how not to die trying.

In the city of Ivory Coast, bullets were flying from all directions. Kei leaned against the base; the city was under siege, and even entering had been difficult.

-We have an 80% chance of surrounding the perimeter via the hospital. Even though that bastard controls the city, his armed group has been accused by the Kure clan, so they must have resource problems now. - said Cai.

-We can take the route. The power lines are cut, and if we use these points, we can sweep the perimeter and locate their positions. Disabling the city is just a push. - said Wilches.

Kei fidgeted; something about that plan didn't sit right with him. He smelled a trap in the air, and it was very likely that dirty tricks could be played by the surrounding teams. Three teams were hired to kill the terrorist, but it was known that the revolutionary Laurent Gabgo had hired several elimination and hunting groups.

-What do you think, kid? - commented Muteba, gripping Kei's head. His hand was two spans larger than Kei's head, the man a giant compared to Kei's short stature. Without justifying the behavior of a child, he used his Sei Ki.

-It smells like a trap. The Kure clan marked all the places where the lights don't work. They don't seem like a clan that would give things away like that... they know something we don't. They may be waiting to make their move. - Kei stated.

-Hahaha, you're an excellent mercenary, never trust even your friends. You all heard the kid; it's a Kure Clan trap, or they want to use us as cannon fodder. Those bastards are smart and wouldn't use their men in such a foolish action. Interestingly, Holis told us two simple reasons: daytime is dangerous, but nighttime not so much. However, they didn't mention what they did in the past few days to reach that conclusion... they know something we don't. - commented Muteba.

Smiling malevolently, while the Wolf Gang, Ivory Coast marines, and Iranian special forces listened.

-We can't just sit back. Right now, the Ivory Coast society is ubiquitous. The citizens hope the war will end by the year's end. How can we betray our city simply because we believe it's a trap? - said, Captain Dede.

-I didn't say that. - Kei responded. - If you love your country so much, you must live for the future. Dying like a dog doesn't guarantee your country's safety. You are the last defense; sacrificing yourself is fine, but sacrificing for nothing is the issue.

-Well said! It's simple; we need bait. We use our forces and wait for an ambush. If we can manage a good response, I'd offer myself, but I'm not patriotic. - said Muteba, making a show of it.

-I'll volunteer. - said Kei, surprising Muteba, who thought he had a clear idea of the boy's behavior. But bait never survives, and that's why it was the rational, logical action with the least risk.

Kei smiled. He didn't want to be bait, but he needed to move on quickly. If he could cross the trap, he would activate the Kure clan to act. He needed people to move; if he stayed in Ivory Coast, he would break his first commitment to Master Takemoto.

-Wait, Kei, we can't risk you like that. You are the future of the Celestial Fangs. - said Cai.

-I'm too young to die. - said Kei.

The plan was simple: use his skills to incapacitate, along with three African soldiers and Cai. They would cross the streets chosen by the locals, who knew the city best, without using the sewers and with low-precision equipment. Everyone had different combat styles, but Cai accompanying him was enough to reassure him. Equipped with a bulletproof vest, two ram's horn knives, a long rope, and a small emergency kit, he had learned to stitch wounds. Boko was a very good teacher.

They waited until the moon was overhead, the best time to attack was the early hours of the morning, around 2 a.m. When people start to become groggy and when it's darkest, dawn would arrive at 5 a.m., giving them three hours of attack time.

At twilight, they ran through the streets without time to think. Kei jumped on a soldier, delivering two quick jabs to the ear, cheekbone, and stomach, while Cai used his silent steps, moving like a ninja and throwing needles at strategic points.

The lights flickered on a street as soldiers on the rooftops began raining bullets, killing two African soldiers. Cai saved Kei, positioning himself under a window's porch, hiding in the shadows. Then he leaped onto the roof, showing superhuman strength, a ninja crossing the battlefield like a bullet.

Kei climbed up a light pole in a worm-like position, slowly making his way to a balcony. With several agile movements, he reached the roof, only to be met with a shotgun blast to the chest that threw him back. The impact was quick and powerful. In seconds, he saw a man with multiple wounds and a cigar in his mouth. His master, Cai, leaped in and started a fierce fight, but Cai was at a disadvantage. Without wasting time, he spun in the air and grabbed the roof with his fingers, climbing up delicately while running among the henchmen. The shot had pressed against his chest.

The entire journey took less than five seconds. Kei's fists flew across the battlefield as he used the Fire Kata, moving nimbly over the rooftops. His training kept him alive, making him fast enough to face ordinary soldiers.

A mercenary was the first to avoid his punches. He was dark-skinned, with long hair tied in a bun. Kei attacked with his fists as fast as he could, but the mercenary dodged all his blows effortlessly. His movements were polished and swift. He spun in the air and struck Kei on the shoulder, sending him down.

-Adamantine Kata, - Kei thought, though it was a mistake. It would have been better to use the Water Kata to redirect the blow, but he missed by a lot and only took the impact, though lessened, it was still a hard hit that shook him internally. Without giving up, he attacked with his kicks.

The mercenary kept attacking with force, instilling fear. Kei was losing badly but realized the mercenary wasn't attacking to kill. He kept sending punches with more strength, hoping to use the Redirection Kata, Water Willow, to break his opponent's bones.

But he failed again. The mercenary's strike was so fast that Kei didn't have time to see it, only to lower his head and take the hit with his forehead. The blow rattled his brain. Relaxing, he tried to center himself to dodge the strikes, using Flame Steps and delivering quick, straight punches with his left.

Kei noticed the mercenary used few movements, mostly basic but effective ones. He decided to imitate them to avoid falling. His transitions were poor, but he kept moving his fists like whips, though nothing connected.

-Create your space, a space that doesn't give you room to fail, a space that allows you to defend and close in on your opponent, - Kei thought, moving his arms in a circle, something he had been practicing in his mental fights.

The man was faster and stronger, his strength five times greater than any hit Kei had taken before. He felt his bones creak, even the titanium ones were nothing against the man's force. Still, Kei felt satisfied seeing his enemy avoid hitting the parts with titanium bones.

-You're very strong, - Kei said, seeing Muteba slice the mercenary's throat.

-You're very good at resisting, - Muteba replied.

-It wasn't good that you took so long to show up, - Kei said, exhausted against a wall. A loud noise, a bomb, sounded nearby, breaking some windows. Kei lay on the roof, breathing lightly. The signal that Cai was still fighting and Muteba, smiling, continued to the battle point flashing with lights and noise. Muteba disappeared, but Kei stayed hidden, walking in terror through the unpredictability of the war in many places.

With each step, Kei realized the harshness and horror of war. The fight was not just physical but mental, a constant battle between life and death, morality and survival. As he advanced, he heard the screams and the sound of bullets, reminding himself that his mission was not just to survive but also to fulfill his commitment and find a way to end the conflict once and for all.

...

I've been writing for a while. Not much, but I think I can publish another chapter this week on Wednesday or Thursday and Sunday as usual... leave your comments about the series, the next chapters will seem a bit intense to you, anyway, I've written up to chapter 70 of this series. 

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