<i><strong>Bang... Bang... Bang...</strong></i>


    The sound of the gunshots echoed through the jungle, a sharp, unsettling noise that pierced the air. Instantly, hisrades froze, theirughter dying away as they became alert. From a distance, one of them called out, his voice tinged with unease.


    "What was that?!"


    "Don’t worry! I’m just putting a dying rabbit out of its misery!" the man shouted with a twisted grin. "Aren’t I a good man?"


    He guffawed maniacally, staring down at the rabbit’s headless corpse before spitting on it with cruel satisfaction.


    But before he couldugh again, something—no, <strong>someone</strong>—moved.


    A shadow leaped from the foliage, swift and silent. A gloved hand mped tightly over the man’s mouth. His eyes widened in shock, but he couldn’t scream. A de shed, and in one clean, practiced motion, his throat was slit open.


    Reflexively, his fingers twitched on the trigger of his rifle. A burst of gunfire tore through the air again—sudden, sharp, and loud.


    But this time, no one came running.Hisrades, still under the impression he was fooling around with dead animals, paid it no mind and continued their search,ughing and shouting in the distance.


    The assassin quickly dragged the lifeless body into the tall grass, letting it disappear into the undergrowth, just another corpse in the chaos toe.


    "Young Miss, one man down," the captain reported calmly as he returned to his position beside Hera.


    Hera had witnessed everything—that man, cruelly and perversely tormenting a dying animal. There was no doubt in her mind: these men were the worst kind of scum, the kind who caused nothing but harm.


    Without hesitation, she gave a subtle nod to the captain at her side, wordlessly instructing him to take action.


    Moving with practiced ease, the captain dropped low and began crawling across the uneven ground, the tall grass and scattered debris offering partial cover.


    His movements were precise, each movement deliberate as he slithered through the underbrush like a shadow. The enemy, oblivious and caught up in his sadistic amusement, never noticed.


    When the man fired at the rabbit, the captain seized the opportunity. The loud burst of gunfire masked the faint rustle of dry leaves under his approach. Drawing closer with each shot, he timed it perfectly.


    Just after the man shouted his sick joke into the open air, the captain made his move—swift, silent, and lethal.


    And sure enough, after the man loudly confirmed he was just fooling around, no one gave the next gunshots a second thought. Even as more shots echoed through the area, hisrades dismissed them as part of his sick game.


    The enemy had spread out carelessly, without even the slightest coordination or regard for watching each other’s backs. They were too arrogant—too convinced that Leo and his team were already as good as dead.


    Blinded by overconfidence and the thrill of potential rewards, all they could think about was being the first to find Leo’s dying body.


    The idea of dragging him back to their boss, broken and beaten, was all the motivation they needed to keep pushing forward—reckless and unaware that they were walking straight into a trap.


    <i><strong>Swoosh!</strong></i>


    One by one, the enemy vanished into the shadows.


    Hera’s soldiers struck with ruthless precision, dragging their targets silently into the underbrush. In a blur of movement, throats were slit or necks snapped—each kill swift and efficient. The veterans pinned their victims with practiced ease, straddling them from behind, limbs immobilized under their weight, muffling their mouths before a sound could escape.


    Yet, despite theirrades disappearing one after another, the rest of the group remained oblivious. Scattered in loose formation through the forest, dozens of them wandered aimlessly, unaware they were already being hunted.


    Hera didn’t stay idle—she seized her chance, just like the others. At first, the veterans tried to hold her back, worried for her safety, but she slipped past them when they least expected it. Her smaller frame made it easier to maneuver through the forest; she was light, quick, and agile.


    Every step she took was measured and silent, blending seamlessly with the rustling of grass and the sinister, constantughter of their enemies. The sounds masked her movements well, allowing her to vanish into the shadows like a ghost.


    It wasn’t until the sniper team caught sight of Hera crouched behind a tree—her stance poised like a leopard waiting for its prey to turn—that they realized she had made a move. The sniper’s hands trembled as he whispered into thems, "Y-Young Miss, y-you might get hurt..." Despite his concern, he was ready to back her up the moment anything went wrong.


    His warning alerted the others. A few snipers instinctively turned their scopes toward her position, while the rest of the main team began stealthily repositioning to provide support. But before anyone could reach her, they saw her spring into action.


    With breathtaking agility, Heraunched herself into the air, using the tree trunk as leverage to push herself even higher. Her legs hooked around the neck of her unsuspecting target from behind, and with a swift, fluid motion, she mmed him to the ground.


    A final twist of her body—and a sickening crack—signaled the end of her target before he could make a sound.


    For a moment, silence filled thems. The veterans near Hera and the snipers watching from afar were stunned. None of them had expected this.


    Hera’s movements were swift, fluid, and precise—each one executed with the confidence and control of someone highly trained in close-quartersbat. Her mastery was undeniable.