As the new members of The Seven dove into the battle, a deafening boom echoed through the town square.
A cloud of dust spread outward in waves.
Standing at the center of the chaos was Azu, holding a stone in both hands. The surface of the rock bore the frightened face of a man.
[Insight]
Name: Croft
Life Level: 4 (Superhuman)
Status: Fear
Ability: Petrification
Azu studied the face on the rock, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Goodbye, Croft."
With that, he clenched his hands tightly.
Crack!
A web of fractures spread across the stone, reaching the terrified face.
"No… no—!"
With a final squeeze, the stone shattered, crumbling into pieces that fell to the ground.
Azu dusted off his hands and pressed his earpiece.
"Angelina, free hunt mode."
In the nearby forest, Angelina, who had been waiting patiently, lifted her head. A faint red glow flickered deep within her pupils.
Heart pounding with excitement and nerves, she took a deep breath—and sprinted.
Her figure became a blur, weaving through the forest at lightning speed. In seconds, she crossed the treeline and slipped into the town from a different direction.
The moment she entered the streets, her gaze locked onto one of the blackened night thralls.
Recalling the combat drills with Azu, Angelina accelerated and grabbed the thrall by the collar. With a quick pivot, she executed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.
Crash!
The thrall hit the ground headfirst, its skull bursting open, spilling red and white matter across the pavement.
Angelina froze, eyes wide in shock. Covering her mouth, she staggered backward, pressing herself against the wall as she dry-heaved.
Suddenly, two clawed hands burst through a nearby window, slashing across her cheek.
Pain shot through her face, but instinct kicked in. She caught the hands midair and bent them until the bones snapped, forcing the broken fragments through the skin.
Without hesitation, she planted a powerful kick into the wall, shattering the wooden planks and sending the attacking thrall flying backward.
In seconds, the wounds on Angelina's face healed, the cuts sealing themselves shut.
The thrall, undeterred by the broken arms, popped its bones back into place and let out a guttural roar before charging at her again.
But just as it lunged, the shadow beneath the wall flickered.
Angelina pounced from the darkness like a predator. Her claws slashed through the thrall midair, tearing it into chunks that scattered across the ground.
With cold detachment, she stomped on its severed head, crushing it beneath her heel.
Her nausea had disappeared, replaced by a growing thirst for combat. No longer hesitant, she launched herself at the next wave of thralls, embracing the hunt.
---
Back in the town square, Azu scanned the surroundings, quickly locating the gluttonous "Big Eater."
Suddenly, a menagerie of animals burst out from the circus tent—tigers, lions, leopards, zebras, hippos, and gorillas.
Every beast, whether predator or prey, shared the same bloodthirsty, red-eyed gaze as they charged toward Azu.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Azu muttered. "Throwing animals at me?"
A sleek leopard lunged first, claws outstretched.
Azu's eyes flared with golden light, and twin beams of searing energy shot out, slicing the leopard in half midair.
But before he could unleash the full power of his heat rays, the beams twisted mid-flight, curving toward the circus tent.
"Of course…" Azu narrowed his eyes. "Big Eater's up to his tricks again."
With a sharp inhale, Azu launched himself into the sky, planning to strike from above.
However, a dark blur shot toward him from the corner of his vision.
Thud!
A figure collided with him—a man with a body as flexible as rubber, his limbs coiling around Azu like snakes.
The man grinned, tightening his grip as he latched onto a nearby streetlight for leverage.
Azu remained still, arms tensed as he tested the man's elasticity.
"It's no use, Azu." The rubber man sneered. "I know how strong you are, but against me, strength means nothing. I can stretch as far as I want—there's no breaking free."
Below, circus performers emerged from the tent—each identical in appearance, with brown hair, thick lips, and bright purple eye makeup.
Some balanced on unicycles, others juggled or walked on giant balls, and a few formed human pyramids.
Azu glanced at one of the identical women and activated [Insight].
Name: Copycat
Life Level: 4 (Superhuman)
Status: Excited
Ability: Self-Replication
Azu quickly pieced together their strategy.
Big Eater was the key to neutralizing his heat rays. Meanwhile, the circus performers, rubber man, and stone creatures served as distractions to keep Azu occupied—and protect Big Eater.
And somewhere out there, hidden in the chaos, was Midnight Jester, waiting with a trick up his sleeve.
Azu grinned.
"You seriously think you can win?"
From a speaker in the tent, the Jester's voice crackled to life:
"We don't need to win, Azu."
"Just look around. The military and your precious Seven can't hold the line. Once my night thralls break free and reach the cities, nothing will stop them."
"Even if you kill us all, you'll have already lost."
"The people will no longer trust you. They won't worship or support you."
"Your legend ends here."
Azu chuckled.
"And what makes you think I care about trust, worship, or support?"
"I don't need to be defined by anyone."
He paused, then added with a sly grin:
"Also... how long do you plan to keep hiding? If I take out Big Eater, will you finally show yourself?"
The rubber man tightened his grip, sneering.
"You won't escape me, Azu."
"Oh really?" Azu smirked.
"Let's see about that."
With a crouch, he braced himself like a sprinter at the starting line.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted as Azu blasted into the sky, dragging the rubber man along with him.
"Wait—what are you—?!"
The man's limbs stretched to their limits, snapping taut as Azu accelerated.
But Azu's speed was too great. The rubber man's elongated body began to tremble under the strain.
Desperate, he released his grip on the streetlight—but it was too late.
Azu continued to ascend, higher and higher, until the curve of the Earth became visible.
The thin atmosphere offered no mercy. The rubber man's breath froze in his throat, and frost crept across his skin.
With a faint crack, his blood crystallized, and his limbs stiffened into icy sculptures.
Azu flicked the frozen man with a casual swipe.
Shatter!
The rubber man exploded into shards, tumbling back toward the Earth.
Hovering above the clouds, Azu smiled down at the battlefield below.
"Your tricks might work on my heat rays, but let's see how you handle a purely physical beating."
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