He retreated as another fireball came, then countered with a swift strike, sending a powerful water wave at her.
But the girl raised her small hand and launched a firebolt directly at the wave, evaporating it instantly.
The masked boy frowned behind his mask, stepped back, and launched successive water waves. Each one was burned away by her fireballs.
At that moment, he drew a small playing card from his pocket and tossed it aside. In an instant, he vanished switching places with the card and reappeared behind her, blade aimed at her neck.
But she sensed him, spun quickly, and fired a fireball at him. He barely dodged, but it still scorched his shoulder and burned part of his coat.
He glanced to the right and said more seriously:
"Do you have a plan?"
The girl gave him no rest, hurling another fireball that forced him to leap again.
He sighed in frustration, muttering:
"You leave me no choice."
He lunged fiercely. His water blade clashed with her fireballs, shaking the building. The roar of water and fire colliding echoed through the lab.
He tossed a flurry of cards into the air, vanishing again, reappearing around her with strikes from different angles.
But the girl caught on, unleashing a massive fire wave that burned all the cards.
Meanwhile, inside Chamber Eight, the chief researcher's forehead dripped with sweat. An assistant rushed in:
"Sir! We must leave! The building will collapse on us!"
The chief groaned, clutching his head:
"We can't leave! All our research and data are here! If we abandon them, Valentine will turn us into his next experiments."
He stared at the piles of scattered papers. Too many to carry, and even if they did, they wouldn't survive outside amidst the raging battle. His only hope was that Sample Six would prevail. They all believed no matter how strong the intruder was, her power would crush him.
Outside, the masked boy kept fending off fire, but fatigue showed on his face. He slashed his arm intentionally, blood spilling, and dashed across the walls and floor, drawing strange symbols with it.
The girl launched a massive fireball. He leapt back as it exploded, destroying the wall.
He raised his glowing glove, muttering strange words. The glove lit a deep red. In the next instant, chains made of blood symbols erupted, binding the girl tightly and slamming her to the ground.
She tried using her power, but the masked boy said dryly:
"Second rule: no authority powers may be used by assimilator. They're only allowed through system pieces."
Her powers faded instantly. She collapsed, powerless.
Meanwhile, the masked boy stormed into Chamber Eight. The chief researcher and assistant swallowed their capsules and died instantly.
The boy sighed in frustration and searched everywhere until he found a map showing the locations of other labs. He wanted to read the rest of the notes, but time was short. He fled quickly.
Just before leaving, he glanced at the fallen girl. He walked to her, lifted her in his arms, and left the building as it collapsed.
He muttered:
"Satisfied now?"
***
The girl opened her eyes to find herself in a small room, wooden ceiling overhead. Dim sunlight slipped through a narrow window behind a curtain. As her eyes adjusted, a calm male voice came from a chair beside the bed:
"Finally, you're awake."
She weakly turned her gaze. The masked boy stood nearby, arms behind his back. She blinked several times, then suddenly tried to launch a fireball, but transparent chains instantly bound her to the bed.
He said calmly, without moving:
"Still want to fight?"
She froze. Slowly, she flexed her fingers, raised her arm, then lowered it. She seemed to regain control of her body, but the chains still restricted her.
She asked in confusion:
"What did you do to me?"
He answered:
"Gave you freedom."
He paused, then added:
"Anyway, I have to go."
He raised his hand, and the chains vanished. He turned toward the door, but before he could touch the handle, her trembling voice stopped him:
"Don't go…"
He froze, but didn't turn.
"What did you say?"
She repeated louder:
"Don't go."
He stood silently, as if ignoring her, but then sighed, returned, and sat back in the chair. He pulled a small pouch from his coat and tossed it on the bed beside her.
"Inside are some coins, and the address of a man called Corven the Rusted. When you're fully healed, go to him and tell him you came through me. He'll help you leave the lower district."
She stared in shock, then asked:
"What do you mean by 'lower district'?"
The masked boy closed his eyes:
"This entire place is called the lower district."
She looked around the tiny room and said innocently:
"The lower district is very small…"
The boy raised his brows behind the mask and asked:
"You've never left that lab, have you?"
She shook her head. He let out a heavy sigh. He had only intended to leave her behind, not to give her money. He hadn't expected such ignorance. Sometimes life throws surprises at you, and the masked boy was tired of them.
***
In a modest restaurant, the masked boy entered wearing a wide brimmed hat hiding half his face. Behind him, the girl followed hesitantly, scanning the place with wary eyes.
He sat at a worn wooden table in the corner. She sat across from him silently, hands on her lap, back stiff. Moments later, the waiter arrived.
"The usual?" the waiter asked curtly.
The boy nodded:
"Yes. Double it this time."
The waiter didn't ask why. He left and returned minutes later with two bowls of dark soup and two slices of toasted bread. He set them down and left.
The girl stared at her bowl, unmoving.
The boy dipped bread into his soup and said calmly:
"You can eat."
She stared at him briefly, then grabbed the bowl as if afraid someone might steal it. She devoured it hungrily, stuffing her mouth without pause.
When she finished, she stared at his bowl. He slid it toward her without comment, and she devoured that too.
He called the waiter again:
"Bring more."
The waiter came and went with more bowls. Then more. Until the table filled, and the girl kept eating.
The masked boy watched without a word. Finally, he muttered:
"…This girl never gets full."
She kept eating until she downed around twenty bowls, then leaned back, hand on her swollen stomach.
The boy pulled a small pouch from his coat, took out thirty bronze coins, and quietly set them on the table. Then he stood and headed for the door. The girl followed him without hesitation.