From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 721: The Meaning Of Rangers

The university students had been waiting patiently while being held captive on the wooden platform. Although their arms and feet were tightly bound, their mouths weren’t, so they were at least allowed to speak to each other.

But whenever they did talk, they did so in anxious whispers, not even daring to think about shouting at the people who had captured them. They had vividly seen what had happened to Aki and Rick when they tried to protect them back at the restaurant. That terrifying level of violence had been the work of just one individual—and now, there was a whole group of those monsters standing right in front of them.

A part of those who had been through a campus lockdown before, like Steve, had expected that maybe they would feel less on edge this time around, or at least a bit safer. But he didn’t feel safe at all, and the rest of them felt the exact same way. They could tell instinctively that the people holding them captive this time were far more professional. You could see it in the disciplined way they stood, the cold way they spoke, and even the expert precision with which the ropes and cuffs had been tied.

”We’re stuck in this nightmare again,” Steve whispered, his eyes darting around. ”And I have a bad feeling this is all just unfinished business left over from last time.”

”But we aren’t even his actual friends,” Yovan muttered back, his face pale. ”He hasn’t even seen us since the day he left the university. So why the hell are they targeting us?”

”I guess the answer to that is pretty simple, right?” Jono said, leaning his head back against the pillar. ”Max came to save us last time, so they figure if they take us again, he’ll turn up to save us a second time. The problem is, these guys look like real professionals.”

The students were mainly looking at Agent Two, who was casually leaning against a support beam, playing with his daggers and flipping them through his fingers once in a while. Then there was Commander Blark, a literal wall of muscle dressed in army camo who was sharply barking orders at the others.

”Will Max really come to help us again?” Talia asked, her voice trembling.

”I think he will... but I’m honestly not sure if he should,” Eric said quietly. He looked at the armed guards patrolling the run-down courtyard. ”I’m not sure he would be a match for these people.”

Right then, out in the distance, a figure appeared over the horizon. As he marched into view, he looked drastically different from the last time the students had seen him.

”Am I completely losing my mind, or is that the school janitor?” Steve stammered, rubbing his eyes.

”Remember, he wasn’t actually just a school janitor, he was helping Max,” Talia reminded him, a sudden spark of hope cutting through her panic. ”It looks like Max really did send help for us.”

Although they remembered the janitor’s terrifying martial arts skills from the campus incident, they still weren’t sure if one man was going to be enough to take down an entire squad of assassins. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone.

Walking right by Aron’s side was Joe, wearing his signature silver inlay jacket. Next to him was Joe in his green jacket outfit, and then Stephen on the outer edge, sporting his red ranger colors. On the other side of Stephen, Wolf was walking proudly, his golden jacket lining shining brightly beneath the sun.

Skull, who was standing near the other Black Hand members, watched the group approach with a sharp smile.

”That’s him alright,” Skull said, his eyes locking onto Aron.

”What’s with the colorful jackets?” Agent Three asked, squinting down the path.

”Those jackets... I actually looked into them,” Skull explained, his tone turning serious. ”You all should already know that the Billion Bloodline group we are going up against managed to completely defeat the Gilt Rats—a massive, syndicate-level organization. And the street rumors say they won that war because of the people wearing those exact jackets.

”It’s said that the strongest, most elite fighters in the entire Billion Bloodline group are known as the Rangers.”

Hearing that, a couple of the younger Black Hand members couldn’t help but let out a mock chuckle.

”You guys can laugh all you want,” Skull warned, casting a sharp glare at the doubters. ”But from what I gathered about how easily the Gilt Rats lost their territory, the underworld has a massive amount of respect for anyone who manages to get handed one of those uniforms. And do I really need to remind you idiots that the one man you respect the most—our old Rank One—is currently wearing those exact colors?”

That put the entire situation into perspective. Originally, the active assassins thought they would only have to worry about fighting Aaron. But if these other guys marching beside him were just as skilled, they were going to have to worry about them just as much.

Lastly, two more people finally revealed themselves, stepping out from the covered mountain path to join the front line. Darno walked out proudly, his jacket pulled tight to show off the distinct blue inlay on the inside.

”Hahaha, well, since I’m representing this color and the rangers for the very first time, I guess I shouldn’t disappoint, right?” Darno said with a confident smile.

As he adjusted his sleeves, his mind briefly flashed back to the day he had first received the uniform from Max.

”So why did you pick blue for me?” Darno had asked, holding up the fabric.

”Blue?” Max had repeated back then. ”Well, there are only so many colors left to pick from, but honestly, it just suits you. Your fighting style is completely defensive. It requires an immense amount of discipline and patience. Well, you lack a bit of that last part in your daily life, but when you fight seriously, those are the exact traits you have. For me, blue represents the immovable fortress, and that is your role in this group.”

Remembering those words, Darno didn’t know why, but he felt a deep, powerful sense of pride swelling in his chest while wearing the uniform.

Right beside him, Na stepped forward as well. He unzipped his jacket, the inside showing off a vibrant purple inlay. Again, the color had been specifically chosen by Max to match his unique fighting style: an overwhelming, unstoppable force that wasn’t just built on sheer, raw power, but combined flawlessly with high-level technique. Every single move was compact, and every single strike was devastating.

These were the two newest members and colors of the Rangers. And today, they were going to prove to the Black Hand exactly why they earned those jackets.