Chapter 76: Limited

Juno couldn't believe it when Dante increased the burst from the soles of his feet and left her behind without even seeming to try. Worse, he reached Clara in seconds, embraced her, and used his other arm to strike.

And then, the scene became even more intense. The blinding glow of red and yellow flames grew before them, surging toward them like an immense wave of destruction. The fire's light illuminated the storm around them.

The heat rushing toward her pulled her from the trance of the white world surrounding her. This wasn't training anymore, not a game. Someone had actually thrown Clara off the building. They wanted to take the life of the woman… the one who took her in, who fed her, who gave her shelter.

The flames came closer, reflecting in her eyes. Such power, so overwhelming… Slower, much slower than Mr. Dante.

Involuntarily, Juno felt electricity pulsing through her body, currents of energy wrapping around her wrist with force. Her skin, muscles, and nerves, electric surges coursed through them, releasing a crackling noise that cut through the air.

The tips latched precisely onto parked cars and the street to her right. Before she could even process what was happening, the force of the energy yanked her in that direction. The flames slashed through the snow, but Juno escaped the attack perfectly.

Strangely, the electricity was reacting on its own, guiding her without asking permission, accelerating at high speed with an intensity Juno didn't care to measure.

Cars, streetlights, the road, the snow, everything blurred as she rushed forward.

She saw Dante rise, still holding Clara in one arm, but he remained to the far right of the enemy. That deformed mask with its cold metal looked so calm, so serene. How dare he not be afraid?

How dare he push Clara? How…

The bluish light also reflected in the eyes of that monster in human form. And before Dante and Juno could strike him, he pressed something on his wrist. Damn that smile, Juno clenched her fist, sending electrical lines attacking from five different points.

But then, a blue glow formed around the iron man.

Dante extended his arm toward Juno and lifted his legs midair. Two bursts of air at once. With no way to attack, the air pressure from Dante shoved her back at the same time an immense blue flame erupted around the iron man. He let out a robotic laugh as he watched them drift away.

"Surprise is an emotion I enjoy seeing on my targets' faces. It means they're impressed."

Dante landed with Clara. Juno didn't take her eyes off the guy. He was still there, immersed in his own amusement, his laughter cruel and deranged, hand pressed to his stomach as if others' suffering was a joke. Each chuckle cut through the air, reaching all the way down.

The blue flames surrounding him were like an extension of himself, burning the building's wall with ferocity, blackening it. Strangely, the man remained untouched. The fire didn't harm him, didn't affect him. Juno was stunned.

Even with the right angle, the precise measure, the perfect distance, Juno knew time was running out. No matter how powerful her abilities were, this mission…

Before she could plan any move, Dante's voice reached her:

"Juno," he shouted, pointing upward with urgency. "Tag, now."

The command was direct, his voice tense. Juno knew it was for Clara, knew well that if she got hurt, she would never have those moments again. For Clara, for Dante.

Her mind rewound the electric currents to her wrists, and they responded without her moving an arm or leg. She launched forward, using a streetlight as a boost. Midair, the iron man raised his hand.

"Too predictable, little girl," his robotic voice was mocking. A glow formed beneath his wrist. A small device gathered Cosmic Energy around it. "Scarlet Sky."

Everything turned blue. Even the surroundings. She hadn't expected this. The flames would touch her, and she would die.

Death…

The memory of Captain Seleri surfaced in Juno's mind. Many years ago, pointing at her face. His face, twisted with fury, burned into her memory as if time had never passed.

Now, looking at the situation before her, Juno felt something eerily similar. She was exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't been in a long time. The heat of the blue flames, the pressure of the enemy before her, and the sensation of being watched by cruel, unrelenting eyes brought her back to that moment. Fear, anger, and helplessness mixed inside her, just like back then.

She felt like that young girl again, powerless and at the mercy of someone far stronger, and Captain Seleri's memory loomed like a painful reminder of her weaknesses. But at the same time, something ignited within her.

Suddenly, a car appeared in front of her and another to the right.

"Do you want to die?" Dante's voice struck her ears louder than the raging storm around them. "Move."

The currents responded to Dante more than to her, at immense speed. Their tips latched onto both cars, yanking her aside. The flames rushed past her, not harming or destroying anything, but Juno didn't let it slide.

She propelled herself forward, seeing the twisted, indignant face of the iron man. Her escape had been outside his plans.

Yet the man didn't hesitate. He pressed another button on his arm with a swift motion, and the flames around him instantly shifted to yellow. In a desperate gesture, he clashed his hands together, generating an energy explosion that seemed to condense the very air around him.

Juno felt the impact would be devastating, capable of bringing down the entire building. Everyone was here. She didn't think twice. Her currents were still attached to the cars, the electric claws firmly anchored. Without wasting time, she pulled with all her strength, launching both vehicles toward the man at brutal speed, releasing a scream from the depths of her soul.

The cars sliced through the air like projectiles. Their combined weight surged with electrical energy. The roar of metal and electricity echoed as the yellow flames charred the material with ease.

However, the second car crashed into the first, forcing it deeper into the yellow field.

Despite its destruction, those flames were beautiful. Juno watched the two cars burn, and then, the iron man raised both hands, a victorious smile on his face.

"Your abilities are limited, girl." His words cut deeper than any intended attack at that moment. "It's over. I won!"