The narrow street in Novara's district looked even darker with the sun sinking below the horizon, long shadows from the crumbling buildings stretching over the cobblestone ground. The air felt heavy, charged with tension, as if the city itself was holding its breath, waiting to witness what was about to happen.
Milo stood firm, catching his breath after hitting the wall, his sharp eyes fixed on Raiza. His transparent energy shimmered around his hands like a protective shield. Across from him, Raiza raised her sword again, the crimson aura radiating from its blade with deadly precision and barely contained fury.
On the other side, Lucas pressed his bleeding nose with his hand, then slowly rose to his feet. His grip on the glowing twin pistols tightened, his sharp eyes never leaving Lazaro, who approached with a fluid grace. Every movement of Lazaro's, every step and twist, felt like a lethal dance effortless, precise, and dangerously unpredictable
Milo lunged forward, fists glowing with energy, aiming a punch at Raiza. She met it instantly, her crimson sword blocking the strike with a sharp clash. The impact jolted Milo back, but he stayed focused, readying himself for the next move.
Raiza moved with lightning speed, launching three consecutive strikes at Milo with her sword. Milo paused for a moment, whispering to himself, "Stay calm… just focus."
With remarkable speed, he dodged all three attacks, then threw another punch toward her. Raiza blocked it with her arm once again and stepped back slightly, a challenging smile on her face.
Milo gathered energy in his hand and surged toward her with speed. He threw a punch, which Raiza blocked, but the force caused her to wobble slightly, her arms rising high.
Milo smiled at her. "Time for the counter."
He lifted his leg, aiming a kick at her stomach, intending to follow up on his previous strike. But Raiza intercepted it with her knee, stopping him mid-attack.
Milo was slightly taken aback.
Raiza looked at him with eyes full of disdain:
"The combat level between us, boy… is different."
Raiza gathered energy into her sword and dashed toward Milo at incredible speed. She moved straight at him, as if passing through his body, and at the same moment launched an attack with her sword.
Milo raised his energy shield instantly, focusing all his power to block the sudden, powerful strike.
Milo dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.
"Damn… she's really strong," he muttered.
On the other side, Lucas and Lazaro faced each other, tension crackling in the air. Lucas tightened his grip on his twin pistols, eyes sharp and focused, while Lazaro moved with fluid precision, ready to strike at any opening.
Lazaro began his capoeira dance, moving his long, flexible body with incredible fluidity. His thick dreadlocks swayed with every motion, and his dark eyes glimmered with focus and calm. Lucas stared at him, a mix of surprise and irritation on his face, his messy brown hair falling over his forehead, a faint scar on his left cheek adding to his sharp look.
"What the hell are you doing? Are you mocking me?" Lucas muttered.
Lazaro continued dancing, his movements becoming even smoother and lighter, each step unpredictable and dangerous. Lucas raised his pistols, noticing that Lazaro seemed completely unfazed.
"Take this!" he shouted, firing two energy shots at Lazaro.
With astonishing speed and grace, Lazaro deflected the shots, sending them straight back toward Lucas. Startled and shocked, Lucas leapt to the side, eyes wide, heart racing from the sudden burst of energy.
Lucas thought to himself, "Did he just reflect my attack? How?"
Lazaro kept dancing, his movements now incredibly fluid, sparks and energy radiating from him.
"What… what's the matter, Mr. Twin Pistols? Are you scared?" Lazaro shouted, his voice full of challenge and mockery, as he continued his rhythmic, threatening motions.
Lucas fired more shots, his anger evident, trying to overwhelm Lazaro. Yet, every shot ricocheted unpredictably in different directions.
Meanwhile, Lazaro's energy grew even more massive, sparks flying around him as he moved with unmatched fluidity, completely in control of the chaotic assault.
Lucas grew even angrier.
"Damn… he's reflecting all my attacks! How?!" he thought. "There's only one way."
He advanced toward Lazaro, attempting to strike him at close range.
But Lazaro suddenly smiled in the middle of his dance, releasing a powerful gust of wind that sent Lucas flying backward, losing his balance.
Lucas landed, stunned, unable to comprehend anything that was happening.
Suddenly, Lazaro surged toward him with incredible speed, his movements agile and precise.
Using his capoeira skills, he aimed a kick at Lucas. Lucas tried to block it, but Lazaro pushed his arms aside, breaking through his defense.
He began a rapid, continuous series of kicks. Lucas struggled to defend himself, but it was useless every attempt failed. Lazaro's superiority was overwhelming.
Lazaro delivered a powerful strike to Lucas's stomach, then pushed him away. Lucas fell to the ground, gasping for breath, trying to recover from the fierce attack.
Lucas lay on the cold cobblestone, his breath ragged, pride shattered.
"Why are my enemies always stronger?" he whispered, voice shaking.
Flashes of defeat burned through his mind Milo standing over him, then faceless figures striking him down again and again.
Lazaro suddenly stopped, his fluid movements coming to a halt.
The energy that had been swirling around him slowly faded away until nothing remained.
He looked at Lucas with a disappointed, almost bored expression.
"Damn… you've really let me down. You're far too weak."
His gaze shifted toward the other side of the street, where the clash of energy still echoed.
There, he saw Milo on one knee, gasping for breath as Raiza walked toward him slowly and confidently.
A faint smirk formed on Lazaro's lips.
"Even your friend… is weak."
On the other side, Milo stood, slowly rising to his feet.
He glanced over his shoulder, tilting his head slightly as he assessed Raiza.
"She's incredibly strong… I don't think I can win, even if I use my unique ability," he murmured to himself, tension tightening his chest.
"And I won't even be able to run… if I try, they might hurt Lucas."
He fixed his gaze on Raiza, his eyes wary and calculating.
"Besides… this girl will never leave me alone, not even if I ran," he murmured, tension tightening his chest.
Milo stood tensely, his shoulders tight, hands slightly clenched at his sides.
His eyes glimmered with caution, yet a faint smile tugged at his lips, hinting at a hidden enjoyment despite the anxiety gripping his chest.
His body was alert, every muscle coiled, every breath a mix of tension and thrill, as if he were savoring the challenge in front of him.
Raiza noticed the faint smile on Milo's lips and felt as if he was deliberately trying to provoke her.
"Are you mocking me?" she shouted, surging toward him. Her crimson aura flared violently, and a strand of her red hair shimmered in the glow.
At the same time, Milo spread his transparent energy halo, standing ready.
Calm… calm… no need to panic, he whispered to himself.
Raiza's sword reached him, cutting through the air with deadly precision. But Milo reacted instantly, striking her hand with his foot and causing her to lose balance. He pretended to try and knock her weapon away. Raiza quickly pulled back her sword, but in doing so, her defense was left exposed.
Milo seized the moment and delivered a swift kick to her jaw, forcing her to step back slightly from him.
Milo stood firm, chest heaving.
I finally landed a hit, he thought, a brief spark of triumph in his eyes.
Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy shot toward him one he hadn't anticipated.
It was Lazaro, charging straight at him, moving with fluid grace as he recharged his attack through his dance.
Milo unleashed a burst of energy toward him, but Lazaro reflected it with the same effortless control.
Milo's eyes widened in shock. I didn't see this coming… I'm in trouble.
But then, from a distance, Lucas smiled. Both of his pistols glowed as he fired a beam of energy straight at Lazaro.
"Take this, you dancing bastard!" he shouted.
Raiza, holding her jaw, called out urgently:
"Watch out!"
The beam struck Lazaro, and a small explosion rocked the ground beneath them, dust rising from the impact.
While Milo was distracted by the chaos around him, Raiza seized the opportunity, lunging at him with speed, her anger barely contained.
"I warned you before, boy!" she shouted.
Milo realized the attack at the last moment and tried to dodge, but despite his efforts, he took a hit to his side, a small trickle of blood appearing from the wound.
He stepped back, gasping in pain, his eyes sharp and alert, fully aware of the danger still looming around him.
Lucas watched Milo's injury from a distance, his heart tightening.
He tried to move closer to help, but when he glanced toward the site of the small explosion, he saw Lazaro standing there, hands raised in defense, completely unscathed.
Rage and fear exploded inside Lucas.
"Even… even my strongest attacks don't affect you! What… what kind of being are you, you bastard?!"
Lazaro smiled faintly and resumed his capoeira dance, his movements fluid and menacing.
As he moved, his eyes locked onto Lucas.
"You're dead!" he spat.
Lazaro surged toward Lucas with incredible speed.
Lucas remained still, his eyes locked on him.
Without hesitation, Lazaro delivered a powerful kick aimed at Lucas's face.
But Lucas resisted, and in a sudden move, he pressed one of his pistols against Lazaro's chest and the other against his abdomen.
Half of his face revealed a confident smile.
"You can block my attacks from afar… but how about from this distance?" he said.
Lucas shouted, unleashing a powerful beam from both pistols.
A close-range shockwave erupted!
Lazaro, caught off guard, had not anticipated this. The sudden blast struck him squarely, causing him to wince in pain, blood trickling from his mouth.
Lucas moved swiftly, pressing both of his pistols against Lazaro's chest once again as he leapt toward him.
"You've been reflecting my attacks because you can control the wind while dancing… but none of that will help you against me, I'm Lucas!" he shouted, eyes blazing with determination.
Lazaro spun into a rapid aerial "au," his legs forming an arc in the air, propelling Lucas several meters away.
Lucas flew through the air before crashing onto the ground, stunned, while Lazaro landed steadily on his feet, a faint smile on his face despite the blood trickling from his mouth from Lucas's sudden blast.
Lucas stood stunned, muttering to himself, feeling a deep sense of inadequacy.
"This guy has every technique to defeat me, even at close range… Is it just because he's talented? Why can't I be strong like him, like anyone… why!"
Anger surged through him, and his energy pistols suddenly vanished from his hands.
He charged toward Lazaro, his eyes blazing with determination.
Lazaro looked at him, surprised and intrigued.
"Huh… what are you doing, twin pistols?"
Lucas raised his fists, striking Lazaro with a powerful punch, energy coursing through his hands.
He unleashed a flurry of rapid punches, each one faster than the last.
"Is this the way I'll win?" he shouted, challenging his opponent with all his strength.
Lazaro hadn't resisted at first, taking Lucas's blows one after another, as if testing his strength.
Suddenly, with a swift movement, he pushed Lucas's hands away from his body
"Damn… you're not a real Marksman, you're just a loser!" Lazaro shouted, his eyes gleaming with surprise and mockery.
The ground beneath Lazaro remained still, yet he moved like a living surge of energy, his body low to the ground, poised for the final strike. Suddenly, his rear leg shimmered with a halo of energy, sparks flickering in the gathering darkness around him. Every muscle was charged, every movement calculated with deadly precision.
Lucas, preoccupied with the flurry of punches he had thrown earlier, didn't realize what was happening until the very last moment. His eyes widened in shock as he shouted, "What?!"—but he couldn't raise his hands in time.
Without warning, Lazaro's foot shot forward like a missile, propelled by the full rotation of his body. The air around it twisted and screamed from the sheer speed. The force of the movement intensified with every spin, every part of Lazaro's body contributing to the strike.
The foot connected directly with Lucas's head. The impact echoed through the street, as if the very ground itself shuddered. Lucas's head snapped backward, and gravity dragged his body down with terrifying speed. Before anyone could react, he hit the ground, unconscious, leaving the street momentarily silent, charged with awe at Lazaro's overwhelming power.
Lazaro sat calmly on the back of the unconscious Lucas, leaning slightly to maintain his balance, his eyes fixed on the scene before him.
A few steps away, Milo and Raiza's battle raged on, every movement brimming with speed and energy, every strike carrying lethal intent.
A faint smile curved Lazaro's lips as he watched, savoring the spectacle like a living dance of skill and power, his body still pulsing with energy after felling Lucas.
From the other side of the alley, Milo and Raiza could be seen clearly, as if they were the center of all the tension in the street.
Milo stood upright, blood trickling from his side after Raiza's strike, yet he didn't lose his focus. His eyes tracked his opponent carefully, the transparent aura around him shimmering, readying him for a counterattack.
Raiza paused for a moment, then carefully slid her crimson sword into its sheath
Milo stared at her, hand pressed against his bleeding side, bewilderment cutting through the pain.
"What are you doing?" he managed, voice tight.
Raiza stood calm and unshaken, the faint glow of her aura framing her like a threat.
"No need to spill more of your blood," she said coolly. "All I need to do now is tire you out… then finish you with my bare hands."
Milo smiled, his eyes glinting with calm confidence despite the pain in his side.
"You know? That's exactly what's going to make me win," he murmured, as if sharing a small secret.
Raiza's expression stiffened for a moment, then she let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Ugh, boys these days… You really think a single cheap trick can turn the fight? Or that I can't fight with my bare hands?"
I've spent my short life fighting," Raiza said, her voice sharp, eyes cold. "I've become a guardian of Mr Tavian. And you, spoiled boy, think your little talent can surpass me physically?"
Milo felt a surge of worry and anger at her insult, though he kept his composure.
Suddenly, Raiza struck with blinding speed, her crimson aura blazing around her. Her body lunged toward Milo, her right fist colliding with him with immense force.
Milo raised his defenses instantly, his transparent aura shielding him from the full impact, but he still felt the raw power in her strike, the force traveling through his arm. Despite his block, the punch pushed him back slightly, leaving a sharp sting along his side.
Raiza darted past his right side, her right fist striking Milo's face with a powerful blow, but he managed to catch her hand for a moment, leaving his left side exposed where the wound was still open.
With a sharp strike from her right hand, she hit him directly at the wound. Pain shot through his body, and he felt his balance start to falter. He tried to regain control, but it wasn't enough.
Raiza didn't give him a chance. She grabbed him firmly by the shoulder and lifted her knee, driving it into his stomach. Milo's body was pushed backward, the pain intensifying, forcing him to sway as he searched desperately for a foothold amidst her relentless assault.
Milo gathered the last of his strength and placed his hand on Raiza's stomach. He released a weak surge of energy not enough to cause real harm, but enough to push her back a few steps.
Raiza didn't step back far; she quickly closed the distance to continue her assault. She launched a swift strike with her left hand aimed at Milo's face, but he dodged to the right just in time to avoid it.
However, Raiza wasn't done. Her right hand shot toward his left side, taking advantage of the slight lapse in his defense after the previous evasion.
Milo lifted his knee at the last moment to block the strike and placed his hands on the ground to maintain his balance. But she didn't give him a chance to recover. Her knee slammed into his stomach with force, pushing him off balance. He staggered and bent forward, pain radiating through his already wounded side as he dangled helplessly on the ground.
Milo glanced toward Lucas's side, and shock hit him hard as he saw his friend unconscious, with Lazaro sitting mercilessly on top of him.
A wave of despair washed over him, the weight in his chest suddenly heavy. He muttered under his breath, bitterly:
"Damn…"
As Milo struggled to stand, Raiza wasted no time and lunged at him immediately, her sword aimed with speed and precision.
Suddenly, a mysterious red energy erupted from within Milo, glowing around him for a brief moment. Raiza instinctively stepped back, startled by the sudden force she hadn't anticipated.
Almost as quickly as it appeared, the energy vanished, leaving Raiza stunned, her eyes fixed on Milo with caution and curiosity, as if realizing that something had shifted in the course of the battle.
Milo stood firm, his shoulders tense, eyes gleaming with newfound resolve and confidence despite the pain that radiated from his side. His transparent aura glowed faintly, as if responding to the brief burst of red energy that had just erupted. His dark brown hair, slightly tousled from the battle, fluttered lightly with his movements, giving him a dynamic, almost alive appearance amidst the tension.
Raiza stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise.
"What was that?" she whispered, unable to hide her shock at the sudden power that had emerged within him.
Raiza drew her sword once again, her aura blazing with intense energy. She spoke with a sharp grin:
"As I expected… you've been hiding something."
Her blade turned a deep crimson, and she lunged at Milo with blinding speed, the echo of her steps resonating through the narrow street.
"This is the last one for you!" she shouted, her eyes filled with determination and aggression.
Milo channeled his energy into his hand and surged toward her, moving slightly slower but still impressively fast, concentrating every ounce of power into each motion.
As they neared each other, a red glow began to emanate from Milo. His left eye turned a vivid crimson, and red energy coiled around his hand, as if a new power had awakened within him, ready to potentially change the course of the battle in an instant.
A mysterious figure appeared, his voice calm but commanding:
"Tier 4 techniques: Blink!"
In an instant, he or rather, she materialized between Milo and Raiza. It was Celestine. Her presence seemed to bend the air around her, moving with impossible speed.
Her right hand shot toward Milo's left fist, closing around it with unyielding precision. Simultaneously, her left hand darted toward Raiza's right fist, grabbing it mid-swing. With a smooth, fluid motion, she twisted Raiza's hand, redirecting the trajectory of her crimson sword harmlessly to the side.
The two attacks were frozen in place, stopped mid-air, yet neither Milo nor Raiza felt pain only the overwhelming force of Celestine's control. Her black hair with a faint violet hue flowed behind her, perfectly in sync with her movements, and her calm, focused eyes scanned them both as if reading every intent before it could manifest.
Milo stood frozen, his eyes locked on Celestine.
"Who is this woman?" he muttered to himself, suddenly hiding his red energy and returning to his usual form.
Raiza, meanwhile, stared at her with even greater astonishment, her eyes sharp and body tense. Thoughts raced through her mind:
"I can't believe it… could it really be her? What is she doing here? How did she find out about this? Did they call her? Will the security come?"
She then glanced at Milo's face and felt a slight reassurance. His expression mirrored his surprise "he clearly didn't recognize her either".
The atmosphere around the three was tense; the silence hung heavy, as if the air itself had paused between Celestine's mysterious past and the present chaos.
Lazaro stood behind Lucas, a sly smile curling on his lips.
"Oh… wait a second, I think I know this lady! Damn, this is getting exciting!"
Celestine looked at Milo with a calm, steady gaze, then shifted her eyes to Raiza, her stare even more composed and measured.
She let out a slow sigh.
"Ah… I guess I'll have to deal with this, then…"
Milo stared at Celestine, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Her composed presence, the calm strength in her gaze, made him pause he could feel the weight of her authority and skill radiating quietly, yet unmistakably.