FISTS AND BULLETS

Nikka barely had time to react. His head slammed into the ground, momentum overwhelming him, Before he could rise, a powerful hand gripped him and tossed him aside like a discarded rag doll.

A projectile whistled through the air, skimming past Neto, who dodged with a fluid sidestep moving like a leaf caught in the wind. Another blur of motion-the figure of Nikka lunging forward - cutting through the chaos. But Neto was faster

Grabbing Nikka by the legs, Neto swung him effortlessly, flinging him away.

Nikka landed hard, skidding to a stop. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled to his feet and charged again, determination blazing in his eyes.

Behind him, a woman on the building's rooftop steadied her sniper rifle, her calm precision the perfect counterbalance to Nikka's reckless strength. They were a team of perfect offence and support.

But Neto wouldn't let them close the gap

Nikka came flying at him, knee extended, aiming to collide mid-air.

Neto's hands suddenly ignited with blue flames.

He caught Nikka's leg mid-strike, swung him into the air, then thrust his left hand upward.

Nikka's body jerked back toward Neto, the pull of an unseen force dragging him helplessly.

A fist connected solidly with Nikka's face, and he was launched backwards, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

Neto stared at his hand for a moment, only to feel a burning sensation near his wrists. Nikka, despite his injuries, had managed to strike at the precise moment of contact, hitting Neto's wrists with his elbows.

Then, silence a momentary pause in the chaos -

A sudden explosion shattered the quiet, the ground trembling under its force.

The area around Neto's wrists burned as though ignited by a timed bomb. Another sniper bullet screamed toward him, but Neto, using a reflective spread of his hand, sent it veering off course

"You assumed what my ability was before," Nikka said, smirking through the pain. "My first ability reflects a recorded damage I deal to a chosen spot. My second ability? It blows up that same spot on command.

Do well to dodge."

Nikka said in a mildly threatening but respectful voice.

"Hmm." Neto tilted his head, his voice calm. "Intriguing, I might need to pick up the pace."

Nikka lunged forward, throwing a jab, but Neto caught the fist with ease and drove his knee into Nikka's stomach.

Before Nikka could recover, Neto grabbed his head and smashed a knee into his face, sending him staggering back. A disoriented punch came forward, which Neto dodged effortlessly, countering with a palm strike to the jaw.

Another sniper bullet skimmed past Neto's shoulder, narrowly missing him. He grabbed Nikka's knee mid-kick and slammed him into the ground, then hurled him toward the building where the sniper stood atop.

[Aina Abadan]

[ < Rank 17> ]

400 meters away .

Aina stood atop the crumbling 60-foot-high building, her sniper rifle poised.

She showed no concern as Nikka's body hurtled toward her.

Instead, she adjusted her aim, fired, and waited for the perfect moment.

Neto, sprinting below, ripped a metal pole from the ground, soil and grass clinging to its base.

As the bullet closed in, he swung the pole with immense force.

The clash echoed a metallic ping followed by a burst of sparks as the bullet got deflected.

It had apparently passed through Nikka harmlessly.

Neto stared at the dented pole, his expression shifting to one of exhilaration. His eyes glinted, and a wide grin spread across his face

"Amazing," he said, tossing the pole aside.

Stretching his arms, he released the tension from his muscles, pulling them behind his back.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he launched himself toward the building, accelerating to 50 meters per second in an instant

"He's coming for me," Aina muttered, her voice calm but her grip on the rifle tightening.

"I'll stall him ,knock him down."Nikka said while dropping from the rooftop, intending to intercept Neto halfway

But Neto's speed was overwhelming. In a flash, he blitzed past Nikka, his knee driving into the man's face with bone-crushing force. Before Nikka could react, Neto grabbed his head, slammed it into the ground, and tossed him skyward.

As Nikka fell, a fiery punch slammed into his torso, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.

Turning his attention to Aina, Neto smiled.

Holding onto him,he began dragging Nikka's limp body behind him as he sprinted toward the building, dodging a hail of bullets.

------------

Aina's guns weren't just any weapon-it complemented her unique ability to make her bullets hit any aimed point within 500 meters, regardless of obstacles.

Her second ability allowed her to render objects intangible for five seconds, resetting once used.

As Neto closed in, she abandoned the sniper rifle and pulled out her second weapon: a minigun

The roar of the M134-like weapon filled the air, its bullets ripping through glass and concrete with terrifying speed. But Neto was undeterred.

He zigzagged through the onslaught, his feet scraping the ground in a drifting motion

"I guess I'll have to use it."

Twisting his body mid-run, he raised his hand, energy coursing through it. In one smooth motion, he swung his arm in an arc. A deafening metallic scrape echoed as the building's structure cleaved along his strike.

Aina and Nikka froze in disbelief as the building began to collapse

The ground trembled as the building crumbled into a pile of rubble.

°°°°°°°°°°°

A normal enrion could typically unlock three abilities upon awakening. Most found it easy to access their first two abilities, but the third was a far greater challenge. These abilities were designed to complement each other, forming a cohesive and synergistic set. However, this rule did not apply to certain anomalies—newly created beings who were no longer fully human.

For many, obtaining the third ability was an arduous task, requiring immense effort and mastery.

An essay find of enerions is that they obtain their abilities before awakening along with enhanced physicality.

Neto was a unique case. He had awakened two abilities that bore no connection to each other, a rarity amongst energy users

[Copy]

Neto's first ability allowed him to mimic the basic aspects of any ability he had a sufficient understanding of. For example, he learned his father's flame control due to his father teaching him its fundamentals, though he could only wield it at a basic level. Similarly, he could utilize gravity manipulation because its principles were universally understood. However, each ability came with its own energy cost, a limitation that Neto found mildly irritating.

[Tomí]

His second ability, Tomí (Greek for "Cut"), granted him the power to sever anything he directed his energy toward. This ability eroded and destroyed the target upon contact, regardless of its composition, making it devastatingly effective in both combat and destruction.

°°°°°°°°°°°°

The building fell with a destructive thud.

While Neto was far enough for the mini gun to not reach currently,he was also far enough for aina to employ her sniper rifle.

She barely had time to aim her sniper rifle again before Neto reached her.

Through her scope, she saw a figure of death-a predator with bloodlust radiating from his every movement. She pulled the trigger, praying for a miracle.

But Neto was relentless.

In an instant,a fist went ripping through the sniper rifle and delivered a devastating punch to her face, then grabbed her by the leg and slammed her into the debris.

Spitting out something to the ground, Neto wiped the blood from his mouth.

Amongst the blob of blood was a crushed bullet ,teeth marks evident on it.

"This.. is annoying," he muttered."Fighting without killing is exhausting.

But I do need that license."

○○○○○○

Two figures stood on a distant rooftop, watching the battle unfold

Perched at the edge, the lady swung her legs with a carefree joy. Her red hair flowed over her shoulders, vibrant against the soft sunlight. She wore a crisp white top and peach-colored trousers, her canvas shoes tapping lightly with each swing.

"He won," the red-haired woman remarked, swinging her legs playfully. "But barely, Why do you think he's strong?"

The man beside her adjusted his glasses. "Barely? He was holding back. If he fought at full strength, this entire area would be rubble."

"Hmm. So, he's almost as powerful as you?" she teased, popping a lollipop into her mouth.

"Close ,but not quite ."

Beside her, the man stood draped in a long coat that cascaded to his shoes, concealing his outfit beneath. His dark skin complemented his black, curly hair, and the glasses perched on his nose gave him an air of quiet sophistication.

He tapped his glasses a bit as he retorted.

The man turned, stepping off the roof and crashing to the ground below without a scratch. "I'lI be leaving now." He said ,leaving the little crater he just made.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The woman smirked, her body dissolving into the sunlight as she turned nonexistent.