"You think you can talk to Celestia like that? I'll end you!" Axel's voice was seething with rage.
Celestia jumped, startled, and quickly tried to intervene. "Axel, stop it!"
But Axel was too far gone, his eyes blazing with fury. He shoved Celestia aside and continued to pummel Raymond with his fists and feet.
Raymond was tied to a chair, unable to move, forced to endure Axel's assault. His eyes, however, were cold and sharp, as if he were staring at a dead man.
"Axel, stop!" Celestia cried out in desperation, rushing to wrap her arms around Axel's waist. "If you keep this up, you'll kill him!"
Axel paused, looking down at Celestia with a conflicted expression.
"Celestia, you're begging me for him?"
Celestia nodded. "Yes, I'm begging you to let him go."
Axel was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Alright, since you asked, I'll give him a chance." He turned to Raymond. "If he can beat me, I'll let him go."
Later that night, in the backyard.
Axel untied Raymond, and the two stood facing each other. The moonlight bathed them in a silvery glow, the air thick with tension.
"Let's get this over with," Axel said, stretching his muscles.
Raymond didn't waste any time. He lunged forward, aiming a punch at Axel's face.
Axel reacted quickly, sidestepping the punch and grabbing Raymond's wrist, throwing him to the ground with force.
Raymond flipped in mid-air, landing steadily. His expression was serious as he moved swiftly, looking for an opening in Axel's defenses.
But Axel was no slouch. He blocked Raymond's attacks with precision and countered with powerful strikes.
They exchanged blows for what felt like an eternity, neither gaining the upper hand.
As time passed, Raymond's stamina began to wane. He was starting to struggle.
Meanwhile, Axel seemed to grow stronger, his attacks becoming more ferocious, as if he were channeling all his anger into each strike.
Celestia watched anxiously from the sidelines, fearing that Axel might actually kill Raymond.
"Axel, stop!" she shouted, unable to hold back.
But Axel ignored her, continuing his relentless assault on Raymond.
Suddenly, Raymond feinted, catching Axel off guard, and kicked him in the knee.
Axel grunted in pain, dropping to one knee.
Raymond seized the opportunity, pinning Axel down and pressing his elbow against Axel's throat.
"Don't move," he said in a low voice.
Axel struggled but realized he couldn't break free. He glared at Raymond with fury.
"You win," he spat out through gritted teeth.
At that moment, a gunshot rang out.
Raymond's heart skipped a beat. He looked up to see one of Axel's men aiming a gun at him.
"Stop!" Celestia screamed.
But it was too late. The man had already pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore through Raymond's leg, blood instantly soaking his pants.
Celestia gasped and rushed to Raymond's side. "Are you okay?"
Raymond's face contorted in pain, but he pushed Celestia away, keeping his distance.
Celestia turned her icy gaze to the man who had fired. "Who told you to shoot?"
The man trembled under her glare. "Mr. Banks, he... he was asking for it..."
"Get out!" Celestia roared.
The man scrambled away in fear.
Celestia stood up and knelt beside Raymond, looking him in the eye. "Even if you win, what then? You still can't escape."
She turned to Axel. "Let's go."
Just as she turned, Raymond somehow found a sharp object and aimed it at Axel.
Seeing Raymond's desperate move, Celestia panicked. She couldn't let Axel, her long-time ally, be used as a pawn. She screamed hysterically, "Kill Axel! Shoot him! Don't let him get away!"
She grabbed a gun from a nearby guard, her fingers tightening on the trigger, and fired three shots into Axel's chest without hesitation.
The gunshots echoed, and Axel's large frame staggered back, finally collapsing to the ground like a fallen star, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His eyes remained wide open, unable to believe what had just happened, but his life was slipping away, beyond saving.
Taking advantage of the shock, Raymond, despite the searing pain in his leg, dashed towards a nearby wall. With a nimble leap, he vaulted over it and disappeared from sight.
"Chase him! Don't let him get away!" Celestia shouted, waving her gun furiously. "He's injured! He can't get far! Go after him!"
Her men snapped out of their daze and rushed in the direction Raymond had fled.
Celestia hurried to her car, heading for the backyard.
The dense forested slope, once a carefully chosen hideout for her plans, had now become Raymond's escape route.
The car sped off, kicking up dust.
Celestia sat in the car, eyes fixed ahead, filled with anxiety and unease.
She kept urging the driver to go faster, as if that could calm her frantic heart.
Meanwhile, back home, the tension was palpable.
Melinda noticed that Stuart and his team had suddenly stopped their surveillance and rescue efforts, and she felt a pang of worry.
She anxiously asked Stuart what was going on. Stuart was silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Mr. Thomas's two close friends have taken over the rescue operation."
"Close friends?" Melinda was puzzled. "You mean..."
"Yes," Stuart nodded. "Zachary and Dennis. They grew up with Raymond in a secret training camp, like brothers. They have powerful tracking systems and extraordinary skills. As long as Raymond is alive, they will find him and rescue him."
Hearing this, Melinda felt a bit relieved.
She didn't know who Zachary and Dennis were, but Stuart's tone conveyed their deep bond with Raymond and their exceptional abilities.
With them involved, Raymond should be able to get out of danger.
At Vesperia Airport, a private jet carrying three armored SUVs roared into the sky, heading in a specific direction.
Shortly after, another dark private jet arrived with two more vehicles.
Celestia and her men searched the forest for a long time but couldn't find any trace of Raymond.
They followed the blood trail from where Raymond had jumped the wall, but it suddenly disappeared halfway.
"Damn it!" Celestia cursed through gritted teeth. "Where did he go?"
Just then, the sound of a helicopter's rotors filled the night sky.
Celestia's heart tightened. She looked up to see a helicopter slowly descending onto a nearby field.
Despite her unease, she tried to stay calm and ordered her men to keep searching.
Suddenly, a group of black-clad figures emerged from the shadows, engaging Celestia's men in fierce combat.
These newcomers were swift and skilled, quickly overwhelming Celestia's forces, leaving many injured or dead.
Celestia herself was subdued by a shadowy figure, her hands painfully restrained, tears streaming down her face.
Inside the helicopter, Zachary was tending to Raymond's wound.
The two old friends exchanged smiles and bumped fists in celebration.
Raymond asked about their other friend, Dennis, and learned that he had safely arrived in Vesperia and was on his way to join them.
Zachary glanced at his watch. "He should be here soon."
As he spoke, the sound of a speeding car approached, followed by the screech of brakes cutting through the night.
In the cool moonlight, Dennis stepped out of the car.