The moment Leitao decisively shot down the ninja with the signal flare, a sharp metallic ring pierced the forest. Three four-pointed shuriken, glinting with a cold, ghostly blue light, whistled toward him in a V-formation. He spun and swept his arm, the stock of his Scorpion Submachine Gun knocking the left shuriken aside, while hot bullets precisely shattered the other two. Flying fragments grazed his cheek, burning fine bloody gashes into his skin; blood instantly congealed into dark red under the scorching sun.
"Baka!" a roar of fury erupted from the treetops. The remaining eleven ninjas simultaneously tore open their tunics, revealing black chest armor embossed with diamond patterns. Their MP35 submachine guns were all fitted with custom flash hiders. Leitao’s pupils contracted sharply, and he executed a smooth, diving roll into the bushes. A dense spray of bullets whistled past his ears, peppering the boulder he had been hiding behind until it was pockmarked like a beehive, sending stone shards flying like rain.
He quickly pulled the charging handle, slamming an extended magazine marked "AP" into his Scorpion Submachine Gun. With a crisp "click," the special armor-piercing rounds were chambered. Leitao leaned out and pulled the trigger; dark red muzzle flashes tore through the air. Sparks showered from the chest plate of the ninja on the left, and the second round punched straight through the armor, blossoming into a spray of blood against the man's chest.
Chapter 458