Kerry was taken aback—Xiao Feng's punch struck with astonishing speed. Instinctively, he attempted to evade, but failed. The blow lifted him clean off the ground, as if he were no more than a feather on the wind.
Just as Kerry had once hurled Xiao Feng into the air with a single strike, now Xiao Feng returned the favor with identical vengeance.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Feng twisted his body into a brutal spinning kick that landed squarely on Kerry's chest.
This kick carried far more force than the one Kerry had previously dealt him. Kerry's slight frame was sent flying backward, landing with a crash over ten meters away. He tumbled across the ground in disarray, finally curling up in agony, his once-pristine suit now sullied with dust and grime.
A cry escaped Kelly's lips. "Brother!"With both hands raised, she unleashed twin arcs of electricity, crackling toward Xiao Feng like serpents of lightning.
No one understood Kerry's power better than Kelly. His gift was speed—lightning-fast reflexes that few could rival. Yet now, she saw with her own eyes that Xiao Feng's movements were even swifter, his strength even greater. At this moment, she held nothing back.
Previously, she had dismissed Xiao Feng's successful strikes as mere tricks—cheap ambushes. But now, witnessing his full strength firsthand, she no longer doubted it: Xiao Feng was indeed a gifted one—an esper—and his abilities were not to be underestimated.
Xiao Feng, however, did not view himself as one of their kind. He simply knew he was fast, uncommonly strong, and possessed heightened senses—keen eyesight and a sharper-than-average nose—but in his mind, it had nothing to do with supernatural powers.
He agilely dodged the electric arcs, leaping gracefully onto a windowsill, then bounding upward in an attempt to scale the building.
But in that instant, he felt a powerful grip seize his ankle. Glancing down, he saw Kerry—battered but far from finished. With both feet braced against the wall, Kerry summoned every ounce of remaining strength and yanked Xiao Feng downward.
Xiao Feng lost his grip and came crashing down, slamming into the ground with a heavy thud. He rolled aside just in time—two blinding arcs of electricity scorched the spot where he had landed only seconds before, leaving behind charred, smoldering craters.
Pain seared through every inch of Xiao Feng's body. Struck by lightning, slammed to the ground, battered and bruised—he moved sluggishly, his energy sapped.
As he staggered to his feet, Kerry reappeared behind him, as if conjured from shadows. Wrapping an arm around Xiao Feng's neck, Kerry performed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw, hurling Xiao Feng like a ragdoll. He crashed into a nearby wall with a sickening crack before collapsing, motionless, onto the ground.
Kerry, panting heavily, adjusted his disheveled suit. His sleek black tie and white shirt, once immaculate, now hung loose and wrinkled. He tore the tie off with irritation and knelt beside Xiao Feng, sneering down at him."You're tougher than you look, brat," he muttered, rubbing his jaw where a smear of blood lingered. "D*mn it… that really hurt."
Kelly's expression softened with a rare smile. "Well done, Kerry. Beat him good for me."
"Enough," Kerry said, his tone cooling. "If we keep this up, we'll kill him. Better to capture him and turn him over to headquarters."
At the far end of the alley, Brada and the other mercenaries, now slowly shaking off their paralysis, looked on in stunned silence.
They had witnessed the entire battle unfold. Though their limbs were numb, their eyes still worked—and what they saw was beyond anything they could ever dream of confronting.
Xiao Feng may have been lying unconscious now, but none of them dared look down on him. After all, he had taken on two espers alone. Even in defeat, there was no shame in that. If anything, it was those two—ganging up on him—who seemed dishonorable.
Brada called out with concern, "Xiao Feng! Are you alright?" He dragged himself to his feet, breathing heavily, eyes locked on his fallen comrade. "Come on, kid, get up…"
In the hazy fog of unconsciousness, Xiao Feng heard the distant echo of his name. His fingers twitched.
Seeing this, Kerry swiftly grabbed Xiao Feng's arms and twisted them behind his back. With his torn black tie, he bound them tightly.
Then, lifting Xiao Feng effortlessly from the ground, he held him aloft. Dust clung to Xiao Feng's black hair, obscuring his eyes. He shook his head and slowly opened them.
Kerry smirked. "Still got some fight in you, huh?"But Xiao Feng ignored him, glaring instead at Kelly. With a voice hoarse from rage, he growled,"Kelly, remember this—if you don't kill me today, one day I'll strip you bare and throw you onto the street… and let those bastards have their way with you."
His words were vile, born of deep fury. Xiao Feng was beyond enraged. All of this—every confrontation—had been unprovoked. In District 64, she had tried to arrest Old White without cause. And now again, with another esper, she had come for him without reason. Xiao Feng had had enough.
Kelly's face twisted with fury. Gritting her teeth, she stormed toward him."Move aside, Kerry. I'm going to fry him myself."
Kerry hesitated. He knew well his sister's temper, but tried to remain rational."Don't, sis. If you shock him again, you might kill him. And if the League finds out you executed an esper without clearance, they'll punish you. Just beat him if you have to—but no more electricity."
"No. I won't be satisfied until I kill him myself. Move!"
The alley fell into a tense, suffocating silence. All eyes were on Kelly.
Kerry watched his sister carefully. His hand hovered near Xiao Feng's head, ready to let go. He knew all too well—if he didn't step aside quickly, he too would be caught in the arc of her fury, and the taste of that lightning was not one he wished to revisit.
Xiao Feng, still bound and bleeding, remained defiant. His rage had not cooled—on the contrary, it burned hotter than ever.He looked at Kelly and growled, "Come on, then."
Kelly paused. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
For in that moment, she saw something strange—unnatural.Xiao Feng's four canine teeth… were beginning to transform.