《Seven Heroes》


 Shichi Nichi Ju

    Tokyo, 2040.


    The most modern city in the world. A certain hero association moved the economy of city at rates never seen before. It takes the name of Shichi Nichi Ju. Founded on July 7, 2034, it sought peace, but in a dubious way.


    The region''s crime rate has skyrocketed since it was founded, although it has almost a million professional heroes. Similar to a guild, each member receives rewards by completing rescue missions, aid or give any beneficial service to society.


    In addition, a large number of supernatural powers emerged shortly before of its founding, boosting its influence. Most of them were obtained through the first dream after direct contact with a certain green haired girl.


    The dream was shared between the future hero and the child, being that within him power was revealed and used freely. But whatever happened in it would not affect reality, only foreshadow the power.


    Heroes, power holders or not, are divided into seven levels:


    Level 1: Made up of 823,543 members, includes beginner heroes or skilled ones but powerless, or who do not contribute much to society.


    Level 2: 117,649 heroes. Most of them have no power but count with above average skills and reputation.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Level 3: 16,807 members. Approximately half of them have at least one power. It is the most required minimum level for missions.


    Level 4: 2,401 heroes. About 66% are powerful, and most can destroy entire houses in seconds. Their prestige is high.


    Level 5: 343 members. 8 out of 10 are holders of power. Their destruction can vaporize buildings in moments.


    Level 6: Only 49 heroes reach this level. They are the best response to national-level threats. Only 1 or 2 don''t have any power. It is the highest level to which the powerful non-japanese usually arrive.


    Level 7: These are the 7 iconic heroes of the association. They are supposedly the most powerful beings on the planet and can destroy Tokyo in less than 7 seconds. It tends to be the most difficult to deal with or control.


    To define the level of a hero, one takes into account their physical and mental abilities; power, if existent; difficulty and number of missions completed; reputation and influence etc.


    In addition to each hero''s powers and abilities, each level has a respective potion called 7-Up, which boosts the physical and psychic attributes of anyone who supports its potency.


    The rescue and missions system can be accessed on the association''s app, where the deadline, urgency and minimum or preferred level for them can be detailed.


    Most of Tokyo''s surface is coated with a material that cancels out 77% of powers. Even so, an alarm announcing the level of an imminent threat is necessary for the inhabitants to seek refuge, in case a level 6 or 7 gets out of control.


    The leader of the association is called Boss, and no one knows if he has a power or not. But one thing is certain: he is capable of keeping almost all the higher levels under control, either by blackmail, bargaining or even fear.

 Becoming a hero!

    Tokyo, June 21, 2040.


    A 12 years old boy with purple and spiky hair to his upper right and yellow eyes was sitting on the couch in the living room. He was playing on his newly purchased ZBox.


    Defeat after defeat.


    The game had superheroes as its theme. His dream was becoming a level 7 hero. His name was Ishikawa Yuto.


    Defeat again.


    ¡ª Oh man, I suck at this game. Being a real hero shouldn''t be that difficult.


    The door to the room opened and a woman with orange eyes and red hair that falls to the shoulders entered.


    ¡ª Yuto, are you still obsessed with this game? I told you that being a hero is not that cool.


    ¡ª Big sis! How was it today? How many bad guys did you defeat this time?


    ¡ª Yuto, I don''t defeat anyone at work. I just show up in places and the troublemakers flee in despair. For this and many other reasons you should stop idolizing heroes...


    An awkward silence filled the room.


    ¡ª Big sis, I''ve already made up my mind: I''m going to join the association. I will become a level 7 hero like you.


    ¡ª What? But brother, didn''t you hear what I just said? Being a hero is not cool-


    ¡ª That''s exactly why, Kanata. I want to protect you. We are brothers and must help each other. I know I''m just the younger one and you are the top 1 of the association, but I don''t want you to feel alone.


    ¡ª Yuto¡­


    ¡ª And nothing you tell me will stop me from getting a power and becoming a hero.


    Silence fills the room again, but for much longer.


    ¡ª Are you sure? This could be the worst decision of your life, and I won''t always be able to protect you. Furthermore, many people will go after you just for being my brother.


    ¡ª Absolutely sure, sis. I will get stronger so you won''t need to worry about me.


    ¡ª Alright. I still completely disagree with this, but I can''t deny my little brother''s will.


    ¡ª Really? Can I really be a hero? Can I finally be like you?


    ¡ª Yes, but for the first few days, stay close to me, because I will kill- I mean, prevent any troublemaker from touching you.


    ¡ª Got it, sister. I will not leave your side. Thank you very much.


    An hour later, the two brothers were at the association''s main building. It was basically made of giant black cubes. It had an imposing aura and was located in the center of the city. There was no other building as big as that one.


    As Kanata walked towards the recruiting queue, everyone in the line turned away from her path and offered their places, with fear.


    ¡ª Tch, what did I do to make y''all afraid of me? I''m not a tyrant, you know? I''ll stay at the end of the line because I arrived last.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Yuto stared at his sister in amazement. He was proud to have such a strong and honest sister. She was his guardian, so nothing could go wrong.


    It was Yuto''s turn. Not understanding what he had to do, he looked confusedly to the green-haired girl in front of him. She appeared to be 7 years old or younger. She placed her hand on Yuto''s shoulder. The guard gestured for the next one in line.


    Uncomprehending, Yuto looked at his sister, who made an approving gesture. They went to the nearest square, where there were fewer people.


    ¡ª Yuto, that girl is the epicenter of almost all powers that exist. That''s why Tokyo is the city with the highest number of powerful people.


    ¡ª But she only touched me. How could that give me a power?


    ¡ª The next time you sleep, your power will awaken in you. It will be a dream where you can use it at will.


    ¡ª I don''t think I understand very well, sis¡­


    ¡ª When we get home, you''ll understand.


    It got dark. Yuto, in his bed, started to rave. He was in his room, but didn''t know what was reality and what wasn''t.


    Instinctively, he extended his hand towards his cell phone, which was on a table next to the bed. The cell phone was too far away to be reached.


    When he realized, it was already in his hand.


    ¡ª What? My arm is not that long.


    He got up to look for his sister, who wasn''t home. A green-haired girl was sitting on the sofa, playing on his console.


    ¡ª Who are you? And where is my sister?


    ¡ª It seems your power has finally awakened, boy. You probably already used it without realizing it. It''s as natural as breathing. Try again.


    Yuto concentrated for a few seconds. All living room furniture started to float. Startled, he released them.


    ¡ª It seems that your power is something related to gravity, young man. It is a power with destructive potential. If you don''t wake up now, this world goes to chaos, because you still don''t know how to control it.


    The girl approached and touched Yuto''s shoulder. Desperate, he wakes up and falls out of bed


    ¡ª Ouch¡­


    ¡ª Yuto, are you okay? Are you hurt?


    ¡ª I''m fine, big sis. I just had a weird dream.


    ¡ª You have just awakened your power. Do you already know what it is?


    ¡ª It seems to be gravity, I made the furniture in the room float.


    Kanata pulled away and leaned against the bedroom door, bringing her hands to her face.


    ¡ª This family is cursed with destructive powers. If one of us get out of control, we''re going to destroy this city before we know it.


    ¡ª Calm down, sister. I will use my power for good, not to destroy.


    ¡ª You may think that now, but in a while you will be causing chaos before you realize it. People fear and hate me because of it. Power goes to the head, and we do horrible things as if they were normal.


    ¡ª Sis¡­


    ¡ª Sorry, Yuto, I shouldn''t have lost my composure. Well, tomorrow you get to work, but don''t leave my side. You need to train first, so I''ll do your first quests.


    Before Yuto could say anything, Kanata leaves the room, with a clearly troubled expression.


    The next day, Yuto accepted simple missions such as delivering milk cartons to children in need, but her sister did them. It was a strategy to gain reputation faster than doing it independently. Finished five basic quests, his #823,543 rank from level 1 rose to #798,355.


    He began his training with his sister in a square close to his home.


    ¡ª First, Yuto, try using your power to throw that stone.


    Successfully, Yuto made it levitate and threw it 5 meters away. After a week, the distance increased to 40 meters. After a month, he could throw a stone his size 100 meters away.


    ¡ª Yuto, your power is like mine. It evolves extremely fast, but at the cost of being dangerously destructive.


    ¡ª I don''t think that''s a problem, sister. If the bad guys are afraid of me, they won''t even cause trouble anymore.


    Yuto quickly rose through the ranks, reaching level 7 in less than a year. Now 13 years old, Yuto was top #7 in the association. Many envied his position, achieved largely by talent, but that didn''t bother him.


    Most of the quests didn''t cause him any problems, so it can be said it was an easy journey. Or would have been, if it wasn''t just the start¡­

 I made a new friend!

    2041, June.


    Yuto was on his couch, playing games on his ZBox as usual, but this time the theme wasn''t superheroes. They ceased to interest him, so he was just trying to pass the time with some random game.


    He laid down on the couch and held his cell phone above his head. For the last few days, he has been doing only simple missions, in order to maintain his position at level 7.


    Levels had a fixed number of heroes. If, for example, the first place in level 6 rose to 7, the 7th rank would fall to 6. It was a way to instigate competition, so that no one would remain at the same level for long, especially at the highest levels.


    That''s what happened to Yuto: he "stole" his superior''s place. But the same could happen to him. So, while he didn''t want to move up, he didn''t want to go down either.


    The sixth place, one above him, called his attention. She looked about his age, and rarely did a young person reach such a high level.


    In the association''s application, almost all the information of each member was available. Kazegami Kataki was the one who caught Yuto''s attention. She had dark hair, red eyes and wore an elite school uniform.


    Her main hobby was kendo. The place she frequented the most was her family''s dojo. It was open to anyone who wanted to train.


    Yuto wanted to visit her because he needed to make new friends. The previous ones were moving away from him little by little. Probably out of envy, it was what he thought. Or maybe because he started to train every day and pay little attention to them.


    Yuto went to the Kazegami family''s dojo. There was a queue to face the infamous level 7. It looked more like a competition than a training. People at the front of the line commented:


    ¡ª I heard that girl is a level 7.


    ¡ª You believe everything you see on the internet, man.


    ¡ª But what if it''s true?


    ¡ª If it''s true, let''s make a bet: whoever loses to her pays the other one a month of free drink.


    ¡ª Do you think you stand a chance? Of course I accept!


    Both lost miserably.


    It was Yuto''s turn. The two greeted each other. Kataki seemed to know him from somewhere. The battle had begun.


    ¡ª Your guard is wide open, lad. All of your attacks leave a chance to dodge and counterattack.


    ¡ª I hate to admit I''ve never fought with swords. But against the strongest swordswoman of the association I''m not doing too badly.


    Kataki emerged victorious, although the initial purpose was just to train, not compete.


    ¡ª You''re right, you did very well. For the first time in a long time my opponent lost without giving up. Congratulations, young man.


    Kataki stared at Yuto for a few seconds, until she finally recognized him.


    ¡ª Now I understand why you are so good. We''re on the same level, so if you faced me seriously, you might even beat me.


    Yuto gave a flattered smile. He finally found someone who understood him.


    At night, Kataki decided to accompany Yuto to his house, while they talked about various things. With the feeling of being chased, Kataki looked everywhere, but didn''t find anyone.


    This person is good at hiding¡­


    ¡ª Did you say something?


    ¡ª Oh, sorry, I didn''t realize I was talking out loud.


    Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, squeezing it as if the intent was crushing it.


    ¡ª What do you think you''re doing with my dear brother, you bitch?


    Startled, the two jumped back and looked at the mysterious figure. It was Yuto''s sister, with a bloodthirsty look.


    ¡ª Big sis?! What are you doing here? We were just hanging out! Now let go of Kataki, that''s not a nice thing to do when you meet someone!


    Kanata continued squeezing Kataki''s shoulder for a few more seconds, but soon regained consciousness and felt ashamed of what she had done.


    Before they could say anything else, she disappeared at such a high speed that it slightly lifted Kataki''s skirt.


    It was red.


    ¡ª Y-You didn''t see anything, did you, Yuto?


    Yuto turned his back and, not knowing what to answer, stammered:


    ¡ª O-Of course not! Well, m-maybe just a little bit¡­


    Even more embarrassed than before, Kataki also turned her back.


    An awkward silence hung over the street for a moment seemingly longer than it was.


    ¡ª Well, Kataki, I think I can go back to my house from here. See you another day!


    Yuto ran off before Kataki could answer.


    Yuto and Kataki continued to hang out together for the next few days. But now trying to avoid the bigoted sister as much as possible.


    Yuto could track any object or living being through the gravitational waves on their surfaces. A sort of sensory silhouette of the surroundings was formed, or a scan.


    But Kanata almost always wore casual clothes, which made it difficult to identify. Except for some specific jobs, such as guard duty on the day of the festival.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The association''s annual festival was held on July 7th, to commemorate the founding of the association and announce the new level 7 heroes. Therefore, the period from June to July 6th was very busy in the levels. Many wanted to get to the podium, or at least close to it, as they received secondary prizes. After that date, everyone relaxed.


    Yuto made a plan with Kataki to spend the day at the festival. After the presentations and awards, they would enjoy the rest of the event. But there was a problem: his sister.


    She would be wearing her heroine outfit: a sleeveless white shirt that didn''t cover her belly and a light gray blouse whose sleeves she refused to wear. The colors didn''t matter, as they weren''t picked up by the gravitational sensor. But the quirky silhouette would be easily identifiable.


    One day, Yuto went to the association building for a meeting about the festival. Kataki was there, and after the meeting, she invited him to the dojo.


    There they spent the whole afternoon, but they had more fun than they trained.


    ¡ª Yuto, what nickname do you think would suit me? The association advised me to choose one, but I think you would know better.


    ¡ª Hm¡­ Oh, I forgot to ask, what is your power? I didn''t pay attention when I saw your profile.


    Kataki looked away, disappointed with herself.


    ¡ª Shadow. I''m not proud of my power. I wanted one that could help people, not kill them.


    Yuto felt that his question hurt her, even if it wasn''t intended.


    ¡ª You should be proud of your power! It defines who you are, so you should help people with what you have, not wish for another.


    Kataki felt better.


    ¡ª Yuto, you really deserve to be a level 7.


    Yuto smiled, and thought about the nickname again.


    ¡ª Hm¡­ You fight using swords, and your power is of shadows. The nickname should combine the two¡­ Shadow + Katana ¡­ Blade + Shadow¡­ Shade + Blade¡­ I got it! How about "Slade"?


    Kataki''s eyes filled with sparkle.


    ¡ª Yes! This one is great! Thank you very much, Yuto.


    The two continued talking about other matters, closer than before. They were like longtime friends.


    It got dark. Yuto said goodbye to Kataki and went to his house. She waited in front of her dojo until he was no longer visible. A voice came from behind.


    ¡ª Don''t turn back. I don''t know what you did to my brother, but I''ll let it go this time. He needs friends, and he seems to regard you as one. But if you cross the friend line, I''ll kill you.


    The presence was gone. But Kataki was still tense, afraid of what she just heard.


    The day of the festival arrived. The new level 7 heroes were announced and made their introductions, then the top 7 of each level below.


    Kanata said goodbye to Yuto :


    ¡ª Sorry, Yuto. I didn''t want to part with you, but I have to protect the peace of this festival so that you can enjoy it to the fullest.


    ¡ª Thank you, big sis!


    Yuto and Kataki found each other and, relieved, they walked hand in hand, much closer than before.


    Kataki stopped in front of a target shot. Her target was a teddy bear, which she thought was cute. Yuto offered himself to get it.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, you can''t use your power to knock down the target, that''s cheating!


    ¡ª A-Ah, so you noticed, hehe¡­


    Yuto raised his hands, as if he had been captured.


    ¡ª Wait, did you just call me Yu-chan?!


    ¡ª Of course! We''ve only known each other for a little while, but we''re close enough for that, aren''t we?


    Kataki gave an innocent smile to Yuto, who felt embarrassed by the level of intimacy.


    ¡ª W-Well, if that''s the case, from now on I''ll call you Kataki-


    ¡ª -chan! Kataki-chan!


    ¡ª R-Right, Kataki-chan¡­


    Yuto finally hit the teddy bear and gave it to Kataki. She ran to some nearby store and came back with a red pen. On the teddy bear, she wrote:


    ¡ª Yu-chan ?


    She handed the teddy bear to Yuto, who picked it up, confused. He got so embarassed that, when the message was read, he ran to a bathroom.


    Calmer, Yuto returned to Kataki, who was waiting with an innocent and healthy smile.


    ¡ª What is this, Kataki-chan? I thought you wanted the teddy bear for yourself.


    ¡ª Of course, to give you as a gift. This is my memory for you.


    ¡ª Right¡­


    After the festivities, Yuto slept in his room, hugging the teddy bear he had received as a gift. Kanata entered the room to check on him and kiss him on the forehead goodnight.


    Noticing the strange object in his arms, she picked it up to observe it closely. After reading the message, she froze for a moment.


    She thought of all the people who could have written that. As she had seen his brother with a girl recently, she searched all the information available in the association''s application.


    Kazegami Kataki used to spend most of her time at her family''s dojo. The moment Kanata read that, she ran at such an extreme speed that windows in the way shattered and anything light flew away.


    Se arrived at the dojo, 10 kilometers away, in less than 3 seconds. When she entered, she saw the girl practicing alone, as it was already night.


    Kataki didn''t even notice the evil presence until she was punched in the cheek. A punch that could have destroyed everything in a 10 kilometer radius, but Kanata caught herself at the last second, only breaking her jaw.


    Doubled over from the pain, Kataki got her belly kicked dozens of times. The pain was so agonizing that time passed slower. She couldn''t speak, only spit blood. All of her ribs were broken.


    ¡ª You''re weak, and you think you can steal my dear brother?! I knew that encounter was a bad sign. I can''t believe you guys had gotten this far in such a short time. Slag.


    Kanata spat towards Kataki, who just listened as she tried to endure the pain. Temporarily satisfied, Kanata disappeared.


    Yuto left his house quickly, excited to find his friend. She was in the association''s main building, waiting by a metal door, which seemed to protect something very important.


    When Yuto arrived, she looked away. She was afraid. After all, she had been beaten the night before. The 7-Up potion cured her in a few hours, so she didn''t have to go to the hospital. However, the excruciating pain she felt did not leave her head.


    Yuto greeted her, but she didn''t respond. Concerned, he tried to place his hand on her shoulder, which was soon rejected with a slap.


    ¡ª Yu-chan- Yuto, I''m going to do a surgery.


    ¡ª Surgery? What happened?


    ¡ª It''s an experiment, actually. They didn''t tell me much, I''m just going to have to lie down on the gurney and wait for the process to finish. They said that I will gain a new power and become much stronger. I''ll be able to protect everyone now, including you.


    Slade didn''t look excited. She felt like running away from everything. She couldn''t look Yuto in the eyes.


    ¡ª Kataki-chan, look into my eyes. You don''t need to protect anyone but yourself. I will protect you, no matter what.


    ¡ª Yu-chan¡­


    Now her eyes were alight.


    ¡ª Then promise me you''ll come back safe and sound. If you stop being you, I don''t know what I''m going to do.


    ¡ª Y-Yes! I promise I''ll be back, so don''t worry about me. And I''ll come back much stronger, so we''ll never be in danger in this cursed city again!


    The door opened and a woman walked through it. She wore a lab coat, so she was likely a scientist in charge of the Slade project. She wore glasses, had dark circles under her eyes and had short hair divided into blue and green.


    ¡ª Slade, the preparations are all ready, now we will wait for you in the operating room, on the other side of this door.


    ¡ª Right! It''s my time to go now, Yu-chan. And remember, I''ll be back no matter what!


    ¡ª Of course you will! Don''t lose hope, I''ll always be waiting for you, it''s a promise!


    Both intertwined their pinkies, forming an unbreakable promise.

 Halloween uprising

    Slade didn''t come back. Yuto sat next to the lab door for a few hours. Impatient, he knocked on the metal door, waiting for an answer. After a few seconds, it opened and the same scientist as before was revealed.


    ¡ª Well, if I''m not mistaken, you are Yuto, the new level 7, right?


    ¡ª What happened to Kataki-chan? Is she fine?


    ¡ª Oh, so you''ve been waiting here all this time? I''m sorry to inform you, but the experiment will not end today.


    ¡ª What?! But you didn''t say any of that!


    ¡ª We told her. She probably didn''t tell you because she didn''t want to worry you.


    Yuto didn''t know how to respond, so he just looked down at the ground, as if defeated.


    ¡ª I think you''d better go home. When we hear from her, we''ll contact you.


    ¡ª Right¡­


    Yuto returned home, head down. Kanata was more overprotective than before. She hugged him when he arrived, but that didn''t cheer him up.


    ¡ª What happened, Yuto? Are you hurt?


    ¡ª I''m worried about Kataki-chan¡­ I don''t know when she''ll be back.


    Kanata was surprised to hear that his brother was worried about the girl she had tortured the night before.


    But she wasn''t the least bit sorry. After all, the uncontrollable love she had for him justified her actions. She knew that kind of love wasn''t normal between brothers, or even between lovers, but she let herself be carried away by the feelings.


    Days passed, and no news of the project was announced to Yuto. It might have been a success or a failure, but there was no information about it either on the internet or on the association''s app. It seemed to be linked to the darkness of the city.


    Yuto lost hope, even though he had promised the opposite to his best friend.


    Kanata seemed to be worried about something. She left the house a lot more than usual and came back later too. A few days ago, she wouldn''t leave her brother''s side, but now she was moving away from him.


    Yuto, confused, asked:


    ¡ª Big sis, what happened? Why have you been so busy lately?


    ¡ª Ah, Yuto, I''m sorry, but I can''t involve you in this.


    Yuto, unsatisfied with the answer, looked her straight in the eyes.


    ¡ª We are brothers! We have to share our secrets, so you must involve me in this!


    Kanata looked away and hesitated, but decided to tell:


    ¡ª I''m planning a massacre- I mean, a raid on the association.


    ¡ª What? But why-


    Yuto didn''t finish his question. He thought of his friend''s image. It was his chance to rescue her, like in a romance manga the protagonist saves the princess.


    Furthermore, it was time to unravel all the mysteries of the association and the city as a whole. Crimes were committed all the time, and swept under the rug.


    ¡ª Right, big sis. I will participate in this raid!


    ¡ª What?! No way I will involve you in something this dangerous!


    ¡ª Come on, let me do it, sis, please¡­ I''m already a level 7 and I know how to take care of myself.


    ¡ª It''s not as easy as it looks. I''ve been busy recruiting several rebellious heroes for this quest. Two of them are level 7, and they were seriously injured by another one. You don''t stand a chance against someone like that.


    Yuto seemed to get even more excited.


    ¡ª Seriously? Are we going to fight alongside two more level 7''s? And against one even stronger than them? I can''t wait to defeat him!


    Kanata had never seen him like this. On the surface, he seemed to be looking forward to a full-scale battle. But inside, he could also be hiding negative thoughts.


    ¡ª I will help you unravel the mysteries of the association, I promise! The more people the better, don''t you think?


    Kanata didn''t seem to like the idea, but she couldn''t refuse his brother''s request.


    ¡ª Alright, I''ll let you help me. But with the same condition as before: don''t leave my side even when I let you.


    Yuto had his hopes refilled.


    War was approaching, and both siblings were anxious, positively and negatively. Therefore, they needed to relax. They walked around the city, went to different restaurants to relieve tension.


    They decided to go to the best place to calm down: the beach. Dressed appropriately for the occasion, they enjoyed the walk.


    ¡ª Yuto, I''ll get some coconut water, do you want one?


    ¡ª I would love one!


    Kanata came back with only one coconut, and in it there was only one straw.


    ¡ª Sis, didn''t you forget to get mine?


    ¡ª Of course not. We''re brothers, so it''s okay to use the same straw, right?


    Kanata was obviously seducing his brother.


    ¡ª Of course there is a problem! That''s unsanitary and, well... you know...


    Kanata had already started drinking the water through the straw, and offered it to his brother, as if she was feeding a baby.


    ¡ª "You know..." what? Come on, drink this wonderful water.


    Out of space and embarrassed, Yuto slapped the coconut, which fell and spilled all the water on his sister''s body covered only by a bikini.


    ¡ª Ara ara, little brother, how evil. I didn''t know you liked that kind of thing...


    ¡ª I don''t like it! Sorry to get you wet, but I''m your brother, and I want to be treated like one. So stop this kind of behavior! Let me get you a towel from the locker room.


    ¡ª Hm? I can actually use your towel- I mean, sorry for getting carried away. I will get my towel.


    The moment Kanata turned around and started walking, she bumped into someone.


    It was a woman wearing a white dress and a hat, the same color, used on beaches to shade her head. She had short, dark blue hair. She wore sunglasses, so her face wasn''t very visible.


    When she fell, she dropped her bag and several papers that were in it. Kanata offered her help to get her up and organize the papers, and apologized.


    The woman, without saying anything, turned her back and started walking.


    ¡ª Wait, that doesn''t make sense.


    Kanata grabbed the woman''s neck and lifted her, choking her.


    ¡ª Sister?! What do you think you are doing?!


    ¡ª What''s the point of someone bumping into me, dropping a bunch of papers, which would be of no use on a beach, and walking in another direction?! What are you up to? If you don''t say it in 4 seconds, I''ll crush your neck.


    The woman was in a lot of pain, on the verge of fainting, or dying, whichever came first.


    ¡ª Kanata! Stop it already! This must be a misunderstanding! Maybe she''s blind and didn''t know where she was going!


    ¡ª But, Yuto, she¡­


    ¡ª Release the girl now!


    Kanata, startled by her brother''s scream, released the woman, but this time didn''t apologize.


    In all that time, the woman didn''t say anything, and she couldn''t, because her neck almost got broken.


    The woman left.


    ¡ª Sister, you have to stop attacking innocent people!


    ¡ª But, Yuto, don''t you agree that that was very suspicious?


    ¡ª That''s no reason to murder someone! Look me in the eyes and make me a promise: never do that again!


    ¡ª I don''t know if I''ll be able to keep that promise-


    ¡ª Promise it, now! Or I won''t forgive you.


    ¡ª Right¡­ I promise not to fatally hurt anyone from now on.


    Kanata made a promise, but wasn''t sure if she could keep it.


    ¡ª Alright, sis, I forgive you. It''s alright now.


    October 31, 2041.


    This date was chosen by Kanata because of the Halloween festivities. A large-scale battle would be unpredictable on such a peaceful day. The authorities'' attention would be focused on residential areas, where the famous trick-and-treaters dominated.


    Kanata''s quest had a bounty of 77 million yen, taken from her own pocket and distributed proportionally to each participant. Rescuing innocent prisoners, non-killing, revealing association''s secrets, and other goals were all rewarded. It was like a scoring system.


    But the mission didn''t matter to Yuto, Kanata and the other two level 7''s. The other heroes of the uprising served more as a distraction. Yuto didn''t know that his sister had put the lives of thousands of heroes on the line just for her own benefit, so he didn''t question the decision.


    The plan was for the four to ride together and, if the second strongest hero, Sage, who had injured the third and fourth placed, appeared, he would have no chance of winning.


    Kanata knew that some member of the coup would report her to the authorities, but that didn''t worry her.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you, I''m Stalor and this girl next to me, Spectrum.


    Stalor was a boy, about 17 years old, who had dark green hair. Only one eye of the same color as the hair was visible, as the right one was covered by bangs. He was wearing casual clothes, unusual for an event like that. What caught the most attention were his futuristic white sneakers, as if they had a jetpack hidden inside.


    Spectrum was a woman in her 20s. Her hair was of various colors and cut short, typical of a tomboy. She was robust and wore no sleeves. She wore gloves and very colorful clothes, contrasting with her masculine appearance. She didn''t show any emotion, looking more like a kuudere.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you. You must be much stronger than me, so I feel safer having you around.


    ¡ª Our differences aren''t that big, Yuto. In the battle we had with Sage, I was blinded in my right eye and Spectrum lost her hearing. But if we are four against one, we will certainly win.


    Yuto felt chills, as he hadn''t thought that there was someone nearly as strong as his sister.


    ¡ª By the way, Stalor, what are your powers?


    ¡ª Oh, I forgot to mention it. My power is Matter, and hers is Color.


    ¡ª What do they do?


    ¡ª Mine can transform the physical state of anything, changing the molecular composition of an object from wood to iron, for example. And hers channels the colors of an environment to be discharged in an attack. The color green, for example, generates healing power. That''s why she wears these colorful clothes.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡ª Eh¡­ I don''t know if I understood very well¡­


    ¡ª Don''t worry, when we go into action, everything will be clear.


    The four began to search the association building, which had mountainous dimensions. They split into two groups to speed up the process.


    Stalor and Spectrum entered a small room full of computers. They contained the most important information on the room, which was stolen using pen drives. The only way out was a reinforced metal door.


    They found their first opponents: 4 level 6 heroes who were called in to quell the rebellion. Each used a different type of weapon. They focused their attacks on Stalor, who looked weaker.


    Any weapon that touched him turned into bubbles. He was untouchable. He formed a barrier around his body that evaporated any solids and then solidified them again. That way, he could walk through walls.


    As his goal was not to kill, he only incapacitated half of the heroes with his sneakers. When he did the kicking motion, it created a strong air current that he could apply his power to, increasing its reach.


    ¡ª Your turn, Spectrum. Wait, you can''t hear...


    Spectrum understood the command and charged towards the remaining heroes. With her physical skills, she dodged with dexterity and immediately counterattacked.


    As most of the structure was dark blue in color, Spectrum channeled it into walls of black ice, which she cast around the heroes to immobilize them. The ice would be easily destroyed if it was conventional, but it came from a level 7, making it nearly indestructible.


    The lab was the first place Yuto and Kanata went to. They broke down the reinforced door and searched everywhere. It was just an operating room and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Except the fact that there was no one. It seemed that they had foreseen the invasion.


    Kataki wasn''t there, so she had been taken elsewhere. She couldn''t be far and had to be inside the building. So they both continued the searching.


    They arrived at a dark room and soon began to collect information.


    Suddenly, a group of rioters surrounded them. Kanata recognized them. They were heroes of varying levels that she had hired in the quest.


    ¡ª Hey young lady, I knew you were up to something. You intended to use us and take all the money and merit. But if we defeat you, we''ll earn a much bigger reward.


    Kanata looked at them with contempt. They were nothing more than traitorous insects disturbing her peace. They weren''t intimidated and went after her.


    ¡ª Yuto, make a reverse barrier on yourself.


    Yuto could create an inverted gravitational field with his body as the center, strongly repelling any approaching object. Understanding the command, he raised the barrier to protect himself, afraid of what would happen.


    Kanata raised her right hand to intimidate the bandits, but they didn''t understand the signal. As a last warning, she brought her middle finger and thumb together, about to snap. They continued to approach.


    Kanata snapped her fingers with such a thunderous force that it could deafen anyone hit. A shock wave was generated, and all the bodies were shredded and reduced to just blood and dust. The walls, which nullified most of the power, could not stand it and were completely destroyed.


    The entire building was shaken and the windows were destroyed. Stalor and Spectrum, who were on the opposite side of the building, thought it was a magnitude 7 earthquake. The tremor affected lasted for nearly a minute.


    Yuto had raised a maximum power barrier, but it barely took the impact. Kanata didn''t need one, as her body took her own attacks easily. When the shaking ended, Yuto got angry and slapped his sister, shouting:


    ¡ª Sister! You had promised that you wouldn''t kill anyone unnecessarily!


    ¡ª But they were traitors, and bandits at that. Their lives had no value like ours.


    ¡ª It is not right! You can''t take the lives of others as if it were something trivial!


    Kanata had never seen Yuto so angry before. She felt guilty and regretful.


    ¡ª Sorry, Yuto, I got carried away again. I know I shouldn''t do this, but I still can''t control my strength.


    ¡ª I don''t need to hear your apologies! Don''t ever do that again! Look into my eyes and promise it!


    ¡ª I''m sorry¡­ I mean, I promise not to take lives again.


    Kanata knew that that new promise was worthless, as she had already broken the previous one, and could repeat the same mistake.


    The ceiling had been broken by the attack, and it was possible to see the fourth floor. The wall from that point on was intact. But there was a strange figure hanging, which Yuto soon noticed.


    Before he could say anything, they both felt a deafening noise. Yuto raised the barrier, but to no avail. The noise seemed to come from inside their head, so it was impossible to silence it.


    Despite experiencing unparalleled discomfort, their ears did not bleed. The 7-Up increased the body''s resistance, so they felt pain, but took no damage. They crouched down, covering their ears, but nothing changed.


    A figure, so fast that it was not even noticed by Yuto, punched Kanata, who was thrown hundreds of meters away, breaking the walls that remained in the way.


    The figure became visible in the little light there was in the place. He was an old man with long grey hair, green eyes and glasses. He was wearing a black suit and hat, a green tie, and white gloves.


    Yuto didn''t recognize him right away, but he remembered the only one who could rival his sister: Sage, the second level 7.


    While Kanata didn''t return, Yuto had his body twisted by unknown forces. He felt a crushing pain, but if he screamed, no one would hear because of the noise that filled the entire floor.


    Stalor and Spectrum, after discovering the source of the sound, rushed to the place. When they arrived, they tried to shout the secret of his powers, but not even they could hear their own voices.


    Both went after Sage. Stalor tried to land a punch in the man''s heart, to evaporate it. His fist reached the old man''s chest, but nothing happened. He didn''t move.


    In response, Sage headbutted Stalor, knocking him out. A hole was made in his head. Then, the old man grabbed him by the collar and launched him up. When the body fell again, he kicked him in the stomach, sending him so far that he went off the building.


    Spectrum discolored the green of the environment, including Sage''s eyes and tie and her own clothes, channeling a single healing power that was directed at Yuto.


    She gathered several spears of black ice and charged directly at the man. They shattered before reaching him, countering their resistance. Finally, a force pushed her away from the building.


    Yuto was confused, but he didn''t hear the noise anymore. He didn''t feel any pain either. The cure was not instantaneous, but lasting. Being the only one who could face him, he used his strongest attack: supreme gravity.


    This attack worked on a cylindrical volume, and increased the gravity of the designated location to a point where any material, no matter how resistant, was crushed. Since he isolated gravity from that area, whatever was outside was unaffected. So the result was a deep and wide hole.


    However, Yuto wasn''t in his best calculation condition, so he wouldn''t be able to perfectly isolate the area around Sage. When he used the attack, the target sank to the ground, but it wasn''t enough to incapacitate him, let alone kill him.


    Sage started to walk towards Yuto. A figure came flying out of nowhere and punched him so hard that the shockwave destroyed everything behind him. He was dragged for more than 10 meters before stopping. It was Kanata, who had already returned practically unharmed. The noise stopped.


    She jumped towards him, landing a kick to his right. He defended it with his arm, but got launched sideways. His arm took no damage. Before he could react, she punched and kicked him so quickly that he couldn''t do anything. Kanata grabbed his head and pulled it towards her powerful kick. Once again, more destruction. He fell down unconscious. She looked at his body for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Then, she faced her brother.


    ¡ª I forgot to tell you his powers, Yuto. He is one of the few heroes that has two: Sound and Immutability. The first caused this deafening noise and the mysterious forces that attacked you. The second nullified any damage he took, at the cost of staying still. That''s why you couldn''t hurt him. You are not weak, he is too strong.


    Surprised by his sister''s quick recovery, he asked:


    ¡ª Sis, are you okay? That punch seems to have been serious.


    ¡ª Of course I am! Regeneration is part of my power. And I''m above him in the rankings, which means I can''t lose.


    Kanata was playing strong, but she had clearly been hurt. But Yuto was relieved, as the danger was over.


    ¡ª Sis, do you think he has any chance of waking up?


    ¡ª No. I calculated my strength to just knock him out, not kill him. His power also stopped, so it means he''s unconscious.


    ¡ª Thank you for saving me, sister. I could have died just now.


    Kanata smiled, happy to have regained his brother''s trust.


    ¡ª Oh, I almost forgot, sis. Are Stalor and Spectrum okay?


    ¡ª Of course they are. They shouldn''t fight again today, but they wouldn''t die from a blow like that. Besides, Sage isn''t the type to kill people in cold blood. He is friends with Boss, but has his own ideals.


    ¡ª I see¡­


    Yuto remembered the figure he had seen on the fourth floor through the ceiling.


    ¡ª Hey, sis. Let''s see what''s that over there?


    Yuto flew up to the fourth floor, reversing his gravity. Kanata just jumped and punched the ceiling to not fall. Since there was no floor, the figure was hung from the wall by chains leading to handcuffs.


    It was a child wearing an outfit so improvised and dirty that a garbage bag would be better. They soon recognized who it was: the green-haired girl who had given them power.


    Astonished by the girl''s deplorable state, Yuto reached his hand to the handcuff to remove it, but got shocked. Kanata just destroyed the wall, so that the child could be examined more carefully on the first floor.


    Yuto tried to wake her up:


    ¡ª Hey, are you okay?


    After a while, her eyes opened.


    ¡ª Who are you¡­?


    ¡ª Can you hear and speak after all that? By the way, how come you haven''t been hurt since we got here?


    ¡ª The God of Distortion¡­ he protects me¡­


    Both, not understanding what that meant, asked:


    ¡ª Who?


    ¡ª It''s a long story¡­


    With a longer pause between each word, the girl fell asleep again. Yuto placed her on his back, intending to carry her. Kanata felt a little uncomfortable:


    ¡ª Yuto, don''t you think I''d better carry it?


    ¡ª No, sis, she''s safer with me. I can create a reverse barrier around both of us simultaneously.


    Kanata gave a small chuckle, remembering the day his brother received his power.


    ¡ª I guess I was wrong. Your power is not destructive. It serves to protect people.


    ¡ª Of course! No matter what power you have, it can always be used to help others!


    Yuto remembered the raid''s main objective: to rescue Kataki. However, she was not in the lab. Therefore, they both continued to look for her.


    Yuto and his sister were walking in an extremely long corridor, which didn''t seem to have any end. On the left side, there was a reinforced wall. On the right, a window that occupied the space of a wall, giving a view to the futuristic city. It was broken after all the confrontation, but it was still possible to enjoy the scenery.


    While they were talking, they both heard a trembling voice:


    ¡ª S-Stop! I-If you continue from that point, I''ll shoot!


    It was a man in a suit who was further down the hall, holding a pistol. He had only been sent to die, considering who he was up against.


    Yuto looked at his sister, about to ask what they should do. But she was no longer there: her arm was already through the guard''s head.


    Yuto let go of the girl who was on his back and ran towards his sister, punching her. He was even angrier than before.


    ¡ª YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN''T KILL ANYONE ELSE!


    Kanata regained consciousness. Her brother had never shown such violence to her. She couldn''t believe what she had just done. His reaction was so intense that she started stuttering.


    ¡ª Y-Yuto¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I s-shouldn''t-


    ¡ª Didn''t that promise mean anything to you?


    ¡ª Yuto, I know you''re mad at me, but I don''t know what''s going on with me-


    ¡ª No more excuses! I won''t forgive you this time!


    Kanata froze. She couldn''t think of anything else. Her eyes widened. She had lost her brother''s trust again. She had no more reason to live. She knelt down, filled with despair, and started to cry.


    ¡ª Y-Yuto, I¡­ I can''t¡­ I can''t live without you! Please, I beg you, forgive me! I won''t do it again! I know you don''t believe me anymore, but you are the reason for my existence! Without you I''d rather die!


    Yuto had never seen his sister cry so much. In fact, he never saw her cry in his life. This made him uncomfortable as he didn''t know how to react.


    ¡ª C-Calm down, sis, no need to cry, I''m angry but it''s not that extreme-


    Before Yuto could finish his sentence, a figure crossed the reinforced wall at a speed that didn''t leave room for either of them to react.


    It was a hooded person, whose face was barely visible. It had the figure of a woman. Of course, neither of them had time to analyze this, or to realize that there was someone coming through the wall.


    The figure punched Kanata''s head. The momentum pushed Yuto away. The only thing he saw was some kind of laser. Also, the city lights and stars, which were seen through the broken window, lengthened.


    Yuto didn''t understand anything. He felt dizzy. After a few minutes, he regained consciousness. His sister was gone. Only the hooded woman remained.


    Yuto looked through the broken window, but didn''t recognize what he saw: the only visible landscape was dirt, as if something big had dragged over it. The city was no longer there.


    Finally, he understood what had happened: the association building had been pushed so that it swept the entire city in its path. If the unaffected part was no longer visible, it means that the distance traveled was such that what was left of the city could no longer be seen.


    The cause of this was the hooded woman. She punched Kanata hard enough to knock her back at what felt like a laser speed. The lights lengthened by the speed with which the building was pushed in the opposite direction.


    77 kilometers. The building traveled 77 kilometers before coming to a stop. If it wasn''t made of a material that nullified 77% of the power, it could have ended up in another city, or even in the ocean.


    The woman approached Yuto, and took off her hood. She was the woman who bumped into his sister on the beach.


    ¡ª Thank you so much for protecting me that day, boy. I really thought I was going to die. That sister of yours is hard to deal with, I feel sorry for you.


    Yuto was wide-eyed and unresponsive. He was staring at where his sister had supposedly died. She would come back, like when she punched Sage. He was sure of it.


    But it had been minutes since the attack, and she still hadn''t appeared. He didn''t want to believe what he had witnessed. His sister was dead. In the blink of an eye, the strongest in the association died.


    ¡ª It''s a shame, but the Boss ordered me to kill you too. I like you, but he''ll reward me a lot more if I complete the job. So if you don''t mind-


    Without saying anything, Yuto thrust his index and middle finger into the girl''s eyes, blinding her. Writhing in pain, she tried to grab him, but he was already gone. He put the girl on his back and left the building.


    It was raining. He started looking for his sister in the rubble. No results. He didn''t even know where she had stopped. He gave up looking for her.


    He walked aimlessly.


    No destination.


    He even forgot about Kataki.


    Nothing else made sense.


    The girl woke up.


    ¡ª Young man¡­ what happened?


    Yuto took the girl off his back and placed her on the sidewalk of a bridge. He was about to jump, but he had no reason to take her with him. The girl quickly understood what he was about to do.


    Slapping Yuto in the face, the girl exclaimed:


    ¡ª What do you think you''re doing?! I don''t know what happened, but if that girl isn''t with you anymore, she''s probably dead. But that''s no reason to waste your life! Live for her, or for me, or for yourself, just live!


    Yuto felt better with the girl''s words, but not enough to say anything. He just held her hand and they both continued walking.


    This time, however, they had a place to go.

 Loose ends

    In a dark and messy room, the only lights present came from a screen and the cracks in the only door. The window was closed, so there was no hint of day or night.


    A young man was sitting in front of this screen. His expression was unhealthy. It felt like his soul had already left his body a long time ago. The door opens and a female figure walks through it.


    She was a girl wearing a japanese school uniform. She had probably just got back from school. But she was carrying a plate of food. Smiling proudly, it was like she had made that dish herself.


    ¡ª Yuto! I prepared lunch for you-


    The girl was startled, looking like she saw a ghost in that awful scene. She looked around the room with disdain.


    ¡ª Oh, is that you, Haji? You can leave it there on the bed and I''ll get it later...


    ¡ª Wh-What have you been doing these last few days? Your condition is much worse than usual.


    ¡ª Ah¡­ let me see¡­ I think I ate, played those games and slept¡­


    The girl was already angry and disgusted by that situation.


    ¡ª I-I can''t take this anymore! You were not like this! You were my hero... How could you have fallen so low?


    ¡ª Hm¡­? Did something happen, Haji? You''re angrier than usual...


    ¡ª Of course I am! I told you to live for me, or for her, or for yourself, but it seems you''re just wasting everything you''ve got! Your parents work hard to support you and you just sit there and do nothing... By the way, what happened to all the part-time jobs you''ve taken in the last few months?


    ¡ª Hm¡­ I think I got fired in the penultimate one¡­ and maybe the last one too¡­ But what''s the problem? The choice to support myself is my parents'', not mine. And that day I didn''t answer you, so I have no obligation to follow the promise to live. After all, I always break promises...


    Haji had already lost all the trust she had in Yuto. She approached him and slapped him, almost crying.


    ¡ª Y-You''re the worst¡­


    Yuto didn''t think he was wrong, so he didn''t understand the reason for the slap. But before he could ask, the girl ran out of the room, crying.


    ¡ª What got into her? She has never confronted me like this before.


    Haji was the green-haired girl who had given powers to almost all of Shichi Nichi Ju''s heroes. When she touched them, the next dream they had would reveal what power would be obtained.


    If, within the dream, Haji touched the same place as before, the person would wake up immediately. She didn''t need to sleep for that, just daydream.


    She had been found as a baby by the Boss. He saw her potential, and soon founded the association. He adopted her, but didn''t treat her like a daughter.


    His power, if any, was unknown. Perhaps that was why he tortured his own daughter. The name Haji was given by him, as she symbolized the beginning of everything.


    On the fateful Halloween, she was found by Yuto and his sister, imprisoned in a cell that was revealed by the destruction of the building. However, she was unharmed. Not from the torture she had received her entire life, but from all the fighting that took place a few dozen meters away.


    She explained that that was due to the protection granted by a certain God of Distortion. She herself didn''t know what that meant, because she was still a child. But after the incident, she swore she never mentioned that name, as she no longer remembered it.


    With the trauma of having his sister murdered in the blink of an eye, Yuto moved back in with his parents, and took Haji with him. More than 5 years passed in this phase, from October 31st, 2041 to March 3rd, 2047, the present date.


    It was a luxury apartment in the center of Osaka. His parents worked in politics, so they had a well-paying job. And that didn''t stop them from loving their son more than anything, because he was the only one left.


    The association''s influence was small outside of Tokyo, but it did exist. In the center of a big city, they were much safer than anywhere else, as there was greater enforcement.


    The house that Yuto and his sister shared was far from the center of Tokyo. It was in her name, and she supported them both with the generous salary of a level 7 hero. But after she died, it continued in her name and was not occupied by anyone else. It was a ghost house.


    Now, Haji had just come back from school, and even before changing her clothes, she prepared Yuto''s lunch, to cheer him up. She had never had a family before, so she felt indebted to him.


    Yuto''s condition worsened. He quit all the part-time jobs he''d gotten so he wasn''t dependent on his parents anymore. As he no longer wanted to be involved with heroes, the work he was most interested in was police work. But he gave up a few months after starting.


    Since his parents supported him now, he saw no reason to exert himself. He could use their weakness to live a hikikomori life. And he used them for a few years.


    By the way, Haji was a tsundere.


    Yuto came out of his room after hours of confinement. He was worried about Haji and went looking for her. It had been a long time since he''d cared about anything else, so he didn''t even remember the feeling anymore.


    The hallway light was too bright for someone with a bat habit. He saw a woman entering the apartment, and immediately recognized her:


    ¡ª Mom¡­ what time is it?


    ¡ª Yuto? I didn''t expect to see you out of the room. I just got back from work, so it''s after five in the afternoon.


    ¡ª Have you seen Haji?


    ¡ª No. I thought she was already back from school. Did she get lost on the way?


    ¡ª What? This never happened before. She is always here before you arrive.


    ¡ª How strange¡­ Did you do something to her?


    ¡ª Of course not! W-Well, maybe I was a bit of an idiot earlier¡­


    ¡ª Maybe she wants to be alone for a while. Things work themselves out after you''ve waited long enough.


    ¡ª Are you sure you should be saying this to me? You should be motivating me to look for her.


    ¡ª A-Ah, so that''s what you wanted me to say¡­ All right, if you go after her, I''m sure she''ll like it. Maybe that''s exactly what she wants.


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    ¡ª Thank you mom. I''ll take a walk to see if I can find her.


    ¡ª Am I really hearing this? Are you going to leave the house? It doesn''t even look like you.


    ¡ª She doesn''t respond to any of my messages. I think she really wants me to look for her. If there was a way to solve this without leaving home, I would.


    ¡ª Congratulations, Yuto. You began to understand how she feels.


    Flattered by the compliment, Yuto looked away.


    ¡ª I-It''s not like I care that much about her¡­ It''s just¡­ nevermind. Thank you mom.


    Yuto said goodbye to his mother as he reached for the doorknob.


    Yuto looked for Haji in all the places she used to go. At school, she wasn''t. Her friends said she was crying when she ran away.


    The messages were received shortly after Yuto sent them, which meant that her cell phone still had battery life.


    The search continued. At the bakery, she wasn''t. In the square near the house, where she used to be alone, neither.


    All the people replied that they hadn''t seen her that day, so she had probably used a different route than usual. She had left school, running, and taken a different path. She would arrive there quickly, in a matter of minutes.


    But there was no route that led to any place of interest to Haji other than the conventional one. All the way through, Yuto used his gravitational sensor to look for her.


    The problem was that the city was enormous and many people were walking in the streets at that time. The sensor couldn''t make out Haji''s silhouette, relatively common in the crowd.


    After a few tens of minutes of searching, his cell phone received a call.


    Haji was sitting in a subway station, head down. She didn''t even know why she was there. It was crowded at that hour, when a lot of people were going home. The sun was about to set, but she didn''t intend to go home.


    ¡ª That idiot¡­ How did it all end up like this?


    ¡ª We would love to meet the idiot you''re talking about, but, if you don''t mind, we have to take you to the Pope.


    Haji raised her head. The voice came from a girl, about 17 years old, wearing a regular shirt and a dark cap. She had black short hair and green eyes. Her bangs covered her right eye.


    Behind her, three tall men stared at her with a sense of superiority.


    One was bald, black and had no eyebrows. He wore a black jacket with a white T-shirt.


    One of the others wore a sweatshirt and his hood covered his head. He had purple eyes and long, white and purple hair. He was the tallest of the trio.


    The third one wore a football team T-shirt. He had short hair, with a line on the right side. His right eyebrow also had a line. He wore a lip piercing. What stood out the most were his flashy orange glasses.


    Haji, without answering, looked at the bald man, as if challenging him. He frowned in irritation and punched Haji in the face, who fell off the bench she was sitting on and was thrown a few meters away.


    ¡ª Hey, little girl. Were you never taught to respect your elders?


    The man was about to punch her again before she even got to her feet.


    ¡ª Hey, Roberto, stop, she''s just a child. If we give her candy, she comes with us.


    Haji didn''t understand anything they said. It was a language she had never heard before. But they understood each other perfectly, and the 17 years old girl was the only one who also spoke japanese.


    ¡ª Did you guys forget what the plan was? The Pope needs her safe and sound. If you keep hitting her, she will only become a defective product.


    ¡ª But she brags too much. I had to teach her a lesson.


    The man wearing a football shirt spoke for the first time in the conversation:


    ¡ª You''re right, Roberto. It is very difficult to deal with children these days. But you know there''s always a better way to make a brat learn to respect us, if you know what I mean.


    The hooded man, troubled, said:


    ¡ª Stop it, Cleiton. I have a trauma with pedophilia, so don''t even talk about it around me. And our goal is not to traumatize her.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, Jorge, just a little. I can do it, right, Bruna?


    ¡ª Actually, it''s not a bad idea. This saves us the effort of disciplining her and you are satisfied. Everyone wins.


    The bald man interrupted the conversation:


    ¡ª Wait, I''ll go first. I still haven''t punished her enough.


    ¡ª Okay, leave some for me, since Jorge won''t want it.


    While Roberto took Haji by the arm to undress her, a cell phone fell out of her left hand, which had been hidden since she was knocked down.


    When he saw the cell phone screen, he realized that a call was recording the entire conversation. And the person on the other side was Yuto.


    Roberto punched her again, but with much more force, sending her flying for five meters before falling to the ground.


    Confused, Yuto answered Haji''s call. He didn''t hear her voice, but several other people''s. He shouted for her to hear, but there was no answer.


    Haji had muted her cell phone so that Yuto''s voice wouldn''t be heard. After a few seconds, the sound of a subway train passing by could be heard.


    Only one subway station was close to their house. All the others would take much longer to arrive, even running. Yuto knew exactly where he should go.


    In less than a minute, he arrived at the scene of violence. He saw Haji being beaten a few more times after her trick was discovered.


    When Roberto was about to throw another punch, his fist mysteriously stopped. It was Yuto''s power, which pushed Roberto''s arm back and forth simultaneously, paralyzing him.


    Increasing the power of the simultaneous push, the arm began to be crushed and blood flowed. His bone went through his elbow. The arm compressed itself so much that it no longer seemed to exist.


    Roberto, screaming and crying in pain, knelt down. If he took any more damage, he might die. Yuto prepared to crush his heart, when Haji shouted:


    ¡ª Don''t do that, Yuto! You are not like that. Killing that person won''t help anything!


    Yuto was still irritated, but listened. In all that time, the other three on the team didn''t even know where the power came from. He dashed forward to knock them out instead of killing them.


    Realizing the threat, the hooded man pointed his left palm at Yuto. A harpoon in a chain came out of it. Yuto just dodged. Jorge used his other hand and this time hit Yuto''s left arm. But he was already close enough and punched Jorge hard enough to knock him out.


    Cleiton, the one with the team shirt, materialized a pistol in his hand. He aimed at Yuto''s head and fired, but all the bullets stopped in midair. Yuto feigned a punch and kicked him in the groin, knocking him out instantly.


    The last one left, Bruna, didn''t know what to do. Yuto was approaching her slowly.


    ¡ª W-Wait! Is there no way we can solve this without violence?


    ¡ª No violence, really? Am I really hearing this after all that?


    Aiming at the victim''s stomach, Yuto was about to punch, when she disappeared. He looked back, and there she was. It was a short teleport.


    Out of despair, she grabbed the three incapacitated members and teleported them one by one, then herself as well.


    ¡ª Are you okay, Haji?


    ¡ª Good enough, because you saved me. T¡­ Than¡­ Thank y¡­ Argh, I can''t say this! But know that you are still an idiot.


    ¡ª I know. I want to start over from scratch and fix the mistakes I made in those wasted years.


    Haji was surprised by Yuto''s maturity.


    ¡ª Since when are you so responsible?


    ¡ª You don''t take it easy, huh...


    Suddenly, the four reappeared in the same place they had been teleported from. And the girl returned to her original position, again within Yuto''s reach. But she was panting and looking desperate, as if she was on the verge of death.


    ¡ª P-Please! Anything but that! I do not want to die!


    ¡ª Die? It won''t be that easy.


    Yuto finished the punch to the stomach that had been interrupted before, and she also fainted.


    Yuto called the police to arrest the three knocked out and an ambulance for the one whose arm was crushed.


    ¡ª Let''s go back home?


    ¡ª Let''s go!

 Starting all over again

    At the hospital, Roberto had his right arm amputated. It was crushed to the point of no salvation. Soon after, he was sent to the police station where the other three were.


    Bruna was the only one who could speak japanese and was chosen to be interrogated. The others were arrested pre-emptively.


    None of the four had family present. The only one responsible for them was a certain Pope. His name was not visible on Bruna''s cell phone, but it was the only option the policeman had to contact.


    Her cell phone had an automatic translator for calls. Most media at the time were already equipped with this function, in case an international call was needed. The Pope was brazilian, but he could understand the japanese police officer perfectly.


    ¡ª Hello? Sir... Pope? Are you responsible for these teenagers?


    The policeman showed the four of them through the cell phone camera.


    ¡ª HELLO? OF COURSE I AM! THEY ARE LIKE CHILDREN TO ME!


    ¡ª Good to know. But, sir, could you speak a little lower?


    ¡ª THIS IS MY NORMAL VOICE.


    ¡ª Oh, right¡­


    ¡ª WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? WHAT DID MY DEAR FAITHFUL PEOPLE DO?


    ¡ª They''re at the police station for assault and attempted rape.


    ¡ª WHAT DID YOU SAY?! HAVE THEY BEEN ARRESTED? THAT''S NOT POSSIBLE! THERE IS NO INFIDELITY TO THE LORD GREATER THAN THIS!


    ¡ª Where are you located? Your presence would facilitate the trial in court.


    ¡ª I AM IN BRAZIL. I WOULD NOT GET THERE IN TIME. I HAVE A PROPOSAL: IF YOU RELEASE THEM, I WILL GIVE YOU 1 MILLION REAIS- DOLLARS- YEN, OR WHATEVER YOUR CURRENCY IS.


    ¡ª B-But, sir, that would be illegal-


    ¡ª THINK ABOUT IT, OFFICER: YOU PROTECT JUSTICE, AND YOU DON''T EARN MORE THAN A MINIMUM WAGE. WITH 1 MILLION YEN, YOU COULD TRAVEL AND RELAX, A WORTHY REWARD FOR SOMEONE OF SO MUCH EFFORT.


    The policeman reflected for a few seconds, thinking about what he could do with that much money. He knew that his work was essential to society, but he was not adequately rewarded. Convinced, he replied:


    ¡ª Y-You''re right¡­ The holders of justice are the most wronged. I accept your proposal.


    With the power of corruption, the four prisoners were released. And the policeman enjoyed his trip to the beaches of Hawaii.


    Yuto was determined: he would go back to Tokyo. Not to work for the association he hated so much, but to finalize unresolved issues.


    Slade, Kanata and the dark side of the city, many mysteries still unsolved. Yuto felt guilty for everything that happened. He could only redeem himself if he went to Tokyo himself.


    The invasion her sister had planned was stopped by the hooded woman. None of that would have happened if she didn''t exist. Yuto had that in mind. He had never felt so much resentment and hatred towards anyone in his life.


    But he knew he was also partly to blame, and he couldn''t forgive himself. The least he could do was "continue" the raid.


    His heart had hardened, so he no longer cared about the lives of his enemies. His initial plan was to kill all four who mistreated Haji, but he would be hypocritical if he did.


    Yuto would need to take Haji with him to protect her. He couldn''t lose anyone else.


    On the day of departure, Yuto and Haji said goodbye to their parents.


    ¡ª Are you sure you''ll be fine, Yuto-chan? I couldn''t bear to lose two more children.


    ¡ª Of course I do, mom. This time I''ll try to hide in the city, because maybe they still remember my face.


    The worried father said:


    ¡ª Yuto-chan, never give up living like you did that day. When Haji-chan told me that you almost jumped off the bridge, I couldn''t believe my ears.


    ¡ª Of course, dad. I couldn''t bear everything that happened that day, so I lost my will to live. But now is different: I have more than enough reasons not to give up.


    Yuto''s parents smiled, trusting his words.


    Yuto and Haji arrived in Tokyo. They returned to live in the house abandoned for years. Without Kanata''s presence, the house felt emptier.


    They had no reason to stay in the house all day, so they went for a walk. They went downtown to see what had changed in the city. Even during the day, many lights covered the place. It wasn''t the most modern city in the world for nothing.


    But one thing caught their attention more than anything else. It was something strange that shouldn''t be there. The association''s main building was in one piece, and in the same place as always, as if it had never moved. And it was much bigger than before. Maybe bigger than a mountain.


    Yuto was shocked. How was that building even there, if it should have been dragged across the city? And everything was intact, as if nothing had happened that day, except for his sister''s disappearance.


    Although the chance was low, Kanata might still be alive. Yuto wanted to believe in this chance, and that was one of the reasons why he returned to the city.


    But what he saw in front of him belied all the past. It was beyond his comprehension.


    The building''s windows doubled as television monitors, on both sides. Outside, they used to project advertisements, as if they were posters.


    And an ad was on display. It was a detailed description of the ranked and eliminated in the association''s annual tournament.


    Several official and unofficial tournaments took place every month, but the annual one was the most recognized. The rewards were too tempting for anyone, even level 6''s.


    Level 7''s were so well paid and famous that they didn''t even care about tournaments or competitions. They only participated for pleasure or to restore tarnished reputations.


    This time, no level 7 was present. It was the day of the semi-final. There were only four participants left, all level 6. Caliel and Kiseki against Mifuyu and Revon. It was a doubles battle.


    The winning duo would move on to the final, which would be a duel between the two remaining participants. It was a way of showing that allies would one day become enemies.


    It was an hour before the start of the event. Some people were seeing the ad and getting excited:


    ¡ª Dude, a fight between level 6 heroes! I hope no one in the stands gets hurt. Caliel doesn''t take it easy even with her partners.


    ¡ª This is going to be a good one! I want to see blood and death! Although Kiseki won''t let anyone die. She got the worst possible partner.


    Yuto became interested in the match. Before planning a new invasion, he needed to gather information. Learning how strong the new level 6''s were was a good start.


    Yuto went to the place where the game was to take place, and took Haji with him. It was the size of a football stadium.


    Between the arena and the stands there was a barrier that nullified almost any power and impact, to protect the spectators.


    Several nanocameras were monitoring the battle. Many of them were easily destroyed, but there were so many that no second or angle would be lost.


    Also, Kiseki would be participating. She was known as the main healer of the association. Her healing reached the point where one living cell was enough for the entire body to be reconstituted. She could also repair any object.


    Yuto sat on any step of the bleachers, and Haji on his right side. He noticed a strange man on the left.


    He was wearing a dark blue suit with glasses and a light blue tie. He was dressed awkwardly, as if he had just woken up. He had dark blue hair and eyes. His beard was also poorly done.


    The man was staring blankly at the arena. Yuto called him:


    ¡ª Hey, man, are you okay?


    The man didn''t answer, as if distracted. Yuto nudged him. The man finally turned around.


    ¡ª Oh, yes¡­ I think so. Sorry, I don''t know what''s going on so I''m at a loss.


    ¡ª Don''t you know what''s going on? This is the association''s tournament stadium. There will be a match now.


    ¡ª It''s not that¡­ I don''t even know who I am¡­ or what I''m doing here.


    Yuto didn''t know how to respond. That man seemed to have been through a lot, so he decided not to bother him.


    The battle began with the introduction of the announcer. The participants were:


    Caliel, rank #3 level 6: A tomboy exhibitionist, dark-skinned, half-naked woman. Short black hair and yellow eyes.


    Kiseki, rank #4 level 6: Apparently a girl. Maid clothes, dark green hair and purple eyes.


    Mifuyu, rank #7 level 6: A middle-aged woman. Scientist coat, glasses, short hair divided into blue and green. Eye colors same as hair on each side.


    Revon, rank #8 level 6: A woman wearing ninja clothes and a mask that covered her nose and mouth. Black eyes and ponytail.


    After the introductions, the battle began.


    Caliel charged at Mifuyu, intending to tear her apart with her sharp nails.


    Mifuyu was going to protect herself by freezing Caliel, but Revon appeared in front of her and repelled the attack, throwing Caliel to the other side of the stadium.


    ¡ª Your opponent is me, Caliel!


    After shouting this so that her opponent could hear, she whispered to her ally:


    ¡ª Go try to convince Kiseki to join us.


    Mifuyu nodded and headed towards her target of convincing. Caliel had already recovered and jumped straight at the ninja.


    The ninja dodged all attacks quickly, although the exhibitionist was also very fast and strong. Each strike could pierce her stomach if landed.


    Revon knew that, and her power was the best defense. In addition to Invisibility, she had Perfect Reflexes.


    It was practically impossible to land any attacks on her, as long as she didn''t get tired. But she was trained for it and, with 6-Up, she could fight for hours tirelessly.


    With each dodged attack, she made her left or right arm invisible, alternating. With that, she slammed into Caliel''s head with swift but crushing force.


    Mifuyu came close to Kiseki and knelt down. With sweet words, she tried to convince her not to help her partner and just watch, turning the battle into two against one:


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan, I know you''re not very comfortable with the situation. Caliel is a terrible person, and she will torture us both if you help her. No need to heal us, just don''t help your partner.


    ¡ª B-But, Mifuyu-san, I can''t do this. That''s cheating, and Caliel won''t like it.


    ¡ª I checked the rules, and there was nothing about cooperation between rivals. And we''re going to defeat Caliel, so she doesn''t come after you.


    ¡ª B-But¡­


    Caliel was getting irritated by all that agility. She loved to see her victims suffer because it turned her on. Her power was Pleasure, perfect for a sadomasochist.


    Normally, with each damage she took or dealt, her pleasure increased. Like a chain reaction, her strength and speed varied with the pleasure she felt or was felt by others nearby. Although there was a barrier that reduced her power, many spectators were excited about the fight. And that made her stronger.


    But Revon was pissing off Caliel, who hadn''t felt anger in a long time. Her attacks always landed, so missing them caused frustration.


    One factor that strengthened any power and 7-Up was anger. Added to the adrenaline of the battle and Pleasure, Caliel was attacking faster and harder.


    Revon still dodged easily. But if she was careless for even a second, she could have her skull fragmented.


    Caliel learned her opponents'' battle techniques very quickly. But Revon too, besides always inventing new ones.


    Overflowing with rage, Caliel jumped towards Mifuyu, who was talking to Kiseki.


    It was so fast that Revon didn''t have time to think, and threw herself in front of her partner, to serve as a shield. She had her belly ripped through in a single punch.


    She couldn''t move. She lost all the strength she had until a few seconds ago. Having the stomach pierced wasn''t a sign of instant death.


    But this time, the impact was so strong that the blow felt like it had landed on the head. The only thing Revon managed to do was bleed.


    ¡ª I knew you''d do that, mosquito. You deserved it, after pissing me off.


    Caliel glared at Mifuyu with murderous intent. Instinctively, the scientist froze all of Caliel''s arms and legs. She covered the entire surface of the arena with acid, except where she, her partner and Kiseki were.


    But Caliel wasn''t angry anymore. She was very excited, about to have an orgasm. She finally got rid of the hindrance that was the ninja. She could go all out.


    Mifuyu began melting Caliel''s entire body, including her frozen limbs, with acid. But she felt no actual pain. Instead, she felt more and more pleasure, and grew stronger and stronger.


    Caliel began to walk slowly towards Mifuyu, who felt more and more afraid and moved backwards, until she touched the wall and slipped until she was sitting down.


    Caliel kicked Mifuyu''s groin with all her strength, repeatedly. She was in a lot of pain, but couldn''t pass out. Each kick was calculated so that she felt as much pain as possible while awake.


    From the belly down, except for the legs, her body was disintegrated. Her organs were no longer there. The only thing left was blood.


    A pool of blood was forming under her body. The acid and ice had been dissolved, so blood covered the arena the most now.


    The 6-Up kept her alive and conscious, even without a body part. But the pain was such that it could not be lessened to the point of being bearable.


    Caliel knew this, and used the resistance conferred by the potion to cause as much suffering as possible.


    The pleasure Caliel felt reached levels she couldn''t control. She leapt towards her own ally, to strangle her.


    A deafening shot rang out across the arena. Caliel stopped her advance instantly. The bullet grazed her ear, causing it to bleed slightly.


    Two people walked up to where Caliel was:


    A girl with short grey hair and eyes. She wore a grey military uniform, hat and white gloves. She carried the revolver she had fired in her right hand, and another in her waistband. On her back, she had a carbine.


    A tall, muscular man with red hair and green eyes. He wore a green short-sleeved shirt and black gloves that didn''t cover his fingers.


    The girl said:


    ¡ª Caliel, this has gone way too far. In addition to torturing two heroines, you tried to kill your own partner.


    ¡ª But that''s not cheating, no rule says I can''t have fun. And viewers are enjoying it a lot too.


    The girl let out a sigh of contempt and said:


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter if it''s in the rules or not. You are already a level 6 and should know how to control yourself. Or are you so childish that you don''t know something as basic as that?


    Caliel frowned, irritated to the core.


    ¡ª Don''t talk like you''re better than me, bitch. I''m on the same level as you, and I can kill you at any time.


    ¡ª Really? I want to see you try.


    Caliel moved behind the girl at a speed the spectators couldn''t keep up with, about to decapitate her. The girl just sighed again and aimed the gun that was in her hand behind her head.


    She shot Caliel''s ear again, ripping it off. She stopped the attack, on account of the pain. Then the man punched her belly to knock her out and said:


    ¡ª The rule is not whether or not to have fun. It''s not taking the fun away from others. And you clearly did.


    Caliel fell to the ground, unconscious. The girl addressed Kiseki and said:


    ¡ª Kiseki, heal Mifuyu and Revon soon. They can die if no living cells are left. But you don''t need to heal Caliel. I warned her several times to change her behavior, but she didn''t listen. So that will be her punishment.


    ¡ª O-Okay, sorry!


    ¡ª Why are you apologizing?


    ¡ª It''s just¡­ I could have done it sooner, but I thought it would be cheating.


    ¡ª Kiseki, you have to learn that rules are not that important. Sometimes you need to break them to protect someone. Now go fix them.


    ¡ª R-Right! Sorry¡­


    ¡ª Why are you apologizing again?


    ¡ª Oh, it''s just¡­ sorry!


    Kiseki timidly went to the almost dead heroes to heal them. They were left without a scratch, but Kiseki decided to keep them unconscious to rest.


    Yuto and Haji watched everything, terrified. They hadn''t seen that much violence since the fateful halloween. Some viewers complained:


    ¡ª What are Ria and Exwind doing here? The battle was so cool, until they stopped it.


    Yuto, curious about who the two were, asked:


    ¡ª Who are those two?


    ¡ª What? Don''t you know them? The girl is Ria, the top 1 level 6, and the man is called Exwind, the top 2. The two are always together. You must be a foreigner if you don''t know that.


    ¡ª Yeah, more or less that. I haven''t been to Tokyo for years.


    ¡ª So you missed a lot, man. Take a look at the association''s app later. The heroes'' positions have changed quite a bit, so you might not recognize any.


    ¡ª Thanks for the tip.


    Yuto was relieved when he learned that no one recognized his face. The fact that there was so much mobility in the levels made it easy for him to be forgotten.


    But one thing bothered him: the man in the blue suit was staring at him.


    ¡ª Is there a problem, man?


    ¡ª Tokihito Tatsuya.


    ¡ª What?


    ¡ª It''s my name. I know you from somewhere. Does my name remind you of anything?


    ¡ª That name doesn''t remind me of anything, and I don''t know how you would know me. It must just be a mistake.


    ¡ª What is your name?


    Yuto hesitated. Maybe the mysterious man knew about the invasion. He could be there to eliminate him, which the hooded woman had not been able to do.


    But he plucked up courage and said his name:


    ¡ª Ishikawa Yuto.


    ¡ª That name certainly brings back memories, but I can''t decipher them. You must be important to me. I didn''t even remember my name until this morning, but yours is special.


    Ria, still in the arena, remembered something:


    ¡ª Tetsushi, I saw a familiar face in the crowd in the stands.


    ¡ª What? How did one person catch your attention among all those people?


    ¡ª It must be a coincidence that I saw him, but that person looked dangerous. He''s right there.


    Ria pointed her finger at Yuto. The two went to him. Exwind interrogated him:


    ¡ª Young man, you remind us of someone who shouldn''t be here. Could you tell us your name?


    Yuto froze. He knew they knew him from the invasion. They were there to arrest him, kill him or even worse.


    ¡ª Actually, you don''t have to say your name. I want to remind it on my own.


    Exwind turned to the side to think. Ria had already remembered, but hoped he could too. Impatiently, she revealed:


    ¡ª He is Ishikawa Yuto, the seventh level 7 who participated in a raid against the association over five years ago.


    ¡ª Of course it was him! Thanks for reminding me, Ria. And you have a very good memory.


    ¡ª You are too slow. And we have to arrest him.


    ¡ª Right! If you don''t mind-


    When Exwind turned around to see Yuto again, he was already gone. And the two other people who were sitting next to him weren''t there either.


    ¡ª What? But he was here until now...


    ¡ª He ran off with a girl and a man in a blue suit while you were thinking. You are distracted too easily.


    ¡ª And why didn''t you say anything if you saw all this?


    Ria didn''t know how to respond, and just repeated:


    ¡ª You have to start paying more attention.


    Yuto, Tatsuya and Haji fled the stadium. They were in a harbor, where there were several coastal stores.


    Yuto didn''t understand one thing:


    ¡ª Why are you following us, Tokihito-san?


    ¡ª I already said: you are important to me. I have to follow you until I understand why.


    ¡ª And how can I trust you? Wait, I have an idea: if you take this girl to safety and we meet again later, we can have a longer talk to get to know each other better. But if you do anything to her, I''ll kill you. Sounds fair, doesn''t it?


    ¡ª Are you sure? Well, that''s fine with me...


    Haji was surprised by what Yuto proposed, and exclaimed:


    ¡ª Hey, don''t go deciding things for me! I don''t want to be with this ruined guy, I want to be with you, Yuto.


    Tatsuya felt offended, but ignored it. Yuto tried to convince her:


    ¡ª If something happens to you, call me as soon as possible. And if you accept this mission, I''ll give you any candy you want.


    Haji perked up:


    ¡ª Seriously? It was you who promised, so it''s better you keep it.


    Tatsuya grabbed Haji''s hand and the two ran away. A voice came from behind Yuto:


    ¡ª Wow, I wish Ria was that easy to convince.


    Yuto got scared and turned back. It was Exwind, who had already found him, even after walking kilometers.


    ¡ª What?! How did you find me in such a short time?


    ¡ª You could say I''m good with directions. And I asked people on the way if they had seen this peculiar trio, so it was pretty easy to find.


    ¡ª But you don''t seem to be with Ria, so maybe she''s looking elsewhere?


    ¡ª Actually, she''s right there.


    Exwind pointed to the window of a nearby restaurant.


    ¡ª Hey, Ria, you can get out of there. Let''s talk to Ishikawa-san.


    The only answer was a gunshot. Yuto felt a sting on his right foot, which had been shot. Then the left. He felt a lot of pain, but he couldn''t move his feet, so he was immobilized.


    ¡ª Are you sure about this, Ria? You really don''t go easy on bad guys. But it''s not like I didn''t see it coming.


    Exwind threw a punch in Yuto''s stomach, but the fist didn''t touch. He stood still for less than a second, until a wind started to come out of his hand.


    A wind strong enough to send Yuto flying a few hundred meters in the sky. Exwind jumped in to start the fight in the air. He threw a kick, which Yuto barely parried.


    He was sent a few more tens of meters back. Shots came from the port, aimed at Yuto''s arms, but they stopped midair. With the power he had, it was easy to hold them off.


    But new shots, much stronger, pierced Yuto''s shoulders, who couldn''t move his arms anymore. Then Exwind punched him down with both hands.


    Yuto was sent down to where the ocean was. The speed was so high that, when he collided with the water, a wave a few dozen meters high formed.


    As it was far enough from the harbor, the wave dissipated before arriving. Yuto was struggling to stay conscious. He was able to stand on top of the water, even if his feet hurt.


    Exwind also landed in the water. But he got scared when he saw Yuto''s gaze. He was about to fight seriously.


    Until Exwind tried to calm him down:


    ¡ª Calm down, man! I know you are stronger than me. If you try to kill me, you will surely succeed.


    ¡ª You say that after almost killing me?


    ¡ª It''s just that you''re a famous wanted in the association. If we captured you without killing, the other bounty hunters wouldn''t hurt you. But Ria ended up going a little hard on you.


    ¡ª Your punches also hurt a lot.


    ¡ª I just wanted to knock you out!


    Yuto calmed down and listened to what Exwind had to say.


    ¡ª What do you want from me?


    ¡ª We wanted to talk to you. Well, at least I wanted to. Ria tried to incapacitate you before you could do anything, so I just went along with the plan.


    ¡ª Are you sure she''s not going to kill me while we''re talking?


    ¡ª I''ll convince her, I promise. If I offer her candy like you did earlier, it might be easier.


    Yuto smiled and gave a small laugh. That man looked too innocent to really want to kill him. Maybe he could be trusted.

 Purple mystery

    Tatsuya and Haji were walking in the streets, to blend in with the crowd. There was no one chasing them, as Ria and Exwind''s target was Yuto. But Tatsuya was afraid of not gaining Yuto''s trust, so he took every precaution.


    ¡ª Hey lad, where are we going?


    ¡ª I don''t know.


    ¡ª What do you mean you do not know? What if we run into those people again?


    ¡ª We''re a long way from them, and they''re not after us.


    Haji was uncomfortable holding that suspicious man''s hand, but at the same time safe. He looked strong, so she decided to ask:


    ¡ª What is your power?


    ¡ª My power? Oh yeah, I forgot I had one. I would say if I remembered.


    ¡ª Don''t you even remember your own power? You are weird.


    Tatsuya seemed to move a little faster than Haji, and that bothered her:


    ¡ª Young man, why do you keep accelerating the step out of nowhere?


    ¡ª What? I''m walking at the same speed as you. By the way, why does everyone stop talking for a few milliseconds?


    ¡ª I don''t know what you''re talking about. There are so many people talking at once that there is never a moment of silence.


    Tatsuya stopped, as if he had realized something important. He looked at Haji and asked:


    ¡ª What did you just say?


    ¡ª What? I said this crowd makes a lot of noise.


    ¡ª Not that, the other thing.


    ¡ª I don''t know what you mean by that. You are very strange, young man. By the way, looking closely, I just realized you don''t blink.


    ¡ª I don''t blink? But I''m doing it now.


    ¡ª Stop lying. You have to blink frequently, or your eyes will get dehydrated. That must be why you need glasses.


    Tatsuya didn''t understand that conversation. It seemed they were seeing different things.


    He looked ahead and saw a scene typical of any big city: a child was being pulled into an alley, probably to be assaulted.


    He let go of Haji''s hand and ran into the alley. He saw two men who looked dangerous, holding the child by force. They saw Tatsuya, and shouted:


    ¡ª What do you want, bastard?! Get out of here now or you will suffer the same fate as this child.


    ¡ª Who do you think you''re talking to?


    ¡ª Why, I''m talking to a rich guy, of course. Wait, I''m actually glad you came to us. This saves us the effort of asking for this child''s ransom. You must be worth a lot more than his father.


    The two men released the child and picked up their knives. They went after Tatsuya. But he suddenly disappeared. He had already passed them by without their noticing.


    One had its head separated from its body. And the other had his neck twisted back, seeing Tatsuya from behind. He died soon after.


    ¡ª So that''s my power...


    Yuto, Ria and Exwind went to Kiseki''s clinic. The match was already over, so she went where she could help more people. Noticing the three coming, she said:


    ¡ª Eh¡­ What happened? Why is this young man hurt?


    Exwind replied:


    ¡ª It''s a long story. We ended up getting a little rough on him, so could you please heal him?


    ¡ª O-Of course! That is my job. Thanks for bringing him to me.


    Kiseki approached Yuto and healed him. The pain completely disappeared in a few seconds. And he still felt a great well-being. His slightly crooked spine due to his life as a gamer was also straightened.


    ¡ª Thank you very much, Kiseki-san.


    ¡ª It''s nothing, I''m very happy to help. And you can call me Kiseki-chan if you like.


    ¡ª Right¡­


    Kiseki was a maid, nurse and a very kind person. Her power perfectly matched her personality. She always tried to help as many people as possible, and loved her job.


    Her power was called Healing, but she could also fix broken objects or return them to their original state. She could do the same with dying people, but not revive them. In addition, it nullified all kinds of discomfort and brought any positive effect to the patient''s body and mind.


    Yuto, in awe of the girl''s purity and innocence, said:


    ¡ª You really are a miracle, Kiseki-chan.


    Yuto, Exwind and Ria returned to the harbor they were in. They went to lunch at an italian restaurant nearby, overlooking the sea.


    They sat at a table, and the first to speak was Ria:


    ¡ª I may have agreed to this, but know that I don''t regret a thing I did.


    ¡ª Okay, I''m a wanted criminal, so I should expect people to hunt me down.


    ¡ª I think you misunderstood, Ishikawa-san. We just wanted to interrogate you. If we were the first to capture you, we''d have all the information you could offer us.


    ¡ª You only see me as a product, then.


    Exwind tried to smooth over the conversation:


    ¡ª Calm down, it''s nothing like that. We can become friends. Isn''t it, Ria?


    ¡ª I would never become friends with someone like him.


    ¡ª But our interests are the same. The three of us hate the association, and we want to overthrow it.


    Yuto, surprised, asked:


    ¡ª What? Do you plan to attack the association?


    ¡ª Yes. Which is why we''re having this conversation. We didn''t really want to arrest or capture you. Our goal was to make sure you were trustworthy.


    ¡ª And I passed the test?


    ¡ª Of course-


    Exwind was interrupted by Ria, who looked uncomfortable with the sudden friendship:


    ¡ª -not! I''m not going to trust someone I''ve just met, let alone work with.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, Ria. You have to stop this habit of distrusting everyone.


    ¡ª But I trust you, Tetsushi.


    ¡ª I know, but I shouldn''t be the only one.


    Ria''s cell phone received a notification. She took it and saw that it was an urgent mission.


    On the opposite side of the street from the alley, a person was watching Tatsuya''s double murder. She was on the first floor of a building, looking out the window of a dark, dimly lit room.


    Only sunlight came into the room, but a curtain covered most of the window. The room had the smell of an aphrodisiac. A woman was standing, peering through the gap in the curtain.


    She was blonde and had her hair tied back. She was a middle-aged woman with dark circles under her eyes. She used a typical spa towel and was smoking a pipe.


    A man in a suit was sitting on the sofa behind her. Without looking at him, the woman said:


    ¡ª You can go now. I finally found who I was looking for so long.


    ¡ª What? Are you saying I didn''t satisfy you enough? It was to be expected from a whore like you.


    The man got up and left. The woman was not offended by the curse, as she was very focused on the scene she had seen. Her eyes lit up after a long time.


    ¡ª I finally found the man of my dreams!


    The woman took her cell phone off the table behind her. She opened the association''s app and requested an urgent mission.


    It specified that the quest would require one hero from each tier from 1 to 5, and three from 6, but none from 7.


    Tatsuya walked straight ahead into the alley. He came to a back door of one of the buildings there. It was an abandoned building, and it was in the center of the block. Its only access were the alleys that led to it.


    He entered, hoping not to find anyone. The ground floor had a large staircase in the center, which led to the first floor. He was about to climb it, when a cry could be heard:


    ¡ª Hey, I''ve never seen you here. Have you come to buy something?


    ¡ª It depends, what kind of things do you sell?


    ¡ª How did you get here without knowing what this place was? You must have passed my men in the alley.


    ¡ª Of course I passed them. But they didn''t tell me anything about this place. Just tell me what you sell.


    ¡ª Okay, whatever, money is money. We have children, slaves, drugs, weapons, everything you won''t find anywhere else, for the best prices! But don''t even think about talking about this place to the police.


    ¡ª Relax, I won''t need it.


    Tatsuya looked at the person who was speaking. He was a fat, muscular man, bald and black. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, which looked expensive. He was sitting on a throne just beyond the stairs leading to the first floor, like a king.


    There were many other thugs surrounding him and scattered all over the first floor, looking down at Tatsuya who was on the ground floor. They had different appearances, such as mohawks, jackets and bracelets, probably all stolen.


    ¡ª Hey, what do you mean you won''t need the police? If you''re not going to buy or sell anything, get out. I know your type, you try to be a hero and die in the end. Not that this is a problem for us, we just make more money doing it.


    Tatsuya didn''t move. But all the bandits except the leader were beheaded. Surprised and a bit scared, their boss exclaimed:


    ¡ª What did you do?! A-Actually, this is not a big deal. They don''t even compare to me, I''m much stronger.


    ¡ª Really? Why don''t you try punching me?


    Tatsuya walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the man, challenging him.


    ¡ª Don''t fucking underestimate me. I''m going to wipe that smile off your goddamn face.


    The leader didn''t seem to have any power. He just used his brute strength to deliver the blow. He was much bigger than Tatsuya, so a straight punch could knock him out instantly.


    Surprisingly, the man''s fist returned to his own face, piercing it. That force, even reflected, would not be enough to pierce a head. But it happened for some reason.


    Tatsuya continued to stand still, watching the leader''s corpse. He spat on him, saying:


    ¡ª I''m far from being an hero. But even I have decency.


    Ria accepted the urgent mission. She said goodbye to Exwind and Yuto, running to the place. It was quite far from there, so it took her a few tens of minutes, even running at top speed.


    One of her powers was Empowering Ammo. As the name implies, it could turn any firearm ammunition into a kind of buff. If she fired this bullet at someone, some physical or mental aspect of her choosing would be temporarily enhanced.


    But she decided to use a minimal speed boost effect. If she used one that was too strong, she could lose control and run over people in her path.


    When she was arriving at the place, she passed by a strange figure that was walking in the opposite direction. He had a murderous aura and wore a blue suit. She stopped and looked back, realizing something or someone was familiar. But she saw nobody of interest.


    When she arrived, she saw several heroes waiting in place. She was the last to arrive. Probably because it was too far away. She recognized a person who was there.


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan, were you also called for the urgent mission?


    ¡ª R-Ria-san, are you here too? Sorry, I didn''t realize...


    ¡ª Why are you apologizing? And you didn''t answer my question.


    ¡ª Oh, sorry! Yes, I came running when I got the notification¡­


    Ria looked at the people who were there, and asked their level. There were only two people who catched her eye. One was a level 5 red-haired very stylish man. He looked like a manga protagonist. The other was a blonde woman with blue eyes who wore heavy armor, a shield and a longsword. She knelt down.


    ¡ª I am level 6. It''s a pleasure meeting you in person, Ria-sama.


    ¡ª Why all this formality? We are on the same level.


    ¡ª You are the strongest of the level. I am among the weakest. And I am aware of all your achievements. You are on another level.


    ¡ª But you also worked hard to get here. You don''t have to treat others on the same level as you submissively.


    ¡ª Understood! Your will is an order!


    ¡ª It was meant to be just advice, not an order¡­


    Ria remembered why she was there:


    ¡ª Where is the person who requested this mission? And why are we in an alley?


    No one knew the answer, and they were also trying to find out. The level 4 of the group approached Ria.


    It was a girl about 15 years old. She had short black and green hair and green eyes. She wore a green T-shirt that didn''t cover her belly, a black jacket, and a black and green striped scarf. She asked:


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡ª Do you want me to track where the signal came from? My power allows me to control any electronic device, so finding the cell phone that was used is easy.


    ¡ª That would help a lot. What is your name?


    ¡ª Shikano Reisa, but you can call me Disruptor.


    Disruptor took out her cell phone and tracked where the mission signal came from. She turned back and pointed to the first floor of a building across the street from the alley. The curtain was closed, so they couldn''t see if anyone was inside. Ria said:


    ¡ª Thank you very much, Disruptor. Since that urgent call was obviously a scam, I''m going to have a little talk with the person who requested it.


    Kiseki was shaking, more nervous than usual.


    ¡ª W-Wait, Ria-san¡­ I can go in your place¡­


    ¡ª But why, Kiseki-chan?


    ¡ª Well, it''s just¡­ I want to help this person¡­


    ¡ª You want to help someone who pranked all of us?


    ¡ª Y-Yes¡­ I feel like she did this for a reason, so I need to understand her.


    Ria sighed, not liking the idea.


    ¡ª Are you sure you can do it, Kiseki-chan? There are people in this world who don''t change even with the greatest kindness.


    ¡ª I''m not sure, but I want to try.


    ¡ª Alright. I''m going to investigate this alley further in case I find any clues.


    ¡ª T-Thanks!


    Kiseki entered the building where the scammer was. Disruptor accompanied her, to guide the stealthiest path. They climbed the stairs that led to the first floor.


    ¡ª Kiseki, this is the room where the signal came from.


    ¡ª Thank you, Disruptor-san.


    ¡ª You don''t need that "-san", you''re two levels above me.


    ¡ª Oh, sorry¡­


    ¡ª You don''t need to say sorry. Are you sure you''ll be all right if you try to talk to her yourself?


    ¡ª I think I can. I will do my best.


    Disruptor looked at Kiseki worriedly, but believed her words and left. Kiseki turned towards the door and took a deep breath:


    ¡ª Right¡­ It''s all up to me now. I can''t go back.


    Kiseki gently knocked on the door three times. There was no answer. She decided to call the person inside:


    ¡ª Excuse me¡­ Is anyone there? I just want to talk, if it''s not too much trouble...


    The door opened, but there was no one on the other side. She decided to enter:


    ¡ª I-I''m coming in, if you don''t mind.


    When she walked through the door, her mouth was covered so she couldn''t scream and her neck pressed. She quickly lost consciousness.


    Ria continued down the alley until she reached the abandoned building. She went in, and the ground floor was reeked of blood. She saw several corpses of bandits.


    But what surprised her was that there were more people there: professionals investigating what had happened here. Surprised, Ria asked a man who seemed to be in charge of the case:


    ¡ª Would you mind telling me what happened here?


    ¡ª What is a child doing here? It''s dangerous, so get out already!


    One of his subordinates got scared and ran to the boss. He whispered in his ear:


    ¡ª She is Ria, the first level 6!


    ¡ª And? She still has her whole life ahead, she can''t watch this kind of thing. Now get back to work.


    Even though they were speaking quietly, Ria knew what the conversation was about.


    ¡ª If you''re worried about my mental health, you''re wasting your time. I''ve seen much worse scenes.


    The boss remained firm in his decision. But Ria insisted:


    ¡ª Now, can someone tell me why no one informed me of this case? The police are under my control. Every investigation should be too.


    The man finally gave in, displeased:


    ¡ª Okay, you won. One person contacted the police at the last minute, and just said, "How do you miss something like this?" and hung up. Since he used a cell phone from the corpses, we didn''t find out who he was. But we tracked the signal and came this far.


    ¡ª When I got to the alley, all the heroes called were already there. And none of them said they saw a bunch of cops coming here. Which means you got there before them. Is this some kind of competition?


    The man showed no regret, no fear. He just stood there, staring down at the girl. Ria congratulated him ironically:


    ¡ª I admire your courage, officer. What you''ve done is an act of insubordination, and I could take you out now and take over the case. But the more people investigating, the more things we discover.


    Ria came to a random subordinate and asked:


    ¡ª Could you tell me what you''ve discovered so far?"


    The man looked at the boss, who just nodded his head.


    ¡ª All deaths were caused by decapitation, except for their leader. The cut region is much hotter than the rest of the body, which means that the weapon used was a blade that can probably melt metals.


    ¡ª Can you tell me when they died?


    ¡ª Approximately 30 minutes ago, judging by body temperature.


    ¡ª But this is just one corpse. And the others?


    ¡ª Everyone has the same temperature. So they probably died at the same time.


    ¡ª At the same time¡­?


    Ria thought about who the killer might be. To call the police after committing a crime and still blame them would have to be pretty brave.


    A blade hot enough to burn metal. It echoed in her head. It was not uncommon to have such weapons in the association. Most of them were energy swords.


    But they used to be dangerous and difficult to use. Killing dozens of bandits that quickly was not an easy thing to do. Either the sword was big enough to hit everyone at once, or the wielder was just too fast.


    What intrigued Ria was that the killer wasn''t simply quick. They were instantaneous. No matter how fast they were, there would be time difference between each kill. But they were all simultaneous. Except for the leader.


    ¡ª How did their leader die?


    ¡ª His fist went through his own face. He didn''t have any power, nor enough brute strength to go through a body with just one punch.


    Ria started to feel scared. For a long time, she only imposed fear on people. She had already forgotten how it felt.


    ¡ª Looks like we''re dealing with someone more dangerous than I thought...


    The boss commented:


    ¡ª That''s why you should walk away from this case! You''re just a little girl, and you don''t need to be involved in that kind of darkness.


    ¡ª Do not worry about me. By the way, I was going to ask you to lend me the control of this investigation.


    ¡ª No way I''ll do something like that. This mission is under my control! I don''t need a child giving orders to adults.


    Ria approached the man. She looked him in the eyes. The boss shuddered for the first time. He wasn''t seeing any child. Those eyes really had seen a lot worse. Afraid, he just ceded the command of the mission to her.


    ¡ª Tch, don''t think you beat me, brat! I will remove myself from this case, and you command my subordinates. But I am against this supremacy of heroes. The police risk their lives far more than you do, and they don''t get recognized enough...


    The man left the building.


    Ria composed herself. She remembered something very important that for some reason she had forgotten: Kiseki. As they had worked together for a long time, she knew her very well.


    ¡ª Damn¡­ Why did I think it would be a good idea to leave her alone for more than a second?


    Ria just ordered everyone to continue the investigation and collect as many clues as possible, and deliver them to a trusted subordinate of hers.


    She reached the street.


    ¡ª If I''m not mistaken, the signal came from that apartment.


    She ran to the building, climbed the ladder and leaned against the bedroom door holding one of the revolvers in both hands. She heard two voices: one from Kiseki, desperate, and another unknown. It didn''t seem to come from a healthy person.


    Without hesitation, she kicked the door and broke it down. The unknown person was already in sight, sitting on a sofa facing the corridor that led to the door.


    The person was a middle-aged, blonde woman with dark circles under her eyes. She used a spa towel as clothing. She was startled by the unexpected visit.


    Ria walked in, resenting the aphrodisiac smell. She approached the woman slowly, who, desperate, took a pistol and discharged its magazine in the threat.


    All the bullets were deflected in different directions. One of them grazed the woman''s left ear, and landed on the back wall.


    It was Ria''s defensive power: a barrier that reflected any object lighter than her coming at a speed greater than 1 m/s. The object returned in the opposite direction at half the original speed. If it was heavier than her body, she was pushed back instead, also at half speed. The barrier did not cover the underfoot.


    ¡ª You''re very lucky that bullet didn''t go through your head.


    Ria approached the woman and struck her in the neck, knocking her out immediately. She saw Kiseki, who was also sitting on the sofa, to the left.


    She was tied to ropes and had a tape covering her mouth. Ria took the tape off first, and asked, with an air of disappointment:


    ¡ª What are you doing¡­?


    ¡ª S-Sorry! I couldn''t convince her!


    ¡ª I''m not talking about that. You have a 6-Up, and could have simply torn the ropes. By the way, how did you end up in this situation against someone so weak?


    ¡ª Eh¡­?


    Kiseki had a confused look on her face, as if she hadn''t noticed it before.


    ¡ª Aren''t you going to tell me you didn''t think of that¡­?"


    ¡ª Sorry! I faint very easily when I''m startled, and I wanted to gain her trust so I couldn''t fight back...


    ¡ª That''s something someone who''s been violated their entire life would say.


    ¡ª Sorry!


    Ria untied Kiseki. Sitting down, they waited for the woman to wake up. When she woke up, she tried to attack Ria again, with the same pistol. But it was out of ammo, so nothing happened. She tried to run away, but Ria fired a warning shot, which narrowly missed her nose.


    ¡ª We''re here to talk. If you don''t want to, I''ll finish you here and now.


    ¡ª Fuck off! I know that when this is all over, you''ll kill me anyway!


    ¡ª It''s your choice¡­


    The woman calmed down, and sat in the same place as before. Ria nodded her head for Kiseki to start the conversation.


    ¡ª L-Lady¡­ If you don''t mind, could you tell us why you called us for this urgent mission?


    ¡ª Hmph! As if I were to say...


    The woman looked at Ria, who was staring at her. She shuddered, and decided to answer:


    ¡ª W-Well¡­ I found the love of my life¡­


    Ria was impatient, and repressed her:


    ¡ª Stop bullshitting us. Just tell us why you made us waste so much time.


    The woman shuddered again. Stuttering, she replied:


    ¡ª B-But it''s t-true! He s-seemed to be strong when he killed those two men in the alley, so I wanted to test him with this quest!


    Ria calmed down, and let Kiseki continue the conversation:


    ¡ª But, lass... There was no dead man in the alley.


    ¡ª This is another indication that he is strong! I didn''t even see when he took out the corpses, even though I was watching the whole scene!


    ¡ª But that still doesn''t explain why you needed three level 6''s and one of each level below¡­


    ¡ª I thought he could defeat the other levels easily. So, if he managed to defeat three level 6''s, he could easily be one of the top 7 strongest.


    Ria interrupted the conversation again:


    ¡ª So you sent us to die?


    ¡ª I-It''s not like that! I just wanted to see how strong my beloved was!


    ¡ª It means the same thing. And what interested you so much about him?


    ¡ª He''s beautiful! Even looking at him from afar, I could see that everyone I paid to sleep with me was worthless. He was on another level!


    ¡ª Could you describe his appearance to me? This is important, especially for me.


    ¡ª You want to steal him from me? Of course I''m not going to-


    ¡ª Speak soon¡­ Before I lose my temper.


    ¡ª O-Okay! He was wearing a dark blue suit, light blue tie, had dark blue hair and wore glasses, I think. I''ve seen him more from the back so I''m not sure what he looked like from the front.


    Ria knew she had seen that figure somewhere, but she couldn''t remember. It was the best lead she had on the killer in the abandoned building.


    ¡ª Anything else?


    ¡ª Oh, I forgot to mention: when he passed the two delinquents in the alley, he glanced at the watch on his left wrist. I think that''s all.


    ¡ª Thank you very much. It helps me a lot in the investigation.


    Ria got up. Kiseki was surprised and asked:


    ¡ª A-Are you going somewhere, Ria-san?


    ¡ª You don''t need that "-san", we''ve known each other for a long time. This conversation interested me because of an investigation I''m leading. You can talk about whatever you want now, I won''t interfere anymore.


    ¡ª Right¡­


    ¡ª And don''t forget, Kiseki-chan: if this woman hurts you again, you don''t need to have mercy. You can defend yourself without me.


    ¡ª Understood!


    Ria left the apartment, and contacted her subordinate in charge of the investigation.


    Kiseki and the mysterious woman began to talk more freely without Ria''s overwhelming presence. They were much closer in a few minutes of conversation.


    ¡ª What''s your name, lady?


    ¡ª Himiko Tsuna, but you can just call me just Tsuna.


    ¡ª A-Are you sure? Isn''t that very intimate?


    ¡ª Of course I am! We''re already friends, and I trust you more than anyone else, even if we just met today.


    ¡ª Thank you, Tsuna!


    ¡ª You know, you saved me from prostitution. Until today, I was obsessed with looking for a man to match me. And only the one in the blue suit caught my eye, but he was gone before I knew it.


    ¡ª It''s not that much... I just did what anyone else would do...


    ¡ª That''s simply not true, Kiseki-chan. Now I understand why your name: you are a miracle. You have the power to change people. Your parents must be proud!


    ¡ª My parents¡­?


    Kiseki froze for some reason. She was in her mind, trying to remember her parents. But she couldn''t, so her head started to hurt.


    ¡ª K-Kiseki-chan?! Did something happen?


    Kiseki didn''t answer. She was too distracted to react to anything. The woman took her out of the room to see if she could find someone who could help her. Ria was still there, waiting against the wall. Tsuna said:


    ¡ª I''m glad you''re here! Kiseki-chan is not responding!


    ¡ª What did you do to her?


    ¡ª Nothing! We were just talking and she got like this...


    ¡ª Okay, I believe you. Thanks for bringing her to me. I''ll take care of her from now on.


    ¡ª Thank you¡­ Later, tell me if she got better¡­


    ¡ª Alright.


    Ria and Kiseki exited the building. Kiseki''s legs were still moving, so she was able to walk normally. But her mind was not in her body. They continued walking on the sidewalk. Ria was staring at her and trying to strike up a conversation, but she wasn''t responding.


    Suddenly, Kiseki was pushed back and landed on the sidewalk. Her body also stopped responding, so she probably passed out from the impact.


    Ria looked this way and that, but there was a crowd and no one seemed to have done it. A voice came from the front:


    ¡ª This time we found the right brat. Why are there so many green haired girls in this country?


    ¡ª I said that child''s hair was lighter than the one we were looking for, Roberto. And she didn''t even have purple eyes.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, Jorge. You thought it was her too. And I lost my right arm for nothing.


    It was the four brazilian delinquents again. They were approaching Kiseki, who was lying on the ground. Bruna said:


    ¡ª But that''s pretty suspicious. She was supposed to be a level 6. How did she faint with just one punch?


    ¡ª Are you saying I am weak, Bruna?!


    ¡ª I''m saying that either level 6 is weaker than we''ve been told, or something is wrong.


    ¡ª We definitely got it right this time, don''t worry. The Pope will be happy.


    Ria exclaimed:


    ¡ª Who are you?!


    Only Bruna understood, and bent down to answer:


    ¡ª Look, another child. If you don''t mind, get out of here before we do something to you. We just need this girl, so we don''t mean to hurt you.


    Ria kneed Bruna in the stomach, who fell hard to the ground.


    ¡ª Explain this at the police station.


    Roberto, in response to the threat, grabbed a knife with his left arm, as his right arm had been amputated. It sliced through the air, but hit Ria''s left eye, which began to bleed.


    What? Did he pierce my barrier?


    Then, Jorge raised his right hand and threw a harpoon at Kiseki''s body, pulling her towards him. He started to run into an alley. Ria took her right revolver and shot him in the head, making him land on the sidewalk and release Kiseki.


    Cleiton materialized a pistol and fired 14 times towards Ria, but all the bullets ricocheted. One of them hit Roberto''s left leg, who lost his balance and knelt down. The last hit his own forehead.


    Roberto got ready to punch the air, but Ria ran at him and kicked him hard enough to blow his head off, painting the sidewalk in blood.


    While the fight was happening, Bruna tried to bear the pain and crawled to where Kiseki was. She touched her body and teleported to a sewer, under where they were.


    ¡ª What the fuck! I didn''t expect a child to be this strong! Why do we always come across enemies like this?


    Bruna was starting to get tired, because of her power.


    ¡ª Shit! I can''t stay here much longer. Get out of there soon, you wretched girl!


    Unable to hold it any longer, Bruna returned to the sidewalk where she had teleported. She was breathless and desperate again.


    ¡ª C-Calm down! I can explain! Can''t we solve this without violence?


    Ria didn''t answer. She simply shot her in the forehead.


    After all the commotion, Ria went to Kiseki and tried to wake her up. Her body was no longer with the harpoon hole that hit her belly.


    ¡ª Ria¡­ What happened¡­?


    ¡ª I will explain everything later. Could you cure these bandits? I immobilized them as a precaution. And the pedestrians who were injured by stray bullets.


    Kiseki looked around and was astonished:


    ¡ª What?! What happened while I was sleeping?

 Scarlet encounter

    Once again, the delinquents were at the police station. But this time, accompanied by the association''s strongest level 6.


    Kiseki healed the four. Since they had "died" just a short time ago, their bodies continued to live long enough. They had all their wounds healed, including Roberto''s amputated arm.


    Kiseki was afraid of Ria crossing the line again and not being close enough to heal them, so she accompanied her to the police station.


    Ria was sitting in a chair, her feet up on the table. She was talking to the person in charge of the installation, while she unloaded and reloaded her revolver slowly.


    ¡ª Do you know why I chose this station specifically, sir?


    ¡ª Perhaps because it is the safest?


    ¡ª It''s quite the opposite. I have already submitted numerous complaints about this unfinished place. What happened to the items I ordered?


    ¡ª You know, Ria- sama¡­ We''ve been broke for the last few months and-


    ¡ª Do you really think you can lie to me? I know where all the money destined to renovate this precinct has gone.


    Ria handed over a list of items every police station or prison should have. Among them were: handcuffs, cells, glass and gas, all power nullifiers, to keep the powerful really imprisoned.


    The cells at that police station used iron bars, a model that had been abandoned for a long time. The new ones were white, windowless rooms with a glass wall at the front, which served several functions.


    A gas was spread over the small area to nullify nearly 100% of the power. But it could only be used indoors.


    ¡ª And do you know why I''m here?


    ¡ª To check if everything is working normally?


    ¨C Wrong. If any prisoner escapes their cell while I''m here, including the ones I just brought in, I''ll shoot you in the forehead.


    ¡ª What?! But you can''t do that, that would be murder!


    ¡ª If they run away, they will also commit murder. You would just be a sacrifice.


    The four were in separate cells. Ria stopped in front of Bruna, who was sitting on the floor. She asked:


    ¡ª Would you like to have a little talk with me?


    She cocked her head in confusion, as if not understanding what Ria said.


    ¡ª Stop this bullshit. I know you speak japanese.


    Bruna insisted that she didn''t understand. Ria walked into her cell and grabbed her right index finger and threatened her:


    ¡ª It''s your choice. You know what happens if I push that nail back.


    ¡ª All right, I''ll talk!


    The two went to the office. The person in charge shouted:


    ¡ª Hey, that place is private! You have no right to invade other people''s property!


    Ria just ignored him and went inside. She closed the blinds, locked the door, and made sure she wasn''t being watched. The room did not have a camera as it was private. She began to interrogate Bruna:


    ¡ª The first thing I want you to say is: why were you after Kiseki-chan?


    ¡ª The Pope sent us here on a mission. We should locate her and bring her to him. He didn''t tell us why. We met a girl with green hair in Osaka a few days ago, but it wasn''t her. And then we were attacked by a boy with purple hair.


    ¡ª Wait, purple hair? How was the hairstyle?


    ¡ª A weird, pointy quiff.


    ¡ª I know exactly who you''re talking about. But it does not matter. Who is this Pope?


    ¡ª I can not talk¡­


    ¡ª Do you think it''s a good idea to answer me like that?


    ¡ª It''s not that I don''t want to, I just can''t!


    ¡ª And why can''t you? You''re not going to tell me you can''t say even that.


    ¡ª I can''t¡­


    ¡ª Where does this Pope live?


    ¡ª In Brazil.


    ¡ª In what city?


    ¡ª I can not say¡­


    Ria grabbed Bruna''s hands and threatened to pull her nails out. But she showed no signs of answering the question. She was prepared for the pain. Ria gave up:


    ¡ª I don''t know why, but you really can''t tell me. I doubt it''s any different with your friends, so I''ll figure that out on my own.


    Ria took Bruna back to her cell. She was on her way out of the police station when she saw the owner, who was sitting in the same place as before.


    ¡ª If I find out that any one of those four has run away from here, I''ll come personally to kill you.


    She left before he could answer, and closed the door. Ria picked up her cell phone and saw several missed calls.


    Exwind and Yuto were still talking at the Italian restaurant. They became friends in that time. They talked freely about different subjects, until Yuto asked:


    ¡ª Shouldn''t Ria have come back by now?


    ¡ª Oh, I almost forgot about her. She usually finishes this type of quest in minutes. I will call her.


    Exwind called several times, but Ria didn''t answer. She was busy, so she couldn''t look at her cell phone. Yuto, worried, commented:


    ¡ª Don''t you think we better look for her?


    ¡ª It is not necessary. She knows how to take care of herself. And if she was in any danger, she would call me.


    Suddenly, he received a call. Ria could finally answer, so she called back.


    ¡ª Ria, are you okay? What happened?


    ¡ª I''m fine, Tetsushi. I was busy until just now, but now I can answer.


    ¡ª How was the urgent mission?


    ¡ª Horrible. It was a prank so I wasted my time. And Kiseki-chan was attacked by a bunch of fucking brazilians.


    ¡ª Is she fine?


    ¡ª Of course she is. But if I hadn''t been around, she would have been kidnapped and taken to a certain Pope.


    ¡ª Pope? Who?


    Yuto overheard the conversation, and asked to speak with Ria.


    ¡ª Hello, Ria? Did you say something about a Pope?


    ¡ª Ah, it''s you, Ishikawa-san¡­ Come to think of it, I had to talk to you. Four brazilian delinquents told me they were attacked by a boy with purple hair. Would he be you?


    ¡ª Ah, yes¡­ Wait, they were supposed to be locked up now.


    ¡ª Did you really trust the Osaka police? Even the one in Tokyo is no longer safe.


    ¡ª You''re right¡­ But what did you find out about this Pope?


    ¡ª Nothing important. I''ll look into this further, but I want you to stay away from it. Know that I still don''t trust you.


    ¡ª All right¡­


    Yuto returned the cell phone to Exwind.


    ¡ª Tetsushi, Ishikawa-san is even less reliable than I thought.


    ¡ª Why?


    ¡ª Do you remember that man in blue suit who was sitting next to him at the tournament?


    ¡ª Yeah, what happened to him?


    ¡ª Maybe it''s not him, but the description was too similar to be a coincidence. A genocide took place in an abandoned building near where the urgent mission specified. And a witness claimed to have seen a person matching that description.


    ¡ª Ria-chan, I think you are distrusting Yuto and that man in the blue suit too much. You need to rest.


    ¡ª Since when did you become so close to being able to call him by his first name?


    ¡ª Oh, it turns out we have a lot more in common than we thought.


    ¡ª Keep an eye out, Tetsushi. Don''t let your guard down.


    Yuto bid farewell to Exwind. He needed to find Haji.


    ¡ª Wait, I didn''t specify any place to meet Tokihito-san.


    Yuto grabbed his cell phone quickly and saw numerous missed calls from Haji. He called back:


    ¡ª At last you answered, Yuto, you idiot!


    ¡ª Sorry, I was busy¡­ talking to Tetsushi.


    ¡ª That is not busy! And who is that guy?


    ¡ª Exwind, the one who was chasing me with Ria.


    ¡ª Wait, are you already calling someone you just met by name? Since when did you become such good friends? Weren''t you trying to kill each other?


    ¡ª Calm down, it turns out¡­ we have more in common than we thought.


    ¡ª Hmph! I wanted to be treated like that too. That idiot Tokihito-san started acting strange and abandoned me. He insisted he was noticing things out of nowhere, like we were in different realities.


    ¡ª Wait, did he leave you? That was not the plan...


    ¡ª But you don''t have to worry, I''m safe and sound in your house.


    ¡ª Ah, good¡­ I was already thinking about how I was going to kill him.


    ¡ª Didn''t I already tell you not to kill? You wouldn''t be doing better than that woman who killed your sister.


    ¡ª You''re right¡­ I''m already on my way home, so I''m going to hang up.


    ¡ª Okay, bye.


    ¡ª See you later.


    Yuto continued walking. He felt a uncomfortable but familiar sensation: he was being followed. He pretended not to notice.


    But the stalker was really bad at being stealthy. They hid in garbage cans and snooped through the crack in the lid. Then closed it when Yuto looked in their direction.


    He began to be bothered by the unwanted presence and shouted at the trash can:


    ¡ª I know you''re hiding there. Show up!


    The can stirred in response to the scream, as if startled. But nobody got out.


    Yuto just ignored them and arrived home. He found Haji, and was relieved.


    The rest of the afternoon and evening was normal. The presence disappeared, so Yuto could relax.


    It''s not like someone was going to break through the wall of his house and push it kilometers away, but, as a maximum precaution, he created an inverse barrier around it. If anyone got close enough, they would be pushed away.


    Yuto could use his power while sleeping, automatically. As long as he was awake, he didn''t need to reinforce the security of the house. But while sleeping, the chance of being attacked increased.


    As Yuto slept, he sensed a disturbance in the barrier. A specific point of it was activated several times during the night. It was in the front door. More specifically, the doorbell.


    Someone was obviously wanting to talk to him. If not, they would have tried the back doors at least once. But that person insisted on the front door, as if it was the only option.


    Yuto woke up, bothered by the incessant poking at the barrier. He looked at his cell phone, it was 7 am. As soon as he deactivated the barrier, the doorbell began to ring repeteadly.


    Yuto, irritated and sleepy, went to the front door. He opened it and saw a girl who looked about 16 years old. She had short and straight red hair, blue eyes, and wore a dark blue hoodie.


    The girl was startled when the door finally opened, after so many attempts. They stared at each other for a few seconds, until Yuto asked:


    ¡ª What do you want?


    ¡ª Ishikawa-san! I finally got to meet you!


    ¡ª How do you know my name?


    ¡ª My master told me!


    ¡ª Who? What master?


    ¡ª Wisedroid-sama!


    ¡ª What? I don''t know if I understand...


    ¡ª He asked me to spy on you!


    ¡ª What? Spy on me? So you were the one following me yesterday afternoon?


    ¡ª Of course!


    ¡ª You are very honest. Are you sure you should be telling me all this?


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡ª Yes! My master asked me to become your friend, to see if you can be trusted!


    Normally, Yuto would have been scared or angry. But the girl had such an innocent, cheerful smile that belied what she was saying about spying. She uttered every word in a sweet voice, like a baby. She didn''t stop smiling a moment during the conversation.


    Yuto found her cute. He had never seen such a pure and innocent creature other than Kiseki. He was delighted. He invited her into his home:


    ¡ª Did I pass your master''s test?


    ¡ª For sure! But he asked me to live with you, to watch you every day!


    ¡ª What?! To live with me? Isn''t that going too far?


    ¡ª I do not think! My bags are all out there! I''m prepared for the change!


    She''s not kidding around¡­


    ¡ª But¡­ Is there no other way to observe me?


    ¡ª No! I need to see you up close!


    Yuto finally relented. He had never before accepted a stranger to live in his house, but there were rooms to spare. Although only Kanata and her brother lived in the house years ago, there were four rooms. Probably for their parents when they visited.


    And that girl was waiting all night to talk to him. She had already made all the preparations to live with him. Yuto couldn''t dismiss her, it would be too mean. He didn''t want to see that smile turn to sadness.


    ¡ª Okay, I''ll let you live here. But know that I''m not the only one who has to earn your trust. You also have to earn mine.


    ¡ª Understood!


    ¡ª What is your name?


    ¡ª Genesis! I''m an android created by Wisedroid-sama!


    ¡ª An android?! That''s not possible. I''ve never seen one before.


    ¡ª It is possible! I can search anything on the internet right now to prove it!


    ¡ª Then search who is the best baker in the city.


    ¡ª Vanderlei!


    ¡ª That was faster than I expected. Okay, I believe you are an android. And who is this Wisedroid master of yours?


    ¡ª He''s an android too! He''s the rank #7 of level 7!


    Yuto winced upon hearing that expression. If he was to attack the association again, he would have to defeat all of the level 7''s. But he couldn''t kill her dear master. He continued to ask:


    ¡ª Do you have any power?


    ¡ª Yes, yes! Creation is my power! It materializes objects that I can understand!


    ¡ª Eh¡­ This power seems to be quite strong. Is your name after it?


    ¡ª Yes, yes! Wisedroid-sama took great care of me, and he chose that name because he thought it suited me!


    ¡ª And it matches. He seems like a nice guy.


    ¡ª For sure! He would love to meet you!


    They continued to talk until Haji woke up. In pajamas and sleepy, she walked to the dining room, where they were talking.


    ¡ª What''s all that noise?


    Haji was startled to see a girl she had never seen in her house before.


    ¡ª Who is that?! Yuto, you''ll have to explain it to me!


    Genesis saw Haji, who was embarrassed, and commented:


    ¡ª Jealousy in the air detected!


    It got dark. It was time for Genesis''s first test of confidence. Her mission was to shop at night and return unharmed, with all the correct items.


    Genesis left and went to a convenience store nearby. She bought the items and, when she left the store, she saw an unforgivable scene: two men and a woman cornering a boy.


    One of the men had short black hair, a poorly done beard and eyes the same color as his hair. He looked to be around 30 years old, but was pretty worn out.


    The other was tall, fat, muscular and bald. He had black eyebrows and black eyes. He looked to be over 40 years old.


    The woman had wavy, vibrant pink hair, with eyes the same color as her hair. She was young, looking like a teenager.


    The child was a boy about 10 years old. He was blond and had blue eyes.


    They were all dressed in casual clothes, as if they were out for a walk and had met by chance.


    The first man began:


    ¡ª Hey, kid, watch where you''re going.


    ¡ª But you were the ones who bumped into me!


    ¡ª Are you challenging me?


    ¡ª Well, yes!


    Genesis couldn''t just watch, and intervened:


    ¡ª Hey, what are you guys doing? He''s just a kid, let him go!


    The same man looked at her with contempt:


    ¡ª Who do you think you''re talking to, brat? We are the most iconic level 3 trio there is. Do you think you stand a chance against us?


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter if I can beat you or not! This is simply wrong, so please stop!


    ¡ª This is your last chance to turn around and walk away. Otherwise, we will have to use violence.


    Genesis stared at him, challenging him.


    ¡ª Okay, I guess you want to suffer then.


    The man kneed Genesis in the stomach, who said, in pain:


    ¡ª Boy, run away from here! I''ll protect you!


    ¡ª Are you sure you''re going to be all right, lass? I can take care of them myself.


    ¡ª For sure! I won''t lose that easy!


    ¡ª Okay, the choice is yours. Thanks lady.


    The boy ran away. The three troublemakers didn''t like it, but they focused their attention on Genesis. They wanted to torture her, so they didn''t lose much.


    ¡ª I don''t want to kill you! So please, let''s not fight!


    ¡ª Who do you think you are? You come to pick a fight with us and still want to settle everything with peace? You dug your own grave.


    The man materialized a shotgun in his hand, which he then fired towards Genesis. She dodged flying with her booster boots. But the shots deviated from their trajectory and followed Genesis, hitting her.


    She lost her balance and landed in the street, severely damaged. She created grenades in her hands and threw them at the group, which narrowly dodged.


    ¡ª You''re not the only one who can materialize things!


    The brute, irritated, ran towards her, to ram her with all his might. Genesis created an iron shield in response, to protect herself from the attack. But it couldn''t take the impact and was pierced with his body. His head hit Genesis squarely in the forehead.


    She flew another 15 meters before hitting the ground. Soon after, the pink haired woman materialized a pink and thorny whip, long enough to hit her from where she was, 30 meters away.


    It whipped so hard it split Genesis in half horizontally. But since she was an android, her upper body still worked.


    She pulled back her left sleeve and revealed some sort of personalized watch. Then pressed it.


    Exwind was called away on some mission. There were no details in its description, so it was probably a scam. But he decided to go, as there was a chance that someone was in danger.


    He arrived at the place, which appeared to be an abandoned mall. Many people were there, scattered into factions. They wore sweaters, caps and baseball bats. Obviously, they were outlaws.


    He pretended not to notice a group that was staring at him and whispering among themselves. But one of them spoke so loudly that Exwind didn''t even have to be close to hear:


    ¡ª Hey, rookie! Go see if that hero has something for us!


    ¡ª B-But he''s Exwind-sama! The top 2 level 6!


    ¡ª Did I ask? You''ll be fine, just go there! You have a debt you haven''t paid, don''t you? This is your chance!


    The young man, trembling, walked to Exwind, who pretended to notice him at the time, so as not to intimidate him. The boy took a knife from his pocket and said:


    ¡ª I-If you care about your life¡­ Hand over everything you have now!


    Exwind bent down to hear him more closely:


    ¡ª Ah, what did you say? Could you speak in my ear?


    He was obviously trying to keep his voice low so the other thugs wouldn''t understand the conversation. He whispered to the young man:


    ¡ª Be honest, you didn''t want to be doing this. They''re pretty cowards for putting you through this. Just say what you want me to do.


    ¡ª B-But I can''t betray them! I don''t have enough money, and they protect me. Well, more or less.


    ¡ª Then join the association and work like a hero. Staying in their clutches will only sink you. Now tell me, what do you want me to do with them? Just order me to do it.


    Supported by the hero, the young man began to convince himself of what had to be done. He took courage, and shouted for everyone to hear:


    ¡ª Beat those motherfuckers!


    ¡ª Understood!


    Exwind smiled, as if he had managed to change someone to better. It was what he needed to hear, to release everything he had.


    He slowly approached the group. The one who was ordering the youth earlier appeared to be the leader, and, feeling betrayed, he exclaimed:


    ¡ª Wh-What did you do, rookie?! I''ll pick you up on the way out, this isn''t over yet! Don''t even think about coming near me, Exwall, or whatever your name is!


    ¡ª Sorry, but I received a mission, and I can''t stop until I finish it.


    ¡ª Bastard¡­


    The leader ordered the others to protect him:


    ¡ª What are you doing? I''m your boss, protect me! You owe me your life!


    With the opposite effect, the group was falling apart as Exwind approached. They were too scared to face that monster. They fled, leaving the leader alone.


    ¡ª What do you think you''re doing?! C-Calm down, man! I''ll give you as much as you want, just let me go!


    ¡ª Sorry, but I can''t accept two missions at the same time. I have to finish this one first, if you don''t mind.


    Exwind readied his punch. He hit the bandit in the stomach, sending him flying more than 50 meters away and crashing into a wall, crushing it. He instantly fainted.


    The young man went to Exwind to thank him:


    ¡ª Thank you very much, Exwind-sama!


    ¡ª It''s nothing. I only performed one quest, as every hero should. And you can scrap the formalities. We are friends from now on, so you can ask for my help whenever you need it.


    ¡ª Thank you, Exwind!


    ¡ª Now, if you don''t mind, I have to take that guy to a hospital. I think I broke some of his bones.


    ¡ª Alright! Goodbye!


    ¡ª It''s never a "goodbye"! There''s always a next day!


    Exwind took the bandit and jumped hundreds of meters high to view the city.


    His power was Flaming Wind, a kind of gas that could push anything with overwhelming force, and if it came into contact with fire, it would explode.


    He didn''t rely heavily on physical strength, as his power had the ability to cushion his punches and only push his targets dozens of meters away.


    If he used his brute strength, or his power in a destructive way, it could vaporize any hero from level 1 to 4, even without using the explosion, which was much more devastating than an ordinary one.


    He could walk on water if he let a wind strong enough to sustain him through his feet. The same happened in the air. That''s what he was doing now: floating over the city.


    He could also push himself with the wind, creating a sort of flight. That''s how he started heading towards Kiseki''s clinic. He arrived with the bandit still in his arms.


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan, could you heal this guy here? I ended up going a little hard on him after I got carried away¡­


    ¡ª Y-Yes! Thanks so much for bringing him to me!


    Exwind placed the man on a stretcher, and turned his back, saying:


    ¡ª Sorry, Kiseki-chan¡­ I increase your workload even at night.


    ¡ª T-That''s not true! You''re just doing your job, and bringing me the wounded helps me a lot! I''m only one, so I can''t be everywhere at once...


    ¡ª Thank you, Kiseki-chan. I owe you once more.


    ¡ª N-No need to feel indebted! I do this because I love helping people.


    ¡ª Which means I need to try even harder to live up to your expectations.


    Exwind turned to Kiseki again, saying:


    ¡ª Oh, that''s good enough. Now I''ll take him to the police station.


    ¡ª A-Actually, could I¡­ try to help this man instead?


    Exwind let out a small laugh, commenting:


    ¡ª You don''t change, Kiseki-chan.


    Exwind left the clinic and received an emergency mission. The person that requested it was someone he hadn''t seen in a while. Worried, he quickly flew to the location.


    Genesis was still split in half on the asphalt. Her head and body were bleeding so badly she didn''t know if she would last more than five minutes.


    She was on the verge of death. Even androids saw life flash before their eyes as they slowly died. She had never felt that feeling before.


    In fact, she never had to fight alone. Her power more closely matched that of a support. As she avoided killing her opponents, using it destructively was impossible for her.


    But she managed to make the boy run away. For some reason, he thought he could defeat the three of them alone. But he was just a child who had no sense of danger, she thought. Genesis had done the right thing.


    She didn''t gain Yuto''s trust, let alone become his friend. She didn''t collect enough data for her master, who trusted her. She disappointed everyone. But she didn''t regret anything.


    The man with the slovenly beard approached Genesis and asked:


    ¡ª Are you serious? You put on that whole show about how you were going to save the child, and that''s all you can do? Come on, get up. I know you have more to it than that. You still didn''t satisfy me enough. If you die now, I will have wasted my time.


    The man grabbed Genesis'' hair and lifted her upper body close to his face, looking her straight in the eyes.


    ¡ª Don''t make me repeat myself. I know you''re hiding something. If you do nothing, I will-


    The man had his speech cut off by a punch that sent him flying to the side. As they were at an intersection of streets, he was thrown far enough away that he could no longer be seen.


    The origin of the impact was Exwind. He saw Genesis in that state and said:


    ¡ª Thanks for calling me, Genesis-chan. Now, I have to end this.


    Exwind had a different look than he used to. He almost always smiled, but this time he was serious. His gaze emanated murderous intent.


    The fat brute said to the pink haired woman:


    ¡ª Hey¡­ isn''t that a level 6 over there? We don''t have a chance against him. I think we better run away.


    The woman gave a nervous, restless laugh.


    ¡ª Run away? Level 6? You have got to be kidding! Don''t go thinking you''re better than me!


    The woman summoned her thorny whip and used it towards Exwind. He stood still, waiting for the lash to come. When it arrived, he grabbed it with his left hand and pulled it towards him.


    The woman flew along with the whip straight to Exwind. He then punched her face down. She bounced off the asphalt before landing again.


    The brute, though afraid, rushed to strike him, while saying:


    ¡ª No matter how tough you are, you''ll not withstand my Iron Fists!


    His power was to make his arms as strong as iron. The punch landed in Exwind''s chest, but he didn''t move. He just stared at the man for a few seconds and said:


    ¡ª I''ll let you get away and take the other two to the hospital. I would normally do that, but you don''t deserve it.


    The brute, sweating with nervousness, refused the offer, throwing a sequence of punches much faster than the human eye can follow, and much stronger.


    Again, Exwind didn''t budge. He just commented:


    ¡ª Well, you had your chance.


    Exwind finished him with a punch to the chin, from bottom to top. The man was sent over a kilometer high and out of sight.


    Exwind took the two halves of Genesis and took her to Kiseki''s clinic, where she got healed in time. Androids were in the transition between life and object, and Kiseki''s power worked on both.


    But if an android''s life drained completely, they couldn''t be revived. Exwind knew this, and flew towards Kiseki as fast as he could. Exwind was already calmer. Genesis almost didn''t see what happened, due to excessive blood loss. But she was glad he had arrived in time.


    What Genesis did to summon him was pressing her watch on her left wrist. It was a device Exwind had ordered especially for her, in case of emergencies.


    They had known each other for quite some time. She was just an android maid in the association''s central building. She went to Exwind''s room often. Ria didn''t like that, as she wanted to live in his room, but couldn''t. So another girl visiting him every day made her jealous.


    Genesis used to get into battles she couldn''t win to save people she couldn''t save. She was just chasing what her "heart" told her to. Exwind knew that and approved of her heroic attitude. But she could get severely hurt someday, and that''s what happened. The custom watch she had was made precisely for this kind of situation.


    Genesis had a power with tremendous potential, but she didn''t use it maliciously. She hated creating weapons, so avoided them as much as possible. She knew that Exwind also avoided killing people, so she trusted him to save her from difficult battles.


    Genesis had disappeared without a trace the day before. Exwind was worried, but he knew she would use the watch sometime. He just waited for this chance to meet her again.


    ¡ª I''m glad we made it in time, Genesis-chan.


    ¡ª Thank you very much, Exwind!


    ¡ª I''ve been worried about you. Where were you yesterday and today?


    ¡ª I''ve been spying on Ishikawa-san!


    ¡ª What, Yuto? Did he do something wrong?


    ¡ª That''s what I want to find out! My master Wisedroid-sama asked me to carry out this task!


    ¡ª Wisedroid? What is he up to this time?


    ¡ª I don''t know! But if he asked for it, I''ll do it! I''m his best creation, so I can''t let him down!


    ¡ª Genesis-chan, you idolize your master too much. He''s not as good as you say.


    ¡ª Why not?


    ¡ª That''s what I want to find out. He seems to hide many secrets...


    ¡ª I don''t mind! He''s so kind, I can''t argue with him!


    Exwind approached the door and grabbed the handle, saying goodbye:


    ¡ª I''m really glad you''re okay, Genesis. If you ever need me again, just use the watch, or message me. Whatever you think is best.


    ¡ª Understood! Are you going yet?


    ¡ª Sadly, yes. I have some important matters to discuss with Ria.


    ¡ª Oh, all right! Give her a hug for me!


    ¡ª You can bet I will! See you later.


    ¡ª Bye bye!

 Level 7s

    Genesis returned to Yuto''s house. Concerned, he asked:


    ¡ª Genesis, your trip took longer than I expected... Did something happen?


    Genesis forced a smile. She didn''t want to worry him, so she said:


    ¡ª Sorry, Ishikawa-san, I couldn''t fulfill the mission you gave me. I lost my shopping bag when I ran into some troublemakers.


    ¡ª That''s the least of it, those groceries were worthless compared to your life! Did you get hurt?


    Genesis was surprised. He seemed to care about her even though they had met that day. She responded:


    ¡ª N-No¡­ I called Exwind to help me, so everything went well¡­


    ¡ª Exwind? If the battle was of his level, you were badly hurt. You could have called me, I would have beaten them up.


    Genesis felt more comfortable. Even her master had never shown her such affection.


    Exwind had been the first person to care so much about her. But he had known her for years, and Yuto less than a day.


    She chuckled, saying:


    ¡ª I knew you were trustworthy, Ishikawa-san.


    ¡ª You can call me Yuto. I''m your friend, aren''t I?


    ¡ª Are you sure? Thank you so much, Yuto!


    In the morning of the next day, Yuto woke up to an incessant ringing. He thought it was Genesis again, but she was sleeping at his house.


    He went to the door, irritated again. He opened it and got a surprise: it was Ria. He didn''t know what she was doing in his house, so he asked:


    ¡ª Ria? What are you doing here-


    Before he could finish the sentence, Ria entered the house. Outraged, Yuto rebuked her:


    ¡ª What are you doing, Ria? You should ask for permission before entering other people''s homes.


    ¡ª Is there anyone else here?


    ¡ª You ignored what I just said. Haji and Genesis are sleeping in their rooms.


    ¡ª Genesis? What is she doing here?


    ¡ª What? Do you know her?


    ¡ª Unfortunately. She used to visit Exwind when she was a maid of the association. Why is she here?


    ¡ª I don''t know for sure either. She said she is watching me because of her master Wisedroid.


    ¡ª Wisedroid, for real? I knew he was up to something. I came here precisely to discuss this. Come with me.


    Ria pulled Yuto''s arm and led him out of the house.


    ¡ª Where are you taking me?


    ¡ª Just shut up and follow me.


    Yuto was forcibly pulled to a building far away from where his house was, but within the city. Ria pressed him against the wall, saying:


    ¡ª You know I do not trust you, but we have the same interests: taking down the association, right?


    ¡ª Y-Yes¡­


    ¡ª You would have to start by defeating all the level 7''s. And the most difficult one to defeat alone is the seventh of them, Wisedroid. And that''s where you come in.


    ¡ª Wait, you want me to defeat him?


    ¡ª Are you serious? If I can''t do it myself, you don''t stand a chance. I just want your help.


    ¡ª My help? I thought you didn''t trust me...


    ¡ª That''s why I hate the idea. But I have no choice.


    ¡ª How about we discuss it in a more appropriate place?


    Ria and Yuto went to a bar inside that building to talk. They sat on the benches, but asked only for water. Yuto started the conversation:


    ¡ª What is the plan?


    ¡ª I can''t tell you all the details, because you would spoil everything.


    ¡ª I think you''re underestimating me¡­


    ¡ª This one time, I''m not insulting you. Wisedroid''s power predicts your thoughts. If you think about this conversation we''re having right now anytime near him, he''ll read your mind.


    ¡ª So his power is to read minds?


    ¡ª Not exactly, but that''s a part of it. He wouldn''t reach the level 7 with a simple power like that. He can predict everything that happens within a radius of more than 7 kilometers around him in up to 7 seconds.


    ¡ª Damn, doesn''t that make him invincible?


    ¡ª Not really, he has a weakness. That''s why we''re so far away from him right now, his power does not reach us here.


    ¡ª So you want to use his reach to your advantage?


    ¡ª Yes. Since I have the most powerful carbine in the world, I can shoot tens of kilometers away with precision.


    ¡ª Are you sure you can hit someone that far?


    ¡ª Do not underestimate me, I train my aim every day.


    ¡ª Alright, and what do I need to do?


    ¡ª Just fight him with everything you have.


    ¡ª What? Are you sure? We''re going to end up destroying the city like this.


    ¡ª No problem. The more you can distract him, the better.


    ¡ª I don''t think destruction is the best kind of distraction¡­


    ¡ª That''s everything I can tell you about the plan. And don''t forget that he''s the most advanced android in the world. In addition to being extremely intelligent, he is very strong.


    ¡ª I''ll try to remember that.


    ¡ª Actually, do not. If you remember this conversation, the plan goes down the drain. Think as little as possible while fighting.


    ¡ª Easier said than done¡­


    ¡ª Not really. Your airhead is way less capable than you think.


    Ria gave a little punch in his head. She stood up, as if to leave. Without turning to Yuto, she gave one more warning:


    ¡ª Level 7 is the biggest problem. But there are other very strong people who can attack you someday. Catherine, the Prime Minister of France; Elizabeth III, from England; Juma, from Kenya¡­ You might come across one of them, so be careful.


    Ria waved with her hand, facing away from Yuto. For someone who didn''t trust him, she seemed to care more than she should, and Yuto liked that concern.


    ¡ª If you showed your positive thoughts more than the others...


    Yuto returned home. It was almost noon, Genesis and Haji were already awake. Yuto, confused, asked:


    ¡ª Genesis, now that I stop to think about it: do you need to sleep?


    ¡ª Yes, yes! This helps me save the data I''ve collected throughout the day, and replenishes my much-needed energy! My master Wisedroid-sama thought of everything when he created me!


    Yuto thought about Ria''s plan. His role was only to distract the seventh hero, not kill him. But he didn''t know what his reaction would be against the danger of death. He might really need to use everything he had.


    But there was no point in thinking about that now. When Ria was ready for the plan, she would let him know. What he needed most now was to relax. Getting nervous just before the decisive battle would arouse suspicion, even more so for someone who can read anyone''s future of mind.


    ¡ª Genesis, Haji, what do you think about going to the mall?


    Genesis immediately accepted, but Haji was shocked:


    ¡ª To the mall? Since when do you like to hang out?


    ¡ª I always liked it, I just didn''t see any reason to do that. It''s good for calming the mind.


    Haji was suspicious. It wasn''t like him to suggest a sudden outing, but she liked the idea.


    They arrived at the main mall, the closest to the center. It was huge, with 7 floors beyond the ground floor. Genesis became interested in a clothing store and called the other two to go with her.


    As it was a women''s clothing store, Genesis and Haji tried out several different combinations. Haji only tried on cute clothes, which matched her petite stature.


    Genesis, on the other hand, tried on what was most revealing and daring: bikinis. Yuto tried not to look, but he gave in to the temptation. After all, it was her intention for him to notice.


    Haji didn''t notice Yuto''s perverted look, but scolded Genesis:


    ¡ª Stop wearing those clothes! It''s indecent!


    ¡ª Do you happen to be jealous of these?


    Genesis showed her privileged parts, teasing Haji.


    ¡ª O-Of course not! I''m still in my growth phase, so I''ll get over you someday!


    Both kept "fighting", but in the end they didn''t buy anything. Genesis was the one who suggested it, so her intention was clearly to seduce Yuto. And it worked, but he pretended it didn''t.


    They walked on, distracted. Suddenly, Genesis bumped into another distracted person. She wore ninja clothes and a mask that covered her nose and mouth, and had black hair tied back. She was Revon, one of the participants in the tournament.


    Startled, the two jumped back. Revon said:


    ¡ª What do you want? Are you going to mock me for losing to that whore?


    ¡ª That''s my line! Have you come to attack us?


    Both calmed down, realizing the misunderstanding. Yuto recognized her:


    ¡ª Wait, you were in that semifinal, weren''t you? Your partner was that scientist, who looked familiar to me for some reason.


    ¡ª Yes. We lost very badly.


    ¡ª Wasn''t Caliel scolded by Ria and Exwind?


    ¡ª Unfortunately, she didn''t break any rules. She and Kiseki made it to the finals.


    ¡ª Are they going to fight each other? Kiseki won''t stand a chance against someone like her.


    ¡ª That''s what I''m afraid of. Kiseki is too innocent to hurt anyone. It will be a one-sided battle.


    ¡ª But you don''t have to feel bad about losing that battle, you did really well against Caliel. You could even beat her, if she wasn''t... like that.


    ¡ª Thanks, but it''s all thanks to my master. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I must lament my failure.


    Yuto felt that his praise had no effect. Revon was too disappointed in herself to forgive her mistake.


    The three continued to walk through the mall, until an extremely strong light hit their eyes. They didn''t know where it came from, but it was so strong that it blinded them for minutes.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    They couldn''t see, but they could hear everything around them. An emergency alarm sounded. All doors and windows in the mall closed with reinforced metal. It was a level 7 alert.


    They stayed close. Yuto used his gravity sensor, but found nothing around. However, he noticed an anomaly far from where they were: a huge hole in the ground.


    When their vision returned, they ran to the place, and were surprised. There was a crowd surrounding the hole. More people trickled in, probably because they were slowly regaining their sight.


    They cut through the crowd to see the hole up close. It obviously wasn''t there until a few minutes ago. It had a peculiar shape: crescent downwards.


    That is, the deeper, the greater the radius of the circumference, looking like a cone without the tip. Yuto used his sensor and increased the search area hundreds of times, but couldn''t find the bottom. If anyone fell there, they would surely die.


    He saw the nearest exit, which was broken. The molten reinforced metal was shaped close to a human, which meant someone had created that hole and immediately fled through the exit.


    If the level 7 alert sounded, that meant only 7 people could have done that. As the threat had already fled, the mall''s security system was disabled and the exits were reopened.


    Some witnesses commented:


    ¡ª I saw a boy on top of Caliel, and out of nowhere a flash blinded me. When my vision returned, that hole was already there.


    ¡ª But who could he be? If he was strong enough to outpower a level 6, he could only be one of the 7.


    ¡ª Is he the mysterious #1? Or #3, since no one knows who they are.


    ¡ª It''s probably #1. One of his powers is light, and that''s what blinded us.


    Yuto, Genesis and Haji listened to the conversation, scared. They returned home, thoughtful. The tour had been interrupted by an unexpected threat.


    The three of them were at home, watching TV. The event was attention-grabbing enough to attract journalists'' attention in less than an hour. The place was already packed, full of witnesses being interviewed.


    The reporter said:


    ¡ª Witnesses say Caliel was last seen in this mall less than an hour ago. Her body has yet to be found, and it is believed she was killed by a level 7.


    The three watched without commenting. They were still shocked by the event, so they didn''t know how to react. Genesis rose from the couch, announcing decisively:


    ¡ª Yuto, I''m going to find out who the seven are and the powers of each one.


    ¡ª No need to do that, Genesis. It''s very dangerous, and the app already has almost everything.


    ¡ª No, Yuto, that app hides a lot. No one knows yet who #1 and #3 are. We only know that their nicknames are Hakkiri and Stopwatch. The powers in their profiles may not even be the real ones. If they care so much about hiding, why would they reveal their powers?


    ¡ª I don''t know, perhaps to cause fear. If no one knows their identity, they could be anywhere. This decreases the chance of people committing crimes in a very exposed way.


    Yuto realized something:


    ¡ª Wait, I still haven''t seen who the level 7''s are currently.


    Yuto took out his cell phone and opened the association''s application. On the level 7 page were:


    1. Hakkiri: Electricity and Light


    2. Slade: Shadow


    3. Stopwatch: Time


    4. Zenith: ???


    5. Distortion: Black Hole and Portal


    6. Unizard: Universal Magic


    7. Wisedroid: Premonition


    When he saw the second ranked, he paled.


    ¡ª Wait...


    Haji, worried, asked:


    ¡ª Yuto, what happened?


    ¡ª Haji, did you ever see Slade after the invasion?


    ¡ª Who is Slade?


    ¡ª So you never got to meet her. She was my best friend until she was part of an experiment. This happened just before I found you imprisoned.


    ¡ª Why didn''t you ever tell me about her?


    ¡ª I wanted to forget the past¡­ I thought she was dead, and I just moved on.


    Genesis, bothered, asked:


    ¡ª Wait, Yuto, was she your friend? How long has it been since this happened?


    ¡ª It''s been over five years¡­ I never thought she was still alive.


    ¡ª Yuto, I''m sorry to inform you, but she''s not the same one you knew.


    ¡ª What happened to her?


    ¡ª Well, that experiment changed her forever. Maybe she will never go back to who you used to know.


    ¡ª It''s not possible¡­ If she sees me, she''ll remind me, won''t she?


    ¡ª I don''t think it''ll be that easy, unfortunately. But, Yuto, if you want to save her, I will support you with everything I have.


    Haji, agreeing with Genesis, stated:


    ¡ª Me too, Yuto. I know you can bring her back. We will be helping you until the end.


    Yuto, more hopeful, said:


    ¡ª Thank you two. I''m going to get her back to who she was, no matter what.


    Genesis made up her mind: she would infiltrate the association''s central building. Since she had connections with Exwind and Ria, she could know when the level 7 meetings would take place. That day there would be a meeting between them.


    Genesis was still known in the association as a maid, and they wouldn''t be surprised if she went to the front of the room cleaning the hallway. Also, Wisedroid was her master and would be at the meeting. If she was caught, he would protect her.


    He was waiting near the meeting room. Wisedroid was already there, and noticed the unexpected presence of Genesis, but ignored it. Maybe that was part of her mission of spying Yuto, so he let her have her way.


    Hakkiri and Stopwatch never showed up for meetings. Their identities were kept hidden by the Boss, so even the level 7''s themselves didn''t know who they were or looked like. Perhaps they wanted to live a normal life and not be recognized wherever they went.


    But one other person would miss the meeting. In fact, she didn''t even know there was one going on. That person was Slade. The Boss kept her out on purpose.


    She was now the Boss''s personal guard, and the subject of the meeting would affect her drastically. They were going to talk about Yuto, who had appeared in the city a few days ago, after so many years as a recluse.


    The first to arrive had been Wisedroid, who was always punctual. Afterwards, Zenith appeared with an irritated expression, as if she didn''t want to be there. Lastly, the Boss''s twin sons: Distortion and Unizard. Both didn''t seem to take any of it seriously, they were just there because the Boss said it was important.


    Wisedroid was a tall and buff android with black color covering most of his body except for his core, which was light blue. He wore a mask that covered his nose and mouth, also black. He had blue eyes and white hair.


    Zenith was a tall woman, compared to the average japanese, and had short dark blue hair. She wore a white suit and top hat, in addition to a red cape, like a magic. She wore black glasses with light blue lights. These lights projected her eyes, which for some reason were always covered by the glasses.


    Distortion was a very tall, muscular man with short black hair and purple eyes. He wore black military clothing. Unizard was about the same height and wore a purple wizard uniform and hat. She had long and messy orange hair and yellow eyes.


    Genesis saw the three of them coming in and the door closed. Since she could record their voices, she was able to recognize who was speaking inside.


    To collect as much information as possible, Genesis created thousands of nanocameras and spread them around the room. Wisedroid noticed, but did nothing.


    One more person was inside, but Genesis didn''t see her come in or recognize her voice. How could they have appeared there if she was watching the corridor that had the only entrance to the room?


    That person''s voice was that of an old man. The only one who could have contact with the level 7''s in an important meeting like that was the Boss, and Genesis accepted that hypothesis.


    The first to speak was the old man:


    ¡ª My dear heroes, thank you for coming to this meeting.


    Zenith, impatient, lit a cigarette and cut off his speech:


    ¡ª Just say what you want, old shit. I have much better things to do.


    ¡ª I should have expected that kind of reception. Today''s subject is Ishigawa Yuto.


    ¡ª Wait, where''s that bitch that follows you everywhere you go, that Slade?


    ¡ª This is something that must be emphasized: do not tell her about this meeting or today''s business.


    ¡ª Who do you think you are to boss me around? What happens if I tell her?


    Unizard, angered by the lack of respect, exclaimed:


    ¡ª Stop it, Zenith! Can''t you be a reasonable person for once in your life?


    Zenith looked with contempt at Unizard, spitting on the ground and saying:


    ¡ª You are two ranks below me. Do you really think you can talk to me like that?


    ¡ª Of course I can! I am much stronger than you, and I could defeat you here and now.


    ¡ª Very realistic coming from an ogre that keeps fucking her brother day after day.


    Distortion, who had not stopped smirking ever since he arrived, said serenely:


    ¡ª Calm down, girls. This is not a fighting environment, and our dear Boss hasn''t even managed to say what he wanted yet.


    Irritated by Distotion''s calmness, Zenith rose from her chair. At the same time, Wisedroid stood up. Zenith shuddered and stopped.


    Whenever Wisedroid moved, even a little, it meant he was about to do something. He and the Boss were the only ones who knew of Zenith''s powers, besides herself.


    In a one on one battle, he was invincible. Everyone knew it and feared him. Furthermore, he was the most advanced android in the association. He had more destructive power than any weapon other than nuclear bombs.


    Wisedroid moved only in order to stop the fight. They both sat down again. Zenith, calmer now, fell silent. A photo of Yuto and his informations appeared on a big screen. The Boss continued:


    ¡ª Well, as I was saying, Yuto is a threat that must be neutralized immediately. I will give anything as a reward to whoever kills him.


    Zenith seemed to remember something important. That face and purple hair looked familiar. When she heard the word "reward", she remembered an unfinished quest she had started years ago.


    The first part of that quest was to kill the association''s strongest heroine: Phy, or Ishikawa Kanata. The second was to kill her younger brother.


    She had gotten the first part, but Yuto blinded her with his fingers. That''s why she was blind and needed her glasses to see.


    When she realized who she was dealing with, she began to laugh uncontrollably and said:


    ¡ª I can''t believe it, this must be fate! I can finally get my revenge on that motherfucking brat for ruining my beautiful eyes.


    She got up and left the room. Unizard tried to stop her:


    ¡ª Hey, where are you going? The meeting isn''t over yet!


    The Boss, however, agreed with the attitude:


    ¡ª Let her go. Nothing will stop her now.


    ¡ª Okay, father. What do you want the two of us to do?


    ¡ª Forget everything I''ve said at this meeting so far. That was just a reason to make her fight Yuto.


    ¡ª What? You know that Yuto is much stronger than he looks, right?


    ¡ª Of course I know.


    ¡ªSo you sent Zenith to die?


    ¡ª Exactly.


    ¡ª But why?


    ¡ª Well, level 7''s are too strong for me to control, especially people like her, who don''t follow orders.


    ¡ª Does this mean that we and Wisedroid are your trust?


    ¡ª No, only Wisedroid is. But you two are my children, and I cannot discard you.


    ¡ª Tch¡­


    Unizard looked away, embarrassed and irritated at the same time. Distortion added:


    ¡ª He''s right, little sister. No matter what we do, he will never hate us. Therefore, we must enjoy our lives to the fullest.


    Distortion said that while smirking. That didn''t sound like words of comfort or encouragement, but like justification for crimes. The Boss, taking leave, said:


    ¡ª Well, that''s it, thank you for coming here. You can do whatever you want now.


    Before they could say anything, he quickly disappeared. It was actually a hologram, not his real body. Unizard complained:


    ¡ª Wait! You still have a lot to tell us¡­


    Her brother comforted her:


    ¡ª It''s okay, sister. We don''t need to get involved in his personal life. As long as we''re having fun, it''s okay, right?


    ¡ª Right¡­


    ¡ª Then let''s go to our room to play naughty things.


    Distortion created a portal that they both entered and teleported somewhere. The portal soon closed.


    Wisedroid, who was sitting alone in the room, got up and went to the door. Genesis got scared and tried to run away, but Wisedroid caught her by her maid outfit. He asked:


    ¡ª This has been bothering me for a while now. What are you doing here?


    ¡ª Oh, Wisedroid-sama, how long has it been! It''s just¡­ that''s part of Yuto''s spying!


    ¡ª How would listening to a confidential conversation help you spy on a criminal?


    ¡ª Sorry, master, but he doesn''t look like a criminal to me.


    ¡ª Appearances are deceiving. If he forced you to do this, it means he''s not a good person. He''s actually planning another invasion.


    ¡ª Master, this was my choice. He''s a great person, and he couldn''t force me to do something dangerous.


    ¡ª Didn''t you almost die last night because you went shopping?


    ¡ª How do you know that?


    ¡ª I made sure to stay close to you all day. I anticipated your every move, but I didn''t intervene because I wanted to see how you would react, and it was a failure. You cannot protect yourself.


    ¡ª M-Master, I was trying to-


    ¡ª Protect a child? That boy could have easily saved himself. Don''t you know who he is?


    Wisedroid realized that he had already said too much and fell silent. He left, saying:


    ¡ª Anyway, if Yuto planned to kill you, you would accept his death with open arms. It''s a lot of submissiveness for a creation of mine. The spying is over, so you can do whatever you want now, you''re free.


    Normally, an android could not separate from the association. Wisedroid and the Boss were among the only ones who could grant freedom to anyone they wanted.


    Wisedroid freed Genesis from her maid status to spy on Yuto. But once that mission was over, she would be free to live her life as she chose.


    Genesis, outraged by her master''s neglect, asked:


    ¡ª What will you do?


    ¡ª Is it not clear? Kill Yuto, he is a traitor. I don''t want to put you in danger, my daughter. I know you''re on his side, but I''ve already put you in too much danger. Stay out of it.


    Genesis didn''t know how to respond. She stood in the middle of the corridor, watching her master leave.


    Genesis transmitted everything she saw to Yuto and Haji, who were watching on a laptop. Wisedroid knew that, and the message he said was mostly meant for Yuto. It was a declaration of war.


    Ria sent a message to Yuto, saying that he should be ready by the time she called him. She was on the roof of a building eight kilometers from the mall where Caliel disappeared.


    Yuto was supposed to go to that mall, where the battle would take place. Ria knew that Wisedroid would investigate the cone-shaped hole at one time or another. She just had to wait for him to show up.


    She was watching her target day and night with the telescopic sight attached to her carbine. Obviously, it wasn''t a normal scope. It could magnify the image millions of times with high definition.


    Her carbine was also modified. It could fire its projectiles at speeds four thousands times faster than a normal gun, even though the ammunition was heavy. Its ammunition could pass through armor up to a kilometer thick with ease.


    The weapon had such high recoil that the user was pushed back a few meters every time they fired, even if they held as steady as possible. Therefore, it was not a suitable weapon for any level below 4. It could break the collarbone of whoever used it.


    Ria didn''t tell the main details of the plan, as Yuto could think of them and Wisedroid would read the future of his mind.

 Premoni7ion

    Yuto was waiting for confirmation from Ria. He woke up and checked the last messages sent and received. It was strange: he saw messages that were marked as read, but which he did not remember. They had been sent a few hours before waking up.


    "The target is already at the mall. Go before he leaves."


    "Understood. I am on my way."


    Although not understanding, Yuto just ignored the second message, which he himself had sent. He said:


    ¡ª Maybe I was too sleepy when I sent this. Ria must still be waiting for me, I have to hurry!


    Yuto was going to change his clothes, but he realized that he had already done that. Perhaps he had slept in those clothes. He ran to the living room, when he saw an unexpected scene:


    Genesis was sitting on the couch, watching the TV, with an unusual serious face. Haji was trying to comfort her.


    But the strangest thing was Tatsuya, who was standing. He had his hands on his head, as if he was very angry about something.


    Yuto, realizing that something serious had happened, forgot about Ria''s message. He looked at the television. It was probably the reason for that tense atmosphere.


    A newscast was playing, showing the deaths of two important people. The first was Wisedroid. The second, Yuto.


    Confused, he first asked Tatsuya:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, what are you doing here?


    Tatsuya ran towards Yuto and grabbed him by the neck.


    Staring into his eyes, he slowly lifted Yuto off the ground. He didn''t look like the same person from the tournament. Now, he had murderous intent.


    Tatsuya, enraged, exclaimed:


    ¡ª I knew you were up to something! Now I understand why your name brought back unpleasant memories: you were always my enemy!


    Haji, surprised, ran to the two, trying to calm the situation:


    ¡ª Wait, this is a misunderstanding! Yuto would never kill someone like that!


    Genesis, who was still serious, turned to the three. Crying, she said calmly:


    ¡ª You mean he usually does a lot worse?


    ¡ª That''s not what I meant! I know he''s not behind this, I swear! Tokihito-san, stop it already!


    Tatsuya, upset, hesitated for a few seconds, until he let go of Yuto''s neck, saying:


    ¡ª You better have a good explanation for that.


    Yuto, on the floor, started breathing again. When he recovered, he replied:


    ¡ª I really don''t understand what''s happening-


    Tatsuya didn''t wait for the speech to finish. He just kicked Yuto''s stomach, exclaiming:


    ¡ª Do you still have the nerve to say that?


    Yuto, almost fainting from the pain, looked at Genesis. She seemed to have lost all trust in him. Trying to reach her, he asked:


    ¡ª Genesis, you still trust me, right? You know I wouldn''t do such a thing, right?


    ¡ª I want to believe in you, Yuto, but I just can''t.


    While saying those words, Genesis went to the door of her room and locked herself in it.


    Yuto woke up. He glanced at his cell phone, eager for confirmation from Ria. An unread message was visible:


    ¡ª The target is already at the mall. Go before he leaves.


    Yuto used the message notification as an alarm. That way he would respond as quickly as possible. He just replied:


    ¡ª Understood. I am on my way.


    He ran to the mall. Before meeting Wisedroid, he activated the security system of the place with his power. A level 7 threat alarm sounded. That way, it would evacuate everyone nearby so he could concentrate on his target.


    As the threat was located inside the mall, the reinforced metal doors were not closed, so as not to keep victims trapped. Everyone who was there quickly fled not only from the mall, but from the entire surrounding area.


    He went to meet with Wisedroid, trying as hard as he could not to remember Ria''s plan. Even so, Wisedroid already knew of his presence.


    Yuto found Wisedroid crouched in front of the cone-shaped hole. Without moving, the android commented:


    ¡ª A hell of a hole, isn''t it? If I said who did it, everyone would panic. Therefore, I try to prevent unnecessary information from becoming public. Don''t you agree with me, Yuto?


    ¡ª How did you know I was here?


    ¡ª I know you''re pretending to be unaware that I can read your mind. You know exactly what my power is.


    ¡ª I am afraid of what you see daily in people''s minds¡­


    ¡ª Don''t worry about that. I filter out the details that don''t interest me. But you interest me too much. I want to know everything you think, even the most inappropriate things.


    ¡ª I definitely should be worried about that...


    Wisedroid finally got up. He turned towards Yuto, shooting a blue laser from his right hand. Yuto, already expecting this, dodged the attack, commenting:


    ¡ª You knew I would dodge. Why don''t you just kill me?


    Wisedroid started running towards him, while attacking multiple lasers from his two hands. With each attack, he intensified the next. Yuto dodged all of them, each time with more difficulty. Wisedroid, while attacking, replied:


    ¡ªI already said: you interest me. You are after me, but you refuse to attack me. There must be some reason behind it. I''m giving you a chance to talk me out of killing you.


    Wisedroid, close enough to Yuto, pretended to shoot a laser with his left hand. But he revealed an antimatter machine gun on his right arm. His entire body could transform. It contained an almost unlimited number of weapons spread across all members.


    Yuto, dodging the fake attack, had no time to dodge the machine gun, which started firing 777 rounds per second.


    Each bullet was capable of passing through 7 kilometers of reinforced metal. In addition, they caused tremendous destruction in the surroundings. A hole measuring 77 centimeters in radius formed where the bullet penetrated.


    Ammo didn''t run out. His body was capable of producing any type of ammunition infinitely, at a speed that could keep up with the rate of fire.


    All he needed was internally produced energy. Most of it came from the sun, which was absorbed by the surface of the dark body.


    Yuto, in response, tried to reflect it. It slowed them down, but he got sent across the mall from the impact, breaking the glass wall of a shop and stopping after crushing the wall.


    A new attack appeared: the blue crystal on Wisedroid''s chest lit up. When fired, it was capable of releasing energy large enough to disintegrate the entire mall and 7 kilometers further. Yuto rolled to the side, avoiding the initial laser by very little. As we ran away from it, it continued rotating until destroying a major part of the mall''s foundations.


    It started to fall apart, so Yuto ran to the parking lot. Wisedroid came flying and shooting normal lasers at him, who managed to relfect the lesser ones.


    I feel bad for their owners, but I have to test something.


    Yuto picked some cars with his power and threw them towards the android, who fired rockets at them, exploding a large area. Yuto picked a light pole with his hand and threw it towards Wisedroid, who just lasered it in half.


    ¡ª You''re just damaging public property now.


    ¡ª Private too, for equal rights.


    Wisedroid launched several rockets at Yuto, destroying almost half of the parking lot. Yuto, in response, ran to a nearby skyscraper.


    He won''t shoot me if there are civillians nearby.


    To his surprise, the android keeping firing lasers, antimatter bullets and rockets at him. With no other option, he jumped towards Wisedroid, trying to punch him. The blue crystal lit up again, firing a huge laser and pushing Yuto towards the skyscraper window. His body went through the floor to the other side of the building.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Wisedroid picked his body and threw him again against the window from the floor above, breaking it. Then, he repeated the action, throwing Yuto multiple times against the window. Angry and in disadvantage, Yuto used his supreme gravity to smash his enemy''s body. Predicting it, Wisedroid simply dodged it.


    Yuto jumped towards him, trying to hit any punch or kick he could. The android catched his hands and kicks before they landed on him. He swung Yuto''s body towards the rooftop of the skyscraper, flying there soon after. He used his crystal to fire an even bigger laser, launching Yuto against the building and destroying all the floors. The building fell apart.


    Obviously, there were many people inside. Apart from some lucky or powerful ones, most of them died. Other people walking nearby also died. Wisedroid didn''t seem to care about casualties. Yuto was not too different. Although he didn''t kill them directly, it was partly his fault. He was not regretful, because that would be a weakness. Objectively speaking, he could not take any risks.


    Yuto was lying on the rubble, trying to get up. Wisedroid literally threw a fist at him. He detached his hand from his body and extended its range, reaching for Yuto''s leg. After catching him succesfully, he swung him towards the city and released him. Almost ten buildings were pierced.


    When he finally stopped by a square, the android fired countless missiles at him. Yuto protected himself at the last second with his barrier, but was badly hurt. A huge explosion took place, destroying basically an entire block. It was not as big and destructive as an atomic bomb, but it killed hundreds of people instantly.


    ¡ª This is your last chance to convince me not to kill you.


    ¡ª Why are you doing this...? You''re killing your own followers...


    ¡ª And? Leaders make sacrifices all the time. Why can''t a hero do that?


    Yuto finally realized what type of person Wisedroid was. He wanted to become enraged and destroy the enemy in front of him, but had a weakness in his power: when he pushed it too hard, his vision blurred. He was already at that point, seeing almost nothing.


    Unfortunately, Yuto couldn''t protect everyone in the blast radius. A lot of people died, partly because of him, and he couldn''t forgive himself. The only thing he could do was kill Wisedroid, who was the main murderer. He was about to fight seriously after a long time.


    Yuto saw no reason to accept Wisedroid''s offer. Waiting a couple of seconds, the android resumed:


    ¡ª I will take that as a no. I warned you.


    Yuto advanced with all his speed towards Wisedroid. He landed a series of punches and kicks fast enough for no human eye to follow. But Wisedroid was not human, and managed to dodge all attacks without much difficulty.


    Realizing this, Yuto started using his strongest attack: supreme gravity. If he increased gravity in a specific region to extraordinary levels, it would crush even the most durable material. He created several gravitational cylinders of 100 meters in radius. He activated them instantly, destroying everything in the designated region.


    Wisedroid evaded the attacks at the last second. After a long time, he battled with everything he had. He fired more atomic missiles, but Yuto returned them to Wisedroid, who fired them with the antimatter machine gun to explode them in the air.


    Once again, he energized his blue crystal. Decreasing the trigger time, it activated in less than a second. Yuto, realizing that he couldn''t return a laser of that size, used all his strength to throw himself to the side, where he wouldn''t be hit.


    The cone-shaped laser devastated everything that was left up to 7 kilometers ahead. The radius was much bigger this time. It had a cone shape, so the farther it went, the more destruction. Once again, many innocent people died. Both were exhausted. One, for lack of energy. Another, for the dripping blood and the frayed vision. Again, Yuto exclaimed:


    ¡ª Don''t you value other people''s lives? You were supposed to be a hero, yet you are killing innocent people only to achieve your goal!


    ¡ª Don''t put your blame on me, kid. All you had to do was prove your worth.


    ¡ª Worth of what?


    ¡ª Of Tatsuya''s trust.


    Yuto stopped for a second. If he answered that sooner, could all the people who were caught in the explosions have survived? But Wisedroid didn''t specify his question on purpose, to make Yuto feel guilty for not answering it. Angry, he replied:


    ¡ª What the actual fuck you are to Tokihito-san? What about Genesis?


    ¡ª She has proven herself to be incompetent. Her main goal was to watch you, but not for me. Tatsuya was the center of my attention. He doesn''t remember, but we are longtime friends.


    ¡ª If he doesn''t remember you, it means he doesn''t care much about a soulless machine.


    ¡ª How odd that someone who let their childhood friend take part in an experiment would try to insult me.


    Yuto tried to calm down, but he showed an uncontrollable desire to kill his enemy. Pausing for breath, he said:


    ¡ª What do you know about her?


    ¡ª Slade is a fragile slave of the Boss. She wouldn''t become such a pitiful creature if it weren''t for you.


    ¡ª I know you are lying. She promised me she would return safe and sound.


    ¡ª And she did, but not in the way you''d expect.


    ¡ª Bastard...


    Silence covered the war zone. They stared at each other, waiting for the other to let his guard down. Finally, one leapt at the other quickly, about to strike the final blow. But Wisedroid saw something unusual in his Premonition: a bullet going through Yuto''s head.


    He stopped midway, dodging Yuto''s attack and watching the future trajectory of the bullet, as well as Yuto falling dead to the ground. He couldn''t see where the shot was coming from, as the shooter was out of range.


    Confused, Wisedroid commented:


    ¡ª What a shame. It looks like we''ve been interrupted by outside forces. Someone besides me was after you.


    Yuto didn''t understand what he meant, but tried leaping again to punch him with all the strength he had left. Before he reached Wisedroid, a shot hit his head.


    Ria was on the roof of a building 8 kilometers away from the battle. She had Yuto in her sights the whole time, but waited for the fight to intensify to catch both of them by surprise. She murmured:


    ¡ª Sorry, Yuto, but I can''t risk such a chance. Killing two troublesome birds with one stone is not something I can ignore.


    Seeing the two jumping towards each other, she decided it was time to shoot. She aimed at Yuto''s forehead.


    She chose that building because it had an advantageous view of most of the city and was beyond the reach of Wisedroid''s power.


    The plan was for Yuto to not only distract Wisedroid, but also himself. That way, Ria would catch both of them by surprise.


    The secret of how to kill Wisedroid that only a few people knew, among them Ria, was the 7 second foresight limit. If something happened shortly after those 7 seconds, Wisedroid would drop his guard and stop using his power.


    Ria loaded her carbine with an EMP bullet. It would disable all electronics within a 10 kilometer radius.


    Shot.


    As the carbine was extremely powerful, Yuto was unable to deflect the bullet with his power. Even if he tried, he wasn''t in a position to try harder than that.


    Wisedroid approached Yuto''s corpse, commenting:


    ¡ª I really hoped you could convince me. Too bad you had more enemies than I thought.


    As Ria watched the scene, she muttered:


    ¡ª 10¡­ 9¡­ 8¡­ 7¡­ 6¡­ 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Zero.


    The EMP bullet had a countdown to the explosion. Wisedroid did not foresee anything dangerous to him when the bullet hit Yuto''s head, so he deactivated his power.


    Then, an electromagnetic pulse went off. All electronics within a 10 kilometer radius have been disabled, including the androids. Genesis was in range at the moment, so she was forcibly shut down.


    Wisedroid was no exception. Caught by surprise, he took a few seconds before shutting down completely. At that time, he murmured:


    ¡ª I can''t believe I fell for such a cheap trick...


    Wisedroid fell to the ground. Ria only needed one more bullet to destroy his body. Since her power only created bullets that empowered its targets, she was using special ammo.


    She used an explosive bullet. 7-Up worked on androids, as they were considered living beings. So a single bullet wouldn''t be enough to kill him from that distance, even if the carbine did most of the work.


    Shot.


    Yet another atomic explosion was caused. Everything within a radius of 1 kilometer disintegrated, including Yuto.


    Tatsuya was walking around the city, aimlessly. There were explosions powerful enough to be heard across the city. Shortly thereafter, a cone-shaped laser disintegrated a large area.


    Trying to understand what was happening, he ran to the epicenter of the commotion. When he was about to reach the place, another explosion even bigger than the ones before happened.


    His instinct told him that Yuto had something to do with it. After all, that person was the only one that awakened any memory in him.


    Before he knew it, he used his power on himself and Yuto.


    Ria had already exited the building, convinced her plan had been a success. She didn''t see Tatsuya, the man who had committed the massacre at the abandoned building.


    Tatsuya left Yuto''s house, dissatisfied with his answer. Both didn''t remember anything that had happened that day. But no one believed in Yuto, apart from Haji.


    Haji invited Yuto to lunch at a random restaurant, to try to remember everything little by little. They both sat down and ordered whatever they wanted.


    They didn''t realize it, but they were in a maid cafe. The maid in charge of them was surprised by their unusual presence. The maid was Kiseki. Embarrassed, she asked:


    ¡ª Young man, haven''t I seen you somewhere before?


    Yuto and Haji turned to see her more closely. Recognizing her, they exclaimed:


    ¡ª Kiseki?! What are you doing here?


    ¡ª I work as a maid...


    ¨C¡ª Wait, are you a level 6, nurse, doctor and maid? Won''t you tell me you''re an idol too?


    ¡ª I am¡­


    Surprised, both were stunned. Yuto was happy to find such a perfect girl. Haji, not so much.


    Haji, folding her arms with her eyes closed, said:


    ¡ª Whatever! That''s not all that impressive. Now give us the best you''ve got.


    ¡ª R-Right! Sorry for the inconvenience, miss.


    Kiseki shyly ran towards the kitchen. She would prepare everything on the menu. She didn''t intend to charge them for it, as she couldn''t forgive herself for pissing off a customer.


    Haji, trying to understand Yuto''s situation, asked:


    ¡ª Yuto, do you mind telling me why you killed Wisedroid? Genesis won''t forgive you if you don''t tell the truth.


    ¡ª I really don''t remember anything. I''m sure I woke up, went to the living room and saw that he and I were already dead.


    ¡ª If that''s what you say, I trust you. You''ve saved me in the past, and I wouldn''t be here without you. But Genesis and Tokihito-san don''t think so.


    ¡ª I know. I swear I''ll try to remember everything.


    ¡ª You don''t have to push yourself too hard. By the way, you already died once. We still don''t know how you came back to life.


    Kiseki arrived with five plates piled up in different parts of her body. If they blew on it, everything would be ruined. But she managed to lay it all on the table, saying:


    ¡ª This is my apology. Please accept.


    Haji, amazed by the generosity, said:


    ¡ª When I said I wanted the best you had, I didn''t expect all that.


    ¡ª But, miss, I disturbed you, and I must apologize. Please accept this as a gift from me.


    Yuto, afraid of the price of all that, warned:


    ¡ª This is going to cost a fortune. I don''t know if I''ll have enough to pay you.


    ¡ª Don''t worry, lad. This is all on me.


    ¡ª What?! Are you sure?


    ¡ª Yes. Please enjoy.


    Yuto, once again, was enchanted by Kiseki''s purity. Again, he remembered the meaning of her name. After all, she was a miracle, a being beyond his comprehension.

 Voltaic Storm

    After indulging in Kiseki''s cooking, Yuto and Haji headed back home. Genesis was in the living room, waiting for them to arrive. Yuto entered first and saw her. She was still crying, but seemed to have something important to tell him. Concerned, he asked:


    ¡ª Genesis, what happened?


    ¡ª Sorry for earlier, Yuto. I shouldn''t have treated you like that.


    ¡ª I should apologize, Genesis. I killed your master, and I can''t remember anything. But you don''t have to believe that, I know it sounds like an excuse.


    ¡ª I believe in you, Yuto. Earlier today I heard several explosions and an electromagnetic pulse knocked me out for a minute. If the battle between the two of you reached this level, I understand why you had to kill him.


    ¡ª Genesis¡­ Wait. Did you say electromagnetic pulse?


    ¡ª Yes. I don''t know where it came from, but it affected a pretty large area.


    ¡ª This is very strange. Neither I nor Wisedroid would use such an attack. It could only be one person.


    ¡ª And who would that be? Yuto, if that person killed my master, we should go after them.


    Yuto realized that handing Ria over would only make things worse. A nuclear war could break out if that gun maniac came into contact with Genesis. Deviating from the subject, Yuto said:


    ¡ª Well, I think I got things mixed up. How about we talk more at a maid cafe we just got back from?


    ¡ª Yuto, you don''t need to be sure of the idea you had. Any clue is enough.


    ¡ª If I tell you what I think, things will get worse. Why don''t we calm down first?


    ¡ª Right. Sorry again for cornering you, Yuto. I still haven''t accepted my master''s death very well. I agree to go to the maid cafe.


    Genesis forced a smile, like someone trying to hide their pain. Haji, realizing that Yuto needed to talk to Genesis alone, decided to stay home.


    Genesis and Yuto were walking the streets looking for that maid cafe. Even though he had just come back from it, he didn''t pay attention to the path.


    Suddenly, Yuto bumped into a strange figure. It was a boy about 16 years old. He had short black hair, with bangs that covered both eyes. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans pants, like Yuto.


    Startled, Yuto jumped back. The boy continued to stand still, as if that were a normal occurrence. But he apologized:


    ¡ª Sorry, pal. This fringe of mine covers my vision a lot, so I didn''t notice you.


    ¡ª Oh, right¡­ You''re not after me, right?


    All the news still highlighted the death of Yuto and Wisedroid, so Yuto needed to confirm that no one recognized him. It seemed to be the case, as the boy didn''t show any reaction of familiarity. Instead, he said:


    ¡ª Of course not. Why should I be looking for you? Wait, this is a great opportunity. Why don''t we become friends?


    ¡ª Friends? Why?


    ¡ª Why not? I was looking for friends. I haven''t been to this city in a while, so I don''t know anyone. Where are you going to?


    ¡ª Right¡­ We''re going to a maid cafe.


    ¡ª A maid cafe?! I love that kind of stuff, man. Can I go too?


    Yuto looked at Genesis, who gave an approving smile.


    ¡ª Sure¡­ I guess.


    The three went to the maid caf¨¦. Once again, Kiseki was waiting for new masters to attend.


    She answered the three, with the most invigorating smile she could bestow. It was like a love spell. The boy said:


    ¡ª This maid is very cute. I want to see her moe moe kyun.


    ¡ª For sure, man. I''ve always been obsessed with those kinds of places, too.


    Genesis smiled, but genuinely. She seemed to be relieved of the tension from before. The peaceful atmosphere polluted the air.


    Yuto, still a bit suspicious of the boy, asked:


    ¡ª Hey, man, what''s your name?


    ¡ª Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tadahiro Ryosuke. But you can just call me Ryosuke.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you, Ryosuke. My name is Ishikawa Yuto.


    ¡ª Greetings, Ryosuke. My name is Genesis.


    Ryosuke, remembering the famous association heroes, asked:


    ¡ª Are you part of the association?


    ¡ª I left that lifestyle a few years ago.


    ¡ª And I was a maid, but I left the association recently.


    ¡ª I still don''t really know how this system works. My father is japanese, so it was easy for me to come here. But I''ve lived almost my whole life in France.


    ¡ª Are you french?


    ¡ª Yes, I lived with my mother. Well, I still live, but now in Japan. She works with criminal investigations, mainly for the French government. Going to the city of heroes would be the safest option, so I decided to come with her.


    ¡ª Are you sure you should be telling all this so openly?


    ¡ª Of course, you are my friends. What are your powers?


    ¡ª Mine is Gravity.


    ¡ª And mine is Creation.


    ¡ª Nice. Yours are much better than mine.


    ¡ª Do you also have a power?


    ¡ª Yes, but I don''t even remember when or how I got it. It''s pretty dull, it just intensifies electrical currents.


    Hearing that, Yuto and Genesis shuddered. They remembered that rank #1 of level 7 had electricity power. Disguising his suspicion, Yuto said:


    ¡ª Man, your power is also very cool. But by some chance you wouldn''t be a hero, would you?


    ¡ª No. As I said, I came here a few days ago, and I wouldn''t have time to enlist. Even if I did that, I''d be at level 1 right now.


    Yuto sighed, partially relieved. There was still a chance that the boy was lying, but that didn''t seem to be the case. Ryosuke continued:


    ¡ª As I was saying, I don''t like this power of mine. I wanted one that could save people, but it''s better than having nothing.


    The cell phone in Ryosuke''s right pocket vibrated. Actually, he had already received several notifications, but he did not notice it while talking with the two. He took out his cell phone and saw three missed calls from his mother. She didn''t usually made calls, just send messages.


    Suspicious, he called his mother back. Someone answered, but it wasn''t her. It was the voice of a man, saying:


    ¡ª Catherine-sama, the boy finally answered. What should we do?


    The man seemed to be talking to someone else, as if he was ignoring Ryosuke. In turn, he replied:


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡ª What did you bastards do to my mother?


    The man approached the radio where a girl''s voice came from on the cell phone:


    ¡ª Hello, darling. How audacious to ignore someone as important as me three times.


    ¡ª Who are you?!


    ¡ª Don''t you recognize my voice? Did you really live in the same country that I govern and have forgotten who is in charge of it?


    Ryosuke thought of all the possibilities. She was Catherine, the Prime Minister of France. She continued:


    ¡ª I think you already know what happened to your mommy. She knew too much. Don''t blame me, she asked for it.


    Ryosuke, with an ingrained hatred in his heart, said goodbye to Yuto and Genesis:


    ¡ª Sorry guys, but something really bad just happened. I have to run!


    Before they could respond, Ryosuke ran full speed to his house. It was a condo away from there.


    He used his power to intensify the electrical currents in his heart, speeding it up. He reached a speed of 10 m/s. Obviously, it wore him down a lot more than just running. But this way he could arrive in time to save his mother, if she was still alive.


    He got close to the condo, but stopped. Outside, he saw a crowd of personal guards surrounding Catherine, who was looking at his apartment. She was a blonde woman and wore a ponytail. Her eyes and dress were red.


    As she was distracted, he had to choose between attacking her or saving his mother. He chose the second option as he could defeat Catherine after that.


    He circled the block and went to the back door, but there were guards there too. A control panel for the condo''s electricity was near the door. Ryosuke intensified its current. The panel started making malfunctioning noises and burning. Suspicious, all the guards looked at it.


    Taking advantage of the gap, Ryosuke stepped up his speed to the maximum to get to them before they retaliated. He kicked the nearest guard in the crotch and grabbed the pistol from his left pocket.


    As his heart and mind were racing, he saw the time around him passing slightly slower. He aimed at each guard''s head quickly and fired, killing them all. As the pistol had a silencer so that the infiltration in the condominium was as inconspicuous as possible, it did not draw Catherine''s attention.


    However, he felt an unbearable dizziness, in addition to an excruciating pain in his heart. He had pushed his body too far, and was in danger of having a heart attack. He knelt down, trying not to scream. Ryosuke''s power stopped automatically due to the pain he felt.


    He got up after a few seconds, now better. He grabbed all the weapons and ammo he could. He ran to the least conspicuous staircase: the one at the opposite end from Catherine''s vision. In all of them there were guards. Since he now had a gun, he just killed everyone quickly.


    Ryosuke called his mother''s cell phone, which was answered by the same man as before.


    ¡ª Pass the phone to your disgraceful boss.


    ¡ª Catherine-sama, the boy wants to talk to you.


    Before hearing Catherine''s voice, Ryosuke ended the call. He just called to divert her attention to the call. That way, he could eliminate the guards that were in front of his apartment without anyone noticing.


    He shot each one. As there was a great surveillance inside the apartment, he activated his power again. Before opening the door, he discreetly flicked the light switch. He stepped up the electricity in the bulb, causing it to burn out.


    When the guards looked up, Ryosuke took aim at the head of the man in the center, the one answering the calls. But he quickly realized that something was wrong. He looked towards the door, spotting Ryosuke. He aimed his pistol and fired, hitting Ryosuke''s left shoulder.


    Ryosuke fired right after, but the shoulder shot threw his aim off balance and made him use a different strategy. When the bullet was passing point-blank into the man''s head, it would cause friction. He would only need to step up the electricity generated from that contact to electrify the guard.


    He managed to electrify the guard, paralyzing him for a few seconds. None of the other guards had time to react as this all happened so fast. Ryosuke then killed all but the main guard. He disarmed him and pointed his gun directly at the man''s head, threatening him:


    ¡ª Tell your boss to evacuate immediately, or I''ll blow your brains out.


    ¡ª No way. I would never betray Catherine-sama.


    ¡ª It''s your choice. 3¡­ 2¡­


    ¡ª Okay, I''ll do that!


    Ryosuke took the radio that communicated with Catherine and placed it in front of the guard. He hesitated for a while, but Ryosuke urged him on by pressing the pistol against his head.


    ¡ª Catherine-sama¡­


    The man looked at Ryosuke, who just stared at him.


    ¡ª ¡­an emergency has occurred. The boy is here-


    Before he finished speaking, Ryosuke shot to silence him, complaining:


    ¡ª Fuck! I should have been more careful with these assholes!


    Once again, he felt an excruciating pain in his heart, even more intense than before. If he used much more of his power, he would surely die. As he agonized in pain, he remembered his main goal: to save his mother.


    He looked around the apartment, and saw his mother''s body sitting in a chair. There was a bullet hole in her head. She probably died while using her notebook and investigating the corrupt French government.


    Hearing the message, Catherine understood what had happened. Ryosuke didn''t react quickly enough to silence the guard.


    Her power was Flaming Tornado. As the name said, it could create tornadoes hot enough to incinerate entire houses and melt heavy metals. It was equivalent to a level 6. She used her power to jump to Ryosuke''s apartment floor. She ran to the half-open door, saying:


    ¡ª Boy, you did better than I expected, congratulations. But your heroism ends there.


    She entered the apartment and saw a strange scene: the floor was all wet. Neither Ryosuke nor his mother were visible. She commented:


    ¡ª What is it, boy, hide and seek? I like the idea, too bad it will be your last joke.


    Suddenly, the lamp that was still on became hot again. The container broke, releasing heat and electricity straight down.


    The entire watery floor electrified strongly. Catherine was hit in the center of the shock, paralyzing her for a few seconds. The current was so strong that her skin suffered heavy burns.


    Ryosuke came out of a closet while holding his mother''s dead body in his arms. He had taken a small path without water just to escape. He ran with all his speed outside.


    He jumped from the floor he was on with all his strength, aiming for an electricity pole. There were several guards on the street, watching everything.


    Ryosuke knew this, and jumped onto that pole while shooting one of the wires to knock it towards the guards. He intensified the current running through the wires and killed them all.


    He landed on top of the pole and looked back. To his surprise, he saw Catherine jumping towards him. He didn''t have time to react.


    Catherine recovered faster than expected. In fact, the electricity should be strong enough to kill her in less than five seconds.


    For some reason, she survived. And that reason was her power. As Ryosuke fled the apartment, she created a flaming drill-shaped tornado to melt the floor.


    She fell downstairs and destroyed everything in her path. She saw Ryosuke and used her power to fly towards him quickly.


    She landed a flaming punch on his cheek, burning part of his face. In addition, a new heart attack began. Ryosuke fell to the asphalt. Catherine descended slowly, while saying:


    ¡ª Well done, boy, but you underestimated me. Did you think I was just a rich preppy? I was trained for this kind of situation.


    Catherine smiled, boasting:


    ¡ª If that wasn''t able to kill me, it means I''m the strongest in the world. Even level 7''s don''t stand a chance against me!


    Ryosuke tried to bear the pain while ignoring Catherine''s monologue. She noticed this and approached him. She stepped on his face, saying:


    ¡ª Who do you think you are, bastard? I''m sorry your mommy died. But it''s her fault for meddling too much in what she shouldn''t.


    Ryosuke tried to get up, but Catherine just pressed her foot against him, forcing him down. She was enjoying it, laughing at his miserable position. She completed her monologue:


    ¡ª Come to think of it, I never got to test my full potential. How about we heat things up?


    She started to literally heat up the surroundings in a gigantic area, creating a firestorm that could be seen from anywhere in the city.


    Initially, Yuto and Genesis waited for Ryosuke to return. But he was taking too long, and it seemed to be something urgent. Worried, they started looking for him.


    They saw a firestorm form far away. It looked dangerous, so Yuto used his power to quickly fly to the spot, taking Genesis with him.


    At the epicenter, he saw Ryosuke being trampled by a blonde woman with red eyes wearing a red dress and laughing maniacally. As she looked up at the stormy sky, she boasted:


    ¡ª Look how wonderful! I didn''t even know I was that amazing! I just want to see a level 7 step in here to see what they deserve-


    Without hesitation, Yuto flew towards her and landed a blow on her head, ripping it off. The body fell right away.


    Seeing Ryosuke holding his mother''s hand while half his face was burned, Yuto tried to help him, but Ryosuke didn''t answer anymore. Yuto took Ryosuke, his mother and Catherine to Kiseki''s clinic. He asked:


    ¡ª Kiseki, can you heal these three?


    Kiseki did everything she could but managed to save only Catherine. She apologized:


    ¡ª I''m sorry, Ishikawa-san, but there''s nothing I can do.


    ¡ª No problem, that''s my fault. As usual, I arrived too late.


    ¡ª What happened?


    ¡ª It seems that woman killed Ryosuke and his mother. It is a pity that only she survived, but she can still be questioned by the police.


    ¡ª Are you going to report her?


    ¡ª Of course, but not for anyone.


    Yuto looked at his cell phone. The screen showed Ria''s contact. He sighed and said:


    ¡ª Actually, I think you''d better do it.


    ¡ª Eh? But why?


    ¡ª I can''t meet with Ria for now. You have her contact, don''t you?


    ¡ª Yes.


    ¡ª Could you hand this woman over to her, please?


    ¡ª All right, Ishikawa-san.


    ¡ª Thank you very much.


    ¡ª That''s no big deal. Whenever you need help, just ask me.


    Yuto smiled and said goodbye.

 Mercenaries

    Yuto''s memories of the Wisedroid battle were still fuzzy. He slowly remembered the details, but it wasn''t enough to know what happened.


    Since Ria had planned the attack, all of this had to be linked to her. Yuto preferred not to meet whoever could be behind his and Wisedroid''s death.


    Tatsuya was going through the same mess of memories as Yuto. The difference was that he still didn''t remember almost anything about his own life. The memories came slowly, but they confused more than they helped.


    Tatsuya roamed the city, looking for answers. He returned home, dissatisfied. His wife was waiting for him. When she saw him, she smiled and said:


    ¡ª Welcome back, darling. Do you want lunch, a shower, or maybe me?


    ¡ª Ah, Koharu¡­ How about the three?


    ¡ª Wow, Tatsuya, you are greedy¡­


    Matsukaze Koharu was his wife. She had medium-sized dark blue hair. Her eyes were light blue, because she was blind. She often wore black clothes.


    He didn''t remember her until a few days ago, when a fragment of memory returned. He remembered her and his 10 years old son Akari.


    Hearing his father''s return, Akari went to the kitchen where they were talking, greeting him:


    ¡ª Daddy, I''m glad you''re back!


    ¡ª Son¡­ I''m glad to see you.


    ¡ª There are a lot of things I want to tell you, but I have some news that might interest you.


    ¡ª And what would it be?


    ¡ª Transport of 5 and 6-Ups.


    Tatsuya remembered the potion system known as 7-Up. When consumed, they increased the user''s physical and mental attributes. They had an expiration date, and Yuto''s 7-Up had already lost most of its effect. They persisted to some extent, even after years of not drinking it.


    5 and 6-Ups were too strong to be supported by an ordinary citizen. A lot of training and compatibility was required for the effect not to overwhelm the user.


    Tatsuya had an interest in that, as Yuto had died once and until now he didn''t know what connection he had with him. If he upgraded Yuto''s dose of 7-Up, his chances of dying again would drop a lot.


    What he didn''t understand was how his son knew about this interest. Curious, he asked:


    ¡ª How did you find out I wanted to know that?


    ¡ª Isn''t it obvious? It''s part of our work, isn''t it?


    ¡ª Work? Oh, yes¡­


    Tatsuya was reminded of the job he and his son shared. This included securing the transport of association products from falling into the wrong hands. The city was filled with hero hunters who stole the association every day, and every day they grew stronger.


    With this job, Tatsuya could "borrow" some doses of 7-Up to mainly guarantee Yuto''s survival, while also protecting the city.


    ¡ª Okay, son, when and where will this transport take place?


    ¡ª Today, in 1 hour. It''s near Sapporo, in a 7-Up factory.


    ¡ª Wait, are they going to bring the cargo from that far away?


    ¡ª Yes. The further away from Tokyo, the less regulation these factories tend to have.


    ¡ª Makes sense. What will the vehicle be?


    ¡ª First an armored car, then a commercial plane. Wait, I''ll send you the details.


    Akari sent all the transport information to her father''s cell phone, who replied:


    ¡ª Thank you, Akari. If we had more time, I''d love to talk to you. But I''ll have to hurry.


    ¡ª It''s okay, Daddy. I would go with you, but I need to resolve some issues involving your safety.


    ¡ª My safety? Isn''t it the father who should protect the son?


    ¡ª In a normal family, yes. But we''re known all over town, even if nobody knows exactly who we are. A heroine recently discovered our identity, so I had to silence her with violence.


    ¡ª What? Wasn''t there a better way to solve that?


    ¡ª Didn''t you commit a massacre a few days ago?


    ¡ª You''re right¡­ Okay, as long as it''s for the greater good, our actions are justified by the means.


    Tatsuya grabbed the handle of the front door, as he said:


    ¡ª Akari, don''t get involved in anything dangerous.


    ¡ª Needless to say, daddy. I already know how to take care of myself.


    Tatsuya left his house towards Yuto''s.


    On the day of Wisedroid''s death, Tatsuya woke up amidst debris. He didn''t remember anything that had happened recently, but saw Yuto in his arms.


    He pulled out his cell phone to call any contact he had. Haji was the first to appear. He called her and asked where was Yuto''s house. Then took him there, and that way he found out where he lived.


    Once again, he was going to Yuto''s house. This time, to ask for his help. When he arrived, Haji "welcomed" him:


    ¡ª What are you doing here?


    ¡ª Well, I have something important to discuss with him.


    ¡ª Don''t think I forgot you abandoned me on that busy street, or that you almost strangled Yuto.


    ¡ª I know. Sorry for everything I''ve done. I can''t control myself very well until I get my memories back.


    ¡ª Whatever. Come in.


    Tatsuya entered and Haji went to call Yuto, who arrived soon after. He looked like he hadn''t slept in days. Seeing the surprise visit, he asked:


    ¡ª Oh, Tokihito-san. What brings you here?


    ¡ª Ishikawa-san, are you okay? You look pretty bad.


    ¡ª Oh, it''s no big deal. It''s just¡­ another person died because of me. If I had arrived on time, none of this would have happened.


    Yuto started to cry lightly, while Haji and Tatsuya stared at him. Haji aggressively tried to comfort him:


    ¡ª How long are you going to brood over this, idiot? I already said it''s not your fault, and you keep insisting that all the deaths happen because of you.


    ¡ª It''s not that easy. I don''t know if it was that trauma or if I was raised that way, but I can''t stand deaths that I could have prevented.


    The living room was silent. They didn''t know what to say to help Yuto, when he didn''t even want to help himself. Back to the original conversation:


    ¡ª Sorry for seeing me like this, Tokihito-san. What did you want to solve with me?


    ¡ª Oh, right. My son told me that the association would be transporting a cargo of 7-Up levels 5 and 6. As I still need to find out who you are to me, I thought it was a good idea to steal some to protect you.


    ¡ª 7-Up? Ah, that potion that strengthens¡­ I already took the level 7 ones, but I think they expired after so many years.


    ¡ª Which is why we must protect this transport. Surely someone other than us is after these potions. If we stop a robbery, maybe we''ll get some rewards.


    ¡ª Weren''t you talking about stealing?


    ¡ª Yes, ultimately. I want to avoid conflicts as much as possible. I cannot risk my or my son''s identity being revealed. My family''s peaceful days will be over if that happens.


    ¡ª Come to think of it, you still haven''t told us who you really are. I didn''t even know you had a son.


    ¡ª Ah¡­ That''s for another conversation. I don''t know if I can talk about it, as my memories are still fuzzy.


    ¡ª I understand you, mines are too. I don''t even know if the memories I have are true or not.


    ¡ª Wait, were you telling the truth when you didn''t remember anything about the battle against Wisedroid?


    ¡ª Yes. In fact, I still don''t remember much. But the memories come back little by little.


    Tatsuya noticed that Yuto had the same problem as him. This had probably been caused by his power. Trying to hide his concern, he said:


    ¡ª So, are you up for it?


    ¡ª Of course. Haji, tell Genesis when she wakes up to stay here and protect you.


    ¡ª What? I want to be with you, not that old trash can.


    ¡ª Haji, this is too dangerous for you. Genesis has an excellent power to protect people, so you will be safe here.


    Haji looked annoyed but couldn''t bring herself to reply. She just accepted:


    ¡ª All right, I''ll stay! But don''t you dare taking too long. And please come back alive.


    ¡ª You have my word. Of course I''ll be right back.


    Tatsuya passed the transport information to Yuto. They had to reach the factory in less than an hour. That wouldn''t be easy, as Sapporo was on the other side of the country.


    They decided to use the easiest method: Yuto''s power as a supersonic thruster. He just needed to push them at a high altitude so they wouldn''t collide with any mountains in the way.


    They climbed to 8 kilometers of altitude. Yuto created a barrier around the two so that they wouldn''t be hurt by the strong wind, at the same time decreasing the air friction.


    They started flying at approximately 1800 km/h. They reached the city in less than 30 minutes. Since they had a few minutes left, they went to a car dealership.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The transporters knew they would be protected, but they still needed an undercover car. The thieves could be anyone, so the guards would also need to blend in with the crowd.


    The dealership owner received both:


    ¡ª Hello, my boys. How can I help you?


    ¡ª What is the fastest car you have?


    ¡ª This sports car right here. It can reach 800 km/h, in addition to being armored.


    ¡ª Great, I will take that.


    Tatsuya took out his cell phone and made the cash transfer. Yuto was surprised at the triviality with which he did it.


    ¡ª How much money do you have?


    ¡ª That''s no big deal. I earn a lot at work.


    ¡ª Even so, this car is not cheap¡­


    ¡ª We need to make a good impression on our employers.


    ¡ª Are you sure they''ll give us some potions as a reward?


    ¡ª No. But we can ask nicely.


    ¡ª Asking for things is not my specialty.


    Tatsuya took the driver''s seat, while Yuto took the passenger one. Both knew how to drive, but Yuto''s power would be much more useful if used to its full potential.


    The 7-Up factory wasn''t exactly in Sapporo, but on a road that led from the city to the rest of the country. As it was isolated, it was an easy target for attacks, but also a great place to evade inspection by superiors.


    They arrived close to the place with 3 minutes left to start the transport. They parked to observe the surroundings. Everyone who worked there looked suspicious, but one car stood out more than the others.


    It was also parked. It was a military car, with an automatic machine gun on top. The windows were boarded up, so they couldn''t see who was inside. Tatsuya commented:


    ¡ª Looks like we''ve already found our targets.


    ¡ª What? Where?


    ¡ª Over there. That model is not japanese. Maybe it''s a foreign group.


    ¡ª How can you realize all this in less than a minute since we got here?


    ¡ª Just watching carefully. We never know where the danger might lie.


    Another armored car pulled out of the factory parking lot. It was in charge of the transport, which was obvious because of the excessive armor, as if an anti-aircraft missile wasn''t enough to blow a hole.


    Obviously, the vehicle was too heavy to move freely. That was the greatest weakness of an armored car. However, there were no entrances, not even windows. External monitoring was carried out using shielded cameras. It was an impenetrable vehicle inside and out.


    In order for it to be opened, a key was needed. It would be guarded by an association executive. Nearby, there was a tour bus. Only the driver and the executive were part of the transport. The rest were just regular people.


    This bus was intended to camouflage itself on the busy road. If they used too many guards, the vehicle''s disguise would lose its purpose. With tourists on board, any assailant would hesitate to attack the bus. They were a kind of hostage without knowing it.


    Seeing the armored car pull out of the parking lot, the bus began to move. The suspicious military car and the one Tatsuya was driving started chasing them.


    The sports car had a GPS that pinpointed the possible locations the roads led to. The armored car took a different route than expected: it was heading towards Okushiri Island, far away.


    It was an isolated island, but there were roads leading to it. It was not known why that place would be the destination. Probably because there was an airport there, from where the plane with the cargo would leave.


    Or maybe it was a trap to mislead the bandits. As there were cities on the way, it was easy to change the route and confuse them about the destination of the cargo.


    Inside the bus, only three people stood out: the driver, the executive and a woman with white hair, red eyes and black military clothing.


    As only the driver and the executive were officially involved in transporting the cargo, that woman could only be an imposter. She didn''t look like a tourist or linked to the association.


    She was a third, and could have been in the group of bandits who followed the bus with the military car. Maybe they found out about the key that was somewhere inside that vehicle.


    She had a hidden earpiece in her ear, covered by the long hair. Like an agent, she talked to the person on the other end of the transmission naturally, as if she was talking to herself.


    ¡ª Just to confirm: our target is that sleeping executive, right?


    ¡ªYes. Anelise, be careful not to draw attention. I told you not to wear that fancy outfit-


    Before the woman on the other end could finish lecturing, the white-haired woman got up from her seat at the back of the bus.


    She walked over to the executive, who, although was protecting an important item, looked unconcerned enough to sleep. He was in the left seat on the right side of the bus.


    She approached him and kicked him with all her strength, saying:


    ¡ª Wake up, asshole!


    ¡ª What is that? Security, arrest this woman!


    The driver, who was also a security guard, turned the bus on autopilot. He drew his pistol and took aim at the woman''s head. He shot, but she narrowly dodged. The broadcast voice came back:


    ¡ª Anelise, what did you do? We heard a gunshot, are you okay?


    ¡ª Of course I am. I hid behind the seats. The driver will not shoot on the chance of hitting a tourist.


    ¡ª Oh my god, you blew your cover! Our whole plan was a failure! Now there''s no more reason to hide. Malungo, do something!


    ¡ª Okay, calm down! I''m trying, but it''s hard to keep track of this thing!


    The military car, which was behind the bus, approached its rear tire and pushed it with all its might to the left. The bus lost control for a moment, but continued the trajetory backwards. Its autopilot adapted the vehicle''s position to move without losing speed.


    However, inertia caused all passengers to be thrown over the side, including the armed driver. Taking advantage of the gap, the military car approached the side door of the bus.


    The car door opened. A figure walked out of it towards the side door of the bus, which was still closed. On impact, it broke and the figure entered.


    It was a woman with short silver hair and silver eyes, wearing a white hoodie. She was bruised from going through a metal and glass door at high speed, but she didn''t care. She ran towards Anelise, who was still trying to get up after all that confusion.


    She took her in his arms and ran at high speed to the front of the bus, which was still moving in reverse. As she was about to walk through the door again to get into the military car, the bus driver aimed his pistol at the silver-haired woman.


    Shot.


    But this time he got it right. The bullet pierced the woman''s heart, and she used all her remaining strength to get into the military car with Anelise.


    Yuto and Tatsuya watched everything as they chased the two vehicles. Anelise had noticed that surveillance a long time ago. She climbed into the car''s automatic machine gun and started shooting at them, shouting:


    ¡ª Did you think I didn''t notice you there, you little shits? You can keep the cargo, we don''t need it anymore!


    In addition to the sports car''s armor, it was protected by Yuto''s power, which only repelled bullets to the sky. He also increased their speed, to make them incinerate due to air resistance.


    Yuto said to Tatsuya:


    ¡ª Hey, I think something serious happened on the bus. Maybe they need our help.


    ¡ª Help? They are shooting at us, they are bandits and you want to help them?


    Tatsuya looked to the side, but Yuto was no longer there. He climbed onto the roof of the car through the sunroof. Trying to steady himself, he stood and repelled a few more bullets.


    He jumped towards Anelise, landing on the roof of the military car. He approached her and said:


    ¡ª Calm down. I just want to help you.


    ¡ª Bullshit!


    Realizing that the machine gun ran out of ammo, Anelise took a knife from her pocket and slashed it towards Yuto''s eye. Before he could repel the knife, she threw a grenade. If he could reflect projectiles, maybe he was weak against explosives, she thought.


    The grenade exploded, but no one was hurt. Not even the car was damaged. The explosion and smoke were trapped inside a sphere that Yuto created. It was a gravitational field strong enough to not let any remnants of the grenade come out of it.


    As all that happened so fast, Yuto got scared, exclaiming:


    ¡ª That could have hurt me! Sorry, but I have no choice.


    Anelise was shocked to see that monster didn''t take any damage since she started shooting at him. Yuto smacked her neck to knock her out.


    He got into the car through the sunroof that led to the machine gun. He saw two people inside: the woman who had been shot and a young black man who was driving the car. He had a very stylish short black hair and wore a yellow hoodie. Confused, the young man asked:


    ¡ª W-Who are you?! What are you doing here?


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter now. Your friend is bleeding heavily and won''t last long.


    ¡ª Wait, man, what are you doing?


    ¡ª I''m stopping her bleeding with my power. Take us to a doctor quickly, I don''t know if I''ll be able to keep her alive much longer.


    ¡ª But, man, we are in the middle of the road and far from any city.


    ¡ª Just go full speed!


    When Yuto looked at the young man, he noticed a person who shouldn''t be there: Tatsuya. He was sitting in the front passenger seat, but Yuto didn''t remember seeing him get in.


    ¡ª Tokihito-san? How did you get in here?


    ¡ª Does that matter? If you want to save this person so badly, let''s go to our sports car. It will arrive in any city much faster.


    ¡ª Right... But if you''re here, where''s the car?


    ¡ª On our side. I activated autopilot.


    Yuto used his power to open the doors of the two cars and carry them all together to the sports car.


    Tatsuya, now driving, asked Yuto:


    ¡ª How long will she last?


    ¡ª Probably another 30 minutes. I''m not really good at controlling small scales of mass.


    ¡ª Where was the shot?


    ¡ª In the heart.


    ¡ª Going to a doctor is no use. We need to go to Kiseki''s clinic.


    ¡ª We are more than 800 kilometers from Tokyo. There won''t be time.


    ¡ª Then use your power to take us flying.


    ¡ª Carrying five people while stopping the bleeding of one is very difficult for me.


    ¡ª How do you know if you''ve never tried?


    ¡ª If I don''t focus on the wound, she won''t last more than 5 minutes!


    They were running out of options. They kept thinking of solutions, but none came to mind. More than 20 minutes passed and they weren''t even halfway there, even though they were running at 800 km/h.


    Tatsuya deviated from the original route on purpose, missing the armored car. Since they knew that Okushiri Island was the most likely place to find 7-Up transport, they could return at another time.


    The main objective was the safety of the silver haired woman. He didn''t like the idea of helping someone he just met, but it made him have more respect for Yuto.


    Yuto, impatient, warned Tatsuya:


    ¡ª She won''t last more than 5 minutes! Let''s go to any city, that''s enough!


    ¡ª I already told you this won''t do any good.


    Tatsuya, also impatient, decided to use the last card up his sleeve: his power. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    Before they knew it, they were all in Tokyo, in front of Kiseki''s clinic. Tatsuya looked tired but just said:


    ¡ª Go and take this woman to Kiseki to cure her. If you take too long, she''ll die.


    ¡ª What? When did we get here? Actually, it doesn''t matter!


    Yuto ran full speed into the clinic. Malungo, the young black man, watched Tatsuya with fear. Realizing, he said:


    ¡ª What are you looking at, boy?


    ¡ª Oh, nothing¡­ It''s just¡­ I wanted to know how you did that¡­


    ¡ª That? Forget everything you saw today. It''s better for everyone.


    ¡ª Right¡­


    ¡ª What is her name? The woman who got shot.


    ¡ª Charlotte. And the woman who''s passed out back there is Anelise.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you, I''m Tokihito Tatsuya.


    ¡ª My name is Malungo.


    ¡ª Nice names yours. They don''t look japanese to me.


    ¡ª No¡­ We are international agents. I am Angolan, Anelise is German and Charlotte is Belgian.


    ¡ª What is happening in Japan to have so many foreigners now, a world war?


    ¡ª No sir. We were sent by representatives of our countries to carry out various missions.


    ¡ª Among them stealing strengthening potions?


    ¡ª Oh, that''s¡­ In fact, we don''t even know why we need them. The superiors did not give many details.


    ¡ª So you are disposable agents¡­ Sorry for the words, I''m not used to working with foreigners.


    ¡ª No problem. Wait, did you say "working" with us?


    ¡ª Of course. Isn''t that what we just did? In fact, I''m already thinking about how you can repay us.


    ¡ª Oh, that''s true. If Charlotte survives, you can ask us for anything.


    Yuto came back with Charlotte more alive than ever. She was invigorated and happy that, in addition to having saved Anelise, she was alive. Tatsuya gave a small laugh, continuing the conversation:


    ¡ª It''s good to keep your promise, Malungo.

 Cargo

    Charlotte was alive. Tatsuya didn''t want to use his power until the last moment, as he didn''t know if he could trust his secrets to people he had just met. But he didn''t regret having done it. Relieved, he decided to call everyone for dinner together.


    He chose an italian restaurant in the center of the city. Obviously, Yuto called Genesis and Haji to come along. Tatsuya chose that place because his wife worked as a waitress and cook, and his son often went there. When they arrived, his wife was surprised by the unexpected visit:


    ¡ª Tatsuya? What are you doing here?


    ¡ª Isn''t it obvious? We''ll have dinner at the best restaurant in town served by the best cook.


    ¡ª Tatsu-chan, you silly¡­ I''m very happy that you came here, even more on such a busy day.


    Koharu threw herself at her husband''s arms, like a child. In a soft voice, she commented:


    ¡ª I miss you so much when you go to work, honey.


    ¡ª Yeah¡­ I miss you too.


    Tatsuya was clearly embarrassed to have so many people watching that scene. She continued:


    ¡ª Today you are all mine, I will not let you go.


    ¡ª Honey, people are watching.


    ¡ª Even better. That way everyone in town will know what a great couple we are.


    Tatsuya adjusted his glasses, troubled, as he said:


    ¡ª S-Sorry for asking you so much, but can you make a buffet for 7 people?


    ¡ª Of course! This is my job, so no need to apologize.


    ¡ª Thank you, Koharu.


    ¡ª If it''s not too much trouble, could I know who your friends are?


    ¡ª Oh, I forgot to introduce you to them. She is my wife, Matsukaze Koharu. And they are Malungo, Anelise, Charlotte, Yuto, Haji and Genesis.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you.


    Koharu walked towards Yuto and looked into his eyes. He realized that she was blind, but still managed to locate him perfectly.


    ¡ª So you''re the Ishikawa-san Tatsuya always tells me about.


    ¡ª O-Oh, yes¡­


    ¡ª I am very happy to be in the presence of someone so important to my husband.


    ¡ª I''m nothing that special¡­ We''re just friends.


    ¡ª No need to be modest. I know he admires you in a way.


    Tatsuya, embarrassed, said:


    ¡ª H-Honey, that''s not true! Well, maybe a little¡­ But that''s beside the point!


    Yuto looked at him in surprise. He had no idea the same man who nearly strangled him had respect for him. But Tatsuya looked away as he fiddled with his glasses.


    The bathroom door opened and a child stepped out. It was Akari, the couple''s son. Seeing the crowd, he rejoiced and asked:


    ¡ª Daddy, how did the transport go? Are they your friends?


    ¡ª Something unexpected happened, so we''ll try again later. These are the friends I''ve already told you about. The other three we met while we were protecting the armored car: Charlotte, Malungo and Anelise.


    ¡ª Nice to meet you guys. I''m Akari, his son.


    Genesis seemed uncomfortable with the presence of that child. The moment she saw him, she recognized him. Her database had captured that face perfectly. Noticing the strangeness, Akari approached her and asked:


    ¡ª Girl, did something happen? Wait, I think I''ve seen you somewhere. Let me think... I know! You were that woman who saved me near the convenience store!


    ¡ª Yeah¡­ I''m glad to see you''re okay.


    ¡ª I didn''t get to thank you properly for that day. Those guys looked pretty dangerous, did you manage to defeat them?


    ¡ª Well, more or less. I had help from Exwind .


    ¡ª Exwind? Ah, that second level 6. If you needed him, it got pretty rough. Sorry for putting you through that.


    ¡ª It''s no big deal. I offered to help you, so nobody''s to blame but those hoodlums.


    ¡ª I told you I could take care of them. You didn''t need to push yourself that hard.


    Genesis smiled, not believing the child''s statement. How could he beat three level 3''s alone? Yuto, confused by all that, asked:


    ¡ª Wait, was that the day I sent you shopping?


    ¡ª Yes. I didn''t know that child was Tokihito-san''s son.


    ¡ª You needed Exwind to fight those people, and the kid says he could defeat them all by himself? Pretty sus if you ask me.


    Yuto wanted to confirm Akari''s power, as he himself had been a level 7 at the age of 13. The boy could be speaking the truth. Akari confidently stated:


    ¡ª That''s right, Ishikawa-san!


    ¡ª What is your power?


    ¡ª Oh, that''s¡­ confidential.


    ¡ª There''s no need to be ashamed of it. All powers are useful if used wisely.


    ¨C Ah, well¡­ I can¡­ turn electronics on and off without touching them.


    ¡ª Hm¡­ That''s an interesting power. But how would you defeat troublemakers with it?


    ¡ª I know a little martial arts.


    Yuto smiled, confirming the boy''s innocence. He approached him and stroked his head, commenting:


    ¡ª You may be quite strong for your age, but it''s best not to pick fights against professional heroes. They don''t take it easy even with kids.


    ¡ª Okay¡­ I''ll try to remember that.


    At the table, the group dined. Tatsuya had stated before that he would pay everything, since he was the one who invited everyone. Everyone seemed to be delighted with Koharu''s cuisine, except one person: Anelise.


    She had her elbow propped on the table and her hand on her chin, her expression bored. She seemed to hate being in the same place as those people. Noticing Anelise''s sullen expression, Charlotte commented as she ate:


    ¡ª Anelise, if you don''t eat soon, it will run out. I''ll take your food if you don''t want it.


    ¡ª Whatever.


    ¡ª Why are you like this? Aren''t you happy to see me alive?


    ¡ª Because of me, you nearly died.


    ¡ª I told you not to worry about it. I got hurt by choice, it''s not your fault.


    ¡ª This place is not for me...


    ¡ª Do not say that. This is a great opportunity to make new friends.


    ¡ª Friends? How could I be friends with a nig-


    Malungo immediately looked at her, slightly offended. He was used to suffering racism, but from a colleague it was different. He didn''t say anything and continued eating. Charlotte, irritated by that attitude, commented:


    ¡ª Stop that attitude already! I told you the world doesn''t revolve around you. You need to learn to respect others. I know you were born into a wealthy family, but that''s no reason to isolate yourself in your little world.


    ¡ª I don''t care what others think of me. You''re the only one who understands me, so I like you. All others are my enemies, and I don''t care what happens to them.


    Anelise quickly got up and left the restaurant. Charlotte tried to call out to her, but she ignored her. She apologized for her friend''s attitude:


    ¡ª Guys, sorry about that. She''s still not used to working with foreigners, so she''s going through a rough patch.


    Tatsuya tried to calm the situation down:


    ¡ª No problem, Charlotte. I was about to discuss the plan we were going to execute, but she can stay out if she wants to.


    Malungo realized what that meant:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, would that be the retribution for helping us?


    ¡ª Yes. In fact, none of you need to participate if you don''t want to. I don''t want to have to save you one more time.


    ¡ª Of course we''re going to help. You saved a companion of ours, so we owe you our life. Isn''t it, Charlotte?


    ¡ª Yes. You can order whatever you want.


    ¡ª Alright, I hope you don''t regret it. I discovered that the armored car with 7-Up''s cargo was heading towards Okushiri Island. Maybe it was a trap, but we''ll figure that out right away.


    Yuto, understanding what Tatsuya was getting at, asked:


    ¡ª Wait, are we going to continue the chase from before?


    ¡ª Exactly. But this time we will go straight to the airport from where the cargo will be transported.


    ¡ª And how do you know the cargo will go there?


    ¡ª It''s a guess. Nearby, there are several high-level 7-Up factories. That island is an isolated spot and perfect for monitoring. No one enters or leaves without permission from local security.


    Realizing the topic of conversation, Akari walked over and commented:


    ¡ª Exactly, daddy! Most 7-Ups in the region go to that island. And I heard that a level 7 cargo is being transported there.


    Confused by that advanced knowledge for a 10 year old, Yuto asked:


    ¡ª Level 7? Wait, how do you know all this?


    ¡ª T-That''s¡­ a secret!


    Akari ran away to avoid suspicion. Tatsuya continued:


    ¡ª So, are you all up for it?


    Yuto, bothered by that, said:


    ¡ª Isn''t it too dangerous?


    ¡ª Yes, but that''s to ensure everyone''s safety. With a 7-Up of that level, you can survive even a high-end sniper fire.


    ¡ª I accept, but, again, Genesis and Haji will stay here.


    Haji, feeling left out again, complained:


    ¡ª No way! I can''t stand being stuck at home anymore. I''ll go with you and that''s final!


    Yuto hesitated. He remembered when his sister wouldn''t let him get into danger, but insisted so much that she gave in. Now, the role of big brother was his. He sighed, saying:


    ¡ª Okay. But on one condition: don''t leave my side.


    ¡ª Yay! That''s easy, you''re the only person I like to be around.


    Tatsuya received a notification. He picked up the cell phone and saw that it was the details of the air transport that his son had sent him. He looked at Akari, who just blinked in response.


    Once again, they would travel through the air with Yuto''s power. This time, the trip was faster, as the island was a little closer than Sapporo. They arrived in twenty minutes. It was half an hour before the armored car arrived with the cargo, but the plane was ready.


    It was an ordinary plane. The 7-Up would be stored in the storage area at the back of the plane, away from the passengers. Mixed in with other common orders, the boxes didn''t stand out. Tatsuya bought tickets for all seven of them to sit in the back of the plane. From that place, they would have a view of almost all the passengers and would be closer to the cargo.


    Before boarding, they realized that Anelise was very uncomfortable with all that. Yuto tried to comfort her:


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    ¡ª Why do you hate us so much?


    ¡ª It''s none of your business.


    ¡ª It is. You are our partner now, we have to get along.


    ¡ª Tch. Your race is impure.


    ¡ª My race? What do you mean?


    ¡ª None of you would understand. Just know that you don''t live in the same world as I do.


    Anelise turned her back and walked towards the plane. Charlotte commented:


    ¡ª She''s just like that. She only managed to open up to me, saying that I am purebred. I don''t quite understand either, but I can''t judge her. Her past must have been very difficult.


    ¡ª I see¡­ I promise that I will approach her and end this prejudice. I will save her from these chains that bind her.


    The six who were still there in the airport lounge saw the armored car arrive through the window. They walked toward the plane, but Malungo was stopped by a policewoman.


    She was a guard with short brown hair and a smug smile, carrying a rifle. As Malungo walked, she appeared in front of him and kicked him, making him fall to the ground. She pointed him her gun, saying:


    ¡ª Well, what is a monkey doing here? I thought this was an airport, not a zoo.


    ¡ª What did I do to you to deserve this?


    ¡ª Do you still have the nerve to speak as if you have a right to be here? If you don''t want to die, give me all the money you have.


    Malungo was fluent in several languages, and he soon noticed that the guard had an american accent. It was unusual for Japan to accept foreigners to work as government police.


    Either it was militia sent by the United States, or a terrorist disguised as a guard. He looked at the badge on the uniform. She was a CIA agent.


    He smiled, realizing that something was wrong. They probably knew about 7-Up, and were there to steal as much as they could without causing an international uproar.


    It was a race for which country could steal first without the others noticing. It was unlikely that only the US was involved in this. Perhaps even the japanese mafia was after the product.


    Noticing Malungo''s smile, the guard frowned, irritated. She shouted:


    ¡ª Do you still think you can smile for me? Your life is in my hands, and you think that''s funny?


    When the guard was about to kick him one more time, Charlotte used her power to run towards her. In fact, she flew towards the guard and increased her one-way speed. The impact was so strong that the policewoman flew into one of the airport walls. A small crater formed in the wall. The guard instantly fainted, as well as having several broken bones.


    Charlotte helped him up.


    ¡ª Are you okay, Malungo?


    ¡ª Better than never. Thanks for saving me.


    ¡ª You should have asked for help earlier. We almost got in without you.


    ¡ª Charlotte, it looks like we''re not the only ones after the cargo.


    The seven entered the plane and sat down in pairs: Yuto and Haji; Genesis and Tatsuya; Anelise and Charlotte. Malungo was left alone, since Anelise insisted that Charlotte stay with her.


    But he didn''t feel lonely or excluded. He had just made a very important discovery. The plane would be attacked at one time or another. The problem was whether the militias would attack from the outside or from the inside.


    Afraid that unwanted people would hear, he sent messages to the other six explaining the situation. Tatsuya was the one who became the most attentive. Genesis was about to use her power to create nanocameras, but Yuto noticed and shouted:


    ¡ª Genesis, don''t do this!


    ¡ª E-Eh?!


    ¡ª I mean¡­ you need to activate airplane mode to use your cell phone.


    All nearby passengers heard the scream and were startled. To cover it up, Yuto arranged something to alert Genesis. She realized he meant something by that.


    He used his power to transport the sound waves of his speech to Genesis'' ear. That way, no one but her would hear what he said. It was a kind of telepathy. He said:


    ¡ª You can''t use your power in here. It is written on the back of the seats: "This plane is equipped with a power sensor. Please deactivate any kind of power you have. Otherwise, an alarm will be sounded and the user detained.".


    She noticed something strange: Yuto used his power to pass on this message and no alarms sounded. Perhaps there was a tolerable limit.


    Just in case, she avoided using her power as much as possible. In a way, the sensor would protect everyone. If anyone crossed the line, they''d notice right away. Yuto passed the message on to each of the six also telepathically, as it was within tolerance.


    Anelise got up from her seat, saying she needed to go to the bathroom. A man in a suit and sunglasses followed her. Since the bathroom she went to was at the back of the plane, close to the depot, the man probably suspected that she was about to steal the cargo.


    Realizing the chase, Anelise locked herself in the bathroom. Anticipating that the man would be on the other side of the door waiting for her to come out, Anelise took a syringe from a pocket of the military uniform she wore. Inside the syringe, any liquid could be inserted. From strengthening whoever used it to fainting the target. The liquid inside was a lethal poison.


    She could launch the syringe with a trigger, as if it were a weapon. The speed of the projectile was such that it could pass through almost any surface. She took aim at the door at head height and fired. The syringe went through the door and into the man''s head, who died instantly.


    In order not to arouse suspicion, she immediately opened the door and pulled the man into the bathroom. She left the corpse there and left. If someone entered the bathroom, they would probably get scared and scream. The suspicion of murder would fall on that person.


    Suddenly, an alarm rang. At first, she thought she had been discovered. She saw several guards running towards her and went back to the bathroom. But they passed straight by.


    The hall from the bathroom also led to the plane''s storage room. The guards walked over to it, ignoring Anelise. She peeked through the bathroom door. Inside, the storage room was only accessible through the door at the end of the hall, past the bathroom.


    It was a reinforced door that didn''t even have a lock. A card or password was needed to open it. But it hadn''t been opened once since takeoff. Whoever sounded the alarm was probably already inside the warehouse even before the plane took off.


    The guards passed through the door and Anelise too, without them noticing. The door closed shortly thereafter.


    Usually, the rear gate of the depot was open only during the placement of heavy loads, but was closed during the flight. However, it was open, and a very strong wind pulled all the guards out. Anelise quickly grabbed a grappling hook from her pocket and hurled it at the warehouse ceiling.


    The boxes were stuck to the floor, so they didn''t move. She saw a person in a metallic suit walking easily across the floor, as if the gate wasn''t even open. Beyond the gate, there was a jet chasing the plane. The person in the suit was most likely detaching the 7-Up boxes and placing them on the jet.


    As the jet was small, it could only carry one or two boxes. Suddenly, the warehouse door opened again, and more people appeared. But they weren''t plane guards.


    It was the US militia. When they heard the alarm go off, they rushed to the warehouse. Someone was already stealing the cargo, and they needed to get a share.


    They were wearing special shoes that stabilized them on the ground, just like the person in the suit.


    The person was almost finished loading the second box onto the jet when the militia showed up. They hurried and managed to position it on one of the wings. As they managed to accomplish the mission, they jumped on the jet and disappeared.


    The militia noticed Anelise on the ceiling and thought she was allied with the person in the suit. They took their rifles and fired at her.


    Yuto and Haji were sitting on the left side of the plane. They saw a jet approaching where they were, at the same speed as the plane.


    It started firing guided missiles at the plane. Realizing the threat, Yuto repelled the missiles. Yet another alarm sounded: the power one. Yuto didn''t care about that anymore. If any missile hit the plane, hundreds of lives would be lost.


    Another jet, on the right side, was approaching. It pushed the plane to the left, but nothing happened. The plane was equipped with an autopilot that stabilized the flight, even in the midst of impacts.


    Now that the alarm had already been activated, Genesis created several nanocameras and spread them around the plane. She observed the situation and guided the others. Yuto shouted at Tatsuya:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, go look for Anelise! She hasn''t come back from the bathroom so far, she must be in danger!


    ¡ª Understood!


    Charlotte followed Tatsuya. Malungo asked what he could do in that situation:


    ¡ª Ishikawa-san, what do I do?


    ¡ª Get in the cockpit! Maybe someone broke in without us noticing!


    ¡ª Okay! What will you do?


    ¡ª I''ll stay here to protect the passengers.


    Malungo ran to the pilot''s cabin. The door was open. He spied and saw two dead people: the pilot and the co-pilot of the plane.


    Behind them, there were several people wearing a dragon uniform. They were from the Yakuza. They noticed Malungo spying on them and soon shot him, who closed the door at the last minute, blocking the bullet.


    Malungo had no power, so he couldn''t beat armed people without using his brain. He crossed the hall and ran behind a wall that couldn''t be seen through the door. It was a provocation: if they wanted to kill him, they would have to get close. They noticed this, and walked cautiously towards him.


    He saw a fire extinguisher that had fallen nearby after all the commotion. But he would have to get to the other side of the hallway again. As they were alert, leaving unharmed would be impossible.


    He laid down and waited for the first mobster to come around the corner. When he arrived, he turned to the side where Malungo was, but didn''t see him, as he was lying down. With all the speed he had, Malungo crawled under the mobster''s legs to the other side. The others didn''t fire, afraid to hit their partner.


    Malungo quickly grabbed the extinguisher and got up. The mobster turned back, but didn''t have time to react. He aimed the mouth of the extinguisher at the mobster''s mouth and the icy smoke gushed.


    Malungo covered his nose so as not to inhale the toxic and freezing gas. The mobster had his respiratory system compromised, as his interior froze. As a precaution, Malungo hit his head with the extinguisher, and he fell to the ground.


    Malungo grabbed the extinguisher like a shield and appeared in front of the corridor. He ran towards the remaining mobsters. If they shot the extinguisher, a smokescreen would be created.


    They aimed at his legs, but Malungo foresaw that. He lowered the extinguisher to protect his legs. Freezing smoke formed and he continued running at top speed. When he was close enough, he threw the extinguisher at them and hit it with his shoulder. He used the combined mass of his body and the extinguiser to knock them out.


    He grabbed the nearest pistol quickly. One of the mobsters was not knocked down and fired blindly into the smoke, hitting Malungo in the right shoulder. He turned quickly and shot him in the head with the pistol. The others inhaled the smoke and were slower. Malungo had held his breath, so he had a quicker reaction. He got up and shot everyone in the head.


    He activated the ventilation system which was damaged but still working. He left the cabin to wait for the smoke to clear. He returned and saw that the plane''s controls had all been manipulated by the mobsters. The destination was the sea.


    Maybe they wanted no one to get the 7-Up, even if they couldn''t steal it. To make matters worse, the turbines were destroyed. The plane had an external shield that protected it from impacts. The jet pilots knew this, but they continued to attack it.


    Their objective was to distract whoever was inside so that the person in the suit could finish the robbery. There were three jets in total: two on the sides and one on the back. Confirming that they had been spotted and could take no more than two boxes, they engaged the jet''s maximum speed and ejected.


    The least protected area of the plane was the engines. They fired missiles synchronized with the speed of the jets. As there were four turbines, the jets on the sides fired the missiles at the turbines on the tips of the wings and used their own jets to pass through the ones closest to the windows of the plane.


    To distract Yuto, the left jet collided with the plane before throwing itself into the turbine. Soon after, it ejected the pilot, equipped with a parachute. All four turbines were destroyed. Yuto didn''t foresee what they were doing. He thought the jets were focusing on the plane itself, not its engines.


    Charlotte used her power to get to the warehouse as quickly as possible. It allowed her speed to increase significantly in only one direction at a time. So she would have to run to the corner of the corridor that led to the warehouse, stop, turn to the side and run again.


    The warehouse''s reinforced door was closed, and could only be opened with the password or card. But the guards who had the card flew out. Tatsuya pulled back the sleeve of his suit and revealed his watch. He touched it and it designed an energy sword. He used it to cut through the door with ease.


    When Charlotte saw the militia in the warehouse, she ran to one of the guards. Inertia caused her and the guard to be thrown towards the open gate. She released the man and turned back to the gate.


    She just needed to direct her body where she wanted to go. She flew back into the warehouse. She actually flew to grab Anelise, who was hanging from the ceiling. She caught her just as the militia fired at Anelise, preventing both of them from being hit. The hook continued to hang from the ceiling, and they both clung to it.


    Tatsuya decapitated all the guards simultaneously with his energy blade. Anelise and Charlotte were surprised: he didn''t go through the reinforced door at any time and was able to kill everyone with a short-range weapon.


    The warehouse gate had been broken open, so it couldn''t be closed. Knowing this, Charlotte pressed the button on the pistol that retracted the hook inward, releasing both of them from the ceiling.


    While in the air, she lined up with the door that Tatsuya had destroyed and they flew towards it. From that point on, the outside wind wasn''t pulling so hard, so they could stand.


    Malungo ran back to where Yuto was and warned him:


    ¡ª The turbines were destroyed, and the mobsters changed the plane''s destination to crash into the sea!


    ¡ª Sorry, I couldn''t stop the turbines from being destroyed. But why did the mobsters change the destination?


    ¡ª They probably realized they couldn''t steal the cargo, so they wanted to throw it overboard so no one could get it.


    ¡ª This conflict is going further than I expected. Were you able to identify all militia groups?


    ¡ª That guard who stopped me at the airport was part of the CIA, so they''re probably here too. The mobsters I encountered in the cockpit were from the Yakuza. The jets, I don''t know.


    ¡ª That''s good enough, Malungo, thanks for all the information. One day we will plot revenge against these countries.


    Charlotte, Anelise and Tatsuya arrived soon after. Yuto smiled when he realized that the three of them were fine. Tatsuya warned:


    ¡ª The pressure and air inside the plane are leaving through the back gate. If we don''t land soon, we''ll be asphyxiated or thrown out.


    ¡ª Understood. Have all threats been neutralized?


    Anelise replied:


    ¡ª Not all of them. A jet and a person wearing a metallic suit made off with two crates of 7-Up.


    ¡ª Then there was one more jet¡­ Thank you, Anelise.


    ¡ª Don''t think I''m helping you because I want to. This fight between countries could end up affecting Germany. I want to avoid risks for my country.


    Anelise sat where she was initially. Yuto continued:


    ¡ª I will create an artificial gate with my power to replace the one in the warehouse. And I''ll fly the plane too.


    Genesis, who was watching everything and helping everyone, commented:


    ¡ª Holding this plane with your power will be very tiring. I''ll use my power to repair the damage.


    ¡ª Thank you very much, Genesis.


    Luckily, none of the passengers died. Only the militia hired by the CIA, the Yakuza mobsters and the plane''s employees were not so lucky.


    Yuto managed to land the plane intact at an association airport in Tokyo. When it arrived, it had already been completely repaired by Genesis. The passengers split up and went to their destinations. Only the seven of Yuto''s group were left.


    A hologram of the Boss greeted them, saying:


    ¡ª Congratulations on returning unharmed, my dears! And thank you for securing the load.


    Yuto, who hadn''t seen that old man for a long time, exclaimed:


    ¡ª What are you doing here, bastard?!


    ¡ª Oh, Yuto-chan? That question should be mine. But how good to see you after so many years!


    ¡ª Don''t fuck with me! Don''t think I forgot what you did to my sister!


    ¡ª Kanata-chan? Oh come on, she deserved it. She shouldn''t have defied the association. Why don''t we forget the past and move on?


    Furious, Yuto walked up to the hologram and threw a punch, but it just went through. The Boss continued:


    ¡ª I didn''t know that you would be involved in this mission, but I''m very grateful for that, Yuto-chan. As a reward, why not take two boxes of 7-Up?


    Tatsuya commented:


    ¡ª We didn''t even have to ask nicely.


    Yuto was not calmed by the joke. Instead, he got even more angry:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, you knew that this mission was given by the Boss, didn''t you?


    ¡ª What''s the problem?


    ¡ª "What is the problem"?! If this guy died, the world would be a much better place. Do you know what he already did to me and Haji?


    Haji tried to calm him down:


    ¡ª Calm down, Yuto. Tokihito-san just wanted to help, and it worked. I know the Boss was involved in this, but can''t we just let it slide this time?


    ¡ª Have you forgotten what that crippled old man did to you? If he''s helping us now, there''s a reason behind it. Either he''s using us, or he''s trying to let our guard down to kill every single one of us!


    Yuto grabbed Haji''s hand, ordering:


    ¡ª Let''s get away from this nonsense, Haji.

 7-Up

    Yuto had agreed to protect 7-Up''s transport without knowing that it was a direct mission from the Boss. Tatsuya and his son knew but didn''t care much. Yuto, on the other hand, couldn''t bear the idea of working for that old man, in any way. He was always up to something, especially when he helped Yuto.


    He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He thought freaking out in front of his friends, even more so when they helped him, hadn''t been a good idea. Haji tried to comfort him, but he couldn''t forgive himself for showing such ingratitude.


    Everyone went to meet Yuto. The first to speak was Tatsuya:


    ¡ª I don''t know what happened between you and the Boss, but those potions can''t be drank alone.


    ¡ª I know¡­ But what if he''s up to something?


    ¡ª He certainly is, but that''s no reason to refuse a gift from him.


    ¡ª What''s the point if I''m the only one going to withstand the level 7 of this potion?


    ¡ª Nothing guarantees that. Any one of us can have level 7 compatibility besides you.


    ¡ª And how are we going to test this? Give them all to drink and hope they survive?


    ¡ª That''s why I negotiated with the Boss after you left. I got some level 5 and 6 crates as well.


    ¡ª How can you even negotiate with that guy?


    ¡ª He''s very flexible. He helps even his worst enemies.


    Yuto felt better. Everyone was there to test the potions they had worked so hard to get. It was the moment of truth. Who would withstand its effects and who would not? Only fate would decide. And also some other factors that were difficult to calculate.


    They decided to drink the potions in a hospital somewhere, in case someone got badly hurt by the incompatibility. The place had a sinister dark green aura, for some reason.


    They could go to Kiseki''s clinic, but they didn''t know what the Healing power would do about it. It could mitigate the pain while Kiseki was there, but the positive effects as well. It was uncertain what a mysterious power like that would do to an equally mysterious potion.


    They stayed in the waiting room. 7-Up came in a custom association thermos. After drinking the potion, they could take the gift bottle. It was thermal because temperature affected the result.


    The first person to take the 7-Up was Yuto, who had a little discomfort but soon got used to it. That was just a refresher dose, so he obviously had a compatibility.


    Tatsuya did the same. Everyone except him was surprised by the result: he didn''t have any negative reactions. He had maximum compatibility and did not suffer any damage. He knew why, but couldn''t tell anyone.


    Besides them, only Anelise accepted the level 7 attempt right away. At first, it felt like everything had worked out. Then she felt increasing dizziness and nausea.


    She lost the strength in her legs and knelt down. She started hearing voices in her head and going crazy. Worst of all, she felt such excruciating pain in her heart and brain that they seemed about to shut down or explode, whichever came first.


    Worried, Malungo and Yuto ran to the receptionist to announce the emergency. However, she interrupted them with a cry:


    ¡ª I AM FINE, STAY OUT OF THIS! I''M JUST GETTING WARM UP!


    Anelise was at her limit. She shouted that without even hearing her voice. Her ears were bleeding, so she lost her hearing. Dizziness and nausea took over her vision as well.


    Her skin grew cold and she couldn''t feel touch. Smell and taste were useless in that situation, but they probably stopped working too.


    Disoriented, she reached for another thermos. She took all the contents as fast as she could. She instantly fainted. Even unconscious, she spat blood and her eyes also began to bleed.


    Desperate, Charlotte shouted to Malungo and Yuto who had stopped on the way to the receptionist:


    ¡ª What are you doing?! Tell them this is an emergency!


    Yuto and Malungo continued on their way and scheduled the treatment with maximum urgency.


    Genesis knelt down to treat her with what she could. She created first-aid kits, morphine, anesthesia and applied everything quickly to mitigate Anelise''s suffering and slow down her blood loss.


    Charlotte picked up Anelise''s body and ran into the nearest room. She put her on a stretcher. Tatsuya followed Yuto and Malungo to fill in the necessary details for later. Haji just watched in horror.


    Doctors arrived immediately. The first thing they did was stop the bleeding. They tried every available option, but all they could do was slow down the certain death. As they had never seen that phenomenon before, they didn''t know what to do. They were out of options and especially time. As a last measure, they called Kiseki.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Yuto offered to bring Kiseki, as it would speed up the process. With supersonic speed, he flew to the clinic and brought her to the hospital in less than two minutes. Kiseki just laid her hand on Anelise''s forehead and she healed completely in 5 seconds. Anelise woke up confused and not knowing what happened:


    ¡ª Adolf-sama? I died and I''m in heaven with you?


    Kiseki, not understanding what that was about, asked:


    ¡ª Adolf¡­ sama? Who would that person be, lady?


    ¡ª What? Does that mean I didn''t die? What a misfortune...


    ¡ª O-Oh, I''m sorry, miss...


    ¡ª Why are you apologizing? Are you not a nurse?


    ¡ª Y-Yes! But I didn''t know you felt that way...


    ¡ª What a terrible nurse that lets suicides die because it''s their choice.


    ¡ª S-Sorry!


    Charlotte, upon hearing the name Anelise mentioned, had a bad vague memory. She''d heard that somewhere before, and it couldn''t be a good thing. Anelise continued:


    ¡ª Whatever. If I survived, it means I still haven''t fulfilled my role here on Earth.


    Charlotte pulled herself together and remembered why that had happened. Crying, she slapped Anelise, exclaiming:


    ¡ª Who do you think you are to have a suicidal attitude like that?! Do you think we don''t care about you? Are you so selfish that you think we wouldn''t cry over your death?


    ¡ª Of course no one would cry. No one cried when my great-great-grandfather died. With me it would be no different.


    ¡ª How can you say such a thing so nonchalantly?


    ¡ª It''s because it doesn''t matter now. That was an ordeal. If I died, I would finally meet my great-great-grandfather. If I survived, I should become level 7 no matter what. That was the case.


    ¡ª Level 7? What? And what does that have to do with killing yourself?


    ¡ª I''ve already said too much.


    Anelise got up from the gurney, feeling completely fine. She approached Malungo, who was silently watching everything. She leaned in close, as if she wanted to see his expression.


    His reaction was one of confusion, since she had never paid attention to him, other than when she wanted to mistreat him. She brought her hand close to Malungo''s head, with a flicking gesture. She flicked his forehead. He was thrown so far that he broke several walls on the way. When they rushed to help him, they saw that his head had been blown off by the impact.


    Kiseki soon healed him. He, even more confused than before, exclaimed:


    ¡ª Are you crazy?! It''s not enough to put up with you anymore, now you want to kill me?!


    Anelise ignored Malungo''s indignation. She looked down at her fist as she opened and closed it. She was amazed at that strength. She monologued:


    ¡ª It worked¡­ The potion took effect¡­ I''m finally as strong as a level 7!


    Tatsuya walked over and grabbed Anelise''s shoulder. Annoyed by all that unnecessary aggressiveness, he said:


    ¡ª What do you think you are doing? He''s your partner, and this is how you thank us for saving your life-


    Without waiting for Tatsuya to finish speaking, Anelise aimed at his face and punched with all her might. He narrowly dodged. He activated his energy sword and impaled Anelise''s stomach. He alerted:


    ¡ª You''re strong, alright. Just not on my level.


    Anelise was surprised by that mastery. She thought he only had level 7 compatibility by luck, but he was much stronger than he looked.


    Kiseki healed everyone and repaired everything that had been destroyed in the conflict. Tatsuya made sure to stay close to Anelise at all times, to watch over her. She behaved, knowing she didn''t stand a chance against him.


    They continued to take the potions. Since Kiseki was now there, Genesis, Haji, Malungo and Charlotte chose level 7.


    Everyone''s reaction was similar to Anelise''s. Except they didn''t push themselves as hard as she did. Kiseki healed everyone. They insisted that only the terminally ill be healed. If Kiseki''s power interfered with the process, it could affect the outcome.


    They went to a nearby square to test each other''s strength. Anelise asked to be faced by everyone at the same time, except for Yuto, Tatsuya and Kiseki.


    Malungo was the first to attack. He was still resentful of what Anelise had done, so his rage intensified the attack. He quickly ran towards her to punch her.


    She jumped to dodge. Charlotte used her power to reach her in the air. Charlotte was about to kick her down and push her back to the ground, when Anelise kicked her crotch up and ripped her in half.


    Genesis created a bazooka and fired dozens of ballistic missiles. Anelise closed her eyes, thinking she was in danger. But she took little damage.


    She pulled out a grenade and threw it towards Genesis. It pierced her head, "killing" her on the spot. Then the grenade exploded and shattered her.


    Malungo called Haji over to him. She ran to him, and he was in a position to throw her in the air. She was thrown like a missile towards Anelise, who was hit in the stomach by Haji''s headbutt.


    Angered, she elbowed Haji in the heart, piercing her with all her might. Malungo used this chance to jump even higher than the two and land with maximum speed.


    He landed like a spear and pierced them both. When he reached the ground, the impact formed an explosion that destroyed the entire square.


    After training, Kiseki healed everyone and repaired the plaza. Tatsuya commented to Yuto:


    ¡ª That scares me.


    ¡ª What?


    ¡ª If they evolved this much on the same day they took the potion, imagine a few months from now. Especially Anelise. She took two shots on purpose just to get stronger than the rest.


    ¡ª Relax, we can handle them easily.


    ¡ª For now.


    ¡ª My power is perfect for that. I can stop their hearts whenever I want, in case they get out of hand. And by the way, you still haven''t told me what is yours.


    ¡ª That is confidential. Sorry, but I can''t say yet.


    ¡ª Alright, each one has their secrets. The only thing that solves it is time.

 Android kidnapper

    When the training ended, Tatsuya invited everyone to sleep in a hotel. Since he had money, he would pay for everyone. They accepted the courtesy, as they were tired after such a day.


    It was a five star hotel. It was located inside a skyscraper that was used for several different purposes. Some floors were reserved just for the hotel, while the others were shops, bars, restaurants and everything a building could have.


    Three rooms have been reserved: one for Yuto and Haji, one for Genesis, Malungo and Charlotte, and one for Tatsuya and Anelise. He needed to keep an eye on that maniac, so he insisted on sharing a room. Malungo would be alone again, but Charlotte and Genesis decided to keep him company.


    The receptionist was a less advanced android than Genesis. She had green short hair and wore a suit. She was owned by the association and was rented by the hotel to carry out various works. She couldn''t abandon her job, much less leave that building.


    If that happened, a self-destruct command was automatically activated. Some people managed to get around this by taking the android''s location chip, but had to replace it with a counterfeit one.


    Genesis saw herself in that humanoid figure. Like her, Genesis had also been a slave to the association. She was a luxury maid, but couldn''t do anything other than what she was programmed to do.


    While the others talked among themselves in the lobby, Genesis decided to free the android. That model, although outdated, had the function of eating and drinking anything. It wasn''t necessary, but it could be used to detect poisons and other dangerous substances hidden in food. They also had a sense of taste to identify the taste of the food they prepared.


    However, the androids never got hungry or thirsty. It was just a useful function for customers. Genesis also had those functions, albeit improved. Everything she ate could be used as a source of energy.


    Knowing this, she created a random drink and placed a fake location chip in it. She asked the android to drink, but she refused because she noticed the strange object. That model wasn''t supposed to defend itself, so Genesis just forced the drink into her mouth. She didn''t resist, as that would be a symbol of aggression towards customers.


    Behind the chip, Genesis placed a magnet. When it entered the android''s body, it would be pulled to where the official location chip was and replaced it. Genesis left, satisfied. Even though the android still couldn''t do anything on her own, she was no longer trapped in that place. She wouldn''t explode if she set foot outside the building.


    She left that creature to be adopted by whoever wanted it. No one tried to steal an android knowing it could self-destruct. But specialists would soon notice her difference from the others.


    They slept in their respective rooms. The first to wake up was Malungo. In the army, he was trained to get little sleep and still wake up rested.


    Since he had nothing to do, he looked at his cell phone. He opened the association''s app, in case there was something useful on the homepage. And there was: the finals of the official tournament would take place that day.


    Initially, the match was supposed to be one-on-one between Caliel and Kiseki. However, Caliel was still missing. She had probably died in the incident at the mall. The Boss called Mifuyu and Revon to fight on that special occasion. Mifuyu soon refused. She didn''t want to fight anymore after losing to Caliel.


    Revon, however, accepted. She wanted a rematch after that humiliating defeat. Obviously, she wasn''t going to use all of her strength on Kiseki. That would be unfair, given the difference between their powers.


    Even so, she wanted to win the finals so that her master would be proud of her. He always had been, but Revon was never satisfied with herself. She always wanted to improve and eventually surpass her master.


    She knew that was impossible, but her competitive spirit revived when she heard that she could win the finals. Therefore, the agenda had been updated. The battle would be between Revon and Kiseki.


    Malungo was interested in the battle. He was obsessed with Japan and wanted to make the most of his business trip. When they got the 7-Up, he sent part of it to his boss, saying that was all he got. It was a lie. He wanted to keep a part for him. Besides, he could stay longer in Japan if he carried out his mission little by little.


    Charlotte and Anelise did the same. In fact, Anelise got most of the 7-Up. She insisted that she was the best fit for it, and that the others didn''t deserve it. Two boxes lasted a lot longer than they looked. Each bottle had a shelf life of 7 months. They didn''t understand why Anelise needed so many, but they didn''t question it.


    Via messages, Malungo asked the others if they wanted to watch the battle. They hadn''t woken up yet, so the messages would serve as a reminder.


    With nothing to do, he decides to take a walk around the building. He climbed the stairs as a morning exercise and went to the heliport. The cold breeze was much different than what he was used to. In his country, there weren''t many skyscrapers and the weather was as hot as a desert, almost permanently. He looked at the beautiful cityscape, proud of arriving there safe and sound.


    His body was way lighter after the 7-Up. He decided to jog on the heliport, do hundreds of push ups, sit-ups etc., since it was easier than ever now. Satisfied, he decided to enter the building again. He didn''t know what the schedule of activities was for that day, so he went to reception to ask.


    When he got to the lobby, he saw a suspicious person. It was a man who was bending down close to the receptionist android. Malungo approached them to hear their conversation.


    ¡ª Seriously, lass. Why do all the androids I see have such big breasts?


    ¡ª It is a service to satisfy customers, sir. This motivates them to come here more often.


    ¡ª These people are disgusting. Look, lady: you don''t have to work for the association anymore. Not even for this hotel.


    ¡ª But, sir, models like me can''t leave this building. We were programmed to serve customers only.


    ¡ª And what am I, your boss? I''m your client, madam. Listen here: I''m freeing as many androids as I can. I can''t bear to see you being enslaved by the damn association.


    ¡ª But, sir...


    ¡ª No "but". You come with me. First, let''s go to the mall. We need to get rid of these corporate clothes. Then we will decide your name.


    The man grabbed the android''s hand and pulled her off the reception desk. He knew her tracking chip had already been replaced. This made his job a lot easier.


    Malungo was surprised by that scene. It was a fully exposed kidnapping. It looked like that man had already done that several times and wouldn''t care if he was found out. Malungo shouted at him:


    ¡ª Hey, stop it already! What do you think you''re doing kidnapping someone like that?


    ¡ª Oh, sorry, I didn''t see you there. So man, I have a reason to do this. So, if you don''t mind...


    The man ran outside.


    ¡ª I do mind! Come back here!


    Malungo followed him. They ran for kilometers. The man opted for alleys to lose him, but Malungo was used to not losing sight of his target.


    The city where he lived looked like a labyrinth, so since he was a child he already knew how to lose his pursuers. The difference was that now he was the pursuer.


    Malungo pretended to have lost sight of him and hid in an alley. The man held the android like she was a feather. Everyone around thought it suspicious, but no one called the police.


    He stopped at a gas station, tired. Confused, the android said:


    ¡ª Sir, what are you doing? I cannot leave that building, nor abandon my function.


    ¡ª But you already left, and nothing happened. Relax, you no longer have the association''s location chip. You''re free now.


    ¡ª I''m trapped in your arms...


    ¡ª Fair enough. I''ll put you down.


    The man let go of the android and leaned against the station''s gas tank. She watched him like a lost child. He took out his cell phone and looked at it as if it was an aberration, complaining:


    ¡ª What the hell¡­ How do I turn this thing on again?


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The android, noticing the difficulty he had in using the cell phone, tried to guide him:


    ¡ª Sir, may I help you?


    ¡ª No need¡­ I''ll do it myself¡­


    The man finally gave up and gave his cell phone to the android, saying:


    ¡ª All right, you can try. I recently changed my cell phone, and I still haven''t learned how to use this one.


    ¡ª No problem, sir, my job is to serve you. You can ask me to do anything you want.


    ¡ª I already told you that you no longer belong to the association, but this time it''s okay. Could you select Harry''s number so I can call him?


    ¡ª As you wish.


    The android did the task in less than three seconds. The man stared at her as if she were an omniscient goddess. But he did not admit:


    ¡ª Well¡­ I was almost done. I made it easy for you.


    ¡ª Certainly, sir. I wouldn''t do anything without your help.


    The man took the cell phone without looking at her, as if not admitting his crushing defeat in handling the device. He started talking to the person on the other end:


    ¡ª Harry, I found one more.


    ¡ª Damn, man. I already told you to stop making a fuss.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, man. You know I can''t stand to see androids in that condition.


    ¡ª Okay, okay. I don''t have many counterfeit chips, so you''ll have to get me more later. Where are you?


    ¡ª Oh, you don''t have to worry about that. Her chip was already changed before I found her.


    ¡ª What? Who could have done this?


    ¡ª I don''t know, but does it really matter?


    ¡ª It does matter! What if they''ve already discovered us and are doing this just to tease us?


    ¡ª Relax, Harry, you worry too much.


    ¡ª You''re the one being too carefree! But whatever¡­ If you don''t want the chip, why did you call me?


    ¡ª I need a car.


    ¡ª For what?


    ¡ª I wanted to change her clothes, but the malls are not near here. I had to run away from them to throw a kid off.


    ¡ª A brat? So it means you''ve really been discovered...


    ¡ª Of course not! He stopped chasing me, so I managed to get away.


    ¡ª I do not believe that. But okay, I''ll get you a car. Send me your coordinates.


    The android passed his coordinates through his cell phone.


    ¡ª There it is. Thanks for everything, Harry.


    ¡ª We are friends, of course I would help you. But stop getting into trouble all the time.


    ¡ª Okay, I''ll try to remember that.


    ¡ª You won''t.


    Both ended the call. Malungo could not hear the conversation, as he was far away. The android was poking the man''s cheek, trying to get his attention. When he noticed, he asked:


    ¡ª Something happened?


    ¡ª No, sir. I just have the feeling that I saw a person in that alley.


    The android pointed at Malungo, who soon hid. The man did not have time to see him, but he already understood what it was about. He took the android''s hand and continued to flee.


    Since he sent the coordinates of his position in real time, Harry would find him wherever he went. Knowing this, he ran as far away as he could from there. He reached a bridge, where Malungo could no longer hide and the man would know where he was.


    While he was running, a car approached the man. It was his friend''s truck. He jumped into the open back of the vehicle.


    ¡ª You saved my life.


    ¡ª So this guy chasing you is the kid from before?


    ¡ª Yes. I couldn''t lose him even after running for a distance. He''s pretty fast.


    ¡ª I can see that. He''s almost reaching us. Hang in there, now the intense part begins.


    Harry accelerated his truck. It reached 300 km/h. It was a vehicle modified by him, so it could reach extreme speeds even though it was a seemingly old truck.


    Malungo was running at 150 km/h. When he noticed the truck accelerating, he stopped to rest. He couldn''t run much faster than that with just the 7-Up.


    The car entered a tunnel that covered the bridge. Malungo looked back and saw several cars and motorcycles crossing the bridge. He focused his attention on the fastest-looking vehicle: a police motorcycle.


    Police cars and motorcycles used to be much faster in Japan than in the rest of the world. They needed to have some chance against the association''s heroes.


    He stopped a little to the side of the trajectory of the motorcycle, which didn''t slow down. He aimed at the back wheel. As it passed him, he grabbed the inside of the wheel as precisely as possible.


    If he ran while the bike was at full speed, he would combine their speed while hitchhiking. The policeman, scared, accelerated to the maximum so that Malungo let go of the wheel.


    Both were traveling at 500 km/h. They reached the truck quickly. The suspicious man threw several grenades, as well as thorns that punctured tires.


    However, the bike''s wheels were missile resistant. They would not burst with sharp objects. Knowing this, the man aimed the grenades at the motorcycle driver. He didn''t intend to hit him, he just wanted Malungo to protect the policeman and the bike''s balance to be destroyed.


    And he did it. Malungo stopped running and threw the bike back. Since he was close enough, he jumped onto the tunnel wall to use it as a surface. He hopped toward the back of the truck, falling into it. Looking at the man, he exclaimed:


    ¡ª I could arrest you for kidnapping an android. But if you hand her over now, I can forget about all that.


    ¡ª Calm down, man. I already said that I had a reason to do this.


    ¡ª A reason? Like enslave her and use her as a sex toy?


    ¡ª Don''t mistake me for the association!


    The man raged, offended at being compared to the one he hated. Malungo continued to interrogate him:


    ¡ª And what kind of important reason would that be?


    ¡ª It''s personal, I can''t say that easily.


    ¡ª You want to convince me and you''re clowning?


    ¡ª All right, I''ll tell you. I once had an android friend. But he turned into something much worse than I could have imagined. He killed lots and lots of innocent people. If I had been there when he needed me none of this would have happened.


    ¡ª So you intend to use this android to replace him?


    ¡ª Nothing can replace him. I just can''t stand to see androids like this one serving the association like slaves. Every time I see one of them, I think of my android friend.


    Harry, who was driving the truck, opened the window behind him. Without looking at Malungo, he said:


    ¡ª He''s just like that. Trust me, I''ve tried to talk him out of it, but it''s impossible.


    Malungo hesitated for a few seconds. He sat on the floor of the truck, stating:


    ¡ª Okay, I believe in you. But if I find out you lied to me, I''ll kill you myself.


    ¡ª That''s good enough for me. You can come to my house if you want to see it for yourself.


    ¡ª You shouldn''t have told me that. Why would I refuse?


    ¡ª Wonderful. Harry, take us to my house.


    ¡ª With pleasure.


    They went to the mystery man''s house. When they entered, they were faced with a crowd of androids practically identical to the one that had just been kidnapped.


    The man turned on the light and saw birthday decorations. All of them were wearing cute clothes. They congratulated him:


    ¡ª Happy birthday, Karma!


    The man was called Karma. He, flattered, replied:


    ¡ª Thank you very much, guys! I didn''t even remember that today was my birthday. Ana, did you plan all this?


    In the center of the androids, one stood out. She was called Ana and was the first of them that Karma kidnapped. She happily replied:


    ¡ª Yes, sir! I always wanted to express the gratitude I have for you.


    ¡ª I should be the one saying this. I owe you much more than you owe me.


    ¡ª That is not true, sir. You saved my life.


    Karma hugged Ana tightly. In fact, the one who told her about her birthday was Harry. He watched everything with a smile. Noticing that, Malungo also smiled. Harry said:


    ¡ª Congratulations, you son of a bitch.


    ¡ª Thank you, Harry. I would be nothing without you.


    Karma was crying with emotion. He turned back and said:


    ¡ª Boy, what''s your name?


    ¡ª Malungo. By the way, happy birthday.


    ¡ª Thank you, Malungo. That''s what I wanted to show you. We are a family. Without the androids and Harry, I don''t know who I would be.


    ¡ª It seems you were speaking the truth. You really love each other. All right, you can have the android.


    ¡ª Thanks, boy.


    ¡ª I already confirmed what I came to see, so I have to go. My friends are probably already awake.


    ¡ª Are you sure you don''t want to stay?


    ¡ª Another day we will meet again. Until then, I want to see a hundred androids.


    ¡ª That''s easy! You can be sure I''ll get an army.


    ¡ª But don''t use it as an army. They are your family.


    ¡ª For sure. Until next time, Malungo.


    ¡ª Until next time, Karma.

 Aryan legacy

    Malungo went back to the hotel. Charlotte was in the lobby, calling the receptionist who was no longer there. When she saw Malungo coming in, she exclaimed:


    ¡ª Malungo, where the fuck were you?


    ¡ª I was chasing an android kidnapper. He wasn''t dangerous, so I came back.


    ¡ª An android kidnapper? Is that why the receptionist isn''t here anymore?


    ¡ª Yes, he added her to his collection. What are you doing here?


    ¡ª I was going to ask the receptionist if she had seen you. We were all worried, even Anelise!


    ¡ª Wait, for real? She worried about me? This is indeed something strange.


    ¡ª You sent us that message asking if we wanted to watch the tournament finals. We couldn''t find you anywhere and we thought something serious had happened.


    ¡ª Relax, I''m fine.


    Charlotte lightly slapped Malungo''s face, crying. She complained:


    ¡ª At least let us know before trying something so dangerous! I don''t know what I would do if I lost you.


    Charlotte cared intensely about her friends. She was very sentimental, so she sacrificed himself whenever they were in danger. Malungo was like that too, so he felt better with the slap. She continued:


    ¡ª Will you still want to see the tournament?


    ¡ª Of course I will. Now I''m more excited than ever!


    ¡ª Let''s meet up with the others, then.


    Everyone was looking for Malungo around the skyscraper. Charlotte sent a message for everyone to gather. As it was almost lunchtime, they chose the main dining room of the hotel. It was a fancy place, full of fancy people.


    When they saw Malungo, they smiled in relief. They sat down to lunch. Anelise was looking at him with a malicious smile. She didn''t usually smile, because she almost always felt disgusted by everything and everyone. She said:


    ¡ª Look if it isn''t our dear Malungo. I missed ya, you know?


    ¡ª I''m glad to hear that, it doesn''t even sound like you.


    ¡ª Give me a break, my friend, I worry about you.


    ¡ª Why are you smiling like that?


    ¡ª It''s because I''m so happy to see you that I can''t help myself.


    Malungo suspected the veracity of that statement. She was certainly hiding something. Yuto commented:


    ¡ª Thank you for that message, Malungo. I was all set to watch the finals, but I didn''t know when they would be.


    ¡ª I didn''t even know about them until earlier today. They are on the home page of the association''s app. You should use it more often.


    ¡ª I am afraid of being tracked while using that app.


    Genesis suggested a solution:


    ¡ª If that''s the case, Yuto, I can create a new cell phone just to access the application. You can discard it later.


    ¡ª Thank you, Genesis. That would help a lot.


    Malungo continued:


    ¡ª By the way, Ishikawa-san, did you know that Caliel is missing and Revon will replace her?


    ¡ª I didn''t know that. We''ve heard some rumors, but we didn''t actually believe them at the time. A level 6 being killed by a boy? Turns out they may be true.


    Genesis added:


    ¡ª Yeah, we were on the same shopping when that happened. Yuto doesn''t remember much from that day, so I had to tell him everything.


    ¡ª Wait, really? Yuto, you must be suffering from amnesia, you should see a doctor. Can''t Kiseki heal you?


    ¡ª I''ve tried, but it seems like it''s not something related to my body. It seems that an outside force prevents my memories from returning to me.


    ¡ª That''s weird, really weird. If Kiseki can''t heal you, I hope time can.


    ¡ª Thanks, mate. Time is usually the answer for everything, so I''m sure I''ll be alright in some days or weeks.


    ¡ª I hope so. Anyways, did you get to see the recent battles by any chance? We''ve been busy with our work, so we had to pass it.


    ¡ª Yeah, we''ve seen the semifinals. They were pretty good, I must admit.


    ¡ª Do you think we would stand a chance?


    ¡ª Against the level 6''s? No way, man, at least not yet. I''m not downplaying you, I''m just saying that powers and 7-Up get stronger with time.


    ¡ª So they monopolize the levels.


    ¡ª Not really. If you train hard enough, you can skip some levels. But the powerful heroes always have the advantage.


    ¡ª Looks like I''ll need a power.


    Yuto, Tatsuya and Genesis looked at Haji.


    ¡ª Why are you looking at me? I''ll not give powers like candy.


    Yuto explained:


    ¡ª She''s the main source of powers in this country. If you touch her, you''ll get a power tomorrow.


    ¡ª Wait, really? I think I''ll pass this time. I don''t want to become dependent on my power. What if I lose it?


    Haji answered:


    ¡ª It''s permanent. Don''t worry, I''ll always be here when you decide to get a power.


    ¡ª I meant, what if someone seals my power? I''ll keep working hard to not depend on anything besides my body. Thank you for the offer, though.


    They talked some more after they finished lunch. They went to their respective rooms to change. Malungo was lucky enough to have two girls in his room. On purpose, he took longer at lunch. He was the last to return to the room. He opened the door slowly to peek out at that miraculous image.


    Genesis and Charlotte were standing talking, only in their underwear. Malungo enjoyed every second of it. He was in his youth, so it was natural for him to be interested in this. When Charlotte turned to pick up her cell phone from a table, she saw the half-open door. She went to it to close it, thinking that the wind had pushed it.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    When she grabbed the doorknob, she remembered that Malungo hadn''t returned yet. That looked very suspicious, so she opened the door to see if anyone was in the hallway. She saw Malungo squeezing himself against the wall so as not to be seen. He tried to run away. Charlotte threw her cell phone as hard as she could at his head.


    She used her power to increase the cellphone''s speed in the air. As Malungo knew she would react like that, he quickly lowered his head. The cell phone went straight through the window at the end of the hall. It was never found again. As Malungo ran, she shouted:


    ¡ª Get back here, you bastard! You won''t get away with it!


    Genesis created another cell phone for her. Charlotte could have run faster than him, but she calmed down after destroying her cell phone and went back to her room. She was very embarrassed at having been seen half naked by his friend, but destroying any object was enough to quell the anger.


    Genesis and Charlotte finished changing and went to the hallway to wait for the others. Without looking at him, Charlotte complained:


    ¡ª I''ll never forgive you for that, but... what do you have to say¡­?


    ¡ª I sure loved it.


    ¡ª I-Idiot! Go change soon and get out of my sight.


    Genesis didn''t seem bothered by any of that. She was smiling, as if she actually enjoyed it. But she was smiling most of the time, so it was hard to know what she was thinking.


    The side door opened. It was Anelise, who was still wearing her usual military clothes. Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Anelise, why haven''t you changed yet? The match will start in a few hours, but we''d better get going soon.


    ¡ª I am not going, I''ll stay with Malungo. I need to talk about something important with him.


    Malungo, surprised by that preference, said:


    ¡ª With me? I myself had planned that I would go with them¡­


    ¡ª Malungo, you wouldn''t reject a little chat with me, would you? Or would you rather refuse the attention I''m giving you for the first time in your miserable life?


    Anelise said this with an even more hideous smile than before. Her eyes stared straight into Malungo''s, piercing his soul. He looked away, but he couldn''t help that ominous aura. He responded:


    ¡ª Okay, okay, you won! I''ll stay with you. Why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?


    ¡ª I''ll tell you everything about me. Be glad a goddess like me is giving so much attention to an impure nigg*r.


    Charlotte, bothered by those insults, commented:


    ¡ª Anelise, what the fuck?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!


    ¡ª Shut up, Charlotte, I''m not talking to you.


    Charlotte was surprised by her aggressiveness. She was the person Anelise treated the best, but it seemed that person was now Malungo. She responded:


    ¡ª Okay, whatever. If you want to be with him so badly, there''s nothing I can do.


    Tatsuya, Yuto and Haji also came out of their rooms, prepared. Seeing everyone, Malungo apologized:


    ¡ª Guys, something unexpected has happened and I will not be able to go. Go without me.


    Confused, Yuto asked:


    ¡ª What happened, Malungo?


    ¡ª Anelise really wants to talk to me, and it needs to be now. We''ll meet you later.


    Anelise noticed an error in his statement:


    ¡ª We''re not meeting with you later. Malungo and I will have a long talk. We won''t have time to see you.


    Tatsuya sensed that something was going to happen between them. As he was married and had a child, he thought they would form a family together. He smiled, saying:


    ¡ª There''s no need to be afraid, Malungo. Every adventure starts like this. Enjoy youth while you can.


    Malungo understood Tatsuya''s interpretation instantly. He was embarrassed, thinking he was right. He looked at Anelise, but her devilish gaze didn''t seem to say the same thing as Tatsuya''s. Yuto didn''t understand any of that. He was still too young for that conversation, even though he was already an adult. Tatsuya continued:


    ¡ª Well, we have to go. Let''s leave the two alone.


    When everyone left, Anelise pulled Malungo to his room. She threw him on the bed, laying down soon after, very close to him. Extremely embarrassed and unprepared, he commented:


    ¡ª Anelise, don''t you think we should start with something simpler first?


    Anelise didn''t answer, she just put her finger in front of his mouth, as a symbol of silence. She started to speak:


    ¡ª Malungo, have you heard about the Third Reich?


    ¡ª Oh... yes. It was the period of Nazi Germany, right?


    ¡ª Exactly. However, many historians claim that it never really took hold. They always say that Nazism was not the Third Reich. How dare they doubt my great-great grandfather?


    ¡ª Anelise, I''m not sure I understand what you''re getting at.


    ¡ª Do you want to form the Fourth Reich with me?


    ¡ª What? This is a joke, right?


    Anelise''s eyes and smile didn''t make it sound like a joke. She looked more serious than ever. Malungo, not knowing what to answer, said:


    ¡ª Why in the world would I accept such an offer? Hitler was a villain, and I don''t side with villains. Also, I am not part of the Aryan race. I would be persecuted by such a regime.


    ¡ª I''ll tell you a secret that even Charlotte doesn''t know: my great-great-grandfather was Adolf Hitler. I have the right to inherit his empire.


    While at school, Malungo was very interested in history. Not even he himself knew that Hitler had descendants. Surprised, he stated:


    ¡ª There''s no way that can be true. He died without having any children.


    ¡ª My lineage had to go into hiding for over a century because of public opinion. They isolated themselves in different corners of Germany after Adolf-sama died. He himself made a point of erasing the family''s identity before he died, so that they could live in peace.


    ¡ª I do not believe that. Even if it''s true, you don''t have to follow their legacy. You are Anelise, a young woman free to be whatever you want to be.


    Malungo realized that Anelise felt chained to her lineage. He wanted to free her from the chains of that cursed family. However, she replied something unexpected:


    ¡ª You''re right, I''m free. And I chose to follow the same path as my great-great-grandfather. In fact, I want to be even bigger than him. I want not only to dominate Germany, but the whole world this time.


    ¡ª Anelise, you can''t be serious. We''ve known each other for years, and I''m sure you''re not like that.


    ¡ª Do you think you know anything about me? I am of the Aryan race and I agreed to ally myself with a disgusting monkey like you. I''m offering you my pity to continue the Hitler bloodline. If you agree to have a child with me, we will rule the world together.


    ¡ª You''re scaring me now. This is definitely not you. Why would someone from the Aryan race have a relationship with an african?


    ¡ª If we join the best race with the worst, we can discover something new. Our child could be a god beyond our comprehension. Since we''ve never tried this before, it''s possible.


    ¡ª No way, Anelise. I will get you out of this illusion. You are not well and need treatment.


    Anelise never stopped smiling. Malungo was growing scared, but he decided to face it to save his friend. She, still smiling, replied:


    ¡ª Are you sure you can challenge me, you disgusting pig?


    ¡ª Wasn''t I a monkey until a few seconds ago?


    ¡ª I don''t care what you are. Your race is so horrible that it should be erased from existence. However, I''m having the mercy to try something new and give you the chance to take over the world with me. It''s like they say: opposites attract.


    ¡ª I won''t change my mind. I will get you out of this illusion, no matter what happens to me!


    ¡ª Are you sure? I''ll give you one more chance.


    Malungo would respond with all the willpower he had. He wasn''t going to change his mind, because he knew what the right thing to do was. However, the fear that he felt in his heart reached its peak. The answer he chose would change the course of his life.


    Anelise waited for the answer for seconds that seemed like hours to him. He froze, but she continued to smile with her eyes as red as blood penetrating his soul. He gathered all the courage that was left in his heart and shouted:


    ¡ª NO WAY AM I GOING TO ALLY WITH NAZISM! I WILL PROTECT YOU EVEN IF IT COST MY LIFE-


    Realizing that he hadn''t changed his mind, Anelise pierced his heart with her fist. Still smiling, she commented:


    ¡ª Protect me? Malungo, you are very funny. Well I gave you a chance and you turned it down. It''s a shame, such an experiment would be very interesting.


    Malungo didn''t think she would actually do that. As he was in Japan, he imagined himself in an anime in which the protagonist fearlessly faces danger and the antagonist respects his courage, deciding to join his side.


    He thought this was a perfect formula for resolving inevitable conflicts. He never imagined that a friend could betray him so easily. He trusted her and expected her to trust him too. The reality proved the opposite.


    Anelise took a knife out of her uniform and pierced Malungo''s head vertically. It was not enough to kill him instantly, so she sliced his face out of his head. 7-Up increased the kill time, so Malungo wouldn''t die as quickly as he wanted. He lasted for some seconds, having that demon as his last memory. He couldn''t do anything, just wait for his fate.


    A fate he could have changed, if she was a little less evil.

 Twins

    Yuto, Haji, Charlotte, Genesis and Tatsuya went to the official tournament. The final battle was supposed to be between Caliel and Kiseki, originally. With Caliel gone, Revon replaced her.


    Unlike the semifinals, the final would be played at the association''s main stadium. It was located on a colossal airship. Obviously, walls covered the stand so that it would not fall. But they also had the function of becoming transparent, giving the city a view.


    As it would start flying shortly before the match started, everyone needed to arrive early. Anyone who was late could not enter, except for who paid extra. When they sat down in the stands, the match was about to start. The announcer girl began to say:


    ¡ª Welcome to the official tournament final! As everyone knows, an unforeseen event occurred and Caliel had to be replaced by Revon, the ninja! Without further ado, on the one hand we have...


    Suddenly, something strange formed behind the announcer. It looked like a portal leading into a room. Two people came out of that portal. Immediately, everyone in the stands recognized them. As there were numerous nanocameras throughout the entire stadium, they approached the announcer''s room to show the stands everything that was happening inside.


    The first person to come out was Distortion, the fifth level 7. He had short black hair, military clothing, and purple eyes. He appeared to be over two meters tall.


    The second was his twin sister, Unizard, the sixth level 7. She wore a purple wizard uniform and hat. She had orange hair and yellow eyes. She appeared to be nearly two meters tall, but a little shorter than her brother.


    Both were the Boss''s twin sons. Even his relatives didn''t make it to level 7 due to favoritism, so everyone knew they were very strong.


    As they were very tall, they had to look down while facing the announcer who had her back turned. She didn''t notice the ominous aura until she saw that the entire bleachers fell silent.


    She looked back, and before she could say anything, Unizard grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up. With a superior smile, she said calmly:


    ¡ª My brother and I want to participate in the tournament. Now.


    ¡ª But, Unizard-sama, we can''t change plans at the last minute-


    ¡ª Do it now or I''ll kill you. Is it so difficult to understand your position?


    ¡ª But¡­


    The announcer looked at Distortion, who was staring at her with an even more frightening smile. There was nothing she could do against those two giants. He said:


    ¡ª Come on, sis. This is not the right way to ask for something. We have to offer something in return.


    He approached the announcer and said:


    ¡ª Either you do as we say, or I''ll explode your organs and make soup out of them for your family to drink. You choose.


    Unizard felt uncomfortable with the unnecessary comment, but maintained her aura of superiority. She continued:


    ¡ª If you understand, do your job.


    ¡ª Y-Yes!


    Unizard released the announcer, who soon began changing the details of the battle on the control panel in the room. Both twins watched the change of plans. When the announcer was selecting Kiseki''s combatant, Distortion commented:


    ¡ª Kiseki will be my opponent. I want to revel in the suffering of this fragile little creature.


    ¡ª A-Alright, Distortion-sama!


    ¡ª Hey, you''re too tense. Are you afraid of having me around?


    ¡ª N-No, sir! It''s just that...


    Distortion leaned close to the speaker''s ear, as if he were going to tell her a secret. He whispered:


    ¡ª I like you. Let''s play later.


    Unizard felt jealous:


    ¡ª Hey bro, I thought I was your favorite.


    ¡ª You are, sis. I don''t mean that kind of "play". You understood what I meant.


    ¡ª Even so¡­


    ¡ª Come on, don''t be like this. You know the only one who can really turn me on is you. But sometimes we need a little extra toys.


    Unizard looked away, dissatisfied. She just commented:


    ¡ª Well, if you''re going to fight with Kiseki, I''ll stay with Revon. But make sure you don''t overdo it, brother.


    ¡ª Me, exaggerate? Of course, I''m not going to promise such a thing. You know very well how easily I get carried away.


    ¡ª Whatever. The announcer has already finished her work. Let''s go to our places.


    ¡ª "To our places"? We don''t need such a thing. We can just show up in the middle of the stage and put on a show for everyone to admire.


    Unizard lost her patience and stared at her brother with a lifeless gaze. She said dryly:


    ¡ª Let''s. Go. To. Our. Places.


    ¡ª Whoa... You don''t have to look at me that way. Did I do something that bothered you?


    ¡ª Let''s get out of here soon.


    ¡ª All right, If that''s what my little sister wants.


    A portal opened behind them both and they walked backwards. Soon after, the portal closed. Even without them around, the announcer was traumatized. When Distortion said he wanted to play with someone, it wasn''t a good sign. Her fate was sealed. With a broken spirit, she coldly said to the spectators:


    ¡ª One more unforeseen event happened, and the final will be postponed. There will be two more semifinals before the big battle: Unizard versus Revon and Distortion versus Kiseki.


    Haji, unhappy with all that, said to Yuto:


    ¡ª This is unfair! They enter the last half and want to steal the spotlight!


    ¡ª I know, but there''s nothing we can do. Seeing them battling would help us a lot to get an idea of what we''re up against.


    ¡ª Yuto, are you defending those psychopaths?


    Tatsuya interrupted the conversation:


    ¡ª He is right. If we''re going to defeat them, we first need to understand their powers and battle styles.


    ¡ª But, that''s not right¡­


    ¡ª Haji, not everything in life is right. Sometimes, we need to make cruel decisions for the result to be worthwhile.


    The first battle would be between Distortion and Kiseki. He was so looking forward to that moment of ecstasy and he couldn''t wait his turn. About to start, the announcer said:


    ¡ª Without further ado, we will start the new semifinals. The first battle will be between Distortion and Kiseki.


    Both entered the arena. Since they were so far away, they couldn''t see each other clearly. Kiseki already knew what kind of person that was. She shuddered, but started walking toward him. Distortion, in response, walked towards her, commenting:


    ¡ª Oh, so you''re approaching me? Instead of running away, are you coming straight for me?


    ¡ª D-Distortion-sama, I can''t beat you if I don''t get any closer.


    ¡ª Well then, get as close as you like.


    Kiseki didn''t notice, but their voices were being teleported through portals created by Distortion. He did it unconsciously, so he didn''t even notice that they were too far away to hear each other.


    Still scared, Kiseki stated:


    ¡ª S-Sorry, Distortion-sama, but I can''t take it easy on this battle.


    ¡ª Why are you apologizing, Kiseki-chan? That''s just how I like it. If you take it easy, it won''t be fun to destroy you.


    When they were close enough, Kiseki jumped towards him. However, she just flew right through Distortion, as if he wasn''t even there. She didn''t understand right away, but remembered the portals.


    Distortion formed a portal in front of him and another one behind him. He also did it unconsciously, when a very strong impact approached.


    As Kiseki turned back, a punch from behind pierced her stomach. Distortion formed a portal on his right arm and another behind Kiseki. Smiling, he said:


    ¡ª What is it, Kiseki-chan? I know you are much more than that.


    ¡ª D-Distortion-sama, I don''t stand a chance against someone so far above me¡­


    ¡ª It''s hard to beat you when you flatter me like that. But you have this determined look on your face. Destroying you turns me on so much.


    Kiseki rarely didn''t have a look of submissiveness. She felt inferior to everyone, so expressions of joy or anger were unusual.


    But at that moment, it was different. Those two tramps ruined everyone''s fun by barging into the final and changing it at the last minute. She felt anger not only for herself, but also for everyone watching.


    She healed quickly. She jumped again, but towards Distortion''s legs. She slipped between them and kicked back one of them, trying to shake his balance. Once again, it didn''t work because of the portals.


    In response, Distortion grabbed Kiseki''s foot and quickly spun her around. He threw her at the ceiling of the arena. When she collided with the hard surface, she got stuck there for a few seconds. Distortion took the chance to fire a black hole from his right hand. It increased in size and intensity along the way, until it completely erased Kiseki and the ceiling.


    It followed for a long distance, swallowing the sky and clouds, but then fell apart, creating a huge vacuum. In order to be filled again, an intense wind formed around it. The stands and airship were safe, but anyone approaching that area would be pulled into the vacuum with enough force to strain their muscles and bones.


    With 7-Up, Distortion was safe. Additionally, he formed a 360¡ã portal around himself, isolating his body from the environment. When the void was filled, Distortion broke the barrier as well.


    The ceiling was transparent, but it was noticeable that it had been completely destroyed in the arena area. The roof of the grandstand was intact, as a barrier separated it from the arena and protected the spectators.


    However, Kiseki was standing in front of him. Distortion looked for what kind of remnants of her life he had left. He noticed a pool of blood that formed on the floor when he pierced Kiseki''s stomach. The blood cells counted as life dependent on the original body, and another organism formed to replace it. It was a kind of clone.


    Kiseki, now refreshed and unharmed, rushed towards Distortion. She slipped under his legs again, but he''d seen to it. In response, he raised his right foot and stomped down hard on Kiseki''s head as she passed.


    It went through her head and into the ground. The hole was big enough for Kiseki''s body to slide and fall into it. She fell in free fall while healing her head that had been disintegrated. In the sky and a few kilometers up, there was no way back to the arena.


    Kiseki turned her attention to surviving the fall. When she was almost in contact with the ground, she closed her eyes. She opened them again, as she did not reach it. She looked down and was at a much higher altitude than before. The airship was below, and she was falling toward the arena. She realized that Distortion was still toying with her, teleporting her to the sky.


    Once again, Distortion prepared to launch a black hole. He brought both hands together, forming a much larger sphere than before. He quickly threw it upwards.


    Since it was so massive, Kiseki felt the gravitational force pulling her towards the center of the sphere. She quickly thought of a solution. She pierced her right index finger with her teeth and released the blood that flowed with maximum force, aiming at the ocean, which was far away.


    She would try to create one more clone. To do so, he needed to throw the living blood as far away from the black hole''s gravitational pull as possible. The blood drop''s trajectory curved downwards, but out of reach of the sphere and the vacuum created by it.


    Right after that, Kiseki had her heart pierced by yet another punch. She had been teleported again, and this time in front of Distortion, in the arena.


    The void was still being filled, for it was so much bigger than before. Distortion created a portal above himself and Kiseki, whose heart was pierced by his left arm, isolating them from the void above.


    Distortion''s smile faded when he saw that Kiseki still had a determined expression on her face. She didn''t stand a chance and she knew it, but kept trying. Slightly irritated, he said:


    ¡ª Hey, isn''t it about time you gave up? This is getting boring.


    ¡ª I will never give up¡­ Everyone was having fun, until you arrived¡­


    ¡ª Oh, is that what keeps you determined? What a joke. We came here precisely to spice up the battles. Everyone is enjoying it, see?


    Distortion looked to the stands for approval. Some people were very excited, while others were scared to death. Surprised, his smile faded again. He murmured:


    ¡ª You''ve got to be kidding me. I could have killed everyone here, yet I''m trying to make things better for everyone. This is what I get?


    Distortion bit his lip irritably. He shouted for all to hear:


    ¡ª Bunch of ingrates! You know what?! I give up this battle!


    Distortion pulled his arm that still pierced Kiseki''s heart. He started walking towards the waiting room. Kiseki asked:


    ¡ªDistortion-sama? Are you really going to give up?


    ¡ª Of course I will! If no one wants me here, I don''t want to hear about any of this anymore. You won. Are you happy now?


    ¡ª This is not how a victory should be decided¡­ Never mind the public reaction, we must finish what we started.


    Distortion turned around, giving Kiseki a contempt look. He responded:


    ¡ª Shut up. Don''t piss me off. Who do you think you are to teach me what a fair victory is? You are far below me, and I could kill you whenever I wanted.


    Kiseki shut up. Realizing that he had imposed his dominance, even in the midst of that humiliation, Distortion turned forward and started walking again.


    Kiseki won via Distortion forfeit. After the battle there was a break. Meanwhile, Kiseki has repaired the entire portion of the arena that was destroyed, as well as restoring the sky air consumed by the black holes.


    As her power had little reach, Yuto offered to help her by levitating her in the air. They had plenty of rest time, so it wasn''t difficult to "sweep away" the imperfections. Admired, Yuto commented:


    ¡ª Kiseki, you did very well.


    ¡ª T-That''s not true¡­ I didn''t deserve that victory¡­


    ¡ª You deserved it, I can assure you that. If you didn''t beat that scoundrel physically, you won psychologically. He left because he was in a bad mood with the public''s reaction.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡ª Well, maybe you''re right...


    Yuto stroked Kiseki''s head, who smiled in response. He continued:


    ¡ª Kiseki, since your battle is over, how about watching the next match with us?


    Yuto showed the five people who were lined up in the stands. Noticing the embarrassed girl, Genesis also invited her:


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan, I loved the face Distortion made when he realized you weren''t going to give up. Why don''t you sit with us?


    ¡ª T-That¡­ You guys are overestimating me¡­ Wouldn''t I be a nuisance next to you?


    With her arms crossed and eyes closed, a typical tsundere pose, Haji replied:


    ¡ª Why? You underestimate yourself too much. I''ve never seen you so determined before, so that defiant look was impressive.


    ¡ª T-Thanks a lot, guys!


    The last semifinal was about to start. In the combatants'' waiting room, Unizard comforted her brother. He was still frustrated by the "defeat", so he needed someone who understood him. He complained:


    ¡ª Little sis, no one in the stands applauded me.


    ¡ª It''s okay, brother. No need to worry, I will always be by your side.


    Unizard hugged her brother, who was on the verge of crying. Although he called her "little sister", he had the profile of a younger brother.


    When he didn''t get what he wanted, he threw himself into his understanding sister''s arms. She wasn''t much better than he was, but she enjoyed comforting him. She was like a mother, lover and big sister all at once.


    Distortion wiped away the tears and revealed a vengeful look. He commented:


    ¡ª Sis, I will get revenge on these ungrateful people someday. I promise I will.


    ¡ª Calm down, brother, there''s no need to revolt. You know very well that if you get out of hand, you could decimate the city or even the world.


    ¡ª You''re right, I can''t let myself get carried away. Although I wouldn''t mind living just with you in our private dimension.


    ¡ª Life is not that easy, brother. If we isolated ourselves in a dimension of our own, we would get bored of it at some point. We need to have a consistent source of fun.


    ¡ª I fully agree! There''s nothing more consistent than human suffering.


    ¡ª That''s the spirit, bro. Well, I have to go to my battle.


    ¡ª Okay, sister. Win this fight for me, all right?


    ¡ª Right. I wouldn''t lose to a level 6 even in a dream.


    Unizard and Revon entered the battlefield. The announcer, tired of all that, announced carefree:


    ¡ª Well, the battle will now be between Unizard and Revon. But y''all already know that, so why do I need to say? I don''t earn enough for that. So be it, the battle starts now.


    Both slowly approached the center of the arena. Unizard seemed to have her guard down, as she had her hands in her uniform pockets. Revon began to surround and interrogate her:


    ¡ª Why don''t you attack me?


    ¡ª I don''t want to end the fun this quickly. I''ll let you strike the first blow.


    ¡ª You ruined all the preparation I had for my fight against Kiseki, and you still have the arrogance to keep your guard open?


    ¡ª Sorry about that. Not that I care, actually. I just wanted to have fun. Am I to blame for this?


    ¡ª You do not recognize your own crimes, witch. Well, at least I don''t have to hold back against an impure like you, unlike Kiseki. I need to teach you a lesson.


    ¡ª Oh yeah? I''m all ears.


    As a ninja, Revon used a lot of dirty tricks. She started with a sweep, kicking Unizard''s right leg. However, her leg went through Unizard''s, missing it. Unlike Distortion, she didn''t use portals for this. Her body dissolved in smoke that soon disappeared.


    Surprised, Revon turned around. She saw that Unizard had the same pose as before, but she had "teleported". With a mocking tone, the mage commented:


    ¡ª Where are you looking? I''m right here.


    As she spoke, several Unizard clones filled the arena.


    ¡ª What''s the matter? Weren''t you a ninja? I thought you knew how to make clones.


    ¡ª That''s a low blow!


    ¡ª You''re one to talk. You live by dirty tricks and want to teach morals. I''m still waiting for your lesson, midget.


    ¡ª I''ll shut your filthy mouth.


    Revon didn''t know which was the real Unizard. She used her tremendous speed and agility to strike each of the clones. They dissipated into smoke soon after being hit. Still mocking, Unizard commented:


    ¡ª Come on, it''s not that hard to find me. Use your brain. If you can get me to take my hands out of my pockets, the battle will start.


    ¡ª Shut up, asshole!


    Revon finally noticed that Unizard hadn''t taken her hands out of her pocket since the beginning of the battle. Being underestimated by the opponent was the greatest dishonor she could feel.


    Enraged, she increased her speed gradually. To make things easier, Unizard didn''t create any more clones. It was then that she noticed an irregularity: only one of the clones was close to the barrier that separated the bleachers.


    That figure was looking directly at Yuto. He got scared. He thought she was about to attack him. But she just stared with a soft, mysterious smile.


    Revon ran straight up to that shape and did a flying flip. However, she flew through it like any other clone. She put her feet against the barrier due to inertia. Before she could leap back, Revon was kneed in the gut. Feeling a lot of pain, she turned her head forward. It was the real Unizard. Stepping on Revon''s head and forcing it down, Unizard said:


    ¡ª I haven''t had to use my hands yet. I thought a ninja liked to take fights seriously. By the way, why haven''t you used your powers until now?


    ¡ª I don''t need them to defeat a dirty witch.


    Unizard stomped harder, making a hole in the ground. She got irritated with the comment and decided to give Revon one last chance:


    ¡ª Are you underestimating me? If you don''t use your powers, I''ll finish this.


    To escape being trampled, Revon lifted her legs and spun them in the air like helicopter blades. As her body was facing downwards, she bent backwards to perform this maneuver.


    She used her hands to push off the ground and jump. She landed her legs around Unizard''s neck and began to squeeze. Also, she made all of her arms and legs invisible so her opponent couldn''t grab them to defend herself.


    With her left hand, she used her index and middle finger to pierce Unizard''s eyes. She wrapped her right arm around her head and forced it to the side, trying to break the enemy''s neck as she strangled her.


    It all worked. She was blinded for a few seconds, her neck crushed and her head thrown back. While being attacked, Unizard took her hands out of her pocket and tried to grab Revon''s legs, but couldn''t touch them, as they dodged every second.


    As a ninja, she knew that was enough to kill any human, no matter how resistant. To get away from a possible desperate attack by Unizard, she got off her shoulders and jumped back.


    Unizard stopped her arm movements and stayed in the same position for a moment. She closed her eyes, which were bleeding profusely. Her head was directed towards Revon, but she couldn''t see her because of the destroyed eyes.


    Unizard placed her hands on her head and moved it back to its original position. She turned back and her eyes were completely healed. Surprised and afraid, Revon backed up a few steps. Unizard chuckled as she said:


    ¡ª You were the first opponent that made me bleed and feel pain after a long time. Congratulations.


    ¡ª How are you still alive?! You were supposed to be a human, not a demon!


    ¡ª Nice try, but I won''t let you beat me. Now that I''ve got my hands out of my pockets, let''s fight seriously. My turn to attack.


    Unizard charged at Revon in less than half a second, even though they were tens of meters away. She tried to punch her stomach one more time, but Revon became completely invisible. She looked around and saw no sign of her. She said:


    ¡ª Well, if I can''t find you, I just need to destroy the entire arena.


    Revon sensed that statement was not a bluff. If that demon really used a devastating attack, it would kill even the spectators.


    Revon couldn''t risk anyone dying because of her, so she undid the invisibility. Unizard soon found her, as if she already knew where she was from the beginning. The mage made a proposal:


    ¡ª How about if I just use 7-Up? You can use your powers, while I use only my physical one.


    ¡ª That''s not fair!


    ¡ª I''m giving you an advantage. My 7-Up is level 7, while yours is 6. We''ll be on equal footing if we fight like this.


    ¡ª Alright... I accept the challenge.


    Revon had no choice but to accept whatever advantage her opponent gave her. She braced herself in her position. Unizard waited for her to move.


    Revon jumped towards her quickly, landing a punch, which was parried by Unizard''s arms. She was pushed back, opening space for one more attack from the ninja.


    She moved forward again, with more speed than before. Unizard instinctively made a kicking motion with her left leg, but Revon dodged it at the last moment by sliding her own legs to the ground as she curved her body backwards.


    When Revon was close enough, she turned her right leg invisible and kicked upward, hitting Unizard''s groin. She was thrown to the ceiling of the arena, breaking a part of it.


    While Unizard was on the ceiling, Revon jumped up to strike her again. She was about to throw another punch, but Unizard predicted her trajectory. She tried to elbow her in the back and missed.


    Revon dodged once more by spinning her body backwards in the air. Her legs hit Unizard''s head, which was thrown towards the arena''s barrier.


    The mage slid down until she was sitting on the floor in a defeated position. Revon stopped in front of her, staring at her. Unizard commented:


    ¡ª I can''t hit you. Well, I should have seen it coming when I proposed that I wouldn''t use my power.


    ¡ª So you admit defeat?


    ¡ª Sadly yes. Fighting, I realized that you are much more skilled than you seem. I underestimated you.


    ¡ª That''s not fair. You gave me a lot of advantage. Why?


    ¡ª I do not know for sure. Maybe I wanted to show off, but I just got embarrassed. Well, I give up.


    Unizard got up and walked towards the waiting room. She turned her head back to deliver one last message:


    ¡ª Thanks for the fight. You sure made your master proud.


    ¡ª Thank you, Unizard-sama.


    Revon bowed to the level 7. Her respect for her grew after the battle. Unizard faced forward again and resumed walking, waving her hand. Surprised, the announcer announced:


    ¡ª What a turn of events! Yet another combatant has given up the battle at the decisive moment! The victory goes to Revon!


    In the waiting room, Distortion looked worried. When he saw his sister coming in, he began to question her:


    ¡ª Sis, why did you also give up?


    ¡ª I made the mistake of promising not to use my power. In fact, this was on purpose. Yuto, the guy that our father talked about, was in the stands.


    ¡ª Yuto? Wasn''t he killed by Wisedroid?


    ¡ª Those were fake news. He wouldn''t die that easily if our dad is so worried.


    ¡ª Why didn''t you kill him if he''s a threat to the association?


    ¡ª Don''t you remember that our father said he would be useful to kill Zenith? She''s a headache for everyone, and we''d move up some ranks if she died.


    ¡ª Good thinking, little sister! That''s actually a great idea! Was anyone else suspicious there?


    ¡ª Beside him were two people I recognized. One of them was the android maid who was spying on us on the day of the meeting. The other was our half-sister Haji.


    ¡ª Oh, that daughter of Wisedroid? And Haji-chan?! What is she doing here?


    ¡ª I don''t know. But if our dad didn''t even mention she''d be here, he probably didn''t want us to know it.


    ¡ª Now that we know that, we don''t have to do what father says. We can kidnap her to use as a bargaining chip.


    ¡ª That''s a great idea, maybe we''ll even gain more powers from her. But we need to get rid of Yuto before that.


    ¡ª That won''t be a problem, little sister. When we are together, nothing stops us.


    ¡ª Naturally¡­


    ¡ª You''re a little pensive. Did anything else happen for you to give up the battle?


    ¡ª Well, maybe. My opponent had more principles than us.


    ¡ª What are you talking about, sis? We don''t need principles. When we have each other, everything will be fine. Everything we do will be justified.


    ¡ª You''re right, brother...


    When the "final" was over, Yuto and his group left the stadium. As it was an airship, they had to wait for it to land. It was late and the sun was already setting.


    When they reached the parking lot to get into Tatsuya''s car, Yuto seemed to be bothered by something. Haji noticed right away and asked:


    ¡ª Yuto, did something happen?


    ¡ª It''s nothing¡­ it''s just¡­ don''t you think it''s weird?


    Everyone focused their attention on Yuto, to hear what he had to say. He continued:


    ¡ª Anelise said that she and Malungo would be talking at the hotel for a long time. They lost that match and haven''t contacted us until now.


    Tatsuya gave a slight smile and replied:


    ¡ª Oh, is that your concern? There''s nothing wrong with that, they''re young.


    ¡ª You say that as if you were an old man.


    ¡ª I already have a son. When you have one too, you''ll understand what I''m talking about.


    Yuto blushed, finally understanding what Tatsuya was implying. Red-faced and looking away, he said nervously:


    ¡ª T-That doesn''t matter now! Why don''t you go ahead and see how they are doing? Those two never got along very well, as far as the last few days could tell.


    Charlotte, who was still ecstatic from the battle, said with a twinkle in her eyes:


    ¡ª Don''t worry, Ishikawa-san! Genesis-chan and I are going to tell them everything we saw in this incredible battle, and that they shouldn''t have missed a single second of it!


    Genesis made a gesture that seemed to sync with Charlotte''s, as if they''d been practicing the pose for days. With a smile as refreshing as hers, she said:


    ¡ª That''s right, Yuto! We''re going to lecture them! See you later then!


    ¡ª See you later, the three of you!


    Charlotte and Genesis turned around and walked towards the hotel. It was a long way away, so the whole purpose of going ahead was lost when they could have gone by car instead of on foot. Yuto, surprised by that synchrony, muttered:


    ¡ª Since when are they such good friends? Wait, why don''t they go by car?


    Tatsuya replied:


    ¡ª Friendships like that form overnight. They probably want to walk to talk longer.


    ¡ª I see¡­ Actually, that doesn''t make sense.


    ¡ª Now, why are you kicking us out of nowhere? You''re not just worried about those two.


    ¡ª What are you talking about?


    ¡ª Was it because of Unizard staring at you?


    ¡ª W-Well, that''s not exactly it...


    ¡ª I think you already know this, but I''m pretty strong. Those twins won''t lay a finger on you as long as I''m around. You can trust me.


    ¡ª ¡­


    A woman was trying to start her little yellow car nearby. As it made noise every time it failed, Yuto found a loophole to escape that situation. He walked to the car window to ask what was going on:


    ¡ª Girl, are you in trouble?


    The woman got scared, afraid that it was a robbery. In fact, she looked like a young teenager. She had slightly dark skin and short black hair, with eyes the same color. Hesitantly, she replied:


    ¡ª Eh? I-It''s nothing young man! No need to worry...


    ¡ª If you can''t start your car, you won''t get home in time, will you?


    Feeling pressured and looking away, she said in a submissive tone:


    ¡ª I don''t have any money with me¡­


    ¡ª I''m not asking for anything in return. Let me help you.


    When she looked back at Yuto, he was gone. Suddenly, the car began to levitate. On top of it, Yuto shouted:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, Haji, go ahead. I need to sort this out here and then I''ll catch up with you.


    Haji, irritated by this sudden attempt to escape, shouted:


    ¡ª Get back here, idiot! Why do you want to run away from us so badly?


    Also confused, Tatsuya just sighed and said:


    ¡ª Come on, Haji. Again, my role is to protect you.


    ¡ª Don''t you think Yuto is acting strange?


    ¡ª For sure. But he must have a reason for not telling us what worries him.


    Now in the sky, Yuto, who was on top of the car, bowed his head towards the window. The woman was startled by all that and looked directly at Yuto. He shouted for her to hear:


    ¡ª Where do you usually go to fix the car?


    ¡ª P-Please put me down!


    ¡ª Calm down, I won''t let you fall. Just point me to the spot and I''ll take us there in a minute.


    The woman remained distressed and hesitated for a few seconds, until she gave in and pointed with her finger at a house under construction. Yuto thought that the difference in perspective was affecting the finger''s trajectory, but he flew over there.


    He landed on the street, next to a construction site. Yuto got down from the roof of the car and, with a calm smile on his face, tried to comfort her:


    ¡ª It''s over, lass. Was this exactly where you had pointed?


    ¡ª Y-Yes¡­ Thank you, young man.


    A worker who was working on construction saw that strange scene and ran to the car. With a worried look, he asked the woman:


    ¡ª Honey, are you okay? Did this guy do something to you?


    ¡ª No, dear¡­ He only brought me this far.


    The man had a beard and was very manly. He turned to Yuto, who looked nervous about the situation. He approached him and, with an angry look, said:


    ¡ª If you''ve done something to my wife, I''ll kill you.


    The woman reiterated:


    ¡ª Love, he just used his power to make the car fly. It''s not a big deal.


    ¡ª What do you mean it''s not a big deal? Back in my day, there were no flying cars.


    The woman tried to calm her husband down, but her heart was still racing after that experience. She got out of the car and said to Yuto:


    ¡ª Lad, this is my husband. He is working on this project, but he is also a mechanic.


    The man, who was suspicious of Yuto, smiled, unconcerned. With a tone of friendship, he reinforced what his wife said:


    ¡ª That''s right, comrade. If any car of yours gives a problem, just call me. I arrive on time, especially for those who helped my wife carry this old can.


    ¡ª Thank you, sir. Well, I think I''ll be on my way.


    Yuto turned his back and started walking. The girl, now smiling next to her husband, said:


    ¡ª Boy!


    Yuto turned around again.


    ¡ª Thanks!


    Yuto smiled, as if he had just completed a grandiose mission. He responded:


    ¡ª You''re welcome, lass.


    Yuto started walking again, waving his hand. He was calmer now, as well as satisfied.

 Ma6ic Dimen5ion

    After helping the woman with the small yellow car, Yuto entered an alley, trying to lose everyone around. Annoyed, he complained:


    ¡ª How long are you going to watch me?


    Yuto knew that someone was looking at him since he was in the stadium parking lot. After the battle of Unizard, he became fearful. He used his sensory gravity to detect potential threats.


    He noticed small disturbances in some specific points. When he looked at them, they disappeared. But this restlessness did not stop.


    Yuto tried to use citizens like the girl in the car to check if the enemy was a bloodthirsty killer or was just after him. And the last hypothesis was confirmed, since no one was hurt. Only the feeling of being watched remained. Impatient, Yuto repeated:


    ¡ª Show up, bastard!


    ¡ª Calm down, calm down, my friend.


    The voice came from behind, Yuto turned around but didn''t see anything. He sighed and decided to leave the alley where he had entered. It was already dark, so the streetlights were on.


    Two children were playing in the deserted street. A brown haired boy and a similar looking girl. The boy bumped into someone. The boy was thrown back and sat on the street. When he looked at the person in front of him, he said:


    ¡ª I''m sorry, lad! I was not paying attention.


    ¡ª "Lad"? Really? Look at me.


    The boy looked confusedly at the tall man. He tried to recognize the man, but he seemed like a normal guy, except for his height and military uniform. The man kicked him hard in the mouth. He looked with contempt and anger at both, saying:


    ¡ª Kids your age should love heroes. Why don''t you recognize me?


    The man turned to the girl and started walking slowly towards her. Afraid, she started backing away.


    Yuto left the alley and the first thing he saw was the man walking towards the girl. He recognized him immediately. It was Distortion, the 5th level 7.


    ¡ª Stop right there!


    Distortion stopped walking and turned his head towards Yuto. He had a bloodthirsty look, as if he was about to kill his prey.


    ¡ª Oh? I forgot you were there.


    ¡ª So you were the one watching me?


    ¡ª Bingo. I wanted to check with these kids if they recognized my awesomeness. But it ended up just pissing me off even more.


    ¡ª You''re making me hate you even more.


    ¡ª Do I look like I care?


    Yuto didn''t respond verbally, but faced the level 7 with determination. This pissed him off even more. Trying to hide his frustration, Distortion forced a smile and continued:


    ¡ª Alright. I already planned to kill you anyway.


    Distortion turned his body towards Yuto and raised his right hand. He made a provocative sign with his index finger, calling him closer.


    Yuto prepared for the attack, increasing his guard and assuming a defensive pose. But Distortion didn''t move. He also seemed to be on the defensive, although he had a cocky smile on his face.


    Suddenly, everything around Yuto disappeared. The alley, the street, the children and even the night. Now he was in the sky, freefalling.


    Trying to recognize where he was, Yuto looked around. It was a sunny day. Below, there was no city. In its place, there were some floating islands. One of them was the main and largest. The others orbited it at different altitudes. Beyond them, only the clouds and the endless sky were visible.


    Yuto was falling quickly, but he didn''t seem to get closer to the ground. Maybe he was closer to space, even if it didn''t seem like it. Noticing a gravitational distortion above his body, Yuto turned upwards again.


    A huge, distant comet was hurtling toward him. Yuto accelerated his fall to reach the surface of the flying island quickly. In it, there was nothing to call his attention, except the fact that there was nothing around, not even the ocean. It was like being in an infinite and empty world.


    When he looked up again, he realized it was a shower of comets. The central one was large enough to cause a slight distortion in gravity.


    Yuto closed his eyes to concentrate. He would carry that rain of celestial objects back into space, but where did space begin? That world seemed to have no end. He would have to use all his strength for that.


    However, he noticed a disturbance in his sensory gravity. Behind him, a human figure seemed to be flying towards him. Instinctively, he jumped up. This all happened in less than a second.


    When he landed on the island again, the other person was standing and facing him, while she had her hands in her uniform pockets. She was Unizard. She let out a little laugh, saying:


    ¡ª Alright, you were a level 7.


    ¡ª I thought you were a mage, not a fighter.


    ¨C Looks can be deceiving, bro. To be successful in this world, you need to be good at everything at the same time.


    ¡ª "This world"?


    ¡ª Oh, I forgot we''re not in Tokyo anymore. Here, there are no rules, so we can fight with everything.


    ¡ª Why are you two after me?


    ¡ª Isn''t it obvious? To get our stepsister back.


    ¡ª Your stepsister¡­?


    Who is she talking about...?


    ¡ª We are the Boss''s children, didn''t your ass know?


    Genesis said that, how could I forget it?


    ¡ª Wait, Haji? What do you guys plan on doing with her?!


    ¡ª I''ll let you guess. I''m pretty sure you''re used to dealing with our types by now.


    ¡ª If you lay a finger on her...


    ¡ª Tell me one thing. How did you manage to kill Wisedroid and fake your death in the newspapers?


    ¡ª Don''t change the topic! I don''t remember and I can''t stand more people asking me that!


    Unizard had a serious expression on her face. A magic circle formed in front of her right eye. She seemed to be analyzing her opponent. She continued:


    ¡ª You don''t seem to be lying, your memories are really scrambled. Well, I''ve already asked everything I wanted to know, so prepare to die. But before that, let''s have some fun.


    Unizard raised her right hand and conjured a small fireball. Yuto prepared to repel it upwards, but it suddenly disappeared.


    Sensing a distortion from behind, Yuto quickly shifted his barrier to protect his back. Simultaneously, Unizard lunged forward to punch him in the stomach.


    With one threat behind and one in front, Yuto quickly crouched down to dodge the fireball and used his leg to knock Unizard''s leg off, pulling it back. Then he punched her stomach with all his strength upwards.


    Unizard was thrown into the sky, but soon after she was already standing in front of Yuto. Giving a light laugh and smiling like a tomboy, she commented:


    ¡ª That was just a warm-up. Got it? Because it was a ball of fire.


    Unizard started laughing uncontrollably at her own joke. Yuto just stared at her with a disappointed expression. When she stopped laughing, she pointed with her index finger upwards, saying:


    ¡ª This is your time limit to defeat me. This comet shower won''t keep falling forever, ya know?


    ¡ª You know I can take you with me when they fall, right?


    ¡ª Are you saying I''m going to die by my own magic? Go for it, I want to see you try.


    Yuto gained two valuable pieces of information from this conversation. The first was that the comet shower was caused by Unizard''s magic. The second was that she didn''t mince her words when trying to intimidate her opponent, revealing even more than she should. Trying to find out more, Yuto asked:


    ¡ª What will happen when they fall? Are you going to destroy them with one punch or something?


    ¡ª It''s a lot simpler than that. We and my brother will face you together.


    ¡ª How?


    ¡ª My brother will teleport us to another created or real dimension, whichever is more interesting.


    ¡ª Wait, is this a created dimension?


    ¡ª Exactly. If everything here is destroyed, he can just create another one. And if that happens, know that we will face you with everything we have.


    Yuto finally felt intimidated. He didn''t know that Distortion could create dimensions whenever he wanted. Furthermore, if he entered the fight, all would be lost. Unizard, taking the lead of the conversation, asked:


    ¡ª So, are you satisfied? Shall we fight to death then?


    ¡ª You bet.


    Instantly, Unizard created a multitude of clones, just as she had done in the "final" against Revon. Yuto, knowing they would go up in smoke if touched, focused his power on sensory gravity. He tried to find the real one, but he couldn''t.


    Typically, smoke clones and humans had different masses, and therefore the gravity affecting them was distinguishable. But in that case, all clones were identical to the original in every way. There was no way they were made of smoke.


    Realizing that he had no way of knowing where the attack would come from, he strengthened his barrier in all directions. This time, he would twist the bodies of those who approached instead of repelling them.


    Each clone jumped towards him, being retaliated in several pieces. With the rain of blood and bones, Yuto felt uneasy. He hadn''t seen such a gory scene in years.


    Only the real one remained. But Yuto was no longer paying attention to his surroundings. He was trying to hold back his vomit. Taking advantage of the gap, Unizard conjured a huge ice spear and threw it towards Yuto.


    Then, she teleported behind him and released a small black orb. It looked like a miniature black hole. Then she summoned a huge acid storm cloud above him.


    Finally, she synchronized an empowered punch and jumped towards Yuto. When she was about to punch him, the acid rain accompanied by lightning, the ice spear and the small black hole collided with his barrier.


    Yuto recovered and realized he was surrounded. He pushed his barrier to the maximum, shattering the ice spear, repelling acid rain drops and slightly accelerating Unizard''s fist.


    Unizard''s hand was strengthened both offensively and defensively. It passed through the barrier with no major problems. In fact, the barrier caused the punch to hit Yuto sooner than expected. He did it instinctively as he didn''t have time to think. That punch could finish him off, but it was the only chance he had to be pushed away.


    The lightning was weakened, but it hit him hard, immobilizing him for a few seconds. The mini black hole caused a huge explosion, swallowing all the flying islands. He flew away so fast that the black hole didn''t have time to affect him. But he was still stunned by the lightning and free-falling into an almost absolute void.


    He just didn''t have his heart pierced because he focused his defensive barrier where the punch would hit him. As the impact was very strong and accelerated by the barrier itself, he felt a lot of pain. Worst of all, he was vomiting blood and about to lose consciousness.


    When he recovered from the lightning, he realized he was somewhere else entirely. It was an extensive desert and it seemed to have no end. One of the first things he noticed was a fundamental difference in location: the gravity was greater than Earth''s.


    Therefore, it did not seem to be in the "original" dimension, much less on the same planet. It was daytime and something soon caught his attention: several moons orbited that world. He thought of Jupiter, but the atmosphere was obviously too different to be the case.


    There was breathable air, very few clouds, the main sun of that system seemed to be bigger and hotter. Smaller ones were also visible, but they had little effect on the planet''s temperature. Yuto painfully got up. A voice came from behind:


    ¡ª Looks like my little sister overdid it a bit. Those comets don''t exist anymore, so you don''t have a time limit anymore.


    ¡ª Good news for once¡­


    ¡ª Hey man, cheer up there. Now, it''s my turn to fight you. My sister will be the support this time.


    ¡ª "Support"? I thought it was a 1v1...


    ¡ª Oh, come on. You''re not going to tell me you thought she was the one teleporting all over the place to hit you. Have you already forgotten what my power is?


    ¡ª Yes. I forgot¡­


    ¡ª Eh?


    Once again, Distortion felt offended that his greatness was not recognized. Irritated and impatient, he said:


    ¡ª Portals! I was the one who made the portals for her to teleport!


    ¡ª Oh, makes sense¡­


    Yuto smiled discreetly. Again, he managed to extract valuable information from his enemy. He turned around to see him, but this time with a mocking smile. With an air of superiority, he said:


    ¡ª Alright then. You can both come against me, I can handle it.


    ¡ª Fuck you!


    Yuto tried to use the spell against the sorcerer when he seemed to belittle his opponent. He wanted to destabilize him, as Distortion appeared to be emotionally fragile.


    In response to the taunt, he readied his fist to punch Yuto. Being at a considerable distance, Yuto already predicted that he would use his portal.


    And that''s exactly what he did: Distortion created a small portal on his right arm and another behind Yuto to hit him even from afar. The hero''s arm twisted to the point of irretrievability. However, it was healed in a few seconds. Obviously, this was Unizard''s doing.


    Realizing he was up against two level 7''s, or one and a half, Yuto pushed his mind to the limit. He couldn''t let himself be affected by a few pints of blood or dismembered bodies. Distortion recovered emotionally, commenting:


    ¡ª My sis was right, this barrier of yours is a problem. But what happens if I use something stronger than it?


    Yuto prepared himself defensively. He thought he could block the attack again with his barrier.


    Distortion, with a smile of someone who has already secured victory, opened his two hands and formed small black holes. Like a bowling ball launch, he hurled the two spheres towards Yuto.


    Yuto remembered that attack, since Distortion had destroyed the roof of the stadium from the battle against Kiseki. Yuto realized that he couldn''t defend himself from that and decided to fly to the sky.


    The two black holes merged along the way and grew to mountainous proportions, swallowing everything in front of them. They grew according to the matter they consumed.


    If they were thrown into the air, only gaseous particles and other solid and liquid particles in small quantities were assimilated. The black holes grew slowly, but they still left a huge vacuum trail, pulling everything around.


    The worst case scenario would be to throw them down. If they consumed the ground, the growth rate would be extremely accelerated. Since they had no size limit, they could swallow an entire planet.


    Yuto realized all this quickly, as he saw with his own eyes those shadowy spheres devouring everything in their path. Suddenly they disappeared. Distortion also had control over when to turn them off. The result was a massive vacuum that pulled Yuto back down.


    As the local gravity was greater than what Yuto was used to, his body was thrown into the sand at an extreme force. Like a shock absorber, the sand softened the impact. Yuto was injured, but soon managed to get back to the surface.


    Even with all that, that "sandbox" was still huge and almost intact. Distortion probably chose that spot precisely so he didn''t have to hold back in his attacks. On the other side of the horizontal cone-shaped crater, Distortion began to laugh like a maniac, saying:


    ¡ª Let''s play, Yuto.


    Even though he had been mocking his opponent just moments before, Yuto began to feel that he was in extreme disadvantage. He couldn''t be defensive anymore.


    He needed to kill his opponent to get back to Tokyo. But what if Distortion died and he couldn''t get out of that dimension anymore? He couldn''t hesitate, as he was determined to win. If not, Haji would be in danger. Enraged, he leapt at Distortion with as much speed as possible.


    Yuto used his power to gather the sand around him into a sphere and imprison his enemy. Before punching him, he also used his supreme gravity to smash Distortion. However, Yuto just walked right through it. Distortion created a portal in front of and behind his body, making him untouchable.


    Furthermore, the supreme gravity didn''t hit him either. It made a huge cylindrical hole in the sand sphere and in the desert itself, but it didn''t touch Distortion. From inside the sphere, a black hole was launched towards Yuto, who jumped back. It was teleported again near him.


    As a desperate attempt, Yuto decided to use his supreme downward gravity while flying in the same direction. That way, he would "go through" the floor. He soon realized that this was a bad idea. The black hole grew faster when it consumed solids.


    This wouldn''t be a problem if Yuto eliminated the sand on the way, but gravity itself betrayed him: the grains of sand around the cylinder began to collapse, closing the hole and serving as the black hole''s main food.


    Distortion wasn''t sure whether Yuto would fly up or down, but he got the best result. He observed everything with a small portal in front of his head that served as a window. He launched a black hole towards Yuto. In a few seconds, it was already bigger than a mountain. Shortly afterwards, a crater a few tens of kilometers long formed in the desert.


    In fact, there no longer seemed to be a desert, just complete emptiness. Distortion protected himself from all that by forming a 360¡ã portal around his own body, isolating him from the environment.


    If he dismantled the barrier portal, he would be pulled down heavily, just as the entire atmosphere was being sucked out. It was like an endless pit leading to hell.Distortion disabled the black hole so that it would not consume the entire planet. If it destroyed more than that, it would be difficult to control the situation.


    Yuto used all the strength he had to fly down and escape the black hole. As he was slowly approaching the core, the temperature rose to dangerous levels.


    Suddenly, all that stopped. The vacuum pulled Yuto up again, but he didn''t come close to the surface that no longer existed. It was a complete void. He could vaguely see the atmosphere. He tried to grab it as a desperate attempt. But it was too far away. In fact, even the atmosphere was slowly disappearing as it filled that endless void.


    He was running out of air. It was the same experience as being in outer space. He grabbed a little oxygen with his power before it was all swallowed, but it was already gone. He lost consciousness before he realized it.


    Tatsuya and Haji arrived at the hotel quickly. Genesis and Charlotte were on foot, so it took them much longer. Before they arrived, Tatsuya decided to check on Malungo and Anelise. When he reached the hallway to the room, he saw the door ajar.


    He asked Haji to go to the waiting room and stay there until he called her. She didn''t understand, but accepted the request. He walked through the door. The light was still on.


    When he saw the bed, he was astonished: Malungo was lying with a hole in his chest, in addition to his face sliced away. As Anelise wasn''t there, he soon understood the situation. On the side of Malungo''s body, there was a small letter. On it was written:


    This


    world


    is


    mine


    Anelise Hitler


    Tatsuya fell to his knees on the floor, not knowing what to do. He lost track of time. He watched that scene for tens of minutes, realizing that he was the cause of it. If he had kept an eye on Anelise the whole time, no one would have died. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.


    Genesis and Charlotte were walking across town towards the hotel. Realizing they were taking longer than expected, Charlotte commented:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan, didn''t we have to check Malungo and Anelise?


    ¡ª Oh... I forgot.


    ¡ª Would it be better to call Tokihito-san?


    ¡ª Good idea. He must be on his way to the hotel by now. Let me call him.


    Genesis didn''t pick up the cell phone. Charlotte was surprised, as that was the conventional way to call someone. Trying to understand what she was doing, she asked:


    ¡ª Genesis- chan? How are you going to call him if you don''t use your phone?


    ¡ª I''m using my neural network.


    ¡ª Wait, what?


    ¡ª I''m an android, so I can talk while making calls through a kind of telepathy.


    ¡ª Eh? Ehhhhhh?!


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Charlotte froze. Until now, she hadn''t realized that Genesis was an android. She was so human that she didn''t seem to be a machine. She got even more excited about it all:


    ¡ª An android? So can you shoot lasers from your hands? Do you have self destruct? Can you hack all kinds of systems with your finger?


    ¡ª Well, more or less. I have several functions, but some consume more power than others.


    ¡ª And how do you get the energy? Do you have a nuclear reactor in the place of your heart? Does an outlet connect your head to a generator?


    ¡ª Most of it comes from photovoltaic panels spread across my skin. But I can charge faster if I go into a power chamber. It''s like a bed for androids.


    ¡ª This is amazing! I can''t believe I met an android before I died!


    ¡ª It''s no big deal. There are many others scattered around the city.


    ¡ª You japanese are really on another level.


    Genesis stopped talking for a second. Then she continued:


    ¡ª Tokihito-san is driving Haji to the hotel. I think we forgot that we went to the stadium with his car. At least we don''t have to arrive so early anymore.


    ¡ª Were you talking to me and him at the same time? Wait, what about Ishikawa-san?


    ¡ª That''s my concern. He said that Yuto separated from them too.


    Genesis felt a shiver. It was evident that a problem had just arisen. Curious, Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan? Something happened?


    Still in shock, Genesis didn''t respond. In fact, she got even more desperate and knelt on the ground, holding her head. Concerned, Charlotte crouched down and shook her, saying:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan? Are you well? Do you have a defect?


    ¡ª Yuto¡­


    ¡ª Did something happen to him?


    ¡ª ¡­ disappeared.


    ¡ª How?


    ¡ª I put a tracker on him. But I''ve lost the signal now.


    ¡ª Wait, did he agree to this in the first place?


    ¡ª No. But he usually goes out alone and faces people stronger than him. So I wanted to make sure he''s safe.


    ¡ª This is still an invasion of privacy. In fact, he may have destroyed the tracker when he realized he was being spied on.


    ¡ª He would have warned me earlier¡­


    ¡ª You who should have warned him about all this. But no need to worry, he already took the 7-Up, so he won''t die that easily.


    ¡ª That''s why I''m afraid. If he was already facing a level 7 alone, now it can be two.


    Charlotte gave a smug smile. She offered her hand to lift her up, as she said:


    ¡ª All this concern must have a reason, right, Genesis-chan¡­?


    ¡ª Eh? No, that''s not what you''re thinking!


    Embarrassed, Genesis made a negative sign with her hands. She continued to argue:


    ¡ª It''s just¡­ I worry about him¡­


    ¡ª No need to hide. We''re friends, aren''t we? You like him, don''t you?


    ¡ª Well¡­ maybe a little¡­


    Genesis looked away, while pouting and touching her fingers together. Charlotte laughed innocently as she touched Genesis'' shoulder with her hand. Smiling determinedly, she said:


    ¡ª You can bet I''ll not tell anyone this secret. If you''re so worried about him, I''ll help you look for him.


    Genesis'' eyes sparkled with joy. As a child, she asked:


    ¡ª Really?!


    ¡ª Of course! If you say he''s in danger, I trust you.


    ¡ª Thank you, Charlotte-chan!


    Genesis pulled up her left shirt sleeve and revealed her emergency watch. Charlotte thought that she would transform if the button was pressed, so she became anxious. But nothing happened. Confused, Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan, what does your watch do?


    ¡ª Oh, I forgot to mention. It calls Exwind immediately.


    ¡ª The Exwind?! That super strong level 6?


    ¡ª Exactly! He always comes to help me when I push that button.


    ¡ª He''s pretty hot, isn''t he? Before coming here, I always kept checking the association''s app and he appeared among the first.


    ¡ª He is incredible! Whenever you need his help, he literally flies by!


    Genesis and Charlotte continued talking for a few seconds, until Exwind appeared from the sky. Concerned, he asked:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan, are you okay? Did something happen?


    ¡ª I''m fine, Exwind! The problem is Yuto...


    ¡ª Yuto? Wait, isn''t he dead?


    ¡ª Well¡­ A lot has happened since that day¡­


    ¡ª Alright, I''ll help him.


    ¡ª Eh? Are you going to take it that easy?


    ¡ª If you called me with the watch, it means he is in great danger. I don''t need to know the details, just help you.


    ¡ª Exwind¡­


    The respect that Genesis had for Exwind increased even more. She looked at him with admiration and not knowing what to say. Charlotte, on the other hand, was in love with that man. She imagined the infinite realities in which they could be married. Exwind continued:


    ¡ª Where is he?


    ¡ª That''s exactly the problem. He disappeared at this point.


    Genesis projected a hologram by hand. It was a map of the region where the tracker had lost signal. Realizing that place was far away, Charlotte proposed:


    ¡ª I can get the three of us there in less than a minute.


    Both agreed. Charlotte grabbed both of their hands and turned her head up. She flew at immense speed and reached the sky in less than three seconds. Afterwards, they headed to the location.


    It was a deserted street. Even more so because it was night, the only people who were there were startled by the sudden landing. Genesis approached them to ask:


    ¡ª Excuse me, did you see a boy with spiky purple hair and yellow eyes walk by?


    The woman promptly replied:


    ¡ª Yes! He flew me here in this car that''s being fixed. My husband is also a witness.


    ¡ª You can trust my wife! Her car was having trouble and he came flying over here.


    It was unknown if they responded so quickly because they were in Exwind''s presence or because Yuto helped them. But they were also worried, as they saw Distortion kicking a child and Yuto disappearing right after.


    Genesis realized that that was what Yuto did after separating from Tatsuya and Haji, as it had been less than an hour since they started walking. Wanting to know more details, she continued:


    ¡ª Did you see when he disappeared?


    The woman replied:


    ¡ª Yes. He went into an alley, a very tall man kicked a child, and shortly after returning he disappeared.


    ¡ª What was this man like?


    ¡ª He fought against Kiseki in today''s battle. I think he''s called Distortion.


    Genesis'' hypothesis was confirmed: Yuto got himself into trouble again. Since Distortion and Unizard were always together, they were two against one. She continued:


    ¡ª Can you tell me the exact spot where he disappeared?


    ¡ª Sure!


    The woman went to the sidewalk where the alley was and marked the place. Thankfully, Genesis said:


    ¡ª Thank you very much, lady! I''ll pay you back when I get the chance.


    ¡ª You do not need to do that. You''re his friends, aren''t you? I was in debt to him, so now we''re even.


    ¡ª Really? Thank you again!


    Genesis soon created a spray and started painting the air. Confused, Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Genesis-chan, what are you doing?


    ¡ª It seems that there is no invisible box holding Yuto. He really was teleported by Distortion.


    ¡ª Oh, I understand! You''re trying to figure out the weakness of his power!


    ¡ª Exactly. But that won''t be easy. He''s not a level 7 for nothing.


    Understanding the situation, Exwind proposed:


    ¡ª In that case, I can use my power. If I paint this area with my wind, I can feel some disturbance in the space.


    ¡ª That would be of great help, Exwind! I just remembered that I need to contact Tokihito-san.


    ¡ª Alright. I won''t be long, so tell him to hurry up.


    Genesis called Tatsuya several times, but he didn''t pick up. After many tries, he realized he was being called.


    ¡ª Tokihito-san, did something happen?


    ¡ª It''s nothing¡­ It''s just¡­ one more person died because of me¡­


    ¡ª What? Who?


    ¡ª Malungo. Anelise murdered him while we were gone.


    Genesis shut up when she heard the news. She didn''t know what to say, but asked just in case:


    ¡ª Can he still be saved?


    ¡ª No. He died a few hours ago.


    ¡ª I see¡­


    ¡ª But it doesn''t matter now. Why did you want to talk to me so badly?


    ¡ª Oh, sorry about that¡­ Yuto disappeared because he went to fight Distortion.


    ¡ª He what?!


    ¡ª After he separated from you, he was attacked. I thought it best to inform you, as you are much stronger than I am.


    ¡ª I''m not going to let another person die because of me, even more that dumb bastard! Thank you, Genesis. Where are you now?


    ¡ª I''ll give you the coordinates.


    Exwind found the disturbance. Underneath and from the sides, it was invisible. But above, a tiny portal could be seen. It was relatively high, so even Exwind couldn''t use his height to see it. He announced:


    ¡ª Genesis, I found it. It''s a portal that leads to an empty place.


    ¡ª Empty? But where is Yuto?


    ¡ª I don''t know. I can''t really see it as it''s so small.


    ¡ª Why is it small? Distortion''s portals are usually larger.


    ¡ª That must be his weakness. In the first place, why did he leave this portal open?


    Charlotte noticed a pattern:


    ¡ª Don''t you think it''s strange that in the battle against Kiseki he closed all the portals right after opening them? Exwind said this one takes you to another dimension, so it must be different.


    Genesis understood where she was going. She added:


    ¡ª Does that mean he can''t completely close the dimensional portals?


    ¡ª Exactly. At least that''s what I think.


    ¡ª Thank you, Charlotte. I hadn''t even noticed this in the battle earlier today. Exwind, can you take us up there?


    ¡ª Of course.


    Exwind was levitating with his power to observe the small dimensional hole. He did the same with both. He commented:


    ¡ª But there is still a problem: none of us goes through this tiny portal.


    Genesis had an idea:


    ¡ª I can create nanocameras to pass through the portal and search the territory.


    Genesis put her hand over the hole and created the little cameras. They flew a few meters, but soon lost the signal. They could not withstand high temperatures and were soon destroyed. Genesis didn''t understand at first why the air was so hot, so she sent a camera that was more powerful and bigger, but small enough to fit in the hole.


    It covered several kilometers quickly and looked up. A few small pieces of comets burned up in the atmosphere. Soon she understood that a big one had just passed by and warmed the air. Then she created countless other similar cameras. They flew through the empty region quickly, until they found another abnormality: a small portal that led to another dimension.


    Again, an empty place. In fact, there was an immense void in it that pulled even through the portal. The sequence of creating more powerful and faster cameras continued, until they were able to observe from within the second dimension without being pulled by the vacuum.


    They found yet another portal: this time, it led into a blizzard. They couldn''t see much, but Genesis recognized the silhouette of Yuto lying on the ground, Unizard and Distortion standing. Celebrating the achievement, Genesis shouted:


    ¡ª Bingo!


    Surprised, Exwind asked:


    ¡ª Were you able to find them?


    ¡ª Yes! But I don''t know how we''re going to reach them.


    ¡ª I have an idea. Ria can figure it out. She always manages to accomplish the mission.


    ¡ª What will she do?


    ¡ª That''s what I''m going to ask.


    Exwind called Ria to inform her of the situation. However, he didn''t mention Yuto, so as not to scare her. Charlotte offered:


    ¡ª I can bring her here in no time.


    ¡ª Please, do it. She is at the association building now. I told her to wait on the roof of the building to make it easier.


    ¡ª Alright, here I go!


    Right after Charlotte left, Tatsuya arrived with his blue sports car. Hurriedly, he ran to Genesis to ask about the situation:


    ¡ª So, Genesis, did you find any clues?


    ¡ª Lots. But we can''t do anything until Ria arrives.


    ¡ª What the hell?! Is there really nothing we can do?


    ¡ª After she''s done her part, yes.


    Charlotte soon arrived with Ria at the scene. Noticing Tatsuya''s unexpected presence, Ria shuddered. She was looking for that man for the murder in the abandoned building and she was sure he was dangerous, but masked her discomfort.


    Exwind lifted her to the portal height. The first thing she said was:


    ¡ª That''s really Distortion''s way. He hides his weaknesses even when he''s fighting. Okay, I already know what to do.


    Surprised by that readiness, Genesis asked:


    ¡ª Eh? Already?


    ¡ª It''s simpler than it looks. Genesis, create some fire redirectors and levitate them so I can bounce off the bullet.


    ¡ª This is not simple at all!


    ¡ª I know you can do it. Also, place cameras centered on each thruster.


    ¡ª Alright!


    Genesis created small L-shaped tubes and spread them out at points that lined up with the portals.


    After a few minutes, Yuto woke up. He didn''t remember anything after being asphyxiated in a vacuum. He got up and was now in a snowy biome.


    It was very cold, but Yuto didn''t even care. He was too hurt to complain. In front of him, Distortion and Unizard were up and unharmed. Annoyed, Yuto asked:


    ¡ª Why did you save me?


    Unizard, with a mocking tone, replied:


    ¡ª Is it not obvious? You still haven''t entertained us enough. Now the main part begins.


    ¡ª Is this how you have fun? Also, two against one? Seriously?


    ¡ª What''s wrong with having fun? There are no rules that tell us how to play.


    ¡ª Aren''t you ashamed?


    ¡ª What?


    Unizard frowned in irritation. With a look of contempt, she replied:


    ¡ª Who do you think you''re talking to, brat?


    ¡ª With a whore who likes to fuck with her brother every day.


    ¡ª Measure your words well, sisterless idiot.


    ¡ª What did you say?


    ¡ª That''s exactly what you heard. Unlike the two of us, you''ve never had any difficulties in your life other than losing your dear big sister.


    ¡ª I hope you don''t regret saying that.


    ¡ª Me? You think we''re gonna let you out of this alive?


    ¡ª If I make you cry and ask for forgiveness, maybe.


    ¡ª I want to see you try.


    Yuto jumped towards Unizard. As he flew, he created several small but concentrated supreme gravity cylinders. If they penetrated her brain, he would win.


    He pretended to throw a punch and kicked her in the groin. The cylinders went through her simultaneously, but through the portals. The kick, however, was so strong that it went through Unizard''s stomach from the bottom up and stopped just short of reaching the heart.


    In response, she grabbed Yuto''s leg and twisted it until it broke. Distortion hurled two black holes towards him, consuming the entire landscape. The vacuum pulled only Yuto, who wasn''t protected by the barrier-portal.


    But he forced his speed to get out of the suction area. While in the air, yet another shower of comets appeared. This time they fell much faster. Yuto narrowly dodged each one. As he did so, a burst of fireballs the same size as the comets surged diagonally from below. He was being targeted from above and below.


    It wasn''t just fireballs. Other smaller objects camouflaged themselves in the snowstorms and fire: ice spears, small black holes, plasma, lasers, etc. Since they covered such a large area, Yuto couldn''t run to the side without being hit. He had to dodge every attack. But portals opened in his blind spots at the last second.


    Many attacks hit, including the small black holes. Right after touching them, Yuto flew with all his speed backwards. That way, their own destruction eliminated the other projectiles. Impatient, Distortion decided to use his power. He released growing black holes that consumed even comets instantly. They created a huge vacuum, but Yuto soon escaped from that area.


    Unizard teleported in front of Yuto in less than a second and strengthened her punch again. As she didn''t try to hide, she surprised Yuto, who was bombarded by attacks in his blind spots. He didn''t have time to react. The punch landed square in his stomach. His belly was pierced and he was sent a few kilometers away.


    As he was still conscious, Distortion tried to disorient him: he created portals that led to each other. Thus, Yuto was trapped in a loop and was unable to defend himself. He was so hurt that he no longer knew what was real and what was a hallucination.


    As a final attack, Unizard conjured a comet much larger than the others at a 90¡ã angle. Since it was falling directly towards Yuto, the impact would be much greater. She accelerated the comet so that it fell as quickly as possible. In less than two seconds, it reached the ground.


    With the last of his strength left, Yuto threw himself out of the loop. He did not calculate the force he would use for this. He just flew for many, many kilometers. The comet hit the ground and caused an explosion comparable to that of an atomic bomb. The heat was so intense that there seemed to be a sun in the midst of that snowstorm.


    As he suffered a fatal wound, Yuto used his power to stanch his own blood for as long as he could, as he had done with Charlotte.


    Distortion and Unizard soon teleported to his location. For some reason, Unizard was spitting blood. Distortion, on the other hand, fell to the ground shortly after appearing there. Confused, Unizard shouted:


    ¡ª Brother? What happened? Are you hurt?


    Lying down and having difficulty speaking, he replied:


    ¡ª Sis... I guess I didn''t pay attention to the surroundings¡­


    ¡ª Surroundings? What you mean? I''ll heal you now.


    Unizard started to cast a healing spell on her brother, but couldn''t finish it. She started vomiting a lot more blood than before. She was still able to stand, but her eyesight was deteriorating.


    ¡ª Sorry, brother, I can''t use magic anymore.


    Afraid, Unizard began to look around. She had the feeling of being watched. She didn''t know where or by whom, but felt in danger. It had been a long time since she had been in such an unfavorable situation.


    Suddenly, a gunshot pierced her heart. She knelt down, no longer having the strength to stand.


    Ria aimed her carbine at the portal. She was about to shoot, but Genesis stopped her:


    ¡ª Ria, this is our only chance. We won''t be able to hit Distortion.


    ¡ª His power must have a reaction limit. If my bullet is faster, I can hit him.


    ¡ª Are you sure? His power is perfect to avoid projectiles¡­


    ¡ª Do you happen to have a better idea?


    ¡ª I don''t know if it will work, but I want to try.


    Genesis created a tiny snowflake and released it. In fact, it was an electronic mosquito equipped with an ultra-potent tranquilizer poison. She continued:


    ¡ª If I can get this flake to touch him, I can immobilize him.


    ¡ª And what guarantees you that you will be able to hit him?


    ¡ª They''re in a snowstorm. From what I can see, there are certain objects that Distortion portals unconsciously ignore. Flakes are one of them.


    ¡ª And how do you know the poison is potent enough to take down a level 7?


    ¡ª Mifuyu tested poisons in her laboratory, and I know how to create each one of them. The only problem is that it should take a few minutes to take effect. For this, I will create several flakes with numerous doses.


    ¡ª This is too risky. If he notices, our cover is blown.


    ¡ª Not so much. He seems to be having too much fun in battle to notice something so small, literally.


    ¡ª Okay, but do it quickly. We do not have much time.


    ¡ª Please wait until the poison takes effect. If the first shot misses Unizard, she will become alert.


    ¡ª Are you underestimating me? Precision and timing are my middle name.


    Exwind added:


    ¡ª Ria is right, she never misses a shot. Also, I''ll use my power to boost the shot and straighten the bullet, so don''t worry.


    Genesis created dozens of flakes and flew them to Distortion in a natural motion, so they looked real. He didn''t realize it until the poison started to take effect. He didn''t want to distract his sister, so he continued fighting with everything he had to finish off Yuto. But he didn''t last long and fell into the snow.


    Simultaneously, Unizard was out of mana and beyond the limit of magic residue, but she didn''t want to distract her brother. When she tried to heal him, she pushed her body even further. With no way to defend herself, a bullet went through her heart.


    Impatient, Tatsuya commented:


    ¡ª Hey, the portals aren''t opening. That way, we won''t be able to reach them.


    Trying to calm him down, Genesis replied:


    ¡ª Don''t worry, I can heal Yuto from here.


    ¡ª He''s losing a lot of blood. That''s not possible.


    Tatsuya pulled back his left sleeve and turned on the energy sword watch. Ria shuddered, as she had nailed the culprit of the abandoned building massacre.


    Then Tatsuya used the sword to cut off his index finger. He threw it through the portal. It fell to a certain point and stopped in the air. It surprised everyone around, who were left speechless. He said:


    ¡ª I''ll bring Kiseki here.


    Charlotte volunteered to undertake the job:


    ¡ª Let me go.


    ¡ª No way. I''m faster.


    ¡ª How about we go together and match our speeds?


    ¡ª That¡­ All right, whatever. This is really an emergency.


    Charlotte picked up Tatsuya and they both flew up into the sky. Tatsuya pointed to the clinic and they were there in a matter of seconds. They didn''t even need to say anything, because Kiseki understood the situation and agreed to go with them.


    They arrived back at the place. Everyone was amazed at the faster speed than usual. Genesis commented:


    ¡ª Already?! But you left here two seconds ago¡­ Speaking of which, it almost felt like you teleported¡­


    Trying to dodge the subject, Tatsuya replied:


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter now. Kiseki, can your power reach that finger?


    ¡ª N-No, sir¡­ But I can enter that portal¡­


    Kiseki bit her right index finger and made blood flow through the hole. Ria interrupted her:


    ¡ª Wait, I have a better idea. Put your blood on my bullet.


    Ria showed her a carbine bullet and Kiseki put her finger on it. Ria aimed her carbine again through the thrusters and fired.


    Kiseki reconstituted herself in the snowy biome, and her former body fell unconscious to the ground. Tatsuya soon understood and did the same. Ria aimed at Kiseki''s belly, so that the blood would be trapped on some surface.


    She shot and pierced her stomach, which soon healed. Tatsuya resurfaced soon after. Then each of the members did the same.


    Yuto was already almost unconscious, but he managed to see his group arriving to save him. Unizard was still alive and awake, and glared at Yuto. She said slowly:


    ¡ª Seriously...?


    Tatsuya asked Kiseki to heal Yuto as soon as possible. And she got it in time. When Genesis passed in front of Unizard, their eyes met. Genesis stopped running for a moment and started to stare at her. She was irritated with Unizard and wanted to teach her a lesson, but the time wasn''t right.


    When Unizard recognized her, she understood that Genesis had immobilized her brother. She stared at her with absolute contempt and endless hatred, but couldn''t do anything.


    Genesis started running towards Yuto, who was already healed. Everyone turned their attention to him and didn''t notice that Kiseki was no longer there. She went to heal the other two, starting with Unizard.


    Seizing the chance, she took aim at all the strength she had restored to Genesis. She strengthened her fist to a level much stronger than the comet before. If she landed that punch, that whole place would cease to exist.


    She jumped towards Genesis. Tatsuya noticed at the last second and sighed. He didn''t want to deal with that anymore, so he decided to use an unexpected feat. While airborne, Unizard was redirected. She was no longer targeting Genesis, but her fallen brother. She tried to stop the attack, but it was too late.


    Before the impact, Tatsuya took everyone out of there instantly, leaving only the twin brothers. Unizard saw it all pass slowly, as if she was about to die. In fact, the one who was going to die was her brother.


    Both were more than just brothers. In addition to family, they were friends and even a couple. One trusted the other with their back. One would rather lose their own life than sacrifice the other''s. They loved each other more than anything. If one lost the other, the purpose of life would also cease to exist. Contrary to convention, Unizard saw her brother''s entire life flash before her eyes.


    She had no control over her body. She used so much strength in her jump and fist that she couldn''t stop the attack. She thought:


    Ah... I should have seen it coming. I let my feelings affect the outcome again, but this time I regret it. I really am a bad sister.


    And then the inevitable happened. An explosion even stronger than all the others erupted. The whole place was gone. What was a snowstorm turned into a giant fire mushroom. Before the explosion, everyone was at a safe distance. Afterwards, the dimension they were in gradually disappeared, until they returned to the normal world, on the same street as before.


    Yuto was awake, but he didn''t show any reaction. He probably didn''t want to be lectured about getting into that mess.


    Everyone looked at Unizard, who was kneeling on the ground and motionless. Ria announced:


    ¡ª I''ll take her with me. Later, you''ll have to explain to me why Yuto is alive. Tetsushi, let''s go.


    Exwind, surprised by the sudden departure, said:


    ¡ª A-Ah, sorry guys, I think I have to go now.

 Double departure

    After Ria took Unizard to the police station, Yuto and his group went back to the hotel. Haji was in the waiting room. As soon as she saw Tatsuya, she complained:


    ¡ª Where did you go in such a hurry? You told me to wait here and you ran off without saying anything.


    Tatsuya looked at Yuto. He hesitated for a moment and said:


    ¡ª A lot has happened today. But it''s not time to rest yet.


    Yuto looked at Tatsuya and understood that he was implying something. Haji, annoyed at being ignored, continued:


    ¡ª Hey, I''m here! And you, Yuto? What were you doing this whole time?


    ¡ª Sorry, Haji, but we have some urgent matters to attend to¡­


    Haji was enraged. Once again, she was being left out, as if she wasn''t even part of the group. She approached Yuto and slapped him in the face, complaining:


    ¡ª Don''t think of ignoring me¡­ I know you got yourself into trouble again.


    Yuto was surprised. Without looking at Haji, he nodded:


    ¡ª Yes¡­


    ¡ª Listen, your purpose in life is to protect me. Your sister would hate to see you killing yourself like you do all the time.


    ¡ª Don''t bring my sister into the conversation.


    ¡ª If I don''t mention her, you don''t hear me!


    Charlotte interrupted:


    ¡ª Sorry, guys, but I think I''ll go ahead to see Malungo and Anelise.


    Genesis and Tatsuya both knew what had happened to the two. Trying to stop her, Genesis said:


    ¡ª Charlotte-chan, I think it''s better to leave them alone.


    ¡ª Why? We have to get everyone together to celebrate today''s victory.


    ¡ª Because¡­


    Pulling Yuto''s hand, Tatsuya began to hurriedly walk towards the elevator, interrupting their conversation:


    ¡ª They''re sleeping now. Leave the parties for later.


    Haji, again ignored, continued:


    ¡ª Hey, I''m still talking to you! Do not leave me here!


    Tatsuya stopped for a moment and looked at Genesis. He nodded his head as a signal. She soon understood and tried to hold the two in the lobby.


    While on the elevator, Tatsuya commented:


    ¡ª You must be wondering why I wasn''t pissed off at what you did.


    Yuto was surprised by that guess. Tatsuya looked at him, confirming his theory:


    ¡ª Looks like I got it right. In your case, nobody died. But I caused someone''s death.


    ¡ª What are you saying?


    ¡ª Don''t feel guilty about what you''re going to see now. If it weren''t for me, he would still be alive.


    The elevator door opened and the smell of blood soon reached Yuto''s nose. It wasn''t easy to detect for a normal person, but 7-Up and Yuto''s training made his nose more sensitive. He soon understood why Tatsuya wanted Haji and Charlotte to stay out of it.


    They entered the room. Despite having already seen that kind of scene several times, Yuto felt extremely uncomfortable. When he saw Malungo''s body, he couldn''t say anything. Tatsuya took Anelise''s letter and showed it to him, saying:


    ¡ª She was far more dangerous than we realized. If I had stayed here...


    ¡ª Don''t blame yourself, Tokihito-san. We are all responsible for not having noticed something so obvious before.


    The door opened again, forcibly. Charlotte was on the other side, impatient. She knew that something had happened to her colleagues, so she ignored Genesis and went to the location. When she saw Malungo''s corpse, she knelt down.


    ¡ª What is this¡­?


    Noticing her, Tatsuya glanced at Genesis who, head down, was avoiding eye contact. Still looking at the dead body and crying hopelessly, Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Do any of you have any idea who did this?


    Tatsuya hesitated for a moment, but handed over the letter. She read it, but was silent for a few seconds. With a murderous look, Charlotte asked:


    ¡ª Where is she?


    ¡ª When I got here, she had already left. It won''t be so easy to find her.


    ¡ª Check the security cameras.


    They went to the surveillance room. When they opened the door, which for some reason was unlocked, the guard in charge of the shift immediately stopped them:


    ¡ª Hey, what are you guys doing here?


    Charlotte, without answering, continued walking. The guard stopped in front of her, trying to stop her from entering. She just looked at him with a look of contempt, as if she was willing to kill him to get what she wanted. Afraid, he moved out of the way.


    Charlotte walked over to the monitor and said:


    ¡ª Genesis, could you handle this task?


    ¡ª Yes.


    Genesis wanted to say something to cheer her friend up, but she responded dryly. Charlotte turned to the other two and said:


    ¡ª Do you know anyone who can locate her?


    Yuto replied:


    ¡ª Ria must know something. She''s part of the police, so finding a criminal shouldn''t be that difficult.


    The three went to the police station where Ria used to go. It was a relatively safe place, so she imprisoned most of the criminals she captured there. When she saw them arrive, she said:


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡ª Have you decided to tell me why Yuto''s alive yet?


    Without answering, Charlotte took out her cell phone and showed the heroine a photo. In her other hand, she held the letter. She said:


    ¡ª Where is this bastard?


    ¡ª May I know who she is?


    ¡ª It was our friend, but now I realize it was all a hoax. She is a german spy related to Hitler.


    ¡ª Hm¡­ let me check the files.


    Ria went through all the documents in a few seconds, but found nothing. She answered:


    ¡ª Apparently she doesn''t have any police records. Either because it''s classified, or because she killed all the witnesses.


    ¡ª You run the police, don''t you? Is there no way to track her?


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I can only officially do this in Japan.


    ¡ª What do you mean "only" in Japan?


    ¡ª She''s probably not here anymore. You said she was german and related to Hitler, right? The most plausible thing is that she has returned to her country and is trying to rebuild a dictatorship. She must have gotten what she was looking for here and returned as soon as she had the chance.


    The three of them stopped for a moment and thought about what her purpose was in coming to Japan. Soon they remembered 7-Up. She was dedicated to getting as many shots as possible, so that had to be it. Charlotte continued:


    ¡ª You said you can only officially pursue her in Japan. But what if it''s in person?


    ¡ª I''d take the quest, but I''m too busy right now.


    Charlotte knelt in supplication. Desperate, she insisted:


    ¡ª Please, at least help me find out where she is.


    ¡ª If you can wait, I need to attend to some urgent matters. After finishing them, I can help you.


    ¡ª I can not wait. What if she causes a Third World War?


    ¡ª If that happens, I will personally kill her.


    ¡ª "If that happens"? Are you saying that you are going to wait for the catastrophe to arrive and then solve it?


    ¡ª That''s why I''m saying wait. If you''re in such a hurry, go to her. I already said that most likely she is in Germany now. Once you get there, it should be easier to find her.


    Charlotte felt defeated. Head down, she got up and left. Yuto tried to convince Ria:


    ¡ª Are you sure you can''t help her?


    ¡ª I already told you to wait. Tokyo is in chaos right now, and you want me to go to Germany myself?


    ¡ª Couldn''t you at least assign someone to help her?


    ¡ª And sacrifice both? If she really is related to that dictator, she won''t let some people kill her anytime soon. We would need an army, and even then a lot of people would die.


    ¡ª Then why did you tell her to go alone?


    ¡ª If she''s in such a hurry, losing a limb to start being more cautious isn''t such a high price.


    Yuto fell silent. He finally realized Ria''s cruelty, and didn''t know how to respond. She continued:


    ¡ª Sorry, I got carried away. I''m so full of things to do that the stress is getting to me. If you can wait a few more days, I''ll be available.


    Yuto felt slightly relieved by the proposal. Tatsuya walked out of the police station without saying anything. Ria said to Yuto, who was also leaving:


    ¡ª Yuto, I don''t know how you came back to life, but it doesn''t matter now. Know that I''m glad you''re alive.


    ¡ª Happy because you''re going to use me as bait again?


    ¡ª If you see me that way, fine. I may not show it, but I really do care about some people. And you are one of them.


    Yuto looked away, embarrassed. Without answering, he left.


    Yuto and Tatsuya returned to the hotel''s surveillance room. Charlotte was already there, leaning against the wall. Tatsuya asked:


    ¡ª Genesis, any progress?


    ¡ª She didn''t even bother to hide from the cameras. After the murder, she fled through the front door, unafraid of discovery. But I don''t know where she went after that.


    ¡ª That''s enough.


    ¡ª You appeared on camera well after all that, so there was no way around it.


    ¡ª Actually, there''s a way. But I don''t know if it would be a good idea to try.


    Charlotte looked at Tatsuya and ran towards him. Holding his shoulders, she said:


    ¡ª And what would be?


    Tatsuya looked away, uncomfortable. He was silent for a few seconds, until she repeated:


    ¡ª Please just say what you know. It could be anything.


    ¡ª I lied. It is impossible to go back in time.


    Charlotte, once again hopeless, let go of Tatsuya''s shoulders. Looking down at the ground, she replied:


    ¡ª Okay, you''re right.


    At night, Genesis and Charlotte stopped using the bloodied room, for obvious reasons. Genesis started sleeping in Yuto and Haji''s room, and Charlotte in Tatsuya''s.


    When everyone was asleep, Charlotte packed her bags and left the room. She was determined: she would personally go to Germany to kill her ex-partner.


    When she reached the hall, she started walking towards the elevator. However, the door to Genesis'' room also opened. Thinking that she had been discovered, Charlotte was startled.


    However, Genesis came out of the room holding a suitcase. Both looked at each other in surprise. Charlotte said:


    ¡ª Genesis? What are you doing up?


    ¡ª Charlotte? This question is mine.


    ¡ª Well, I''m going on a trip.


    ¡ª Me too. But where are you going in this hour?


    ¡ª Since you''re my friend, I don''t need to hide it. I''ll go to her.


    ¡ª I see.


    ¡ª Aren''t you going to stop me?


    ¡ª If that''s what you''ve decided, I''ll support you with everything I''ve got. But I have to go somewhere first.


    ¡ª And where would that be?


    ¡ª Russia has one of the most advanced weapons in the world. I intend to use my power on every piece of equipment I find so I can replicate it in a future battle.


    ¡ª Have you thought about all this in such a short time?


    ¡ª Actually, I''ve been planning this trip for a while. But with everything that''s been going on, we need more and more devastating firepower.


    ¡ª Won''t this trip be dangerous?


    ¡ª You do not need to worry about me. I promise I''ll be back in one piece. Please promise me the same.


    ¡ª I don''t know if I''ll come back unscathed, but I''ll try my best.


    Both were silent for a while. Genesis continued:


    ¡ª Charlotte, could you do me a favor?


    ¡ª For sure.


    ¡ª I put another tracker on Yuto. This time, it also detects his vital signs. If he is fatally injured or dies, can you save him?


    ¡ª Okay, but why are you asking this of me?


    ¡ª It''s just a guarantee. And you have the perfect power to arrive on time, even if you are in another country.


    Genesis forced a smile, trying to hide the real reason for that favor. Charlotte could see that her friend was unsure about her own future. After all, so was she. She answered:


    ¡ª Do you want me to announce your trip to the others?


    ¡ª No. If Yuto finds out about this, he''ll come flying to me.


    Genesis sent all of the tracker information to Charlotte''s cell phone. Both stared at each other for a few more seconds, as if they were about to say goodbye forever. Crying lightly, they hugged each other. Charlotte commented:


    ¡ª Please promise me you''ll at least come back alive. If you lose some parts, you can rebuild.


    ¡ª I promise. But you should be a lot more careful than me, since you''re a human.


    They both laughed, relieving the tension of the moment. They stopped hugging. Charlotte said goodbye:


    ¡ª Before we leave, we need to make that promise eternal.


    ¡ª For sure. But how?


    Charlotte took Genesis'' hand and laced her pinky with hers, forming an unbreakable promise.

 Who wants to be a god?

    On a bridge that crossed over an avenue, a woman was leaning against the parapet, facing the street. Smoking a cigarette, she had short dark blue hair and wore a white suit. But what caught the most attention was her dark glasses that projected her eyes with a light blue light.


    With a bored expression, she thought:


    Man, this world is pathetic. Once you reach the top, there''s nothing left to do.


    Suddenly, a luxury car pulls up next to her. A fat and apparently rich man comes out, also wearing a white suit. With a happy expression, he said:


    ¡ª Matsukaze-san, I knew I recognized you. What a coincidence to meet you after so long!


    The woman, also known as Zenith, was the fourth level 7 hero. She was the older sister of Matsukaze Koharu, wife of Tokihito Tatsuya. Noticing the unexpected visitor, she looked at the man, as if she didn''t recognize him. He moved closer, trying to show her his face more closely.


    Uncomfortable with the short distance, Zenith punched the man in the face, who, with a bloody nose, fell to his knees on the ground. Then she stepped on his head, pressing it to the pavement. She finally said:


    ¡ª Do I know you, shitty pig?


    ¡ª It''s me, Oshimaru Kanamaru! We went to college together, and we even graduated together!


    ¡ª I don''t remember any fat person in the same class as me, much less that lame name.


    ¡ª After we graduated, I ended up getting rich and fat before I knew it¡­


    ¡ª None of that matters to me. You had the audacity to approach me as if you were on my level.


    ¡ª Matsukaze-san, what happened to you? You were much kinder when we studied together.


    Zenith clicked her tongue. No one had been so arrogant with her in a long time. Pressing the shoe more against the man''s head, she replied:


    ¡ª You think you know how I feel, you bastard?


    ¡ª That''s not what I meant! Sorry, I just thought you''d be happy to see me again...


    ¡ª And what the fuck made you think that?


    ¡ª People are happy to see each other again after so long, aren''t they?


    ¡ª That logic doesn''t work for me. You said you knew me but didn''t know something as basic as that?


    ¡ª Sorry¡­


    Crying out in pain, the man felt sorry for having parked the car near that demon. Getting a new "toy", Zenith smiled. In response, she gave a sadistic smile and said:


    ¡ª Okay, I''ll forgive you. But only if you lick my shoe.


    ¡ª What?


    ¡ª Come on, it''s not that difficult.


    ¡ª Okay¡­


    Zenith took the shoe off the man''s head and placed it in front of him. Crawling, he opened his mouth. At the same time, Zenith kicked him from the inside of the head, through the man''s neck. He died instantly.


    Getting blood on her shoe and suit, Zenith felt uncomfortable. Her smile soon faded, realizing that that "joke" wasn''t as fun as she thought it would be. With an expression of disgust, she went back to smoking, while she thought:


    What the hell... What was his family name anyway? Oshimaru?


    At the police station, Ria was trying to resolve the pressing issues. One was to interrogate Catherine, the french Prime Minister.


    She was imprisoned in a white cell with no window, except for the front wall, which had several functions. One was to dazzle from inside or outside, to control visibility. Furthermore, a gas was expelled from the inside, so that her power was almost completely nullified.


    Ria opened the door to enter and then closed it. As she had two revolvers and a carbine with her, she didn''t even need a power to contain the prisoners inside.


    Catherine was sitting with her head down, as if she hadn''t noticed the visitor. Ria gently cupped the prisoner''s chin, as if seducing her. Catherine was startled and crawled back as if she had seen a monster. Desperate, she screamed:


    ¡ª I don''t know anything, I swear! Please let me go!


    ¡ª You just got here and you already want to leave?


    ¡ª I''ll tell you everything I know, just don''t hurt me!


    ¡ª I''m glad you understood the situation so quickly.


    Ria walked over to Catherine, who was now in the corner of the room. Bending down, she showed a picture and said:


    ¡ª His name was Tadahiro Ryosuke. Why did you kill not only him but also his mother?


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡ª His mother was a threat to the french government, and I couldn''t leave any witnesses alive!


    ¡ª Are you telling me that you left your country and came to Japan just to shut up a spy?


    ¡ª Yes¡­


    ¡ª I know you''re lying. Did you make some kind of contract with another leader?


    ¡ª Well, maybe¡­


    ¡ª And who would that be?


    ¡ª ¡­ Elizabeth III.


    ¡ª The England''s queen? What kind of relationship did you have?


    ¡ª We were friends, more or less. She said she was after a potion called 7-Up, so I was interested too.


    ¡ª You know she managed to steal some boxes a few days ago, don''t you?


    ¡ª What? She didn''t tell me she already had a plan...


    ¡ª So she used you as bait so she could steal as much as possible without being noticed?


    Catherine finally realized the nature of her "friend". Feeling betrayed, she dropped her gaze to the floor. Ria continued the interrogation:


    ¡ª Now that you know that no one is on your side, you can report your colleagues without fear of being pursued. In fact, it may even shorten your sentence.


    ¡ª You can ask anything. I will not forgive those bastards.


    Catherine looked back at Ria, determined this time. She was ready to take revenge on her former teammates. Ria continued:


    ¡ª Does the association have something or someone of international interest?


    ¡ª The most mentioned item in the meetings was the 7-Up. But the most mentioned person was Kiseki.


    ¡ª Kiseki? Why?


    ¡ª She is considered an angel by the brazilian Pope, perhaps for religious values. Also, she has perfect power for anyone who wants to be immortal.


    Ria thought of something that had never crossed her mind: Kiseki''s power as a rejuvenator. If it regenerated an individual''s cells each time they aged, that person would become immortal. Furthermore, it was a defensive power that could nearly resurrect the target of an atomic bomb.


    Realizing the value that Kiseki always had, Ria finally understood why the brazilian delinquents were after her. The Pope had sent his faithful to kidnap an angel who could make him immortal in every way.


    Ria ended the interrogation:


    ¡ª Thanks for cooperating, Catherine. I will reduce your sentence after confirming your information is true.


    ¡ª Are you sure you don''t want more information? I may not know a lot, but I would love to see those people crying for abandoning me.


    Ria realized that her strategy of turning everyone against the criminal was more successful than she expected, but she refused the offer:


    ¡ª I''ll come back later to continue the interrogation, if that''s what you want. But now I need to do something urgent.


    ¡ª It''s okay, Ria-chan. I will always be here, waiting for you.


    Ria-chan?!


    ¡ª Ok, see you later.


    After being disgraced by a supposedly unknown fat man, Zenith was looking for the Oshimaru family. She wanted to take out her anger and spend her time killing anyone who had anything to do with that pig.


    Zenith broke into the door of Kanamaru''s house, who lived with his parents. To the heroine''s misfortune, no relatives were in the place, since they were travelling. Deeply irritated, she froze, not knowing what to do. As she lit another cigarette, she got a call.


    As the act of lighting a cigarette could not be interrupted, she let the cell phone ring for a few seconds before answering it. The moment she accepted the call, she heard a shout:


    ¡ª ZENITH-SAMA? IS IT WITH YOUR MAJESTY THAT I SPEAK?


    ¡ª Damn¡­ TALK LOWER, ARE YOU WANTING TO FUCK ME DEAF?


    ¡ª SORRY, BUT THAT''S MY NORMAL VOICE-


    Impatient, Zenith ended the call. Before she could put her cell phone in her pocket, she received the same call. She stopped for a moment and scratched her forehead, trying to work up patience for it. Answered again:


    ¡ª IS THIS BETTER?


    The man was talking with the same intensity as before, but this time the voice was coming from further away from the cell phone.


    ¡ª Just say what the fuck you want, dammit.


    Both were silent for a few seconds, as if they were about to say something decisive. The man continued:


    ¡ª DO YOU WANT TO BECOME¡­ A GODDESS?


    ¡ª What a terrible joke. Are you saying I''m not a goddess?


    ¡ª IT''S NOT A JOKE. IF I TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD BECOME IMMORTAL, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?


    ¡ª ¡­


    ¡ª TO DO THAT, IT''S QUITE SIMPLE: YOU JUST NEED TO BRING ME A HEROINE NAMED KISEKI.


    Ria left the police station and rushed to Kiseki''s clinic, to make sure she was safe. She would start to always watch over the supposed angel, as it was likely that someone would come after her at some point.


    When she arrived at the clinic, she rang the bell. Nobody answered. She rang several times and there was no answer. Realizing something was wrong, Ria broke down the door. She searched the entire establishment but found no one.


    Since Kiseki was also an idol and a maid, Ria ran to all the places she frequented but didn''t find any clues. Running out of options, she returned to Catherine''s cell. Noticing the visit, she said:


    ¡ª Well, are you finished with the urgent matters?


    ¡ª Who is the leader most interested in Kiseki?


    ¡ª Hm¡­ probably the Pope.


    ¡ª And who the hell is this Pope?


    ¡ª He is a brazilian religious leader. He lives in a country town called Pareto.


    ¡ª Are you sure he''s there?


    ¡ª Most likely. But why are you in such a hurry?


    ¡ª Something more urgent has happened. I need to go to him.


    ¡ª Okay. But know that he is dangerous.


    ¡ª Does he have any power?


    ¡ª I don''t know for sure, but I think he can control his faithful.


    ¡ª Then no problem. I would never join such a religion.


    Ria got up in a hurry and ran to the cell door. Before she left, Catherine commented:


    ¡ª I think you''d better be careful. Sometimes you want to protect one person, but you end up sacrificing another.


    ¡ª I know what I am doing. I would never let a partner of mine die.

 The Pope

    After the conversation with Catherine, Ria made up her mind. Accompanied by Exwind, she would go to Pareto, in Brazil, to settle accounts with the Pope and rescue Kiseki.


    They were both at an airport, ready to leave. As they sat in the waiting room, Exwind felt uncertain about the information the prisoner had given:


    ¡ª Ria, are you sure that this Pope didn''t change his place to carry out his evil plan?


    ¡ª No, but that''s why we''re going there as soon as possible. By combining our powers, it is possible to travel all around the city in less than a day.


    ¡ª That''s not like you, Ria. You''ve never trusted a prisoner before.


    ¡ª I researched everything she said right after she left. Obviously I''m not going to blindly trust someone like her.


    ¡ª I said that in a good way. I''m glad you started to open your heart more.


    Exwind smiled at Ria, as if he was watching his daughter mature. Without showing any reaction, she initially disagreed with that comment, but soon realized that her friend was right. Trying to avoid the subject, she replied:


    ¡ª Anyway, the Pope mustn''t know we''re after him, so I don''t think he''ll be leaving town anytime soon.


    ¡ª Let''s hope he doesn''t get on a commercial plane and wander around the region. I don''t want to have to protect passengers while I beat up the guy who kidnapped someone as kind as Kiseki-chan.


    ¡ª Wait, that reminds me of something. Isn''t there a private plane that flies around Tokyo and never lands?


    ¡ª Perhaps. I never noticed, but it might exist. Do you think there really is a villain traveling through the air to avoid being caught?


    ¡ª It''s just a hypothesis, but I think it''s very suspicious that they use a private plane and it''s always in the air. It''s almost like they want to get caught.


    An announcement sounded: "Dear passengers, please board your respective plane." Exwind ended the conversation:


    ¡ª Speaking of planes, it looks like our turn has come. I hope it''s a peaceful trip, because I''m tired of plane "accidents".


    Fortunately for Exwind, the trip was the smoothest he''d had in a long time. With all that comfort, he even forgot what the purpose of the trip was.


    When they disembarked, Exwind came back to reality and noticed something strange: they were not yet in Pareto. Confused, he asked:


    ¡ª Ria, I know we''re going to a city in the interior, but there''s an airport there, isn''t there?


    ¡ª Yes, but no plane goes directly there. In recent years, there have been reports that some passengers who go there become completely different people. And I think we already know why.


    ¡ª So this Pope, in addition to kidnapping a friend of ours, brainwashes innocent people?


    Exwind, who until now had been relaxed from the trip, turned his tranquility into disgust and anger. Even Ria rarely saw that expression on the face of someone so calm and gentle. Exwind continued:


    ¡ª Ria, I think we better hurry, because we don''t know Kiseki-chan''s situation.


    ¡ª We are still a few dozen kilometers away from there. I''ll use my power to speed us up and you''ll take us flying, but that might end up tiring us out before the battle even begins.


    ¡ª The battle has already begun. If they mess with a friend of ours, all we can do is make them pay with double the suffering.


    As they were approaching Pareto, they soon noticed strange objects: floating islands in the sky. As there were several, Ria soon realized the meaning of that.


    ¡ª It seems he doesn''t care about hiding the city from the map. But he knows someone is after him if he tries to build all this just to make us search all the islands.


    ¡ª The one in the center seems to be the main one. Should we look there first?


    ¡ª That must be a trap. If he''s so stupid as to make the hiding place stand out like that, it''s because he wants to show off.


    ¡ª Which one should we check first, then?


    ¡ª That one is closer and seems to have people. We can verify if the brainwashing rumors were true.


    Exwind landed on the island, which was the smallest of them. He placed Ria on the ground and they both walked towards a group of people who were surrounding some monument. It looked like a ritual, except all the worshipers were staring at random directions.


    They both walked through the crowd, trying to pick the right person to interrogate. Suddenly, a seemingly poor man crawled up to the two and grabbed Exwind''s foot. In less than a second, Ria was already pointing one of her revolvers at the guy''s head.


    As if seeing a deity, the man asked:


    ¡ª Lord, is that you? Will I finally be saved? Will I be able to see my family?


    Seeing that Ria was ready to shoot, Exwind motioned for her to lower the gun. Still confused, he crouched down to talk to the man:


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I am not your Lord. But I promise I will get you out of here and take you to your family.


    ¡ª But¡­ salvation is necessary! I cannot return before the Lord accepts me into the divine realm!


    ¡ª I''m sorry, but I''m not a Christian, so I don''t know how you feel.


    ¡ª You¡­ are not a Christian? That''s not possible, how did a heretic end up here? This is the Sanctuary, and it does not accept infidels!


    Exwind didn''t know how to respond. He was faced with a lost man who looked like he hadn''t eaten in days. Feeling sorry for him and everyone else around, he stood up. He looked at everyone and exclaimed:


    ¡ª I don''t know anything about religion, but I promise one thing: we will get you out of this situation after we defeat the Pope.


    Part of the crowd wasn''t paying attention, and another was looking at the two. But when they heard the name Pope, everyone stared at Exwind. Some scared, others happy. A woman who was sitting got up and, crying, said:


    ¡ª You can''t defy the Pope! He is the supreme being, and today he will become a god!


    ¡ª And that''s why we''re going to defeat him today. If he''s that strong, it''ll be doubly satisfying to smash his face in. I know he''s forcing you all to live this hell, but that''s about to change.


    Everyone was silent. They were scared of it all, but a spark of hope was lit by that hero''s speech. Some began to cry unconsciously. Another woman shouted:


    ¡ª You can''t go near that castle! If you do that, we won''t reach heaven!


    ¡ª So that''s where the Pope is hiding? Relax, everything will be fine, I''m sure he''s just a faker trying to gain the trust of the faithful. Thanks for everything, guys, now we have a job to do.


    Everyone fell silent again, not knowing how to respond. Deep down, they wanted that duo to go to the castle, but they spoke in a tone of denial because they couldn''t go against the Pope''s wishes.


    Now, they were both flying directly towards the central island, which was a few kilometers away. Ria, surprised by the speech, commented:


    ¡ª I don''t know how you can ask without questioning.


    ¡ª It''s not as difficult as it seems. You''re too tough, Ria. If you speak with empathy, answers flow naturally.


    ¡ª You didn''t seem to be looking for answers.


    ¡ª You noticed? I can''t stand seeing people in this state, so I need to at least be a symbol of hope.


    ¡ª So I am the symbol of fear.


    ¡ª Of course not, Ria. You are also the hope of many people, including me.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡ª Idiot, don''t say things like that.


    Again, Ria didn''t even show a visible reaction. Although she was saying a typical tsundere phrase, she was a kuudere. It was obvious that she loved her childhood friend, but she could never express that clearly.


    When they landed on the central island, Exwind commented:


    ¡ª Yeah, it looks like the Pope really wants to show off.


    ¡ª I still think this is a trap. He''s probably waiting for us inside with a special weapon ready to fire.


    ¡ª You don''t need to worry so much, Ria. You yourself say that powerful non-Japanese people don''t usually go beyond level 6. We can handle it without any difficulty if we''re together.


    ¡ª I hope you''re right...


    ¡ª Of course I am. The problem is that this castle is too big, so we''ll have to split up to find it as soon as possible.


    ¡ª But didn''t you just say that we would face him together?


    ¡ª We will, but only after we''ve looked into it all better. Kiseki-chan needs protection, so one of us has to go after her.


    ¡ª Okay¡­ I can do that.


    Ria took out her revolver and created several bullets with different strengths. She shot them all at herself and her partner to speed up the search and ensure that neither of them would have any difficulty if they faced a strong enemy.


    Worried, Ria looked away and said:


    ¡ª Tetsushi, be careful, and good luck.


    ¡ª Thank you, Ria. I hope I don''t need luck, because that would mean we''re in trouble. And relax, you''re too tense. After this is all over, you, me and Kiseki-chan are going to have a celebration party.


    Ria laughed lightly, realizing that her friend was playing in the danger. She turned her back and said:


    ¡ª Sure, idiot.


    Exwind smiled and stood still for a few moments, watching his partner walk away. Then he started walking in another direction.


    A few minutes after beginning the search accelerated by Ria, Exwind heard a strange sound. He approached a door that clearly had a bathroom on the other side. He heard screams:


    ¡ª WHAT THE HELL, WHY DOESN''T THIS RITUAL WORK? I KEEP TELLING MY FOLLOWERS TO HAVE MORE FAITH, BUT THEY DON''T UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MISSION.


    Exwind didn''t understand a word of what he just heard. Noticing that the person on the other side was speaking another language, he thought:


    Wait, does that mean those people from before were coincidentally Japanese?


    A short time later, the bathroom door opened, and Exwind decided to discreetly follow the person to find out who they were. As Ria had shown him photos of the Pope, he quickly recognized that this was his target.


    He was a middle-aged man and wore a white papal outfit, as his name said. Except for his clothing, his hunchbacked way of walking, and his incessant screams every time he opened his mouth, he had nothing that attracted attention.


    He could be seen as a relatively normal person, except for the hero duo, who knew about his inner rot. Blinded by rage, Exwind began to follow him openly, unafraid of being discovered. As the Pope had hearing problems, he did not notice the tall brute walking behind him. Suddenly, he received a call. He was startled by the sound of the device, but soon answered the call:


    ¡ª WHAT DO YOU WANT?


    ¡ª "What do you want"? Did I really hear that?


    ¡ª AH, I''M SORRY, ZENITH-SAMA, I DIDN''T KNOW I WAS TALKING TO YOUR MAJESTY.


    ¡ª You''re trying my patience, old man. You told me the ritual would be ready hours ago, and still nothing.


    ¡ª OH, IT''S JUST¡­


    As the Pope was nervous while talking to the heroine, he was unable to maintain his posture and instinctively looked around. To his surprise, he finally saw who was behind. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, until the Pope dropped his cell phone on the floor. Zenith continued:


    ¡ª "It''s just" what, asshole?! You''re not going to tell me to wait another day. You promised me that I would become a goddess, so keep your word! Hey, can you hear me? Hello?!


    Exwind finally spoke:


    ¡ª Later, you will explain to me what your relationship with Zenith is. But first, you will tell me where Kiseki-chan is.


    ¡ª WHO ARE YOU? AND WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING JAPANESE?


    Realizing the language barrier, Exwind was disappointed. He scratched his forehead, thinking of a solution. He continued:


    ¡ª Can you at least speak English?


    ¡ª ENGLISH? OF COURSE I KNOW, MORE OR LESS.


    ¡ª What I said is that you''re going to have to answer some questions.


    ¡ª I DON''T KNOW ANYTHING AND I''M NOT OBLIGED TO GIVE YOU ANSWERS!


    ¡ª Ah, you will give me the answers I''m looking for, whether you want it or not.


    ¡ª ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY! MY FAITHFUL GUARDS, PROTECT ME IMMEDIATELY!


    Realizing that reinforcements would be arriving, Exwind positioned himself to fight the strongest of the enemies. Waiting for the threat to arrive, he concentrated.


    Two guard dogs came running and jumped at the hero, who remained motionless. That "threat" became the target of petting, and Exwind sat down to pet them, even though they were trying to bite him with all their might.


    When he turned his attention to the Pope, he was no longer there. He quickly got up and ran in search of his target, but he couldn''t find him. The dogs barked at one of the several doors in the long hallway. Exwind soon realized that the Pope was there.


    He approached the door and petted the dogs once again, thanking them. He grabbed the handle and tried to open the door, but it was locked. Out of patience, he kicked it open.


    The Pope was crouched behind a table, terrified and crying. The brute approached slowly, with a murderous aura. He looked him in the eye closely and said, with a forced smile:


    ¡ª It''s questionin'' time.


    ¡ª I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING!


    ¡ª You certainly don''t know, considering you''re the only human in decent living conditions in this entire floating archipelago. In fact, you have a castle all to yourself.


    ¡ª I RENTED IT!


    ¡ª Of course, I believe you.


    Exwind transformed his smile into a serious expression, reinforcing that this was not a joke. He continued:


    ¡ª What is your relationship with Zenith?


    The Pope hesitated for a few more seconds, but soon gave in:


    ¡ª SHE¡­ WANTS TO BECOME A GODDESS.


    ¡ª A goddess?


    ¡ª I OFFERED MY HELP TO MAKE HER DREAM A REALITY, BUT IT SEEMS NOT TO HAVE WORKED.


    ¡ª How?


    ¡ª I READ IN THE BIBLE A RITUAL THAT ALLOWS A PERSON TO BECOME OMNIPOTENT, BY SACRIFICING THE SOUL OF THE PUREST PERSON IN THE WORLD.


    ¡ª So you concluded that Kiseki-chan was the perfect angel?


    ¡ª EXACTLY! I TRIED THIS RITUAL SEVERAL TIMES AFTER ZENITH BROUGHT ME THE GIRL, BUT UNTIL NOW NOTHING HAS WORKED.


    ¡ª Look, I don''t know anything about religion, but I don''t think a ritual like that would be in the Bible. Where did you get this copy?


    ¡ª IN A CAMELODROME.


    ¡ª Seriously¡­?


    Exwind turned away, disappointed at the Pope''s stupidity. Wanting one last answer, he continued:


    ¡ª And what did you do to the people here?


    ¡ª I HAVE A POWER.


    Surprised, Exwind looked at his target again. Curious, he asked:


    ¡ª And what would it be?


    ¡ª I CAN CONTROL PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW THE SAME RELIGION AS ME.


    ¡ª Damn¡­ But how do you explain the floating islands?


    ¡ª I DID A RITUAL THAT I ALSO SAW IN THE BIBLE.


    ¡ª Wait, the one you found on the camelodrome?


    ¡ª YES.


    ¡ª So they have techniques that work? You better not be lying to me.


    ¡ª I''M NOT LYING! I AM A FANATIC ABOUT THE OCCULTISM.


    ¡ª Occultism? What are you talking about?


    ¡ª YOU WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND. SOMEONE WHO HAS ALWAYS USED POWERS AND TALENT TO MOVE UP IN LIFE DOESN''T KNOW HOW VAST THE WORLD IS.


    ¡ª Okay, this conversation can wait for later, otherwise I won''t be able to understand.


    ¡ª SO AM I DISMISSED?


    ¡ª No way, you''re coming with me.


    Exwind turned to the door and used his discreet headset to talk to Ria:


    ¡ª Ria, I met the Pope and discovered a lot of useful information. Where can we meet?


    ¡ª Tetsushi, get away from here as quickly as possible.


    ¡ª Did something happen? Where are you?


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter, just go away.


    Another voice came from Ria''s microphone:


    ¡ª So this is the famous strongest level 6 duo in the association? I never got the chance to meet you guys, but I''m surprised you''re this weak.


    ¡ª And who are you, bastard?


    ¡ª Hey, hey, you''re not going to say you don''t recognize me. I am the strongest, most beautiful and perfect of the association: Zenith!


    ¡ª You are underestimating us.


    ¡ª Am I seriously underestimating you? That doesn''t seem to be the case for me, as I defeated your little friend very easily.


    ¡ª I''m going to destroy this entire island and take you to hell with it.


    ¡ª Look, someone''s pissed off! This is so fun, it''s been a while since I felt so satisfied defeating someone.


    ¡ª Ria, wait, I''ll come get you.


    ¡ª Oh, do you want to talk to her? Here, brat, answer your friend. Don''t do that, Tetsushi, you don''t stand a chance against her.


    ¡ª That''s what we''ll see, Ria.

 One for 4ll

    Soon after the pair split up, Ria searched everywhere for Kiseki. She found nothing, but she heard a person talking on the other side of a huge door, which seemed to lead to a cathedral.


    As she felt safe by her own power and by Exwind''s words, she opened the door. It wasn''t locked, so she managed to get in. The first thing he saw in the spacious room was Kiseki''s body sitting on a throne on the opposite side of the cathedral. Her arms were chained and she appeared to be unconscious.


    After entering, the first words she heard were:


    ¡ª "It''s just" what, asshole?! You''re not going to tell me to wait another day. You promised me that I would become a goddess, so keep your word! Hey, can you hear me? Hello?!


    Although she didn''t see the person immediately, she understood that they were talking to someone on their phone or talking to themselves. At the benches, she stood up and looked back to see who was entering.


    Ria shivered. In the first second of visual contact, she recognized that horrible person. She had dark blue short hair, wore sunglasses that cast a light blue light on her eyes, a white suit, a red cloak and a black top hat.


    When she turned back, Zenith asked:


    ¡ª Hey, you''re not the Pope. Who the fuck are you?


    ¡ª Zenith? What are you doing here?


    ¡ª Do you know who I am? Amazing. But you still haven''t answered my fucking question.


    ¡ª That''s not possible. You should be in Tokyo right now.


    ¡ª Turns out I''m not. I wanted to go back soon, but the decrepit old man couldn''t finish the ritual.


    ¡ª Ritual? What do you mean?


    ¡ª You came here and you don''t know anything? You must be fucking kidding me. I will become a goddess if this works, is it easy to understand?


    ¡ª Goddess? But that doesn''t exist...


    ¡ª Of course it exists, I''m proof of that! I''m so perfect that I wouldn''t even need to do this, but it turns out that there are still people stronger than me, oddly enough.


    ¡ª Do you intend to defeat the top 3?


    ¡ª Not just defeat, but kill and humiliate them for leaving me in fourth place.


    ¡ª I won''t let that happen. The association never wanted you alive, but your power must be very useful to the Boss.


    ¡ª The Boss? He''s nobody next to me. Of course the association doesn''t want me alive, because I''ll be the next one to play tyrant.


    In order to test Zenith''s power, Ria took out her revolver and shot the heroine in the shoulder quickly, before both of them even realized it.


    Ria had no idea what her power was, so she tried a light attack so as not to risk her own safety. The shot went through Zenith''s shoulder and caused considerable damage. Soon after, Ria was injured in exactly the same place, but with much greater damage.


    A huge hole formed in her shoulder, and blood began to pour out. Surprised by the attack, Zenith commented:


    ¡ª You have a lot of courage, brat. I never thought I would ever get a surprise attack.


    ¡ª What did you do?


    ¡ª Me? I just stood here and got shot by you, no big deal. You are the one getting hurt.


    Ria understood that Zenith''s power was related to damage reflection. The problem was that the intensity of the returned impact was much greater than that received.


    Ria ran towards her enemy, who was in the corridor between the benches. She tripped her to unbalance her body and shot her in the heart. As expected, Ria''s heart was shattered in response, but Zenith''s was also pierced enough to bleed.


    Surprised again, the level 7 picked up a card that was hidden under her cloak. It was black and light blue, just like her glasses. As Ria passed under her opponent''s legs, Zenith touched the card on the level 6''s head, but it did not cause any damage.


    Ria continued sliding until she hit the stage elevation. She quickly got up and saw Zenith flying towards her, about to throw a punch. Having no time to react, her face was crushed and she was thrown a few dozen meters away, destroying all the walls in her path.


    Ria''s barrier would have reflected Zenith''s punch, but only if she had been motionless during the blow. When her opponent threw her entire body towards her, the difference in mass caused Ria to be thrown back into the wall, and the punch connected with her face.


    She was now in what appeared to be the castle''s prison. When she stood up again, she remembered that her heart no longer existed. She created an ultra-powerful regeneration bullet and shot it at herself. In a few seconds, it was completely healed.


    She looked around, but there was nothing but handcuffs and iron bars. Suddenly, a tower of flames rose up where Ria was, and began to melt her. Instinctively, she ran to the side, but a column of ice covered her. Zenith finally appeared and snapped her fingers, shattering the block of ice.


    She melted her and said to the dismembered heroine:


    ¡ª Come to think of it, I think I saw you at the association. You are Ria, the top 1 level 6, right?


    ¡ª Why are you saying this now?


    ¡ª Because I wanted to reinforce that you are much weaker than I could imagine.


    ¡ª Why don''t you just kill me?


    ¡ª Well, you still amused me enough.


    Ria realized that the hole in Zenith''s heart was also healed. Since her arms were disconnected from her head, she used an emergency attack.


    Ria created a regenerating bullet inside her mouth, aimed inwards. Biting the back of the bullet and pressing hard enough generated a spark strong enough to propel the shot towards herself.


    Hearing the shot, Zenith fell silent and looked at Ria, who was healing quickly. Surprised, she asked:


    ¡ª How did you do that, bitch?


    Ria quickly grabbed both revolvers and shot Zenith in the head, who dodged it. The bullets, however, were reflected in random directions.


    Ria quickly jumped up and punched her in the head too, but from right to left. Zenith raised her left arm to block the attack. To the surprise of both, the blow was reflected to the side, hitting the air.


    Ria realized that this type of reflection was exactly the same as her barrier. Zenith realized that she had unconsciously awakened yet another power and smiled mischievously. Ria positioned herself to fight, but Zenith started laughing uncontrollably, saying:


    ¡ª See? I wouldn''t have realized this hidden power of yours if I had already ended the fight!


    Trying to understand the situation, Ria asked:


    ¡ª Did you steal my power?


    ¡ª Maybe, who knows?


    ¡ª Spit it out, jackass!


    ¡ª What did you call me? Know that I will kill your boyfriend too if you continue insulting me.


    ¡ª If you lay a finger on him, I''ll-


    ¡ª You''ll what, kill me? Honey, you should know by now that you have no chance against me. After I kill you, I will use your friend as a toy and then throw it away.


    Ria''s eyes widened with pure hatred. Realizing that the provocation deeply affected her opponent, Zenith commented:


    ¡ª You''re mad, aren''t you? It''s so fun to play with kids-


    Suddenly, Ria jumped up so quickly that she destroyed everything in her path. Zenith, confused, looked at the hole in the ceiling and shouted:


    ¡ª What is this, are you going to run away now? In addition to being weak, you''re a coward?


    Zenith accepted the challenge and also jumped up. When she crossed the roof, she continued flying for a few more seconds and stopped in the sky. Suspicious, she looked everywhere, but didn''t see her opponent. Impatient, she exclaimed:


    ¡ª What is this now, hide and seek? I''m sorry to say I don''t feel like playing this, so come along and let''s continue our fight!


    Zenith continued to look to the sides, until a shot pierced her body from below. As the bullet passed through her brain, she was paralyzed for a while, as if she had been sleeping awake. Her right foot was hit first, then the rest of her body that was in the path.


    The wound on his foot began to bleed more and Zenith''s body stopped floating, starting to free fall. While she was falling, she managed to regain consciousness for a few seconds due to her 7-Up. Her instinct was to create an ultra-powerful regeneration bullet in her hand and smash the back of it, propelling the projectile towards her own head.


    Meanwhile, Ria appeared jumping and holding her carbine, ready to fire. She was aiming for Zenith''s feet. When fired, the bullet went through the level 7''s body again, but both wounds were soon healed.


    Zenith''s body fell to the ground. Ria thought she had finished her opponent, so she approached her with the carbine aimed at her head. She fired, but the bullet was reflected and then ricocheted off Ria''s barrier, being launched in a random direction.


    Realizing that the plan had failed and her opponent was still alive, Ria despaired. Zenith stood up slowly, with an evil smile. Ria was startled and took a step back. The villainess raised both hands and a powerful laser from below hit the level 6''s body, desintegrating her legs, since they were closer to the ground. The rest of her body also burned.


    Ria fell face down. Zenith commented:


    ¡ª So your barrier doesn''t reflect from underfoot?


    Zenith slowly brought her hand closer to Ria''s arm, who pushed off the ground to propel herself to the side. Noticing yet another weakness, the magician said:


    ¡ª So slow objects also pass through it?


    After recognizing the barrier''s weaknesses, she became serious and asked:


    ¡ª How could I not see you while I was up there?


    ¡ª If you''re enjoying testing my power so much, find out for yourself.


    ¡ª You have a lot of courage, brat.


    Zenith raised her hand, ready to fire another laser. Ria just waited for the attack, which, to the level 7''s surprise, was reflected. At the same time, Ria shot herself another regeneration bullet and jumped behind Zenith, who was still distracted by the laser.


    When she realized that her opponent was no longer there, she looked around, but didn''t see anyone. Even more impatient than before, she activated an infrared sensor with her power. She soon saw Ria''s silhouette, as well as a slight distortion in the light around her.


    Pretending not to know where her opponent was, she looked to the side and shouted:


    ¡ª Stop this nonsense, you shitty child!


    As she spoke, Zenith raised a metal spear beneath Ria, piercing her heart. Ria''s "invisibility" fell apart, revealing her impaled body. Zenith approached her and said:


    ¡ª You were reflecting light around you to disorient me. Did you think I wouldn''t notice that?


    ¡ª But how?


    ¡ª How did I manage to see you? I already told you, I''m a goddess and I can do whatever I want.


    Ria''s discreet earpiece rang. It was Exwind reporting the situation:


    ¡ª Ria, I met the Pope and discovered a lot of useful information. Where can we meet?


    Noticing that Exwind was about to leave, the Pope relieved himself and asked:


    ¡ª DOES THIS MEAN I CAN LEAVE?


    ¡ª No way. First, take me to where Kiseki-chan is.


    ¡ª B-BUT MY PLAN GOES DOWN THE DRAIN!


    ¡ª You still don''t understand your situation here?


    ¡ª ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! BUT I CAN GO AFTER THIS, RIGHT?


    ¡ª What do you think?


    The Pope finally gave up trying to convince him and accepted his fate. They both left the room, with him leading the way to the cathedral. When they arrived, Exwind soon saw Kiseki and ran ahead, leaving the Pope behind.


    Taking the chance, he took out a pistol from inside his religious clothing and aimed it at Exwind''s head, who was still running towards Kiseki. He thought conflictingly:


    I CAN''T LET THIS GUY RUIN THE RITUAL, OR ZENITH-SAMA WILL KILL ME! I NEED TO STOP HIM HERE AND NOW, FOR THE LORD''S SAKE!


    His hand shook for a few seconds, but he found the courage to shoot. Exwind felt a tiny object hit his head and turned back. When he saw the Pope holding a pistol, he ran towards him, grabbing him by the neck and saying:


    ¡ª Did you have a gun this whole time?


    ¡ª SORRY, IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL!


    ¡ª You leave me no choice.


    Exwind released the Pope and punched him in the head hard enough to knock him out. After that, he ran back to Kiseki, who was still unconscious. Trying to wake her up, he shook her body and said:


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan, are you okay? Can you hear me?


    Instinctively, Exwind brought his ear closer to Kiseki''s heart, and confirmed that she was still alive. He took her in his arms determinedly and jumped up, through the ceiling. He flew for a few more seconds and stopped in the air to see the situation.


    When he saw Ria, he flew towards Zenith, to punch her as hard as he could. Predicting this, Ria said:


    ¡ª Don''t do that! She copied my barrier, so you won''t be able to hit her!


    Understanding immediately, Exwind redirected his flight downwards, re-entering the castle. He went through the walls until he reached where Zenith was horizontally. When he was lined up, he jumped back up.


    Now that the trickster magician knew the power''s weaknesses, she predicted that her enemy would aim for the feet, where the barrier didn''t cover. When Exwind was close enough, she switched places with Ria through teleportation .


    As Ria was still stuck and motionless, she only had time to tilt her head back, but not to dodge Exwind''s attack, which destroyed part of her body. She healed again quicly. When he landed on the roof of the castle, he realized what he had just done.


    Desperate, he put Kiseki on the ground and ran to Ria''s head, shouting:


    ¡ª Ria, I didn''t mean to do that! What can I do?


    ¡ª Don''t worry, Tetsushi, I can heal myself.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Ria created an instant healing bullet in her mouth, biting down hard and firing it at herself. Zenith smiled and said:


    ¡ª So this is how you healed when you had no arms?


    Ria realized that Zenith was observing all of this to gather more information. Enraged, Exwind glared at the magician with a murderous aura, saying dryly:


    ¡ª Your free trial of life has ended.


    ¡ª I want to see how you could enforce that.


    Remembering that Zenith could copy powers, Ria thought about what the condition was for that to happen. The most common limitation was range. She soon remembered that, when she approached her for the first time, making her trip, Zenith took a card and placed it on Ria''s head. Finding the answer, she warned:


    ¡ª Tetsushi, don''t let her touch you with a card. She will copy your power like this.


    ¡ª Thanks for the warning, Ria. Did she just copy your barrier or something else?


    ¡ª I don''t know, but it''s best to consider that all my powers are now hers.


    ¡ª Right. You can rest now, Ria. I''m going to finish all of this.


    ¡ª Wait, I can still fight¡­


    Ria tried to get up, but fell again. The combination of fighting, healing and regeneration bullets consumed a lot of energy. She could no longer stand, so she was unable to fight. Realizing this, she commented:


    ¡ª Looks like I won''t be of much help...


    ¡ª You''ve done enough, so you should be proud. But you have to learn to ask for help when you need it. If I hadn''t called, you would be dead by now.


    ¡ª I''ll try to remember that next time...


    ¡ª Can I ask you a favor? Protect Kiseki-chan while I''m fighting.


    ¡ª Sure, I can do that.


    ¡ª Thank you, Ria.


    Exwind stood up, still with a murderous aura. Zenith, yawning from all that talk, said:


    ¡ª Are you finished yet? Can we get back to action?


    ¡ª If that is your last wish, I will grant it.


    To Zenith''s surprise, Exwind jumped towards her, ready to punch her with all his might. Confident in her barrier, she just waited for the attack and picked up her card to copy another power.


    Just as the fist was about to touch the barrier, an explosion covered Zenith. Furthermore, she was pushed away, falling onto one of the secondary islands and being dragged along the ground for another few dozen meters.


    Exwind took more damage, but Ria soon fired her regenerative bullet. Realizing that she was still fighting, he shouted:


    ¡ª Ria, you don''t have to worry about me! If you keep using your power, you will end up dying!


    ¡ª I can still breath!


    While saying this, Ria had a determined smile on her face and spat out blood. Exwind had never seen that girl smile like that before, but he accepted the help. Soon after, he jumped to where Zenith was.


    When he arrived, she was still lying down and shocked by the surprise attack. Trying to understand his power, she asked:


    ¡ª How did you hit me?


    ¡ª Find out on your own, clown.


    ¡ª I''m a magician, not a clown!


    Zenith stood up again, healed, but began to feel the effect of fatigue after using the power so many times. Laughing, she said:


    ¡ª But if you see me as a clown, I can make you laugh.


    Exwind remained motionless and with a look of someone who wanted to disintegrate what he was looking at. Zenith continued:


    ¡ª Do you know what a human and a mouse have in common?


    ¡ª ¡­


    ¡ª No matter how hard they try, they will never defeat a god.


    Exwind, who was serious until just now, suddenly smiled. With a proud expression, he started laughing at the "joke". Zenith was surprised and took a step back, afraid of what he was about to do. Trying to analyze it, she asked:


    ¡ª What are you laughing at, worm?


    ¡ª Didn''t you just tell a joke? It''s only natural that I make you feel better for at least trying.


    ¡ª I know what you''re trying to do. My mental strenght is not as weak as you think.


    ¡ª Oh yes? So why are you so defensive now? Did I happen to find any weak points?


    ¡ª It does not matter. You are good at masking your feelings. Even better than me.


    ¡ª You mean I''m hiding my anger behind this beautiful smile? You are absolutely right. But tell me one thing: why do you wear those sunglasses all the time? They''re too futuristic for a magician.


    While asking the question, Exwind pointed his finger at the glasses that looked like a metallic mask covering her eyes. And they really were futuristic, like a monitor that projected the silhouette of Zenith''s eyes and eyebrows in light blue.


    ¡ª Oh, this here? Do you think I have a weakness related to this? You''re very mistaken if you think that, idiot.


    Zenith didn''t realize that the main purpose of the question was to find out if that unusual accessory had any function. She continued:


    ¡ª A kid with spiky purple hair poked out my eyes a few years ago and I went blind. But I see everything perfectly with these glasses. And know that taking it from me won''t give you any advantage. I have all kinds of powers, including sensory ones.


    Zenith specified his archenemy''s appearance to see their reaction. If they showed any signs of knowing a person with spiky purple hair, she could get information out of them.


    He recognized the person immediately, but did not show any reaction so as not to arouse suspicion. Exwind responded:


    ¡ª Wait, are you serious? Are you that stupid?


    ¡ª What?! What are you talking about, bastard?!


    ¡ª Have you ever thought about asking Kiseki-chan to heal you?


    ¡ª Kiseki-chan? What the hell is that?


    The two stopped for a moment, trying to understand the situation. Zenith thought for a moment and then remembered.


    ¡ª Ah, that girl with green hair that the Pope asked me to bring here? How could she heal me?


    ¡ª Are you freaking serious? Don''t you know who she is?


    ¡ª No.


    ¡ª Oh my gosh... She may be a few ranks below you, but she''s still a level 6.


    ¡ª Ah, now I understand why I don''t know this brat.


    ¡ª But you know both of us.


    ¡ª That''s because you are the top 1 and 2. And you''re strong. A little bit, but no more than me, of course. But anyway, are you saying she could bring my beautiful eyes back to life?


    ¡ª Exactly. I don''t know if I should have said that. I really didn''t think you were that stupid.


    ¡ª Shut up, insolent. You just gave me an advantage. Now hand me the girl.


    ¡ª She won''t be able to heal you while she''s unconscious, genius.


    ¡ª Oh really? Well, whatever. She will be part of my collection anyway. By the way, if you knew that, why do you have a scar on your nose?


    ¡ª Oh, this? Well, Ria and I were hiding in our house while our village was on fire and being attacked, when-


    ¡ª Skip to the important part, dammit!


    Exwind paused the story and smiled proudly. He raised the index finger of one hand as a sign of silence and scratched his chin with the other. In a heroic voice, he said:


    ¡ª I''ll be there soon, madam. If I''m telling it from the beginning, it''s because the story needs context. As I was saying, Ria and I lived in a not very small village and relatively close to Tokyo, when...


    He started the story even further back on purpose, didn''t he? Why does a goddess like me have to listen to all this nonsense? Well, I asked it, to be fair...


    ¡ª ... our people began to panic, and we soon understood why: an army attacked our village, setting fire to it and killing everyone in sight. My parents were away and were the first to die. I ran to find Ria and saw her parents were outside the house holding the door...


    It never ends... I can''t take this anymore...


    ¡ª ... so she wouldn''t leave. When they saw me, they pulled me inside to protect me. They soon died too and I decided to leave to protect the other residents. As I didn''t have any power and was just a child, I entered in front of a swordswoman with long black hair and silver armor to bar the way. And now comes the main part... can you guess it?


    ¡ª To tell the truth, no. But keep going.


    ¡ª If you say so. This swordswoman told me to get out of the way and with her left arm she cut off this part of my nose/forehead. I didn''t realize she was left-handed at the time, but when I saw the scar, it was pretty clear. Do you know why?


    ¡ª I have no fucking idea.


    ¡ª This cut is diagonal from right to left. A greatsword like that wouldn''t cut from the bottom to the top even if held with one hand, so it could only have been swung by a left hand.


    ¡ª What prevents you from cutting in the same direction with your right hand?


    ¡ª That... I hadn''t thought about that, but it doesn''t matter. I remember that entire trauma vividly, so I can say she was left-handed.


    ¡ª And what in the fucking world is the importance of that story?


    ¡ª Ah, I forgot the main part.


    ¡ª I thought that was the main part!


    ¡ª The Boss arrived with his heroes and defeated the invaders. It was too convenient for him to arrive at that time. He probably knew this was going to happen.


    ¡ª Then why do you work for him?


    ¡ª That''s my question.


    ¡ª For money, power and fame. Simple.


    ¡ª I still plan to discover everything the association hides, but for that I need more power. If not even the top 1 in the association could do it, I don''t have a chance. Until then, I decided to keep this scar. It shows that I have become stronger.


    ¡ª So you asked Kiseki to keep a defect on your face just for pride? You''re not much different from me. By the way, do you know who killed this top 1 person you are talking about?


    Exwind thought for a moment, and when he saw Zenith''s evil and proud smile, he soon understood what she meant. Realizing that his friend''s sister''s killer was mocking her death, he became more and more serious. Zenith couldn''t contain her laughter and finished:


    ¡ª Me! That''s right! What is it, are you scared now? Now you know you don''t stand a chance against me, if I''ve already beaten the strongest.


    ¡ª Are you sure? So why aren''t you in the first rank?


    ¡ª It''s just a matter of time. Everyone will understand my superiority after I become an even stronger goddess. That is if that Pope is telling the truth.


    As she spoke, Zenith discreetly lifted chains from the ground where Exwind was. Grabbing his arms, the chains pulled him down. However, they exploded before exerting enough force.


    Zenith understood that his power was related to explosions of all scales. In reaction, Exwind punched the air hard and hit Zenith''s face, which was more than ten meters away. Furthermore, her head twisted on its own axis.


    The pain was excruciating and reflected much more forcefully towards Exwind , but he managed to reverse the contortion of his own head with his power. Zenith became angry and generated an acidic cloud above Exwind and froze his feet to immobilize him.


    Ria arrived at the island and shot herself with her revolver and disappeared. Exwind was already expecting this, but Zenith was distracted for a moment, just enough time for a small explosion beneath Exwind''s feet to launch his body upwards.


    Just as he was about to touch the acid cloud, another larger explosion pushed him back. He pointed his finger at Zenith and destroyed basically the entire island with his power, creating screens of fire and smoke to hide his presence.


    Zenith stopped in the air again and coughed from the smoke. She used a sensory power to detect the two''s position. However, it was just a useless infrared sensor in that situation. Zenith thought that Ria had used an invisibility round and was still around to catch her off guard.


    In anger, she launched a jet of water in all directions, trying to hit anyone nearby. As a precaution, she created a storm of blades around her to retaliate against any danger. As there was still some smoke and fire scattered around, she decided to launch a blast of wind in all directions to dispel the curtain.


    Ria held Kiseki''s unconscious body and shot herself in the head in a diagonal direction from there. She had yet another type of special ammunition, which was capable of pushing any living being or small or medium-sized object in the direction it was hit, without causing damage. The speed was so high that Ria just disappeared in Zenith''s vision.


    Exwind took advantage of the distraction and flew for a moment until he found Ria. She was in the bell tower of a church on an island far away. He flew there in less than a second to save time and landed. He asked:


    ¡ª Ria, do you know if this castle is vital to the other islands? If it is destroyed, will the others stop floating?


    ¡ª I have no idea. Why?


    ¡ª I need to move all the islands away from the center so as not to catch them in any explosion. But if they fall, many people will die.


    ¡ª In that case, don''t worry. The central island has no one but the Pope.


    ¡ª How do you know?


    ¡ª Did you see anyone else there?


    ¡ª No. But that castle is huge and there could be someone hiding there.


    ¡ª What a pain. I''m going to go see it in person. Give me a few seconds and I''ll speed up as much as possible.


    ¡ª Thank you, Ria. Don''t try too hard.


    ¡ª It''s too late to say that.


    Ria slowly stood up while carrying Kiseki on her back and shot herself a light regeneration bullet, just so she wouldn''t die from trying too hard, and another to increase her speed to maximum. She jumped from there and landed on the central island. Without wasting time, she began to search every corner of the castle and the island.


    Zenith looked everywhere and found only Exwind in the bell tower. Using a simple teleportation, she appeared behind the hero and materialized an energy knife in her hand to stab his back.


    Exwind already expected the low blow and grabbed Zenith''s feet with his invisible "hand" of wind, lifting her to the side. Losing her balance, she missed the strike and the weak point of the barrier aligned with the hero''s punch.


    However, Exwind grabbed Zenith''s foot and threw her upward with enough force for her to reach an altitude with little oxygen and at which the curvature of the earth was visible. Zenith expected him to strike her, so she waited for the damage to be reflected with more force.


    Exwind soon flew towards her. She thought he had chosen that place because of the lack of oxygen, but Exwind thought beyond that: since there was no ground in the sky, he could hit the weak point of the barrier much more easily. Furthermore, he could breathe his own flammable air to gain a few more seconds of battle, no matter how dangerous it was.


    Zenith didn''t train much, as she was convinced she was the strongest. Exwind, on the other hand, knew his potential. Before Zenith realized his presence, a flaming blow hit her body from below, burning everything in its path.


    Still, her resistance was much higher than normal, and Exwind knew why: she didn''t just have one card. Using his superior speed, he now realized that Zenith''s pants had four pockets, two in the front and two in the back. This was almost impossible to notice normally, as her cape covered a large part of her body, in addition to the extravagant design of her clothing that camouflaged her pockets.


    Taking advantage of the element of surprise, he quickly grabbed the two front cards with his wind, pulling them one into each hand. Desperate, Zenith soon shot a huge laser at Exwind''s left hand, prioritizing the card she considered most important.


    The laser disintegrated the arm holding the card and traveled a few hundred kilometers more, until it was visible from space. The card, however, remained intact. With the advantage of time, Zenith quickly grabbed the card that was in the air, smiling in relief.


    But Exwind expected her to react quickly and switched the position of the cards in relation to her pockets when she picked them up. The card that Zenith prioritized was the wrong one. Exwind grabbed her by the foot and threw her down toward the castle.


    The force was so great that the impact destroyed more than half of the castle and slightly pushed the island downwards. If the island didn''t have a force keeping it still, it would crash into the surface.


    Meanwhile, Ria had already searched the entire castle and was surprised by the noise. The Pope was still alive, somehow. Confirming that there was no one besides him on the central island, she was about to start the second part of the plan: pushing all the islands away from there, when Exwind landed close to it. She soon said:


    ¡ª There is no one here but the Pope. I''ll need your help to get the islands out of here.


    ¡ª I have a better idea. Let''s push the center island up. It will distance itself from the others anyway.


    ¡ª Right.


    Ria aimed a strengthening round at Exwind and fired.


    ¡ª Thanks again, Ria.


    Exwind flew down to the surface. Leaping upward with all his might, he punched hard enough to push the island a few hundred kilometers above where he was standing, far enough for any debris to burn before reaching the islands or the surface.


    Ria relaxed and placed Kiseki on the floor for both of them to rest, as she was exhausted. However, Zenith appeared from the rubble beneath her and entered Ria''s barrier. As she entered from below, the barrier did not block her passage. Triumphant, she grabbed her back.


    When Exwind returned, he immediately ran to Ria to help her. Zenith grabbed her hostage''s neck, as a threat:


    ¡ª If you take one more step, she dies.


    On instinct, Exwind raised his hand and a high-speed ice blade shot towards Zenith''s head, ricocheting upwards from Ria''s barrier, due to the difference in height between the two.


    Confused, Exwind stared at his hand for a moment. Zenith soon understood that the cards had been exchanged. He had managed to keep the ability to copy powers and she had the other. Desperate, she shouted:


    ¡ª If you don''t kill yourself now, she will die in your place! It''s your choice!


    Zenith pierced Ria''s heart with her fist.


    ¡ª Don''t you see?! If you give me the card now, I won''t hurt her more than this!


    Exwind hadn''t fully understood that until she mentioned the card he had stolen. Realizing that only Ria''s original barrier was protecting her now, he took the time to slowly infiltrate it with his power so as not to be bounced off.


    Once inside, he pushed Zenith out of the barrier. Ria lost her balance and fell unconscious to the ground, on the verge of death. Zenith fell sitting on the floor and was indignant:


    ¡ª Do you want her to die so bad?! She won''t last at all without her heart! You have no choice but to run away with her!


    Exwind approached Ria and noticed that she was holding one last healing munition that she had created right before she passed out. He quickly grabbed her revolver and inserted the bullet.


    He shot Ria in the head and the hole in her chest slowly regenerated. She was still in no condition to wake up. It was just enough to not die at that moment.


    Does she have any teleportation power stored in the card?


    Exwind pointed his palm at Ria''s body. Suddenly, she disappeared and a bed appeared in her place.


    That''s the bed from her room! Does that mean they switched places?


    He did the same with Kiseki. Another bed appeared.


    That''s right! She must be in my room now.


    ¡ª Hey, hey. Stop using my power.


    ¡ª It''s not even yours. You stole it from someone.


    ¡ª It does not matter. It''s mine now. Give it back, or I''ll have to use brute force.


    ¡ª Let it be the second option.


    Zenith partially closed her eyes, clearly irritated. Exwind positioned himself defensively. Still missing one of his arms, he was at a disadvantage. But he could still win, stealing his opponent''s trump card.


    Before he knew it, his stomach was punched with such force that it made him lose consciousness for a few seconds. He was already in the sky, far from any island.


    How did she hit me? Most importantly, I can''t stay away from that island!


    Exwind flew close to the edge of the central island. Zenith was staring at him.


    ¡ª What''s the matter? Will you stay there in the air?


    She could have killed me while I was passed out. She probably can''t fly now, so she stood on the edge watching me.


    Exwind pointed his palm at Zenith, imagining the huge laser she had summoned.


    She is much stronger than I expected. I''m going to have to try that attack, since it disintegrated my arm.


    At the same time he conjured the laser, Zenith was already centimeters from his face. She dodged the laser, which crossed the entire island and left a cylindrical trail.


    Shit! I didn''t think she could reach me from so far away!


    Zenith punched Exwind in the face, who defended himself at the last second with an explosion that pushed both of them away. His face was bleeding, even so.


    ¡ª How about I leave this island and kill everyone down there? Come down here already, you motherfucker.


    She was toying with me from the beginning. If I keep provoking her, she''ll end up losing her temper and killing me.


    Exwind landed on the island. Simultaneously, Zenith charged behind him. Anticipating this, he placed his hand behind his back and shot another laser.


    Got it right! This time she dies-


    A knee hit his groin, causing the most pain he had ever felt in his life.


    ¡ª Did you think that shitty little laser was going to kill me?


    Laying down to bear the pain, Exwind didn''t stop staring at her.


    ¡ª Are you underestimating me?


    Zenith turned his opponent''s body so she could punch him in the face. Each blow was enough to erase the head of any normal human. He was at his limit, but he couldn''t give up.


    I forgot about Ria''s barrier! She probably approached me to slowly cross it!


    It was Zenith''s strategy: move as quickly as possible to within a few centimeters of the barrier. After crossing slowly with any part of the body, she would not remove it from inside so that the speed limit would not activate.


    Almost losing consciousness, Exwind used the last trick up his sleeve. Zenith felt a very strong sting in her heart, paralyzing her.


    What? How did he hit me?


    ¡ª I pierced your heart with my power. If you move, I''ll explode your entire insides.


    He can''t be serious. My resistance is more than four times greater than his.


    However, Exwind was prepared to risk everything. With a determined smile, even the level 7 cowered in fear.


    ¡ª Wait, you don''t have to do that. You''re a real hero, aren''t you? Heroes don''t kill anyone.


    ¡ª Are you sure? If the villain threatens everything the hero loves, he won''t risk losing. If he spares those who cannot be saved, he is not a real hero.


    ¡ª You can not be serious! Think carefully: Ria will hate that her boyfriend is a murderer!


    ¡ª You got two things wrong. I''m not her boyfriend. And she has killed a lot of people. Me, less so, but I''m a killer too. I began to judge the value of my enemies'' lives. It''s not just you who has no salvation.


    ¡ª Hey, wait! My reaction time is better than yours! If you do anything, I will kill you first.


    ¡ª Then why don''t you try?


    ¡ª You brat!


    Reading Zenith''s movements, Exwind decided it was time to end it all. He couldn''t risk all the effort everyone has put in. If Zenith made it out alive, she would go after Yuto.


    Sorry to steal your kill, friend. But I''m going to die anyway. Ria, Kiseki, I hope you are proud of me.


    Exwind knew that a simple explosion wouldn''t even damage Zenith''s heart. For some reason, she was much stronger and more resilient than him, even though she didn''t seem like it. But if he released all of his power, perhaps it would be enough. It was that or die without purpose, after all.


    Click.


    As a symbolic gesture, he used his thumb to detonate the bomb inside himself.


    3, 2, 1¡­


    Since it was hundreds of kilometers above sea level, the island''s debris wouldn''t kill anyone.


    Boom!


    The biggest dream of a pyromaniac like him: a nuclear explosion.


    Before Zenith could hit him, the mushroom began to form. Raining flames everywhere, the explosion could be seen from space. The sound traveled dozens of kilometers, with a delay due to speed. The shock wave was minimized by the distance, but it even affected the surface.


    Both their bodies were disintegrated. If Ria or Kiseki were there, Exwind wouldn''t be able to use his trump card. It was the best choice. He managed to die like a hero.

 Revival

    Click, boom! Click, boom!


    ¡ª Ria, stop killing yourself, please! He may still be alive!


    ¡ª He would never save me if he had a chance of coming out alive.


    Click, boom!


    ¡ª B-But we don''t know yet!


    Ria was shooting her head with her revolver repeatedly, while Kiseki healed her. Suddenly, a girl saw them.


    ¡ª Ria? I was looking for you. Can we talk now?


    Ria looked at the girl with empty eyes and said nothing. Kiseki answered.


    ¡ª Um, this is a bad time for her¡­ can you come over later?


    ¡ª Ah, alright, I''m sorry. When you have the chance, can you call me?


    ¡ª Sure! What''s your name?


    ¡ª My hero name is Disruptor. My contact is already on your phone.


    ¡ª Oh, okay! Thank you, Disruptor!


    The girl left. Kiseki had an idea.


    ¡ª Ria, there''s a way we can confirm it!


    ¡ª ¡­


    ¡ª Unizard! We''ve captured her, and she can use any kind of magic!


    ¡ª I can''t believe we need her help¡­


    Both went to the association''s prison inside the main building. It was white and made of glass where the prisoner could be seen. It was made of a special material and gas that could nullify most of the power inside. It could hold even level 6''s, so it was maximum security. Unizard was the first level 7 to be successfully imprisoned there.


    They walked until they were in front of her. Actually, she was sitting with her back to them.


    ¡ª U-Unizard, could you please¡­


    ¡ª Help you? Why should I?


    ¡ª Listen here. You will obey our orders, whether you want it or not.


    Ria was staring hopelessly at the ground. She wouldn''t want to waste any time. She didn''t want to hear the truth, either. But she had to.


    ¡ª You never looked this desperate before. Is it about your boyfriend?


    ¡ª Is he alive?


    ¡ª I can track him down, but first tell me where he was last seen.


    ¡ª Why?


    ¡ª I can filter it from anywhere on the globe. I just need the place.


    ¡ª Pareto, Brazil.


    ¡ª Brazil, huh? What were you doing there?


    ¡ª It''s none of your business.


    ¡ª Alright, alright, let me check. Um, It looks like there was a war there. Thousands of people died.


    ¡ª Is he alive?


    ¡ª Oi, oi, you don''t seem to care about the dead civillians. Some floating islands fell and a lot of people above and beneath it died.


    ¡ª ...


    Unizard finally turned to see Ria''s face. She had no remorse or regret. It''s almost like she was used to innocent people being killed around her.


    ¡ª No, he''s not alive.


    ¡ª I see...


    Ria was even more hopeless than before. She started pointing her revolver inside her mouth.


    ¡ª Wait, there''s still something important.


    ¡ª Nothing more is important...


    ¡ª You fought with Zenith, right? She seems to be alive, still.


    Ria froze. Slowly moving the revolver away, she thought deeply about how that was possible.


    ¡ª Where is she?


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    ¡ª Shit, I shouldn''t have said it.


    ¡ª Where. Is. She?


    ¡ª Look, I know you''re angry, but listen to me first-


    Click, boom!


    Without hesitation, Ria shot Unizard in the head.


    ¡ª E-Ehh?! Ria, why did you do that? I can''t heal her properly here, so we need to hurry!


    Kiseki, opened the cell and took Unizard body outside. They went to a square nearby to try to calm Ria down.


    ¡ª Hey, I would appreciate it if you didn''t kill me mid-sentence.


    ¡ª You''re wasting my time. Tell me where Zenith is. Or I''ll kill you for real.


    ¡ª Wait a minute, please. You know Yuto and her have a long-term hatred for each other, right?


    ¡ª He doesn''t have anything to do with this conversation.


    ¡ª Of course he does. He almost died multiple times because he didn''t trust his friends enough. He thought they would die just like his sister years ago.


    ¡ª You''re saying he needs his revenge?


    ¡ª Exactly. If he kills his nemesis, he''ll open his mind.


    ¡ª Hell no. Tetsushi died with no purpose. I need to revenge him.


    ¡ª He died with pride. He thought no one besides him and his enemy died in that incident. You''re just saying what you think it''s best for him.


    ¡ª You''re not in the right to lecture someone. My sense of justice is perfect, different from yours.


    ¡ª See? You need rest, not revenge. You''re not thinking straight.


    ¡ª Just so you know, I consider you a justified sacrifice.


    ¡ª I know. But I won''t let someone as twisted as you save the world.


    ¡ª You''re testing my limit, prisoner. Are you saying Yuto is a better person than me? That brat is not the protagonist of this world. Why the heck would you want to help him anyway? He killed your brother.


    ¡ª No, I killed him. I''ve supressed this feeling for too long, but I do love seeing someone get their revenge.


    ¡ª You just want him to owe you.


    ¡ª That''s just a bonus.


    Kiseki, nervous around that situation, tried to settle it.


    ¡ª R-Ria, I think she won''t change her mind. Why not let her decide this? I-I mean, Zenith will be punished anyway.


    ¡ª You''re on her side? I regret saving you, Kiseki. That ritual wouldn''t work anyway. You could just rot there and no one would even notice.


    Kiseki was really offended, but she was more concerned about Ria''s mental health. She wasn''t the same hero who saved her multiple times. Annoyed by the defeat, Ria left.


    Free falling in the sky.


    Huh? I guess I''m in the paradise, after all. I was always a goddess, I would never be sent to hell. But why am I falling?


    Zenith looked around and realized she was at the same place where she died. The explosion was a bit far, but she could still see it.


    Wait, this is reality! How am I still alive? How about my cards?


    Zenith touched her pockets and could feel only the three remaining cards.


    Dammit, I really lost the most important one! Wait, this is it... That''s why I''m still alive!


    Right before the explosion, Zenith quickly took the power-stealing card, since she was close to Exwind. Her 7-Up endured a few seconds, until the powers returned to her possession. One activated immediately, reviving her. But the card was nowhere to be seen after that, so it must have been repelled by the explosion.


    That girl, she saved me!


    On a street.


    ¡ª Gosh, why are there so many people who think they know me? I mean, I am the great Zenith, but they recognize me as someone they saw years ago. I don''t remember that fat guy, so he must just be lying.


    Suddenly, Zenith was surprised by someone falling on her from the sky. Getting up quickly, she shouted.


    ¡ª Do you wanna die?! Who do you think you are?


    She saw a very tall girl wearing a black suit. She had messy black hair that covered both her eyes. Her skin was so pale that it didn''t look natural. The girl was startled and confused.


    ¡ª Eh, um...


    She bowed down as an apology. For some reason, she couldn''t speak properly. Maybe she was a mute.


    ¡ª Say something, dumbass! I will kill you after that, but you can extend your life by some seconds!


    ¡ª Um, eto...


    Zenith was confused rather than annoyed. She thought for a second and took a foregone conclusion.


    It must be a blessing from the sky!


    Zenith quickly took her power-stealing card and cut the girl''s arm. She was confused, but she thought it was a punishment for surprising her.


    ¡ª Hey, can''t you talk? What is your power?


    The girl looked away shyly, like she didn''t know the answer.


    ¡ª You don''t know your own power? How useless... But don''t worry, we can discover it!


    Zenith took the girl to a fortune teller.


    ¡ª You know the drill. If you lie to me once, I''ll kill you.


    ¡ª Don''t worry, hero. The cards never lie.


    ¡ª That''s my line, idiot.


    The old woman had a clairvoyance power, so she wasn''t just a thief who lied for money.


    ¡ª What is this girl''s power?


    The fortune teller took several cards and placed them on the table. They started levitating in their place. The middle one turned towards Zenith. She took the card.


    ¡ª "You will revive after your first death, but only for three days." Really? What happens after the third day?


    ¡ª The card says everything about the power. What is written always happens. The rest can be deduced.


    ¡ª So I''ll die after the time limit ends? But what if I die before that? And only for the first death? Wait a minute, let me test.


    Zenith pointed her palm to the girl''s head. A laser erased everything in the path, including the wall and the ceiling. The headless girl returned to normal after some seconds, like a rough reset.


    ¡ª It really works! Now, the second death.


    She threw another laser. The girl fell headless again. But she didn''t revive this time.


    ¡ª Interesting...

 4ll for nothing

    At a restaurant.


    ¡ª Me? Why?


    ¡ª Remember that girl that killed your sister? She''s Zenith.


    Yuto froze after remembering somethig he had long forgotten.


    ¡ª You''re not tricking me, right?


    ¡ª You still don''t trust me, huh. Well, I guess it''s fair, I tried to kill you.


    ¡ª No, I mean... Is my sister really dead?


    ¡ª Oh, you didn''t know that. Yep, she''s dead.


    ¡ª I see... Thanks for telling me, Unizard. But I guess nothing can be done about it.


    ¡ª Hey, are you giving up already? Stop blaming yourself, dumbass! Let me get this straight: your sister was the strongest, right? Not even she could react in time. It was not your fault. It''s Zenith''s.


    ¡ª But I made my sister cry... If I hadn''t yelled at her, she wouldn''t have let her guard down.


    ¡ª The Boss wanted her dead much before that. If Zenith didn''t succeed, he would find another assassin. But Zenith didn''t regret it one bit. She was proud of it. That''s why that was mostly her fault. And this is why you should kill her.


    ¡ª You may be right, but... why are you telling me all this? Do you want to use me to kill her?


    ¡ª That''s part of the plan, but I''m doing this because you need it. If I only wanted her dead, I would let Ria finish the job. Trust me, you will love it.


    ¡ª How are you so sure? What if I turn into a cold psycopath?


    ¡ª Well, I killed the strongest sorcercer in a magic academy long ago. I didn''t regret shutting her stupid mouth forever, even after being punished. Like me, you''re strong. I know you won''t become a cold killer.


    ¡ª I hope you''re right... Do you know where she is?


    ¡ª Of course! She''s at a bar getting drunk right now.


    At the bar.


    ¡ª Give me a drink, bartender...


    ¡ª Another one? This isn''t good for your health, you know.


    ¡ª Shut your stupid mouth...! I will die again in less than three days, so I need to enjoy the rest of my life to the fullest!


    ¡ª I don''t quite understand, but if you say so...


    Zenith was not wearing a cape or top hat. She decided they were unnecessary now. The bartender was a man wearing a black suit and a blindfold, for some reason.


    ¡ª Hey, why do you cover your eyes? Did you lose them like me?


    ¡ª Ah, well, that''s a long story...


    ¡ª I understand you very well! We don''t need a reason to look stylish, right? Now, tell me your name, handsome...


    ¡ª I''m Haijin, madam.


    ¡ª "Madam"? Don''t you know my beautiful face? I''m Zenith, the strongest level 7!


    ¡ª Oh, I''m sorry. I don''t know much about the heroes here.


    ¡ª So you''re a foreigner? You''re pretty good looking for someone who hasn''t heard of me.


    ¡ª Thanks, I guess.


    ¡ª You know, I fell in love with a man years ago, but my stupid sister stole him from me!


    ¡ª Well, that''s sad, I guess.


    ¡ª Do you know him? He had blue hair and wore glasses and a blue suit! He was perfect for me! Why did that have to happen?


    ¡ª Maybe he wasn''t interest in you.


    ¡ª Are you saying my sister is better than me?


    ¡ª Uh, no. I''m just saying...


    ¡ª Ahaha, I get it, Haijin! You''re just jealous, right? You''re saying that because my only other option is you!


    ¡ª Uhh...


    ¡ª You''re lucky, because I''m still single!


    While they were talking, a kid walked into the bar. Haijin finally realized that and decided to change the topic.


    ¡ª Oh! Welcome, girl...?


    ¡ª What? I may be a kid, but I can still drink alcohol.


    ¡ª I don''t think that''s how it works...


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    Zenith turned her head to see the girl who interrupted her conversation. Mint green messy hair, short...


    I have seen her somewhere before. Who is she again? I can''t quite remember. The alcohol may be affecting my memory...


    ¡ª Hey, kid. Don''t step where you''re not called.


    Zenith touched the child as a way of getting her attention. She started trembling.


    ¡ª Don''t touch me!


    ¡ª Are you challenging me, brat?!


    Just as Zenith was about to slap the child, someone sneaked up behind her and reached into one of her pockets. They took one of her cards. She stopped the slap and turned to see the thief''s face. Immediately, she was pushed away so quickly that she couldn''t even see anything. She broke the window wall behind her and fell from the skyscraper they were in.


    ¡ª Good job, Haji. I''m sorry for putting you through this.


    ¡ª I''ll never do this again, idiot! It''s a special occasion, that''s why...


    ¡ª Thanks again. Bartender, can you protect her, please?


    Yuto dropped a coin on the counter as payment.


    ¡ª You didn''t even have to ask! Leave that to me!


    Yuto went to the broken window to see where Zenith fell.


    Dammit, I almost won his love! I''ll make whoever interrupted my date pay, I swear!


    Zenith fell into the back of a truck. She got up quickly to look at the broken window. Yuto soon saw her and jumped to kick her. She quickly jumped back, while Yuto landed on the truck. He looked at the card he stole.


    So this is one of the cards Unizard talked about. She lost the most important one a few hours ago. So I must have a chance.


    Yuto hid the card inside his pocket and protected it with a simple gravity barrier. He landed on the street to see where Zenith was going to. He lost her. Suddenly, a car was launched at his direction. He ignored it, because it was too obvious and easy to be reflected. She came from behind quickly.


    ¡ª You haven''t changed one bit, Zenith.


    He used his power to erase her heart with his supreme gravity, but she dodged and landed a kick on his stomach.


    ¡ª Of course I have changed! I''m even stronger than before, weakling!


    He was launched kilometers away, breaking every building in the way. However, Zenith received the same attack and got pushed away, but didn''t take much damage.


    So he stole my damage reflection card... That''s bad, really bad.


    He defended himself with a barrier, but still suffered a lot of damage. As he rose from the rubble, he saw a building flying towards him. He dodged at the last second, but a skyscraper was also thrown at him.


    As it was very close, he decided to hold it in the air but not destroy it as there could be people inside. Zenith pierced the entire building and punched him in the face. Yuto lost consciousness for a few seconds. When he woke up, Zenith was stepping on him.


    ¡ª Long time no see, Yuto. You could even hit me, but you decided to spare the lives of useless people. You''re the one who hasn''t changed at all.


    He rose his hand to try something, but Zenith stepped harder.


    ¡ª Nuh uh, bastard! You''re going to listen to me now! Do you happen to know a blue-haired man who always glasses and a blue suit? I want to talk to him.


    ¡ª Even if I did, why should I tell you?


    ¡ª Because I want to confess my love to him. My sister is a blind whore who got his heart before me. And I''m running out of time. So, will you cooperate?


    Zenith stepped even harder on his back, almost breaking his ribs. He saw a van coming towards him. Before it turned the other way, Yuto increased its speed exponentially, but protected the driver. It became so fast that Zenith was ran over.


    He got up, relieved from the pain. She was already running towards him. He increased his sensory powers to know when she would arrive. He prepared a punch to the front and a kick to the back.


    However, Zenith dived into the asphalt. Tremors began to destroy everything in the path. Yuto tried to sense the underground, but it was too late. A subway train destroyed the ground and sent Yuto into the sky. As the wagons were still flying, Zenith climbed through them and brought her fists together to punch him down.


    I have to try it. It''s my only chance!


    Yuto quickly reached her other pockets and took her remaining cards. Angry and desperate, she punched him down with all her might. Yuto grabbed her white suit to bring her along. He was sent a few dozen kilometers away, crashing into the association''s main building. The reflection of the damage was strong, but his will was so powerful that he managed to hold her body, nullifying the impact in the opposite direction.


    He blacked out. He unconsciously used his power to hold her in his body until he woke up. The cards were also stuck in his pockets, so she couldn''t get out or retrieve them.


    No way, this can''t be happening! I can''t lose right now!


    She tried to force her way out many times, without success. As he was almost waking up, she was terrified. She had never felt so scared before.


    As Yuto opened his eyes, he loosened his power and Zenith quickly took the cards. But he caught her hands quickly and squeezed them so hard that they broke and dropped the cards. He also kicked her in the groin, sending her to the other side of the dark room. As she screamed and cried in pain, he calmly stood up and walked towards her.


    ¡ª You fucking brat! I''m gonna kill you and make you suffer a thousand times more! I will kill your whole family and you''ll regret this!


    Yuto grabbed her futuristic glasses and broke them, revealing her blind eyes. He once again poked them hard. She writhed in pain even more than before.


    ¡ª Do you like this? You made Exwind suffer, so I''m giving it back. You deserved much more than this, by the way.


    ¡ª W-Wait, please! Please, stop, I beg you!


    ¡ª So now you''re asking for mercy.


    ¡ª Please! Forgive me, please! I want to live! I don''t want to die! I only have less than three days left! Please let me live at least for a while!


    ¡ª Is one second considered a while?


    ¡ª No, please! I have so many things I want to do! I don''t want to die, so please...


    Zenith was crying both from the pain and from the emotional speech. Her agony was real. She never expressed herself so clearly before.


    ¡ª I know I did bad things, but everybody deserves a second chance!


    ¡ª You surely deserved, after being born. Tell that to the thousands of innocent people you killed.


    ¡ª But you killed people too!


    ¡ª I know. I''m not the hero or anything. I don''t see myself as the righteous main character. But I learned something after you killed my sister. There is always a worse person.


    ¡ª So I''m not the most rotten person in the world, right?


    ¡ª Maybe not. But you''re the worst scum I''ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. Die.


    ¡ª Wait, WAIT! PLEASE! DON''T KILL ME, I''LL DO ANYTHING! I WANT TO LIVE-


    Yuto smashed her with his supreme gravity, until nothing was left of her. He didn''t want to give her a second chance, so he deleted her from existence.

 Friends

    At a beautiful rooftop.


    ¡ª Since when have you been friends? More importantly, isn''t she supposed to be in prison?


    ¡ª Tatsuya, many things can happen from night to day! Ah, you don''t mind if I call you by your first name, right?


    ¡ª I don''t care what you call me, Ishika-... Yuto. You have a talent for making friends with dangerous people...


    ¡ª Isn''t that a great thing? If they are dangerous and my friends, they will protect me!


    Unizard jokingly said:


    ¡ª Oh no, Yuto! You see me as your bodyguard? I want to cry...


    ¡ª N-No, that''s not what I meant, I''m sorry!


    ¡ª Haha, you''re so easy to tease, shortie.


    Tatsuya frowned. He was a bit taller than Yuto, but he still took it personally.


    ¡ª Everyone is short to you, ogre.


    ¡ª Hey, don''t call me that...


    Unizard looked away, offended. That insult remembered her of a certain unpleasant person. Tatsuya regretted saying that, but he couldn''t apologize.


    ¡ª A-Anyway, why are you suddenly his friend now? Do you want to backstab him?


    ¡ª Do you see me as a selfish liar?! How many times did I lie to you, huh?


    ¡ª This is the first time we talk to each other. How could I tell you''re not lying?


    ¡ª Okay, I get it! You don''t trust me and you don''t have to. You''re too skeptical, damn. Yuto, I know what you''re thinking right now.


    ¡ª Huh? But I didn''t say anything yet...


    ¡ª You called me here because you wanted to recruit me to your team, right? I can read minds, and I learned it the hard way.


    Really? So you started questioning why you could hear everyone''s pervert thoughts?


    ¡ª You''re thinking too loud, dumbass!


    ¡ª I-I''m sorry!


    ¡ª Anyway, you want me to help you kill the top 3, right?


    ¡ª Not necessarily kill them. They can be nice people, we never know.


    ¡ª You just killed a level 7 with no remorse.


    ¡ª That''s because she deserved it!


    ¡ª That''s the spirit! But we only know about Slade, the rank 2. And she''s definitely not a nice person.


    ¡ª Really? She was my friend a few years ago. I''m sure I can convince her.


    ¡ª Do you know how much people can change in a few years? She''s not the same Kataki you met.


    ¡ª What happened to her?


    ¡ª Well, she was subjected to an experiment under Mifuyu''s orders.


    ¡ª Mifuyu?


    Yuto remembered the cientist who stopped him from entering the surgery room years ago. Messy hair, divided into light blue and acid green, glasses, white coat. She also participated in the tournament against Caliel.


    ¡ª So she''s the root of all that experiment?


    ¡ª In practice, yes. But the Boss asked her to do it.


    ¡ª I see... Now I know who to kill if Kataki doesn''t come back to her normal self.


    ¡ª She won''t. As a friend, let me warn you this, Yuto: there are things not even I can do. Everybody has their limits, and you''re no different. Don''t waste your time on useless things.


    ¡ª Are you saying she won''t recognize me? Thanks for the "warning", but you''re doubting my capabilites too much.


    ¡ª Don''t say I didn''t warn you.


    In the middle of the heated debate, someone opened the door leading to the building''s roof.


    ¡ª Excuse me, you are Ishikawa-san, right?


    ¡ª What if I am? Who can you possibly be?


    ¡ª Did I arrive at a bad time? I''m sorry, I can come later.


    ¡ª Actually, don''t go. I''m sorry for my behavior. How can I help you?


    ¡ª Good evening, I''m Disruptor, a level 4 hero. Ria sent me here, because she recommended you. My power can control electronic devices.


    ¡ª Ah, good evening, I''m Ishikawa Yuto, but you already know that. Why are you being so transparent with your power?


    ¡ª I''ll go straight to the point. I want to help you in your mission of killing all the level 7''s.


    ¡ª Wait, what? How did you know that?


    ¡ª My power can control electronic devices, remember? It''s not hard to know everything I want after hacking some of the association''s data centers.


    ¡ª So you know my secrets?


    ¡ª Yes, but I don''t care about you being considered a war criminal. I want to be your ally.


    ¡ª Why?


    ¡ª Ria fought Zenith, so I tried talking to her. But she was not in the mood for it, so she said you would be willing to do so.


    ¡ª No, I mean... why do you want to kill the level 7''s? What did they do to you?


    ¡ª They did nothing bad to me directly. But if you keep fighting strong enemies, this city can vanish in a second.


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    ¡ª So you want to save everyone... that''s a hero right there. Why don''t you try stopping me? Wouldn''t that be easier?


    ¡ª Technically, it would be easier. But I know this association has more bad secrets than good ones. I''m betting on you to solve them.


    Disruptor smiled at him as her black and green hair waved in the light breeze. Unizard and Tatsuya also smiled, reassuring that they would help him too. Yuto realized that all the responsibility was on him for the first time. He was used to depending on his sister. Unizard spoke up:


    ¡ª Well, I guess it''s inevitable that I''ll fight alongside you. So I have to save some mana and magic residue.


    Suddenly, a smoke cloud covered Unizard''s body. After it dissipated into the air, she looked a bit smaller. They were all shocked.


    ¡ª What is this, Unizard? You''re too cute now!


    ¡ª Are you saying I was not cute before, pervert?


    She was actually much smaller than normal. She looked like a child.


    ¡ª My mana regenerates faster in this state. And my magic residue decays faster too.


    Tatsuya laughed at her.


    ¡ª Who''s the shortie now?


    ¡ª Hey, being too tall has it''s problems too, you know?!


    Yuto giggled. Then, he asked:


    ¡ª Disruptor, how exactly do you plan to help me? The level 7''s are not to easy to deal with.


    ¡ª Have you heard of Tokyo''s orbital cannon? I plan to hack it.


    ¡ª Wait, really? Can you control that monster from here?


    ¡ª Unfortunately, no, I will need to fly there. Also, I''ll probably have only one chance.


    ¡ª You''re not planning on sacrificing yourself, right?


    ¡ª Of course, I''ll try to escape after that. But the cannon needs recharge, so I can only shoot once. And they won''t let me in again.


    ¡ª That''s good to hear. So I''ll have to choose one enemy to use it against. I can probably deal with Stopwatch if I''m with my friends. Slade, I can convince her. How about you use it against Hakkiri, the top 1?


    ¡ª Are you sure? He has electricity power, so he may be immune.


    ¡ª That cannon is no joke. It could destroy a whole city if it was used at least once. They made it specifically as a last resort against disasters.


    ¡ª Understood. When you''re ready, please call me. Or not, actually, I know everything you do. When you defeat Slade, I''ll go there immediately.


    ¡ª That''s more scary than comforting, but thank you.


    Disruptor waved and left. Unizard took the chance and said goodbye:


    ¡ª Well, I guess I will go to my room to recharge my energy. A big battle is about to come.


    ¡ª Thank you, Unizard.


    ¡ª I''m glad you''re counting on your friends now.


    ¡ª Revenge really do wonders.


    Unizard smiled and waved, leaving the rooftop by jumping the ledge. Tatsuya said:


    ¡ª Yuto, I wanted to see the stars. Do you want to come with me?


    ¡ª What? Why so suddenly?


    ¡ª I have some important things to discuss with you. And we can use it to ease our mind after so many battles. Have you ever been to a farm?


    ¡ª No, I like the urban landscape.


    ¡ª Just as I thought. I like the city view, but there are many others you need to experience.


    ¡ª Do you own a farm too?


    ¡ª No, my uncle has one. He owns it, but he''s never around. Just to show how rich he is.


    ¡ª So your whole family is rich, huh. Alright, when do you plan to go there?


    ¡ª Tonight. You can bring Haji.


    Haji was enjoying an ice cream at the moment, so she didn''t know anything they discussed there. One of the stolen cards could reflect damage. Yuto decided to give it to her, since she was the weakest of the group. Now she could go anywhere in peace.


    In the sports car Tatsuya bought a few days earlier.


    ¡ª There, make yourselves comfortable.


    ¡ª Tatsuya, how much did this cost?


    ¡ª 50 million yen, I think.


    ¡ª How can you say that so casually?!


    ¡ª Look, I have a job, alright?


    ¡ª Even if I had one, I couldn''t buy it with my life savings! What the hell is your job? Drug dealing?


    ¡ª I''ll tell you there. But we need to talk about a few things before.


    ¡ª Really? I thought you would say something like "I don''t trust my memories enough yet".


    ¡ª I don''t trust them enough. That''s why we need to talk.


    Yuto looked at Tatsuya''s eyes. He was being serious. What was so important he wanted to talk about? They smiled.


    ¡ª Well, now is not the time yet. Even the car ride must be entertaining for all of us.


    Tatsuya inserted a pen drive into the radio. An electronic music started playing.


    ¡ª Wow, Tatsuya. I didn''t know you had such a good taste in music.


    Haji in the back commented, smirking:


    ¡ª This dork always played electronic music while playing online games. It made him feel like he was in an edit or something.


    ¡ª Really? That''s good to hear. Like I said, I like the urban landscape. Appreciating it while listening to a symbol of the city is so magical.


    ¡ª You''re saying that when we''re going to the middle of nowhere, haha...


    ¡ª Hey, my uncle may be a bit old but he knows everything about technology. His farm is a bit high tech.


    ¡ª I feel like we''re in a science fiction story, right now.


    Tatsuya smiled while looking the road. The car was in auto pilot, but he was actually enjoying the view.


    ¡ª Hey, have any of you seen that meme? Look at me! I drive.


    Yuto and Haji bursted in laughter. They felt like they were hearing a dad''s joke. Wait, he was actually a dad.


    ¡ª Tatsuya, you aren''t actually driving, but I understand. You''re literally me.


    ¡ª Yeah, that''s the spirit!


    ¡ª Wait, something is off. Genesis should be here! Everything is better with her.


    Yuto called Genesesis in his phone. She took a while, but answered it.


    ¡ª Hi, Yuto! I''m sorry for leaving so suddenly... Is everything alright?


    ¡ª More than alright, Genesis! Wait, is this a bad moment? You look like you''re in trouble.


    They saw her face cam. She was in the middle of a shootout. The beautiful starry sky was the background. Wearing a heavy coat and hat, she was crouching behind a small wall. The snow wind lightly swayed her red hair.


    ¡ª N-No, I''m alright, really! If I was in danger, I wouldn''t answer the call, haha...


    ¡ª Are you sure? We wanted to include you in a group photo!


    ¡ª A group photo? That''s amazing! I can''t wait to go back and meet you all again!


    Haji commented:


    ¡ª Hey, the drop of the music is coming! That will be the best time to take a screenshot!


    ¡ª You''re right, Haji!


    Genesis, surprised, said:


    ¡ª Wait, a screenshot? But my hair is messy and I''m wearing weird clothes...


    Haji reassured it:


    ¡ª Who cares, silly? You didn''t hear Tatsuya saying the cringest jokes I ever heard! Everyone is being goofy today!


    ¡ª Hey, I''m not cringe!


    Genesis looked at them for a second. They were enjoying it the most they could. She smiled in response.


    ¡ª Here is the drop!


    The music reached the best part. Everyone started dancing their heads to it.


    ¡ª Go, Yuto, now! Everyone, say cheese!


    Everyone looked at the camera and smiled brightly. Genesis had the biggest smile, as always. Yuto took the screenshot with the whole squad laughing. Tatsuya commented:


    ¡ª Save that photo with your life, Yuto. Everything can change from night to day, so we need to remember this moment.

 Tim3less

    At the farm.


    ¡ª I don''t care about what you say! Wisedroid killed you, I know you''re a fake!


    ¡ª Tatsuya, calm down! Why are you so angry now? We were laughing together just a few minutes ago.


    Haji, startled, shouted:


    ¡ª Yeah, stop this bullshit! You''re the one who wanted to see the starts, now you''re yelling at us for no reason?


    ¡ª Don''t you remember anything about the moon? Why isn''t it cut?


    Both of them confused, Yuto answered:


    ¡ª What are you yapping about, bro?


    ¡ª The moon, dammit! Slade was here and... wait. She wasn''t supposed to be here at all.


    ¡ª Slade?! You''re losing your mind, Tatsuya.


    ¡ª Wisedroid killed you, then Slade revenged you! Don''t you remember any of that?


    ¡ª Of course not! I don''t even remember fighting Wisedroid, to begin with!


    ¡ª Wait, were you telling the truth back then?


    ¡ª You can bet I was saying the truth! I was supposed to fight him with Ria, but the other day he was dead and me too, for some reason!


    ¡ª But I remember his smile! He was my friend. He died because you died! Why didn''t you resist?


    ¡ª Tatsuya, I think you need some rest.


    Tatsuya was holding his head, like he was seeing everyone else as crazy. Yuto approached him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡ª How about we sit on the grass and watch the stars? This could help us.


    Out of instinct, Tatsuya punched Yuto to the ground. The impact was so strong he bounced off the grass. Haji, in disbelief, ran towards them and yelled:


    ¡ª What the hell are you doing?! I thought we were friends!


    ¡ª You stay right there, brat! This is between me and him!


    She stopped, scared.


    ¡ª Yuto, I''m sorry about punching you, but-


    Yuto got up quickly and punched Tatsuya in the face.


    ¡ª What the hell is wrong with you?! When you said I had a talent in being friends with dangerous people, were you talking about yourself?


    ¡ª You''re right, I''m dangerous. But you''re more than I am. I can''t you let you live. Slade can''t put her hands on you.


    Tatsuya somehow teleported behind Yuto and kicked him on the side, sending him a few kilometers away. When he was about to get up, Tatsuya appeared on his side and kicked his stomach up multiple times, until Yuto couldn''t move.


    He can teleport? Was this power all the time?


    ¡ª I''m sorry, Yuto, but I''m just doing my job. The world will be doomed if you return to Tokyo.


    Yuto used his power to move his body. He used his knee to hit Tatsuya''s chin. He was sent to the sky. Yuto flew towards him and punched him towards the farm, destroying the main house. He landed nearby.


    ¡ª Did I kick some sense into your ass now?


    Tatsuya was lying in the rubble. Suddenly, he got startled and looked everywhere.


    ¡ª Not even a word? Well, I''m gonna beat you until you give up. Don''t worry, I won''t kill you.


    Yuto rushed towards him, about to land a punch in the stomach. But, for some reason, the roles were instantly reversed. Yuto was lying down in the grass, while Tatsuya was standing before him.


    What?! This can''t be only teleportation! He must have a second power!


    ¡ª You''re the one who should give up. In case you haven''t realized yet, I''ll tell you who I am.


    ¡ª No way I''ll let you belittle me. I''ll discover your power by force, not by pity.


    Tatsuya enraged. He teleported again and kicked Yuto to the side. Less than half a second later, he landed another kick. Then, another. A punch to his front. Almost instantly after, another from behind.


    My body can''t even register the damage before I take another! He''s too fast even to a level 7...


    Finally, Tatsuya teleported on his back and punched him multiple times. But Yuto felt and heard them all at once. It was superhuman speed. Not even a god could land so many hits at the exact same time.


    Yuto was launched towards a mountain, piercing through it. He hit another mountain, stopping the impact. Tatsuya was standing before him again, after less than a second. Who could travel a few kilometers in less than a second and stop like it''s nothing? What about the inertia?


    Tatsuya touched his watch. A light blue energy sword appeared alongside his arm. It seemed powerful.


    ¡ª It''s time to end this, Yuto. I''m really sorry, but I must do it. It was great having fun with you all.


    He''s fast. It''s not even possible that a human can be this fast. He can literally teleport with his power, but it''s not only this. It''s like a power that alters reality. He can make multiple things happen at the exact same time...


    At the exact same time...


    Wait, that''s it!


    ¡ª Goodbye, my friend.


    Just as Tatsuya was swinging his energy sword to decapitate his opponent, Yuto forced his power to push him forward, sliding between Tatsuya''s legs. He quickly got up and smirked, knowing his secret.


    Yuto started creating a huge gravitational field where he would increase his power thousands of times, crushing everything inside of it. It was the supreme gravity he always used, but at a different scale this time. It would make a crater the size of a mountain.


    He could do it anytime he wanted, but the destruction was so big that it would leave a scar on the terrain. In addition, it would cost him a little more time to make it work. But he obviously didn''t want to kill his friend, only scare him.


    What is he doing? I can dodge this attack easily. Does he want to die with me? Wait, what if his power ignores him? Is he testing me?


    As Tatsuya pondered about Yuto''s plan, he felt the ground shaking a bit. A few purple particles started levitating, indicating it was about to hit. Scared, he "teleported" back to the farm, where he wouldn''t be hit.


    Yuto stopped the attack and flew right towards him at top speed. He arrived there in less than 3 seconds. Smiling mischievously, he said:


    ¡ª So you''re Stopwatch, the 3rd level 7.


    ¡ª Tch. I was just about to say that to you, but you refused my mercy and tried to figure it out on your own. You almost died for a stupid reason.


    ¡ª Really? You''re too defensive about that. Seems like I won.


    ¡ª How does this give you an advantage? You can''t match my speed anyway.


    ¡ª I know. But what happens if I cover the whole country with my power? You would need to leave it as soon as possible. Stopping time and running towards an exit every time seems exhausting.


    ¡ª Don''t think you have won this, kid. Now I know how to use my power a little better. When you met me in the tournament for the first time, I didn''t even remember who I was.


    ¡ª So your power can damage your memories?


    ¡ª Only temporarily. That''s why I now remember about the moon, Slade marrying you and Wisedroid being killed by her!


    ¡ª So you think I''m the root of all the problems? You must have gone back in time many times to reach that conclusion. Did you say you met me the first time in that arena?


    ¡ª Of course! I was scared of you, so I never talked to you in other timelines!


    ¡ª You went back in time and couldn''t even remember who you were. What if you returned only to meet me?


    ¡ª What? But why would I risk going back so far and lose all my memories?


    ¡ª That''s the reason, maybe you wanted to approach me. If you went back a little less, you could have a negative impression of me and try to kill me again.


    ¡ª No, this can''t be right!


    Tatsuya remembered another core memory that was supressed by his power.


    Winter, night. In the woods, Tatsuya was running aimlessly. He looked like he was done with life. Messy hair, broken glasses, untied suit.


    Akari-chan, Koharu-chan... How could all this happen? I thought I could live a happy life in this timeline, even if I sacrificed the world!


    His watch showed not only the hour, but also the year. 2054, July 7th. It could have stopped working before and he wouldn''t care, but the watch produced its own energy, even if it was a bit shattered.


    I''m in 2054 now... Why is everything happening right now? Wait, today is the Boss''s 77th anniversary! Did he wait all this time to start his plan to conquer the world? I know 7 is his lucky number, but this is too much!


    While he was running, a katana pierced his heart.


    I''m gonna die again! This isn''t fair, I just wanted a peaceful life! There must have been a convergence point in time where everything can be changed! One where the Boss can be defeated! Think, who can change the world by themselves if I only help them? Who was powerful enough to kill the Boss? Wait, that boy who died seven years ago!


    ¡ª Ishikawa Yuto? Why is he so dangerous?


    ¡ª Just like his sister, he threatens the association''s integrity. I may know about almost anything, but I''m really bad at deciding things. So, could you help me, Tatsuya?


    ¡ª Well, I understand why you''re conflicted. Even if you are a super advanced android, you still have to consider the emotional side. Why not follow your heart? If you feel like he can cause a disaster, I think you should kill him.


    ¡ª What if he''s a good person?


    ¡ª Everyone who has too much power turns into a twisted person, sooner or later. Look at Slade, she was a normal and innocent girl. Now she can do anything she wants, that''s why she changed into a psycopath.


    ¡ª I see, but it''s not really her fault. She''s not the same she used to be, literally.


    ¡ª I know you want to protect her, but she''ll just kill you if you approach her. She has no salvation.


    ¡ª Yeah, you''re right, friend. Thank you so much! I''ll kill Ishikawa Yuto in the blink of an eye!


    ¡ª Just don''t force yourself too much. If he discovers your weakness, you could die, just like any of us.


    ¡ª Don''t worry, I got this! I won''t give him any chance.


    Wisedroid took off his black mask to show his smile to Tatsuya. He also did a thumbs up.


    ¡ª Whoa, I didn''t know you could just take off your mask like that!


    ¡ª What, you thought it was part of my head? I''m just like you humans, but made with electronic parts!


    ¡ª Speaking of that, how''s your daughter doing?


    ¡ª Ah, Genesis is just a maid. She''s really close to Exwind, but Ria doesn''t like her too much.


    ¡ª I see. You don''t want her to leave your protection, right?


    ¡ª Naturally! If she leaves the area of effect of my power, she will be in trouble.


    ¡ª You haven''t changed, friend. You''re much more human than that trash of a hero who calls herself a godess.


    ¡ª Haha, I guess you''re right. Thank you again, Tatsuya. I''ll get going to meet the boy.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡ª Alright, good luck!


    ¡ª I hope I don''t need any luck, but thank you!


    Wisedroid waved while looking at his friend and left the room.


    The other day.


    Tatsuya was in his room. He woke up and turned on the TV to watch the news while he ate something.


    ¡ª This morning, a fight between two level 7''s happened, destroying a major part of the city. Wisedroid is found dead. The suspect for murdering him is Slade. The reasons are still unknown.


    Tatsuya froze. He looked at the TV, thinking about the conversation he had the day before. Obiously, it had something to do with Yuto. He still didn''t know about his connection with Slade.


    ¡ª Yesterday, a long-time enemy of the association was found dead. It''s likely that both incidents are related.


    The present.


    ¡ª So I went back in time just to save you? This can''t be right. How can you be that important?


    ¡ª I honestly don''t know. But now that you remember what happened, it''s probably the truth.


    ¡ª What if my memories are deceiving me?


    ¡ª Then we can fight again. I won''t let you kill me, anyway.


    ¡ª Alright, that''s fair. Let''s return to Tokyo, we can reorganize our thoughts there.


    ¡ª Haha, I think this whole trip was a little more destructive than we predicted...


    ¡ª Ah, don''t worry about the house. My uncle can repair it whenever he comes back.


    ¡ª What about the hole in the mountain?


    ¡ª Well, I guess that''ll become a touristic spot. Like, turn left after you see the giant hole in the mountain.


    ¡ª Haha, you''re right. What''s important is that no one died today, so this will be engraved in our memories. Actually, I enjoyed our fight.


    ¡ª Really? You''re kinda masochistic if you ask me. I owned the fight from the beginning. Go before me, I''ll look at the stars one last time.


    Tatsuya threw his car''s keys to Yuto. He caught them in the air.


    ¡ª Are you kidding me? If I knew your power before, I could win the fight. And I''m not even hurt, look!


    Yuto lifted his shirt and showed his slowly healing injuries.


    ¡ª So your 7-Up is already working? Good, now I can punch you a few more times for being so stubborn.


    ¡ª Not if I do it first!


    Yuto smiled brightly at his friend and went to meet Haji. Tatsuya looked at the stars. The wind blew through his hair. He was finally at peace, knowing the truth he had been searching for so long.


    I could never see a clean sky like this in the city, because of the light pollution. People always say that the stars can calm your mind. It''s clich¨¦, but it''s true.


    Tatsuya looked at the moon once again, not afraid this time.


    And the moon is as beautiful as ever. It''s strange to remember what happened to it in the other timelines.


    Tatsuya looked at his friends. They were walking towards the car, smiling to each other.


    It''s weird seeing Haji smile, but she''s just a kid after all. Even if she''s worried about Yuto''s well-being, she may consider this all just a fight between friends. I''m glad she forgave me so quickly.


    Tatsuya felt a shiver run down his spine. It wasn''t the wind this time.


    Wait, something is off. I don''t know if it''s my 7-Up''s danger perception or my instinct, but I feel like something big is coming.


    Just as he predicted, a red slash flew towards him from behind. It was aiming for his head. He quickly crouched down, dodging it.


    Suddenly, an explosion could be heard. Tatsuya immediately looked at the car, it was gone. Yuto and Haji were alright, because they didn''t enter it yet.


    As he turned his head, another slash came. But Tatsuya was too focused in his friends, so he didn''t see it coming.


    Huh? How did I not notice it? Was it so fast that my brain couldn''t register it? Why can''t I move my body?


    Tatsuya moved his eyes to see his body. It was no longer connected to his head. He was instantly decapitaded by the slash.


    Those red slashes, it can only be Slade! How she knew we were here? Maybe the fight caught her attention? But we''re so far from Tokyo!


    Like pure instinct, Tatsuya traveled back in time. He couldn''t fight with only his head, so he didn''t stand a chance.


    ¡ª ... Actually, I enjoyed our fight.


    Tatsuya froze, noticing something strange. He had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but not only that. His memories from a few minutes later were missing. Knowing something would happen soon, he rushed towards the car.


    ¡ª Yuto, let''s go! We have no time!


    ¡ª Huh? Why so suddenly?


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter! Just get in the car!


    ¡ª A-Alright!


    The three quickly got into the car. Haji, however, hit her hand in the car''s door, dropping her cell phone inside of the vehicle. She closed the door and Yuto offered to take it, since it was closer to him.


    Maybe the problem is Yuto, but since we''re inside a closed space, I can kill him if he tries anything.


    Immediately after he crouched down, another red slash sliced through the car, decapitating Tatsuya again. As Haji was shorter, her head was cut in two.


    Huh? But it was supposed to happen in a few minutes...


    Tatsuya went back in time again.


    ¡ª Did I kick some sense into your ass now?


    Tatsuya was lying in the rubble. Suddenly, he got startled and looked everywhere.


    ¡ª Not even a word-


    ¡ª Wait a minute! This is urgent!


    ¡ª Huh? You''re not trying to lower my guard, right?


    ¡ª Let''s go back to the car! We can discuss everything when we''re back!


    ¡ª What car? It''s broken, remember?


    ¡ª What? It''s right there!


    Tatsuya pointed to the car. Smoke was coming out of it.


    Huh?! How did that happen? Wait, I remember! As soon as we got here, it stopped working! Why did I forget it?


    Tatsuya touched his watch, releasing the energy sword.


    ¡ª Yuto, get out of here, please.


    ¡ª What is that?! Did you have a sword this whole time?


    ¡ª Take Haji and go back to Tokyo. I want to test something.


    ¡ª I don''t understand, but alright.


    ¡ª Thank you.


    Yuto flew with Haji to the sky. Tatsuya felt an attack coming from behind.


    So Yuto was not the attacker...


    Tatsuya tried to defend it with the sword.


    A red slash?! This must be Slade!


    After a few seconds, the slash won the match and cut trough the sword. Since it was made of energy, it did not break, but Tatsuya was hit. Beheaded, again.


    He could also go forward in time, but the collateral effect was the same: memory loss between the two points. This condition would heal after some time, but the enemy wouldn''t wait. Some traces remained in d¨¦j¨¤ vu, the rest came back slowly. However, a few things could change between timelines. It was out of Tatsuya''s control.


    ¡ª It''s time to end this, Yuto. I''m really sorry, but- wait, something happened a few minutes ago.


    ¡ª What? Of course, you were kicking me a few minutes ago!


    ¡ª No, I mean...


    If I am still alive, it means that Yuto didn''t kill me. I''m in the future because something happened before it should have.


    ¡ª ... my power is time. I''m the 3rd level 7.


    ¡ª I knew it! You shouldn''t have said it, dammit!


    ¡ª I probably died a few minutes ago, but not by you. Do you know who else could be watching us from afar?


    ¡ª N-No, I don''t have a clue.


    ¡ª If they haven''t attacked yet, it''s probably because you''re with me. Try crouching for a second.


    ¡ª Like this?


    As soon as Yuto crouched down, a red slash came towards Tatsuya''s nape. He quickly touched the watch and defended the attack with his energy sword. Seeing that it would collapse, he arched his back to dodge it.


    I knew it!


    ¡ª Slade is the only one I know of who attacks using red slashes.


    ¡ª Whoa! Slade? Wait, from behind!


    Another slash was thrown towards Tatsuya''s back.


    How?! She really got around me from afar in a few seconds? But I can dodge this!


    Just as Tatsuya crouched down, Yuto rushed towards his front with no second thought. He was sliced in two, but Tatsuya survived.


    What was he thinking?! I''ll have to go back again just because of this!


    ¡ª Whoa! Slade? Wait, from behind!


    ¡ª Don''t worry, I got this.


    Tatsuya didn''t turn around, knowing about the attack. After reassuring he would dodge it, Yuto didn''t move. But Tatsuya was sliced in two. Vertically, this time.


    He couldn''t even think about what just happened, because his brain was damaged. As a natural reaction from his body, he went back again.


    ¡ª If they haven''t attacked yet, it''s probably because you''re with me- wait, don''t move. They probably have a large-scale attack. We''re safe because we are close enough-


    Beheaded again. The slash was small enough to hit only Tatsuya.


    ¡ª I don''t care about what you say- Haji, can you come here, please?


    ¡ª Huh? Why the sudden emotion shift?


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter. Yuto, get in the car, please. It''s urgent.


    ¡ª A-Alright, I guess...


    Tatsuya threw his keys to Yuto and approached Haji.


    ¡ª What do you want with me?


    ¡ª Come here.


    Tatsuya squatted down and lifted Haji''s body to eye level. Since Yuto already got in the car, a slash came to kill Tatsuya. But they both dodged. Another one, but he stopped time.


    He had to close both his eyes to stop time indefinitely. That''s why he walked a bit faster than Haji a few days ago in the city: each blink stopped everything for a fraction of a second.


    After taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and started to blink repeatedly to slow down the slash. As soon as he saw it, he started running towards the car. When it arrived, he had more than enough time to dodge it.


    Haji saw all that, because Tatsuya could bring anyone to his stopped time by physical contact. But she didn''t have to close her eyes. She soon understood his power. When they were close enough to the car, Tatsuya closed his eyes.


    ¡ª Haji, hold my hand until you''re inside the car, okay? No need to rush.


    ¡ª Alright, I understand.


    She got into the backseat. Tatsuya got into the car and took the keys from Yuto''s hand. He turned the car on, because he could interact with the world inside stopped time. After everything was right, he opened his eyes and looked at the rear view to predict the slash.


    ¡ª Whoa! Tatsuya, when did you get here?


    ¡ª It''s my power. I told you I would reveal it.


    ¡ª I''m not sure if it makes sense, but okay. Are you alright? You look pretty tired.


    Tatsuya was indeed looking tired. His power could exhaust him if he used it too much, just like any power. But his exhaustion could travel in time, so he couldn''t avoid it by returning a few seconds.


    ¡ª I''m okay, don''t worry.


    ¡ª If you say so...


    Yuto realized that he had stepped in a turd. He lifted his shoe and arched his back to look at the car''s floor to see if it was dirty. Tatsuya only realized it at the last second.


    ¡ª Get down, Haji!


    ¡ª Huh?


    Tatsuya dodged the slash in time.


    ¡ª Haji, are you okay?


    Tatsuya looked back. Haji was using her phone, so she couldn''t react in time. Her head was sliced into two again.


    No, this can''t be happening! What should I do? I am alive, Yuto''s alive! I shouldn''t waste this chance! Yeah, this is the best course of action!


    As the car was still moving, Tatsuya accelerated it. He couldn''t look back, because he would hesitate. As soon as Yuto looked at Haji''s corpse, he couldn''t say anything. He just stared at it in disbelief.


    ¡ª Wait, Yuto, I can explain-


    While he was distracted talking, a vertical slash sliced the car in two. Before he could even close his eyes to stop time, he was hit again.


    Beheaded again...


    Sliced into two...


    Haji died...


    Yuto died protecting him...


    The car was broken even before arriving...


    All them died at once...


    Too tired to plan anything...


    This is my limit. How many times did I use my power? A few thousand? I can''t even predict the slashes anymore...


    ¡ª Tatsuya, are you okay? You look pretty tired.


    I''m more than pretty tired. You know what? I don''t regret anything. I already accomplished my mission. Slade won''t kill Yuto, nor Haji. Genesis is still alive in Russia, I hope. This is the best timeline, for sure...


    ¡ª Take Haji and go to the car. You can go without me. I can stop time, so I''ll be there in a minute.


    Tatsuya threw the car keys again.


    How many times did I throw these keys? At least the car isn''t broken in this timeline...


    ¡ª Are you sure? Wait, you can stop time?


    How many times did I explain my power?


    ¡ª Yeah, I''m Stopwatch, the 3rd level 7.


    ¡ª Really? Wow, I didn''t think I could be friends with a level 7! This makes things easier, now there are only two remaining!


    ¡ª Yeah, you''re right. We''ll plan everything there, now go.


    ¡ª Did something happen? We can wait for you.


    ¡ª Nothing, really... I just wanted to explore the farm a last time before going back. It''s nostalgic, and we don''t come here often.


    ¡ª Oh, I''m sorry... I didn''t know you were so attached to this place.


    ¡ª It''s okay, don''t worry...


    Tatsuya forced a smile.


    Yeah, it''s okay... Everything''s okay now... I did what I had to do, now I can rest...


    ¡ª Okay, then! Bye for now, Tatsuya!


    Haji also smiled at him.


    ¡ª Don''t force yourself too much, Tatsuya! Bye, for now!


    Bye, Tatsuya! You tried hard enough! Thank you, Tatsuya! You saved us! You did the right choice!


    Yeah, this was the best course of action, Tatsuya, you did right. It''s okay, you tried. At least your friends are alive.


    ¡ª Goodbye, friends!


    A tear ran down his face after they turned their back to face the car. They started it and waved one last time to Tatsuya. Since they were too far, they couldn''t see his face.


    ¡ª Bye bye, Tatsuya!


    Tatsuya smiled at them one last time.


    Yeah, bye bye, Tatsuya...


    They disappeared over the horizon.


    Beheaded one last time.

 S2

    Inside a bunker.


    ¡ª Alright, this should be enough!


    Heavy winter clothing and hat, night vision goggles and a bit of blood. She didn''t even look like herself, but the interior didn''t change. She was the same joyful and energetic Genesis as always.


    She went to Russia to gather some information on how to make a Tsar bomba, but not only that. Any military weaponry she could find would be useful. After all, those were preparations for a level 7 fight.


    Her power could copy an object to her storage and paste it anywhere. However, physical contact was necessary and she had to understand its composition. Since she was a super advanced android, her memory and learning were perfect.


    Leaving the bunker and seeing the sun was refreshing to her.


    ¡ª I can''t wait to see Yuto and the others again!


    A lot of soldiers and criminals were laying in the snow. They weren''t dead, of course. Genesis had a lot of poisons in her storage, including paralyzing ones. She often visited Mifuyu, the scientist, to learn science and utilize her own power better.


    Genesis raised her hand to channel her power. A holographic jet appeared in front of her.


    ¡ª Alright, this should be fast enough to reach Tokyo in no time!


    The jet model was the fastest one Russia had. It could exceed five times the speed of sound. Her Creation had to wait a few minutes or hours to print the object, depending on how complex it was. The hologram was used to highlight its shape and how much progress was made.


    ¡ª A few hours, maybe? Well, I guess I will make an army of unmanned ones to optimize time.


    Her power didn''t really have a cooldown, so she could spam it multiple times. In addition, the exhaustion generated by it was minimal. However, the process duration was individual to every object, so she had to time it.


    ¡ª Well, if I had more time, I could train my power better. Maybe in a few months I''ll make this jet in one minute!


    Genesis smiled at her own progress.


    ¡ª I can''t be left behind! I need to make up for the time I spent here by protecting them!


    At Yuto''s home.


    ¡ª Uh... What time is it now? Has Tatsuya arrived already?


    Yuto got up from the bed. He waited for Tatsuya for a few hours after arriving at his old house. But it was late, so he and Haji decided to sleep.


    ¡ª I need to return his car... People will suspect it''s parked in an ordinary house like mine...


    He went to Haji''s bedroom. She was still asleep. He thought of asking her if she had seen Tatsuya, but it didn''t seem to be the case. Yuto smiled, knowing she was resting well. As he closed the door, she woke up, but spent some more time in bed.


    She heard some sounds from Yuto''s bedroom and decided to check on him.


    ¡ª Yuto, are you going somewhere?


    He had finished changing.


    ¡ª Yes, I''m going to the restaurant where Tatsuya''s wife works.


    ¡ª Ah, I forgot about that... Tatsuya hasn''t arrived yet?


    ¡ª That''s what I''ll ask her. Maybe he went to his house instead and forgot to text me.


    ¡ª Alright, sounds fair... Can you wait for me?


    ¡ª Sure. His car is fast enough, so no need to rush.


    Haji changed as well and they both went to the restaurant. Luckily for Yuto, he didn''t need a driver''s license, since the car had autopilot. Arriving there, they didn''t see Koharu. Actually, the establishment was temporarily closed due to some incident.


    ¡ª Are you looking for his wife, Yu-chan? Don''t worry, I got rid of her.


    After hearing the affectionate nickname, Yuto froze. He couldn''t forget it even after so many years. It could only be her. He slowly turned around.


    Black long hair, red eyes, black scholar uniform. But something was off. Her skin was much paler than normal, her aura was darker and her smile was not the same. She was hiding behind Haji, holding her arms to her back, almost breaking them.


    ¡ª Ka... Kataki...?


    ¡ª You''re right, Yu-chan! I''m so happy you recognized me after so much time...


    Haji finally realized someone was behind her.


    How did I not see her before? Or even feel her holding my arms?


    She finally broke Haji''s arms by forcing them back. She screamed in pain.


    ¡ª Kataki... Is that really you?


    ¡ª Of course I am, Yu-chan! Why are you so tense? Aren''t you happy to see me?


    ¡ª I... I don''t know... What are you doing?


    ¡ª Just a side quest! You loved playing games, right? I need to give this specimen to my former master. I''m not saying you''re less important than him, okay? Pleased don''t be sad.


    ¡ª I''m not sad... Wait, what do you mean by "specimen"?


    ¡ª He really needs her now, as a precaution! He promised me he would let me be with you forever after that, so don''t worry!


    ¡ª What are you saying, Kataki? Please stop hurting Haji... She''s not a specimen...


    ¡ª You seem confused, Yu-chan... I will end this quickly, so we can be together forever!


    ¡ª Wait, please release her... You don''t need to do this...


    ¡ª You''re right, I don''t... But I promised him I would do one last favor. I''m sorry, Yu-chan. I''ll be right back!


    Slade jumped towards the roof of a building, taking Haji with her. Yuto, confused, flew towards her.


    ¡ª Wait, Kataki, please! Why are you doing this?


    ¡ª I just said it, Yu-chan! I can''t break a promise with the Boss! He will provide everything for our empire!


    ¡ª Empire? What are you even saying?


    ¡ª We will be together forever, but we need a supplier first! He will give us everything we''ll ever need! Our paradise is near, my love!


    ¡ª I don''t understand... Why are you saying we will be together forever?


    Slade stopped running. She slowly turned around. Her smile was gone. A sinister aura surrounded her.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, did someone brainwash you? I will make them pay. They won''t steal you from me. Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable...


    ¡ª N-No, nobody brainwashed me! Kataki, you seem different. Did something happen in those years?


    ¡ª I won''t let them take you from me... This is unforgivable... Yu-chan, please say you still love me. I am the only one you need. Nobody should touch you. You''re mine.


    ¡ª What? You weren''t like this before... Please tell me what''s wrong! I can fix you...


    ¡ª Fix me? Yu-chan... I can''t believe they changed you this much... But don''t worry... I will make them pay, I swear... I will kill them all...


    Slade had two katanas. One red, another black. They were both a bit demoniac, different from when she was a kid. After she swore revenge, a black liquid materialized from her back. After a few seconds, it transformed into a clone of her. It took her black katana and Haji and started running away.


    ¡ª What is happening? Wait, come here!


    Yuto started running towards the clone. It took the black katana from its back and swung it towards him. A giant black slash came in his direction. He jumped and looked back to see where it would go. It became larger the further it traveled, until it cut through a few dozen buildings, destroying them.


    What is this?! Wait, I can still save them! But Haji will be taken away! What do I do?


    Yuto looked where the clone was and saw nothing. It already disappeared in the city.


    Shit! She''s fast!


    Yuto tried his sensory gravity to localize the clone, but the real Kataki hugged him from behind, distracting him.


    ¡ª I can''t believe they made you so dirty, Yu-chan... Those people''s lives are meaningless. If you didn''t care about ants, you would have catched my clone.


    Yuto turned around, pushing Slade away agressively.


    ¡ª You are the one dirty here, not me! What did they do to you, Kataki? You weren''t like this!


    Slade didn''t expect to be reprimanded. She looked down, disappointed.


    ¡ª I didn''t want to make you mad. I''m sorry... Please forgive me... forgive me... forgive me...


    Yuto remembered of his sister begging for his forgiveness right before she died. He couldn''t bear the regret.


    ¡ª W-Wait, don''t be like that...


    If I push her further, she may destroy everything!


    ¡ª Please calm down... What about we fight, like in the old times?


    ¡ª Really?!


    Slade finally smiled again. A wide and sinister smile, but still a smile. She took the red katana from her back.


    ¡ª If you manage to dodge my attacks, it will mean that you have evolved since we fought in the dojo.


    Slade swung her katana. A red slash came towards Yuto''s head. She didn''t want to kill him, but she did trust him enough to do that. It was so fast that a hair string of his was hit while he dodged.


    It''s too fast! Faster than the sound, maybe? This is her holding back?


    He turned his head to see where the slash would go. Slade got annoyed that he cared more about meaningless lives than her attacks.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡ª Don''t distract yourself, Yu-chan!


    She slashed the air again. And again. And again... Yuto was dodging them at the last second, but he wanted to test something.


    What if I catch the slashes?


    He used his power in one of the slashes while dodging everything. He managed to make it stop in the air. But it got stronger and left his control. Not only did it get stronger and bigger as it went, it also got faster.


    I better dodge them...


    Slade stopped the attacks and clapped proudly.


    ¡ª You have evolved, Yu-chan! I''m so proud of you!


    Yuto immediately looked back to see the destruction. But Slade was faster. She was already in front of him, looking into his soul.


    ¡ª Please don''t waste your precious time caring about ants, Yu-chan! Our empire is much more important!


    She''s even faster than I thought! She could have killed me without me noticing! Wait, that means she wants me alive! I can test her abilities!


    Yuto punched Slade in the stomach. He expected her to go flying or dodge it, but she just took it.


    ¡ª Ara, Yu-chan... You want to fight a little more seriously? We can finally have fun together!


    Yuto looked at his arm. It went through her body with no effort. A black liquid that looked like blood was dripping from it. He took his hand away and got disgusted by the scene.


    ¡ª Don''t worry, Yu-chan! I can heal myself, so you don''t have to hold back!


    Her stomach was healing quickly. But the black liquid didn''t disappear. He looked at his hand full of it.


    ¡ª This is just my blood, don''t worry! You won''t be burned or poisoned by it while it''s outside of you!


    "While it''s ouside of me"? That means it can infect me from inside?


    ¡ª Yu-chan, you go first. Don''t hold back, please. We can have as much fun as we want!


    Yuto took the offer and used his gravity forward, launching Slade away. He flew towards her and kicked her from the side, slashing her body in two pieces. She swung her katana two times, sending an "X" shaped attack.


    Yuto catched it with his power just enough to dodge it. It was even faster than before, so he couldn''t risk being hit. Once he released it, he looked back quickly. Luckily for him, the level 7 alarm had already sounded. So the building and the people were safe. At least that was what he thought.


    Slade fell to the street, already healed. She launched more attacks. After one, she changed her position and launched another.


    Great! If she keeps attacking me while I''m in the air, she won''t hit anybody!


    The attacks were even faster. The huge distance between them didn''t matter anything to her. They arrived at him in less than half of a second. He tried reflecting them back, but they didn''t change direction. Once they were released, they would resume the trajetory. They cut through the clouds.


    He dodged them almost easily, so Slade increased the attack speed. She started running so fast that the air was forming a tornado. The slashes changed the trajetory a bit, enough to close the distance between Yuto and them.


    She was throwing slashes 10 times a second. Then, 60 times. After a moment, she was attacking faster than a high-end monitor could refresh its image. She reached almost one thousand slashes in one second.


    Yuto used his power to dissipate the tornado. But she ran even faster, enough to break any fragile object or person on the ground. The clouds started forming a circle. She was not only running in circles, but in top speed as well. She was now even faster than the russian jet. Almost 17,000 km/h.


    Now every building was collapsing from the intense air current. She cut their base and started throwing them at Yuto. First, a house. Then, a major building. A skyscraper. Now, a whole neighborhood.


    She was smiling and laughing uncontrollably. It was not even hard for her. It was just a child''s play. While the objects were in the air, she threw another thousand slashes in different directions. Yuto could only dodge them because he catched them for a second. It was getting even harder to hold them.


    Shit! She''s destroying the whole city! And she''s just playing around! I need to take her off, but the tornado keeps pulling me!


    Slade cut a giant circle on the ground in less than a second. It was big enough to take 5% of the city. She stepped on one border, making the other rise. She took it with her right hand, since she used the red katana on the left, and threw it towards Yuto.


    He catched the new island with a bit of difficult, since he was also dodging other attacks. Suddenly, they stopped. Something penetrated the giant object. It was slicing it in two. Yuto couldn''t hold it together, so it tore apart.


    Slade appeared spinning vertically with her sword, cutting everything in the path. He couldn''t react in time. She cut Yuto''s left arm.


    He never took so much damage before. At least, not apparent damage. When he was knocked out by Zenith two times, his skull and brain took major damage, but the 7-Up could heal him in time. Now, healing an entire arm would take at least a few dozen minutes, while resting.


    Slade was still falling from her dash.


    ¡ª Looks like this is your limit, Yu-chan. I will take it easier now if you want.


    Yuto immediately used his gravity on Slade, launching her to the side for around one hundred kilometers. He used all his strength to keep the fight away from the city. Even though the damage was already done, he could still save millions. He also launched himself to her direction.


    Since he forced himself too much, he couldn''t land properly. He rolled on the ground for a few hundred meters before stopping. They were now in a mountain in the forest, far from any civilization.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, why the change of scenery? Ah, I get it! You like variety in fights!


    Yuto got up with his one hand. He was starting to feel a slight pain. The 7-Up mitigated most of it, but it was still noticeable.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, I can help you with that.


    Slade approached him and placed her hand on his missing arm. He felt pain in that, but it suddenly stopped. A black liquid came from her hand and it turned into a new arm. Even the shirt''s sleeve returned.


    What is this?! It''s inside of me now, isn''t it? What if it takes my mind?


    ¡ª Don''t worry, Yu-chan! I could control you from inside, but I would never do that, since you''re my special!


    That doesn''t calm me down at all!


    ¡ª Alright, do you want to resume our fight? Ah, first, what did you think? Am I stronger than before?


    Yuto stared at her in disbelief. He thought he didn''t even need to answer it, since it was obvious.


    ¡ª That''s good to know! I kept training to surpass that bitch since she insulted me!


    ¡ª Who?


    ¡ª Your sister! She said she would kill me if I became your girlfriend! I''m so glad the hard training worked out!


    ¡ª What? You must be lying...


    ¡ª I would never lie to you, my love! She almost killed me after the festival! If she was still alive, I would love to make her pay!


    Yuto didn''t want to believe what he had just heard. His strong and responsible sister would never hurt a friend of her brother so badly.


    ¡ª Do you want me to take it easier now? I can always adjust my level for you-


    He didn''t think twice. His new arm was now through her head, just like his sister did with an innocent officer. But her body didn''t lose balance.


    ¡ª You won''t be able to regenerate if I keep my arm inside you, right?!


    He was right. The whole in her head was still there. She gently took his arm and pushed it away.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, this makes the fight boring. Are you sure you don''t want to take this more seriously-


    Yuto used his supreme gravity in her. Her body disappeared, just like the ground below her. A few meters of empty air was left, just like a well. He looked down. Her sword was still intact. The black liquid started materializing her again.


    He didn''t stop looking at her, but she was already behind him.


    ¡ª Looks like your supreme gravity is a lot stronger, Yu-chan. But you won''t damage me like that.


    This can''t be right! Her body vaporized, how is she still alive? I can''t let a single molecule survive!


    Yuto turned around quickly and kicked her to the sky. He flew towards her and punched her down. He arrived before her and touched her back with the palm of his hand. He forced her towards the mountain. Her body pierced it faster than 10 times the speed of sound.


    A giant hole was made in the mountain, bigger the closer it was to Yuto. He then used his power backwards, pulling her towards him at the same speed. He punched her head and kicked her up again.


    At a few hundred kilometers in the sky, Yuto kicked her down as hard as he could. She reached the surface in one second. A giant explosion destroyed everything in the landscape. In addition, he channeled his supreme gravity to erase the whole scenery.


    After some seconds, it was done. The cylinder of mass destruction smashed the ground, making the air turn into vacuum until it was filled again. Yuto didn''t want to leave one molecule behind. The wasteland was so big that it almost reached the horizon.


    He felt the urge to vomit, since he forced his power beyond belief. He waited in the sky until the air was safe enough to breath. He could take some air from anywhere and keep it around his head, like an astronaut suit. But he was a bit tired, so waiting was the safer option.


    Suddenly, a barrage of slashes came towards him. He flew as quickly as he could to another green area, but one of the attacks cut his right foot away. While he was falling, Slade kicked him a few kilometers away, sending thousands of slashes again.


    Yuto forced himself down, opting for the underground. He was digging his way with supreme gravity. Slade threw giant slashes in a triangular form. The ground was divided like a slice of pizza. She grabbed the island with her bare hand and threw it to the sky.


    She also took many lesser islands and launched them. She started running in circles again, even faster than before. 22,000 km/h, 34,000 km/h... The tornado became big enough to rip apart any living being remotely close to it.


    Slade launched herself towards the giant island while the tornado was still working. She threw slashes from every direction, making it tear apart. Yuto finally got out of it and started jumping on each lesser island to reach Slade. She was also jumping so quickly that the human eye couldn''t see.


    He landed a punch in her stomach. Meanwhile, she healed his foot.


    What?! She can still pay attention to my injury while we''re at this speed?


    Yuto took the chance and supported his body by stepping on her, launching both of them in opposite directions. While Slade was falling, she threw another hundred slashes. He tried to catch them with his power, but they were too strong. He quickly forced his way down to the surface. His power was so intense that his head took damage from it.


    Among the trees, Slade started running in circles around him, but the tornado didn''t appear. She was just trying to deceive him. She launched slashes from every direction. They were weak this time. Yuto could dodge some, others hit him. But they weren''t lethal, only dangerous. Slade was impressed. While she was running at top speed, she commented:


    ¡ª Yu-chan, you''re stronger than I thought! I thought these slashes would cut through you.


    ¡ª You''re trying to kill me now?!


    ¡ª N-No, that''s not what I meant! I can still heal you!


    There was a reason why Yuto was resisting the "lesser" attacks. One of Zenith''s cards increased the user''s resistance by 100%, while decreased it from everything and everyone nearby by 50%. The other one did the same, but with damage. So Slade was effectively causing 25% of her normal damage to Yuto this whole time, while he was in his 400%.


    ¡ª And be a huge pile of black slime? I refuse it.


    ¡ª Oh, my... I don''t intend to make my blood change who you are, Yu-chan! You''re perfect the way you are!


    Yuto realized her slight hesitation and used his supreme gravity again. It was big enough to take her circular trajetory down. He isolated himself from it, so he didn''t take any damage. The cuts in his body were slowly healing by the 7-Up.


    Slade jumped from the hole and took Yuto''s leg. She swung his body and launched him some dozen kilometers from there. He was now in a small town.


    Shit! I didn''t know there cities in this area! Well, we travelled hundreds of kilometers in a few minutes...


    Slade appeared behind.


    ¡ª Let''s see if your body can take this, Yu-chan.


    She was smiling even more than before. He turned around quickly, but her attack was faster. A diagonal slash. It cut Yuto''s left arm again and his left leg.


    What is this? She''s becoming faster and stronger! My cards can''t do shit against a monster like this!


    She immediately healed him, even before he could do anything. He looked back to see the damage of the slash. It cut the whole scenery behind him. The city, the forest, the mountains, even the clouds. It could maybe reach the space.


    He used his supreme gravity upwards in Slade. A block of asphalt launched her into the sky. She cut through it, but Yuto used the distraction to punch her in the face. She was sent far away, but could still send a thousand slashes towards him. Some were faster than the others, so his arms were sliced again.


    Yuto had a limitation in his power. If he used it too much, his vision would get blurrier. Now, he couldn''t distinguish the slashes from far away. He couldn''t wait them close the gap either, because it would be instant death. He tried something new.


    A supreme gravity. He sent the slashes down the hardest he could. They were pushed away, but their trajetory didn''t change. They hit the small city and destroyed even more of it.


    I forgot about the city!


    Suddenly, more slashes came from every direction. Slade was running so fast that she could attack from everywhere at the same time. He tried sending one of the slashes back, while he dodged he others. He was sucessful. It pierced the ground and he kept it there for as long as he could.


    Yuto went to where it was stored and turned his back to it. He was using all his power to keep it stopped. As he expected, Slade was already hugging him from behind and healing his arms. He quickly crouched down and released it.


    It had gathered so much speed that not even Slade could sense it. It was probably the second highest speed in the universe, only losing to light. The sound of it was heard minutes after it disappeared. It even reached space.


    Slade was cut in half. The tip of her katana was finally damaged. She rolled in the ground for some seconds before stopping. Yuto reached her to see the damage. Her body was recovering slower than normal and the top of her head was bleeding black liquid.


    Yuto used another supreme gravity to damage her further. He went to the hole and saw nothing. Slade was behind him again, already healed. But her head and her eyes were still bleeding. She was panting heavily. She was never so desperate before.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, how about we stop the fight for a moment? I need to rest just a little.


    Suddenly, something came from between the trees. It was an ice arrow.

 Ma6ic vs 2word

    ¡ª If you see your clothes as part of your body, you can heal them. My power has regeneration, but you can also heal in other ways. That''s how I never fight naked.


    ¡ª That makes sense, big sis!


    Wait, that sounds embarassing...


    ¡ª One more thing, Yuto. If you ever face a stupidly powerful opponent, chances are they have a weakness or drawback in their power. Explore that and you''ll always come up on top!


    ¡ª But you don''t have a weakness...


    ¡ª You''re right, I''m invincible. But to every rule there''s an exception, right?


    In the forest.


    ¡ª Please, Yu-chan... Unless you want me to fight you in this state, of course... I''ll always obey you, my love...


    Yuto looked at Slade with disgust. She looked more like a zombie than his friend. The ice arrow aimed towards her side and traveled quickly, but she easily avoided it, almost ignoring it. She looked where it came from with empty eyes and a hunchback, like an undead.


    ¡ª Who is interrupting our date? This won''t go unpunished... It can''t be...


    The arrow''s trajectory curved upwards, until it started returning horizontally. When it was above them, it split into a barrage of ice projectiles. They bombed the forest, freezing everything nearby, including Slade.


    Since she was not looking at the arrow, she didn''t predict it. But Yuto was careful and protected himself with a barrier, sending the cold wind away.


    What the hell are you doing?! Just kill her already, before she stops playing around!


    Telepathy? Wait, Unizard?


    You''re damn right it''s me, brat! Stop trying to spare her, she won''t come back!


    But I''m trying to-


    I saw what you did there. You destroyed a whole scenery, yet you managed to minimize the damage where she was. Bravo, hero.


    Wait, no, I didn''t do that!


    Of course you didn''t realize it, since it was not intentional. But you need to overcome that fear of hurting her! Otherwise...


    Unizard finally appeared among the trees. Purple wizard uniform and hat, as always.


    ¡ª ... she will just get tired and kill us both.


    Yuto smiled at her, realizing he wasn''t alone.


    ¡ª Yuto, I''ll tell you something to pump your rage against her. She used Koharu''s power to kill Tatsuya.


    Yuto widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡ª Yeah, that''s right. Her power could see through someone''s eyes, so Slade always knew his next move. She probably brainwashed his wife to make her comply.


    ¡ª So is Tatsuya really dead?


    ¡ª Yeah... But it''s not you fault-


    Unizard looked at Yuto''s eyes. He didn''t looked regretful or sad, he was looking for revenge once again. She smiled and approved his reaction.


    ¡ª That''s what I was talking about, kid!


    ¡ª Thanks for the info, Unizard. What is your plan?


    ¡ª My plan? Are you really making me your leader? Alright, let''s start like this: find her weakness.


    Yuto remembered about his sister''s advice. Slade must have a weakness. He suggested:


    ¡ª Why don''t you use your magic to find out?


    ¡ª It''s too damn expensive in mana and magic residue to search valuable information like that. It would give us a major disadvantage in battle. Look at her.


    Yuto looked at the frozen body.


    ¡ª You''re thinking like me, right? She was damaged only by her own attack, so she''s not immune to her strength. In addition, she froze pretty easily.


    ¡ª Are you saying we''re too weak to damage her and that she''s vulnerable to low temperatures?


    ¡ª Not only low ones...


    Unizard raised her hand and smiled.


    ¡ª Behold, the power of nature.


    The ground began to shake and rise.


    An earthquake?


    ¡ª Nah, it''s even better than that.


    After it became bigger than a mountain, it stopped. A hole started appearing at the center of it, where Slade was. Yuto and Unizard were at the border. The ground below her broke and magma gushed from it. It was a massive volcano.


    The lava flew high, until it started raining into the forest. Slade''s body started melting and sinking. Yuto, concerned, said:


    ¡ª This whole place will burn down...


    ¡ª Oh, so now you''re worried? You just destroyed a whole-


    Before she could realize it, she was cut in two. Slade was already behind her, as hot as the lava. She had difficulty breathing and her entire body was glowing.


    ¡ª Don''t... interrupt... our date...


    ¡ª Oh, I''m sorry, hottie!


    Unizard''s body disappeared in clouds of smoke. The ground below Slade sent her flying diagonally and forward. An enormous and tilted beam of light fell down from the sky and hit her, dragging itself for a huge distance and leaving a trail of charred soil.


    After that, a giant cage of yellow lightning bolts started to join together, forming a huge strike in the center. Unizard then summoned an orange cloud. It rained lava once again.


    Her main weakness is extreme temperatures. If I keep spamming these spells, it might work-


    The red katana pierced through Unizard''s stomach.


    How?! I''m fucking flying, how can she throw it from so far away? It''s okay, I just need to heal myself before it gets worse-


    When she was distracted starting to heal herself, a shadow appeared behind her.


    What? How did she jump so high in this state?


    Unizard couldn''t dodge it in time, so she chose to stop the attack with her bare hand. But it was a sharp object. Before her hand was severed she pulled the sword closer and used her elbow to punch Slade backwards, sending her kilometers away.


    Unizard flew higher to see the damage she suffered. The katana that pierced her was gone.


    Did she really use the same katana twice? No, she had another...


    She looked at what was left of her hand. Where it was cut, there was a black liquid quickly spreading across the rest of the hand. She sliced it to avoid being mind controlled or something.


    Hey, Yuto! Distract her for a second, I need to-


    Slade was already throwing slashes towards her. But there were black ones this time.


    Shit, she loves me...


    ¡ª Alright, let''s end this.


    Unizard snapped her fingers towards the slashes. They suddenly changed to the opposite direction. Yuto, hearing her request, pushed Slade away, destroying everything in the path. The slashes didn''t hit her.


    What the hell are you doing?!


    Oh, my bad... But you asked for my help!


    Tch, whatever, brat. We''ll fight with no chat now, alright? Don''t be left behind.


    Unizard used a barrier to block the slashes. They went through it easily, but she managed to dodge them at the last second. Avoiding the black ones, she tried to catch a red slash. It cut through her hand.


    So the red ones don''t drip that black liquid...


    She made an ice spear and teleported behind Slade. Without wasting a single second, she impaled her body. From where she was hit, she started freezing slowly.


    ¡ª How does that feel, huh? You love catching everyone from behind.


    Unizard finally realized that Slade was still damaged from the extreme temperatures, but healing slowly. She got angry and threw the black katana upwards. With her free hand, she catched the spear and smashed it with brute force.


    When she was about to use her red katana, something stopped her arm. She took the black one from the air, but she couldn''t do anything. Unizard took the chance and enhanced her punch to a god-like strength. She hit her in the heart.


    A linear trail was left behind. She was sent at least three hundred kilometers away. Before she could get up, a meteor shower hit her with supersonic speed. Unizard teleported herself and Yuto nearby. She started to cast a spell:


    ¡ª The ground shall shamble at the warrior''s will.


    Her usual magic was really strong, but it cost mana and generate magic residue, which accumulated inside her body. Once it was full, it could negate her own power, damaging her. The spell''s purpose was to reduce both of them, while increasing the intensity of the magic.


    The ground started trembling, before it rose in a large scale. A pillar the size of a mountain sent Slade to the sky. She quickly cut it with millions of slashes, destroying it. Another huge pillar hit her horizontally, sending her kilometers away.


    Unizard was essentially controlling the shape of the forest''s ground. Another pillar hit Slade, but from above. She was launched towards the ground with so much force that she pierced it, stopping at a cave. The walls started closing.


    Slade didn''t have a reason to heal Unizard or let her live. She was about to get serious. How dare someone interrupt her precious date? Unforgivable, unforgivable...


    Pissed off, she threw slashes to every direction. Even though they were slim, the whole scenery was half of what it was before. Or even less. Of course, many of them hit Unizard. She jumped so high that she was behind her again.


    ¡ª How predictable, sweetie.


    Unizard had flaming wings on her back. They catched Slade''s body and started crushing it. Before she could attack, the wings opened and launched her away with a fire beam. She flew a dozen kilometers.


    While she was falling, she threw many other slashes. Since her body was melting and struggling to heal, she was distracted. A supreme gravity hit her, sending her body to the ground with immense strength.


    ¡ª Kataki, shouldn''t we stop this? We''re destroying everything.


    ¡ª Yu-chan... How can you be on her side? This is not fair...


    Yuto looked at the top of her head. The wound was already healed. Also, she already had her black katana back.


    ¡ª Kataki, did your clone kidnap Haji?


    ¡ª Oh, yes, my darling... The specimen was sucessfully retrieved...


    ¡ª I see.


    With blood in his eyes, Yuto grabbed her neck and flew towards the trees, hitting her head several times. Then, he dragged her on the ground for kilometers, trying to hurt her. He then threw her body into the sky. One kick to the woods. She fell, destroying everything nearby.


    He grabbed her arm and kept swinging her to hit the ground. Then, a supreme gravity upwards. He flew towards her again and grabbed her leg. With maximum strength, he threw her body towards a mountain.


    The impact was so powerful that the mountain disappeared. A linear trail of nothingness was left again. Unizard punched her head downwards, leaving a huge crater.


    ¡ª At God''s will, a hellish apocalypse shall begin now.


    An enormous orange cloud appeared. Huge chunks of lava started raining everywhere. Slade jumped towards Unizard. A rock pillar hit her, sending her body away. Other two crushed her in the air. She threw slashes everywhere, destroying every lava chunk.


    The lava started joining together, making a solid rain. There was no way anyone could dodge it, only destroy it. Unizard shot an ice arrow. Knowing that it would split into multiple projectiles, Slade quickly grabbed it. Her hand freezed immediately. She cut her hand off, dropping her red katana.


    She increased her healing powers and created a black amalgamation on her hand, catching the sword mid-air. Unizard threw another god-like punch in her head. She also raised her hand, mixing all the lava rain into one huge spike.


    When she was about to throw it, Slade started spinning her blades vertically, like a helicopter. Her body was sent towards Unizard. She quickly sliced her body in two. Her body turned into a smoke cloud and dissipated into thin air.


    She appeared nearby, thinking that Slade was still flying due to her inertia. But she predicted the wizard''s movement and threw a million slashes everywhere, slicing her body again. She waited a few seconds before reappearing, but Slade already knew her tricks.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She swung her katanas vertically with such strength that each slash grew not only larger, but thicker as well. It did that in normal attacks, but now it was increased in a dangerous rate, making the forest an incomplete scenery. Unizard was hit again.


    She decided to reappear in the ground that remained, since there were trees to block the view. But there was shadow between them. Slade came from below and sliced her body again. Then again...


    ¡ª You can''t heal infinitely, right, witch?


    Unizard was in disadvantage. Her mana could end soon, so she had to use a backup plan. A cold wind started forming everywhere. Slade quickly swung her katanas horizontally, destroying every tree in the way and sending the wind away.


    Unizard was hit, but she healed herself instead of reappearing. She pointed her palm towards Slade''s heart. Her body was pulled towards it. She began to freeze her body. Slade took her black katana and pierced Unizard''s arm vertically. The black liquid spread quickly, so she had to cut her own arm again.


    Released, Slade swung her red katana towards Unizard''s head. But it was sent downwards with immense force. Another supreme gravity, but aimed only at her weapons. Unizard took the chance and casted an enormous lightning bolt.


    Since it was too quick, the cloud was still forming. When it was the size of the sky, it released another lightning, but a thousand times bigger. It was enough to incinerate everything from far away. Before the smoke disappeared, Slade grabbed her sword by the blade and hit Unizard with the cable.


    She was sent to the sky. Before Yuto could react, Slade jumped towards Unizard, sending multiple slashes in the way. She snapped her fingers, redirecting the slashes again. They cut through Slade, but she healed herself quickly, grabbing the swords mid-air.


    She started spinning vertically. Unizard made an ice shield and collided it with her katanas, sending her away for a few meters. While falling, Slade threw her black katana towards her. Unizard casted a spherical lava shield, but it pierced with no effort and landed on her eye.


    Yuto kicked Slade downwards and threw a punch after she fell, but she dodged it. As the black liquid was spreading inside Unizard''s head, she grabbed the sword to take it off. But Slade started spinning horizontally, making a small but powerful tornado to redirect her red slashes towards her.


    Unizard''s body was cut into a million pieces, dropping the sword. She gave up on healing herself, so she just made a new body again. Slade jumped to catch the black katana, but Yuto was quicker. Desperate, she sliced his right arm with her red one and catched it.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, Yu-chan, I couldn''t control myself! I promise I''ll heal you-


    Unizard touched her stomach, sending her away with an electric bolt. She tried to punch Slade while she was falling, but her arm got sliced away. Her entire body turned into cloud smokes and disappeared.


    Slade was hit from behind, sending her flying for a few kilometers. While in the air, Yuto used a supreme gravity to the ground. Then, another upwards. He kept shaking her body up and down to disorient her. Suddenly, she stopped in the air.


    Unizard hit her with a kick. Then, another. Slade threw a 360¡ã red slash to hit her, but there were many clones of her. All of them turned into clouds of smoke. Before they disappeared, they returned to their normal form.


    They are clones! But this means nothing if I keep destroying everything-


    A clone landed a punch on her face. Then another kicked her stomach. She was getting increasingly annoyed by that trick. She threw another omnidirectional red slash, but every clone disappeared this time.


    A fire arrow came from behind. It started growing larger rapidly. It incinerated everything within a two-mountain radius. The heat formed a huge cloud that flew to the sky. A huge lightning strike hit Slade directly, making the whole ground shake and leaving a gigantic electric field.


    She couldn''t move, since that lightning was much more concentrated than the others. The electric current was so strong that every living being that touched it would be stunned for at least a few seconds. Of course, normal beings would die instantly.


    Unizard took all the lava rain that fell in the forest and mixed it together to make a huge lava spike again. She hit Slade, piercing her body and sending her to the sky. Then, she turned it into a giant lava hand. It punched Slade away for hundreds of kilometers.


    Tired, Unizard lost balance.


    ¡ª Unizard, are you alright?


    ¡ª I''m okay, kid. My mana is half full I think. But don''t worry, my magic residue will explode everything if we really need it.


    ¡ª Wait, really? But you will die if it gets released all at once, right?


    ¡ª Yeah, but who cares? Exwind died this way, so I can be a real hero for once...


    ¡ª Don''t say that! Real heroes live to save more lives, right?


    Unizard looked at Yuto, realizing he had forgiven her long time ago. He extended his hand to help her get up. She smiled gently.


    ¡ª Haha, you''re so childish, Yuto.


    ¡ª Being childish is not a bad thing, you know.


    ¡ª Yeah, you''re right.


    She took his hand.


    ¡ª Let''s go, this isn''t over yet.


    She teleported both of them behind Slade. She was incandescent and panting heavily again. Hunchbacked, she turned her head in a frightening way.


    ¡ª Yuto, let''s end this already. Don''t hold back just because she was your girlfriend.


    ¡ª She was never my girlfriend, but understood.


    Slade widened her eyes in disbelief.


    ¡ª I was never your girlfriend...? You stole him from me... How dare you, how dare you, how dare you...


    Slade started walking towards them, but stopped suddenly, coughing black blood. She used her swords to keep standing. She smiled, even though she was in pain.


    ¡ª I will make you pay, witch.


    Someone grabbed them both from behind. With Yuto, it was a gentle touch. But with Unizard, she kept squeezing her arms, almost breaking them. A giant black curtain started appearing in the horizon. They finally realized they were in a big city.


    What? I didn''t aim here! Did she really came all the way to a city just to put us at disadvantage? More importantly...


    Unizard looked behind to see who was holding her arms. It was a clone of Slade, but without the swords.


    ¡ª Heh, is this all you have? If you can''t clone your weapons, they are an easy target!


    Unizard jumped back and used her greater mass to smash the clone into the asphalt. Another one jumped at her, aiming for her head. She quickly avoided it, rolling to the side. Another one was about to kick her.


    She grabbed its foot and pulled it to rip the leg apart from the body. However, it was tougher than she expected. Her head was kicked, sending her to a nearby building.


    Yuto, your card is weakening me, dammit!


    Really? So I can''t filter my allies...


    Let''s fight away from each other.


    Unizard jumped from the building''s wall towards a nearby clone. It started multiplying quickly. She landed on the asphalt and swung her own leg on the ground, sending a flaming wind in every direction. Every clone turned into black liquid and came back again.


    ¡ª Tch, you''re not that special.


    Unizard summoned dozens of clones as well. The clone wars began. She jumped and commanded every clone to avoid her attack. She landed a punch on the ground, sending every black liquid clone away. They healed quickly.


    Unizard then used her ground-altering magic, raising pillars of asphalt and smashing every clone into liquid again. She then teleported all the liquid she could find in one spot. Then, summoned a portal, just like her brother.


    She threw a small black hole that grew slowly with the distance. The object went through the portal and teleported below the liquid, erasing it completely.


    Now you can''t regenerate anymore.


    The black hole went to the sky.


    I need to erase it. Otherwise, it can consume the whole planet eventually. Wait, dammit! The clones were just stalling for time!


    Unizard noticed the black curtain turning into a dome that covered the whole city.


    Yuto used his power to send the clone holding him away. Another appeared from the ground, like it was swimming on the asphalt. It took his leg gently. He smashed everything nearby with a supreme gravity and went straigth to the original.


    She somehow sank into the ground. He missed his punch, but destroyed the part of the street. He looked up and noticed the black curtain closing slowly. He also realized that a building was casting a shadow where he was.


    So she can move through shadows...


    Slade jumped through one of the building''s windows and grabbed Yuto''s head. She landed a kick on his back while in the air. He was launched away, hitting the black curtain on the other side of the city.


    Yuto, we should get out of here now! The curtain may enhance her powers, and she can kill anyone, knowing we will hold back to not kill the civillians!


    Do you have a plan? This wall seems sturdy.


    We will exploit her weakness once again!


    Once the curtain was closed, Unizard summoned an orange cloud above the dome. Lava rain began to fall. She also created energy walls on the sides to store it on top of the dome. Slade felt the temperature of her body increasing.


    She knew Unizard was behind that, so she sent a red slash where she was. It sliced every building in the way, but she managed to avoid it by jumping.


    There are shadows everywhere. Since she loves attacking from behind, she must be... here!


    While in the air, she casted a powerful sunbeam. The beam pierced through the ceiling of the dome easily. Slade was emerging from the shadows, when she was hit by it.


    ¡ª How does that feel, huh? That''s why you can''t defeat Hakkiri! The shadow''s arch enemy is light!


    A red slash sliced Unizard''s body once again.


    What?! How can she still attack?


    The sunbeam stopped falling. The hole made in the ceiling started healing slowly. Slade appeared where the beam was, even more damaged than before. With utter contempt in her eyes, she muttered:


    ¡ª I''m getting tired of your trickery, witch. I was enjoying the fight, but now you''re pissing me off.


    ¡ª Are you sure? Don''t you mean you''re annoyed because we''re almost winning?


    Slade got even angrier. Before Unizard could realize, her heart was pierced by the red katana. She tried catching it to freeze it, but Slade quickly took the blade out and sliced her body in two.


    Unizard reappeared behind her, but Slade predicted it and threw a red slash without even turning around. Unizard reappeared again, but now above her, about to shoot an ice arrow. Slade was faster and threw a black slash, destroying the projectile and slicing her body again.


    She reappeared in the ground again, a bit tired.


    Yuto, just smash the dome already. The lava will help you-


    I''m trying! But it seems that it''s tougher from the outside!


    Slade went so fast for the kill that Unizard couldn''t predict it. Sliced again. Then again. Now, beheaded. Heart pierced with black liquid. Then, a kick sent her to the dome''s wall. Slade came out of the black wall and grabbed her arms, ripping them off.


    She started falling, but Slade came out of the wall again and grabbed her body, both being launched to a building, piercing it and falling into a square. Unizard stopped to heal faster and see where her opponent was. A black slash was thrown, but she jumped it.


    It didn''t stop and destroyed every building in the way. The black liquid started spreading where it hit. A building was thrown in her direction. She stopped it with a magic shield, but some of the liquid spilled behind her. Slade reappeared there and pierced her heart again.


    Angry, she catched the blade of the sword, knowing the black liquid would consume her, and made a pair of ice wings, grabbing Slade''s body and pressing it. She started to freeze, but she used her red katana to cut the wings and kicked Unizard''s body upwards.


    She had to give up on healing that body and made a new one in the ground. But Slade once again sliced her. Then, again. Now, the ground was thrown to the sky. Multiple islands were thrown in her direction. She managed to destroy them with small black holes.


    Slade came flying from the domes walls and landed small hits on her body. First, her hand came off. Then, her leg. Now, her arm. All that with the black katana to poison her.


    This is bad, really bad... Healing is one of my most expensive spells, and she knows that... I can only heal one more time...


    The dome finally broke, releasing the lava. It stunned Slade for a second, since it damaged her body as well. She was still flying due to the momentum. Unizard reappeared behind her and kicked her upwards. Her body pierced the lava.


    To avoid destroying even more the city, Unizard made all the lava turn into a giant lava sword. It swung towards Slade and cut her body. She healed quickly and threw slashes everywhere, trying to hit Unizard. But she used portals to reflect the attacks.


    She couldn''t use portals as often as her brother, since it cost her a lot of mana. But it was a perfect mix of defense and attack. The slashes collided with the ones Slade was still throwing. The lava rain was still falling, so it hit her a few times.


    She started spinning her blades vertically to make a strong air current capable of deflecting all the attacks. The lava sword couldn''t hit her, so it was time for the final showdown.


    Yuto, send her somewhere empty. My mana is almost running out.


    What is your plan?


    I will use it all at once.


    Isn''t it too risky?


    If I don''t, I''ll die with no purpose.


    Alright, just be careful.


    Yuto used his power to launch Slade a few hundred kilometers away once again. Unizard teleported them both. Yuto at the ground, her levitating in the sky. Unizard didn''t leave one second for her opponent to react, so she started casting a spell:


    ¡ª Storms are a punishment for mortals, so let the wasteland take place!


    A huge storm covered the whole horizon. Lightnings, acid rain and strong winds started destroying the whole forest. Fire balls, meteors, small black holes and ice spears were falling everywhere. Yuto already knew he shouldn''t interfere. At least not when he would not help.


    Slade finally got up and saw everything falling apart. She was still damaged, but that view pumped her adrenaline again. She was smiling, even though she was annoyed a few minutes ago. Now, it was her time to end that battle.


    She started running among the trees, jumping from every ground that turned into an island. While she avoided the projectiles, she threw millions of red and black slashes towards Unizard. She snapped her fingers and redirected them.


    She jumped do dodge them, but also to reach Unizard. Slade''s face was slapped with a god-like strength. Her body was launched a few dozen kilometers away, destroying everything in the path.


    She quickly got up and dodged a black hole that almost hit her. She took an ice spear and threw it towards Unizard, who destroyed it with a fire shield. She picked the big islands and launched them towards the wizard. She reflected them with huge portals.


    Another millions slashes. Since they were too fast, Yuto pushed her from the way. Slade jumped towards her once again while attacking in the way. Unizard teleported behind her. Since Slade had reaction times of miliseconds, Yuto increased the wizard''s speed with his power.


    She landed a punch that went through her heart. A kick from the side, slicing her body. Slade swung her red katana, which Unizard catched with her bare handed and threw it away, sending her opponent flying. Even though her hand was sliced, she could surprise her.


    A clone grabbed the sword in midair and rushed towards the original. Yuto increased the speed of a meteor, which hit Slade''s body mid-air. He also mixed the acid rain and launched it towards her. It damaged her body enough that she couldn''t destroy the huge rock.


    The impact left a gigantic crater in the forest, igniting everything. Slade finally sliced everything around and escaped. A supreme gravity caught her off guard. Then, another upwards. She was in line of fire of Unizard.


    She used a solar beam horizontally, disintegrating her body for a second. Then, another sunbeam from above. She couldn''t move for a few seconds, so Unizard used her rainbow bow to shoot an ice and a fire arrow simultaneously.


    The fire erased everything in the path, except the two katanas, even though they were damaged. The giant cloud made a powerful lightning strike hit her body while it was regenerating, leaving a electric field on the ground.


    The ice arrow splitted and bombed everything, freezing the whole forest. Unizard casted a tsunami, in addition to all the acid rain. Slade was hit, but sliced it right away. A volcano appeared below her, spouting lava into the sky.


    Finally, giant pillars emerged from the ground, launching Slade away multiple times. Everytime a new pillar touched her, she just sliced everything. They became faster and bigger, almost impossible to dodge or destroy.


    She started running in their walls, jumping from one to another. When she was closing the distance between her and Unizard, another hit her. But this time it was so big that it could be mistaken for a small tectonic plate.


    Unizard was in the center of it, protected with a shield that nullified her own magic. Slade sliced her way through it, but it kept going in the opposite direction, like a super powerful treadmill. She then cut everything vertically to fall to the ground.


    Since the immense pillar was in the way, the acid rain and storm stopped for her. She started throwing tens of millions of black and red slashes all over it to eventually hit her opponent. Unizard destroyed it, knowing it would not help her. Giant boulders began to fall. In addition, she stopped the storm.


    Smiling sadistically, Slade finally found the witch. She prepared to use her final attack. Unizard, on the other hand, started bleeding from her nose from exceeding the mana usage. In the few seconds she was distracted, Slade was breathing slowly to concentrate.


    She then swung both her katanas with her maximum strength, releasing one slash for each sword in an "X" formation. She did not care about the speed or accuracy. She knew it would hit her opponent. Unizard thought those were the strongest attacks Slade could ever use, so she took the chance to reflect them.


    The slashes were slower than usual, but they were accelerating much faster. She snapped her fingers to return them to the attacker. They didn''t stop or slow down. Surprised that her special trick didn''t work, she casted a giant shield, made of multiple magic circles.


    It was enough to stop a nuclear explosion, so Unizard was sure that at least the last circle would hold the slashes. They went through all the circles with ease. She was cut into four. They kept getting faster and bigger, until they left the atmosphere.


    Actually, they went way beyond that. After some seconds, they reached the moon, damaging and marking it. The "X" was visible from Earth. Unizard looked up, astonished.


    What... the... hell...


    Her mana regenerated just enough for one more healing. She got more damaged than healed, but she was still alive. She reappeared far from there, giving up on the fight.


    Yuto, my mana is over. It''s up to you now.

 Old man vs mutant ant

    ¡ª Do you think I''m finally stronger than your sister now, Yu-chan-


    Slade threw up liters of black blood, clearly injured. She used her swords to keep her body standing. She slowly turned her head up to see her loved one. Yuto looked at that gross scene and didn''t know what to do.


    I''m alone now, really?! Kataki is almost dying... should I end her? Unizard, are you still there? ... Dammit!


    ¡ª Yu-chan... come here, pretty please? I swear I won''t jump you...


    Enduring the pain, she smiled at him innocently, just like her past self.


    Is she tricking me? But she killed Tatsuya! What if she was not in control? Argh, I hate making decisions!


    He approached her with his guard up. Slade smiled again, seeing him comply. She raised her red katana and threw it towards Yuto for him to catch. He grabbed it mid-air, confused.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, let''s duel... I want to see how you''ve improved in sword fighting.


    ¡ª What? I haven''t used a sword since that day.


    ¡ª It doesn''t matter... I''m injured now, so it''s fair.


    Slade used her black katana to hit Yuto. He quickly defended it, using a semi-professional pose. It obviously wasn''t polished, but it wasn''t something a beginner would attempt. Slade smiled, seeing his improvement.


    ¡ª You didn''t need to lie, Yu-chan. No one would try this if they hadn''t touch a sword in ages.


    ¡ª I was not lying. I just wanted to impress you, but you disappeared so suddenly...


    ¡ª Oh my! You were searching ways to beat me all this time?


    They started dueling, trading blows with each other.


    ¡ª It''s nothing that impressive. We were friends, Kataki. What happened to you? Why are you a monster now?


    ¡ª I''m not a monster, Yu-chan, I''m the same Kataki you met as a level 7. I thought you died that day, that''s why I never found you until now.


    ¡ª Then why did you kill Tatsuya and his wife? They did nothing to you!


    Slade''s expression became serious. She began to put more strength into her attacks. Every time Yuto defended it, both swords vibrated intensely, sending shockwaves through their bodies and producing a screeching sound.


    ¡ª They wanted to monopolize you, Yu-chan. They did the most unforgivable thing a human could do.


    ¡ª You''re monopolizing me now.


    ¡ª I''m not a human, so it doesn''t apply to me. I''m only half of it.


    ¡ª So you''re a monster after all!


    ¡ª Half monster...


    Slade cried a few tears, genuinely hurt by his insults. Angered, Yuto kicked her, causing her to trip over a rock and fall to the ground. He swung the red katana towards her, but from a distance. Nothing happened.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, Yu-chan, but the slashes only respond to my command.


    ¡ª Curse you, monster! Give me my friend back!


    ¡ª B-But I am your friend, Yu-chan-


    ¡ª Stop using that nickname! You''re not Kataki and you''ll never be!


    It was her breaking point. Her love was yelling at her, accusing her of being an impostor. He didn''t recognize her as his friend anymore. Slade started crying uncontrollably. She got up slowly, trying to reach him with her hand.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry... Please forgive me, forgive me...


    Yuto once again remembered of his sister begging for his forgiveness. Crushed by his guilt, he started moving away, trying to escape her grasp. Suddenly, he noticed something: a big black object flying towards him, behind her. Something ejected from it, so he thought it was a jet. He couldn''t say anything clearly as his vision was blurred from overusing his power.


    As it was approaching him in a supersonic speed, he deciced to arch his back to avoid it. It hit Slade from behind, piercing her body with the tip of the jet. It was still too close to him, so Yuto used his power to bury himself into the ground. The flying object landed hard a few hundred meters away.


    As Yuto was grabbing the ledge to get up to the surface, a figure was in the way of the sun, casting a holy shadow on him. She extended her hand to help him. Black military suit and a futuristic helmet that opened, showing her beautiful face. He couldn''t mistake those blue eyes and red hair.


    ¡ª G... Genesis?


    He took her hand and climbed up.


    ¡ª I''m sorry for the sudden entrance, Yuto. I just had to take her off guard.


    ¡ª It''s okay, I''m not hurt, haha.


    Yuto extended his hand in a arm wrestling position to welcome her back. She was surprised, thinking he would be angry at her for taking so long to come back. She giggled and took his hand.


    ¡ª It''s good having you back, Genesis.


    ¡ª I''m so glad to be back! I''m sorry for being late to the party...


    ¡ª Don''t blame yourself, please. I''m sure you made your trip the fastest possible, while making sure it was safe. What I''m saying is that you being alive is more than enough for me.


    Genesis blushed and looked down, embarassed.


    ¡ª A-Anyways, Yuto... That girl targeting you is your childhood friend, right? I can help you bring her back.


    ¡ª Wait, how did you know all that?


    ¡ª A-Ah, let''s just say that... I overheard your conversation!


    ¡ª From that distance? Wait, did you plant a microphone on my body this time?


    ¡ª M-Maybe...


    Genesis touched her fingertips to herself, looking away and pouting. Yuto grabbed her shoulder reassuringly.


    ¡ª It''s okay, don''t worry! What I''m saying is that I''m glad you care so much about me.


    She blushed even more, having no words to say. Even though she was an android, her face was red of embarassment. Yuto asked:


    ¡ª Did you hear all our conversation?


    ¡ª N-No... I just checked a few times to know if you were okay... Otherwise, I would go crazy...


    ¡ª Crazy? Why?


    ¡ª A-Ah, it''s nothing! I just couldn''t hear everything you said, because it would hurt your privacy!


    ¡ª I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... Tatsuya, he''s...


    Genesis froze at the thought of losing a close friend. She was quiet for a few seconds, searching for the right words to say.


    ¡ª Do you know who killed him?


    ¡ª Yeah... the same girl you just ran over.


    ¡ª I thought she was your friend...


    ¡ª She was. I don''t know what happened to her after that experiment, but she''s definitely not the same.


    ¡ª Yuto, I can help you with that if you want. It''s up to you to decide to kill her or bring her back. I''ll support you no matter what.


    ¡ª There''s no way to bring her back... She would never hurt me, yet she almost killed multiple times, in the name of love.


    ¡ª If that''s your decision, I''m on your side. If you change your mind, take this.


    Genesis created a discrete headset and gave it to him. He put it on his head and it camouflaged, disappearing but still holding tight to not fall off.


    ¡ª Wow, did you learn to make this in Russia?


    ¡ª The material, yes. I already knew to make headsets, but I improved it slightly. Also, do you want to become a cyborg?


    ¡ª What do you mean?


    ¡ª I can now make robotic members!


    ¡ª Wow, that would help me a lot! Can you create a left leg, a right foot and two arms? The ones I have right now are made from a suspicious liquid.


    ¡ª Of course! Did your friend make them?


    Genesis started creating the members.


    ¡ª Yeah, she cut them off and then healed them.


    ¡ª When you said she tried to kill you, I didn''t think she would go that far...


    She handed them to him.


    ¡ª Done! I tested them several times, so they must work on human bodies!


    ¡ª You tested them? Did you use test subjects?


    ¡ª I-I''m not that cruel, Yuto! They volunteered for it...


    Yuto hit her head with the side of his hand in a teasing way.


    ¡ª I know that, dummy. Now, I can''t let any liquid left on my body.


    He cut his members off with his hand, leaving a margin of error. Since the 7-Up would heal the extra injury eventually, it was non-fatal. Genesis gasped, surprised by the courage he had to do that so casually. He put the robotic ones on place and they adjusted to his anatomy. He swung his arms, showing it worked perfectly.


    ¡ª You''re a genius, Genesis! Pun not intended. Maybe yes.


    ¡ª I-It''s not that impressive, really! I have to make up for the time I was not here. Also, if we want to defeat her, you should take that sword with you.


    Genesis pointed to the red katana lying on the ground.


    ¡ª A-Ah, I forgot about it, thanks.


    He dropped it when he dodged the jet. He crouched to take it again. Simultaneously, a horizontal black slash came destroying everything that lasted after the battle against Unizard. Since Genesis could see it, she prepared her thrusters on her hands and feet and started flying upwards.


    ¡ª Looks like I annoyed her. I''ll go ahead, Yuto!


    ¡ª Uh?


    The slash made a wind brush his hair slightly. It infected the forest and everything it touched with black liquid. Genesis reached another triangular supersonic jet mid-air, entering from below. She said through the headset:


    ¡ª Yuto, she won''t leave me alone until I''m dead, so let me give her a taste of my new firepower. You need to rest for now.


    ¡ª What? No, I can still fight...


    He tried to fly with his power, but it hurt his head. He could still do it, but he decided to follow her advice and lay down for a moment.


    Several black slashes were thrown towards the jet, only missing it by centimeters. Genesis accelerated even more and surpassed the supposed maximum speed. Slade jumped to reach it, but another one hit her from the back. She got on top of it and sliced it in a million pieces, exploding it.


    While she was falling, she saw a barrage of hundreds of similar jets were flying in the sky. Some were identical, others were entirely focused on firepower. They started firing at her piercing bullets and rockets nonstop. Even though she was still healing from all the damage she received, Slade smiled at having another formidable opponent.


    She got hit by the bullets and rockets and increased her healing speed to throw a giant horizontal black slash towards the jets, destroying many of them instantly. It punctured some of them, causing the liquid to spread into other ships. Clones appeared on top of them and started scratching the carcass.


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    Some of them exploded or had their propellers knocked out by the damage and fell to the ground. Others were still functional, so the clones forced their way into them. As they entered, it exploded instantly, so they would never know how they worked from the inside.


    A different jet was far above anyone else. It rained literal fire, incinerating the forest that was still remaining. It hit the original Slade, who was jumping from jet to jet to destroy all of them. She took enough damage to be paralyzed for some seconds.


    I feel sorry for the wildlife, but we need to put an end to this as quickly as possible, otherwise she will end up killing billions. Besides, I can make something to repair all this someday.


    Genesis was piloting the jet that rained fire. Right after that, she opened the gate below it, releasing an atomic bomb.


    I''ll regret this later, but this is a future me problem.


    ¡ª Yuto, get out of here, now! This area will be full of radiation soon!


    ¡ª What?! O-Okay, don''t worry about me, I''ll use my full speed!


    ¡ª Also, go to the ocean, please! The damage will be much less there.


    It was not a Tsar bomba, but it was still really powerful. It was almost as strong as a Little Boy. It hit Slade mid-air, pushing her body towards a river. Atomic bombs usually exploded far from the ground, but the intention was to cause as much damage as possible to that monster.


    As she was drowning, Slade finished healing her body and instantly threw her black katana up with as much strength as she could. It landed on Genesis''s jet, destroying some of its functions. The bomb exploded and destroyed everything for kilometers, spreading radiation everywhere. The ground shook with the impact, changing the landscape.


    As the black liquid began to spread across the bottom of the jet, Genesis prepared to fight. Slade appeared where the liquid was and forced her way into it. A hole was made in the floor. She walked towards the android and swung her sword towards her. Genesis made a flashbang and put it in the katana''s way. She arched her back to avoid the attack, but the grenade was cut in two, exploding instantly.


    The entire room was as bright as the sun for a few seconds. Genesis closed her eyes before that, lessening the blindness. She knew that one of her opponent''s weakness was light, since her power was Shadow. She kicked her away and created two assault rifles, showering her with bullets. When they were out of ammo, she tossed them away and made a shotgun. She aimed on the head and shot, exploding it.


    Even headless, Slade grabbed Genesis''s right arm and cut it off with her katana. The liquid started spreading across her body, like an infection. She ran towards the hole in the floor and jumped into it. While free falling, she made a chainsaw and used her left hand to swing it towards her neck. She decapitated herself, leaving the infected body behind.


    The jet exploded, stunning Slade once again. Genesis created body parts while in the air and make them fly towards her head. Once she was healed, another jet catched her. A triangular one like the others, to blend in.


    That was close... I can''t revive myself, but if one part of my body is still alive, I can always heal it with substitute parts.


    While Slade was falling, another jet hit her, slicing her body in two, because of its pointed and sharp shape. She healed herself and started spinning vertically, making a horizontal tornado. The remaining jets were pulled towards the center of it. Genesis''s was also affected, so she took advantage of it and showered her with bullets, fire, rockets and now lasers. They were pulled towards her body like a magnet.


    She stopped spinning to heal herself and throw a 360¡ã horizontal slash, destroying some of the jets, while others avoided it. She then used a vertical one, exploding more and spreading liquid. She started attacking so fast that it looked like a sphere of slashes. However, they didn''t have much range, so Genesis made her "troops" retreat.


    When she was tired of throwing slashes everywhere, she finally fell on the ground. Genesis opened the gate once again and released another atomic bomb. However, it didn''t have any radiation and was a cryogenic one. Slade panicked for a bit and aimed her sword downwards. She threw it like a spear with so much force that it got buried hundreds of meters into the ground.


    The bomb exploded mid-air, freezing everything, including her body. She somehow managed to crawl out of the hole where the sword was almost intact. She jumped towards the closest jet. Genesis actually wanted her to do that, since she needed to lure her out of that wasteland to somewhere where the damage wouldn''t be so impactful. She smiled, noticing another weakness:


    She''s protecting the sword like it''s her life. Probably, it is.


    ¡ª Yuto, I think the sword really is the key to kill her. You still have it, right?


    ¡ª Of course! What do you mean?


    ¡ª I think her body is a mere representation of her true self. You need to damage the sword if you want to hurt her.


    ¡ª Really?! So that''s why her head was taking more time to heal when I released her slash! I didn''t notice it, but it probably damaged her sword enough!


    ¡ª So that confirms my hypothesis... But it''s not easy to damage it either. Yuto, I have a plan. Please promise me you will comply without any questions.


    ¡ª Uh? Of course I have many questions!


    ¡ª Actually, forget that for now. Let''s make it a plan B if everything goes wrong.


    ¡ª You didn''t even tell me! What''s it? I''m really curious now!


    ¡ª For now, try to cause as much damage as possibe to the sword you have. Also, hide yourself where Slade would never find you.


    ¡ª Hm, I guess I can do that. I don''t understand your intentions, but don''t try anything stupid!


    Yuto tried to bend it, break it, smash it with his power etc. All of them caused little damage, but it healed a few seconds after. The supreme gravity was the only option that would cause a noticeable harm to it. Since he was still tired and flying everywhere to not lose sight of the battle, he couldn''t do it too often. So the damage was just slightly faster than the healing rate.


    The jet Slade climbed into was far away from the others, so it was a safe distance. That''s what Genesis thought, but she jumped so hard that the flying triangle was sent towards the ground, causing a massive explosion. She reached the closest one easily and started destroying it with her katana. The others opened fire at her.


    She threw thousands of slashes, destroying a whole horizon of jets. Genesis was impressed, even though she expected her opponent to be strong. There was a huge supply of new aircrafts flying to the scene, making it seemingly endless.


    I''ll use the same strategy I used to defeat that witch: destroy everything until she gets tired!


    The liquid on top of the jets transformed into countless clones, destroying them manually again, since they didn''t have swords. They were jumping from one to another, like in a parkour game. The original was doing most of the work, since she was also throwing slashes everywhere.


    Fire rained towards them, killing most of the them instantly. Some aircrafts shot mustard gas in a large area, stunning them. The original quickly dispelled it with a much stronger slash, which destroyed all the clouds in its path and produced a powerful wind that threw many of the jets out of balance.


    Several machine guns fired, showering the clones and the original with bullets. Rockets collided with the jets they were on top of, making the explosions much bigger. Suddenly, a car hit Slade, pushing her a few hundreds meters away.


    She was confused for a moment, but she climbed on top of it and jumped again towards the jets. She got smashed down mid-air for some reason. Genesis smiled, seeing her plan worked.


    ¡ª Good job, Yuto! Keep smashing her sword with your power!


    ¡ª I''m trying, but I don''t know how long I''ll last. It''s getting pretty difficult to see anything...


    ¡ª Don''t force yourself too much, please! Quit it when you feel the need to.


    ¡ª Do you think I would leave you behind? I''m not a loser, unlike that black slime.


    Slade got buried a few meters into the ground. When she got up, she noticed something strange: she was now in a beach, for some reason. She then realized that Genesis was luring her towards the ocean to minimize the damage and put her in a disadvantage, since she could not fly conventionally.


    Tch, so be it. I can walk on water if I''m fast enough, which I am.


    Suddenly, a building fell from the sky and smashed her. She destroyed it, confused again.


    ¡ª What the fuck?! I''m not even in a city, dumbass! How are these things even here?


    This must be something related to her power. If she''s only doing that now, she must be stalling for time.


    ¡ª Alright, alright, robot. I''ll play your little game, but only if you can keep up!


    Slade ran towards the ocean. She could walk on the water easily as long as she didn''t stop. She threw millions of slashes towards the jets, destroying most of them. More reinforcements came, shooting at her. Meanwhile, Genesis was making buildings and dropping them from the sky. Some hit Slade, others sank into the ocean, creating immense waves. It disturbed her balance, since she had to fix her speed to not fall.


    If she wanted to reach the jets, she would have to jump from land, since the water would lessen the impact. She noticed a small island from afar. It was not where the aircrafts were heading, but it was her only choice. She reached it and jumped immediately, destroying the island instantly. She planted her sword on the wing of a jet, making it lose balance. It started falling, but not only that. As a defense mechanism, it also started spinning uncontrollably.


    Slade had to grab the border of the wing to not fall. She took advantage of all the movement and released it, launching herself towards the closest jet. She pierced it and landed on another, grabbing the wing of it and throwing them towards the others, exploding everything. A house fell towards her and she sliced it in two. A cryogenic bomb hit her from the side, where she was not looking. She quickly took it and threw towards the jets.


    It exploded, freezing most of them. There were less reinforcements now. Another atomic bomb hit her. As she landed her hand on it to throw it back, a fire rain hit it.


    Shit, I don''t have time to throw this! Where is she? Think... there!


    She launched her sword as quickly as possible towards the farthest jet, since it was probably where Genesis was. The bomb exploded, releasing a strong shockwave. Actually, it was much more powerful than the Little Boy, almost like a Fat Man. It created huge waves on the ocean, like an omnidirectional tsunami. The sword penetrated the jet and entered the cockpit. She materialized herself there and saw no one. It exploded from below, sending her into the sky.


    Additionally, she was smashed down by Yuto''s power. Another jet came from below, hitting her body with the tip of the triangle. Since they were going to opposite directions, it sliced her body in two. The black blood splashed into the jet, making it easy for her to materialize again. Genesis was piloting it, while talking to Yuto:


    ¡ª Thank you for calling me yesterday, Yuto. That was the last time we four were together.


    ¡ª We can still get Haji back! We just need to defeat Kataki before...


    ¡ª I''ll have to use plan B, Yuto. My supplies are running out, so it''s my only choice.


    ¡ª What are you talking about? This is not over yet, I can still fight!


    ¡ª You can''t even tell where we are, right? Your vision won''t come back completely until you rest for at least a few hours.


    ¡ª I don''t need to see where she is, I can use my power to sense her!


    ¡ª It''s no use, Yuto, your power is too weak to damage her. She would just heal and kill you afterwards.


    ¡ª She won''t kill me, don''t worry!


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I can''t say the same for me. She''s already here.


    ¡ª What?!


    Genesis turned around and saw Slade, slowly regenerating inside the cockpit. She got up and stared at her, while still talking:


    ¡ª Yuto, I was happy when you let me sleep at your house, cared for me after I came from that convenience store. I was really, really happy and still am.


    ¡ª Why are you mentioning that now? Can you get out of there and come meet me? I''m at a nearby small island, you can probably see it from there. Then we can think of something together!


    ¡ª I''m afraid it won''t happen, Yuto. This is the best chance I have.


    ¡ª What is even that plan B? It''s better not be something ridiculous!


    ¡ª So you can read my mind. Did you know what I thought about you all this time too, Yuto?


    ¡ª Hey, don''t tell me you will...


    ¡ª Yeah, I can''t wait to say this anymore. I love you, Yuto. I really, really love you.


    Instantly after hearing that word, Slade pierced Genesis''s heart with her sword. The black liquid started spreading slowly, to prolong her pain.


    ¡ª What? No, I didn''t mean that! Genesis, are you there? Genesis!


    ¡ª It was fun while it lasted, Yuto. Goodbye.


    ¡ª Wait, what are you even saying? Hey, answer me... Genesis... Genesis, are you there?!


    The transmission ended. They were now so high in the sky that the curvature of the Earth was visible. Slade stared into her eyes, judging her soul.


    ¡ª Hey, robot. Tell me where he is now, or I''ll...


    ¡ª Have you ever heard about a powerful old man fighting an even more powerful mutant ant? He was giving it his all, but-


    Slade tore her body from the inside, moving her sword downwards to cause more pain. Genesis grunted in pain, but also created a flashbang on her hand. She took off the pin and closed her eyes. Startled, Slade also closed her eyes. It was a false alarm. Genesis opened them again and put it into Slade''s mouth. It exploded, destroying the inside of her head temporarily, since light beat shadow.


    Genesis supported herself on the jet''s terminal with her hands and pushed Slade''s body away with her legs. The sword came out and caused unbearable pain again. She threw a frag grenade towards her head, blowing it up from a safe distance. Slade''s healing was impaired for some seconds, so she threw now a fire grenade, burning her body just enough to keep her stationary. Her head was almost intact once again.


    ¡ª ... even with his supernatural powers, he couldn''t damage the ant. He had to resort to the worst of humanity... Do you understand it now, Slade?


    ¡ª Hey, stop with all the metaphors. Say what you want already.


    ¡ª I am the old man. You are the mutant ant.


    Genesis smiled demonically and opened her arms, looking down at Slade. The first time she felt true fear was when Yuto''s sister beat her up. Now was the second time. She widened her eyes, trying to think of what to do. The injury on Genesis''s body ignited.


    Suddenly, the local temperature rose to twice that of the Sun''s core. Everything in a radius of more than 12 kilometers instantly incinerated. The strongest part of the shock wave reached about 200 kilometers away from there. It was a Tsar bomba, but not a normal one. It was about two times stronger than the most powerful nuclear bomb humanity had tested yet. The mushroom could be seen from space easily, since they were close to it.


    Even though the epicenter was so far away from the ocean, it was reached almost instantly, sending huge tsunamis everywhere. Of course, most of the water vaporized at the same time. The actual shock wave circled the Earth dozens of times before dissipating completely. The planet''s rotation speed increased slightly. The orbit around the Sun also changed. Some of the Arctic ice caps have melted. The ocean level increased, but the vaporized water neutralized part of it.


    However, the sky would be full of clouds after the temperature decreased. Lots of torrential rains would cover some cities. The global warming and average temperature increased. The entire world experienced a change of weather because of the humanity''s worst.


    Yuto was still standing in the small island he mentioned, horrified by all the destruction. He managed to protect himself before the shockwave hit him. Genesis purposefully moved away from there so as not to include him in the fireball.


    He lost strength os his legs and fell on his knees. He was looking at that spetacular view. It was horrifying, but still mesmerizing. The vaporized water going up, the tsunami, the sound coming minutes after the explosion, the mushroom that reached the space, everything looked so otherworldly. It was something he never experienced before. He felt like he was in the middle of a ethereal wasteland. A place where gods fought and thus destroyed.


    He dropped the sword from his hand, still trying to comprehend everything. It transformed into black liquid and materialized a few meters behind him. Slade was there again. He turned around slowly, with nothing to say. She was half black liquid with a red eye and mouth and half normal. She was panting, extremely scared. She laughed when she realized she was still alive.


    ¡ª That robot... at least she''s dead now. I don''t have anything to worry about now, right, Yu-chan?


    She smiled at him maniacally and started walking towards him, still exhausted. Genesis was right: the swords were the vital point of Slade. If they were destroyed, only a weakened version of her would remain. Since the black katana, the main source of black liquid and healing was disintegrated permanently, she lost her right half. But she was still much stronger than almost anything on Earth, so the job was not done.


    Yuto remembered the weakness against extreme temperatures her body and sword had. There was still something so hot that almost any material in the planet would vaporize instantly just by being nearby: the Earth''s core. He stood up quietly and stared into Slade''s soul. The soul that was sealed inside the swords.


    ¡ª Yu-chan, this must be fate! You protected my soul to keep me alive! You even tricked that useless robot! We can finally dominate the world together-


    A much stronger version of supreme gravity. It smashed her body down so hard that the blade of the katana broke in two. Her head transformed into full black slime, since it damaged her soul. She was simultaneously healing while traveling downwards and dying. But not only temporarily. Her body and soul were shattering slowly. She tried to get out of the cylinder''s area, but it was so strong that time passed differently. She felt like she was falling into a real black hole.


    Her speed was increasing the closer she was to the core, due to the extreme gravity. She already lost conscious, because the heat melted her brain. When she finally reached it, all her remains were gone forever. Not even ashes remained. Only memories.


    Yu-chan, thank you for freeing me...


    Yuto made the blindness of his power damage only his left eye. It got permanently blinded.

 Orbital Manipulation

    ¡ª Yes, you right there! You can make the difference by joining the cause and helping the Fourth Reich emerge!


    Huh? I can''t move... what happened to my body? I can still feel it, but I can''t control it...


    Charlotte was paralyzed in front of a television showcase. She was now in Germany, thirsty for her former friend''s blood. The advertisement the TVs were showing was a political campaign for Anelise, the new supreme leader. As soon as everyone nearby heard or watched it, their minds lost control of their bodies. Some weren''t even questioning it, while others, like Charlotte, were fully conscious.


    Someone is playing with my body... It must be that bitch. Alright, I''ll play your little game for now.


    The only part of her body she could move freely was her eyes. She started strolling around the city automatically and looked at the people. Some of them were just mindless zombies walking towards random directions. Most of them, however, were heading towards the Berlin Parliament, including her. When they arrived at the big yard in front of it, Anelise appeared at the top of the staircase, looking down at her new servants.


    ¡ª Thank you all for supporting the Aryan cause, my people! Of course, some of you will die, because you''re not pure. But it''s a sacrifice to the better of Germany! I''m sure you''ll be grateful for at least contributing to the purification!


    Charlotte was in the front, looking at that monster with utter disdain. It was probably on purpose for her to be close.


    ¡ª I would love sitting on a huge statue of myself, my dear slaves! So make it happen now.


    Anelise stopped smiling and looked directly at her former friend. She pointed her finger towards her.


    ¡ª You. You''ll be my personal maid. Come.


    She gestured with her finger to go with her. She then turned around and they both entered the huge building. She was quiet for the whole tour, until they were inside an elegant room. There was already a throne there, even though it was not a monarchy. She sit on it in a snobbish way and smiled sadistically.


    ¡ª Do you like this throne? I ordered some slaves this morning to make the perfect seat for the perfect dictactor like myself. Ah, I forgot you can''t speak! What a shame...


    She pretended to be disappointed and then looked serious.


    ¡ª You''re not here to stop me, are you? I liked you, you know. You''re not trying to make our beautiful friendship die for nothing, right?


    Anelise got up and walked towards Charlotte. She then grabbed her cheeks to force her to look directly in the eyes.


    ¡ª Please, tell me you''re here to help me, not make things difficult for no reason.


    She took Charlotte''s fingers and put them on her mouth in a seducing way. She looked with desire in her eyes.


    ¡ª Please, darling...


    Utterly disgusted, Charlotte put all her willpower into the fingers that were inside Anelise''s mouth. She could use her power not only on her body as a whole, but also in parts. There were two reason why she was not an obedient zombie: the 7-Up and her superior abilities made her brain more resistant to mind control; she also had a lot of willpower to neutralize the brainwash, because she wanted to kill that monster more than anything.


    The fingers inside the mouth detached from the hand and pierced through Anelise''s throat. It was enough to break completely the mind control. She landed a powerful punch on her enemy''s cheek, sending her towards the wall and breaking it. Trying to recover from the surprise attack, Anelise was sitting in the ground, looking disappointed. She had difficult speaking, since her throat was healing slowly.


    ¡ª Why can''t you understand this? Malungo was a monkey, but I thought you would be different. I trusted you, Charlotte.


    ¡ª Keep your mouth shut, whore. You were the one who betrayed my trust.


    Anelise slowly stood up, brushing the debris off her shoulders.


    ¡ª I still haven''t given up on you. I''ll at least make you a personal slave for me.


    ¡ª And I''ll make you a pile of twisted blood.


    Anelise took a radio from the pocket of her military uniform and held it to her mouth.


    ¡ª Obey me now, monkey.


    Her voice could be heard from all the building, since it was being transmitted to the speakers. Charlotte quickly took candy wrappers out of her pockets and placed them on her ears. They were improvised ear covers. It bounced Anelise''s voice off. Annoyed, she put the radio back on her pocket.


    ¡ª So you''ve already figured out my power... What a shame, I guess I''ll have to kill you now.


    Anelise''s power was a mind control through mass media. If the message was completely ignored, it wouldn''t work. Charlotte used her power to dash towards her opponent. She grabbed her neck and dragged her body across multiple rooms, breaking the walls along the way. It was so fast that not even Anelise could keep up. Immediately when the power ended, she grabbed Charlotte''s wrist and punched her towards the door, which led to the window, which led to the outside.


    The sun was setting. Anelise ran towards the broken window and wall and jumped. She reached Charlotte''s body and punched it down, towards an urban forest. Simultaneously, Charlotte used her power on some of her nails to shoot them towards her opponent''s head. She missed her brain for a few centimeters, but they still went through her head. She landed on the ground and Charlotte immediately dashed towards her, punching her in the stomach.


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    Anelise broke through the trees, before stopping in a square. She was really annoyed now, her best friend could never comprehend her, so she got furious. This was true for both. Charlotte prepared to dash towards her again. Anelise predicted where she would be, so she just waited for it. When she used her power, she got surprised. Anelise punched the air exactly where Charlotte was, stopping her attack. She quickly grabbed her hoodie and pulled her body closer.


    She landed a headbutt, knocking her for a second. It was enough time for Anelise to grab her arm, since it could stop her from dashing.


    ¡ª Your power is so predictable. You can''t make turns while dashing, so you''ll always try to hit me from the front. I can say the same for you.


    Anelise grabbed her hair with the other hand and closed the distance between their heads.


    ¡ª You''re so predictable. You always try to play the hero. "Racism is wrong", "killing is evil", bla bla bla... You''re not the main character in an anime. You can die, as can a supporting character unwanted by the author.


    Suddenly, Charlotte''s phone rang loudly. It was a special ringtone, designed specifically to notify her of Yuto''s well-being. Genesis made it and gave it to her, entrusting his safety to her if she died. She made sure she would save him in the battle against Slade, since she was almost arriving there. But now the ringtone was different, confirming Genesis was dead and nobody could save him besides Charlotte.


    She froze, thinking about what to do. She was centimeters away from her arch enemy, seconds away from killing her and avenging Malungo. Anelise, annoyed by the sudden attention redirection, squeezed her arm painfully.


    ¡ª Hey, this is not over yet. Look into my eyes and pledge permanent loyalty to me. I''ll let you live if you do so.


    This is bad! I promised Genesis I would never abandon her! I can''t believe she''s dead now, but I would be a coward if I let Yuto die after all they have been through... What do I do? Genesis, help me... please... I don''t know what to do... Maybe I''m really a side character, after all...


    Anelise squeezed her arm even harder.


    ¡ª This is your last chance to choose, friend.


    This is your last chance, Charlotte. You''ve been through a lot, but not as much as Genesis. Would you really break a promise to fulfill an empty desire for revenge? What if Malungo didn''t want me to do this? I''m being selfish again...


    ¡ª What a shame, Charlotte. I really thought you had the potential to help me rule the world. But I guess it is what it is. Goodbye.


    Anelise dropped her hair and opened her free hand to slice Charlotte''s neck.


    Genesis... Malungo... Yuto...


    She swung her hand towards Charlotte''s neck. She suddenly disappeared.


    ¡ª What?!


    Anelise still held her arm tightly, but her body disappeared. Only the severed arm remained. She gritted her teeth violently, angry to the point of destroying the entire world to get what she wanted, like a spoiled child.


    ¡ª Charlotte...


    She looked at the sky. It was almost night.


    ¡ª I promise I will kill you. I''ll use every fiber of my body to torture you until you plead for mercy.


    At a launch pad.


    ¡ª Yes, I''m qualified for this operation.


    ¡ª Are you sure? I mean, you look like a child...


    Disruptor was ready to travel to the orbital cannon. She took her ID and showed it to the inspector.


    ¡ª I don''t remember any hero named Disruptor being on the passenger list...


    ¡ª Just use the "Locate" option and insert my name.


    ¡ª I''m telling you, there are less than 10 level 4 heros on board... I checked it left and right.


    The inspector took his transparent tablet and used the "Locate" option to find her in the list. She was there.


    ¡ª What?! How is this possible?


    ¡ª Looks like someone is not doing their job appropriately. Can you imagine what happens if the company finds out their inspector blocked a qualified hero from doing an operation?


    ¡ª I-I''m really sorry, Disruptor! You can pass now!


    He quickly moved out of the way, showing her the way. She walked past him and smiled, since her power changed the passenger list to let her in.


    When the preparations were done, she boarded the spaceship. Space rockets were too expensive and polluting to use, so aircrafts were better options. They got so advanced that they could reach the space without any problems or chance of exploding. It was almost as big as a rocket, but many times safer and better in general.


    Of course, it was still demanding for the body to resist all the pressure, speed, G-force and everything an astronaut needed to train beforehand. But the 7-Up could negate the difference a lot, even the level 4 one.


    The space bus took off with hundreds of people inside. Many of them were heroes, others were scientists etc. Everyone was dressed in astronaut suits, in case an accident happened in space. Disruptor still felt sick after the trip, which took a few hours to reach the orbital cannon.


    It was located in a space station, as last resort weapon humanity could have against a level 7 on rampage. It required so much energy that the entire station would black out for at least a few hours. There were emergency measures that made it still livable, like backup power, extra oxygen and more.


    The space bus stopped at a few places, not only that station, even though it was the first. Since it was Tokyo''s main space station, most of the passengers would get off there. But the ship was also heading to the Moon and even some planets. Researchers, tourists, many people had reasons to visit those remote places.


    Disruptor passed through all the security tests with her power and was now in front of the cannon cockpit. There were only two guards heavily armed there, one on each side. Actually, there were more, but she defeated them to arrive there. There were a lot of reinforced metal doors in the way, with two guards in the front of each door.


    She used a simple strategy: break the guards''s helmets with her superhuman strength and leave as soon as possible. Then, she would close the door, making it an enclosed space. She made the air ventilation suck all of the air inside, making the guards faint from lack of oxygen. All that while manipulating the cameras to make it look like everything was fine.


    It took a few hours to bypass every security measure, since she had to avoid suspicion everytime. It was pretty exhausting, but she was finally there. She used the same strategy to pass everyone in the room out. They didn''t have suits, so it was easier. Once they were almost dead, she returned the air to take her astronaut helmet off. She was not used to using helmets, so she had to take if off.


    The efforts paid off: nobody was suspecting that someone was breaking into the cannon control room anymore. She sighed, finally at rest. She looked at the satellites cameras. In Tokyo, there was a huge energy forming. It was so powerful that even the space station could feel something towards it.

 1-Shot

    ¡ª Darling, tomorrow is Yuto''s birthday! How could we forget it?


    ¡ª Oh, right! We were so worried about our son that we forgot his birthday!


    Yuto''s parents were in their house in Osaka, reminding each other of an important celebration. His mother suggested:


    ¡ª We can skip work tomorrow, let''s go meet him as soon as possible! Then we can decide what we can do for a party!


    ¡ª That''s a great idea, honey! But let''s make it a surprise so he thinks we forgot until we get there!


    ¡ª That''s an evil but good idea!


    They both went to Tokyo to meet their son. Since the city was a little too big, they had a hard time navigating it. They got off the bullet train, confused.


    ¡ª Darling, where should we head now?


    ¡ª I have no idea, honey! Let''s stroll around the city for now.


    ¡ª Hm, we still have a lot of time until midnight, so I think it''s alright.


    They visited some places.


    Yuto was agonizing in his bed, looking at the ceiling with no purpose.


    This is all my fault... you know what? I don''t really care. They wanted to be my friends, so they knew they were gonna die...


    He started scratching his pulse with enough strength to make it bleed. This triggered the danger sensor Genesis planted on him, warning Charlotte to come as soon as possible.


    Who am I trying to fool? If I didn''t care, I wouldn''t be thinking about it...


    A message was sent to his phone. He grabbed it, thinking it would be just an useless notification. But he was so deep in his negative thoughts that he needed a break. Any kind of attention was welcome. He saw the hour, it was almost midnight.


    I thought it was still day... I feel like I killed my best friends minutes ago...


    The message came from an unknown number. It said:


    ¡ª Hi, Yuto, I''m Akari, Tatsuya''s son. I know this is sudden, but I need to talk to you as soon as possible. Can you meet me here?


    Akari sent his coordinates.


    How did he get my number? I think Tatsuya gave it to him, for some reason... He probably wants to ask me about his father. I must go.


    Yuto finally got up from his bed and headed towards the building where Akari was. It was a bridge between two skyscrapers. Even though the buildings were modern, the bridge was a bit medieval. It was mostly yellow, had big windows and pillars supporting the ceiling. It was very similar to a game Yuto played as a child years ago.


    This looks like Undert-


    ¡ª Ah, Yuto! Thanks for coming here, and I''m sorry for disturbing your sleep!


    He saw Akari on the other side of the long hallway. Golden hair and blue eyes as usual, but he was wearing something different. Dark blue hoodie, pink shoes, white shirt and black short shorts, like a certain skeleton from a certain game.


    Who wears shorts and a hoodie at the same time? I swear, this is a reference to... nevermind.


    ¡ª Hello, Akari. It''s good to see you after so much time.


    ¡ª I say the same to you, Yuto. You know, there were plenty of people I wanted to ask before you, but I didn''t have another choice.


    ¡ª Why? Don''t you like me?


    ¡ª That''s not it, really! It''s because the Boss asked me to find you. That''s why I didn''t want to resort to you so quickly.


    Yuto widened his eyes, confused. Why would the Boss say that?


    ¡ª The Boss? How does he know you? I mean, you''re a level 7''s son, but you don''t have anything to do with the association...


    ¡ª So my dad said all that to you... I''m afraid you''re wrong in the last sentence.


    ¡ª What do you mean? You''re an executive, by any chance?


    ¡ª Not only that, I''m pretty important to this city.


    ¡ª Really? You''re just a kid, this is child labor...


    ¡ª No, I chose that way. My dad didn''t want me to follow his career, but here I am.


    ¡ª You followed his career? Are you a hero?


    Akari broke the calm conversation between friends with a serious look. He stared directly into Yuto''s eyes.


    ¡ª Now, Yuto. Depending on your answer, many things will change. This is a inflection point in this timeline. Respond only with the truth.


    What is this, an interrogation? I thought he was a kid, not a judge...


    ¡ª Alright, I''ll say the truth.


    ¡ª What happened to my father? Do you have anything to do with his situation?


    I knew it! He must be suffering now with his parents''s absence.


    ¡ª Only Tatsuya? What about your mother?


    ¡ª They are probably in the same situation. Depending on your answer, I''ll ask about her as well.


    ¡ª Okay. Tatsuya is... dead. I''m sorry.


    ¡ª Are you apologizing because you''re guilty?


    ¡ª Yeah. I didn''t kill him directly, but he probably died because he was my friend.


    ¡ª So you''re the root of all problems?


    Yuto thought about that question for a while. It was probably true. He felt guilty for everything that happened in the last days. He trapped himself in his room for years, with nothing important happening in between. Now everyone he considered friends was missing or dead. It had to do something with him. He was the root of of everything, like a protagonist. But not in a good way.


    I guess this is the price I have to pay for being selfish. I knew they would die someday. I thought I could save them, but there are things not even I can control. Forget that "even", I''m not competent enough to say that.


    ¡ª Yeah... I was always the root of all problems. I thought things could be different this time, but I was just being too optimistic. I feel like this universe targets me for some reason. I''m not being dramatic, something really feels wrong. How can I be so important in every bad way possible?


    ¡ª I see... Yuto, you''re not the only chosen one. For every rule there''s an exception, right?


    Yuto widened his eyes, remembering about what his sister once said.


    You''re right, I''m invincible. But to every rule there''s an exception, right? An exception...


    He looked at Akari. He was pointing his finger towards him, like someone blaming a criminal. A small light ball appeared in front of his index finger.


    ¡ª What a shame, Yuto. I thought we were friends. Now I understand why the Boss said you''re always in the middle of all problems. You admitted it yourself.


    ¡ª You''re...


    ¡ª That''s right, I''m Hakkiri, the top 1 level 7. Do you think even the worst person can change? That everybody can be a good person, if they just try?


    Yuto was not shocked at the revelation. He understood that everything bad revolved around him. He remembered about Zenith and Slade, the worst people he ever met.


    ¡ª No... I don''t think people can change. They''re born good or evil. They can have an opposite phase in their life, but their core is immutable.


    ¡ª Thanks for telling the truth. You know you''re just making your situation worse, right? You''re pratically asking to die.


    ¡ª I know, and I can''t change my fate. Like I said, the universe is playing with me, so it must want me alive. So dying is not a bad choice. I may also meet my friends somewhere.


    ¡ª You know there isn''t a heaven or hell.


    ¡ª That''s why I said "somewhere". I don''t know if it''s the void, reincarnation, afterlife etc., but it''s a possibility. There are endless timelines, so anything is possible.


    ¡ª You''re right. My dad tried to save me countless times, not only you. We''re in the same situation.


    Yuto smiled hollowly. At least someone understood him.


    ¡ª You''re right. So you understand why I should at least try to die. The universe will save me if it really wants me alive.


    ¡ª Let''s see if that''s true. You''re pretty calm, knowing that you can simply die if the universe doesn''t need you anymore.


    ¡ª I thought about this countless times, even before returning to Tokyo. I don''t think I belong to this world, yet it keeps trapping me here. What if I just die? That''s what I always wanted.


    ¡ª So you want to become someone else in another world... What if you lose your memories or your identity?


    ¡ª I don''t really care. Would you like to be a plant if joy was injected into you every day? You would be happy, even if you were useless and didn''t exist.


    ¡ª That''s a bit too profound for me. I''m just a kid, remember?


    ¡ª I''m sorry for the philosophical shit. Come on, kill me. I want to taste what death feels like.


    ¡ª If that''s what you want...


    Hakkiri increased the light on his fingertip. It got so intense that everything turned white. Not only the hallway, that was now destroyed. One quarter of the city disappeared instantly. A light was there for a millisecond and then nothing, not even ashes. The surroundings were burned by the heat, but what was consumed just turned into nothing. The air current changed drastically because of the heat, making a storm take form.


    ¡ª Darling, it''s midnight now! We lost track of time shopping...


    ¡ª Don''t worry, honey. Let''s send a message to Yuto, then we can meet-


    Dead. Just two out of millions. They were simply not important to the world, not to the universe, not to the association. The only people who cared about them were Yuto and Haji. But they were not important, not even close. If they died, no one would realize. They could just rot inside of a coffin that the people would walk towards their destination. But a coffin was not necessary for people who no longer existed. It was a waste of materials, money and time.


    There were many important people that died in that incident. Did people mourn for them? Some did, most didn''t care. It was not their problem. If their life weren''t affected, screw the whole world. They''re the real victims of the universe''s torture, not the dead. At least the dead could rest now. They didn''t even feel pain, how marvelous. It was the dream for everyone: an easy and painless death, not insufferable life.


    Being born in a rich family is good, not being born is best. Only the luckiest of the luckiest could have such a fate. The people want you to suffer what they suffered. They can''t stop their desires to simply bring less pain and suffering to the world. In the end, everyone must suffer before dying. With life, comes suffering. With death, comes peace. With none of them, comes bliss.


    Yuto was one in billions who thought that every day. Why did my parents want to have me? They''re being selfish, that''s why I''ll never have kids! Why do people feel bad after an animal dies to be eaten? It''s being freed from the shackles of life. Of course, it was born for that purpose, so more suffering just to prolong our life and pain. But who cares about the other species? The humans are the ones who suffer the most.


    If one could end humankind, everything would be alright forever. The stars and galaxies would consume our planet anyway. Nothing would matter. Ever. But the universe wants us alive, for some reason. Some say we have a mission to complete in our life. If that mission is suffering and making the rest suffer, everyone can do that easily. So why even bother to try anything? Yuto felt like nothing had any purpose. Being at peace is what matters the most.


    Now he would be at peace forever. The greatest gift anyone could ask for. That''s what he always wanted. He had no regrets. But his universe wanted him alive. To watch him suffer? Maybe. To entertain the gods of another dimension? Probably. He was never someone he wanted to be. He was someone his creator wanted him to be. His god wanted him to suffer. That''s why he was still alive, somehow.


    ¡ª So it''s you this time...


    Yuto was still recovering from the absurd light that blinded his only healthy eye, but he recognized his "savior". She had only one arm, yet she saved him with no hesitation. She was watching him for at least a few minutes, since she had to take him by surprise. She punched his face hard enough to make his nose bleed.


    ¡ª What the hell are you doing?!


    Charlotte was crying, annoyed by his attitude.


    ¡ª I can''t believe Genesis died for you... You''re such a piece of shit.


    ¡ª I know...


    She punched him again and again, until she got tired. Her only hand was still bleeding because of her missing fingers and nails.


    ¡ª You don''t know shit! Millions of people died because you can only think about giving up all the time!


    Yuto looked around and saw the destroyed city. Akari was surprised and a bit annoyed:


    ¡ª Who are you, lady? You''re interrupting our meeting.


    ¡ª Shut the fuck up! I''m not talking to you, asshole!


    He got a bit offended, but decided to see where things would go. Charlotte saw Yuto''s empty eyes and shouted again:


    ¡ª Are you going to be useless trash and lie there for God knows how long?! Your last enemy is right in front of you! This will be over once you kill that stupid kid!


    ¡ª The Boss is still alive. He must have a lot of last weapons yet.


    ¡ª Who cares?! You arrived here and you''ll just give up?


    ¡ª Yes, nothing matters anyway. The universe is too big, you know.


    ¡ª So you let your friends die and that''s it? You are such a disappointment...


    ¡ª I was a disappointment since I was born. Just let me die, please.


    ¡ª You know what? I give up on you. Just die there and let me finish your fucking job. Otherwise, this entire city will be erased from the map.


    She got up and stared at Hakkiri, thinking about how to kill him. He warned her:


    ¡ª I can kill you whenever I want, lady. Spare your life and let me finish him.


    ¡ª I don''t give a fuck about what happens to that bastard, but I can''t let you kill so many people just because you can.


    ¡ª Are you sure? I won''t hold back-


    Charlotte dashed towards his head, kicking it with her maximum strength. He was surprised by the attack and took little to no damage, but her entire body was electrocuted.


    ¡ª Why even bother? You''ll die with no purpose.


    ¡ª Why won''t you die?


    ¡ª Electricity, lass. It covers my body as a shield and triggers with physical contact. You can''t hurt me.


    She threw her remaining nails towards his head, which just bounced them off with electricity.


    ¡ª What did I just say?


    He casted a light beam towards her. It started on the ground and dragged until it reached her. She dashed towards him again, trying to punch his head. She knew she would die eventually, but she had to at least try. He catched her fist easily and swung her body around, making her dizzy. He released her towards the sky.


    When she was there, she realized how vast the damage his first attack did. Roughly 25% of the city and its people were gone, reduced to atoms. A cone-shaped area of pure nothingness but burned land. A storm cloud formed above her. A tornado also appeared, messing up everything.


    I''m sorry, Genesis, I couldn''t save anyone. I tried, but I''m just making this worse, ain''t I? I hate to admit it, but Anelise was right, I am a side character. Yuto is the protagonist, for some reason. I have so many regrets, but they don''t matter anymore. The universe is too big, you know?


    A lightning strike hit her. It was so powerful that an explosion the size of an atomic bomb destroyed everything, especially in the epicenter. Her body got vaporized instantly. Millions died again because of the explosion, electricity and everything else.


    Even the ground had difficulty dissipating all the energy, so many people died because they were touching it. Others weren''t affected enough to be damaged. The ocean got electrocuted, killing almost all living beings inside of it. Some of the water got vaporized. The city lost power. Actually, Japan blacked out.


    ¡ª Huh. Always wondered why people never use their strongest attack first.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Yuto watched it and felt guilty, but his inner demon said it had nothing to do with him. It was not his fault, nothing was. Even if it was, who cares? The universe is so immense that if one intelligent life form were to die, billions of others would still exist to be found. The humankind is too selfish to think they''re the only one.


    His guilt still crushed his mind. He couldn''t fool himself anymore. It was all his fault, but not for something he did. It was for something he didn''t do.


    It''s too late to even try anything... I can''t go back in time, Tatsuya could. At least I can still end this. If I sacrifice myself, Akari won''t have a reason to kill anyone, right?


    Yuto, what the hell is happening? Are you seeing that shit in the sky? I almost died!


    Unizard? Don''t worry, I can put an end to this.


    So you''re in the middle of everything again, huh? Don''t even think about killing yourself, dumbass!


    It''s the only way...


    I''ve heard that bullshit so many times in my life. Even in 14,000,605 possibilities, there''s at least one good alternative.


    Really? So tell me your ideas. You can''t, right? Because you''re just being optimistic.


    You''re right, I don''t have enough mana to fight or think of a solution. But you''re different! You can still kill whoever is doing this!


    I can''t do shit against the top 1.


    The top 1, really? Well, I''ll just have to pump your will to fight once again. Let''s see... here! Not only did your friend Charlotte die, your parents did too.


    Wait, what?


    That''s right, they just died in that cone-shaped light. Apparently they were here to celebrate your birthday.


    Yuto''s heart harbored hatred for them. They brought life into his miserable existence, after all. But this information made him crumble in tears. He was in despair now, knowing that some of his last loved ones died for a mistake he did. If he didn''t want to die, if he wanted to live for at least them, they would be alive now. But he had to fumble everything once again. When he tries, everybody dies. When he doesn''t, they still die.


    It was his fault, but Akari didn''t have to kill anyone besides him. The one who should be punished the most was that horrendous boy, who killed millions with no reason. After Yuto''s eyes were dry from crying, he got up, determined. His nose was still bleeding by Charlotte''s punches. They were her last remnants. And they weren''t for nothing. He had to redeem himself, or at least try. After all, it''s worth trying.


    Thank you, Unizard. I have to make up for everything bad I did and didn''t do.


    Unizard smiled on the other side of the telepathy, trying not to die by all the damage the city took.


    You''re back again, Yuto. We can''t go back in time, but this isn''t over yet. We can at least try to fix some things and prevent more problems, right?


    Her mana was still recovering from the intense battle from earlier, and her magic residue was almost overflowing the limit. Yet, she used everything she had to save the most people she could. Yuto couldn''t be left behind. He had to put an end to all that chaos.


    ¡ª Oh? I thought you wanted to die.


    ¡ª And I thought you wanted to kill me, not the city.


    ¡ª If I remember correctly, you said their death is the end to their suffering, yes?


    ¡ª I was wrong. What if they''re being sent to hell or somewhere worse? And what about the people who survived and are in debt forever now because of all the damage?


    ¡ª I told you hell isn''t a thing. And don''t worry about the living, I''ll erase the whole mankind from the map eventually.


    ¡ª Why? What did they do to you?


    ¡ª They tried to kill my father countless times. You know Slade? Thank you for killing her. I wanted to do that, but the Boss said she was necessary.


    ¡ª So why don''t you kill him?


    ¡ª And lose the chance of fulfilling my mission to kill every human being? If my dad was still alive, I wouldn''t have a reason to do that, but you had to ruin everything.


    ¡ª Like I said, I didn''t kill him directly! What if he wanted to die?


    ¡ª And leave me behind in this stupid world? You''re not that special, Yuto. If he died to save you, I must kill you. No one steals my father.


    ¡ª So you''re another yandere...


    Yuto tidied his spiky quiff and smiled determinedly, like his tomboy sister.


    ¡ª I know I shouldn''t be smiling, but it''s refreshing to know you''re worth killing.


    Hakkiri extended his hand to fire another cone-shaped laser. Yuto jumped upwards to make his attack not hit the city. A thousand light beams of different colors converged into a huge laser. The small ones hit his body, but didn''t cause great damage. The large one almost erased him, missing by centimeters. It swept the whole sky, like an artificial sun. Many people were recording the event with their phones. The ones who didn''t die or lose their electronic devices, of course.


    The clouds disappeared instantly. The air combusted, leaving a hot air current trail. Yuto was pulled towards it and Hakkiri threw a huge lightning from his hand. It was a mix of yellow and light blue. Yuto tried to deflect it upwards with his gravity and it worked, since the electric current was much weaker this time. Akari "teleported" behind him and kicked him towards the city, releasing an electric discharge and destroying many buildings in the way.


    How?! Does he have a teleportation power as well?


    He appeared in front of him again, ready to throw another destructive light beam from his hand. Yuto pushed his body forward with his power, passing between his legs and getting electrocuted. Even though his body was stunned, he could use his power. He used a supreme gravity on Hakkiri, smashing his body to the ground. A cylindrical hole was left, but a huge lightning strike hit the area, launching Yuto''s body away.


    Akari climbed out of it, with a calm yet intimidating look on his face. His hair was spiky because of the electricity and his blue eyes were shining like nothing else. He started moving in different directions at such speed that even his afterimages were difficult to follow. He landed a punch on Yuto''s chest, releasing a strong electrical current for kilometers. His body also got sent for at least a hundred kilometers, crashing into multiples mountains.


    He''s too fucking fast! I didn''t think a power of Light would give him light speed!


    He landed on a flower field in the middle of nothing. A solar zenith came from the sky, even though it was midnight. Yuto avoided it by very little. The flower field was deleted and burned. Akari appeared at the sky, trying to find his enemy. Since his body was shining like a sun, Yuto found him quicker. He flew towards his back and hit two horizontal supreme gravities, one from each direction. It greatly increased the damage as they collided with each other.


    Plus, Zenith''s cards were making the fight a little more fair. Even though he had to be close to his enemy to have his power increased, it was a risk worth taking. Akari got stunned for a moment, since the attack was much stronger than he expected. Yuto didn''t want to hit him directly, since it would trigger the electricity barrier. So he just tried to rip Akari''s heart from the inside. It took a lot of practice and concentration, but he managed to damage it slightly.


    Annoyed, Hakkiri released a extremely strong electrical current in every direction, paralyzing Yuto and making many lightning strikes destroy the landscape. In addition, he casted dozens of light beams towards random directions. They got bigger the longer the distance, so Yuto had to be closer to not be hit. They started moving quickly, destroying erasing and burning everything. The hot air current made Yuto''s mobility worse, so he almost got hit multiple times.


    The electrical barrier got bigger, so Yuto couldn''t be too close or too far. His mechanical parts were malfunctioning from all the electricity. He felt like he was in a boss fight, so his adrenaline made everything easier to dodge.


    The attacks stopped and Hakkiri raised his palm to create a giant light sword. It was so big that the blade was barely visible in the horizon. Even the handle was thicker than mountains. He swung it in every direction, hoping to hit Yuto. It deleted everything in hundreds of kilometers away, including many towns.


    Shit, I didn''t think the damage would go this far... I have to end this quick, or he will just destroy the country.


    Even though it was night, the light was so intense that any normal human being would go permanently blind. He prepared himself physically and mentally to use his strongest attack: the same supreme gravity he used to kill Slade. Hakkiri threw countless lightning strikes from his hands, so he had to dodge them while concentrating his power.


    Done!


    ¡ª Take this, bastard!


    Akari''s body was smashed down in the air. It took about half a second to reach the ground, since there was nothing in the landscape. The closest surface was hundreds of kilometers away, so Yuto''s attack had to be the strongest and fastest. It damaged their bodies significantly. Yuto''s only eye was being blinded by using so much power at the same time.


    When Akari travelled about six hundred kilometers into the ground, he released a omnidirectional light. It was powerful enough to blind Yuto for some seconds. It also vaporized the underground where he was. He managed to reach Yuto in less than a second, due to his light speed and capability of flying. He landed a powerful kick to his head, knocking him out instantly and stunning him for longer.


    Then, Hakkiri connected a electrical chain to Yuto''s body. He swung it like a whip and released it. His body travelled so far that he was now at the ocean near Tokyo. Yuto woke up and saw a huge tsunami charging towards him. Akari gathered the water with his electricity, making it a canvas to his powers. Electricity being the pencil and paint bucket, Light being the eraser.


    He sent several light beams through the water, taking Yuto by surprise. He managed to dodge them, even though they arrived instantly, because of the light''s speed. He was just that good to know where the next attack would come from. A huge storm formed, sending immense lightning strikes everywhere. Water flew in all directions, electric currents were shot towards him, as well as giant drops of water and light beams.


    Yuto thought about something he tried only a few times before, since it was too draining and difficult to do with his power. But it was now or never, since it would give him a huge advantage.


    Concentrate, Yuto... Freeze everything!


    He managed to freeze almost all the water and part of Hakkiri''s body. He used his power to stop all the molecules from moving, lowering their temperature. It was pratically impossible to do on that scale, but Yuto''s adrenaline was doing wonders.


    I got it! I can''t believe I could do it in just one try!


    Surprised, Hakkiri connected his electricty to Yuto''s body again and swung it everywhere, breaking the ice and sending huge waves towards every direction. He released him, launching his body towards the sky.


    They were both almost exiting the atmosphere. The curvature of Earth was visible there. Yuto catched some air with his power to be able to breath and not explode by the difference in pressure and everything else. Hakkiri didn''t need any of that, since he was too strong to die for a stupid reason like that. He could resist it for at least a few hours.


    Someone was sending messages to Yuto''s phone desperately, but it broke in the fight. He looked up by instinct and remembered something absurdly important. He understood that his task now was to damage Hakkiri''s electrical barrier. He casted a supreme gravity on him, sending his body towards the ground and exploding a mountain on impact. He did it again multiple times, annoying Akari, who sent an omnidirectional discharge and stunned him.


    Yuto didn''t stop, determined in causing as much damage as possible. Hakkiri grabbed a mountain with his power and threw it towards Yuto, who destroyed it with another mountain. They were both throwing mountains at each other now. Lightning strikes everywhere, light beams, mountains, storms, tornados and more. Yuto and Hakkiri were changing the landscape with their powers, grabbing everything and throwing everywhere. It was a food fight in an absurdly large scale.


    Both were getting tired, so Hakkiri swung his palm, casting a colossal light wall and sweeping it. The only way to avoid it was getting around it, since it was impossible to jump or dig below it. Yuto flew as quickly as possible to not be hit. But Akari was faster and casted another wall with his other palm, closing it like a cage. Yuto used a horizontal supreme gravity towards the kid''s heart and managed to erase it.


    Surprised, Hakkiri made the walls disappear and joined his palms together, sending an unfathomably powerful yet small light beam. It pierced through Yuto''s heart with no problem and went on until it reached space. Actually, it got even further than the Moon''s distance to Earth. Luckily, it was aimed towards the sky. It would pierce the whole planet otherwise.


    They both fell to the ground, exhausted. Yuto froze his chest and made the blood flow almost normally. Akari also made his electricity support his body, so he would last for at least a few hours fighting. But if he had to go all-out again, it would be hard to last minutes. Yuto, on the other hand, was in a even worse situation. He would only survive if he stopped fighting immediately, since he had to focus his power on his body.


    Luckily for him, his job was done. He managed to weaken Hakkiri''s electrical barrier by forcing him to use his power on himself.


    ¡ª Are you tired, Yuto...? I can do this all day...


    The air got a bit strange and Akari noticed it. Vertically, something was pulling the ground towards the sky. He looked up, but they were faster.


    An abnormally big railgun strike hit Hakkiri. It was the infamous orbital cannon in action. Yuto managed to protect himself by very little. An explosion bigger than a normal Tsar bomba took place. There weren''t any mountains left to tell the tale. The Earth once again had its rotation speed altered and was pushed slightly in its orbit around the Sun. This strike would be strong enough to destroy more than 5% of the Moon instantly and send it out of orbit.


    The electricity of the railgun and flames from the explosion spread for over 10 kilometers from there, while the shockwave went for more than 100 kilometers. The strong impact, that is. Because the real shockwave circled the Earth multiple times. Of course, a lot of small and big cities got vaporized instantly. They didn''t even get the chance to know about the damage Tokyo took from the fight.


    Most of the country was still blacked out, but some places were returning the electricity with backup power or other meanings, since not all the cities''s circuits were entirely destroyed. So the urban lights were still visible moments before being erased from existence. The planet''s weather took major changes once again.


    If Yuto could see all the damage a fight of that scale could cause, he would want to bring world peace once and for all. But he wasn''t doing it just for fun. It was necessary to kill the level 7''s, the real threat to mankind. Once they were dead, he could rest in peace. If he survived, it would be even better, but people would want him dead anyway.


    How could a wanted criminal survive and all the great heroes die? Unacceptable. That was the common sense. The people loved the heroes, even when they were villains. They brought uniqueness to this world, so they were necessary. They didn''t have to be actual heroes. Just making the world a more entertaining place to live was enough for them.


    Yuto lowered the place''s temperature to check if Hakkiri was dead. He was laying down, almost intact, except for the hole in his chest. They were in what remained of a flower field.


    Shit! He''s still alive!


    ¡ª It''s okay, Yuto. You win.


    ¡ª Uh? Really?


    ¡ª Yeah, the railgun drained almost all my power.


    ¡ª Even a little spark of your power is deadly!


    ¡ª Don''t worry, I won''t use it on you.


    ¡ª What do you mean? I''m right here.


    ¡ª No, I must do one last thing that I will not regret.


    Hakkiri pointed his finger towards the Moon. He noticed the "X" mark Slade made.


    ¡ª Wait, something is different. Not only the huge mark.


    ¡ª Really? I don''t know what that could be.


    ¡ª The distance... It''s way further than it used to be.


    Slade''s strongest attack pushed the Moon slightly off the orbit, almost breaking the Solar System.


    ¡ª Can you seriously tell that from here? You''re an anomaly...


    ¡ª It''s not hard to know that when I''m touching it.


    His finger was releasing a slim lightning towards the Moon. It was the same ability he used to swing Yuto''s body everywhere. It had a capability of attaching to an object and dragging it in the air like a whip.


    ¡ª Wait, what are you doing? You can''t be serious...


    ¡ª I am dead serious, Yuto.


    Akari had a crazy look on his face.


    ¡ª Even if it''s too far away, it will reach Earth eventually, and there''s nothing humanity can do.


    He pointed his palm upwards and pulled his finger back, like he was inviting the Moon to come.


    ¡ª This is my last achievement. All the suffering will be gone for real in a few minutes, Yuto. No need to thank me. I know nobody would understand me, anyways...


    Akari died.


    ¡ª Wait, what are you saying? This can''t be happening... Hey, don''t die, please!


    The Moon was now approaching Earth at an alarming speed.


    At a dojo.


    ¡ª Howdy, Hayate-chan! I just got back from the ice cream shop with a mint chocolate milkshake! Do you want to taste it?


    ¡ª M-Master, I''m afraid this is not the time for that...


    ¡ª Why the serious face, Revon? Something bad happened?


    ¡ª Master, please look at the sky.


    ¡ª Whoa! The Moon is bigger!


    ¡ª Actually, it''s approaching Earth as we speak. Should we do that?


    ¡ª Hm... Wait until it''s closer.


    ¡ª B-But what if it collides before we use your power?


    ¡ª Don''t worry. You have been watching that Yuto guy since you met him at that mall, right? I trust him. If he fails, I''ll use my power on you. So make sure to be here when that happens.


    ¡ª Understood, Gojirou-sama.


    Revon, the level 6 ninja disappeared in the shadows to find Yuto and Hakkiri, since they have been basically teleporting here and there during the fight. She was in a dojo talking with her master, Gojirou Kaname, the strongest ninja in the world. Considering his power, he was technically one of the most powerful beings in the universe.


    He had pink hair and covered his face with a monitor mask, which simulated his eyes and mouth with a pink light. The reason behind that weird costume was unknown, at least for the public. He was energetic and playful, even when the Moon was about to hit his planet. Kohashi Hayate, also known as Revon, was one of his students. She wore a black face mask and a ponytail, over her black ninja uniform. The dojo wasn''t much affected by the fight.


    How the fuck is this even possible?! I know he was the top 1, but this is just ridiculous! I have to at least try...


    Yuto raised his hands towards the Moon and used his power. Since it was still too far away, his power took around a minute to reach there, even with its maximum speed. Unizard was also trying to repel it with the mana she had, without exceeding her limits. Yuto, however, was forcing his body too much.


    Mifuyu, the scientist, Ria and all the heroes who didn''t die and could help were using all their efforts to make the Moon return to its original position. It was impossible using only force, since the inertia would make it fly away from orbit and crash into other planets eventually, or become their natural satellite. Even that was out of question, since there were no heroes capable of doing that. At least, not known ones.


    Gojirou was one of the exceptions, even though his power wasn''t related to super strength like Kanata. It was really different from all the others and could actually kill himself, so it was absurdly dangerous.


    Those who remained in Tokyo were trying everything they had: missiles, bullets, railguns, anything that could be strong enough to at least minimize the impact. Nothing worked. The Moon was approaching at 1% the speed of light and would arrive in less than two minutes. The surface''s gravity was already being affected.


    Earth was being slightly pulled towards it. The oceans, buildings, clouds, everything was changing drastically. When it was close enough, Yuto used all his power to push the Moon away. He forced himself so much that he lost his other eye''s vision. Additionally, his power ceased to function as a heart, causing him to slowly lose consciousness.


    The Moon was slowed down slightly, but Earth''s gravity was still pulling on it, speeding it up again. When it was seconds away from colliding, it suddenly changed direction, messing up everything on the planet again. It was now in the opposite direction, heading towards where it came from.


    But the damage was already done. The surface was devastated, millions died, including Yuto. Since he was in the middle of nowhere, nobody came to save him. What made the Moon return wasn''t his power. He died for nothing.


    In a warehouse by the sea, two female voices could be heard:


    ¡ª Yanagi, why did you do that?! You won''t be able to move your body for days now!


    ¡ª It''s not the time yet, Mihara. Plus, I want to destroy this world by myself. I won''t let anyone else steal my kill...


    ¡ª I thought your goal was to end everything, no matter who did that... Sleep well, leader.


    At the dojo again.


    ¡ª Wah... That''s really bad, Hayate-chan!


    ¡ª I''m ready, master.


    ¡ª Alright, let''s do it. Close your eyes and concentrate. But remember: only return to the most crucial moment. If you can''t change anything more than that, don''t even try.


    ¡ª Understood, Gojirou-sama. I chose the moment when he''s most vulnerable.


    ¡ª Perfect. Just end Yuto''s job then. Now is the infamous countdown time! Black hole in 3, 2, 1...


    As he finished counting, a black hole billions of times bigger than Earth replaced the planet. Its center was on Hayate''s brain. Everyone on that timeline died instantly, including Revon. Her mind, however, travelled back in time.


    She saw the event horizon, where everything happened. She couldn''t move or do anything. There was an infinite amount of information overloading her brain. There were things humanity could never even dream of knowing. She was seeing everything and nothing at the same time.


    She returned only a few minutes, when she was already at the dojo. Her master wasn''t there, but she knew he was at the ice cream shop. She ran towards the nearest one and met him. She was out of breath, because the fate of humanity was on her hands.


    ¡ª Master, please...


    ¡ª Ah, I used my power again? Okay, just tell me where to take you.


    ¡ª A flower field about four hundred kilometers away from here. There''s a trail of electricity and broken mountains leading there.


    ¡ª Alright, let''s go. Hop on me.


    She rode on his back. He flew to the sky to see the trail. It was pretty obvious, since the damage was absurd. They arrived there in no time, quite literally. In less than a second, because they teleported. He hid in a bush to see everything from afar. Revon approached Hakkiri''s almost dead body.


    ¡ª No, I must do one last thing that I will not regret-


    The ninja took a shotgun from her back and shot the kid in the head multiple times. It was powerful enough to pierce through mountains, so it managed to explode his brain after many rounds. He couldn''t use his electricity towards the Moon again. Yuto was disgusted by that scene, even though his vision was blurry. He never saw a kid being brutally murdered like that before.


    ¡ª What? You''ve seen worse than this. Why is it so surprising all of a sudden?


    ¡ª Who are you? And what are you doing here?


    ¡ª Don''t you remember me? You''ve seen me multiple times already, at the arena, at the mall etc.


    ¡ª Really? Ugh, my head hurts... I''m sorry, I can''t recognize you.


    ¡ª I see. Well, your job is done now. The world almost ended, but don''t worry. There''s always someone left to clean your mess.


    Revon walked away, leaving Yuto confused.


    At the station.


    Alright, my job is done.


    Disruptor was leaving the cannon''s control room, since it was the perfect time for her to escape the station. The lights went completely off for some seconds, before a red emergency light turned on. When she opened the last door to leave the room, there was someone waiting for her at the end of the corridor. She positioned herself to fight.


    Who is she? How did someone know I was here?


    She was a girl, almost the same age as Disruptor. She had blond, short and spiky hair. Her eyes were green, even though they were as dead as a corpse. There were dark circles under her eyes, looking like she was undead. Her skin was also pale. She wore the same astronaut suit as her and everyone else.


    Disruptor controlled the machine guns on the ceiling to shoot at her head. Out of nowhere, a black sphere appeared in front of her and blocked all the bullets. It distorted the red light around it, like a black hole. The girl kicked it, launching it towards the guns and destroying them. The sphere fell towards Disruptor, who dodged it by rolling backwards.


    She tried to close the metal doors between her and the girl, but nothing happened.


    Huh?! Did they stop working? The emergency power should still be on-


    The girl punched the black sphere, throwing it towards Disruptor. Because the corridor was narrow and she was distracted, it hit her perfectly. Since the doors were still open, she was pushed towards the control room''s terminal along with the sphere, which kept her trapped against the terminal.


    The lights came back to normal. She tried to push it away and destroy it, but nothing worked. The girl slowly approached her, until she was in the same room. She punched and kicked the sphere multiple times, breaking Disruptor''s ribs one by one.


    I''m losing consciousness... For some reason, I can''t use my power. This must be this sphere''s thing...


    She noticed someone behind the girl.


    Huh? Who is he? Since when was he there?


    The mysterious man was using a futuristic mask that covered his entire face. He had grey short hair and wore a black suit and hat. He placed his hand on the girl''s shoulder.


    ¡ª That''s enough, Kanojo. After all, we only want her dead, right?


    The girl stopped punching the sphere reluctantly, but not because she wanted to continue. She was trying to stop her body from moving completely. Noticing the distraction, Disruptor took a shard of glass from the terminal and threw it towards the man. He dodged it by just moving his head.


    ¡ª See? She''s smart enough to take any chances to kill any of us. So just be a good girl and finish her.


    The girl removed the sphere from there. It just disappeared, leaving no remains. She grabbed the hacker''s neck and lifted her. Disruptor tried everything to make her release her grip. Biting, scrathing her arm, kicking her stomach and anything she could think of.


    She''s too strong even without the sphere! Who is this, a level 7?


    The girl was crying. Her empty and soulless eyes were suffering. She clearly didn''t want to do that. However, she sliced Disruptor''s neck with her hand, killing her.

 The Boss

    Yuto laid down on the flowers, tired. He looked at the stars and tried to grab them with his hand.


    What just happened? Well, I guess it''s over then. I can finally rest.


    He closed his eyes to sleep. His concentration was good enough to keep his power working while unconscious, so he wouldn''t die so easily. As he was falling asleep, a loud sound woke him up. Before he could stand up, someone slapped his face with an unnecessary amount of force.


    ¡ª Come on, I healed you. Why are you resting already? The Boss is still alive.


    His vision was coming back slowly and the hole in his chest was regenerating. He took a better look at the girl who slapped him with no reason. It was Ria. He looked at her, surprised she came to see him after what happened to her best friend.


    ¡ª What''s with the shocked face?


    ¡ª Ah, nothing, I just... I''m happy to see that you''re okay now.


    She slapped him again.


    ¡ª I may look okay, but I still don''t respect you one bit.


    ¡ª Hehe... That means you''re 100% okay.


    ¡ª Whatever you say, lazy ass. Come on, let''s fight him together.


    She extended her hand to help him get up. He took it with no hesitation, smiling after realizing he''s not alone yet. She might not like him, but she was not his enemy. She pointed her finger in a seemingly random direction.


    ¡ª Look over there.


    As Yuto turned around to see what she was talking about, Ria pointed her revolver towards the back of his head and shot. A speed bullet pushed his body in the direction she pointed. He reached there in no time, with her coming right after him. They were on the top of Mount Takao, Tokyo''s Mountain. They could see almost the entire city from up there. Ria pointed her finger again at a flying object.


    ¡ª See that plane? For some strange reason, it never lands. It has an infinite amount of fuel. Probably, someone refills it while on air.


    ¡ª You''re saying there''s someone important there?


    ¡ª Not only important. Our main enemy is probably there.


    ¡ª Are you sure? It seems too obvious to be the case.


    Ria thought for a moment. Impatiently, she punched his back for some reason.


    ¡ª Ouch! Why did you do that?!


    ¡ª Who''s the detective here, dumbass? Do you have a better idea?


    ¡ª Well, I may have. Look up.


    They both looked up.


    ¡ª The real reason Hakkiri died is because of the orbital cannon Disruptor activated.


    ¡ª Wait, Disruptor, that hacker girl? Really?


    ¡ª Yeah, what''s the problem with her?


    ¡ª When she said she wanted to dismantle the level 7''s, I told her to meet you, since I wasn''t in a good mood. I never thought she would go that far... She''s probably dead by now.


    ¡ª What makes you think that? She said she would try to escape.


    ¡ª That fortress is no joke. It''s strict about who comes in and who goes out. Just the fact that she could fire it is impressive.


    ¡ª Her power made the job easier, no?


    ¡ª Of course, but there''s something else. Everyone agrees that the level 7''s are the main threat to humanity, right? The Boss obviously thinks that as well.


    ¡ª Are you saying he''s trying to eliminate the top heroes indirectly?


    ¡ª Exactly. He probably wanted Disruptor to kill Hakkiri first, then kill her. He has a last trump card.


    Yuto scratched his hair nervously.


    ¡ª Well, I guess we have no other choice.


    ¡ª You were saying he''s probably on the station, right?


    ¡ª Yes, but your theory may be right too. That plane does look suspicious.


    ¡ª So let''s split up. The last time I did this things went south, but we''re talking about a powerless man.


    ¡ª How do you know he doesn''t have a power?


    ¡ª Didn''t Haji tell you? I overheard a scientist saying that she unconsciously blocks him from receiving a power, since he made her suffer the most. But he may have other powerful people do his job, as he always did.


    ¡ª I hate people who tell others to do their dirty work. He''s a level 7 in cowardice.


    ¡ª Not only that. He may have compatibility with 7-Up, so be careful. If you lose your power for some reason, you''ll have to fight him by hand. Which is not too difficult, since he''s an old man.


    ¡ª Tomorrow the news will say that a young man mercilessly beat an old man...


    ¡ª If I do that, it''s less alarming, since I''m a little girl. That''s the only time I''m proud of my short stature...


    ¡ª Don''t worry, you can still grow.


    Ria punched him again, harder than before.


    ¡ª I''m older than you, shitass. Do you think I have any hope left?


    Yuto giggled, disguising the pain from being punched multiple times.


    ¡ª At least you''re cute.


    Ria had studied the plane''s route since Exwind died. She was sure the Boss would be there. That''s why she got angry when Yuto said it was too obvious to be true. The plane flew in almost regular circles. Sometimes, it strayed from the path a little, probably when the fuel supplier came to meet him.


    She was right below the usual path. She pointed her revolver at her chin, upwards. When it was time, she shot a speed bullet. Her body was launched up at such speed that she reached the plane in less than two seconds. Actually, she calculated that she would land exactly on the wing next to the door. She managed to do so, trying to keep the balance while being pushed by the strong wind. They were travelling at above 1000 km/h, so it was pretty challenging.


    She walked towards the door, punching the wall to climb it. She opened it with ease, even though it was reinforced. She tried to close it gently, since it would be bad if it opened while she was inside. The lights were off, so she couldn''t see much without turning them on before. She had night vision bullets, but she felt both her bullets and barrier powers weakened. The plane was a closed space, perfect for the power nullifying gas.


    Ria headed to the cockpit to find a light switch. She sighed, knowing nothing about plane controls. Suddenly, the lights turned on. She quickly grabbed one of her revolvers and turned around, pointing towards the end of the hallway. A man was standing half way towards the back part of the plane. He was pointing two desert eagles at two different directions behind the seats.


    ¡ª Look who we have here. I thought being the top 1 level 6 was enough for you, but I guess humanity''s greed knows no bounds.


    Ria started walking towards him, stopping midway, since it would be stupid to approach someone threating two people at gunpoint.


    ¡ª Pretty ironic coming from you. You have the strongest beings on the planet in your hands, yet you want more submissive and controllable ones.


    She looked at the victims sitting on the seats. She recognized them both immediately.


    Haji and Kiseki?! What are they doing here?


    They were tied up with futuristic handcuffs and a holographic barrier closing their mouths and preventing them from speaking.


    ¡ª Well, if they were simply obedient, my job would be easier. But you know who we are talking about.


    ¡ª You let your own son die. Your daughter would have died too if I decided that was the best choice.


    ¡ª Akira was a good kid before he got his power. Different from his sister, he became truly arrogant.


    ¡ª Then you are not a good biological or adoptive parent. Anyone that falls under your control hates you.


    ¡ª To govern by fear is still to govern.


    ¡ª I said hate. I don''t fear you.


    ¡ª You will.


    Suddenly, the barrier from Haji''s mouth opened. She started shouting immediately, pissed off.


    ¡ª Get this shit out of me, bastard! I''ll tear you apart when you do so!


    ¡ª Calm down, my daughter. Tell her why you''re so special.


    ¡ª What are you talking about?! I just give powers to everyone who touches me!


    ¡ª Then why didn''t you give me any power, huh?!


    The Boss yelled at his adopted daughter angrily. It was really rare for that to happen, since he seemed so calm all the time. Haji shrunk back in fear and trauma. Years ago, that man tortured her endlessly, which made her tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡ª Please... don''t hurt me...


    ¡ª Then tell her where you came from!


    ¡ª I really don''t know what you''re talking about-


    He aimed the desert eagle at her foot and shot. She screamed and cried in pain. After all, her arms were still broken by Slade. She never felt so much pain before, not even when she was a prisoner.


    ¡ª The sandstone desert, smartass!


    ¡ª I... I don''t know...


    She tried to remember her past the hardest she could. She finally catched a glimpse of her long-forgotten memories.


    A house in the middle of a sandstone desert. A boy who was probably her brother cuddling her happily. Suddenly, she was in an ocean with several broken structures scattered around. Time seemed to stop there. A giant man with no face saying something to her.


    ¡ª ... what a perfect... receptacle... Nice to meet you, my daughter... my name is...


    She woke up from the strange dream because of the absurd pain she was feeling.


    ¡ª I am from... another world...?


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The Boss smiled triumphantly.


    ¡ª See? That wasn''t so hard, was it, daughter?


    ¡ª I am not your daughter...


    ¡ª Well, duh, I adopted you. Your parents didn''t want you.


    ¡ª No, I mean... where am I really from?


    ¡ª Jeez, can''t you remember your hometown? I know more about that place than you.


    ¡ª You... what do you know...? Tell me... tell me, asshole!


    ¡ª Whoa, calm down there, brat. I''m in control here, remember?


    Suddenly, Ria shot him in the face. It was just a holographic body of his, which could use real weapons somehow.


    ¡ª I''m still here, remember? Or is your age showing, old man?


    ¡ª That''s not the first time I hear that insult. Well, you know what I''m capable of now. I visited the world where this ungrateful brat came from.


    ¡ª And?


    ¡ª The powers we all cherish for came from that world. The people there are thousands of times stronger than on Earth.


    ¡ª Looks like your homework paid off. Unfortunately, your research isn''t complete yet, am I right?


    ¡ª In a few years, it will be. That planet is not easy to conquer in a day or two.


    ¡ª So you killed your strongest heroes to fight even stronger people? That''s a big brain move right there.


    ¡ª I never said I would have to fight them directly. Conquering isn''t just killing the leaders, but also becoming theirs.


    ¡ª Well, guess what? You gave me one more reason to stop you.


    ¡ª I''m eager to hear your plan-


    Suddenly, the Boss turned his head around, while keeping the aim of his guns.


    ¡ª What are you doing here? Well, well, well, the plain old distraction plan. Wait a second, until I finish this-


    Ria used the extra time to make an explosive bullet. The area of effect would be decreased by the power nullifying gas, but it would be destructive enough. She shot at the hologram''s feet, opening a hole in the ground. He shot his guns in random directions, hitting Kiseki''s head and Haji''s heart. The hologram fell down, disappearing after getting too far away from the plane.


    The entire aircraft blew up right after. Haji''s body was badly burned, since her 7-Up was weaker than the others. Kiseki healed her injuries in no time. Ria was closer to the last, so she decided to shoot her speed bullet at her own hand to reach the healer. She catched her midair and aimed for Haji. She shot Kiseki''s body towards her.


    When she got launched, a piece of the aircraft got in the way and acted as a shield. Kiseki''s body pushed the metal wall, which hit Haji, throwing her far away. At the last second, she managed to punch the wall and barely grab Haji''s clothes before ripping them off. That brief touch was enough to heal her burns and injuries by a lot.


    She tried to climb the metal wall and jump from the other side to reach Haji, but something unexpected happened. A huge laser came from the sky, destroying the forest they were falling into. The Boss changed the plane''s route to a secluded place, in case he needed to use the orbital cannon again.


    The plane had exploded because the hologram got too far away from it. In addition, someone broke into the control room he was in, so he decided to fire the railgun again, consuming even more power. The explosion was a bit smaller, since it was still recovering from the last shot. But it was stil devastating enough to be considered an atomic explosion.


    Ria''s barrier saved her, but her body got sent into the ground with such force that she could not return in less than five minutes. Kiseki''s body almost disintegrated, but some cells remained, healing again completely in five seconds. Haji, however, disappeared.


    Once Kiseki landed on the ground forcefully, she tried to find her friends. Ria rose from the ground eventually.


    ¡ª Where is she? Kiseki, did you heal her in time?


    ¡ª I... I could not save her...


    Ria hugged her.


    ¡ª It''s okay. At least we''re both alive.


    Ria went silent for a moment.


    ¡ª And I... I wanted to apologize for what I said to you back then... Everybody cares about you, including me.


    Kiseki smiled warmly and hugged her tighter.


    ¡ª Thank you, Ria. I''m glad you''re okay now.


    Yuto reached the space station easily. He could fly, after all. He managed to break into every security test by force. Once he found the control room, he just entered, since the reinforced doors were still open.


    He saw Disruptor''s headless corpse sitting against the wall. That was less gross than seeing a kid being shot in the face, but he still felt a bit of a nausea. The girl who killed her saw Yuto first, as the Boss was distracted by Ria. She pointed her finger towards him, not saying a word.


    ¡ª What are you doing here? Well, well, well, the plain old distraction plan. Wait a second, until I finish this-


    Yuto used a supreme gravity where his archenemy was. The girl jumped to save him by very little. She stood up and summoned the black sphere, punching it towards Yuto. He tried to deflect it with his power, but it didn''t work. The sphere pushed his body towards the wall, trapping him.


    What is this, a power sink? Well, I guess I''ll have to use my hands.


    He tried to push it away, but it was too heavy. As the girl jumped to land a kick on it, Yuto managed to slip below it. Her kick sent the sphere through the wall.


    You don''t have your weapon anymore!


    While he was still sliding down on his knees, the sphere appeared above him again. It was so heavy that it could pulverize any normal human body instantly. He laid down on his stomach, and spreaded his legs the farthest he could, avoiding the sphere.


    Suddenly, the lights went out. The Boss activated the cannon to kill Ria and the others. Yuto tried to use his sensory gravity to see everything in the dark, but the sphere was draining his power. He got up and walked backwards until he hit a wall, trying to minimize the opponent''s options. She probably couldn''t see in the dark too, since they were both waiting for the other to attack.


    The red emergency light turned on. Immediately, the girl jumped to punch Yuto. He dodged it, causing her fist to break the wall. She tried to land other punches and kicks, but he could avoid all of them by little.


    She''s a master in martial arts... But I''m not bad either.


    ¡ª Is that all you''ve got? I''m gonna put some dirt in your eye.


    He looked at the terminal to find the Boss. He was not there.


    Dammit! He''s good at hide and seek...


    The girl jumped back and summoned her sphere. She punched it with such force that Yuto didn''t see it coming. His body got pushed towards the wall, breaking it. After some seconds, he fell into a plaza. The lights were dim, but he had a good sense of the space he was in. It was a very futuristic plaza.


    It was the station''s main square. The cover was made of transparent material, simulating glass. The stars and Earth could be seen above. Yuto felt like he was in a sci-fi movie. The girl jumped out of the hole in the wall and punched the sphere again. Yuto dodged it by jumping and rolling on the ground. It hit a water fountain, wetting the place.


    There were people in the plaza, probably employees of the station or tourists. They fled in horror, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. The girl took the fountain from the ground and swung it towards Yuto, who jumped and landed on it. He crouched while on top of it and pulled it with his hand, launching her body towards him. He punched her in the face, throwing her body across the square.


    She grabbed some people''s arms and threw them at him. He dodged them, since he couldn''t use his power. Some of them died by the impact. She ran with her maximum speed, reaching him and kicking him in the arm. He punched the ground to minimize the momentum.


    She punched her sphere, launching it at maximum speed. He hit it with his fist, throwing it back. She then kicked it. An intense tennis battle started, until it was so fast that they both had to lie down to avoid it. The girl made the sphere disappear, probably to summon it somewhere else. At the same time, Yuto used his power on her. He threw her body everywhere, trying to hurt her as much as possible.


    She used her sphere again to nullify his power. He predicted it, so he pulled her body towards his fist, punching her face with his maximum strength, knocking her out instantly. The sphere also disappeared. Suddenly, an electric shot hit Yuto''s head. It pierced part of his brain, but he managed to catch it in time with his power.


    He turned around and saw the real Boss, holding a railgun. He shot it again, but Yuto was faster. He ran towards him and punched him several times. The old man managed to hit him a few times, but Yuto didn''t want to give him a chance, now that he had his power back. He grabbed the Boss''s head and kicked it with his knee. Not satisfied, he headbutted him with such force that their skulls vibrated. He then punched his face multiple times, while pulling his head towards his fist with his power.


    The Boss used his jet booster boots to fly upwards. Yuto catched his foot to pull him again, but someone also pulled his foot. It was the girl who was unconscious seconds ago. She was bleeding everywhere, yet she managed to wake up and protect her master. The Boss increased the boots''s speed and burned Yuto a little. Angry, he froze the entire station, killing many innocent people. The girl stopped again. The old man fell to the ground.


    Yuto increased his body''s temperature to unfreeze him and hurt him as much as he could. He grabbed the Boss''s neck and lifted his body, almost crushing it. He punched his head donwards, making his body bounce on the frozen floor, breaking part of it. The Boss reached out, pulling the railgun towards him.


    Yuto tried to take it midair, but it disassembled itself and returned to its original form behind Yuto. It shot multiple lasers through his body, damaging him severely. The Boss kicked him to increase the distance between them and catched the railgun again. He used it as a shotgun again, piercing Yuto''s body more and more. He catched some lasers with his power, but they were very concentrated and powerful.


    ¡ª I must thank you, Yuto-kun. You made my job easier, eliminating most of the self-centered morons that consider themselves as gods of this world.


    Yuto was struggling to stay on his feet. His blood was covering most of his body now. The Boss was also bleeding, with many broken bones.


    ¡ª You know, I was kind of happy when you survived Zenith. The most powerful hero died, yet you managed to live to tell the tale. That''s when I realized you were special. That''s when I realized... you would be useful to me.


    Yuto didn''t respond. He just started walking slowly and painfully towards his enemy to finish his job.


    ¡ª But your job is already done, Yuto-kun. You may rest now. It''s okay now.


    Yuto stopped.


    Is it okay to rest now? How come my main enemy is the one who comforts me the most? Not even Genesis, Tatsuya or Haji said it was okay for me to rest... Did they want me to suffer? Or did they want me to do my best?


    ¡ª I won''t let your sacrifice be in vain. I hope they remember you.


    My job was to help him all this time? Will he save this rotten world if I let him do his thing for once?


    ¡ª Your friends would be proud of you. You know what they say, sacrifices are necessary for your character development. Haji is the last piece in that board. I hope you find her in the afterlife.


    Yuto turned his head upwards to face the Boss. He tried to understand what he just revealed.


    ¡ª ... What?


    ¡ª Wait, wait, I know that sounds bad-


    With no hesitation, Yuto pierced his enemy''s body thousands of times with his power, like what that damn railgun did to his. The Boss fired the railgun, but something strange happened: all the shots returned to his body.


    Yuto made a gravitational field centered on the old man''s body. Everything nearby would be attracted to him with such force that not even a laser would leave the field. Yuto jumped towards him, landing dozens of furious punchs and kicks. He took the railgun from his hands and hit him multiple times with it, finally breaking his futuristic mask. His top hat also flew away.


    The Boss had red evil eyes and a slicked back grey hair. Yuto continued punching for minutes nonstop and mercilessly. He kicked him in the stomach one last time to make him fall into a sitting position. Before the old man fell, Yuto tore off his arm.


    ¡ª Standing here, I realize... you were using my friends as well, not just me. You tarnished their name to make me feel better about myself for not accomplishing anything. What would it matter if I didn''t kill you in the end? You''re the final Boss, aren''t you? You''re the real reason my friends died. You killed your own daughter.


    ¡ª The hardest choices require the strongest wills... They needed to die to please the gods who watch us. Also, I was not lying when I said I hope they remember you. I really do.


    ¡ª Stop that bullshit, you''re not gonna deceive me again. Never again. If I just kill you, everything can start again, even if it takes a while.


    ¡ª I''m not gonna say killing me won''t bring your friends back, because you know that. Go ahead, kill me. I lost.


    ¡ª Wait, really? You''ll give up, just like that? You made millions of people''s lives miserable and then you die with no regrets?


    ¡ª Yeah, you''re right I have no regrets. I never felt anything towards mankind. I just used the system more than it used me.


    ¡ª You can''t be serious...


    Yuto hit him in the head with the arm he tore off.


    ¡ª I am dead serious, Yuto-kun. I tried my best, but I couldn''t escape my fate. I wanted to be a god, but universe flipped its finger at me. There''s nothing we can do against the gods''s will.


    ¡ª Stop the philosophical bullshit. There aren''t any gods.


    ¡ª Oh, there are. You just hadn''t visited Haji''s world yet. You''ll see what I''m talking about sooner or later.


    ¡ª Alright, I''m tired of your lies.


    Yuto swung the arm again, hitting his head multiple times.


    ¡ª This is for Tatsuya...


    After remembering his friends, he increased the force he was applying to the arm.


    ¡ª This is for Haji...!


    He was now so angry that his blood was boiling with vengeance.


    ¡ª This is for Genesis!


    The Boss''s head almost left his body. Yuto tossed the arm away and started punching him with his bare hands. He beat him up until he was lying on the floor. The shockwave from his punches cracked the floor. He joined his fists together, about to crush the old man''s head.


    ¡ª THIS IS FOR MY SISTER!!!


    Splash. His head was nonexistent now. The entire floor started to collapse from the impact. A few seconds after that, the entire station exploded, killing almost everyone there. When the association''s Boss died, many things were programmed to self-destruct. Yuto was caught off guard, but he was still alive, somehow. His power was pumping his blood through his veins so he wouldn''t die.


    He began free falling to Earth. He unconsciously kept an air bubble around his head, because he knew something like that could happen at any moment. The girl who was frozen moments ago unfroze due to the huge explosion. Her body would simply combust if she didn''t have a powerful 7-Up. She reached Yuto, who was trying to concentrate so he wouldn''t die for stupid reasons.


    She punched him in the stomach, making him cough up blood. He looked at her and realized something different: one of her eyes was normal, the other was still soulless. He remembered Slade, who had two different souls. Maybe that girl was fighting against herself to break the brainwashing she was under.


    She punched him several times, but some of her attacks were held back at the last second. Yuto confirmed his theory. He grabbed her head and headbutted her as hard as he could, but not enough to kill any of them. They both went unconscious.

 A new era

    Huh... Where am I? Am I still alive?


    ¡ª What''s your name, girl?


    ¡ª ...?


    ¡ª Ah, pardon me. I''m Luvinia, princess of Utoph.


    ¡ª Utoph...? I have never heard of that place...


    ¡ª See this city where we are right now? It''s actually a country named Utoph.


    ¡ª I see... I didn''t know there was such a futuristic place on Earth, but okay...


    ¡ª Earth? What''s that?


    ¡ª Huh? Our planet, of course.


    ¡ª Oh, I think I understand now. You''re a dimension traveler.


    ¡ª I''m what? You''re telling me this is not Earth?


    ¡ª Unfortunately, yes. It seems that you''ve been teleported here for some reason. Do you remember where you were before coming here?


    ¡ª I was falling... in a forest, at night. A strong light appeared and I... I continued falling, but here instead.


    ¡ª Well, we have a lot of questions for each other, it seems. How about we discuss everything in my castle?


    ¡ª Do you have a castle? Really?


    ¡ª I am a princess, so I thought that was normal... It''s nothing extraordinary, but it''s a good place and my home since I was born.


    The princess extended her hand to help the girl get up. She, however, didn''t move her arms.


    ¡ª Are your arms okay? Let me take a look.


    ¡ª They''re broken... Please don''t touch them, they''re hurting so much...


    ¡ª Your foot is also bleeding... I''ll call someone to pick us up.


    ¡ª Thank you, really... The last days have been a living hell, so I really appreciate your help.


    ¡ª I''m so sorry to hear that... But everything will be okay now, girl.


    ¡ª My name is Haji. Nice to meet you.


    ¡ª I say the same, Haji. Welcome to Lifen, our planet.


    At a bar.


    ¡ª Are you sure you should be saying all that to me, sir? I''m just your usual bartender...


    ¡ª Why not? I''ve lived long enough to continue keeping secrets to myself. I''ll tell you another valuable one. But first, do you know Japan''s hero association?


    ¡ª Ah, I''ve heard of it. Shichi... I don''t remember the rest. Why, do you work there?


    ¡ª A few years ago, yes. But I retired because I''m already at the end of my rope. Haven''t you heard of the famous level 7''s, Earth''s strongest fighters?


    ¡ª Of course I have! I know there are seven, with the first one being a beautiful redhead!


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡ª Hey, just because she''s pretty, don''t forget about me...


    ¡ª You''re a level 7 too?!


    ¡ª I was the second one, Sage. Also, Phy''s been dead for a long time. I guess your dream girl won''t meet you anytime soon.


    ¡ª Really? Aw, that sucks... I''ve always wanted to get an autograph!


    ¡ª From me? Don''t answer, I don''t want to hear it. Anyway, back to the point: that association has a Boss, an old friend of mine. We were about the same biological age when we met.


    ¡ª "Biological" age? Is there any other kind of age?


    ¡ª This is where things become interesting. Do you know Kiseki, Japan''s strongest healer?


    ¡ª I''m afraid I don''t, sir. I don''t know much outside Germany.


    ¡ª See? You''re wasting your youth at the worst possible place. A dark bar that smells of alcohol.


    ¡ª But you''re here too...


    ¡ª I''m beyond old, young man. And that''s directly related to Kiseki''s secret. She can heal any illness or injury almost instantly. But there''s more than that. She can revert people''s aging.


    ¡ª Wait, really? How do you know that?


    ¡ª I used her power multiple times in my life. I''ve been alive for centuries now. 7, 8, I don''t really remember. But she can heal people''s minds and make them remember anything, even if it didn''t happen.


    ¡ª You can''t be serious... That sounds too good to be true. And where is she? Everyone would try to capture her if they knew about that.


    ¡ª That''s why I''ve kept it a secret until now. Since she''s a level 6 hero now, the truth will come out sooner or later, so I''m revealing it to you beforehand.


    ¡ª But why me?


    ¡ª I don''t know. I felt like it. Sell that information and get out of this shithole. Also, I want to watch the circus burn. I''m in need to keep myself entertained for the rest of my days.


    ¡ª Don''t you know where that hero is? Because you haven''t used her de-aging power recently...


    ¡ª Of course I know where she is. But I gave up on rejuvenating myself. It''s boring. The last years have been the best, but I just can''t enjoy things anymore. So I''m passing this responsibility on to you or whoever wants to play the immortal.


    ¡ª I... I don''t know what to say...


    ¡ª Fascinating, isn''t it? If you didn''t even know your crush died years ago, you need to breathe some fresh air. Enjoy your short life to the fullest, and I''ll see you in hell. I''ll get there sooner, of course, but it''s just a matter of time. Everything is a matter of time.


    In a laboratory.


    Why can''t I feel anything? I''m in a room with my own family''s dead bodies, but I''m smiling... They''re more than my family. They''re literally me. Is that why I enjoy making them suffer?


    ¡ª Good job, YV! If you keep this pace, we''ll get more funding!


    ¡ª ...


    ¡ª What''s the problem? You''re enjoying this, right? I''ll keep sending you clones until you awaken your power!


    Inside a dark room, where the sun shines brighter than usual.


    Argh, my head hurts... where am I? The station was destroyed, but I''m still alive... Ah, right! The girl, where''s that brainwashed girl?


    Yuto sat up, revigorated. The world around him spun, because he got up too quickly.


    ¡ª Shh, boy, you shouldn''t wake her up yet. Her body is more damaged than yours.


    Huh? I was lying on her lap? Who is she?! And why she''s speaking alien language?!


    The woman he was resting his head on pointed her finger at the brainwashed girl. She was sleeping soundly on her thigh.


    ¡ª Who are you...? Do you speak japanese?


    ¡ª I understand now, you''re a stranger... Since you came from a portal, you might be from another world, just like Stalor...


    ¡ª Eh...?


    ¡ª I''ll take you to the king. He can translate almost anything with magic.


    ¡ª The... the what?


    The woman put her hands on top of her head, mimicking a crown. Now that Yuto took a better look at her, she was quite beautiful. She had green long hair, white eyes and looked like a divinity.


    What is she insinuating? Whatever, I just have to follow her, right? If she tries anything funny, I''ll just-


    Yuto tried to stand up, but his head was still dizzy. He took a look at his body. It was still bleeding from all the railgun shots. The woman signaled for him to lie down again and rest until the other girl woke up.

 YV

    ¡ª This is your 57,777th kill, YV! You''re doing great! 20 thousands left!


    I can''t take this anymore... I have seen blood since day one. I''m familiar with murdering innocent siblings since day one. Why can''t I be a normal girl like the others?


    ¡ª Kagame, the association has sent us a message. If we don''t surrender YV now, the level 7''s will raid the lab.


    ¡ª Wait, what?! Did the Boss really die? I can''t belive it... Who''s in charge now?


    ¡ª Ria e Unizard are the main heroes running the association now.


    ¡ª They''re the strongest that remained after that boy killed the others. The new level 7''s were just the remaining level 6''s.


    ¡ª I know, but they''re still pretty strong.


    ¡ª We can fight them. The battle bots will finally have an use now.


    ¡ª Sir, we don''t stand a chance. If we surrender her, everything will be fine. This lab costed us millions.


    ¡ª I''m not going to throw away everything we spent on this experiment! Never! Do you know how much we sacrificed? We will never get the years of progress back! The money is nothing compared to the effort we put into this!


    ¡ª I''m just saying we''ll die with no purpose. And we can''t get our lives back either.


    They were two scientists arguing about a certain experiment named YV. She had purple long hair and green eyes. One of the scientists was a black-haired guy. His boss was the other one, a guy with straight light brown hair and glasses.


    What are they talking about? The level 7''s are here?


    YV had special abilities, such as her power and a 7-Up. That''s why she could hear the researchers from afar.


    ¡ª Masters, I have a proposal.


    The boss looked at her, surprised that she was able to hear through the armored window.


    ¡ª Huh?


    ¡ª I make clones with my power. We can surrender one, while the original stays here.


    ¡ª That''s a wonderful idea, YV! You would never abandon your creator, right? The association can''t say we didn''t surrender you if they get a replica instead! Rikoche, you said the level 7''s are outside, right?


    ¡ª Yes. They''ll breach the door if we don''t answer quickly.


    ¡ª Tell them we surrender! They will suspect it at first, but they won''t be able to deny it if they have physical evidence.


    ¡ª Understood.


    I''m finally getting out of this shithole. My clone will stay here instead. I''ll be able to breath fresh air for the first time.


    ¡ª Oh, YV, I forgot to ask something. How can you hear us from down there?


    ¡ª Master, my 7-Up has gotten significantly stronger after the countless battles I had.


    That''s true, but I could hear them a long time ago. I just hid my potential to catch them by surprise someday. But I guess I won''t have to kill them anymore.


    ¡ª I knew you were still getting stronger! That''s why we can''t lose you. You''ll be a level 7 in no time!


    I don''t care about the level 7''s. I just want to be free. At least I can use my battle skills against this kind of person.


    ¡ª Yes, master. I won''t disappoint you.


    At the reinforced door.


    ¡ª I''m sorry for keeping you waiting! Our experiment is right here.


    The boss was holding her shoulders like she was his daughter.


    ¡ª Wait, just like that? I thought you two were really close...


    ¡ª We are! But we don''t have a choice, right? You would simply kill us to retrieve her.


    ¡ª Yeah, you''re not wrong. I would try to talk before resorting to violence, though. By the way, I''m one of the new level 7''s, Shentong.


    Shentong was a level 6 before the recent events. Now, he was the 5th level 7. He had his eyes closed and wore a black and yellow tunic with dragon designs. He had a medium-sized black hair with multiple braids and a quiff. He was buff and tall.


    ¡ª It''s a honor to meet you. We''re lucky to have the level 7 heroes to protect us.


    ¡ª No, you shouldn''t idolize anyone like that. Everyone has a dark secret. If they don''t, they are just a cog in the system.


    ¡ª But I like to think there''s more than just evil in this world.


    The scientist lightly pushed YV.


    ¡ª You may be right. I respect the scientists for finding new ways for everything. Just don''t use that for your own benefit and you''re good.


    Shentong grabbed YV''s little hand.


    ¡ª Let''s go, little one?


    She nodded her head.


    ¡ª Alright, goodbye to you two. I hope you aren''t doing another secret experiment.


    ¡ª We''re not! Goodbye!


    Shentong hugged her body and jumped, disappearing instantly.


    ¡ª ... and never come back.


    ¡ª Boss, we should stop the other experiments too. They''re keeping an eye on us.


    ¡ª Rikoche, there was only one level 7 at our door. You said there were many.


    ¡ª The association''s message said so. They probably didn''t want to waste the other heroes'' time.


    ¡ª We could have simply fought him, smartass!


    ¡ª And waste our money? He could probably destroy the entire lab with one punch.


    ¡ª Ugh, whatever! At least we still have our precious YV.


    The clone looked at them and smiled.


    Idiots. You became so intimate with me that you believed that lie.


    YV and Shentong were at a train station now.


    ¡ª Your name''s YV, right?


    ¡ª Yes.


    ¡ª I''m gonna escort you to the association''s main building by train. I could simply jump with you like I did earlier, but Ria told me to use this specific train.


    ¡ª Understood.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I''ll have to handcuff you in the back. I''ll be in the passenger car. Scream if anyone manages to break the metal doors.


    This is sketchy... It''s like they want me to be captured.


    ¡ª Alright.


    ¡ª You don''t speak much, huh... Well, I guess living in a lab was not good for you. I hope you get to enjoy the outside world now.


    ¡ª Thank you. I know the real world concepts because of my genes, but I have never experienced them.


    ¡ª Everything has its first time.


    They were now in the storage car. Shentong used special handcuffs to seal her power.


    ¡ª Done. Good luck, YV. And don''t forget to remember: call me if anything happens.


    ¡ª Sure. Thank you, Shentong.


    He smiled and waved at her, closing the reinforced door. He went to the passenger car and sat down on a seat. Everyone recognized him immediately. The girls approached him.


    ¡ª E-Excuse me, are you Shentong, the new level 7?


    ¡ª You''re damn right I am! Ladies, one at a time, please.


    They took countless selfies.


    Why are they ignoring the other two level 7''s here?


    There were a very young girl and an old butler looking at him.


    The girl is above me in rank. The old man is basically her slave. Ria told me to keep an eye on them.


    The old man had a brown suit, glasses, grey tied hair, like a short ponytail and grey beard. He got up and walked towards Shentong, in a gentleman''s way.


    ¡ª It''s an honor to meet you, Mr. Shentong.


    The old man extended his hand. Shentong got up and looked at him for a second, even though his eyes were closed.


    What is this, a distraction?


    ¡ª Oh, hi, Mr. Quincy! The association has changed a lot lately, due to the Boss''s death.


    ¡ª For sure. I''m glad to be on the same level as you.


    ¡ª I can say the same. Also, your power has always intrigued me. Creating walls and tossing them around? That doesn''t sound too eco-friendly, haha.


    ¡ª Well, you''re right. But I can also create walls from thin air, so it doesn''t waste the place''s materials.


    ¡ª They''re still not eco-friendly. Unless you use wood veneers or galvanized square steel, they''ll just pollute the ambient.


    Shentong looked at where the rich girl was. She was gone.


    Shit! She''s up to something. But this old man is on my way.


    ¡ª Yeah, I''ll take notes. I don''t use wood, because it''s too fragile.


    ¡ª Everything has its first time, no? It was a pleasure meeting you here suddenly, Mr. Quincy. But I have to use the bathroom.


    ¡ª The bathroom? I think this car''s is occupied right now. Why not use the front car''s?


    He''s stalling up for time. Don''t play with fire, old man.


    Even when I''m free, people want to use me for something. The chinese guy could simply escort me personally, but no. It''s all that Ria''s plan.


    The door''s lock suddenly broke. A small hole was made on it. It opened and the girl from before entered.


    She had yellow hair, twintail, pink eyes and barely any bangs. She wore a purple dress to match her spoiled kid appearance.


    She turned on the light to see what she was dealing with.


    ¡ª There are 3 level 7''s just on this train, so something valuable is hiding on the storage room, as always. Let''s see... lots of boxes and...


    She spotted YV.


    ¡ª ... a girl, like I expected. What''s more valuable than money or power? A powerful specimen. Say hello to your savior, girl.


    ¡ª Who are you?


    ¡ª Do you live on the same planet as me? I''m Kara, the fourth level 7, even though I''m probably stronger than the top 3.


    ¡ª Unfortunately, I don''t live on the same planet as you. A life full of ease, huh? You''re not even a decade old and you''ve already experienced a lot more good things than I have.


    ¡ª Watch your mouth, kid. I may be younger than you, but age is just a number. I could kill you if I wanted to.


    ¡ª Why don''t you try? Do you want me alive, perhaps?


    The girl walked towards her and broke the handcuffs with her bare hands. They were weaker to other people, since its purpose was to seal only the prisoner''s powers.


    YV was kneeling as she had no reason to stand. Kara grabbed her cheeks forcefully and brought her face closer to hers.


    ¡ª I''ll just say this once. You have three options. 1: surrender to me and become my slave permanently; 2: surrender and I''ll sell you; 3: die by my hands.


    ¡ª What determines the choice between the first two?


    ¡ª If you prove yourself loyal, I''ll let you become my slave. If you don''t, I''ll knock you out and sell you. If you fight back, I''ll kill you.


    ¡ª What is the loyalty test?


    The girl released YV''s face. She then took off her heels and approached her tiny foot to her face.


    ¡ª Lick my precious foot and I''ll consider you loyal.


    YV grabbed her foot and stared at it.


    It''s soft. Too soft to deserve my attention. This girl has never stepped foot on a battlefield.


    She pushed her foot up to make the spoiled girl lose her balance. She fell backwards, surprised by her last minute rebellion.


    YV got up and stared at her with utter disdain.


    ¡ª I''m not afraid of you, brat. But you should be afraid of me. Just a piece of advice.


    The girl looked at her, with a neutral face. It was hard to know what she was thinking. She took a coin from her pocket and placed it in front of her eye.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡ª Do you know what this is?


    ¡ª A circle.


    ¡ª What is its purpose?


    ¡ª I don''t know. I never used one before.


    ¡ª You never fought for money. You had it easier.


    Kara released the coin from her hand and it disappeared. Instantly after, a hole was made in YV''s leg. Less than a second after, a loud sound echoed in the room. The hole had a circular shape. It started to bleed, like she was shot.


    What happened?! Did she throw the coin? I couldn''t see anything!


    Kara got up and grabbed her missing heel. She used the pointy part to hit YV in the forehead. She went flying, breaking boxes in the way.


    Ouch... Everything''s spinning...


    Her head was bleeding so much that she didn''t know how she was still conscious. Kara released her heel and it disappeared. A huge hole was made in YV''s chest. It had the shape of a heel.


    ¡ª I gave you three options. You chose the third one.


    The girl grabbed her other heel and approached her. She used the pointy part again, but to pierce YV''s eye instead. It went through easily. YV had an extreme pain tolerance, but it was still unbearable. She cried and screamed.


    ¡ª You''re doing great, specimen. Beg for my mercy. You''ll have to use your power if you want to survive.


    She hasn''t killed me yet because she wants to see my power! I won''t use it... but what if I die? I''m already losing consciousness... I guess this is my end...


    ¡ª Mr. Quincy, it was great talking to you, but I do need to get going, you know? The world is harsh, so is my schedule.


    ¡ª Oh, wait just a little more! Let me take a selfie with you and immortalize this moment! After all, it''s not everyday I get to meet with THE Shentong.


    You know you can''t just resort to violence, young man. The girls will get scared if you do so. Your image will be tarnished.


    My patience is wearing thin, old man. You know I can break your fragile bones here and know. But what about the girls? The media will be full of this...


    That''s it, keep worrying about your status. This is why the younger generation is doomed.


    You''re a boomer, but you''re not dumb.


    Shentong walked past the old man, who tried to grab him forcefully. He used this chance to push him back, with more force than needed. Quincy fell into a sitting position. He quickly got up and grabbed his tunic to stop him.


    Not my clothes, coward...


    Then, a cry of pain echoed in the car.


    That''s YV! Alright, I won''t hold back anymore.


    Shentong grabbed Quincy''s suit and kicked him in the stomach. The impact was so powerful that the entire train vibrated a bit. The old man fell down unconscious. The girls stared at him incredulously.


    Oh my god, he''s so hot! I wish I got to be kicked like that!


    ¡ª My life was way harder than yours, brat. You don''t even know what''s the meaning behind a coin. Because of a tiny circle, everyone wants to use me.


    Kara continued to hit YV''s body with her heel.


    That''s it, this is my end... I guess I deserve it. Everything I did my whole life was to kill clones of someone I don''t even know...


    Suddenly, the hits stopped. Kara was struggling to breath. Shentong was behind her, squeezing her neck. She dropped her heel, which disappeared. A hole appeared in the man''s shoulder.


    He didn''t even flinch. He turned her body to face him and punched her face multiple times, until her teeth dropped. He threw her body violently on the floor.


    ¡ª YV, I''ll take you by air.


    He turned around and kneeled, expecting her to ride on his back. She was bleeding profusely but could still walk. She approached the spoiled kid''s body and grabbed her neck. Suddenly, the two girls disappeared. A human-shaped hole was made in the wall.


    YV somehow became so powerful that she could simply run through the walls of the cars at supersonic speed. Everyone in the way died instantly.


    The train was now running on a floating track. It was more convenient, because it ignored the topography of the region. YV finally ran through the driver''s wagon and fell onto the track.


    She got up and kicked Kara''s body towards the sky. She waited for the train to get closer and grabbed it, stopping it forcefully. Then, she threw the entire train towards the girl.


    Many people died at the same time, but Shentong used his maximum speed to evacuate the passengers. He grabbed as many people as he could, jumped and landed safely on the ground. He did this at least 50 times. All of this happened in less than 5 seconds.


    The train couldn''t be saved, however. Even if Shentong minimized the damaged, it was now unusable. He landed next to YV, who was still on the floating track. He stared at her in disbelief. But not because she killed a lot of people with no remorse.


    ¡ª Is that your power?


    ¡ª Huh...?


    ¡ª Why didn''t you use it earlier?


    ¡ª I don''t know... my power is not super strength...


    That''s weird...


    ¡ª Is your power at least related to what you just did?


    ¡ª No... not at all. I can make clones of myself, that''s my power.


    ¡ª Have you ever overdosed on 7-Up?


    ¡ª Maybe... but I''ve never done anything like this before.


    Is she perhaps like me? Her compability is insane, if this really has nothing to do with her power.


    ¡ª You''re discovering your true potential, YV. I understand you. It took me a while to realize I was special.


    Shentong smiled at her. She was bleeding real bad, struggling to stay standing. But he was mesmerized, not concerned.


    ¡ª You''re like me! You''re blessed with compatibility!


    ¡ª Compatibility?


    ¡ª If your power didn''t do this, your 7-Up did. But training is not enough to reach this level. You''re extremely compatible with it.


    Really? Is that why I managed to kill tens of thousands of my clones? Is that why I was the only one who remained?


    ¡ª That may be true, but I need some rest...


    YV fell down, almost dead. Shentong approached her, still smiling in a menacing way.


    ¡ª Rest well, YV. I''ll take you to a safe place.


    He placed her arms on his shoulders, like a cape. He then jumped high enough to view the association''s building. Suddenly, two concrete walls crushed him and broke upon impact. He instantly protected YV with his body. They fell into a square.


    ¡ª You''re still alive, Quincy...


    ¡ª You left me to die there, Mr. Shentong. What if the media knows you''re a subjective hero?


    ¡ª They won''t know anything if the last witness disappears.


    He sat YV''s body on a bench. He then jumped towards the old man, who quickly summoned a glass wall. He broke it easily, but another wall came from the top. Well, it was actually a ceiling, but made of titanium. It smashed his body against the ground. The ceiling, however, bent to the shape of his body.


    ¡ª You''re underestimating me, old man.


    Shentong destroyed the ceiling and ran so quickly that Quincy had no time to react. He punched the old man multiple times, while moving so fast that no naked eye coud see or predict where he would be.


    Quincy summoned a omnidirectional cylindrical wall and expanded it to hit Shentong. He also made another cylindrical external wall and began to attract it towards the other. He tried to punch it, but the impact was distributed in the form of waves. Their material was a super elastic pink rubber.


    Really? Rubber? I would just stand here and wait for the soft squeeze, but he can probably change the material.


    The ground and ceiling were also made of rubber, trapping him. He bit the wall closer to the old man and pulled it, tearing it apart. He kicked Quincy in the stomach. His body went flying towards the rubber wall behind him, throwing him back. Shentong punched him multiple times, like he was a punching bag.


    Finally, the rubber was gone, just like the old man. He was not dead yet, but Shentong pondered if he should finish him or not.


    Well, Ria told me to keep an eye on them. If he tells that brat that I beat the shit out of him, she can cause me a little trouble. It''s for the greater of good.


    He grabbed the old man''s neck and lifted him up, ready to snap it. Suddenly, a shot could be heard. Shentong''s ear slipped out of his head.


    ¡ª I told you to escort her, not this.


    He dropped Quincy''s body and turned around. Ria was aiming her revolver at his head.


    ¡ª Well, I''m sorry, Ria-sama. But she''s special, I need to know more about her.


    ¡ª You''re in no right to defy my orders, hero. You''re a level 7, you know better than this.


    ¡ª Y-You''re right... You''ll investigate everything about her, right? Can you tell me about her 7-Up compatibility?


    ¡ª You already know everything about that. Everything you have is thanks to your 7-Up.


    ¡ª But she''s different, like me. I want to know if she''s the same kind of different.


    ¡ª If she''s really that compatible, it''s nothing to worry about. You''re not the only one with that quirk.


    Ria grabbed YV''s head and lifted her up. She pointed the revolver at the back of her head and fired. Her body was sent towards the association''s rooftop. It was so fast that it looked like she disappeared.


    ¡ª One more thing, Shentong. Thank you for your collaboration. I''ll punish both the kid and her butler. But if you step out of line, the next will be you.


    Ria shot herself in the head, disappearing.


    ¡ª They traded a dictator for another dictator...


    Ria shot YV''s body with a regeneration bullet. She then carried her over to her office. She sat her down on a chair. Then, she sat down on her translucent chair. Behind her, the wall was made of glass, showing a beautiful view of the city at night. She put her elbows on the table, like she owned the place. Well, she kind of did. YV woke up.


    ¡ª We have a lot to discuss, YV.


    ¡ª Who are you...?


    ¡ª I''m Ria, the one who rescued you.


    ¡ª You''re lying... you sent people to rescue me.


    ¡ª Indirect deeds are still deeds. I wanted to test you and the heroes there.


    ¡ª You almost got me killed... A lot of passengers died because of you.


    ¡ª Are you feeling guilty? I thought you killed people like it was drinking water.


    ¡ª They were not people... I had no other choice besides killing them. You had, but you refused to spare them.


    ¡ª They''re only a drop in the ocean of blood. You, however, killed cities worth of clones.


    ¡ª Small cities... You killed large ones.


    ¡ª Typical behavior of someone who feels guilty. Keep putting your blame on me, I don''t care. I have seen it all.


    YV stood up angrily. She placed her hands on the desk, staring into Ria''s empty eyes.


    ¡ª You''re so hypocritical... how can people like you run a country?


    ¡ª Wow, you know what a country is. Do you prefer the Boss? He would let you complete the experiment and then use you.


    ¡ª Bad people always get replaced by bad people... You may not be worse than him, but you''re not better either.


    ¡ª Bad leaders exist because of bad followers.


    ¡ª You threaten even your allies to keep controlling them... you''re disgusting... The only thing you fight for is yourself.


    ¡ª Are you the one to make the sacrifice play? You sacrificed clones your entire life, now you''re trying to lecture a professional hero.


    ¡ª I had no other choice! You have plenty, specially now that you run the association. You know, you may not be a threat, but you should stop pretending to be a hero.


    ¡ª A hero? What is a hero to you?


    ¡ª Shentong is a hero... He saved a lot of people I would have killed by accident.


    ¡ª I wouldn''t call that an accident, he could have stopped you. But heroes make sacrifices all the time. You can''t save everyone, nor should everyone be saved.


    YV jumped over the table, furious. Her head and body ricocheted back.


    ¡ª What is this, a barrier?


    ¡ª I don''t have the weakness most leaders do. Snipers are useless against me.


    ¡ª A coward power for a coward hero... Take that off, what are you?


    ¡ª Assassin, hero, leader, billionaire, philanthropist, dead shot-


    ¡ª Alright, shut your fucking mouth! What do you want from me?


    ¡ª I want you to live a normal life.


    ¡ª Wait, what?


    ¡ª Starting tomorrow, you''ll be a student. Make friends, you''ll need them. Also, take this.


    Ria threw a phone for her to catch. It fell down, because she was not quick enough.


    ¡ª Did you really expect me to catch it like it was a scripted event?


    ¡ª Do you know what a script is? Also, I thought killing thousands would sharpen your aim.


    ¡ª I''m not like you, idiot. And I know some movies, because of my base memories...


    ¡ª You''re one of the clones whose memories they decided to keep. I don''t know at which age Yuto got his genes stolen, but I think that doesn''t really matter. They tried every single option, until they found you. A perfect clone, a perfect assassin.


    ¡ª Yeah, and I''m tired of seeing his older sister. He loved her, not only as family.


    ¡ª I thought he didn''t reciprocate the feeling... I guess he hid it because it was a taboo.


    YV picked up the phone. There was a list of things to do, plus lots of useful information.


    ¡ª Call me when you need me, YV. Also, what do you think of getting a real name?


    ¡ª A real name? Isn''t mine enough?


    ¡ª Maybe it is to you, a killer machine. But normal humans will suspect you.


    ¡ª Uh... I don''t know. Do I really need to blend in?


    ¡ª Of course. You have wanted a peaceful life since you were born. Now is your chance.


    The door behind YV opened. A huge silhouette entered.


    ¡ª Does anyone need a name here?


    Ria smiled.


    ¡ª You heard everything. Typical of you, Unizard.


    She was now wearing a white shirt. It was so short that it didn''t cover her belly. Her bra was visible, since the shirt didn''t cover her shoulders either. The jean shorts she had were pretty seducing, because her large and long legs could be seen at their full glory. YV was looking up at her, terrified.


    ¡ª What''s the matter, kid?


    ¡ª What did you drink when you were younger...?


    ¡ª Water.


    ¡ª You gotta be shitting me. Yuto''s memories are making me flustered. Why did he have to like big girls?


    ¡ª Oh, you have his old memories, alright. I can transfer the new ones if you want. Maybe he changed his preferences.


    ¡ª No way... his sister left a scar.


    ¡ª Anyway, how about "Yuna"?


    ¡ª What?


    ¡ª Your name. Half "Yuto" and half... I don''t know. It just sounds nice.


    ¡ª It does sound nice, I''ll give that to you.


    Ria nodded to Unizard, approving her suggestion.


    ¡ª Are you sure about that? I''ll fill in your name on your documentation.


    ¡ª Yeah... yeah, I''m sure. I like that name.


    ¡ª Welcome home, Yuna. Always call me or Unizard when you''re in trouble. We''re the top 2 level 7''s now.


    ¡ª Um... t-thank... you...


    Unizard hugged her from behind and lifted her body.


    ¡ª Can you say that again, little one?


    ¡ª S-Stop! Yuto''s curse is attacking me!


    ¡ª Lucky for you, I do love cuties like you.


    Yuna was waving her arms like a child. Unizard left her on the ground. She pouted, embarassed.


    ¡ª A-Anyway... before I go, may I ask something?


    Ria responded promptly:


    ¡ª Sure.


    ¡ª I made a clone to get here, otherwise the scientists would never surrender me. To make it self-aware, I gave it a portion of my "soul", so I''m slightly dumber and weaker now.


    ¡ª Do you want to know if it''s safe to kill the clone now?


    ¡ª Yes.


    ¡ª You''re on our custody, you know that. If they try to capture you, just call me or Unizard.


    ¡ª But what if I can''t call you in time?


    ¡ª Unizard can track you at anytime. Just scream or anything, she will hear it.


    ¡ª Really? I hope that stays true...


    ¡ª We don''t lie. We need you, not only as a person. Of course we''ll protect you.


    ¡ª Why do you need me? I''m just Yuto''s clone...


    ¡ª That''s exactly why. You have a fair amount of quirks we''ve never seen before. And we want to show him his daughter.


    ¡ª I''m not his daughter! Wait, why don''t you call him here?


    Unizard answered:


    ¡ª He''s not in this dimension.


    ¡ª Wait, what?


    ¡ª He got teleported somehow.


    ¡ª If you know that, why don''t you go after him?


    ¡ª We can, but he can also take care of himself. We are needed here to maintain order for some time.


    ¡ª If you two are that important, I feel like I am some sort of government secret...


    Ria said:


    ¡ª You are. The Boss kept funding your project to kill 77,777 Yuto clones. But now that he''s gone, everything has come to a head.


    ¡ª Alright, I feel a little overwhelmed... Only in a few hours, so many things happened...


    ¡ª You''re not adjusted to changes yet, but your adaptability is insane. Go to sleep and we talk more about your school tomorrow.


    ¡ª I think I''ll do that. And... thanks for everything, you two.


    Yuna left the office. Unizard stood next to Ria.


    ¡ª Unizard, about that...


    ¡ª Yep, it''s a modified 7-Up. Part of the experiment included that.


    ¡ª That''s why the Boss saw potential. And that''s also why we need to keep her close.


    ¡ª I''ll tell Tsuna about the 7-Ex. She''ll find something.


    ¡ª I think Kiseki should ask her that. She sees her like an angel.


    ¡ª I mean, she''s not wrong...

 New faces, new challenges

    ¡ª Um, Ria? Why are we on the rooftop?


    ¡ª It''s easier to transport you using my power.


    ¡ª Why not a car? I can even walk there, while I see the city...


    ¡ª You don''t know how to behave in society yet. You''ll draw in too much attention.


    Ria grabbed her revolver and approached Yuna. Silently, she pointed it at her head.


    ¡ª Eh?


    ¡ª One of my bullets can push targets. It''s very convenient, because I can choose the range, speed and inertia.


    ¡ª You''re not going to shoot me, right?


    ¡ª You won''t even notice. You''ll be in the school entrance in less than a second.


    ¡ª Wait, this draws way more attention than just walking!


    ¡ª Shut up and follow my orders.


    Yuna shuddered. She didn''t know if Ria lost her patience or if she was just assuring everything would be fine under her command. It was almost impossible to read those grey and soulless eyes.


    Ria walked towards Yuna, still pointing the gun. She walked backwards, until she touched the curb.


    ¡ª Jump.


    ¡ª I-I don''t think I want to.


    ¡ª I have to practice my aim. I''m spending too much time at the office. But don''t worry, I won''t miss.


    ¡ª Am I really your target?! Please, I just want to get down.


    ¡ª I''m not suggesting anymore. Jump.


    Yuna looked back. They were about a kilometer in the sky. Her entire body paralyzed.


    ¡ª I-I''ve never jumped from so high before! This is just fucking scary! Please! Isn''t there another way?


    ¡ª You spent your whole life in a tiny room. Yuto loves the sky. Why would you not?


    ¡ª Because I can''t fly!


    ¡ª Everything has its first time. Speaking of time, your class starts in less than 10 minutes.


    Yuna closed her eyes and breathed heavily. She turned her back to face the curb and climbed it, still trembling.


    I have to overcome all my fears... If I keep my eyes closed, it will be useless. Besides, maybe I can enjoy it a little bit, like Yuto.


    She opened her eyes slowly, with the cold wind lightly pushing her body. She cleared her mind and finally jumped. Instantly later, Ria shot her precisely aiming for the school entrance.


    Before Yuna realized it, she was standing in the middle of the other students.


    Wait, already?! It really didn''t take a second...


    She was still panting heavily and sweating a lot. The adrenaline rush wouldn''t stop for at least a few minutes. Strangely, she felt like her body was way lighter, not only because of what happened. When she threw the train, she felt the same way. Everything felt weaker and slower around her.


    ¡ª Hey, are you okay?


    Yuna looked up at the guy who was talking to her, seemingly worried. He had orange and red short hair. His eyes and eyebrows also alternated between orange and red. He wore a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, in addition to black pants and a metal chain necklace.


    ¡ª Y-Yes, I''m 100% okay... My life flashed before my eyes, but I was overreacting...


    Didn''t he notice anything? How didn''t anybody see that? To be fair, not even I saw it...


    ¡ª That sounds terrible, but if you''re okay, that''s all that matters! Nice to meet you, I''m Mitone.


    He extended his hand to give a handshake.


    What is this, a handshake? I think I just have to shake his hand...


    She awkwardly grabbed his hand, trying not to crush it, since she was way stronger than a normal human being.


    At least the experiment trained me to control my strength... I thought Ria was suspicious at first, but I can maybe trust her now.


    ¡ª M-My name is YV... I-I mean, Yuna! My name is Yuna!


    ¡ª Well, you''re the first person I''ve met today, Yuna. I hope we are friends forever.


    ¡ª F-Friends? What is that?


    ¡ª When we get along like a family, but not blood-related.


    ¡ª O-Oh, is that it? I''m sorry for being stupid, you''re one of the first people I talk to...


    ¡ª Don''t worry, pal, you''re far from stupid. Everything just changed overnight, right? I kind of know that feeling.


    ¡ª R-Really? Are you a murderer like me?


    ¡ª What?


    ¡ª N-Nothing, I''m really sorry! I must go!


    Yuna rushed towards the school, leaving Mitone confused.


    At the door, there were three girls blocking the way. Because of that, a lot of other students were waiting impatiently for them to leave. The power hierarchy was crystal clear: two of them were generic gyarus bullying the third girl.


    The bullied girl had long brown hair and looked depressed. It seemed like that wasn''t the first time she had dealt with bullies. They pushed her aggressively, causing her to fall to the ground. She slowly stood up. They kicked her, making her fall over and over again.


    When they were satisfied, they left the scene with a bored attitude. The bullied girl slowly walked towards the staircase. It looked like she wasn''t even trying to resist, stand up, walk or anything else.


    Yuna approached the girls from behind, grabbing one of their shoulders. She squeezed hard, but stopped before she killed her.


    ¡ª Excuse me, who is she?


    They turned around, surprised. The girl Yuna was grabbing took her hand in a menacing way.


    ¡ª First of all, who are you? If you hurt me again, we won''t simply kill you. You''ll be like that loser.


    Yuna punched her in the stomach so hard she fell to her knees. The other girl ran away immediately, knowing they were probably dealing with a 7-Up user.


    ¡ª First of all, who is she? I won''t ask again.


    ¡ª What are you doing...?! Do you have the slightest idea who I am?!


    ¡ª No. I don''t give a fuck. Why were you bullying her?


    ¡ª She''s a loser, of course! Why would we waste some fun?!


    ¡ª That wasn''t fun even for you. You were bored as if the week had just begun.


    ¡ª The week has just begun! It''s monday, dumbass!


    Yuna grabbed her hair and pulled her face closer.


    ¡ª Say that again.


    ¡ª N-No, I''m sorry, I''m really sorry...


    ¡ª Say it!


    ¡ª I''m sorry... she just looked way too hopeless... it''s boring when they don''t even care anymore!


    ¡ª Then why did you choose her?


    ¡ª Because she has a power... well, I have one too, but hers is too boring!


    ¡ª What is it?


    ¡ª Shapeshifting! She''s such a loser that she can''t even be herself!


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Satisfied, Yuna threw her head towards the wall. The impact was intense enough to make her skull and brain shake. She fell down unconscious, with her eyes still open.


    Shapeshifting is a problem... I can imagine why her life has been so difficult.


    Yuna rushed towards the staircase, going after the depressed girl. Everyone nearby was shocked but pleased to see that girl lying on the ground.


    She finally reached the rooftop. She opened the door slowly to make little noise. The girl was there, climbing the green suicide prevention grid. Yuna walked around her, trying not to alert her.


    ¡ª Hey! I know life is a pain in the ass, but you''re not seeing the good things!


    The girl turned around scared, finally showing an emotion.


    ¡ª H-How did you find me? Go away!


    ¡ª When I say there are good things in life, I''m not joking. I have killed my brothers and sisters my entire life. My sole purpose was to be an experiment. But I never gave up!


    ¡ª I-If you''re telling the truth, how? How can you possibly not give up after all that?!


    ¡ª Because I wanted to experience the good things. I won''t say something like "enjoy the little things in life, because you''ll miss them when they''re gone". If you want the big things, go after them. Or wait for a opportunity to take them. They''ll arrive someday.


    ¡ª That''s impossible! What I want is impossible to do right now, and I can''t wait any longer!


    ¡ª I know, I waited for the day I was rescued. Time seemed to stop in the meanwhile. But now that I look back, does it really matter? The wait is finally gone. The future has finally arrived.


    ¡ª If I had been born in the future, everything would be so much easier! I wouldn''t have to wait years for the very basic I need to be happy!


    ¡ª Cautious there, that may be a curse. If you''re that obsessed with one specific thing, you''ll lose purpose after you get that.


    ¡ª You know what? I''m tired of everything. If I hadn''t been born, I would be so much happier!


    The girl finally jumped, with no hesitation or regrets. She finally smiled. It was an empty smile, but still a smile. She was relieved. Everything was finally over.


    Suddenly, someone picked her foot. It was Yuna, but not really her. She was still standing a few meters away, looking at her clone holding her body easily. Yuna had walked around the girl to distract her and hide the clone from her field of vision.


    They went down safely. The clone placed the girl''s head on her lap and carressed her head gently. The clone started talking.


    ¡ª It''s okay now. Give me one chance. We''ll find the good things together.


    ¡ª A twin sister? What a joke...


    ¡ª No, this is my power, I can make clones. And you''re not hallucinating, you''re still alive.


    ¡ª What about this? I''ll give you that chance. But you''ll have to kill me painlessly and quickly if you fail.


    ¡ª Alright, I can work with that. Don''t be too strict, though.


    They both went to the classroom. The class would start in a few minutes, so they weren''t late. As soon as Yuna entered, she saw Mitone standing next to a guy sitting, talking casually. He noticed her.


    ¡ª Oh, Yuna! Look, this is my second friend today.


    The guy had blue short hair and wore a white and green shirt. He had his eyes closed, for some reason.


    Another chinese? How do they even see anything like that?


    ¡ª Yo. My name''s Eraser, nice to meet ya.


    ¡ª I''m Yuna. What kind of name is that?


    ¡ª It''s related to my power. Some people are named after the awakening, because their past self is not that important.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, I didn''t think you had a dark past...


    ¡ª No, I''m not one of those people.


    ¡ª What? Then why did you mention that?


    ¡ª It''s just a theory, you know. A science theory.


    ¡ª I can''t say I understand...


    They both looked at each other awkwardly.


    ¡ª Oh, this is... uh...


    Yuna looked at her new friend to introduce her. She sighed, slightly annoyed. She hated introducing herself.


    ¡ª I''m Fujoshi Gomi. Just call me Gomi, that''s what I am.


    Mitone walked towards her and extended his hand.


    ¡ª I''m Mitone. You''re my third friend today.


    The girl blushed a little, bringing a piece of life into her eyes for a moment. A kind and handsome guy was talking to her. She couldn''t waste this opportunity, or else a scar would be left in her memories.


    She shook his hand unevenly, faking an unconvincing smile and trying to make eye contact, but failing miserably.


    ¡ª I-I''m Gomi! Wait, I already said that... H-Hi! D-Do you come here often?


    ¡ª Starting today, I''ll try to come here often. But you know, some classes are meant to be skipped.


    ¡ª A-Ah, yes, I understand... you''re a-absolutely right!


    ¡ª Are you okay? We can release our hands now. Unless you want to keep doing this, of course. Exercising our handshake is not a bad idea.


    ¡ª I-I''m sorry, I almost forgot! Well, I did f-forget...


    She released his hand abruptly, even more embarassed.


    Someone grabbed Yuna''s waist from behind and lifted her up. Startled by the surprise attack, she took a pair of scissors from her pocket and tried to stab the person''s head. It went through their eye, but they didn''t react.


    Yuna looked at her, to know the kidnapper''s face. It was Unizard.


    ¡ª W-What are you doing here?!


    ¡ª Jeez, you''re tough. Not everybody wants to kill you, you should already know that. You''re only making yourself look even more suspicious.


    ¡ª Let me down! Are you kidding me?! Is this some sort of test?


    Unizard healed her eye and let Yuna down.


    ¡ª Sort of. I wanted to greet a new friend, but they see me as an enemy. There''s nothing I can do, I suppose.


    ¡ª You know I''ve been raised this way!


    ¡ª Yeah, that''s why I''m trying my best to change your ways. But using magic makes things too easy. I want you to help yourself.


    ¡ª Alright, I''ll try to let my guard down. But don''t cry when I die.


    ¡ª Ria already said we''re the strongest. We won''t let you die, sweetheart.


    ¡ª Just tell me why you''re here. You''re not going to babysit me, right?


    Everyone was looking at that strange scene. A guy had his scissors stolen when Yuna entered the classroom, but only noticed it when it was full of blood. He tried to ask it back, but was too scared. After all, a level 7 just got damaged by a random girl.


    ¡ª More or less. I''m going to be your teacher.


    ¡ª Wait, what?!


    The entire classroom was surprised. How could the strongest hero have time to teach random students?


    ¡ª Look.


    She raised her finger and drew a magic circle in the air. An image of Unizard appeared.


    ¡ª Hi hi, I''m the real one. You were talking with my clone just now.


    ¡ª Really...?


    ¡ª What, you thought you could pierce my head with a simple pair of scissors?


    ¡ª Kind of. You didn''t seem that strong in the first place.


    ¡ª Watch your fucking mouth, brat! I''m sorry, I lost my temper. Anyway, the clones are weakened versions of myself, but sentient ones. So they can teach an entire school at the same time! How wonderful, an entire place filled with me. I can barely contain myself. I really wanted to be there to-


    ¡ª Alright, just start the class already!


    ¡ª Today will be just presentations. Also, keep in mind that I weakened my clone on purpose so you could hurt it.


    ¡ª That doesn''t sound true at all. Are you saying I''m weak?


    Wait, I think I understand now. It''s better that everyone thinks I am weak.


    ¡ª Oh, you''re right, Unizard-sama! I could barely damage it, even though I used all my strength!


    Ria was right, this brat''s social skills are hopeless.


    The class started. It was pretty normal. Unizard presented the school and everything went according to the plan.


    When it was over, Yuna reunited with her new friends. They went outside. Eraser said goodbye:


    ¡ª Change da world, my final message. Goodbye.


    Mitone laughed, recognizing the meme.


    ¡ª Dude, what?


    ¡ª That''s my catchphrase when I leave.


    ¡ª Alright, I get it. Where do you live? We can talk while we walk there.


    ¡ª At the association''s main building.


    ¡ª Wait, really?! Are you a hero?


    ¡ª Kind of. Have you heard of Genesis? She''s my mother.


    None of them recognized the name.


    ¡ª Anyways, I''ll go by air. Walking is meaningless to me.


    ¡ª That''s not true, buddy. Walking strengthens your legs!


    ¡ª I am built different, quite literally. Ah, I almost forgot, are you guys interested in cosplay?


    They looked at him, trying to understand why he asked something so random. Gomi answered:


    ¡ª I''m a cosplayer. Why?


    ¡ª There''s going to be an event in a few hours. Are you up for it?


    Mitone and Gomi agreed. Yuna took a little more time to remember her schedule. She was used to a strict routine in the lab, so she felt a little too free now.


    Well, I''m not in the mood to stare at a wall for the rest of the day.


    ¡ª Alright. Can you send us the coordinates?


    ¡ª Sure.


    Simultaneously, all their phones received a notification. They took it, confused. Mitone commented:


    ¡ª How did you do that? You didn''t even take out your phone.


    ¡ª As I said, I am built different. Does anyone want a ride?


    ¡ª By air?


    ¡ª Yes.


    ¡ª I want to exercise my legs. Thanks for the offer, though.


    Yuna remembered what happened a few hours ago.


    ¡ª I''m really good, thanks. I''m afraid of heights.


    Gomi said:


    ¡ª I love heights!


    ¡ª Wait, Eraser, keep this girl away from the sky!


    ¡ª Alright guys, I think that''s all. Now, if you don''t mind, I have to recharge. And waste most of my time procrastinating.


    Suddenly, Eraser jumped and plasma came out of his hands and feet. He flew so fast that the wind pushed their hair. They stared at that scene in disbelief.


    And I thought clones would be the least normal thing in this world...

 The cosplay incident

    Wow... this place is huge!


    Yuna was standing before the seemingly infinite skyscraper.


    Like ten or a hundred times bigger than that lab!


    Someone placed their hand on her shoulder. As usual, she turned around, pointing a pen towards the person''s eye.


    ¡ª Hello, Yuna.


    ¡ª Oh, Mitone... I''m sorry.


    ¡ª You can always tell your friends if something''s bothering you. You look pretty alert all the time.


    ¡ª No, it''s just... the way I am. I was never taught what laws there are. I was never raised to be a normal girl, so it''s really hard for me.


    ¡ª I see... Great minds think alike, am I right? I used to be paranoid, but it didn''t help me at all. I never saw any real danger coming my way. Besides, I can always use my power, right?


    ¡ª Oh yes, we always have our power as a last resort... Wait, what is your power?


    Suddenly, Eraser landed on the sidewalk, between the two. He let Gomi down.


    ¡ª Oh my god, this is amazing! My heart is about to explode...


    Eraser looked at Yuna.


    ¡ª She wanted to fly. Don''t worry, even if she fell, I could catch her in time.


    ¡ª Whatever, man. Just tell us what the hell you are.


    ¡ª What am I? Didn''t I say it yesterday?


    He looked at them, trying to remember the conversaton they had.


    ¡ª Oopsie.


    ¡ª Really? Is that all you have to say?


    ¡ª I forgot to say who Genesis was. She was the association''s second best android.


    ¡ª An android? You said you were her son... Can androids have babies?


    ¡ª They can, but I was created by her power.


    ¡ª So you''re an android?


    ¡ª Yeah! But I was born just a few days ago. In fact, she created me when she was still alive, but I only gained consciousness later.


    Gomi asked:


    ¡ª Is she dead?


    ¡ª That''s what I''m trying to figure out. Normally, androids don''t go to school. I was trying to find answers the internet hides.


    ¡ª I can help you with that.


    ¡ª For real?


    ¡ª Yeah, I can change my body to anything I want. If I copy a specific person, they must be alive. Do you have a picture of her?


    ¡ª Of course.


    Eraser projected a hologram with his hand. Genesis could be seen in her real size and colors.


    ¡ª Alright, let''s try.


    Gomi closed her eyes and her body started changing slowly. When she fully transformed into Genesis, she fell down. She couldn''t feel her body. The others bent down to see if she was okay. Mitone placed his finger on her neck.


    ¡ª She has no pulse! Call an ambulance!


    Yuna tried to calm him down:


    ¡ª Wait, she''s an android now, I don''t think she needs a pulse. Also, she wouldn''t put herself at risk. Gomi, turn back.


    Her body started changing back to normal.


    ¡ª See? Gomi, is she dead?


    ¡ª I couldn''t control her body, so that means she''s not alive.


    Eraser stood up, thoughtful.


    ¡ª I see. Thanks, Gomi. I think I''m alive now because she''s dead. A soul for a soul.


    Inside the building, they entered an elevator. Before the doors closed, a man held it with his hands. He and a girl came in.


    He had white short hair and yellow eyes, wearing a white coat. Gomi recognized him immediately.


    Hayasa?! What is he doing here? I didn''t know he was into cosplay! Oh my god, what do I do? Smile?


    He was a popular idol among girls. Aside from being handsome, he was rich and powerful. The whole package of a perfect husband. Obviously, Gomi knew he hid secrets, as everyone does, specially celebrities. But appearances were stronger at the moment. She blushed a lot. Yuna found him pretty, but didn''t see anything special.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The girl had long light blue hair and a very serious expression. For some reason, she was wearing hospital gowns. She had scars all over her body. Yuna thought that was a cosplay at first, but the look on her face said something different. She looked like an assassin.


    The idol was smiling from the beginning and greeted everyone. When he turned around, he said:


    ¡ª This is a long ride, huh. I hope no one dies today.


    They went silent until the doors opened. They left, but their aura remained in the elevator. Nobody could say anything while they were nearby. Their presence was quite frightening.


    The others left the elevator. A group of cosplayers were talking to each other, showing off their costumes. Mitone suddenly got interested:


    ¡ª Hey, isn''t that... guys, I think I''ll walk around and take a look. There are a lot of good characters here!


    Eraser followed him:


    ¡ª Yeah, I think they''re pretty too.


    ¡ª Aren''t they? Wait, does an android have a sense of beauty?


    They disappeared into the crowd.


    Yuna noticed a strange person leaning against the wall in the corner. She looked like a woman and had black long hair. She wore a silver armor and had a sword on her back.


    That would be a normal cosplay, but she had a frightening aura, like the guys from the elevator. 7-Up improved danger perception, but Yuna was also trained to spot assassins. Actually, she learned that on her own, since her only purpose was to kill clones.


    Maybe she was just another hero. Many were legal murderers. She looked at Yuna, who quickly turn around to see her friend.


    ¡ª Gomi, have you ever drank 7-Up?


    ¡ª No... Most students are prohibited to even touch a potion.


    In the past, it was accessible to almost everyone. I guess Ria changed that.


    ¡ª Stay close, then. I smell danger in here.


    ¡ª Why? This place is monitored by the police and heroes, like any other event.


    ¡ª Just stay close, okay? I''m probably stronger than anyone here, but the guys from the elevator said otherwise. If you find them, tell me.


    ¡ª If you say so... Hey Yuna, do you know this character?


    Yuna looked at Gomi again as she needed to be aware of her surroundings. She had turned into a small fluffy being. It had a green hat and held a blowgun. Its eyes were closed.


    ¡ª Oh my god, what''s this?


    Yuna crouched down to pick her up. She was delighted by the cuteness and fluffiness.


    ¡ª What have you turned into? This is too cute!


    She squeezed the little being.


    ¡ª H-Hey, stop, it tickles!


    At least I managed to make her more relaxed.


    ¡ª You know what? Show this to the world!


    ¡ª W-What? I don''t know if I can...


    ¡ª Of course you can. Look, there are people wanting to pet you already.


    They looked around. There were other cosplayers and guests admiring her new form. They were taking photos already.


    ¡ª No need to be ashamed of your power, Gomi. It''s perfect here!


    Yuna left her on the floor. Gomi looked around, trying to gather courage. She finally walked into the crowd, being greeted by attention. After some time, she decided to change to a new character. She transformed into a a man with pink hair and a lot of tatoos over his body.


    ¡ª I am the king of curses, Thukuna!


    Everyone was amazed. The center of attention became her.


    Is this what being a celebrity feels like? I never liked being the center of attention, but this is amazing!


    Then, she turned into another man. He wore a blue and red suit, with an S on the middle.


    ¡ª I believe in truth, but I''m also a big fan of justice.


    They''re not judging my power! Maybe Yuna was right, my time to shine would arrive sooner or later...


    Now, a giant super soldier. He had dark green armor and a bright orange helmet visor.


    ¡ª I need a weapon.


    ... I just wasn''t using my potential in the right place!


    Yuna smiled. She never had a genuine smile before. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone. She turned to see that person. It was the blue-haired girl from the elevator.


    Huh? How did she arrive here? Her appearence would catch my eye...


    She was looking around, like Yuna. They both knew something was wrong.


    Gomi returned to normal and went to find Yuna again. They both smiled at each other. Gomi hugged her.


    ¡ª Thank you so much, Yuna. If it weren''t for you, I would just be a red spot right now.


    Yuna got taken by surprise. She blushed, noticing the crowd looking at them. Gomi wanted to thank her, but not privately. She wanted them to know who saved her.


    Suddenly, someone ran past them. It was the blue-haired girl again. She tried calling the elevator several times. It was being used at the time. Someone tried to walk through the crowd. They made way for them.


    The girl turned around and glared at the closest person, Gomi. She ran towards her and grabbed her neck, stopping after running a few meters. The armored woman from before finally stepped out of the crowd. They stared at each other for many seconds, not saying a word. Suddenly, the woman started running to reach the girl, even though Gomi was being held hostage.


    The girl released her and ran towards the glass wall that led outside. She broke the window and jumped from the skyscraper, landing on top of a crane. The woman followed her. Right before she reached the window, Gomi appeared in front of her. Everyone was confused.


    Huh? I don''t remember coming here...


    Gomi?! Did she teleport?


    The woman braced for the impact and didn''t stop running. It all happened in less than a second. Gomi only realized it because she was in great danger. Yuna was being cautious enough, so she noticed that her friend had disappeared suddenly. She ran to catch them. The woman jumped out of the window, pushing Gomi along with her.


    Mitone threw a small red axe, trying to reach them. Eraser grabbed the axe to gain speed and used his thrusters. Yuna was the first to jump out of the window, because the 7-Ex increased her speed exponentially. She created several clones to hold her back, one after the other. The last one would also fall, so Eraser decided to grab her by the legs and push himself backwards with blue flames.


    Yuna managed to catch Gomi''s hand at the last possible second. The armored woman stared at Gomi for a moment, got on top of her and jumped. It took so much strength to jump high enough to reach the crane that Gomi''s body was thrown downwards. The woman managed to reach the crane and resumed her chase. Everything happened so fast that Yuna couldn''t do anything. Her friend''s body disintegrated on impact, painting the asphalt red.

 Lunig

    ¡ª Hey there, boy.


    ¡ª Whoa! You''re the only one here who speaks japanese!


    ¡ª Nah, I''m using translation magic.


    ¡ª Magic? Are you like Unizard?


    ¡ª Unizard...?


    The king was a boy, about the same age as Yuto. He had brown short hair and a white forehead band. His eyes were yellow, but they looked more like snake eyes. He wore a blue and grey coat.


    They were in the throne room. Everything was dark except for the rays of sunlight shining through the huge windows above the even larger staircase between the king and Yuto.


    There were two people beside the king. One was a boy, shorter than the king. He had dark blue short and straight hair, light blue eyes and wore a brown coat, even though the place was hot like a sauna. His body emitted a cold wind around.


    The other was a girl, taller than the other two. She had grey hair, twintail, red eyes and tanned skin. She wore a white royal uniform and a black skirt. She was holding a huge sledgehammer behind her back.


    The white-eyed divinity took Yuto to the throne room after healing most of his injuries. Now she was bowing to the three above the stairs. The king scratched his head, trying to remember something.


    ¡ª ... I think I know who you''re talking about. Is she that tall, busty witch with orange hair?


    ¡ª Yes! Wait, how do you know her?


    ¡ª She came here often with her brother. We went out every now and then, trained a lot.


    She never told me about that! Well, I guess she would say something like "you never asked before"...


    ¡ª So there''s a way back to my world, right? How did she get here?


    ¡ª I don''t know, magic? I don''t have much mana, because of my curse.


    ¡ª I see... I can''t use magic either.


    ¡ª I''m pretty sure you can. But you don''t look like the type of fighter who relies on magic anyway.


    ¡ª How could you tell?


    ¡ª You don''t use magic, but you seem pretty strong to me. And that''s saying something.


    I don''t anything about this world yet... what if he''s stronger than me?


    ¡ª How strong are you? I mean, do you people have a scale?


    ¡ª We''re in my kingdom right now. Unizard told me your world knows what a kingdom looks like, am I right? It''s pretty big.


    ¡ª Yeah. It may be a little different, but it''s an easy scale to imagine.


    ¡ª If I tried really hard, I could wipe thousands of this kingdom in 1 seconds or less.


    What?! Even sis would take at least 2 seconds to do that! Well, I guess both are out of my reach anyway...


    ¡ª That''s... surely impressive.


    ¡ª Oh, come on, I know you can impress me more than I impress you. That''s why you''re going to fight the strongest royal guard in this kingdom. Everything here is decided by fighting, so you''ll have to prove your worth.


    ¡ª Are your subordinates as strong as you?


    ¡ª Of course not. Actually, Gimerus is way weaker than us three. I''m sure you can handle him.


    ¡ª I hope so. Man, why is this place so fucking hot?


    ¡ª Hot? Oh, I forgot Freet was cooling us down. I don''t know, this biome is just hotter than normal.


    ¡ª That''s bullshit, you''re just trying to excuse the bad architecture of your castle. Why the dark walls? Are you fucking insane? Your guards will die like this!


    The grey-haired girl stepped forward, glaring at Yuto with murderous intent.


    ¡ª Watch your mouth, mouse. Don''t ever disrespect your king.


    ¡ª He''s not even my king!


    The king dismissed the concern:


    ¡ª Tempera, he''s right, let''s hear what he has to say. After all, his country is more technologically advanced than ours.


    ¡ª But...


    ¡ª You know I don''t care about respect. Fight is the only thing that matters here.


    ¡ª Understood, king!


    ¡ª Now, boy, do you have something against dark walls? They''re aesthetically pleasing to me.


    ¡ª Are you serious? I thought you at least had this knowledge... Dark colors absorb more light than brigther colors, thus warming the environment. This is a fucking stove at this point! How can your guards bear this?


    ¡ª I don''t know, magic? They have more mana than I do. If they can''t cool themselves, they aren''t worthy of their position.


    ¡ª You''re insane. Is there any good kingdom on this planet? I won''t play your little game.


    ¡ª Actually, thank you, boy. Unizard told me about the dark colors, but I was too busy at the time and forgot. I''ll try to do something later. Or not. Freet can just cool the castle instead.


    ¡ª Busy? Doing what? Also, who the hell is Freet?


    ¡ª Managing a country is harder than it seems. I have to fight rebellious groups all the time. Freet is my friend right here.


    He pointed at the boy with dark blue hair.


    ¡ª Also, we haven''t introduced ourselves yet. My name''s Wave, king of Lunig. She''s my right arm, Tempera. And Freet is our support. We''re the invincible trio.


    ¡ª Invincible, huh? We''ll know about that. I''m Yuto.


    ¡ª Right, Yuto. Let me ask you something: before you fight Gimerus, do you want any preparation? Like changing your clothes or healing your body?


    ¡ª I''m fine. Also, I''m sorry for being rude. I''m not used to heat, so it affected my brain.


    ¡ª Speaking of which, we can cast a spell to cool your body. Otherwise, the heat can make you destroy more than necessary.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I wasn''t complaining because of me. I can cool myself with my power. I was just worried about the guards. But I can''t let them know my power yet.


    ¡ª What about a black t-shirt?


    ¡ª Wait, really? Didn''t you just say this place was a living hell?


    ¡ª That''s the reason. I''ll become worthy of your attention if I endure the heat, right?


    Oi oi, boy. You''re not adjusted to this planet''s gravity yet, I know that. Unizard said that her world was smaller... How can you bear the difference in gravity and temperature?


    ¡ª I guess you''re right. Also, forget about the destruction part. This planet is much bigger than yours, so you can break anything you want. Outside of the kingdom, of course.


    ¡ª Thank you for the advice. I like destruction as much as you do.


    Not even a reaction? There''s no way you''re not impressed by the sheer size of this sandbox. I''m sure your world would collapse if a fight of this magnitude happened.


    ¡ª Wonderful. Eternia, get this man a black t-shirt.


    The white-eyed beauty stood up promptly.


    ¡ª Understood, king!


    Yuto was ready for the fight, now dressed all in black. For some reason, they had clothes almost identical to those on Earth. They were probably imported from another developed nation. He forced himself to use his freezing power constantly, to use it even when he was sleeping.


    He was now at the entrance to the castle, at the top of a huge staircase. He looked around. The place was quite big. It was a kind of square, but it also served as an arena. For small-scale fights, of course.


    Gimerus was a tall and muscular war veteran. His armor was black, like anything on the castle. Only his head was not covered by the armor. He had short blond hair and several scars on his face. He only had his right arm.


    ¡ª Greetings, warrior.


    ¡ª So you''re Gimerus. Wait, can''t you use magic?


    ¡ª I can, to some extent. Why the question?


    ¡ª Your arm... Why didn''t you heal it?


    ¡ª This is a trophy of a great battle. I had no reason to get rid of it.


    ¡ª I see... I know someone who was like you.


    Now that I think about it, why did Exwind have that scar on his face? I guess he and this guard would be great friends.


    ¡ª Enough talking. Shall we start the fight?


    ¡ª After you.


    Gimerus took a greatsword from his back. It was bigger than Yuto. He swung it, trying to hit his opponent, who jumped to dodge it. The guard was quick enough to kick him and throw his body towards the curb, breaking it. Yuto held onto the edge to keep from falling.


    Ouch... Controlling molecules and fighting at once is pretty exhausting. I can''t keep hiding my power anymore.


    Yuto climbed it and rushed towards Gimerus, who swung his sword again. Yuto crouched down on his knees to slide until he was behind the guard. Predicting it, he stepped on the floor with such strength that their distance increased. He jumped back, not letting Yuto get closer to him.


    However, Yuto flew towards him with such speed that he could not see it. His knee connected with the guard''s face, launching him away. He travelled tens of kilometers, piercing a mountain in the plateau and falling on the vast and flat surface. Yuto arrived right after.


    ¡ª I didn''t want to destroy your pretty castle. Now we don''t have to hold back!


    ¡ª I''m impressed, warrior. Don''t let me down.


    Gimerus swung his sword again, but it grew in size. It got big enough to reach Yuto, who was more than 10 meters away. In response, he blocked the massive blade with his arm, sending him flying at least a kilometer away. He punched the ground to slow his momentum.


    Suddenly, the place started shaking. The sword became thousands of times larger than the original. It came from below, causing a massive ravine to form. Yuto jumped high enough to reach the clouds. The sword didn''t stop.


    Yuto waited for it to arrive and grabbed the blade. Smiling, he headbutted it with such force that it broke, sending multiple colossal shrapnel everywhere and destroying mountains in the way. The impact also dissipated the clouds in a kilometer radius and made a crater on the ground.


    The rest of the sword was thrown towards him, who catched it with his power and threw it back. Another enormous ravine appeared, changing the barren landscape. Gimerus jumped high enough to throw a punch at Yuto with his maximum strength. The wind erased the clouds in the way.


    Yuto punched him the stomach, releasing a shockwave that reached the surface. Then, a kick. Finally, he joined his fists to punch him down, destroying the landscape once more. A huge chunk of land started levitating by Yuto''s power. He launched it towards the guard, who punched it, redirecting it. It grew much bigger in the way.


    Yuto catched it again and broke it with his power, sending multiple rock spikes everywhere. Gimerus got hit by some, but managed to jump from one to another, until he was closer to Yuto. He punched the air and increased the size of his glove tremendously. It flew towards Yuto, who couldn''t catch it in time.


    His body was sent so far away that the curvature of the planet became visible. He finally noticed how big it was. There were multiple biomes and some moons were orbiting it.


    Alright, here is easier to do that.


    Yuto made the glove stay in the air. He landed on top of it and punched it with both hands. Suddenly, the object started freezing. It was slow at first, but then it was already colder than space. Yuto pushed it with his legs.


    It fell like a comet, except it was taking longer to melt into the atmosphere. It hit the surface almost intact. The impact was stronger than that of an atomic bomb. Gimerus managed to outrun it by very little.


    Yuto arrived behind him and punched his back. Before he could react, Yuto kicked him in a different direction, disorienting him. He continued landing hits so quickly that the guard had to surrender.


    ¡ª Y-You''ve passed the trial, warrior!


    ¡ª Alright.


    Yuto stopped immediately. The guard tried to compose himself, but was still scared.


    ¡ª Thank you, Gimerus.


    ¡ª I should be the one thanking you. I haven''t fought someone as strong as you in years.


    ¡ª You won''t lose your arm this time. I feel like you would keep that as a trophy, so it would be a bit cruel.


    ¡ª Thank you again, warrior.


    Yuto arrived at the castle again. In the hallway, dozens of royal guards full of armor bowed before him.


    This is the definition of government by the strong for the strong, huh...


    He entered the throne room. The three and Eternia, the white-eyed girl, were waiting for his arrival. She smiled, relieved. Immediately, she turned to face the king and bowed as low as she could.


    ¡ª My king! I have a favor to ask Your Majesty!


    ¡ª Why all this, Eternia? We are family.


    ¡ª This may be sacrilege, so I beg you. Please, can I visit my real family?


    ¡ª Yeah. Why not?


    ¡ª R-Really?


    ¡ª Yes. You haven''t seen them in years, right? I have no reason to object.


    ¡ª Years are nothing to me, my king... but I''m starting to regret some past choices.


    ¡ª Go ahead. We''ve only captured you because your brother agreed to it and you didn''t really care.


    ¡ª My head was in another place at that time... Thank you, my king.


    Suddenly, the grey-haired girl screamed:


    ¡ª W-Wait!


    Even the king was surprised:


    ¡ª Tempera? What''s on your mind?


    ¡ª I''m sorry, king! Eternia, y-you''re going to meet Stalor, right?


    Yuto froze after hearing that name.


    Stalor?! She''s not talking about the one I know, right? Why would he be here anyway?


    ¡ª Yes, Tempera-sama. After all, it is to him that I owe the most.


    ¡ª Can I... go with you? O-On duty, of course! I''ll be your bodyguard, that''s all!


    ¡ª I''m pretty sure Yuto is enough to protect me...


    Wait, me?!


    The dark blue haired boy smiled mischievously.


    ¡ª Eternia, I think you should let her go with you. She''s really eager, can''t you see?


    Tempera was blushing a bit. It was almost impossible for her to show any emotion. Freet, on the other hand, smiled almost all the time. Now, he had a very good reason to smile. Eternia accepted it:


    ¡ª Oh... that''s okay, Tempera-sama. I will obey any order that comes from you.


    Tempera jumped from the top of the stairs and ran towards her room. Eternia smiled to Yuto:


    ¡ª Thank you, Yuto. Stalor is a dimensional traveler, so I thought you might like to see him. And because of you, I have a reason to visit my family.


    ¡ª So you were using me this whole time... I''m joking, alright? I want to see your family too. Thank you.


    They hugged each other.


    I''ll need a translator and a guide, so I have no choice. Also, I want to meet this Stalor. I''m not tripping, right?