Chapter 1080: The President’s Daughter (6)
Chapter 1080: The President’s Daughter (6)
<It's time.>
The Chimaeric Demons didn't wait much before going into action, following Erik's order.
Basically, the moment the president's daughter stepped out of the plane stairs, they moved.
Not all of them were on the landing site, but first the Chimaeric Demons that were the furthest from the sight got closer, then the others moved.
There were actually few people there. The guards and the very few selected to bring the woman's stuff and empty the plane, and half the guards were in truth Chimaeric Demons.
Regardless, with the other clones in the form of bugs approaching them, those who hadn't been replaced yet got surrounded.
As that happened, the guards noticed something was wrong but didn't act fast enough for them to make a perimeter around the president's daughter.
The first strike came from a Chimaeric Demon near a baggage handler. He approached one of the bodyguards from behind, his hand morphing into a long tentacle, and he snapped the man's neck before he could even mount a semblance of resistance.
As the guard crumpled to the ground, the other Chimaeric Demons made their move. Two of them sidled up to another pair of bodyguards, their hands shifting into heavy, blunt body parts that crashed against the guards' skulls.
James, the chief of staff, was looking in the right direction at the exact moment the two Chimaeric Demons struck.
But he had plenty of military experience and quickly understood what was happening. He knew they were under attack and who the real target was, and contrary to the others, he didn't die as soon as he realized.
"We're under attack! Protect the president's daughter!"
The man moved to shield the Mia with his own body and reached for the blade on his hips.
Yet he struggled to comprehend clearly what was happening. Yes, they were getting attacked, but the people attacking were their own men and women, those that he himself carefully chose.
He knew these people from years; they were professionals, but they weren't violent; they also weren't people easily swayed by money. They were trusted, chosen by President Turkes's closest advisors and aids, to which he belonged to.
Why were they doing this? The thought that someone paid for them to kidnap or kill Mia crossed his mind briefly, but then... Then everything clicked.
<Shapeshifters.>
But James didn't know that these shapeshifters were worse than he could have ever imagined. He didn't know these were the Chimaeric Demons.
Attacks like this one were not infrequent, and for sure, the last thing James thought was that these were basically demons in human skin, from his point of view, of course.
Regardless, these were also the most dangerous ones, and coupled with who actually was making this attack, the danger doubled.
Over the years, James had stopped many attempts to kidnap the president's daughter. This gave him the fame of being an excellent bodyguard. Of course, that was among close circles.
Very few knew he worked for the president as her daughter's shield. The fame, the countless life attempts at Mia, and the Veritas Lenses that the blackguards provided for him and his entourage made him feel more confident about his job.
James thought that with these lenses, they would see any threat as soon as they left the plane.
He believed the Veritas Lenses would keep the president's daughter safe in any situation involving shapeshifters.
But as things were happening now, the man realized with horror that their best security tool wasn't working against these guys.
But why did no one notice? Why weren't the Veritas Lenses working? What were his men and women doing?
He turned to look at those he knew should have had the brain crystal tools and saw them strangling some other guards.
<They had been replaced. I've been too naïve.>
The other guards finally realized what was happening, too. The attack was so quick and quiet that no one else had noticed aside from James before he shouted.
But the attack, the brutality of it, made even them feel scared and panicked. James, being very experienced, kept himself composed.
Mia, instead, didn't really know what to do. She felt her heart beating fast and loud as a drum. She still wasn't used to such a situation, and terrified, she hid behind James, holding onto his jacket tightly, as if it could protect her.
Chaos erupted at that point. The Chimaeric Demons dropped all pretense of disguise and launched themselves at the remaining security.
They moved with inhuman speed and ruthless determination. The guards were not in the best of the positions since they had to pay attention not to injure their allies, and most importantly, Miss Turke.
The fact they were getting surrounded by people appearing out of thin air didn't make things easier for them.
But while they had this handicap and could only fight melee, the Chimaeric Demons were in a similar situation.
Since they had to replace everyone there, not only they had to avoid ruining their clothes, they also had to be as silent and fast as possible to avoid the other travelers from finding out what
was happening.
They had to pull their punches and restrict their transformations to avoid causing a scene that would attract unwanted attention.
One Chimaeric Demon leaped over a luggage cart, his legs coiling like springs. He landed on a bodyguard's back, his arms transforming into a garotte that tightened around the man's neck. The guard thrashed and struggled, but the Chimaeric Demon held fast, squeezing until the
man went limp.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Another Chimaeric Demon charged head-on at a pair of guards who had formed a protective circle in front of James and the president's daughter. The guards took out their swords, but the Chimaeric Demon avoided the slashes easily.
He barreled into the guards, his arms expanding into a net of grasping, crushing tentacles, then necks snapped.
The rest of the Chimaeric Demons, who had already replaced some of the bodyguards but hadn't acted yet, turned on their supposed allies.
The tactic was the same: crush their necks. The real bodyguards fell quickly.
As the fight got worse, things got messier. A bodyguard fighting a Chimaeric Demon fell into
a luggage cart.
Suitcases flew everywhere, spilling their stuff all over the ground. At the same time, another bodyguard accidentally knocked over some chairs while trying to defend himself from a clone.
This made a lot of noise.
The airfield was now full of loud sounds. The noise was loud enough that some of the Chimaeric Demons stopped fighting for a moment and went on checking if someone was coming here. Of course, they immediately got replaced by other clones, who did their part of
the job in their stead.
But even if someone heard something, they would be done already by the time they arrived, and if someone actually did, they would get alerted by the clones replacing the guards, security, and personnel within the airport. This fight could only go one way, and the clones were going to make sure it would.
In the end, they defeated all the bodyguards without problems.
James had been the last one to fall. The president's daughter looked at him dead on the
ground, tier in her eyes.
She wanted to cry, but she knew that if that happened, she would look weak, and her situation
would worsen.
She needed to stay calm and think. She had to find out who the hell just attacked them, who
killed James, and why many of the people she knew took part in this. She might be able to give the information to her mother.
But there were no more fights, no more screams, no more death. Because there was no one
alive on her side.
<The mission had been completed, master.>
The president's daughter stood alone, wide-eyed and trembling, surrounded by the bodies of her security detail and by the Chimaeric Demons who took the guards' and workers' place. She was unharmed-not a hair out of place-but the shock and fear in her eyes could still be
seen.
<Finally.>
Erik shapeshifted back into his human form. He was naked, but he didn't care.
He walked, going through the empty lane and heading toward the barrack, where the fight
ensued.
Once there, he gave a quick look around, seeing the aftermath of the violent fight. Dead bodyguards were scattered on the ground, but there was no smell of blood in the air. The Chimaeric Demons had been as lethal as they promised, and that without a single drop of blood being spilled.
Erik then glanced at the president's daughter. She was standing in front of the plane's stairs, looking scared and shocked, but trying to keep a calm facade.
<She sure can't act well.> The woman failed to look convincing.
But Erik didn't care, or better, couldn't stop, and that forced him to ignore those feelings he
was having. What Erik was doing was undoubtedly wrong, yet he believed the end goal justified the means. His actions and decisions weren't driven by greed or malice. Still, he felt conflicted- apologetic and guilty about his choices.