Chapter 3: Can a sword stop bullets?

"How the hell did he do that?" one of the assailants asked Cain. "He sliced a bullet with a sword! That's impossible!"

The other men agreed with him, taking a step back. Fear painted their faces, and the hands that clutched the guns were no longer as steady as before.

Cain, too, felt a trickle of terror drip down his spine. He didn't know of anyone who could cut a moving bullet with a sword…surely, if someone with this level of expertise had existed around the Boss, he would have known of it. Not to mention, he had never seen this strangely dressed young fellow before.

"It must be a coincidence," Cain murmured. "A stroke of luck, that's all. How is it possible to stop bullets with a sword, let alone cut them in half?"

Gathering himself, Cain fired another shot.

Noir's movement was so fast that he seemed to vibrate rather than move. The second bullet, too, fell at Cain's feet, sliced neatly in half as if it were an apple instead of a metal bullet!

The mercenaries behind Cain were ready to run for their lives by now. It was only the promise of the small fortune they would be paid if they killed Boss Solis that kept them from bolting.

Cain, too, was afraid now.

"What if we all fired together?" one of the mercenaries whispered. "He can't stop all the bullets with his sword, can he?"

Another mercenary agreed. "You're right. We just need one bullet to hit Boss Solis and then we can run and get our payment."

The group of assailants brightened and their hands steadied as they took aim.

Boss Solis looked at the thin young man standing in front of the bathtub like a guardian angel. This incredible and strange person had already braved bullets for him. Was this real…or had he gone mad…? Still, no matter how skilled he was, he wouldn't be able to withstand a barrage of bullets aimed at a wide range.

"Leave," he said hoarsely, tugging at Noir's sleeve. "There is no need for you to endanger yourself for my sake."

Noir turned around and smiled gently. "Don't worry," he said, patting his hand to reassure the man in the tub. "I can handle this much with ease. I won't let them hurt you."

Before he could say anything else, the assailants started firing at the two men.

For the next minute, only the sound of guns and sharp metallic sounds were heard. Noir's movements were too fast to be seen with the naked eye!

The villains stopped when their guns ran out of bullets.

And realised that Noir was standing exactly where he was before they started, not a hair out of place. Boss Solis in the bathtub behind him was also completely unharmed!

All the bullets lay scattered at Noir's feet – some sliced neatly with the sword, some distorted as if they had hit a powerful barrier, some shattered into pieces as if they were made of glass!

It was unbelievable!

The mercenaries wanted to run, but were too scared to move. This strange man was so fast, what if he chopped them down if they tried to escape? So they huddled together behind Cain, trying to reduce their presence as much as possible.

Cain's gun slipped from his sweaty hands and fell to the floor with a loud clang. He eyed Noir with trepidation.

"Who are you?" he asked, wiping his brow with a shaking hand.

"I am Prince Noir of the Ray Kingdom," Noir replied, seeing no reason to hide his identity. Besides, if the injured man behind was his Master, his memory may be triggered upon hearing his name. After all, Noir had been the only pupil of his Master…

One of the mercenaries burst out laughing at Noir's answer. "And I am the demi-god Fiona!" he cried, a tinge of hysteria in his voice.

Noir raised an elegant eyebrow. "Fiona would be offended if she learnt that an ugly, uncouth man like you was pretending to be her. Regardless of whether Fiona takes on a female or a male form, she is always beautiful enough to make roses bloom and birds fall out of the sky," he said in a matter-of-fact voice.

The mercenary was stunned. "He's a lunatic," he muttered.

Cain agreed with the mercenary. What else would they call someone who claimed to be an ancient mythical figure?! Nonetheless, this lunatic was powerful enough to face down a group of mercenaries with just a sword, and not even suffer the slightest scratch!

Cain wiped his brow again. "Why do you protect the Boss?" he asked.

Noir's lips turned into a moue of disapproval. "You do not have the right to ask that question," he said coldly.

"We can pay you double of whatever Boss Solis is paying you!" Cain shouted desperately. "You just have to help us kill him right now!"

Noir rolled his eyes and turned to the man in the bathtub. "Your choice of subordinates leaves much to be desired," he complained.

Boss Solis chuckled helplessly.

"Four times!" Cain shouted. "We'll pay you four times more!"

Noir frowned at Cain. "This man does not need to pay for me to protect him," he declared in a solemn voice. He turned back to Boss Solis. "What do you want to do with these people?" he asked.

Boss Solis raised his gun and fired two shots rapidly. Cain fell to the floor with a cry, his legs shot cleanly through.

One of the mercenaries stepped forward, trembling. "Boss Solis, we are simply mercenaries; there was nothing personal about this from our side. Please spare us!" he pleaded. "We'll never take any assignment against you again!"

Before Boss Solis could reply, Noir spoke up. "I've never seen a mercenary begging for mercy before," he said. "Isn't your lot supposed to pay with your lives if you fail a mission?"

The mercenaries looked at each other with dismay. What on earth was this lunatic raving about now? Had he read too many myths?!