THE CHOSEN ONE

Over by the warehouse, Reiten and Chosen were locked in a fierce battle with four TAK operatives. The air was tense, filled with the hum of clashing weapons and the crackle of inner energy. Despite their numbers, the TAK members seemed confident, their strikes calculated and their movements precise.

Reiten, however, had his hands full with one particular opponent—a man wielding twin sai daggers infused with both lightning and wind. The weapons emitted sharp, crackling energy, and each movement left an electric charge in the air. His opponent smirked as he dodged a slash from Reiten's katana with almost effortless grace.

"who are you boy," the man said, spinning one of his daggers in his hand. His voice was casual but carried a menacing undertone. "A wind god user, huh? That makes this even better. Name's Forest. I'm TAK, and tonight, I'm gonna show you how a real wind user fights."

Reiten kept his stance firm, the wind swirling fiercely around his katana. "Talk big all you want, but you won't last long," he shot back, leveling his pistol at Forest.

Forest laughed as lightning sparked along his daggers. "Oh, you think you've got me figured out? Don't blink."

In an instant, Forest surged forward, a blur of motion. Reiten fired a wind-enhanced bullet from his pistol, the projectile whistling through the air. Forest twisted his body mid-run, the bullet grazing his shoulder but doing no more than tearing his sleeve. He closed the gap almost instantly, swinging both daggers down in a vicious cross slash.

Reiten raised his katana just in time, the wind-enhanced blade clashing with Forest's daggers. The impact sent a concussive wave rippling outward, forcing the nearby dust and debris into the air. Forest pressed hard, his lightning-infused wind clashing violently with Reiten's.

"You're strong for a kid , I'll give you that," Forest said, grinning as his daggers sparked violently against Reiten's katana. "But let's see if you can handle this!"

Forest disengaged with a leap back, twirling his daggers before lunging again. He unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes, his movements almost too fast to track. Reiten parried as best he could, his katana weaving in tight arcs to deflect the onslaught. Each clash sent jolts of electricity coursing through his blade, making his arms tremble under the strain.

Reiten fired another shot mid-combat, aiming directly for Forest's chest. Forest sidestepped at the last second, using the momentum to spin and deliver a lightning-quick slash at Reiten's side. Reiten twisted his body, barely avoiding the strike, and countered with a powerful horizontal slash.

Forest ducked, then closed the distance again, locking one of his daggers against Reiten's katana while thrusting the other at his ribs. Reiten released a burst of wind from his blade, forcing Forest to leap back to avoid being blown away.

"Not bad," Forest said, spinning his daggers with a cocky grin. "But you're holding back, aren't you? I can feel it. If this is all you've got, you won't last another minute."

Reiten didn't respond, focusing instead on his next move. He dashed forward, slashing in a wide arc that sent a gale of wind rushing toward Forest. Forest countered by slamming both daggers into the ground, releasing a shockwave of lightning and wind that canceled out Reiten's attack.

The two clashed again, their movements a blur of speed and precision. Reiten's katana sang as it sliced through the air, while Forest's daggers struck with pinpoint accuracy, each blow laced with crackling energy. The force of their combat tore into the ground beneath them, leaving scorch marks and deep gashes in the dirt.

"You're better than I thought," Forest admitted, his grin widening. "Impressive for an agency puppet. But let's see how long you can keep this up!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Forest lunged again, his daggers spinning like twin whirlwinds of energy. Reiten met him head-on, their weapons colliding in a dazzling explosion of wind and lightning. The fight raged on, neither side giving an inch, as the battlefield crackled and roared with the fury of their inner energy.

Reiten and Forest clashed with blistering speed, their weapons a blur of movement. Forest's twin sai daggers crackled with lightning and wind as he darted around Reiten's strikes, closing the distance effortlessly.

Reiten fired his pistol, the wind-infused bullet tearing toward Forest, but Forest sidestepped, almost tauntingly. "Is that all, wind god?" he said with a smirk, his daggers coming down in a coordinated flurry.

Reiten parried with his katana, sparks flying as their weapons collided. He swung low, forcing Forest to leap back, but the TAK operative lunged forward immediately, slashing at Reiten's side. Reiten twisted just in time, deflecting the blow, only to feel the second dagger slicing across his shoulder.

Forest pressed the attack, stepping in close, his movements precise and relentless. "You're fast," Forest said, grinning. "But not fast enough."

Reiten swung his katana in a desperate arc, but Forest ducked low, darting inside his guard. With one quick thrust, Forest drove his dagger into Reiten's stomach, electricity crackling through the blade.

Reiten gasped, his eyes wide in shock as he staggered back, clutching at the wound. Forest smirked, pulling the blade free. "You never stood a chance."

By the other side of the front, Chosen watched as Forest's dagger plunged deep into Reiten's stomach. Blood spilled from the wound, and Reiten staggered, falling to his knees. His breath came in shallow gasps. Chosen's expression twisted into a grimace, a deep, fierce anger rising in him.

"REITEN!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

The TAK members—Mandy, Zion, and Jay—surrounded Chosen. The three of them closed in, circling him like predators closing in on their prey.

Mandy, with her molten gauntlets burning with lava, lunged first. She swung a wide, sweeping punch toward Chosen's head, the heat from her gauntlet trailing behind the motion. Zion followed, his massive rock hammer rising high, aiming to crush Chosen from above. Jay moved fluidly, spinning his water staff to strike from the side, aiming to disarm Chosen.

But Chosen didn't flinch. He didn't say a word.

As Mandy's punch came toward him, Chosen dropped low, the molten gauntlet missing by inches as he slid under it. In one smooth, seamless motion, he fired a shot from his pistol. The bullet, enhanced with dark energy, hit Mandy's knee with a precise strike. She staggered, momentarily off balance.

Before she could recover, Zion's hammer descended with earth-shattering force. Chosen pivoted to the side, using his metal silencer to deflect the blow. The silencer absorbed the impact, and Chosen closed the gap, stepping inside Zion's guard. He fired at Zion's chest at point-blank range, the dark energy bursting through the air and tearing through Zion's torso. Zion barely had time to react as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Mandy roared in fury, attempting to charge again. But Chosen was already on her, his movement fluid, fast. She swung again, but this time, Chosen intercepted her blow with his silencer. The metal clang echoed in the forest as he twisted the silencer in his hand, knocking her gauntlet off course. With a quick step forward, Chosen unleashed another blast from his gun—aimed straight for Mandy's throat. The shot landed with deadly precision, and she dropped to the ground, her body twitching briefly before going still.

Jay was the last one standing. His eyes burned with hatred as he twirled his water staff, preparing for the final strike. He was fast, aiming to catch Chosen with a sweeping blow from the side. But Chosen was already moving, his pistols outstretched in a blur of motion.

Jay's staff came down, but Chosen sidestepped and fired at the shaft, the bullet breaking through the water-wrapped staff and sending it flying. Jay lunged, attempting to strike with his fists, but Chosen was too fast. In a blur, he slipped past Jay's guard and fired both pistols in succession. The first shot pierced Jay's side, the second shot hitting his head with flawless precision. Jay's body slumped, lifeless, before he hit the ground with a dull thud.

Three down. Just like that.

Chosen stood over the bodies of the fallen operatives, his gaze cold and unwavering. Not a word had been spoken throughout the entire battle. He didn't need to say anything. His actions spoke for him.

Then, his eyes shifted toward Forest. Forest stood frozen, watching the carnage unfold before him. The intensity of Chosen's gaze sent a chill down his spine. No words. No sound. Just an overwhelming presence of death, standing in front of him.

Forest gripped his twin sai daggers tightly, but for the first time, he hesitated.