Chapter 33: Just Playing! Here They Come!
Six telekinetic blasts shot out almost simultaneously from the darkness.
Haze immediately locked onto the weakest presence the man beside Shieldgaru!
Instinct told him the weakest target was actually the woman on the sofa, but since another person sat right next to her, it was harder to target that pair. Outnumbered one against five, he had to act fast.
He couldn't strike the strongest first too risky.
His top priority… reduce the enemy's numbers!
They must have prepared Haze before he arrived.
"Hm?"
Haze's heart skipped a beat.
He sensed two approaching presences but only two…
The couple on the sofa hadn't moved yet.
The sudden darkness hadn't hindered his perception his vision adjusted instantly, and his other senses still caught the "signals."
"Trying to run?"
Haze stepped forward, like a tiger unleashed, lunging toward the mafia boss and his secretary.
Leaving the weakest telekinesis user aside capturing Shieldgaru first was also a good choice!
The moment the lights went out, the presence and position of those two began to fade.
They were sinking burrowing underground…
At that instant, the secretary placed a hand on the boss's shoulder and activated his ability. The floor rippled like water, and the two men sank down to their waists, ready to flee.
Protecting the boss's safety was his highest priority.
The rest of the battle could be left to his companions.
Mission accomplished.
But before he completely vanished into the floor, the secretary felt a rush of wind and then a blur of motion closing in fast.
"So fast!"
Goosebumps prickled across his skin.
The sudden loss of light should have thrown off any opponent's focus. Yet somehow, his enemy hadn't been shaken he still tracked both intent and position perfectly.
He had already switched places with the boss
"Stop him!" the secretary shouted, raising his arm to counter the approaching hand.
A second later, a guttural groan rang out.
Haze's sharp, powerful fingers were like blades with one strike, the secretary's arm was torn clean off, landing in a splash of blood.
By the time Haze regained his stance, the floor had returned to normal, leaving only the bloodstain. The boss and secretary were gone.
By then, Haze's eyes had already adjusted to the dark.
"A wall-passing or intangibility type ability?" Haze thought, turning swiftly to block a punch only to feel a barbed blade slice through the air, grazing his lower body and carving a several-centimeter wound in his leg.
"Amazing reflexes… less damage than expected," said the man who had struck, stepping back to create distance.
"The boss is gone…" replied the middle-aged man.
"Bot! Nasha! Why aren't you moving?!"
"I heard you," Bot drawled lazily. "Why yell? Let's see how strong this guy really is…"
Haze glanced between the middle-aged man before him a solid close-combat fighter and the knife-wielding one who had just cut him, a playful grin forming on his face.
The two men coordinated perfectly.
All of Haze's previous fights had been one-on-one, but this was his first time facing multiple enemies… and they were no amateurs.
The muscles in his legs tightened, trying to stop the bleeding useless.
"Is that an ability too?" he muttered.
The middle-aged man and the knife-user fanned out, closing in from both sides.
Meanwhile, downstairs on the first floor
The one-armed secretary, pale and blood-soaked, followed his boss, Shieldgaru, into the grand entry hall.
They were surrounded by guards.
Kuga, the man with glasses, hurried forward to meet them, draping a jacket over Shieldgaru's shoulders.
Shieldgaru remained eerily calm, a lit cigar still between his fingers. He glanced at the maimed secretary and nodded approvingly. "Well done."
Then nothing more was said.
Someone opened the door, and Shieldgaru walked out.
Seeing his boss leave, Kuga turned toward the men in the hall and barked, "Stay put! Not even a fly leaves this place until it's over!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Treat his wounds!"
A medic rushed over with a first-aid kit as the blood-drained secretary slumped into a chair.
His gaze flicked briefly toward the stairs leading back up lingering fear in his eyes.
Just now… he had almost died.
Upstairs, the corridor had become a battlefield.
Haze was outnumbered. The middle-aged man attacked with a relentless flurry of punches and kicks, while sharp, hidden blades sliced through the air from every direction.
"The knife guy is agile and fast but not physically strong a typical assassin type. The middle-aged man is skilled in close combat, but not power-based," Haze analyzed mentally.
"This bastard…"
As the security team captain of the Firth family, the middle-aged man's morale sank with every exchange.
After only a few minutes, his face was dripping with sweat.
He realized his attacks had no effect. Every move was effortlessly deflected and each counterattack from Haze could have been fatal.
If not for his partner's timely interference, he would've already fallen.
Haze kept one eye on the fight and another on Bot and Nasha, still lounging on the sofa.
"Idiots," Sam the middle-aged man cursed under his breath.
According to the plan, all four of them should have attacked at once, but now Bot and Nasha were just watching.
"Not going to move?"
Haze shot them a sideways glance, his instincts tingling.
His movements suddenly intensified his fist collided with Sam's, and the man stumbled back in pain.
Haze lunged forward, thrusting a finger toward his opponent's eye
As expected, the blade came again from behind.
But this time, Haze's raw strength exploded twisting his waist, he caught the blade neatly between two fingers.
His attack on the middle-aged man had been a feint his true target was the knife-wielder.
That man's ability was dangerous.
Haze noticed the wound on his leg not only refused to heal it was actually spreading.
The knife-user's eyes widened he hadn't expected Haze to take the hit head-on.
He tried to pull his weapon back, but Haze's grip was like an iron vice.
Then a massive hand slammed into his chest.
The knife-wielder was launched like he'd been hit by a car, blood spraying from his mouth. He crashed into the steel-plated door and slid to the ground, barely conscious.
"Impressive Nen defense…"
Haze smiled faintly.
Though not dead, the man was out of the fight.
Behind him, Sam took advantage of the moment and slipped into Haze's blind spot.
"There's my chance!"
Seeing Haze still turned away, Sam's eyes lit up.
He struck, his hardened knuckle aimed at the back of Haze's neck.
BANG!
Before his blow landed, a sharp pain stabbed his abdomen.
Haze, without even turning, had thrown an elbow backward as if he had eyes behind his head.
"Ugh!"
Sam's eyes bulged as bile and saliva burst from his mouth.
He staggered, and Haze spun, following up with a whip-like kick to his stomach almost finishing him.
But just then, a heavy metallic weight clamped onto Haze's thigh, tightening like a shackle.
His motion slowed.
"A materialization ability…" Haze said calmly.
The middle-aged man had touched his leg earlier clearly, he'd planned this as a hidden trump card.
The leaden weight was heavy, nearly indestructible.
Sam fell, smashing into the furniture and debris scattered across the hall.
"Bot! I don't care what you're plotting if you don't act now, we're all dead!" Sam roared.
Both were exhausted only minutes had passed, but they were already at their limits.
"Ha!"
Bot finally stood, his earlier smirk gone. He spat at the fallen Sam. "Useless trash. I was thinking of letting this kid kill you for me… but it doesn't matter. You're dead anyway."
He was ready to fight but hesitated.
Haze's strength was too overwhelming. Even if he joined in, he wasn't sure he could win.
He understood Haze's power better than anyone.
Because… Bot was an Enhancer.
And Haze a Conjurer fought like one.
It was almost unbelievable.
Materialization-type abilities were usually functional, rarely direct or brute-force-based.
But Haze's fighting ability was monstrous refined, efficient, deadly.
Bot clenched his fists. His eyes sharpened.
"This guy's the strongest of the four…" Haze muttered, narrowing his eyes at him.
He glanced toward the knife-wielder, who had somehow pulled himself upright again, clutching the wall for support. Not a real threat anymore but still dangerous to ignore.
Fighting multiple opponents required processing tons of data and reacting at extreme speed. The rhythm and tempo were hard to control. Using both telekinesis and raw combat alone wouldn't end this quickly.
They relied heavily on environmental adaptability each using the battlefield to boost their abilities.
If I were an Enhancer… this would be easier, he mused.
Then he sighed softly. "As expected… growth has no limits."
He raised his hand and activated his ability
The Treasure of the Infinite Dreamer!
A human-shaped button appeared in midair.
"Power on!"
"Logging in… loading game data!"
"Players ready game start!"
The button emitted a strange sound.
Its motion was far smoother than a year ago no lag this time.
These four weren't amateurs their teamwork and skill were clearly seasoned.
To finish the fight instantly without relying on abilities would have been difficult and a waste of effort.
Haze hadn't used his Nen earlier because this was his first time fighting a coordinated group. He'd wanted to observe to analyze their styles and gather information.
It was a good chance to sharpen his mind.
Now… the warm-up was over.
If he had to comment
They hadn't brought him any surprises.
"One minute… should be enough."
Haze looked at the remaining opponents and said quietly
(End of Chapter)