The night was cloaked in silence, the air heavy and unmoving. Suddenly, a faint shimmer danced in the darkness. Without warning, Agent Umbra sprang forward from his hidden vantage point, a shadowy figure poised to strike. Lila stood her ground, her expression unchanging, as if expecting his ambush. She pivoted gracefully, her eyes locked onto Umbra's, and in that moment, the night shattered with a deafening BOOM.
The two warriors stood like immovable titans, their armor haki colliding with a ferocity that shook the very ground beneath them. Lila's eyes burned with an inferno of rage, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Across from her, Umbra's smirk twisted into a sneer, his lips curling with such disdain it was as if she were nothing but dust beneath his contemptuous gaze. "Peace will fill this earth when your kind is obliterated," he proclaimed, his voice booming with an icy, unyielding conviction. The atmosphere crackled violently with the raw, unchecked energy of their clash, the air itself vibrating with the potent power they hurled at one another in a tempest of fury and resolve.
"Bold of you to say that when your kind is the one slaughtering citizens," she spat, her words like venom. The wind howled around them, whipping debris into a frenzy as her rage manifested physically. The very air trembled with her hatred, cutting like invisible blades against his skin. Her eyes burned with such intensity that he instinctively stepped back. "Parasites like you deserve to be exterminated," she hissed through clenched teeth, "before you poison what little remains of humanity."
Buzz vs Vox!
The Driftborn Strike Back,
The signal was clear. A sharp, pulsing light flashed twice, then vanished into the night. It was time. The Driftborn moved swiftly and silently, their dark silhouettes blending into the shadows cast by the moonlight.
Buzz crouched low, his fingers twitching with anticipation as he positioned the charges. With a decisive push of a button, a ring of fire exploded around the village perimeter. The flames leapt high, creating a searing barrier that trapped Agent Vox within its fiery embrace. Despite the gash across his forehead and the blood staining his uniform, with a broken arm. Buzz threw his head back and laughed, a wild sound that mingled with the howling wind. His disheveled hair flared out behind him, caught in the gusts that seemed to echo with Lila's joy. She was out there somewhere, causing chaos, and the wind sang with the exhilaration of their shared mission—destroying their enemies.
"My leader is expecting me to kill you. I can't let her down now," Buzz snarled, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames.
Agent Vox stood tall, unaffected by the blaze surrounding him. "You think fire can stop me?" His voice dripped with condescension, each word heavy with disdain, and Buzz felt his blood boil. That tone—superior and mocking—only stoked the flames of his hatred further.
Vox crouched low, his muscles wound so tightly they threatened to snap like cables under immense tension, ready to explode into motion like a sprinter at the crack of a gun. Buzz's eyebrow shot up in astonishment as he took in Vox's charged stance. "That's an odd position—" Buzz started, but his voice was cut off as Vox blasted forward like a cannonball. He tore through the blazing ring of fire with a velocity that defied comprehension, obliterating the distance between them in less than a heartbeat. Vox's fist, sheathed in the unyielding power of armor haki, barreled toward Buzz with a ferocity that could shatter mountains. At the same time, the inferno around him raged hungrily, devouring half of his body in its fiery embrace. The once-pristine white suit Vox wore was now a living pyre, consumed by wicked red embers that crackled and spat with a furious intensity. "Trash of a people should stay in the garbage." Vox's voice roared as he swung at Buzz.
Buzz stood firm, his eyes locked onto Vox, his opponent. Despite the pain radiating from his injured arm, he gritted his teeth and focused on the battle. His only functional arm glistened with a dark sheen, the powerful armor haki enveloping it like a second skin. As they collided, the air around them seemed to vibrate, the sky above roaring with thunderous intensity. The testament to the immense power they wielded.
Buzz felt the weight of his responsibility as his leader's trusted ally, a determination igniting within him. He would rather fall in battle than face the shame of failure. Sweat trickled down his forehead, mingling with the dirt and ash that clung to his skin. With each strike, he poured every ounce of his strength into his blows, his muscles straining under the pressure.
His broken arm, rendered useless, began to crumble into ash, the remains swirling in the air like a living serpent. Quietly, it slithered towards Vox's feet, unnoticed in the heat of the struggle. Buzz's mind raced, ensuring Vox's focus remained solely on their physical combat. The ground beneath Vox began to darken as the ash coiled around him, preparing to ensnare him as their battle intensified.
Vox's finger glowed with the dark sheen of Armor Haki as he lunged forward, his movements sharp and precise. "Finger pistol," he declared, his voice cutting through the air. His finger pierced into the center of Buzz's chest with a swift, practiced motion. Buzz let out a low grunt, a mix of pain and acknowledgment flickering across his face, yet there was no hint of surprise. He had anticipated the familiar tactics of these elite agents.
"You people deserve to be put down like raging dogs," Vox stated, his voice steady and authoritative, carrying an unmistakable edge. He pressed her finger deeper, feeling resistance give way beneath his touch. Buzz's muscles tensed under the pressure, a testament to his resilience.
"So do us a favor and stay down," Vox continued, his tone unwavering as he drove his finger even harder into Buzz's chest, the force of his intent palpable in every word.
Buzz's lips twisted into a grimace, an agonizing yet knowing smile etched with the scars of past torments. "If I had a dime for every time we heard that, we'd be drowning in riches by now," he retorted with a bitter, tired laugh. Suddenly, the ash blanketing the ground around Vox's feet surged to life, snaking up his legs with a terrifying, serpentine precision before he could even flinch. Buzz's grip was ironclad and relentless as he yanked Vox's finger, driving it mercilessly into his own chest until the skin tore apart, and blood gushed forth in a macabre tribute. "Stay close," Buzz hissed with a sinister, threatening undertone, "let's ignite together."
The ashes exploded into frenzy, writhing and swirling with a malevolent will of their own, invading Vox's face—his ears, nose, and mouth becoming conduits for the impending hellfire. In a heartbeat, a blistering blaze of red erupted, engulfing the air in a storm of fiery chaos. Vox's screams ripped through the atmosphere, raw and primal, but Buzz watched with a twisted pleasure. Gradually, the power in Vox's finger ebbed away, its grip loosening until it hung lifeless against Buzz's chest. The tortured screams were cut short as Vox's body collapsed forward, devoid of life, against Buzz, who withdrew with cold, calculated indifference, letting the lifeless form crash to the ground without a second thought. "I killed one." Buzz, notify the crew.
Zin x Vexa x Riven vs Pale!!
Zin swung his arms with precision, his tongfas cutting through the air and dispelling the cacophony of deceptive whispers that surrounded him, each slice bringing him closer to silence. His jaw tightened in frustration, "I don't know where they are!" he bellowed, the words echoing into the oppressive gloom. The eerie dark mist swirled around him like a living entity, shrouding his every move in uncertainty.
From the depths of the mist, a sinister voice slithered out, "Right here." The words, laced with malicious glee, twisted out from Pale's hidden form, making Zin snarl with rage. He knew too well the game Pale played; the moment he lunged toward the source of the voice, Pale would vanish into the shadows once more, leaving him grasping at nothing but air.
"Zin, you're acting just like Buzz right now. You need to take a deep breath and relax," Vexa's voice came through the earpiece, steady but firm. Zin clenched his fists, feeling the tension in his shoulders as he paced back and forth across the misty field.
"You know I can still hear you," Buzz interjected, his voice dripping with annoyance. Vexa rolled her eyes and swiftly muted him through the talkway, focusing her attention back on the task at hand.
"Stay focused, Zin," she urged, her fingers flying over the keyboard of her snail-shaped computer, its shell glinting under the harsh moonlight under a tree. "I'm doing everything I can to break through their stealth tech. It's insanely intricate, like a digital labyrinth. The higher-ups must be fed up with us constantly tinkering with their equipment." Her eyes darted across the screen, analyzing the complex codes and algorithms that threatened to overwhelm her.
"Maybe I do need Juno's help with this task, but..." Vexa chewed her lower lip, eyes darting between the scattered components on her workbench. Sure, she was the team's medic first, but tech came second nature to her—just in a different way than Juno's explosive creativity. Juno built weapons; Vexa built solutions. And right now, with Juno defending the villagers and Lila counting on everyone to handle their assignments, failure wasn't an option. Zin was already fighting alone. "Come on, Vexa," she muttered, fingers hovering over a snail laptop. "How do I expose an invisible assassin?"
Then the idea hit her, she heard Zin grunt as he was fighting with that assassin, and she prayed to herself that he won't get hurt. "Riven, are you using the new sniper Juno made for you?
Riven remained concealed, the sniper still firmly in his grasp. "What is it?" His voice carried an edge that Vexa understood all too well. With civilians at risk and their own survival hanging in the balance, patience was wearing thin for everyone.
"Point it towards the east; I can see where you are. I'll send a surprise to assist Zin, but it will affect him too. We'll all appear as green on the radar, while anyone else will show up as red. The villagers are grouped together. Gorren has them secured, so bystanders won't be harmed," she explained. She reached into her bag, pulling out her small drone, and kissed its tip. "Zin, I hope you caught all that. When I release the bomb, cover your eyes."
"What?! Are you trying to kill me?" Zin exclaimed, careful not to mention the word "bomb" so the enemy wouldn't overhear.
"Being a bit dramatic, aren't you? No, it won't kill you. I call it a bomb because it sounds dangerous, but it's actually the opposite. I just haven't thought of a better name yet. I'm not as creative as Juno with names! When I say 'Now,' shut your eyes and don't move. And Riven, you do what you know best."
Vexa's fingers flew across the remote with a feverish urgency. On her laptop screen, the drone's tracker blazed, zeroing in on Zin's position. "Hang on," she whispered, her breath a cloud of mist against the screen's edge.
In the clearing, Zin's tonfas sliced through the air with lethal intent, yet met only emptiness. Sweat seared his eyes like acid.
"Weaklin," Pale's voice ricocheted through the night, omnipresent and mocking.
The drone's hum roared above, cleaving the night air with a relentless precision. Vexa's voice crackled through Zin's earpiece, electric with intensity: "Coming in soon. Stay strong, Zin, and be ready, Riven."
Zin lowered his arms, standing as still as death itself. Silence stretched taut, threatening to snap.
"Giving up?" Pale's form shimmered into partial existence, a ghostly specter in the dark.
Zin's jaw clenched with the force of a vice. His eyes flicked upward for the briefest of moments.
Pale clicked his tongue, a derisive sound that cut through the tension. "Waste of time." His right hand rose, engulfed in haki energy that crackled like black lightning, fierce and untamed.
The drone's buzz escalated to a fever pitch. Tiny spheres cascaded down, bouncing chaotically around Pale's feet.
"Now!" Vexa's voice pierced through the comms like a dagger.
Zin's eyelids snapped shut. Riven's finger caressed the trigger with deadly precision, his breath slowing to a deathly calm.
The spheres detonated into blinding white light, casting stark shadows that clawed across 30 feet in length. Pale's silhouette froze, his hand instinctively shielding his eyes.
The rifle slammed against Riven's shoulder with a thunderous recoil. The bullet screamed through the night, obliterating concrete and wood before finding its mark. Pale's forehead erupted, a perfect crimson circle bursting against bone.
"You're not the only one who has tricks," Vexa whispered with a smirk.
Lila vs Umbra !!
Lila's lungs burned as she barely escaped Umbra's blade, the serrated edge slicing air where her throat had been a heartbeat before. Her shoulder slammed into brick, fracturing mortar, sending white-hot pain down her spine. Copper flooded her mouth as she bit through her own lip.
Umbra stalked closer, his knife dancing between fingers that had ended dozens of lives, steel glinting like a predator's fang in the half-light.
"Sixteen minutes," he growled, eyes flicking to his blood-spattered display. "Most don't even scream for five." His gaze devoured her—the pulse hammering in her neck, the trembling defiance in her clenched fists. "Such a waste of exquisite prey. You could serve me rather than feed the rats."
Lila hurled crimson spittle that spattered across his boots. "I'd rather be butchered."
Something primal ignited behind Umbra's eyes—hunger beyond the kill. He shifted his weight, the tactical fabric straining against his arousal. "That's inevitable, beautiful," he whispered, tongue tracing his lower lip, "but first, I'll savor every inch of you."
"Disgusting." Her voice erupted with venomous fury. Those eyes—those predatory eyes—dragged her back to the days trapped in a cage, where their leering gazes pierced her soul and their degrading words echoed in her mind. If only she weren't trash, I'd make her my wife. Just turn her into a sex slave. She's young; you've got years to toy with her. The revolting men spewed these vile thoughts about her, and she loathed them with every fiber of her being. She despised the way he looked at her, a seething hatred boiling in her veins.
His strength outmatched hers, but rage burned through her veins like acid, dissolving any fear. Pure hatred—for him, for this world, for every hand that had ever struck her—crystallized into something lethal inside her chest. She forced herself upright, bones screaming, muscles tearing, her spine a column of white-hot agony as she refused to bow.
"Yes, YES!" Umbra's voice cracked with ecstasy. "That defiance in your eyes—it's intoxicating." He dragged the blade across his tongue, her blood staining his teeth crimson. "Six minutes is all I need to shatter you completely." The knife trembled in his grip as he leaned closer, pupils dilated to black pools. "Your blood sings to me, Lila," he whispered, breath hot against her face. "I won't just break you—I'll unmake everything you are.
A surge of raw, untamed energy erupted from her core, a burst of Conqueror's Haki so powerful it splintered the ground beneath her feet. The force rippled outward like a seismic wave, and Umbra faltered mid-attack, his body stumbling backwards as his eyes opened in shock.
Lila's body trembled in the aftermath, her arms and fingers buzzing with an electric sensation. She drew a ragged breath, her chest rising as if an invisible hand had knocked the wind from her lungs. Her hand moved instinctively to her chest, resting above the frantic beat of her heart, and a quiet gasp escaped her lips. "What kind of power was that?" she murmured, the question hanging in the air like an echo of the unleashed force.
Lila's Haki exploded with the fury of a cataclysmic storm, not merely a gentle ripple but a devastating tempest that tore through the area with merciless power. The towering trees surrounding her writhed and contorted, their mighty trunks straining against an invisible gale that threatened to rip them from the earth. Rocks and boulders nearby shattered like glass, detonating with ear-splitting cracks that resonated through the atmosphere. Even her crew, hardened by the most brutal of environments, was thrown into disarray, stumbling and clawing at the ground in a desperate attempt to resist the overwhelming force that threatened to sweep them away.
Umbra's legs trembled uncontrollably, rooted to the spot by the paralyzing fear that gripped him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to summon courage, but every time he forced them open, Lila seemed to close the gap between them in an instant. By the sixth time he dared to look, she loomed right in front of him, her presence a chilling specter. Her fingers wrapped around his blade with a cruel confidence, and the atmosphere thickened with dread as she lifted the weapon deliberately. Her voice, cold and cutting, sliced through the tension, "I will send your head to your masters."
The blade kissed his throat—a whisper of steel against skin that beaded crimson. She carved again, deeper this time, watching his eyes bulge as the cut wept red. Each stroke of her knife peeled away another layer of flesh until his windpipe gleamed wet in the light. His gurgling screams echoed the pleas of those he'd silenced. Blood sprayed across her face, warm and metallic on her lips, but she only smiled, savoring the salt of his terror as he drowned in his own fluids.
The Driftborn stood victorious.
But shaken.
Buzz looked at Lila, who now stood in the center of a crater, eyes glowing faintly with wind and will. "That wasn't just Haki. They call it the king's haki. Only a few get it."
Lila looked at her hands. "I guess so," she said softly.
"Just, I guess so? Lilia, you have been selected. Do you know the heavens selected you!" Juno screamed with excitement.
"We are in a crew with the one who will have the power to change the future." Gorren looked proud, and he spoke with pride.
"I didn't even fight the last time." Veyra pouted then smiled, "I will train to reach the top with you, leader," and this time, Lila didn't snap at them for calling her leader. She knows it's pointless at this point.