A Debt Repaid in Full

The people inside grew panicked. "What are you doing? You're going to smash the door just because we won't let you in?! There are cameras in this carriage! If you dare break that door, I'll make sure you regret it!"

The burly man's temper flared even hotter. He grabbed his cleaver and was about to smash the door to pieces, but fortunately, the two men beside him held him back.

The woman chimed in, "You'd be better off spending that energy helping her."

She pointed at Tu Ran.

Still, an endless stream of aberrants surrounded her, nearly swallowing her entire body.

Around her, a mountain of corpses had already piled up.

The burly man hoisted his cleaver. "You three figure out a way to get that door open. I'm going to help her."

With that, he charged into the aberrant swarm in three quick strides.

His cleaver whirled so fast it nearly sparked, carving a bloody path through the horde and pulling Tu Ran out of the mass. He stood in front of her like a wall, shouldering most of the aberrant attacks.

Tu Ran's arms were sore and heavy, but she pressed her back against his, taking care of the aberrants behind them.

"Why did you come back!" she shouted.

"Those bastards won't open the door!" the burly man roared, furious.

He channeled all his rage into slaughtering the aberrants, swinging with tremendous force. Any aberrant that so much as grazed his cleaver came away mangled.

Tu Ran could feel his fury, and she was just as angry herself.

Why had she risked so much? And these people had the gall to shut them out!

They had no idea how vindictive Tu Ran could be.

"Hold on for a moment," Tu Ran said, tilting her head slightly. "Let me think of something."

"Alright." The man nodded readily.

Tu Ran slipped out of the aberrant encirclement and made her way to the glass door.

The three of them were still trying to reason with the people inside.

Tu Ran shoved them aside, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and wiped the blood off the glass until she could see every face inside.

She set her jaw. "I am Pioneer Tu Ran. I am here under the Federation's orders. My command is the Federation's command. Now, I order you to open this door! We need to get in!"

The man leading the group inside wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, one lens cracked. "I'm worried you—"

Tu Ran cut him off without mercy. "Let me reiterate: my command is the Federation's command. What you're doing now is defying the Federal Government's orders. Even if you survive this, you'll face federal sanctions!"

The man adjusted his glasses and sneered at Tu Ran. "Aren't you a Pioneer? Aren't you supposed to deal with aberrants? Then why do you need to come in? Shouldn't you be taking care of all those aberrants yourself?"

"I fought my way from the seventh carriage all the way here—that was my duty. Now my duty is to make sure my teammates can get in safely."

Tu Ran drew an unused pistol from her lower back and aimed it directly at the glasses-wearing man. "According to my latest directive from the Federation, I have the authority to execute anyone who disobeys orders on the spot."

For a moment, the man panicked. "You're lying!"

"Federal law states that the life of a Pioneer takes precedence over all else. You left my life outside that door, so I have every right to decide whether you live or die." Tu Ran pulled the trigger.

"Three!"

Some inside started urging the man to give in.

"Two!"

The man shoved his persuaders to the ground.

"One!"

The man stared Tu Ran down defiantly, betting she wouldn't dare pull the trigger, betting she was only bluffing.

*Bang!*