Bang!
A skin crawler is shot in the head and it instantly explodes into a bloody mass, blood and organs rained down like droplets.
Holding an MG-16 ultra-sniper, was a young woman whose black hair was tied in a pony tail, and her left eye locked into the scope.
The sniper was sleek and futuristic in every way possible, its edges were curved in an un-natural way, the body of the sniper had patterns which connected each other and a soft blue pulse glowed from the patterns like a heart beat.
The space between the sniper handles meant for holding, was a glass vial which contained a greenish liquid which swirled as if it were alive.
The snipers color was metallic black and gold.
She took a sniper shot pose, but squatted on top a bus, as she took her shots, what left the sniper wasn't bullets, it was raw energy converged in the form of bullets, which tore through the air violently.
Each skin crawler that was hit by the bullet, exploded into mass of blood and gore.
"tch, annoying creeps" she muttered under her breath as she clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Suddenly a huge skin crawler the size of a van, from afar started charging towards her position.
"That's a big one and probably level 4 close to king level" she had a bored expression on her face as the creature charged towards her.
Then, her left eye changed. The green iris flickered and burned into a fierce, luminous amber. Her pupil contracted, becoming a beady, hyper-focused point an eagle's eye. The charging monster, a blur to any normal sight, slowed in her perception. Her vision sharpened, distances compressed, and the weak point on the creature's bony skull became as clear as a target painted in red.
This was her ability known as Eagle's eye, although it was not combat focused it was unique in its own way, why? Because guns and snipers turned deadly in her hands, equipped with such ability, her eye sight was sharper than the human sight.
Making primarily, snipers a deadly lethal weapon in her hand.
"Sling shot activate" she said.
A mechanical voice responded in her ears.
the sniper in her hands, hummed suddenly and the soft pulse from the patterns turned green and flared up around the sniper, the green energy turned to arcs of emerald electricity swirling around the sniper.
Even the vial containing the greenish liquid, glowed brightly and the arcs of green energy surged towards the nozzle of the sniper and it began to converged in a violent way.
With her eyes locked in the scope and focused, in a swift motion, she released the trigger.
WHOOM!!
The shot whipped forward with kinetic force, but this time its size was slightly larger than the other shots.
The shot tore through the air like a missile heading furiously towards the charging skin crawler.
The skin crawler took the shot head on, it wasn't a bang that was heard but instead an explosion. The skin crawler lighted up in a green explosion which even took out the smaller level 3 skin crawlers charging alongside it.
The shockwave damaged the windows of the surrounding buildings and cars. ¨
A small crater was imprinted on the road from the attack and nothing was left of the creatures, only pieces of their body parts and organs.
The sniper she held in her hand was a class B weapon, probably tier 3.
"Quite a show, but we must hurry that boy must be safe at all costs" a calm deep voice spoke and she turned her head towards the direction of the voice.
Walking past the bus was the old man from before, well not that old maybe in his early seventies or late sixties, the one who was seated among the other guests during the awakening ceremony of gladden academy.
On his hands were a pair of golden gauntlets, the gauntlet had interlocking patterns on it which glowed with a yellow light, fixed on the knuckles of the gauntlet where stones of various colors.
Raw energy swirled around the gauntlet in harmony.
Behind him was a scene that stole one's breath, countless lifeless skin crawlers tore apart, littered everywhere, craters up to six meters wide in radius scarred the road. Even three King level, rank 1 skin crawlers lay dead, half of their body missing.
The civilians who were recused looked at him with grateful expressions of gratitude on their faces, even the abiitans who had also fought, looked at the man and the young woman with looks of awe and respect.
"Sir sorry to ask but what is so special about this boy?" she asked him.
"Well Kate this has nothing to do with whether his special or not am just carrying out a favor for an old friend of mine" he responded as her name turns out to be Kate.
"whoever this friend is they must be someone special" she muttered under her breath; Kate was his assistant and she knowing her boss, he wouldn't go through the hassle of doing unimportant things himself, he will usually send the lion heart squad to take care of small things like this.
But him doing this himself left her surprised, as it was really unusual of him.
"Right now, I must make sure that child is safe and sound, this disaster was unprecedented" the man took the stance of an athletic runner.
Then his body released a violent burst of energy, the ground beneath his feet made a crunch sound as it cracked.
BOOM!!
the man dashed forward and the air distorted, he broke the sound barrier, his speed was monstrous, even the other abilitans had their jaws dropped at his insane speed.
"this is new" Kate murmured to herself as she stood up and placed the sniper across her shoulders, holding with one hand, as her eyes fixed the on her boss whose speed was faster than lighting.
"Open" She said as she snapped her finger
A fissure appeared in the air behind her, it was more of a crack.
The crack expanded and a Wolf like beast stepped out.
The wolf like beast fur was black as night with white stripes and a black mane which adorned its neck area like that of a lion.
The beast had two tails and its eyes were the color of the blue sky.
Its presence alone demanded attention, the beast was huge in size and even towered over Kate. The beast nudged its head against Kate's gently, like a dog that had missed its master.
She stroked the chin of the beast and it wagged its tails happily.
"Let's go Night" she hopped unto the back of the beast, without further instruction, the beast leaped forward, its speed was shocking.
***
[Ding]
[Host has successfully Awakened and Bonded with the Ability Evolution system]
"huh what's going on?" Zack's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the golden holographic screen floating before him as time seemed to have stop around him.
"I can't be dreaming right, is this real?" Zack blinked his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things as this felt like a dream.
[Host has bonded with the system and you have unlocked your abilities: All elemental manipulation (X-rank), Ability copy (????), Locked: ç%&*"# (??????)]
"I in't dreaming right! Like what the heck!!!" Zack was shocked beyond as he stared dumbfounded at the holographic before his eyes.
[Detected that the host's life is in critical danger]
[Activating backup protocol...]
[Temporary mode activated: One for All]
[Duration: 8 minutes, 25 seconds left]
Then, it invaded him. A foreign, titanic energy erupted from his very core, flooding every cell, every nerve ending. It was a torrent of pure, unadulterated power.
Ba-bump.
His heart drummed against his chest, like a drum, energy coursed through his body and veins like ragging waves.
"What is this feeling, it's…it's amazing" he looked at his wounds which closed up in an instant.
Zack rose slowly from the ground, his body radiated an energy like never before, that the very air even trembled, beneath his blue eyes, something else burned brighter. It was his will to survive.
Even the tiny dust particles and stones on the floor levitated, as Zack's body surged with a new profound energy and strength.
He curled his fists and uncurled, as the feeling he felt was beyond comprehension.
He looked at the skin crawler reaching towards him which was stuck in time as time had slowed down and the other skin crawler lunging at Mia.
"Lord whatever the hell this is, it came right on time" Zack suddenly grinned then he took a stance, bending his knees. The energy around him flared brighter, concentrating, pulling inwards like a star going supernova.
Ba-bump
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
His cry was a release valve for the power threatening to overwhelm him.
Then time instantly returned back to normal.
Zack thrusted his fist wrapped in the energy at lighting speed at the skin crawler, which lunged at him.
"eat this ya skinny creep"
Bam!
His fist collided with the head of the skin crawler and its head was blow clean off, its head popped like balloon into a shower of blood and brain matter. Its body flying into the air like a ragdoll.
Zack felt an exhilarating feeling inside of him as his heart beat faster.
Then he turned around and dashed forward like a spring, his speed fast as lighting as the other Skin crawler had nearly gotten Mia.
"Wassup ya Skinny Sh*t!! have fun taking this!" in the blink of an eye, Zack was already in front of the Skin crawler and placing himself between Mia the Skin crawler.
While his leg was already flying in a kick aimed at the Skin crawler's side, even the creature pupils' eyes shrunk in shock, as the attack flew at it with the speed lighting.
Wham!
His leg slammed into the skin crawler with overwhelming force, the skin crawler let out a screech of absolute pain. Its entire left side caved in; its insides crushed.
The Skin crawler was ejected by the brute force of the impact and it crashed into a wall, causing spider webbed cracks to spread on the wall and it was dead just like that.
"that's what you get for hurting them" Zack spoke as he looked at the dead skin crawler
Alex's half opened eye stared with shock and surprise at the figure before him.
Alex's POV moments ago.
So, this how it ends for me?
I said to myself as the skin crawler closed in on me and Mia.
I have a future ahead of me filled with nothing but greatness and a bright path towards the top but as it stands, I guess it all ends here, but I don't to die just yet.
I have many damn things I still wanna do.
My future has been taken away from me, disappearing like ashes into the wind, I stared as death approached me and Mia,
Mum, little Danny, I won't get to see them one last time, my dreams and ambitions crushed like that.
I thought my end had come but like blur of motion standing in front of me and Mia was Zack who had kicked a skin crawler and sent it flying into a wall.
His posture and stance were different, he looked like an entirely different person.
***
Zack turned to look at Alex whose half-opened eye was wide with surprise.
"Just rest bro let me take care of this, looks like you will need nap" Zack smiled at him
"don't…get killed then" Alex managed to speak up as a smile formed on his face, he had no idea how he suddenly became strong like this, but now he was their hope.
[6 minutes, 15 seconds left]
"Don't worry I am not getting killed a second time" Zack turned back as two more skin crawler charged towards them.
Ba-bump
He charged forward like a bullet towards the creatures.
One of the skin crawlers leaped towards him and Zack responded with an uppercut as the energy flared around his body and wrapped his fists.
The uppercut connected with the skin crawler's jaw and its entire skull cracked upon impact, he sent the creature flying into a light pole.
Swoosh!
Zack swiftly side stepped as the other skin crawler swiped its claw at him, but only sliced the air where he had been.
[4 minutes, 3 seconds left]
Zack twisted and retaliated with a drop kick which landed square on the Skin crawlers bald head, the kick sent it face first into the ground, its head crushed.
Ba-bump
His heart beat increased faster.
Another skin crawler attacked him from behind but he evaded in a swift motion to the left, the creature's claws missed him by an inch.
Then he drove his fist forward towards the creature's chest swiftly, his fist went clean its chest, the creature froze on the spot unable to comprehend what just happened.
Zack pulled out his arm, as black blood stained his hand.
[2 minutes, 5 seconds left]
the final one pounced at him.
He caught the skin crawler by its fore limbs, the creature thrashed violently, viciously biting at the air before Zack's face.
With a grunt, Zack tore off its fore limbs with brute strength and the skin crawler let out a high pitch screech, as its front limb was torn off.
Ba-bump
His heart beat accelerated faster
Zack swung its fore limb which was an elongated claw into the creature's eye and the it screeched in pain and agony, as its black blood spilled into the air.
[1-minute left]
Zack drew the elongated claw out of the creature's eye and thrusted it in again as the creature was not yet dead.
But he didn't stop, he drew it out and thrusted in again and again and again.
[25 seconds left]
He didn't stop. He pulled the claw out, dark fluid gushing. He stabbed again. And again. And again. Each thrust was a release for the betrayal, for the humiliation, for the helplessness.
"Arhhhhh!!" Zack yelled as kept stabbing the dead skin crawler.
[Time up!]
[One for all mode deactivated]
At that moment his heart beat instantly slowed down, his tensed muscles relaxed, the energy leaving him as it had come.
"Huff…huff" Zack breathed heavily as he came to stop looking at the unrecognizable face of the skin crawler, as its destroyed eye ball stuck out and black blood forming a pool beneath the dead skin crawler.
"Hah…. Finally," he let out a sigh of relief as he dropped the creature limbs.
Zack eye's scanned around as no more skin crawler was in sight, only the dead.
He turned around and walked towards Alex and an unconscious Mia, his steps became wobbled as he staggered forward.
Exhaustion instantly descended upon him and his muscles ached as if he had done a grueling exercise, his vision becoming blurry.
"Alex…I did it" Zack showed a weak smile as he approached them.
Alex looked at his friend, who exhaustion was etched on his face and looking around as the dead skin crawlers lay around them.
"Like hell bro you did it" Alex managed to smile. He didn't care what happen to Zack that made him power up like that, what his relief is that they had come out of this alive.
'so, this is the feeling of not been weak, able to decided your own fate" he looked at his hands as his vision blurred more.
"Looks I ain't the only one who needs a nap after all" a gin formed on Alex's lips as he spoke.
"I guess so…." With those words spoken, Zacks vision was consumed by darkness and he fell, unconscious.
"At…least we made it" Alex own eyes closed as too passed out.
At that moment
Th aged Man arrived as he blasted through the entrance of the academy and coming to a stop before the three unconscious teenagers and his assistant Kate came behind him.
Night coming to a stop as she jumped down.
The man walked steadily towards the unconscious teenagers laying on the floor.
A slow, genuine grin spread across the old man's features.
"Lloyd," he said softly to the uncaring air. "Your grandson has just spat in fate's eye."
He knelt, placing a gentle hand on Zack's shoulder.
"Well done, boy."