Tara, realizing she wasn’t suited for direct combat, had taken cover behind a pile of crates, watching the fight unfold.
But before she could act—
A bruiser lunged at her, a dagger gleaming in his grip.
Before he reached her—
Tsuki moved.Fast. Silent. Lethal. In a single, fluid motion, he dismantled his attacker—twisting his arm, breaking his wrist, and shoving his own dagger into the man’s throat.
The first bruiser fell with a gurgle, his own dagger buried deep in his throat, Tsuki’s cold silver eyes unreadable as he twisted the blade before ripping it free.
The body hadn’t even hit the ground—
When a massive boot collided with his ribs.
CRACK!
The force sent him flying backward, his lean frame crashing into a wooden cart.
CRASH!
The cart exploded into splinters, debris flying as Tsuki tumbled through the wreckage, his body rolling to a stop in the dirt.
Pain exploded through his ribs, sharp and unforgiving. Blood dripped from his mouth.
But he wasn’t done.
Not yet.
He could hear them approaching—the remaining five bruisers, their footsteps heavy, their breaths steady.
Tsuki gritted his teeth, his hands pressing against the ground as he forced himself back up.
His vision swam for a moment, his chest heaving as he forced himself to breathe past the pain.
He wasn’t as strong as Orion.
He wasn’t as fast as Gabriel.
He wasn’t as durable as Ra.
But he didn’t need to be.
What he lacked in raw power, he made up for in efficiency. Precision. Ruthlessness.
These men were built for battle—
But he was built to kill.
The Five-on-One Begins
The bruisers moved in together, their bulky frames fanning out, ensuring Tsuki had nowhere to run.
They were cautious now.
They had seen what he did to the first one.
But caution wouldn’t save them.
Tsuki shifted his stance, his daggers glinting under the flickering slum lanterns, his mind already calculating the fastest way to kill them all.
The first bruiser lunged, swinging a makeshift axe, the jagged edge aiming for Tsuki’s neck.
Tsuki leaned back, the blade whistling past his throat by mere inches.
Before the bruiser could adjust his momentum, Tsuki stepped in—
And buried a dagger in his armpit.
SHLICK!
The bruiser let out a choked gasp, his grip on the axe weakening instantly.
Tsuki wrenched the blade sideways, severing tendons—
And in the same motion, he pivoted—
Driving his knee into the bruiser’s groin.
The giant man collapsed with a guttural wheeze, but Tsuki didn’t stop.
He spun around, his dagger cutting through the air—
And sliced across the throat of the second bruiser before he could react.
Blood sprayed.
Two down.
Three left.
The Remaining Three
The third bruiser was already swinging a heavy iron pipe, aiming for Tsuki’s spine.
Tsuki had barely dodged the last attack—
He wouldn’t dodge this one.
So instead—
He turned into it.
The moment the pipe came down, Tsuki stepped in, closing the gap between them.
The bruiser’s arm was raised too high—his ribs completely exposed.
Tsuki’s dagger stabbed upward.
SHLICK!
Straight between the bruiser’s ribs, slicing into his lung.
The man let out a strangled cough, blood bubbling from his mouth.
Tsuki didn’t let him fall.
He yanked the dagger out, spun the dying bruiser around—
And threw him into the remaining two.
The bodies collided hard, the last two bruisers stumbling, struggling to regain their footing.
And in that moment—
Tsuki vanished from their sight.
A Killer’s Instinct
To anyone else, Tsuki’s movement was unnatural.
To an untrained eye, he seemed to disappear.
One moment, he was standing still.
The next—
He was behind them.
The fourth bruiser barely had time to turn his head before Tsuki’s dagger slipped into his kidney.
He twisted the blade.
The bruiser let out a strangled scream, but Tsuki covered his mouth with his free hand, muffling the sound.
Then—he yanked the blade out, reversed it in his grip—
And slammed it into the bruiser’s throat.
The fifth and final bruiser was just a step too slow.
He spun around, swinging his massive fist—
But Tsuki ducked low, his movements smooth, effortless.
Then, with surgical precision, he sliced across the bruiser’s Achilles tendon.
The giant crumpled.
And before he could scream—
Tsuki’s dagger sank into the base of his skull.
Silence.
His silver eyes flickered toward the rest of the battlefield.
Orion was still fighting.
Gabriel was still launching lightning.
Kannie was still leaping, her kicks breaking bones.
Ra and Silas were locked in a war of pure strength.
Tsuki stood amidst the bodies of his fallen enemies, his chest heaving, his silver eyes scanning the battlefield. His dagger dripped with blood, the metallic scent thick in the air. The bruisers lay motionless, some still twitching, their lifeblood pooling beneath them.
His ribs ached, pain flaring every time he inhaled. He knew something was probably broken, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Not yet.
He turned his head toward the stack of crates where Tara was hiding.
Her wide eyes met his, her face pale, hands clutching at the wooden edge of her cover. She hadn’t screamed. She hadn’t run. But he could see the fear in her expression.
"T-Tsuki…" she whispered, taking a shaky breath.
He took a step toward her, flicking his dagger to the side, splattering the excess blood onto the dirt.
"Stay hidden," he ordered, his voice low, calm, deadly.
Tara hesitated, her hands gripping the crates tighter. “But—”
Tsuki narrowed his eyes. "I said stay hidden."
She swallowed hard and nodded.
Satisfied, Tsuki turned back to the battlefield.
The fight wasn’t over yet.
But his part of it was.
For now.
Kannie’s body coiled, her rabbit-like legs tensing like springs, preparing for the perfect moment.
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And then—
She launched herself into the air.
The battlefield blurred beneath her as she soared, the wind rushing past her ears.
Below, a bruiser barely had time to register her movement before—
She came crashing down.
Her heel slammed into the top of his head with bone-shattering force—
CRACK!
The sound of his skull splitting echoed, his eyes rolling back before his body collapsed instantly.
But there was no time to celebrate.
Another bruiser was already behind her, his massive arms wrapping around her waist in a crushing grip.
Kannie’s eyes widened.
Too strong.
His arms were like iron bars, squeezing the air out of her lungs, threatening to snap her ribs.
“Gotcha now, girl,” he growled.
But Kannie wasn’t a normal girl.
Reversal
She breathed in sharply, twisting her core.
And then—
She kicked off the ground, launching them both into the air.
The bruiser’s eyes widened in shock.
"What the—?!"
Then, while they were mid-air, flipping downward—
She snapped her legs outward, her foot slamming into his jaw.
CRACK!
His head whipped back violently, his body twisting as they landed.
Kannie rolled out of his grip just before impact, landing gracefully on the balls of her feet.
The bruiser staggered, his jaw dislocated, blood dripping from his lips.
Yet—
He was still standing.
Kannie gritted her teeth.
These men weren’t normal.
They weren’t going down like regular thugs.
But that was fine.
She could still break them.
The Next Two
Two more bruisers rushed in, their footsteps heavy, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Kannie smirked.
She leaped backward, landing on a stack of crates, using the elevation to her advantage.
The bruisers lunged up after her.
Kannie spun on her heel, her foot whipping through the air—
And slammed her heel into the first one’s throat.
CRACK!
His larynx collapsed instantly.
He made a horrible gurgling noise, clutching at his throat, collapsing as he suffocated.
But the second bruiser had closed in.
He grabbed her by the ankle mid-kick, yanking her off balance.
Kannie yelped, twisting her body mid-air—
And then, using the grip on her ankle against him—
She pushed off with her free leg, flipping herself over.
Now, she was above him.
And then—
She brought her full weight down.
Her knees slammed into his shoulders, pinning him in place—
And before he could react, her foot shot out, smashing his nose.
Blood exploded from his face.
But she wasn’t done.
Still on his shoulders, she leaned forward, gripping his hair for balance.
Her legs snapped around his head like a vice.
And then—
She twisted.
SNAP!
The bruiser’s neck broke instantly.
His body went limp, collapsing beneath her.
Kannie exhaled, panting slightly, her body shaking from the exertion.
She looked around.
More were still coming.
She wiped the sweat from her brow
The battle raged around him, but Nerpeus moved like a ghost through a storm.
The others fought with brutality, with force, with sheer unrelenting power.
But Nerpeus?
He fought with fluidity.
His body wove between the chaos, his movements like flowing water, bending, shifting, never breaking.
The bruisers came for him—six of them.
Larger. Stronger. Relentless.
Their eyes burned with unnatural fury, their bodies riddled with cuts and wounds but their faces showing no pain.
No hesitation. No fear.
It didn’t matter.
He would break them anyway.
The First Strike
A bruiser swung a heavy iron club, aiming to cave in Nerpeus' ribs.
Nerpeus twisted his body, his foot barely brushing the ground as he let the attack flow past him, missing by an inch.
Before the bruiser could adjust, Nerpeus whipped his arm outward.
A stream of water shot from his palm, wrapping around the bruiser’s ankle like a serpent.
Then—
Nerpeus yanked.
The bruiser’s foot was ripped out from under him, his massive body slamming into the stone floor with a sickening crack.
Before he could get up—
Nerpeus’ water lashed down—
Like an axe.
SHLICK!
The bruiser’s head rolled free from his body.
One down.
But the others were already on him.
The Flowing Arms
The next wave closed in, but Nerpeus didn’t panic.
Instead—
His eyes flicked toward the puddles, the spilled buckets, the leaking barrels scattered around the battlefield.
Water.
There was water everywhere.
And with a single breath—
He pulled it all toward him.
The liquid surged through the air, spiraling like snakes as it gathered around his arms.
Then—
They extended.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
Six tendrils of water sprouted from his body, each moving like extra limbs, each flowing with deadly intent.
The bruisers hesitated.
They had seen strange abilities before—but this was something else.
Nerpeus didn't give them a chance to react.
The Second Kill
A bruiser rushed in—his fists coated in brass knuckles, his massive form barreling forward like a human battering ram.
Nerpeus leaned back, his water limbs twisting as he used them to spring off the ground, launching himself over the attack.
The bruiser missed completely.
And before he could turn around—
A spear of water shot through his chest.
His body froze, trembling, blood mingling with water as it dripped from the gaping wound.
Nerpeus flicked his fingers—
And the spear twisted inside him, ripping through bone and muscle before launching him backward.
He hit the ground, dead before he even realized what had happened.
Two down.
Dancing Through Death
The remaining four surrounded him now, moving cautiously.
Nerpeus exhaled.
Then—
He moved.
With his six water limbs, he became a blur.
Each limb shot out, coiling around objects, grabbing onto crates, barrels, even bruisers, pulling him in impossible directions.
His speed increased tenfold.
To the onlookers, he was everywhere at once.
A wraith of flowing liquid, striking, twisting, cutting.
The third bruiser barely had time to blink before one water limb wrapped around his neck.
Then another around his waist.
Nerpeus tightened his fingers.
The limbs constricted.
CRACK!
His spine snapped instantly.
Three down.
The Final Three
The last three bruisers knew they were outmatched now.
But they didn't run.
They couldn't.
The potion in their veins burned too hot.
They were programmed to fight until they dropped.
One grabbed a rusted chain, swinging it in a wide arc, trying to catch Nerpeus mid-motion.
Nerpeus ducked low, his water limbs coiling against the ground, propelling him forward like a bullet.
The chain missed.
But Nerpeus didn’t.
A water blade formed mid-air, slicing across the bruiser’s stomach, splitting him open from hip to hip.
His guts spilled onto the ground, steam rising from his exposed insides as he fell.
Four down.
The fifth and sixth came at him together.
One wielding a butcher’s cleaver, the other using raw, brute strength.
Nerpeus twisted mid-air, his water limbs propelling him around them like a liquid dancer.
A limb grabbed the bruiser with the cleaver by the throat.
He tried to break free—
But Nerpeus twisted his fingers.
And the water snapped his neck.
Five down.
The final bruiser, the biggest of them all, roared in rage.
He grabbed a wooden crate, hurling it at Nerpeus like a boulder.
Nerpeus dodged—but the bruiser was already there.
A fist the size of a melon slammed into Nerpeus’ ribs.
Nerpeus gasped, feeling something crack.
The bruiser grabbed him by the hood, lifting him into the air.
His massive, broken-toothed grin spread wide.
“You’re dead, freak.”
Nerpeus just stared at him.
Then—
His water limbs surged forward.
They wrapped around the bruiser’s arms, legs, neck—
And then—
Nerpeus clenched his fist.
The limbs pulled.
Hard.
CRACK.
The bruiser’s body twisted unnaturally, his limbs dislocating, his spine snapping under the pressure.
He collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Six down.
Aftermath
Nerpeus stood still, his breath coming fast, his body aching from the blow to his ribs.
His water limbs slowly unraveled, collapsing back into the ground, fading into the dirt and blood.
The battle was still raging around him.
But for now—
He had won his fight.
He exhaled, wiping the blood from his cloth-wrapped hands.
Then, without a word, he turned to find his next target.
Because this fight was far from over.
Gabriel cracked his knuckles, sparks hissing through his fingers as static danced across his skin.
His turquoise eyes flashed, the familiar crackle of electricity pulsing through his body.
"Alright, fellas," he said, hovering a few inches off the ground, rolling his shoulders lazily.
"Who wants to get fried first?"
The bruisers charged at him, their unnatural resilience making them fearless, their eyes crazed from whatever potion was burning in their veins.
Gabriel sighed dramatically.
"Alright, I respect the enthusiasm—"
Then his fists sparked with violent blue arcs.
"—but y’all about to have a really bad day."
Stun Gun Special
The first bruiser swung a spiked gauntlet, aiming to crush Gabriel's ribs.
Gabriel tilted his body mid-air, dodging so smoothly it looked like he was too lazy to get hit.
Then—
He dropped down like a bolt of lightning, slamming a fist into the man’s stomach.
CRACK!
Electricity erupted from his fist, shocking the bruiser from the inside out.
The man’s entire body convulsed, his muscles locking up as blue arcs danced across his skin.
Gabriel leaned in close.
"You ever lick a lightning rod?" he whispered. "’Cause you’re getting the full experience."
The bruiser’s eyes rolled back, his body twitching violently—
But Gabriel was already moving.
He grabbed the man by the collar, flipped over him mid-air, and used him as a human shield just as the next attacker swung a club.
The club smashed into the convulsing bruiser instead, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
Gabriel landed behind them, his hands glowing brighter.
"Alright, who's next?" he grinned.
Raising the Voltage
The bruisers were still standing.
Even while smoking from the inside, their bodies convulsing from electrocution, they refused to stay down.
Gabriel’s smile faded slightly.
"Oh, come on, guys." He scratched the back of his head. "You’re supposed to drop when the cool effects kick in. It’s like, villain etiquette."
The bruisers snarled, surging forward again.
Gabriel clicked his tongue.
"Guess I gotta take this up a notch."
He lifted both hands, electricity crackling at his fingertips, the voltage surging to a dangerous hum.
The air felt heavy, the hairs on everyone’s arms standing up from the sheer charge in the atmosphere.
The bruisers hesitated.
Gabriel grinned again.
"You ever see a man become a living bug zapper?"
Lightning Dance
Gabriel blurred forward, his movements impossibly fast, his body streaking like a blue flash through the battlefield.
The third bruiser barely had time to blink before Gabriel’s fist was buried in his stomach.
CRACK!
A violent jolt surged through his body, his heart seizing instantly.
Gabriel yanked his fist out, spun, and delivered an electrified kick to the fourth bruiser’s jaw.
BOOM!
A shockwave of lightning blasted outward, sending the bruiser flying back in a twitching heap.
The fifth bruiser swung a rusted blade—
Gabriel caught it mid-swing, his electricity flowing into the metal.
The bruiser’s eyes widened as his entire nervous system short-circuited on the spot.
Gabriel smirked.
"Oh yeah, I should’ve warned you—metal’s kinda a bad idea when fighting me."
He then yanked the sword out of the bruiser’s hand, flipped it around—
And smacked him over the head with the flat side.
The bruiser collapsed, twitching violently.
Gabriel tossed the sword aside like garbage.
"Next time, bring a rubber mallet."
The Final Bruiser
The last bruiser stood frozen, sweat dripping down his face despite the potion’s effects.
Gabriel hovered higher, his arms spread wide, electricity surging around him in chaotic blue tendrils.
The final bruiser’s grip tightened on his weapon, his body trembling.
But the potion forced him forward.
With a roar, he charged Gabriel, swinging a massive iron hammer.
Gabriel tilted his head.
"Hammer?" He snorted. "You guys really don’t get it, do you?"
He let the bruiser get close—
Then—
BZZZZZZZTTTTTT!
Gabriel palmed his chest, sending a full surge of electricity directly into the bruiser’s nervous system.
The bruiser froze, his muscles locked in place, his mouth still open mid-roar—
As smoke rose from his body.
Gabriel leaned in slightly.
"Y’know what’s funny?" He whispered.
"The potion makes you ignore pain."
He grinned wickedly.
"But your body still shuts down."
Then, with one last explosive surge—
The bruiser collapsed.
Aftermath
Gabriel landed gently, brushing some nonexistent dust off his sleeve.
"Well," he muttered, hands on his hips, looking around at the twitching, smoking bodies around him.
"That was… shockingly easy."
He snickered at his own joke.
Orion, nearby, groaned. "Gabriel, seriously?"
Gabriel raised his hands in mock defense. "Hey, I just sent six grown men to hell using nothing but static! Let me have this moment."
He turned toward the remaining battlefield.
"Alright, who's next?"
But no one answered.
Because they were all too busy dying.
The battle below raged on, a chaotic symphony of violence and survival.
The streets of the Old Business District slums had transformed into a warzone, filled with shouting, bodies colliding, and raw power clashing.
From the rooftops above, three silent figures continued watching.
And they were thoroughly entertained.
The tall cloaked man let out a low chuckle, his posture relaxed, his arms crossed as he observed the carnage below with undisguised amusement.
His grin stretched wide beneath his hood, though his face remained hidden in shadow.
“This,” he murmured, his voice thick with intrigue, “was definitely worth the trip.”
Beside him, the young woman in the oversized wizard’s hat tilted her head, her face still concealed beneath the wide brim, but the faintest curl of a smirk tugged at her lips.
Her violet eyes gleamed, reflecting the violent spectacle unfolding below.
She exhaled softly, then murmured, “Now this… this is an interesting bunch.”
The third figure, smaller than the others, was the only one not as relaxed.
He stood tense, his fingers twitching faintly at his sides.
His heterochromatic eyes, one blue, one brown, gleamed beneath the dark mask covering the lower half of his face.
He wasn’t just watching.
He was feeling it.
The weight of the battle.
The momentum shifting.
The urge to jump in.
His eyes followed Ra and Silas, watching the relentless exchange of brutal blows.
Every punch, every kick—
He felt it in his own bones.
The air around him grew tense, his muscles coiling as if preparing for battle.
The cloaked man beside him noticed.
And that grin beneath the hood widened.
“Tempted?” he asked, a quiet chuckle escaping.
The young ninja exhaled sharply, but didn’t look away from the fight.
The wizard-hatted woman hummed softly, crossing her arms.
“They’re holding their own,” she mused.
Her smirk deepened as she watched
She saw Gabriel laughing while electrocuting his enemies into submission.
As she caught sight of Tsuki, drenched in blood, standing over the corpses of his fallen foes, his silver eyes cold and unreadable.
She chuckled.
“This just got a whole lot more entertaining.”
The hooded man nodded in agreement.
He had come here on a whim, drawn by whispers of a brewing conflict in the slums.
But this?
This was far better than he had expected.
These kids weren’t just surviving—
They were thriving in the chaos.
And that…
That made them very interesting
