Anahit, Kujima, and the other Catalysts approached the final facility, their hearts pounding with anticipation. This was the last stronghold, the place where they hoped to find more allies and bring an end to the mercenaries' control. However, instead of the high-security fortress they expected, they were met by five figures cloaked in black hoods.
One of the hooded figures raised his hand, releasing a bolt of lightning. Anahit quickly absorbed the energy and redirected it back at them. Another figure stepped forward, creating a shield that absorbed the attack effortlessly. Anahit and the other Catalysts unleashed their abilities, but the shield held firm, not even cracking.
Suddenly, a third figure raised both hands, releasing a thick smoke that enveloped the area, creating an impenetrable fog. Kujima, sensing the danger, shouted, "Everyone, fall back! I'll handle this."
Reluctantly, the others retreated. Kujima felt the presence of the five figures surrounding him. They stepped out of the fog and introduced themselves as the top three best five-member squad mercenaries but did not disclose their abilities. Kujima, however, was already deducing their skills. He knew three of their abilities: shielding, sneak attacks, and fast strikes. That left two he couldn't identify yet, likely close-range fighters.
One of the hooded figures dashed forward with incredible speed and delivered a massive punch, his fists glowing red like fire. It seemed Kujima was hit, but then they realized he had used the same shield ability to protect himself. The assailant, worried, commented, "Probably a shield user."
Kujima countered with a lightning attack, identical to the one used against Anahit. "What's the meaning of this?" one of them demanded.
"Well, you see," Kujima began, "every Catalyst has one ability. But me, I don't have any ability that I can use in combat. My ability is to copy others' abilities. I can choose the duration for which I can use the ability, but if I extend that and try to use it longer than I'm supposed to, it will tear my body apart. So, I have to be sure how long I'm going to copy an ability."
"You fool, you gave away your secret!" one of them scoffed.
"Well, it doesn't matter," Kujima replied confidently. "If I have copied abilities, I can recall them for two seconds only. And that's just what I need."
With lightning speed, Kujima dashed forward, using the dash ability for only half a second and Anahit's kinetic energy for the other half, striking at the five mercenaries. But their shield held firm. Realizing his mistake, Kujima quickly retreated, muttering to himself, "I have to take out the shielder first."
Suddenly, the fifth member, whose ability Kujima hadn't identified, used his power. Kujima felt his body immobilize. "Puppeteer," Kujima thought, realizing the fifth member's ability. The Puppeteer grinned, "Old man with an extraordinary ability, you're not worthy of it."
Another mercenary struck Kujima from behind with a lightning attack, knocking him out. They dragged Kujima to the facility where Demian was held. Demian watched in disbelief as his mentor was thrown into a cell. He sank to his knees, blaming himself for Kujima's capture.