Chapter 505
“Do you realize your mistake now?” Joshua asked again.
This time, it was Shermaine’s turn to raise an eyebrow. ‘What mistake was he talking about?’
Then it hit her; he was referring to how she’d been so focused on Gracie that she’d completely ignored him. “Mr. York, shouldn’t questions like that be settled later?”
“Fine, we’ll do it Sheary’s way and settle it later.”
They sounded like they were bickering, but Joshua’s eyes held nothing but affection. Standing together, they looked like a perfect match—as if they were made for each other.
When Judy spotted Joshua, something deep inside her still yearned to tame this man, to bend him to her will. But seeing the two of them standing together now made her stomach turn with disgust. “Laser cannons, prepare to fire.”
Throughout the building, seven androids received the command. Circular apertures twenty centimeters wide opened across their chests, blue energy crackling as the laser cannons charged to life.
“Run!” someone screamed.
These laser cannons packed several times more destructive power than the earlier laser weapons they’d faced.
Shermaine turned to Joshua, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Mr. York, I’m leaving the military token in your hands. That woman is mine to deal with.”
Joshua glanced at Simon, then nodded with evident satisfaction. “Okay.”
People on the streets below had no idea what was happening, but they could see androids swarming around the top of Oster Tower alongside rows of fighter jets. Suddenly, brilliant flashes erupted from within the building, followed quickly by billowing black smoke.
Above them, a red fighter jet dove from the sky. After it touched down, Shermaine leaped from the building and climbed back into the cockpit.
Judy burst out after her and climbed into her fighter jet. Once aboard, she sneered, “Absolutely foolish. Shermaine had actually gotten into a fighter jet.”
Judy had brought three thousand airmen with her today, not to mention her own S-class mecha fighter. Her airmen alone could crush this woman.
After takeoff, Shermaine piloted her fighter jet back up into the sky at breakneck speed. Dozens of other jets swarmed behind her, cannons blazing. The thunderous roar of weapons fire echoed across the heavens like a raging storm.
High above the cloud cover, Shermaine found herself surrounded. Inside her cockpit, her fingers flew across the holographic display, tapping commands with lightning precision.
When Judy caught up, she watched as a golden light began gathering around Shermaine’s fighter jet. Then suddenly, a tremendous force erupted outward from its center.
With a loud sound, every fighter jet in the surrounding formation exploded in a spectacular chain reaction.
People on the ground watched in horror as fighter jets plummeted from the sky.
After the explosions subsided, Judy clenched her fists. “Damn it, those aren’t ordinary fighter jets–they’re mecha fighters.”
Harry studied the wreckage before them, noting how the sleek, intimidating design rivaled even the legendary Apocalypse models.
With Shirley’s current mechanical expertise, there was no way she could have built something like this.
“Your Highness,” Harry ventured. “Shermaine has always been a fast learner. A year would be more than enough time for her to advance her skills. Maybe she’s the one who modified these fighters.”
Judy sneered, “If you told me Joshua had done the modifications, I’d believe it. But her? Impossible.”
“You’re forgetting something, Your Highness–back in Wallington, Shermaine was considered a prodigy across multiple fields."
Judy fell silent, unable to argue.
The thought of someone with that kind of capability was truly terrifying.
It reminded her of the ancient royal blood from over a thousand years ago–ancestors whose brilliant minds had pushed Xyperia’s technological civilization to unprecedented heights, creating an era of unparalleled glory.
Meanwhile, the fighter jets began their transformation sequence. Metal panels shifted and reconfigured as the aircraft morphed from fighter jet mode into towering mechas.
Shermaine’s crimson mecha materialized in the sky, its metallic frame gleaming as it gripped a sleek rapier.
Her consciousness melded with the machine’s systems, and with jets firing from its feet, the mecha launched itself toward Judy’s fighter jet. The rapier sliced through the air in a devastating arc.
Judy had no choice but to trigger her own transformation, her jet reconfiguring just in time to parry Shermaine’s strike with her own blade.
‘Fine,’ Judy thought grimly. ‘If Shermaine wants a mecha duel, I’ll show her what I’m really capable of.’
Below them, chaos erupted around the Oster Tower. Eagle Assassins operatives had arrived to provide backup, but Baykeep’s local military forces were already mobilizing in response.
The entire building was surrounded by tanks, artillery, and drones. Over a thousand city guards formed a protective barrier around Simon and his son, all because they held the military token.
But when they saw Joshua, an inexplicable wave of panic swept through their ranks. It wasn’t just the telltale red hair that marked him–there was something about Joshua’s presence, an oppressive aura that made everyone instinctively want to keep their distance.
“What are you all standing around for? Get him!” Simon yelled.
“He already lost to my precious son in the Gambling Tournament, which means the Moreno family no longer controls Baykeep.”
The logic was sound enough, but there was one problem–Bronx still held the military token.
“Baykeep belongs to the Moreno family, and don’t think for a second you can just waltz in here and take it!” Bronx roared. “I won’t stand for it, and neither will Her Highness Judy. I’m ordering you to arrest this man immediately!”
The mention of Judy’s name changed everything. Since Baykeep now fell under her jurisdiction, they had no choice but to act.
“Anyone who doesn’t want to die can drop their weapons and surrender now,” Joshua said calmly, raising his hand with a casual flick of his fingers.
That was all the signal Damien and the other assassins needed. From their hidden positions in the shadows, the
When Simon spotted Joshua, his face contorted with pure rage. After being played for a fool time and again, he wanted nothing more than to tear this man apart piece by piece.
Simon snatched a gun from one of his guards and fired wildly at Joshua, his shots fueled by sheer frustration.
Joshua barely glanced up at Simon’s erratic movements, dodging effortlessly before a silver dart materialized in his hand. The sight sent an icy chill through the air.
Without warning, the dart shot forward like a shadow–too swift to dodge, too sudden to counter. It found its mark in Simon’s left eye with sickening precision.
Simon’s scream echoed through the room as crimson blood splattered across the pristine white tiles.
Joshua had despised the way Simon looked at Shermaine from the moment he’d first seen it during that live broadcast–that disgusting, predatory gaze. As far as Joshua was concerned, such vile eyes deserved to be blind.
The moment Bronx saw the weapon protruding from his son’s eye, his voice cracked. “Simon!”
Simon’s agonized screams filled the air–this wasn’t ordinary pain tearing through him. Before anyone could react, another dart found its mark, burying itself in his remaining eye. The bodyguards flanking him were utterly powerless to protect him.
The city guard soldiers exchanged uncertain glances, their resolve crumbling.
One by one, weapons began hitting the ground. They couldn’t bring themselves to raise arms against Joshua–whether it was the lingering authority of the royal blood that held them back or simply the brutal efficiency of his methods that struck fear into their hearts.
Barrett stepped forward, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Her Highness Shirley’s forces will reach Baykeep in fifteen minutes. I suggest you surrender now and spare yourselves any further struggle.
“After all, the Moreno family lost fair and square in the Gambling Tournament to Boa Hanks–which makes him your rightful city lord.”
Judy’s fighter jet struck the building’s facade simultaneously. The entire structure shuddered violently from the impact, concrete and steel groaning under the assault.
Shermaine was having the time of her life–more than a year’s worth of pent-up rage was finally pouring out of her, and it felt absolutely liberating.
Judy was getting beaten so badly she began questioning her very existence. Her mental energy grew weaker by the minute, and no amount of aura water could replenish what she’d lost. Her face had turned pale, and she gasped for breath between attacks.
Shermaine’s crimson fighter jet cut through the air with breathtaking elegance, its sleek form practically glowing against the sky.
She spotted Joshua inside the tower and lifted her hand with a playful flourish, blowing him a kiss.
The gesture looked wonderfully ridiculous coming from the imposing war machine, and Joshua couldn’t help but grin at the sight.
“Look at that–Boa Hanks is chasing Judy down! What do you think? Who’s going to win this fight?” Barrett’s voice carried across the battlefield.
“Your next city lord isn’t just a skilled fighter. She’s also a brilliant mechanical engineer, and that mecha fighter jet she’s piloting? She modified it herself.”
Barrett’s persuasion was working. More and more city guards lowered their weapons and stepped back from the fighting.
Joshua glanced at the holdouts who were still resisting, then caught Damien’s eye with a meaningful look.
Damien immediately charged them.
Within moments, the Eagle Assassins had the remaining fighters under control. Damien wrestled the military token from Bronx’s grip and handed it over to Joshua.
Barrett, meanwhile, retrieved the signet ring from its case and passed it along as well.
From the co-pilot’s seat, Harry watched Judy getting thoroughly beaten down, then saw Joshua finishing off the Moreno family. Panic washed over him.
Just then, his Orthish device started beeping.
A transmission crackled through. “General Harry, Her Highness Shirley’s army will reach Baykeep soon. With our current fighter jets, we don’t stand a chance against them.”
After hearing the message, Harry turned to Judy with desperation in his voice. “Your Highness!”
Judy wasn’t in the mood to listen to him. With a thunderous crash, the mecha slammed into another skyscraper, punching a massive hole through its side. Her eyes burned crimson with rage. “Host. I lost again!”
“Your Highness! We can’t stay here any longer–we need to get out of here now.” Harry forcibly seized control of the mecha and sent it flying into retreat.
Without Apocalypse, there was no way they could win this fight.
Shermaine swapped her rapier for a rocket launcher, taking aim at the fleeing mecha. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.