Reduced to Ashes

Amel stepped out from behind the building where Adam was hiding, her armor still active, eyes gleaming with confidence as she approached the spider mutant's corpse. The two opposing groups immediately shifted their attention to her—the man wielding lightning and the woman controlling the earth.

The man narrowed his eyes at her, displeasure clear on his face. "Who are you?" His deep voice carried a heavy sense of caution. His gaze darted around, scanning the surroundings, making sure no other intruders were lurking behind this unexpected girl.

Amel barely spared him a glance before completely ignoring him. Without hesitation, she stood tall between them, raising her chin slightly. "I'll help whoever offers the highest price!" Her voice rang out with confidence, as if she alone would decide the fate of the mutant's corpse.

Silence blanketed the battlefield for a moment. Even the lightning-wielding man faltered, his brows furrowing as electricity crackled angrily around his hand. "Hah?! Who the hell do you think you are?! Your voice isn't needed here!" he barked, lifting his hand as sparks danced wildly along his fingers. "Leave, or I'll strike you down."

On the other side, the earth-controlling woman studied Amel with a calculating look. She didn't react immediately; instead, she listened to the whisper of a silver-haired man standing behind her. His sharp blue eyes scrutinized Amel as if assessing the potential hidden behind her small frame.

Seconds passed before the woman gave a slow nod. "I'm willing. How much do you want?"

Amel smirked, though her gaze remained serious. "Eighty percent of the loot. Also, the parasite inside the mutant—it's mine."

The woman's expression tensed for a moment. Her group exchanged glances, some shaking their heads in disapproval, while others—including the silver-haired man—nodded in agreement.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, the woman said, "Fine. I agree."

The moment those words left her lips, the ground around her trembled slightly as she prepared for battle, her control over the earth activating.

The lightning user—Deril—scoffed, his expression darkening. "Hah! Cowards," he sneered before bursting into laughter, his voice dripping with mockery. "Alright, then. I, Deril, will take you all on!"

Behind him, a middle-aged man began shifting his form. His jeans tore apart as his legs transformed, revealing feline limbs covered in soft fur. Sharp claws extended from his fingers, adding to his menacing aura.

"Deril, you take care of that weird girl," he said with a smirk, his gaze flicking toward Amel with amusement. "I'll deal with the leader of the Thorn Lily Gang."

Deril nodded in agreement. His gaze returned to Amel, and in the back of his mind, a thought lingered—this girl was far more dangerous than she appeared.

"Alright… let's go!" he roared. White lightning surged around his body, crackling wildly.

Zap!

In an instant, he bent his knees and shot forward like a bolt of lightning. His speed was nearly impossible to track.

Amel grinned. "Good… come closer," she muttered.

Her gloves, boots, and helmet glowed brightly as they channeled energy. The distance between them closed rapidly.

Five meters… four meters…

Inside her helmet, Deril's stats were displayed clearly on the interface. His movements were being tracked flawlessly. Two meters left—

At that exact moment, Amel stomped the air. Her advanced boots released a powerful thrust, propelling her upward while simultaneously pushing her forward.

Deril's eyes widened in shock. His reflexes kicked in, and instead of slashing, he thrust his hand straight toward Amel's chest.

Just as expected.

"You're so predictable," Amel thought, amused. She allowed the attack to get close as if she had let her guard down.

Deril was convinced he had won. "Got you—!"

But in the blink of an eye, Amel leaned backward, dodging his strike with impossible flexibility. Before Deril could react, her right hand shot out, her gloves glowing as their propulsion system activated.

Click!

Amel's fingers latched onto Deril's wrist.

"Gotcha," she said casually, as if catching a ball rather than grabbing a lightning-wielding warrior.

Panic flashed across Deril's face. He tried to pull away, but her grip was unshakable. "Damn it… Let go!"

Amel merely smirked. "Let's dance."

With a full-force burst from her boots, their bodies shot upward.

Deril barely had time to react. The wind lashed against his face as they soared higher and higher. Twenty meters… thirty meters…

"Shit! Stop!"

But Amel ignored him. The moment they reached the peak of their ascent, she released her grip.

Deril was sent tumbling through the air, completely out of control. His eyes widened in horror—no foothold, nothing to grab onto.

"N-no! Someone—!"

His scream rang out as his body plummeted. The lightning surrounding him flickered wildly, but it was useless.

Below, Amel's grin widened, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She waited patiently as he fell to the perfect distance. Her hands lifted, palms glowing as they gathered energy, forming a pulsating orb that throbbed like a beating heart.

"Perfect timing!" she whispered excitedly.

As soon as Deril reached her attack range, she unleashed the energy sphere. It shot through the air at an incredible speed.

Boom!

An explosion rocked the sky.

Flames erupted in a burst of orange light, curling into thick black smoke. Moments later, a scorched body plummeted toward the ground.

Thud!

A heavy impact sent dust flying as the charred figure hit the earth. Silence followed.

The remaining fighters stood frozen. The earth manipulator and the feline shifter had yet to make a move. All eyes locked onto the blackened corpse lying motionless on the ground. Then, their gazes shifted to Amel.

She descended slowly, landing gracefully. Adjusting her stance, she turned her attention to the feline shifter.

"You," she called out casually.

The man stiffened, every hair on his body standing on end. A bone-chilling sense of danger pierced through him.

"I'll give you ten seconds to leave," Amel continued, her tone light but ice-cold. "If not, you'll end up like him."

The shifter immediately nodded frantically. "Y-yeah! We're leaving!" he stammered. Without wasting another second, he turned and urged his teammates to flee, never daring to look back.

Amel chuckled softly as they disappeared into the distance. But her attention quickly shifted as a woman from the Thorn Lily Gang cautiously approached her, wariness still lingering in her eyes.