As the situation with Seo-Jun escalated, Reynolds realized that their conventional tactics were ineffective against her powers. The pinkish thorns not only absorbed their bullets but also began to coil around, creating a barrier between them and Seo-Jun, limiting their movement and strategic options.

"Bring out the javelin missile," Reynolds instructed one of the Navy Seals.

The Seals who were carrying the Javelin nodded in acknowledgment. He prepared the Javelin, aimed it at Seo-Jun, and pulled the trigger.

The missile, with its powerful propulsion, shot out towards Seo-Jun at incredible speed. However, Seo-Jun, with a calm demeanor, extended her hand towards the incoming missile. The pinkish thorns surged forward, meeting the missile mid-air. They surrounded it, erasing it as if gnawing through it. Moments later, the missile was gone, leaving no trace behind.

With a flick of her finger, Seo-Jun’s pinkish thorns rebuilt the missile that was erased. The reconstituted missile, now under her control, turned around and hounded towards the Navy Seals. The operatives, realizing the impending threat, scrambled for cover.

"Scatter!" Graves shouted, pushing Reynolds out of the missile’s trajectory. The Blackwatch operatives, utilizing the agility provided by their Titan’s Guard suits, managed to move out of harm’s way just as the missile exploded where they had been moments before.

The explosion sent shockwaves through the area, dust and debris flying into the air. As the dust settled, Reynolds and Graves regrouped, assessing their team for injuries. Thankfully, due to their quick reactions, there were no casualties.

"That was close," Reynolds gasped, brushing off the dust from his uniform. "So that’s what you are telling me about."

"Yeah...told you, she can erase matter and reconstruct it under her control," Graves confirmed, his eyes fixed on Seo-Jun. "Let our men handle this. Conventional weapons won’t work here."

"Okay...it’s all yours," Reynolds said.

The Blackwatch operatives, encased in their Titan’s Guard Mark II suits, took to the air with the thrusters on their backs, encircling Seo-Jun from all directions. The night sky was momentarily illuminated by the glow of the plasma cannons charging up, casting an eerie light over the ruined cityscape.

Seo-Jun, undeterred by the show of force, prepared her thorns for another assault. However, the operatives had the advantage of aerial mobility, dodging her attacks with swift maneuvers. The plasma cannons unleashed their fury, sending concentrated beams of energy toward her from multiple angles. Seo-Jun’s thorn shield struggled under the onslaught, the pinkish barrier flickering under the intensity of the plasma.

Graves, observing the weakening of her defenses, seized the opportunity for a decisive strike.

"Cover me," he communicated to the team, his suit’s thrusters propelling him forward at high speed. The other operatives intensified their barrage, drawing Seo-Jun’s focus as Graves prepared his final move.

With precision timing, as the plasma cannons created an opening in Seo-Jun’s defenses, Graves activated his suit’s most powerful weapon—a high-intensity plasma beam. The beam, glowing with almost blinding brightness, shot forth from Graves’ arm cannon, piercing through the night and hitting Seo-Jun directly.

The impact was catastrophic. Seo-Jun’s attempt to counter with her thorns was futile; the plasma beam’s energy was overwhelming. In a matter of seconds, the beam obliterated her very being, leaving behind a fading glow where she once stood.

The Blackwatch operatives landed, their suits powering down as the immediate threat was neutralized. Reynolds, along with the Navy Seals, looked on in awe and relief.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah...they have plasma beams and cannons...this is some high-tech shit! Even DARPA is decades away from developing that kind of technology," one of the Navy Seals muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Graves, overhearing the conversation, merely nodded. "The Titan’s Guard suits are the pinnacle of Blackwatch’s technology. They’re designed for situations exactly like this one."

Reynolds glanced at the spot where Seo-Jun had been just moments ago, now nothing more than scorched earth. "I can’t believe it’s over just like that. She seemed... invincible."

Graves looked around at the quiet city, the aftermath of their confrontation settling in. "It’s never that simple. Seo-Jun was tough, but Lin Feng is the real threat. I think he will know that we killed one of her associates. I can still remember whenever we kill her associates, the others would be enraged to the point they’ll want to kill us so badly."

"Look Graves...at this point, we don’t think we have the right weapons to counter this threat," Reynolds said. "If our weapons can’t even scratch their defenses, what chance do we have?"

"I understand your concern, but the reason why we are here is to confirm if Lin Feng is alive or not. And it seems that he is alive."

"We can’t return with a seems, we need evidence that he is alive," Reynolds said.

"Yeah...but dead men tell no tales. Look, any moment now, Lin Feng’s associates or Lin Feng himself would show up and kill us," Graves warned. "This is all the confirmation we need. Lin Feng is like a god to his associates. If Lin Feng really died from that strike, they’d be shouting and cursing at us. But she didn’t. I’m calling an Eagle."

"Specter-1 to Eagle Actual," Graves said.

"This is Eagle Actual, send traffic."

"Actual, we have eliminated one of Lin Feng’s associates, specifically Seo-Jun. We are heading out now as we may believe that Lin Feng is still alive," Graves responded.

"We may believe?" Richard repeated. "How certain are you that Lin Feng is still alive based on this encounter?"

Graves took a moment before responding, "Based on the behavior of Seo-Jun and the intensity of the encounter, it’s highly likely Lin Feng is still operational. If he were not, we’d see a different reaction from his associates

"Understood, Specter-1. Proceed with caution and extract as soon as possible. We’ll prepare for the next phase based on your assessment. Eagle Actual out."

After the communication ended, Reynolds looked at Graves with a mixture of frustration and resignation. "So, what’s our exit strategy? We’re deep in enemy territory, and if Lin Feng is alive, we’re walking into a hornet’s nest."

Graves scanned the desolate landscape, his mind racing for solutions. "We move fast and silent. We came in undetected; we left the same way. Blackwatch will cover the retreat while Navy Seals secure our six. We have the tech and the training; we use it to our advantage."

The team quickly regrouped their brief respite over. However—.

"Going somewhere?"

A chill ran down Lin Feng’s spine, he definitely heard that voice before and there was no mistaking it.

"It’s Lin Feng," Graves announced.