Top Notch War God

Chapter 81

At this moment, fire trucks and ambulances had just arrived outside the mall. They set up a safety perimeter, and the firefighters were about to rush in to rescue people when suddenly the sound of breaking glass echoed. The firefighters were stunned and looked up to see two figures falling from the first floor.

Talon had smashed through the glass with his back. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and under the gaze of many onlookers, he firmly held Ariya in his arms. With a loud thud, they hit the ground.

"Quick, medical team! Check them out!" the fire chief shouted, and several people immediately rushed forward. Talon was on the verge of losing consciousness. The impact from the fall was already tremendous, let alone the fact that he was holding another person in his arms.

Ariya, her face pale, struggled to get off him and pushed Talon desperately. "Talon, open your eyes! Please open your eyes! Don't sleep; I beg you, don't sleep—you won't wake up if you do! Talon, Talon, please, I'm begging you…"

At the same time, Maisy had broken free from the police officer's grip and ran to Talon's side. "Daddy, Daddy! Wake up, please! It's all my fault; I shouldn't have said you liked playing with toys. Daddy, if you wake up, I promise I'll never buy any toys again. Daddy, please…"

Maisy's words made the onlookers feel incredibly heartbroken. Seeing Talon lying there, their faces filled with sadness, they were unable to bear watching or listening anymore.

Ariya felt her mind go blank and, in a frenzy, hugged Maisy and cried, "Talon, didn't you say that in five years you'd protect me and never let me suffer again? How can you go back on your word? I'm suffering now, really suffering. I beg you, don't sleep. I'll do anything you say from now on; just please, wake up!"

The medical team arrived, and seeing Ariya lying on top of Talon, the captain frowned. "Miss, please step aside. He needs fresh air!"

"Okay, okay… Doctor, I beg you, please save him! Please bring him back!" Ariya pleaded tearfully.

The captain said nothing, checked Talon's eyelids, and decisively ordered, "Quick, prepare the ambulance, alert the hospital, and get ready for emergency treatment!" As he spoke, the captain knelt down and began performing CPR on Talon.

Ariya watched nervously as Talon's condition changed. Just after the captain had performed about a dozen compressions, Talon suddenly opened his eyes, his breaths filled with dust. The first thing he said was, "Ariya… Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

The captain's neck was nearly twisted by Talon's grip, and Ariya quickly said, "Talon, Talon, I'm fine! Let go; they're here to help you!"

Talon slowly loosened his grip, and seeing Ariya safe and sound, he finally let out a long sigh of relief. Apologetically, he said to the captain, "I'm sorry. I was just so worried about her."

"Talon, do you even know how scared you made me?" Ariya walked over, hugged him, and broke down in tears.

"Daddy… wooo…" Seeing her mother crying, Maisy, probably affected, buried herself in Talon's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Someone among the crowd began clapping, and soon a wave of applause erupted. This man, who had braved the flames to save his wife, was truly admirable. At the same time, everyone felt lucky that this family of three could still be together after such a near-death experience.

At this moment, a man and a woman pushed through the crowd in a rush. The woman, upon seeing the scene in front of her, was stunned. "Denny, Denny! Where are you? I shouldn't have left you alone to do your homework just to make money! Oh, dear God, please bring my son back, please!"

The woman was about to run inside when the man immediately grabbed her. "The fire in there is too fierce; going in would be suicide. Listen to me, Denny will be okay; he has to be!"

The woman flailed her arms wildly. "Jordan, it's all your fault! I told you we couldn't leave Denny alone, but you insisted it would be fine. Now Denny is probably dead. Give me back my son! You killed my child just to deliver a few pieces of clothing. I'm going to make you pay!"

Jordan trembled all over, tears falling from his eyes. Their family ran a clothing business, and the delivery wasn't far—just a ten-minute trip. Who could have known that by the time they returned, the Apex Department Store would be like this?

The woman, seeing her husband unresponsive, turned and bowed repeatedly to the firefighters. "Please, I'm begging you! Save my son. He's only seven! He can't die; he just can't! We struggled so hard to have him—if he dies, how will we go on?"

The fire chief wore a troubled expression. At this moment, their water trucks were in place, spraying water toward the blaze. The firefighters had already made several attempts to enter, but the fire was too intense. They could only wait until it was somewhat under control before trying again.

"Give me a mask. I went in earlier to save Ariya; I might know where he is." Talon stood up, not waiting for the chief to respond, and said coldly.

"Talon, your back! You're bleeding; there's blood all over!" Ariya cried out in shock.

Everyone's attention was drawn to Talon. To shield Ariya, he had smashed through the window with his back. Several pieces of glass had lodged in his skin. He had landed on his back when they fell, driving the shards even deeper. His entire back was a bloody mess.

Talon glanced over his shoulder, walked over to the fire chief, and said again, "It's nothing. Give me a mask; I'm going to save Denny."

The chief firmly refused. "No, we can't let you go in. You're injured; you need to get to a hospital to have the glass removed!"

"Then can you go in?" Talon shot back. "I told you before, the clothing store is at the intersection. I was in a hurry earlier, but I think I saw a child lying there. Only I can go in, or we'll waste too much time!"

"Yes, yes, our store is at the second-floor intersection. Sir, please, please save my child!" Upon hearing Talon's words, the woman began bowing to him.

The fire chief gritted his teeth and finally said, "I can give you a mask, but if you can't get in, don't force it. Once the fire dies down a bit, we'll send our team in to rescue everyone."

"Okay." Talon took the mask and put it on.

"Talon, you can't go; I won't let you go!" Ariya stood in front of him, arms spread wide. She had experienced the horror inside once, and it was nothing short of hell. While she felt sorry for the child, all she wanted now was for her husband to stay by her side.

Talon had already put on the mask, his face hidden, but his voice was clear and resolute. "Ariya, stopping me won't help. I have to go. I told you before, I'm a soldier. No matter where I am, my duty is to protect this country and its people."

He added, "This belief was etched into my bones the moment I put on my uniform. Even if it costs me my life, I won't hesitate. Ariya, I'm sorry, but wait for me to come back!" With that, Talon turned and walked into the burning building.