The fight between Paulo, Seuta and Shoto stood ready to start. Paulo strode towards Seuta.
Paulo then unleashed a fierce roundhouse kick.
It hurled Seuta straight through a nearby mountain.
Rocks crumbled.
Dust flew everywhere.
Paulo turned his gaze to Shoto next.
He swung a deadly Death Slice.
The blade cut clean through Shoto.
It split him in half. Death came in an instant.
Seuta popped up high above Paulo.
He yanked out his dagger.
The sharp tip nearly grazed Paulo's face.
Paulo reacted fast. He whipped out his three-section staff.
He looped it tight around Seuta's neck.
Then he drove a hard kick into Seuta's face.
Seuta soared back.
He tumbled and rolled towards the shattered mountain once more.
Paulo stayed calm.
Dead calm.
No sweat on his brow.
No rush in his breath.
"I know why you two hunt the hypno killer," Paulo said with a scoff. "You want to end him. But if this is your strength, you stand no chance."
Seuta charged back in.
He threw a storm of punches and Paulo blocked each one, his fist met staff with loud cracks.
Yet Paulo stepped back with every hit.
One step.
Then another.
"This drags on too long," Paulo scoffed again.
He spun into one more roundhouse kick.
His foot smashed Seuta's head clean off.
Death struck at once more. Seuta's body dropped and was Cold and still. Blood poured from the neck stump.
It splattered the ground.
Paulo winced.
The gore grossed him out.
Paulo had just killed two members of the hypno gang.
Blood stained the ground behind him.
He turned and bolted.
His heart pounded hard as he sprinted through dark alleys.
The hypno gang used mind tricks to control people.
Paulo dodged shadows and leapt over bins.
He gasped for air but kept pushing.
Sweat dripped into his eyes.
Finally, he burst through a side door.
There it stood: the Hypno lab.
Cold lights buzzed overhead.
He slammed the door shut behind him. Safe, for now.
Paulo hid in the safe room of the hypno lab.
Dust covered old shelves. He moved boxes aside.
His hand touched a stone tablet.
It gleamed under dim light.
This find shook his world.
The tablet bore marks from long ago.
They told of a hypno killer. Paulo wiped dirt from the surface.
His eyes grew wide.
He read the carved words.
Shinjiro Satoshi stood out first.
Then came the line: operation Hypno Killer a success.
Age read four million years.
Power level hit fifty trillion.
Paulo stared hard.
Fear gripped him.
His hands trembled.
Legs went weak.
Sweat beaded on his skin.
The room spun.
He dropped to the floor.
Blackness hit fast. Paulo passed out right there.
Yet some awareness lingered.
He lay still in that safe room.