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"Whoosh—" With a flash of red light, Shawn Young activated a true energy barrier around himself and Rachel Sasaki. Meanwhile, the elite Yamaguchi Syndicate hitmen in the office had already rushed outside, raising their submachine guns and opening fire on the pair.
"Rat-tat-tat—rat-tat-tat—" The fierce gunfire erupted, bullets turning into fiery serpents that swept toward them, crashing into the barrier that shielded the two. Waves of sparks rippled across the surface, unable to penetrate for the moment.
But Shawn Young knew that maintaining the barrier consumed true energy. Against the relentless assault of modern weaponry, it could only hold for a short while. Meanwhile, another group had already flanked them, making it clear that he needed to end the fight quickly.
He watched as the group pouring out of the elevator spread out along the corridor, raising their weapons to fire at him and Rachel. Shawn gathered his true energy, ready to cast a spell and strike back.
Just then, a commotion erupted behind the group. The air was sliced by something sharp, followed by a chorus of screams. In an instant, the Yamaguchi Syndicate reinforcements at the elevator collapsed, and dozens of ninjas in black appeared in the hallway. Each wielded gleaming shuriken, stepping over the bodies as they closed in on Shawn.
Shawn couldn't tell where these ninjas had come from. His instincts screamed danger, so he gathered his true energy, preparing to attack first. Suddenly, Rachel Sasaki grabbed his arm and said, "Shawn-kun, wait! They're not with the Yamaguchi Syndicate—they're from our Koga Clan!"
"Huh? Koga ninjas?! Did you call them here?" Shawn paused his attack, curiosity piqued.
"Uh—not exactly. My father probably brought them to help us!" Rachel explained.
At that moment, a cold, commanding male voice spoke in Japanese from behind the Koga ninjas: "Koga Clan, listen up! Follow me and unleash the Thousand Swallow Strike to end this fight. Everyone here except for Rachel and that young man is with the Yamaguchi Syndicate—wipe them out! Leave no one alive!"
As soon as the order was given, Rachel Sasaki quickly shoved open a nearby room, grabbed Shawn Young's arm, and dragged him inside. Shawn was about to ask why, when suddenly a surge of true energy flooded the corridor, unleashing an overwhelming force.
"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—" A barrage of razor-sharp flashes streaked through the air—countless shuriken sliced through the corridor at lightning speed, darting like swallows and tearing through everything with unstoppable force.
"Aaaah—ah—ah—aaah—ah—" The elite Yamaguchi Syndicate hitmen in the corridor screamed in agony, unable to escape. Caught off guard and overwhelmed, they were struck by the storm of shuriken. In less than ten seconds, every hitman who had rushed out of the office was dead!
"Whoa—what a brutal attack!" Shawn Young couldn't help but stare in awe. Now he understood why Rachel had dragged him into the room—his barrier wouldn't have held up against such a relentless assault!
"Yep, this is one of the Koga Clan's most destructive techniques—Thousand Swallow Strike. Dozens of Koga ninjas channel their true energy in the same direction, using our unique inner power method to create a concentrated force. When unleashed, it's like all their power merges at once, sending shuriken flying with terrifying speed and destructive force!" Rachel explained.
"Oh! So that's how it works! Your Koga ninjutsu really is something special!" Shawn Young exclaimed.
"Hehe—yep! This move alone, 'Thousand Swallow Strike,' is one of the supreme ninjutsu techniques recorded in the Iga Ninja Handbook. It's also the secret skill the Iga Ninja Clan wants most!" Rachel said proudly.
"Rachel, the fight's over—come out!" That steady male voice called out from the corridor again.
"Oh—that's my father. He brought reinforcements to help us. Let's go!" Rachel's cheeks flushed as she pulled Shawn out of the room.
As soon as they stepped out, Shawn saw the corridor walls covered in countless scratches from sharp weapons. The bodies of the Yamaguchi Syndicate hitmen lay everywhere, each one impaled with shuriken like a porcupine, blood streaming across the floor—a truly gruesome sight!
Just then, a plain-looking middle-aged man stepped out from among the Koga ninjas and strode toward Shawn and Rachel. Shawn was startled—he recognized the man from their brief encounter at the nightclub.
"Father—you're here!" Rachel exclaimed when she saw the man, quickly letting go of Shawn's hand and bowing to him in Japanese, her cheeks flushed.
The middle-aged man glanced at Rachel, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then stopped beside Shawn. His piercing gaze bore into Shawn, carrying a strange power that seemed to probe his mind. Shawn found the stare unsettling and instinctively shook off the odd energy.
"Oh! Young man, impressive—very impressive. You managed to resist my Mind Probe, so your skills are far beyond what I expected. No wonder you dared to pursue my daughter!" the man said with a cold laugh.
"Uh—Father—why would you use the Mind Probe on him? He's not an enemy!" Rachel protested, pouting in annoyance.
"Hmph—Rachel, tell me, have you already become this kid's woman?" the man demanded bluntly.