultimate big sister. If Zero liked someone, she’d be fiercely loyal, quietly devoted. Whoever ended up with her would be stupidly happy.

Oh, right—didn’t Zero promise him a big meal?

—

“So the sniper who dirtied my clothes was you?” Zero crossed her arms, glaring darkly at Bai Ci.

“Uh…” Bai Ci looked down, hands clasped on her lap, thumbs wrestling nervously.

“Treat me to dinner tonight, and I’ll forgive you,” Zero paused. “I might want a lot.”

“Okay.”

Bai Ci nodded like a pecking chick.