As the blood flow began to slow, L squeezed the red stress ball tighter, urging the blood to gush more swiftly.


    Dr. Watson removed the needle, and L pressed down on the wound, which promptly healed.


    Releasing her grip, she slipped off her whiteb coat and walked out.


    Seeing L''s nonchnce, Dr. Watson''s face turned pale with fear. He quickly stored the blood bag in the refrigerator and rushed over with a sterile gauze pad, "Cicery, press down on this, will you? That was arge gauge needle. Aren''t you worried it might bleed through if you just let go?"


    L nced at Dr. Watson, took the gauze pad from his hand, pretended to press it to the spot, nodded, and headed out. It was gettingte, and she needed to get moving.


    Lily had been waiting at the docks, her striking Western features entuated by curly red hair, alluring and enchanting.


    As L stepped off the cruise ship, Lily wrapped her in a warm embrace.


    "Lady Phoenix, long time no see. You don''t call, you don''t FaceTime - that''s cold," Lily said.


    Mentioning cold-heartedness, L raised an eyebrow and immediately pushed Lily away, "I''m starving. Take me somewhere good to eat."


    Lily fell silent. L had always had a ruthless streak.


    But as she looked at L''s beautiful face, any annoyance she felt melted away.


    After their meal, Lily led L to the room she had booked in advance - the Presidential Suite with two bedrooms, perfect for looking after each other. Yet, as soon as they entered, L sensed something amiss. A menacing aura enveloped the room.


    Lily felt it, too, and reached for her thigh, where she had a silver pistol tucked away.


    L also reached into her pocket, pulling out a lipstick tube that transformed into a mini pistol when opened.


    She had seen Violet beforeing here.


    Back-to-back, they proceeded into the room.


    Suddenly, a curtain stirred, and a shadowy figure emerged, gun pointed directly at Lily.


    In that instant, five or six figures dressed in ck, their faces obscured, surged from within the room.


    L''s eyes narrowed, and she shoved Lily out of the way. With a lift of her hands, a red dot appeared on the forehead of the man by the curtain. He crumpled to the ground.


    Witnessing Lady Phoenix in action for the first time, Lily was stunned by her speed. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes before she focused on tackling the three attackers on her side.


    L quickly dispatched the man by the curtain. With a swift motion, she was in front of the two on the left. She pressed the button on the lipstick, turning it into a Swiss Army knife. A flick of her wrist and the de slit one''s throat, blood spurting out.


    As onlookers spotted themotion and moved to grab L, she raised an eyebrow and delivered a swift backward kick. The attacker staggered, dazed and slightly disoriented, stumbling a few steps back.


    L took the moment of confusion to aim her lipstick gun squarely at him.


    Five minutester, L and Lily were sitting on the ground amidst the overwhelming stench of blood that permeated the room, enough to turn one''s stomach.


    Lily peeled back the mask from a man''s face, revealing a sun symbol tattooed at his jawline. Her expression turned grim.


    L caught on immediately. "They were after you?" she asked.


    Without objection, Lily let out a cold snicker. "Guess they just can''t let it go, even going as far as to recruit dead soldiers."


    With a gesture of disdain, Lily flicked the mask away and gave the now lifeless man a spiteful kick. Dead soldiers, as they were known, had no identity. They moved across the world unnoticed, left unremembered; their travels were limited to skulking and smuggling. They served whoever paid them; loyalty was bought and sold in an instant. One moment, you could be their benefactor, the next, their victim.