Max took a deep breath, trying to keep his patience. "Alright, Maxwell. Spit it out. What do you know about the other Fingers of the Hand?"
Maxwell smirked, enjoying the moment. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" He leaned forward, pulling out a small, worn notebook. "The Hand is run by five so-called 'Fingers.' Each of them controls a different aspect of their operations. Gao was one of them, but you already took care of her."
He flipped a page and continued, "Next, we have Bakuto. He runs their recruitment and training programs. Think of him as the one responsible for turning street rats into deadly killers. He believes in loyalty and discipline, but he's not as strong as the others. He's currently operating somewhere in South America, training new warriors."
Max nodded. "Who else?"
"Then there's Sowande," Maxwell went on. "He's the warlord of the Hand, controlling their military assets and mercenary groups. If you've got an army of Hand assassins chasing you, chances are he's the one who sent them. He's been spotted in Africa, using conflict zones to build his forces."
Max crossed his arms. "And the others?"
"Murakami is the Hand's strategist. He's older than most of the others, rumored to be a master of brutal combat styles and an expert in ambush tactics. He prefers to work from the shadows, manipulating events rather than fighting directly. Nobody knows where he is right now, but if I had to guess, he's watching everything unfold from a safe distance."
Max's expression darkened. "And the last one?"
Maxwell's smirk faded slightly. "The most dangerous of them all—Alexandra Reid. She's the de facto leader of the Hand. She's ancient, powerful, and unlike the others, she actually has a vision beyond just power and control. She's been orchestrating the Hand's operations for centuries, ensuring they stay influential in the modern world. And here's the kicker—she's in New York, right under your nose."
Max leaned back, processing the information. "So… the strongest one is already here."
Maxwell nodded. "That's right. If you're planning to dismantle the Hand completely, she's the one you need to take down. But I'd be careful—she didn't survive this long by being reckless."
Max cracked his knuckles. "Then I guess it's time to pay her a visit."
Max stood up as he began to leave " are you going afer now?"
Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "But do you even know her location?"
Max smirked. "As long as she's in New York, that works for me."
He activated his system and spent a few moments scanning the city. Within seconds, he pinpointed her location easily.
Max's smirk widened as the system highlighted a red dot on his map.
"She's in Midtown, hiding in some underground bunker," he muttered. "Not very creative."
Maxwell leaned back, crossing his arms. "You sure about this? These Fingers aren't like the small fries you've been dealing with."
Max cracked his knuckles. "Doesn't matter. One by one, they'll fall. Just like Gao."
Vale sighed. "Fine. But don't come crying when they start sending armies of undead ninjas at you."
Max rolled his eyes. "Oh please, my sister commands an undead army. If they send ninjas, I'll just recruit them."
Maxwell chuckled. "Alright then. What's the plan?"
Max stood up, stretching. "Simple. We pay this 'Finger' a visit and see if they're any smarter than Gao. If not… well, you know how that ends."
With that, Max grabbed his coat and headed for the door. The next hunt had begun.
Max moved through the city streets like a shadow, his enhanced senses picking up every small movement around him. The closer he got to the underground bunker where Alexander Reid, another Finger of the Hand, was hiding, the more obstacles stood in his way.
A group of Hand ninjas appeared from the rooftops, dropping down to block his path. Max didn't even break his stride.
"Pathetic."
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a blade of pure energy, slashing through the first ninja before they could react. His footwork was precise, weaving through the assassins with ease. One tried to lunge at him from behind—Max simply tilted his head, dodging the blade by mere inches before grabbing the assassin's arm and snapping it like a twig.
"Really? This is the best you've got?" Max smirked, kicking another ninja into a wall.
The last few assassins hesitated, clearly realizing they were outmatched. But before they could retreat, Max vanished from their sight, reappearing behind them in an instant.
SLASH!
Their bodies fell to the ground before they even knew they were dead.
Max wiped his blade clean and continued forward, unfazed. He reached the hidden entrance to Reid's bunker, a steel door reinforced with ancient symbols.
" hmm, is this thing reinforced with Life energy or chi?" Max mumbled as he looked at ut.
He placed his hand against the runes, his energy flaring as he overloaded the enchantments. The door glowed for a second before shattering into pieces.
"Knock, knock," Max said as he stepped inside.
Alexander Reid, dressed in traditional Hand robes, sat calmly at the far end of the dimly lit room. He didn't seem surprised. In fact, he smirked.
"I was expecting you, Mr. Ryder."
Max cracked his neck. "Good. That saves me the trouble of introductions."
"Why even know you, plenty have tried," she said, looking at Max.
Max just smirked.
"So, what do you want, Mr. Ryder?" Reid asked, watching him carefully.
Max leaned closer. "I think you already know."
"What if I don't?" she asked, her voice calm.
Before she could react, her arm was suddenly severed.
SHNK!
Pain hit her like a delayed shockwave. She stared at her missing limb in disbelief.
"Does that remind you now?" Max asked in a cold tone.
Reid looked at him, fear creeping into her eyes. Why is he this strong?
She had reached a high level in life energy manipulation—strong enough to move mountains with a single strike. Yet Max had cut off her arm as easily as slicing paper, and she hadn't even sensed it until the pain hit.
***
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