142

Chapter 142: Confrontation

The figure who could only be called the instigator stood defiantly before General Rudolf, stoking his ire.

"So it's you!!" Rudolf exclaimed, his voice laced with anger.

"You know me?" the figure responded calmly.

Rudolf clenched his teeth, his expression twisted into a sneer. "You're the one who ruined all my plans. Where is the other one?"

"..." Diana remained silent, instantly recognizing who Rudolf meant. She inwardly sighed, knowing she couldn't afford to fail now.

She had almost succeeded in her stealth assassination, only to have it disrupted at the last moment by Rudolf himself. It was an unforgivable interference in wartime.

She refused to admit she wasn't adept at stealth!

While contemplating, she pressed the Broken Sword against Dr. Maru's throat, her gaze unwavering.

The narrow passage allowed little room for additional bodies. Rudolf quickly summoned reinforcements, blocking the exit with rifles aimed squarely at Diana.

Despite the soldiers guarding the rear, Diana remained composed. The confined space didn't allow for evasion, but Diana had no intention of hiding.

With her heightened agility and combat training, primitive rifles posed no threat. She swiftly mapped out several strategies to incapacitate Rudolf while eliminating Dr. Maru.

Indeed, she planned to dispatch Rudolf, suspecting him to be the leader of the radical faction based on their exchange.

Rudolf sensed Diana's intent to break free. Feeling vulnerable without his usual defenses, he barked out a command:

"Fire! Fire! Kill her!"

Simultaneously, Diana made her move.

The Broken Sword sliced through Dr. Maru's throat, wide-eyed in horror. Her aspirations unfulfilled, she crumpled to the ground, her face etched with regret. Her dreams of deploying the enhanced biochemical gas, poised to leave a dark mark in history, shattered in an instant.

Even in her final moments, her gaze fixated on Diana's heroic charge towards the soldiers.

Dodging every bullet, Diana closed in on the soldiers, swiftly disabling two before confronting those advancing from behind. Meanwhile, Rudolf had already fled through the basement door.

Turning back with a ferocious smile, Rudolf gloated, "I know you're formidable, but we have means to deal with you!"

With that, he produced a glass bottle containing dark green, concentrated gas, slamming it to the ground.

Bang! The bottle shattered, releasing a mist that engulfed the soldiers and Rudolf in moments.

Rudolf's voice echoed through the dissipating mist, now tinted with a slightly lighter hue:

"Our poison gas underwent mutations during development. It can enhance various bodily functions, granting superhuman strength even to ordinary soldiers!"

Rudolf's knowledge of the gas's transformation was limited. The success of the initial version relied on luck and human experimentation.

Unaware that Ares had provided the catalyst for war, Rudolf continued, "I intended it as a secret weapon, a trump card for the decisive moment. But thanks to you, I'll never have that chance!"

Emerging from the mist, Rudolf's complexion hinted at the gas's effects. Veins pulsed beneath his skin, his eyes ablaze with an unnatural gleam.

"Baitman! You will pay dearly," Rudolf gritted through clenched teeth before a sudden interruption.

At an astonishing speed, the Broken Sword darted through the air, piercing Rudolf's chest. Despite his augmented state, he failed to react in time, a fatal blow delivered by Diana's hand.

As per the original plot progression, Diana mistook Rudolf for Ares, engaging him in a fierce battle. Despite Rudolf's brief enhancement, Diana's enhanced battle prowess and divine lineage empowered her far beyond the original tale.

Unbound by martial ethics, she preempted his incantations and struck swiftly, ensuring Rudolf never completed his sentence before falling to her blade.

The mist spread, enveloping surrounding soldiers who inhaled the gas. Each underwent a transformation akin to Rudolf's, eyes gleaming with newfound strength.

Curiously, Diana seemed immune to the gas's effects. Now faced with a pack of enhanced soldiers, she confronted them like wolves, poised for a challenging confrontation.

Outside the command post, Diana evaded capture, slipping through back alleys to retrieve her concealed dress. Meanwhile, troops on horseback encircled the command building, alerted by the chaos within.

Amid the confusion, soldiers discovered unconscious guards and clerks stowed away on the second floor utility room, intensifying the mystery surrounding the infiltrator's motives.

The lockdown extended citywide, halting all exit routes. Diana, donning her disguise, navigated the streets cautiously, evading mounted patrols on high alert.

With every passing moment, Diana awaited Black Superman's return, her situation growing increasingly precarious.