As I rushed toward Visor, a massive tree crashed to the ground ahead of me, sending a wave of dirt and dust into my face. I raised my arm to shield my eyes. When the dust cleared, I saw Visor locked in combat with Alex—fighting hand-to-hand, without using his power.
I clicked my tongue in frustration. Why hasn't he used his ability this whole time?
I wanted to help him, but a loud gunshot rang out and struck the ground right in front of me. I froze and looked up.
Caitlyn stood in the trees, smiling down at me with that irritating, smug expression.
"Don't disturb them, Kuroki," she said sweetly, her voice laced with sarcasm.
I stared at her coldly.
She tilted her head and added, "We're going to win this... because I really don't want you to punch me."
That fake-innocent smile made my blood boil.
I drew my katana. She raised her gun in return. Just as she began to pull the trigger, I activated my technique—blinking to her blind spot in a flash. I swung my blade toward her back, but she twisted away just in time, disappearing into the woods.
We clashed as we moved—her firing shot after shot, me deflecting each one with swift katana strikes. The echo of gunfire and steel slicing through the air filled the forest.
Her magazine clicked empty.
That was my chance.
I lunged.
She blocked with her gun—but the impact split it in half.
"You broke my favorite gun," she said casually, as if we weren't mid-fight.
I didn't answer. I kept slashing, pressing her harder and harder until her back hit a tree. With one swift move, I snatched the watch from her wrist.
Caitlyn was eliminated.
She let out a long sigh, smiling. "Well, you win."
At that moment, another tree fell behind us with a thunderous crash. I turned to see Alex being thrown backward, his transformation fading as he returned to his human form. Standing in the dust and debris was Visor, surrounded by a swirling black smoke—his power, finally revealed.
Regret tugged at me.
I should've finished my fight earlier… I didn't get to witness Visor's true strength.
He looked over at me and raised his wrist, showing his watch.
I raised mine in return.
He smiled, the silent confirmation of our victory shared between us.
After the match, the three of them—Zack, Alex, and Caitlyn—stood, ready to accept their punishment: a punch from me. But I let them rest.
"Tomorrow," I said. "You'll get your punishment tomorrow."
They agreed—except Caitlyn, of course. She insisted on taking her punch now, claiming she wanted to heal as soon as possible. I refused.
Visor and Mia backed me up.
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
Tomorrow came.
We stood in the open field. The others were lined up, ready to take their punishment. I didn't bother warming up—just enough force to hurt, not break. That was the deal.
First up was Alex.
I gave them permission to use their powers for protection, but they underestimated me. They thought I was weak. All of them—except Caitlyn.
She knew better. She'd already activated her powers.
I took a deep breath, set my stance, and faced Alex. With a flash of my technique, I appeared right in front of him and landed a solid punch.
He didn't see it coming.
His body launched backward, skipping across the field. At the last second, he managed to activate his ability to soften the blow—but the damage was still rough. Mia rushed in to heal him, fast and precise as always.
Visor burst out laughing.
Next was Zack. But his smile had vanished.
He looked terrified.
He summoned two steel shields—crafted by Caitlyn herself—to defend against my strike. Smart move.
I stepped up, same stance, same speed. One punch.
He flew back too, though not as far as Alex, thanks to his shields and powers. Still, he took damage. Mia patched him up, her hands glowing as she worked.
Finally, Caitlyn.
She smiled mischievously. "Kuroki, this is my last message to you... I love you. As your team captain."
I rolled my eyes. I knew she'd say something dramatic.
She braced herself, every ounce of her power activated.
I struck.
She didn't fly, but scars spread across her arms where she blocked. She winced.
"I am never making bets with you again, Kuroki," she muttered. Then turned to Zack and Alex. "And you two—don't you ever let me do that again."
They both nodded like scolded kids.
Visor was still laughing. He slapped me on the back."This is the best entertainment I've ever seen."
For a moment, I felt... lighter. Like my soul could breathe.
Caitlyn cleared her throat and announced, "Training resumes this afternoon—after Mia finishes healing the destruction you caused."
Everyone groaned, but we agreed.
Since they were all nursing bruises from my punches, I was assigned to help with lunch.
I sliced ingredients. Visor cooked. Mia set the table with plates and utensils. Somehow, it felt nice—calm, simple.
After lunch, training resumed.
Zack ran 100 kilometers nonstop.Visor meditated, focused and unmoving.Alex trained with weights, pushing his limits.Mia kept healing Caitlyn—who, disturbingly, kept cutting herself slightly to help Mia practice her healing.And me? I trained with a bow and arrow.
Target: 800 meters.
Ridiculous.
Caitlyn had figured out my weakness: long-range combat. She was merciless. But I had to push through. For my team. For fairness. If I slacked, they'd start complaining—and they'd be right.
As I finally hit the target, I looked up at the sky.
"Zeff," I whispered, "guide us to change this world."
As evening fell, Caitlyn prepared her specialty: delicious cured beef, a delicacy from the Philippines. She was proud of her culture and loved sharing it with us. It made the meal even more meaningful.
After dinner, everyone headed back to their rooms.
I stayed behind to help Caitlyn with the dishes. As we washed, we planned tomorrow's training. Harder, smarter, better.
One day at a time.
The next day came fast.
Caitlyn stood in front of us with a grin and said, "Get your bags ready—we're going somewhere."
I narrowed my eyes. What was she planning?
For context, the night before, I only mentioned where we needed improvement. I didn't suggest any new training plan. But here she was, already dragging us into some unknown situation.
Still, we followed her orders and packed only the essentials.
She drove us to a strange, towering building—one I'd never seen before. It had no signs, no logos, no welcome.
Just silence.
When we got out of the car, she raised her hand and proudly said, "Tada!"
Everyone laughed—even Mia.
I didn't.
I just stared at her, cold and expressionless.
She caught my look and immediately straightened her posture, clearing her throat."I, uh… invited some friends. You're going to fight them—as a team," she explained. "Once we step inside, the fight begins. So let's plan first."
We formed a quick circle around her.
Her plan was solid. Caitlyn and Mia would stay in the back as support. Mia would handle protection and healing, while Caitlyn would command and gather intel. The rest of us—me, Visor, Zack, and Alex—would be the frontline.
We all nodded.
One rule: listen to Caitlyn at all times. She had gadgets scanning the entire building. With her tech and tactical mind, she could feed us real-time updates on enemy movement and identities.
No one argued. We trusted her.
Mia activated a large barrier that enveloped the group. Around her and Caitlyn, she activated her strongest shield—smart move.
Caitlyn opened a holographic screen and launched her scanners.
Within moments, she sent each of us the enemy profiles. Data was flooding in—heights, locations, possible abilities.
The battle had begun.
We split up into formation. Alex stayed behind to guard the support team. The rest of us—me, Visor, and Zack—charged toward the second floor.
As we turned a dark corridor, we entered a wide room.
There were two adults inside.
One was seated on the floor, perfectly still.The other leaned lazily against a pole, but when he noticed us—his eyes flashed blood red.
A chill ran down my spine. Red eyes… why do they look so familiar?
Before I could piece it together, Visor suddenly yanked me down and threw me to the floor.
I was about to shout at him, but—
Whoosh!
A weapon whizzed past where my head had just been.
If he hadn't pulled me down, I would've been dead.
The seated man had thrown a spinning weapon directly at me—silent, fast, and deadly. And just like that, it returned to his hand like a boomerang.
He grinned, tilting his head slightly."Ah... this might actually be fun," he said, eyes glinting.
We immediately dropped into battle stance.
I quickly tapped my earpiece.
"Captain—we've found two enemies on the second floor. Engaging now."
The real fight had just begun.