A Bogey's Coming

Theresa was in charge of communication for the entire elite squad. Just now, two of them reported that they found two agents dead and tucked in a big garbage bin. There were photos saved on their phones that they didn't manage to send.

Nadin Jaeger was seen entering a hospital. However, at the last shot, he was clearly looking in the direction of the agents.

Just from that, the agents knew that the terrorist was the one who killed the agents. However, as to why the modus operandi was different from Bomberman, they had to assume that there was more than one witch involved.

Luca had arrived in the headquarters in a blue motorbike lent to him by his uncle. He hurriedly flashed an ID at the reception before getting on the elevator to get to where they were asked to meet. When he got there, he saw a few young faces and those undeniably hardened by profession… of killing.

He then walked inside, attracting the attention of the other mercenaries. To them, another youngster who saw themselves as big shots had come. By the way Luca walked, they knew he was from a rather wealthy family.

Tch, what did this young master think he's doing? Did he think his money could protect him?

Of course, Luca didn't care about them. He just went to find Theresa and noticed that a chair for another crucial member was vacant. At a time like this, they wouldn't attend?

Luca scoffed before sitting down. He then waited for Allan Cicero to start speaking.

"Everyone, I know you all received a message about Bomberman. This is an emergency as he was now aware of our attention. I want everyone to be on stand-by and on alert. We don't know when he will strike again." He then glanced at Luca's direction, catching a glimpse of Sleepydog's empty chair. "I was going to introduce him soon, but since we're already at this juncture. Mr. Allsworth, please."

"Thank you, Mr. Cicero." Luca got to his feet and looked over the faces that only had doubt and confusion. "I am Luca Allsworth. I am a member of the church's elite extermination squad, the Order of Michael.

"Bomberman had been a target of our Order for so long, and we almost caught him last year. I would discuss the history between my Order and Bomberman, but we have no need and time for such.

"Ladies, gentlemen, we are dealing with a strange and yet top-class terrorist. Bomberman is known to set up complicated and large-scaled detonations. However, his most notorious actions were nothing but cover-ups for his real crimes."

Luca gestured to the screen behind Allan as it changed into a chart filled with high-profile peace advocates. "His targets were people who would protect the law and order of a city or the country itself.

"His mission in Boston is no exception.

"Though we have no clear information as to who his target is, the Order has sent me as a precaution. Mr. Cicero had taken actions against Bomberman's circle of terrorist friends, incarcerating two of them while having three killed on the spot."

The slide changed and showed the faces of five international terrorists whose names and identities were only known to some large-scale peace organizations. "Finding out that Bomberman came to Boston right after the execution of one of these people, his target this time might be Mr. Cicero himself."

The mercenaries were exchanging gazes. They didn't hear about this; they thought they were just going to look for the man. Now, their employer was the actual target.

"Then again, even if his target is nothing but one person, Bomberman is known to be a show-off and a sadist. If killing Mr. Cicero wouldn't be enough, he might even blow up the entire city. We must stop him at all costs."

One hand then got raised, and the man didn't even wait to be acknowledged before speaking. "Why have a meeting if you can just give us a location so we could deal with the punk?"

Most mercenaries agreed with him and didn't want to listen to such things. They were muscles their whole life; they never gave any time to planning.

Luca frowned at the mercenaries who were seated at one spot. "We didn't need to have a location. Bomberman always underestimates his enemies. Even if he figured out that we baited him, he would still call our bluff and think that he could kill us all."

He then smiled as if damning those mercenaries. "He's the one coming to us. That's why we're all gathered here."

"What?!" The mercenaries were surprised, as well as some agents.

Only those who belong to the elite squad had heard of this plan. Even if they didn't know why Allan placed his faith in this young man as to getting Bomberman towards them since he proposed a plan, they still wanted to make sure he would not die.

Theresa wasn't even doing well. She was making a call under the table, and Noah had been listening even if he was not in the meeting. She knew that he was going to do something first before coming so she could only stream the call for him.

Hearing about this again made her heart palpitate. She really wished the top-class witch Bomberman wouldn't be that hard to deal with. They had someone from the Order of Michael and their witch tech.

Nothing bad could go wrong, right?

Before Luca could speak again, the building shook violently. As it was strengthened by magic and witch tech, the SCC building didn't collapse. The same couldn't be said about the buildings around it. Luca and the rest raced to the veranda from their floor and saw six figures standing at the parking space of their building.

Mostly everything around them was obliterated from just one explosion. The cars parked were all thrown away and destroyed by the mere force of it.

"Wow, that's one good building!" A dashing young man, who stood in the middle of the six figures, laughed out as he clapped in amusement. He was dressed in smart casual like the two more men with him. "Cicero! Get out of that place and deal with us on your own! Stop hiding behind your mercenaries!"

"Master, there's a hunter among them." A woman, with white hair and white eyes in a white dress, zeroed in her gaze at the veranda and saw the strange and familiar aura around Luca.

"A hunter? Tch, I don't care. I'm not a wimp anymore. Let's get it." The dashing young man sniggered before glancing behind him, over his shoulders. "You two should be able to handle him on your own. I'm wrecking the building."

The two behind him were also witches. Both were middle-aged men, only differing from the way they wore their hair. One had a slicked-back style while the other had a square hair. Slick Back's familiar was a shade, and Square Hair had a marionette—both were disaster-grade familiars.

The dashing young man's right hand began lighting up again, charging the power for his next explosion. The two other witches brought their own familiars and ran towards the places to kill. They didn't seem to be renowned terrorists like Nadin Jaeger, but they were strong witches just from the aura expended by their familiars.

Luca clicked his tongue and hopped off of the height. Most agents and mercenaries gasped as someone jumped from the twentieth floor. When most of them thought that Luca was jumping to his death, only Howard lunged at the railing and had his eyes glittering in amazement.

That was because Luca took out a token from his pocket and pressed on a button before throwing it on the ground. The small thing was evaded by the two, but it caused a large blast as soon as it hit the ground. The two witches were inevitably thrown away along with their familiars; the white woman turned into a big wall to protect the charging Nadin.

Luca braced for the impact, but it helped his body to be propelled to the wall of the building. He used his power ring to generate a glove made of light and grabbed onto the wall. From that height, he jumped down again, safer as he delivered a downward smash at a marionette.

Boom! Three successive explosions created by different things echoed in five minutes.

"Quick! Evacuate the vicinity!" Allan ordered the elite squad, and they all raced down the stairs. He then looked out the window and tried to find where his trump card was. "Where are you…?"

Even if Luca only had a power ring, he was able to use a few more things given by his uncle. However, it would only last him for a while. Against Bomberman or even these calamity-grade witches, Luca would be at a disadvantage.

Slick Back caught a glimpse of the elite squad, and he laughed out. "The others are out! Engage!"

He yelled at a communicator. Of course, three of them wouldn't attack a formidable SCC alone. Their reinforcements were scattered all over the place and were waiting for orders. The man had already given a cue that made the elite squad and Luca's hearts shudder.

There were more of them!

However, the night continued to be silent, aside from their own noises. The witches of Satan all wondered why their comrades didn't show up at the cue.

Carmina, the pure white girl, then yelled, "Master, a bogey's coming!"

From the sky, something shot down to the ground right in front of Carmina. As her body was somewhat translucent, Nadin saw that it was… a mangled body of one of their comrades' familiar. His eyes widened at the state, wondering what could have done such a thing. It even had the audacity to throw a corpse in front of the great Bomberman?

Before anyone could make another move, a loud, skin-crawling howl echoed into the night.

Theresa then chirped from the veranda. "Sleepydog's here!"