Jay never expected that after joining the Marine, he'd end up working as a bodyguard.
Fortunately, he wasn't protecting a Celestial Dragon, just a spoiled and bratty noble girl.
That, at least, was something he could handle.
Day One
The entire estate was placed on lockdown.
Tessa Toledo never left her room, spending the whole day inside.
Even her three daily meals were brought to her by the maids.
Jay and his squad stood guard outside, taking shifts for meals, bathroom breaks, and sleep.
It wasn't that Jay particularly cared about her safety, he just didn't want any stains on his record.
As long as nothing happened to the young lady and the mission was successfully completed, he would earn Colonel Hammond's public endorsement
A crucial step toward his promotion to Sergeant.
After all, his foundation within the Marine was shaky.
No matter how dictatorial Colonel Hammond was, he still had to consider appearances.
At the very least, everything had to look legitimate on the surface.
So whether his protection target was a person or a dog, Jay didn't care.
He just had to do his job.
Day Two
The outer perimeter was reinforced with 24-hour patrols.
Four female bodyguards were added to Tessa's personal security detail.
Jay and his men continued guarding the room while occasionally making rounds outside.
It was boring, but if things stayed peaceful, that wouldn't be so bad.
Day Three
Still quiet.
It seemed that hiring the Marine had actually worked.
The Mafia hadn't dared to make a move.
The tension eased among the guards.
Even Tessa herself seemed more cheerful, smiling as she instructed the butler to give Jay and his men a good meal.
(Of course, no alcohol was served.)
Day Four
Tessa's uncle arrived, concerned for her safety.
He warned her not to let her guard down
The Mafia wouldn't back off so easily.
For now, he would take care of the family's business affairs.
But once this crisis was over, he would fully support her in claiming her position as the head of the family.
Tessa was deeply moved, her eyes welling up with tears as she cried her heart out.
Day Five The Final Ultimatum
This was the deadline set by the Mafia.
At 5 AM, the city erupted with gunfire!
Tessa was jerked awake from her sleep.
Her four female bodyguards immediately stood ready inside the room.
Outside, the estate's guards had already engaged in battle with the incoming attackers.
"Break the windows! Open fire freely!"
Jay calmly issued his first command.
Buck and the others smashed the nearest windows, extending their rifles outside.
A mob of Mafia gunmen was storming the estate, trying to breach the defenses.
Already, a dozen guards lay dead in pools of blood.
Their firepower was completely outmatched.
The Mafia's weapons were superior, and their attacks were relentless.
Explosives, grenades, and rocket launchers rained down mercilessly!
As for Buck's squad?
Their long-range support was practically useless.
Not only were their shooting skills subpar, but at this distance, they had no accuracy whatsoever.
After firing for ages, sweating profusely, they still hadn't hit a single target.
Only one unlucky guy got shot in the leg and had to be dragged away by his comrades.
Seeing this, Jay cursed, lifted his rifle, and took aim.
His precise control over his strength allowed him to hold the gun perfectly steady, feeling no weight at all.
The dexterity boost granted by [Hand Demon] made it possible for him to maintain absolute stability while executing high-precision shots.
"Do you even understand what it means to be the top marksman in training?!"
BANG!
Jay pulled the trigger without hesitation.
A Mafia thug collapsed instantly, a spray of blood bursting from his skull.
BANG!
Another down.
"Sniper! Take cover!"
"Suppress that window! Fire everything you've got!"
After just two shots, Jay's presence had already been detected.
Before the Mafia could focus their fire on him, he took out a third enemy and immediately ducked away from the window.
The next second
A barrage of bullets shattered the entire window, trashing everything inside.
Tables, vases, completely destroyed.
Luckily, Jay and his men had moved in time.
Jay had no intention of testing whether he could survive a bullet, so he immediately shouted:
"Cover me!"
Despite their fear, Buck and the others followed orders, crouching low and firing wildly to draw enemy attention.
Seizing the opportunity, Jay slipped into the next room and quietly opened a window.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
One shot, one kill.
His precise shots not only bought the guards some breathing room, but also disrupted the Mafia's rhythm.
Because in battle, the presence of a flawless sharpshooter was enough to cripple the enemy's morale.
The Mafia launched several more attacks, but each one was beaten back.
Jay alone had killed 15 men.
"Damn it! Fall back!"
One of the Mafia leaders shouted, his face dark with anger.
"But it's not time to retreat yet"
"The intel was wrong! The Marine inside isn't ordinary! We can't keep wasting our men!"
Leaving over twenty corpses behind, the Mafia retreated and disappeared into the darkness.
A surviving guard, overwhelmed with relief, collapsed onto the ground, his face still carrying the joy of barely escaping death.
These Mafia thugs had fought like demons.
A quick glance at the battlefield showed that the casualties among the guards were more than double those of the enemy.
So the kill ratio was 1:2?
Not even close!
Don't forget, 15 of those dead Mafia men had been personally taken down by Jay!
Without those 15, the remaining Mafia had exchanged 1 soldier for 5-6 guards.
That was terrifying.
Had Jay not been here today, the estate would have fallen, no question!
"What's happening outside? Why is it so quiet?"
Tessa Toledo's trembling voice broke the silence.
The butler hurried in, his face filled with joy.
"We won! The Mafia retreated!"
"Really?! That's amazing!"
Tessa beamed with excitement.
But her smile didn't last long.
Because after the casualty count came in
Over 50 guards were dead or wounded, and more than 20 had fled.
Now, the entire estate was left with only 30 guards, 10 Marine soldiers, and 4 female bodyguards.
As for the gardeners, maids, and other staff, who knew how many had been caught in the crossfire?
If the Mafia came back... what then?!
Suddenly, Tessa lost all sense of security and frantically ordered the butler to send for reinforcements.
The butler, however, could only sigh.
It was too late, and they weren't the only ones under attack tonight.
Then, after hesitating for a moment, he decided to reveal some news to ease her mind.
"One man killed 15 Mafia soldiers... are you sure?!"
As expected, Tessa's face turned to pure shock.
The Marine she had always looked down on had actually made the biggest difference in saving her life!