EXT. KISASA CITY
The streets near the central bank were silent, emptied under quarantine.
Barricades sealed the blocks, warning sirens pulsed faintly in the mist.
Captain Maro raised a hand. The squad of Hunters halted behind him, their rifles steady, breath slow.
Maro (low): "Two-tier signatures. About a dozen lesser. Survivors still inside. We move careful."
A nod passed down the line.
Moments later, the glass doors groaned open as the squad slipped inside, their boots crunching over scattered shards.
The grand bank lobby lay in ruin. Counters had been overturned, marble tiles cracked, and water dripped steadily from the ceiling, echoing faintly through the vast, broken space.
A low growl rippled through the air.
From the shadows, Tier 3 Mindless lurched forward, necks marked, eyes glowing with feral hunger. They charged.
Combat erupted in an instant.
The squad scattered into formation, weapons raised, each soldier moving with sharp, practiced precision as the air thickened with the tension of the threat.
One Hunter swept low, blade slicing tendon. Another fired precise bursts, forcing Mindless back from the staircase. The rhythm was sharp cover, strike, retreat.
Then Maro stepped forward.
His palm caught fire. A deep orange glow bled into the hall, painting the broken marble in shifting light. He swung his arm in a clean arc. The flame cracked like a whip and struck two Mindless head-on.
The impact rattled the walls. Glass shattered in the upper frames. The beasts shrieked, twisting in fire before collapsing into ash.
Dust sifted down from the ceiling. The building itself groaned under the force.
One Hunter, breathing hard as he steadied his blade, muttered without lifting his eyes:
Hunter (awed): "He is holding back but every time… he makes it look easy."
Above them, faint cries echoed from the mezzanine. Survivors pressed against the railing.
Maro's voice cut through the hall.
Maro: "Mind your strikes. Nothing touches the upper floor."
Suddenly, 2 Mindless erupted from the shadows, charging at the Hunters with terrifying speed. The first Hunter swung his sword in a desperate arc, but the blade shattered the instant it met the creature's flesh. His eyes went wide in disbelief.
Before he could react, the Mindless's fist slammed into his face. Time slowed. He flew backward, a spray of blood painting the air, his body crashing into rubble with a bone-shaking thud.
The second Hunter leapt, aiming to strike midair. The Mindless caught him effortlessly, snapping his arm like a twig. A brutal kick followed, sending him spinning through the air before he hit the ground with a gut-wrenching crash.
A second Mindless opened its mouth, roaring as fire surged from within and unleashed a searing blast of fire, scorching the air, aiming to finish them.
Suddenly. Maro appeared, moving like a shadow. His arm shot out, intercepting the flames. The fire collided with his body, and the heat blasted back in a wave. The building shuddered violently; beams cracked, dust choked the room, and debris rained down.
As the dust settled, the Mindless staggered back slightly, eyes wide with disbelief.
Mindless (smirking): "A human… stopped that blow?" it growled, a hint of awe in its voice.
Maro stepped forward, His eyes locked onto the creature.
Maro: "I will wipe you out in a flash," he said, calm but deadly, every word carrying the weight of a promise.