As the group stepped outside, the air grew tense. Standing before them was a lone figure—a hunter. His aura radiated malice, and a wicked grin spread across his face.
"Well, well. If it isn't the saviors," the hunter sneered. "Ready for your daily dose of death?"
"Not a chance," Yaxoc retorted, dropping into a fighting stance, his eyes locked on the hunter.
"Stay sharp," Virelle whispered. "This one's unpredictable."
Without warning, the hunter lunged at Virelle with blinding speed. She reacted quickly, attempting to block, but his blade grazed her shoulder.
"Argh!" Virelle staggered back, clutching her wound as blood seeped through her fingers.
The hunter chuckled darkly. "A Z+ savior, reduced to this? Pathetic."
Before the hunter could revel in his taunts, Yaxoc appeared behind him, landing a devastating punch that sent the hunter crashing into the ground.
"Don't forget I'm here!" Yaxoc yelled, his energy surging.
Marcus took the opening, charging forward with his magic. "Fire Magic: Burning Steps!" he chanted, flames erupting around the hunter, creating a fiery cage.
The hunter's eyes gleamed with disdain. "Cute trick," he said, unfazed. "Let me guess—Water, Fire, Ice, Plant, and Cloud. That's your arsenal, right? Impressive stats for a 'legendary magician,' but stats mean nothing to me."
With effortless agility, he ducked Marcus' spell and lunged, aiming a quick jab. Before it could connect, Yaxoc teleported in front of him, delivering a ferocious punch to the hunter's face.
The impact sent the hunter skidding across the ground, his body creating a trench in the dirt.
"Ugh… you bastard…" the hunter growled, staggering to his feet.
Virelle raised her hands, magic swirling around her. "Hurricane Magic: Category 5!" she chanted, the sky darkening as gale-force winds howled through the battlefield.
The hunter stood firm against the storm, taking a slow step forward. "Is that all? Pathetic."
Yaxoc vanished and reappeared behind the hunter, his voice sharp as he chanted, "Imagination Magic: Purple!"
A small, glowing purple orb formed at Yaxoc's fingertips. With a swift motion, he flung it toward the hunter. The orb exploded upon impact, creating a massive shockwave that sent the hunter flying into a nearby building.
As the dust settled, the hunter emerged from the rubble, a sinister grin on his face. "Imagination Magic… the fourth strongest type, after Time, Chaos, and Star. Not to mention you wield Artificial Magic too. Impressive—but not enough."
The hunter's aura surged as his body crackled with energy. He leaped from the building with terrifying speed, the force of his jump collapsing a nearby structure.
In an instant, he appeared in front of Yaxoc, driving a brutal blow into his stomach. Yaxoc was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with a pained yell.
"AGH! HE'S GOTTEN FASTER!" Yaxoc shouted, clutching his midsection.
Marcus turned to Moonlight. "We have to help him—now!"
"Right behind you!" Moonlight said, joining him in a dash toward the hunter.
The hunter smirked, effortlessly tossing Yaxoc aside like a ragdoll. "I'll deal with you two first. Then, I'll finish him."
The hunter lunged, moving faster than either could react. His punches connected with devastating precision, slamming Moonlight and Marcus into the ground. The impact created a massive crater, leaving both groaning in pain.
"This guy's speed is insane!" Moonlight gasped, struggling to her feet. "Marcus, do something!"
"I'm trying!" Marcus growled, flames flickering weakly around his hands.
The hunter laughed, pulling a gleaming knife from his belt. "Ah, so you're a couple? How touching. Too bad your love story ends here."
He raised the knife, aiming to strike—
"Chaos Magic: Destructo-Disco!"
A powerful voice echoed across the battlefield. Four glowing red discs materialized in midair, spinning at light speed toward the hunter.
The hunter dodged with expert precision, twisting and weaving through three of the discs. The fourth, however, clipped his shoulder, detonating on impact.
"Argh!" the hunter growled, his grip loosening just enough for Moonlight and Marcus to break free. They scrambled to their feet and retaliated with a synchronized kick, sending the hunter stumbling backward.
Moonlight glanced around, her heart pounding. "What the hell was that?"
"No idea," Marcus said, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "But whoever it was… just saved us."
The hunter's eyes darted toward where the discs had come from, only to hear a voice behind him.
"A hunter?" the voice said, low and cold.
The hunter spun around to face a figure stepping out from the shadows.
The newcomer wore a pristine white jacket with an owl mask covering their face. A white visor gleamed faintly under the light, brown hair with a streaked texture framed their head, and sharp black eyes peered out from behind the mask. They were dressed in black pants and brown shoes, their stance exuding calm confidence.
"Who are you?" the hunter demanded, narrowing his eyes.
The figure crossed their arms. "Name's Ghostblade. The first Mythical Warrior to gain no powers."
"Mythical Warriors?" The hunter snorted. "Sounds like a bedtime story for kids. But no matter. I'll end you here and now."
The hunter lunged forward with his blade, aiming to skewer Ghostblade. In one fluid motion, Ghostblade countered, delivering a spinning hook kick that sent the hunter stumbling backward, his stance momentarily faltering.
"Argh!" The hunter groaned, gripping his side.
Ghostblade didn't let up, launching a relentless barrage of strikes. Each blow landed with surgical precision, pushing the hunter further off balance.
"Owl Kick!" Ghostblade shouted, his final attack connecting with brutal force, slicing a clean cut across the hunter's cheek.
The hunter flew back, crashing hard into a wall, debris crumbling around him. He groaned, clutching his face. "This... kid is powerful…"
"For your information," Ghostblade replied coolly, crossing his arms, "I'm 16. So what's your excuse? Don't tell me you're letting a 'kid' take you down." He smirked, his voice laced with mockery.
The hunter's fists clenched in rage. "You little… I'll make you regret that!"
A dark aura began to seep from the hunter, expanding outward like a storm. The ground beneath him cracked, and buildings began to decay as if consumed by his raw energy. The very planet trembled.
Ghostblade's eyes widened. "What the hell…?"
Another figure stepped into the fray, their calm demeanor cutting through the chaos.
"Need backup, Ghost?"
Ghostblade turned toward the newcomer. "Yeah, thanks, Nightshade."
Nightshade's attire mirrored Ghostblade's in its simplicity—a black shirt, gray pants, and an owl mask. A corrupted black visor obscured part of his face, while brown streaked hair framed his unsettlingly sharp purple eyes. A kitsune mask rested atop his head, hiding his true face.
Nightshade cracked his knuckles. "Great. Leave this to me. Go check with Sukorian and notify the boss. We might have a problem here."
Ghostblade nodded and darted off, disappearing from the battle.
Nightshade turned his gaze toward the hunter, his expression unreadable. "So, this is it, huh? A black aura? Is that all that makes you special?"
The hunter roared in fury and charged, aiming to land a devastating blow. But as his fist came down, Nightshade caught it with ease. The shockwave from the impact tore through nearby buildings, reducing them to rubble.
"Not bad," Nightshade muttered, studying the hunter's aura. "You're about three times faster than light in this form, and your strength… comparable to multiple moons. But that's cute compared to me. My corruption can snap galaxies in half."
With that, Nightshade delivered a bone-crushing punch to the hunter's face, sending him soaring into the sky. In a blink, Nightshade teleported ahead of him and delivered a spinning kick that sent the hunter hurtling around the Earth, orbiting it 60 times in less than a nanosecond.
Nightshade caught up, grabbed the hunter mid-flight, spun him like a ragdoll, and slammed him into the ground with earth-shattering force.
The hunter groaned, struggling to rise.
"Any last words?" Nightshade asked coldly.
"You'll regret that!" the hunter roared, throwing Nightshade backward with a powerful burst of energy.
Nightshade skidded across the ground, his boots grinding into the dirt. "Tough guy," he said, shaking off the blow. "You're strong, I'll give you that. But you leave yourself wide open."
The hunter's furious screams reverberated across the battlefield, shaking entire planets.
Nightshade winced. "This guy's a walking natural disaster. He might be capable of wiping out entire universes if he really tried…"
Before Nightshade could react, the hunter appeared behind him, landing a crushing blow that sent him flying into space.
"Argh!" Nightshade groaned, dazed from the hit. "What the hell? His speed isn't even measurable anymore… It's like he's breaking reality itself."
Floating in the void, Nightshade steadied himself. "I need to alert Nitomaa before this gets out of hand—"
The hunter materialized behind him, his presence suffocating. "What's wrong? Not so cocky anymore. Who's this 'boss' you keep mumbling about?"
Nightshade swung a desperate kick, but the hunter didn't even flinch.
"No way…" Nightshade whispered.
The hunter smirked. "Big mistake, idiot—"
Before he could finish, an overwhelming presence descended, silencing him instantly.
Nightshade seized the distraction and teleported away as the hunter looked around, searching for the source of the presence.
"You looking for me?" a voice asked, calm and menacing.
The hunter turned to see another figure standing beside him. With a single brutal strike, the newcomer disabled the hunter's powers completely.
"Argh!" the hunter groaned, collapsing as his aura flickered and vanished.
The figure loomed over him. "You've adapted to space… Interesting. Yet here you are, powerless. Pathetic."
"Who are you!?" the hunter snarled, gripping his broken knife and pointing its shattered edge at the figure before him.
The figure stepped closer, effortlessly crushing the remains of the knife in their gloved hand.
"My name is Fate," the figure said, their voice calm yet unyielding. "The memory fragment tied to the 3rd strongest remembrance."
Fate's appearance was understated yet striking: a green shirt with an enigmatic symbol, black pants, gray-and-blue shoes, green glasses, messy brown hair, sharp brown eyes, and yellow gloves that seemed to hum faintly with power.
The hunter's eyes widened. "F-Fate?" he stammered.
Fate adjusted their glasses and replied, bluntly, "Don't get it twisted. I don't change destinies, nor do I hand out miracles. Your fight ends here."
The hunter's black aura flickered, his strength waning. He stumbled back, powerless, as Fate raised a single finger.
"Now that you're neutralized, I'll send you back to Earth. I'd rather not waste time listening to your whining."
With a simple motion, Fate pointed downward. A tremendous gravitational pull gripped the hunter, dragging him through the void. Within moments, he was hurtling back to Earth, slamming into the ground with catastrophic force.
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Back on Earth, Virelle was the first to spot the hunter's mangled body. She hurried over, her eyes wide with concern.
"What just happened?" she asked, kneeling beside him. "It looks like something crushed him in space before he even hit the ground."
"He's not breathing," she added after a moment, her voice low. "He's dead."
Yaxoc, standing a few steps back, scratched his head and muttered, "Weird. And what's with those two owl-mask guys earlier? They looked like Bambon's long-lost cousins."
Virelle shot him a glare. "This isn't the time for jokes, Yaxoc."
Ignoring him, she examined the lifeless hunter further. "Whatever hit him wasn't from here. It feels like… some immense pressure beyond anything I've seen."
Marcus folded his arms, his gaze thoughtful. "How could something like this happen? He wasn't even touched by any of us before he fell."
"It must have come from an anomaly," Virelle suggested, standing up. "Maybe one tied to Chaos magic."
Moonlight, her expression distant, leaned toward Yaxoc and Marcus, whispering, "I think I know who might be behind this."
"Wait," Yaxoc whispered back, his brow furrowed. "You mean Luchis? The one you mentioned last month?"
Moonlight nodded, her tone serious. "Yeah. She has Chaos magic. If this was her doing, she's probably trying to take down hunters—maybe starting with him."
Marcus turned to the others, breaking the tense moment. "We need to regroup. Let's head home and figure out our next move."
With that, the group began their walk back, leaving the lifeless hunter behind.
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Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, a figure watched the scene unfold below.
Lucius stood still, the wind tugging at his dark cloak. His expression was cold, calculating.
"Hmph," he muttered. "That hunter's death wasn't the work of those saviors. Too clean. Too… decisive." He adjusted his gloves, his eyes narrowing. "No doubt, it was the intervention of a memory fragment. Fate, perhaps?"
He turned away, stepping into the shadows.
"No matter. I'll report this to the others. We'll devise new plans soon enough."
And with that, Lucius vanished into the night.