Dumbass

Kai's eyes blazed crimson as he tore through the shattered remains of the town, his senses locked onto the trail of blood that flickered like a beacon in his vision. Phantom V was moving unbelievably fast, but Kai wasn't backing down.

No. He was keeping up.

And was even slowing gaining on him...

Blood surged to his legs with explosive force, strengthening his muscles, fuelling his momentum. Every step hit harder, faster, his speed rising past anything he thought was even possible. The wind tore past his face, his hair whipping behind him as the ruins of the street blurred in his peripheral vision.

'I didn't think I could control my body like this,' Kai thought, almost laughing mid-chase. 'All this time, I was using Bloodweaving externally in battle… but I never thought about enhancing myself with it like this.'

His heart was racing - not out of fear, but from the sheer speed at which his blood was pumping through his system. It wasn't just adrenaline - it was literal acceleration. Subconsciously, he had been enhancing his physical abilities during battles and in the heat of the moment using this same technique.

But now, with deliberate focus, he was directing it.

'If I reinforce my calves before I push off - boom, more spring. Push blood into my thighs and back - more drive. Keep it moving to my lungs and brain - I stay sharp and don't gas out as much.'

Every second, every heartbeat, he was getting faster, stronger, sharper.

It was terrifying and exhilarating.

He grinned as he chased Phantom V down like a predator. 'Let's see you vanish from this, asshole.'

Meanwhile, Phantom V was not enjoying himself nearly as much.

His breath was starting to hitch. His heart, usually calm and paced, was thudding with real anxiety.

'How the fuck is he still following me?!'

His body was completely invisible, and he was pushing his concealment ability to its maximum. Heat? Masked. Sound? Gone. Motion? Undetectable. Not even scent-tracking could touch him.

And yet…

Every time he risked a glance over his shoulder, those eyes were there. Glowing red. Unrelenting. Unblinking.

And worse still - getting closer.

'It must be these wounds,' he realised, gritting his teeth. 'It's gotta be that fucking blood. He's using it to track me - like some twisted bloodhound.'

It made sense. He didn't know exactly how Kai's ability worked, but if he could control blood, maybe he could sense it, too. And the tiny shrapnel wounds from earlier - the hardened blood - might've left a few traces inside him.

But what the hell was he supposed to do about that?

'I can't just drain myself dry. What, cut off a limb and throw it at him?' he grimaced. 'No thanks.'

Out of options, Phantom V tapped his ear.

"Requesting extraction. Or support. Hell, use your damn drones, I don't care - just do something!" he said sharply, weaving between collapsing buildings and sprinting through alleyways. The pounding footsteps behind him never stopped.

A beat of silence followed.

Then static.

Then laughter.

Nyx.

The sound of it was maddening - high, deranged, full of entertainment, like he was watching a circus act.

"Oh, Charles," Nyx crooned mockingly, "you're on your own, buddy. But hey - I'm sure you'll be fine. You're Phantom V, after all!"

The line clicked off.

Phantom V stared ahead in disbelief, frustration rising in his chest. "Fucking psychopath-"

But there was no time to rage.

The red-eyed freak was closing in.

All around them, the broken town blurred by. Twisted wreckage, smoke and flames, collapsed streets filled with monster carcasses and crushed buildings. It was a hellscape.

Phantom V was snaking through it like a desperate shadow, trying everything to throw off the bloodthirsty demon chasing him.

But nothing was working.

And deep down, he knew:

'If I don't lose him soon... I'm done for.'

-

After weighing his options, Phantom V did something completely unexpected.

He came to a sudden stop, dropped his concealment, and turned to face his pursuer.

Kai, just moments away from catching up, dug his heels into the ground but couldn't slow down in time. He skidded across the dirt, stopping only a few metres in front of the masked man.

'There was no point burning energy on concealment if he can see me anyway,' was his thought process as he turned to face Kai.

"I can push my speed even further while I'm not using invisibility," he said coolly, rolling his shoulders. "Why don't I show you why they call me Phantom V?"

His mutant ability had two parts. Concealment - that was the "Phantom" bit. And the "V"? As corny as it sounded, it stood for velocity. He could ramp up his speed to insane levels - especially when not dividing focus between vanishing and moving.

But Kai, bloodstained and panting, just let out a soft laugh.

Crimson streaks dried along his cheeks - evidence of the blood tears brought on by Blood Vision.

'Is this guy serious? Who explains their ability to their enemy?'

Without warning, before Phantom V could even think about charging up his speed or running away again, Kai raised his hand and unleashed a volley of blood bullets.

Drained corpses, casualties of the chaos, surrounded him. Some monsters, others civilian, but both served as more than enough ammunition.

Blood spiralled through the air, striking from all directions in a deadly dance.

"You're not going anywhere," Kai said, stepping forward as he readied himself. He wasn't planning on relying on anyone or anything - just his blood and resolve.

Takeshi and Nadya still had their hands full. As such, he had to capture the man before him alone, and he was by no means planning on letting him get away.

'Did he think I'd just let him show me his speed and chase after him again?' Kai thought as he continued his onslaught of blood attacks. 'What a dumbass.'

Meanwhile, Phantom V's mind was racing as he struggled to evade the blood projectiles coming his way.

'If I can't get away from him, I'll just take him down first. No one else should be able to see through my concealment.' Without any other option, Phantom V burst towards his red-eyed hunter.

Seeing as Kai had only been using ranged attacks against him, he couldn't help but assume he wasn't confident in close combat. Or at least that was what he was hoping.

But he quickly realised just how wrong he was...