The abyss from which she could not escape

"Cough, cough."

Jonas emerged from the billowing black smoke and rubble, gazing at the other side of the cruise ship engulfed in flames and thick smoke, a smile creeping onto his face.

Most likely, Miss Tengyumo had already received his gift.

As he had mentioned in the recording, the only regret was not witnessing Miss Tengyumo's despair upon realizing the failure of the plan.

The necessary conditions for victory had been achieved, while the blame had been squarely shifted onto the Destiny Organization.

Though unsure of the casualties within the Destiny Organization from the recent explosion, it was still somewhat challenging for him to directly confront Miss Tengyumo at this moment.

So now wasn't the time to meet with that Miss Tengyumo...

Many times, gradual progress ensures the flawless execution of plans.

..........

Tengyumo lay on the ground, rubbing her slightly dizzy head as she slowly sat up.

Observing the scene before her, where everything had turned into ruins under the glow of the flames, she couldn't help but bite her tongue, forcing herself to stay more alert.

Although she had warned the other members of the Destiny Organization before the explosion, it was only a matter of seconds, making it nearly impossible for everyone to evacuate unharmed.

Moreover, most people hadn't even comprehended the meaning of Tengyumo's command before the explosion occurred, leaving no time for reaction, resulting in many members being forever trapped inside the venue.

"Cough, cough, Miss Tengyumo, are you all right?"

Job Bude coughed as he walked over to Tengyumo.

Although he had been deep inside the venue, fortunately, his quick reflexes and decent physical condition meant he had only been hit by flying debris, resulting in nothing more than some bruises on his back.

"I'm fine."

Tengyumo was still quite far from the center of the explosion, having only been knocked to the ground by the shockwave. Taking in the surroundings, she took a deep breath and spoke:

"Go check for casualties, the plan failed, prepare to retreat."

As she said this, the girl's voice was slightly subdued. It was evident that the failure of this incident had taken a toll on Tengyumo.

Under such an explosion, even survival was difficult, so she had to abandon the part of the Destiny Organization that was severely injured.

Because of this explosion, the members of the peacekeeping force couldn't possibly remain unaware, so they had to leave before the special forces of the peacekeeping force arrived.

Once entangled in a battle with them, it would be much more difficult to escape.

It was hard to imagine the state of mind Tengyumo was in when making these decisions.

But now she had to take responsibility for the surviving members of the Destiny Organization.

Members of the Destiny Organization who escaped from the venue gradually gathered around Tengyumo... If one didn't consider the subsequent consequences, the losses were actually not too great at the moment.

But the impact on Tengyumo was beyond words.

Although the girl was still trying to command the other members of the Destiny Organization as calmly as possible, if one looked closely, Tengyumo's eyes had lost their luster long ago.

She was simply supporting herself to minimize further losses.

It seemed that Job Bude sensed that something was amiss with Tengyumo's state and quickly finished counting the casualties. Without delay, he walked up to Tengyumo and said:

"The casualties have been counted, Miss Tengyumo, what's our next step?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tengyumo, as if suppressing something, said:

"Prepare to retreat."

"...Also, before the peacekeeping forces arrive, search the venue for any useful information."

At this point, Tengyumo... or rather, the Destiny Organization and the Morris Consortium, had fallen into Jonas's rhythm. To break the deadlock, they had to find evidence.

Although even with evidence, they couldn't completely clear their names... after all, their initial intentions were indeed suspicious. But at least they could shift some of the contradictions onto Jonas, which in a sense, was timely damage control.

"Perhaps, it's not going too well."

Job Bude's expression turned grim as he seemed to sense something.

Tengyumo was puzzled, following his pointing finger, only to see several helicopters approaching from the distance in the sky.

There were also several peacekeeping force speedboats on the sea surface, clearly heading towards the cruise ship.

Obviously, the actions of the peacekeeping forces were quicker than Tengyumo's.

Less than twenty minutes had passed since the explosion, including the time Tengyumo was unconscious due to the explosion.

Seeing the other party getting closer to the cruise ship, Tengyumo's expression became increasingly grim.

It was nearly impossible to search for evidence within the venue before the peacekeeping forces boarded the ship. And once they were delayed by the other party, the losses of this operation would be even greater.

She had to make a decision, and at this moment, Tengyumo showed the courage of a hero.

Taking a deep breath, the girl ordered the personnel to split into five teams, while she and some other members of the Destiny Organization acted as bait to cover the retreat.

"This incident itself was due to my oversight, and I should be responsible for my mistakes."

As Miss Tengyumo spoke, all those who had wanted to persuade her fell silent.

Job Bude looked at Tengyumo, his eyes flickering, before finally speaking after a long pause:

"Then I'll stay behind to ensure Miss Tengyumo's safety."

This was actually a very dangerous move, as nobody knew whether they could evacuate completely before the peacekeeping forces arrived.

If there were no casualties at the beginning, they might still try to use the terrain advantage to repel the peacekeeping forces.

However, with the current members, the chances of being delayed by the other side increased exponentially, making it much more difficult to retreat later.

Seeing Job Bude in front of her, Tengyumo instinctively wanted to refuse.

For a moment, countless faces of companions who died because of her flashed before her eyes. There was a struggle in her eyes, and after a long while, she spoke:

"You retreat with the others, I don't need your protection."

"But..."

"No buts, this is an order!"

Tengyumo's firm attitude forced Job Bude to give up on his own thoughts.

"Yes."

Seeing the other party obeying her command, Tengyumo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, the girl at this moment had no idea.

Even if she refused, what awaited her next was an abyss from which she could not escape.