After Mark and the others prepared themselves, they stepped out of the hospital, determination etched on their faces. Vanessa broke the silence, turning to Smith with a question that had been gnawing at her. "If Cobi can separate standz from humans, wouldn't that make us useless?" she asked.
Smith shook his head firmly. "He can only separate a standz from its user if he gets their blood. As long as we keep our distance and avoid that, we'll be safe."
Mark, who had been quiet until now, smirked confidently. "I've got a plan," he said, his gaze meeting theirs. After secretly sharing the details of his strategy to save Bri and stop Cobi before he could start a war, the group nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Cobi sat in his dimly lit office, his fingers steepled as he watched his mind-controlled seireis preparing for the upcoming battle. The room buzzed with the ominous energy of his ambitions. Suddenly, his attention snapped to the surveillance monitors as the screens began to flicker and lose signal, fogging out one by one. A deep frown crossed his face as he leaned closer to the screens.
"What's happening?" he muttered. His eyes darted to one monitor still functioning, where he saw Mark moving swiftly through the building. Rage bubbled to the surface as realization struck. "Elizabeth must have told him where I'm staying," he growled.
In the corner of the room, Bri sat tied up, her gaze locked on the screen. Her heart leaped at the sight of Mark. "Mark!" she shouted, her voice trembling. Cobi turned to her with a sinister grin.
"So you know him? Perfect," he sneered. "You can watch him die in front of you before I let you join him."
Bri glared at him with defiance. "Mark doesn't lose to anyone," she snapped, her voice laced with anger. "You'll regret underestimating him."
Cobi's grin widened. "Let's see about that," he said, turning back to the screen as Mark grew closer to his office. "I'll have my seireis pin him down the moment he steps in."
The door burst open, but to everyone's surprise, Mark didn't enter through it. Instead, he crashed through the office window, shards of glass scattering in all directions. The unexpected move distracted everyone in the room as Mark landed skillfully, brushing off the glass.
His eyes quickly scanned the room, first ensuring Bri was unharmed before locking onto Cobi. "Damn," Mark muttered, rotating his shoulder with a wince. "I think I dislocated my shoulder with that jump." With a sharp motion, he popped it back into place, his expression hardening.
Cobi chuckled, his sinister grin never wavering. "You're something else, aren't you? I hate your kind—low-standz freaks like you. It's why I had my first kill," he spat.
Mark glared at him. "Drop the act, Cobi. Elizabeth told me everything." He paused, his tone softening. "And for what it's worth, your mother was wrong about you."
Cobi's smile faltered, but only for a moment. "I don't care what you or anyone else thinks!" he snapped. "I'd rather die than live as a side character."
"You don't have to pick a side," Mark said calmly. "I'm not a hero or a villain—I'm just a guy."
"Shut up!" Cobi bellowed, his composure cracking. "Kill him!" he commanded the seireis.
The air grew heavy as the seireis charged. Their dark auras made the walls tremble, but Mark stood his ground. Without hesitation, he rushed into battle. Despite lacking formal training, he relied on his incredible strength to knock them back. Blow after blow landed on him, tearing his skin and leaving deep injuries, but Mark refused to back down.
As the fight raged on, Bri watched in horror, her hands trembling as she saw the damage Mark was enduring. Bloodied but undeterred, Mark recited the necessary hand signs and chants, exorcising the seireis one by one. When the final seirei fell, Cobi stepped back in disbelief.
"You've lost," Mark said, his voice firm despite his battered body. "The villain always loses."
Cobi's face twisted with fury. He grabbed Bri, his nails pressing dangerously close to her neck. "Move, and I'll pierce her skin. Her blood will be mine, and her standz will disappear."
Mark froze, his heart pounding. "What happens to her if she loses her standz?" he asked cautiously.
Cobi's grin returned. "Why don't you ask the other contenders I've taken standz from—oh wait, they're all dead."
The tension was palpable as Mark tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation. Cobi's grip on Bri tightened as he continued to gloat. "Back off, or I'll end her right here."
A soft laugh escaped Mark's lips. "You're so dull-minded," he said, shaking his head.
Cobi's smile faded. "What did you say?" he growled.
"Let me ask you something," Mark said, his tone deliberate. "Who do you suppose malfunctioned your cameras?"
Cobi's confusion deepened as Smith, Vanessa, Miwafe, Rin, and Jack suddenly dropped from the vent above, landing on him. Jack stood first, looking down. "Something broke my fall," he muttered, realizing it was Cobi.
Vanessa and Miwafe quickly pinned Cobi down while Rin and Jack rushed to untie Bri. Smith approached Mark, concern etched on his face. "What took you guys so long?" Mark asked, his voice weak.
"Crawling through vents isn't as easy as it looks," Smith replied.
Pinned beneath the group, Cobi struggled and screamed. "What's going on?!"
Mark smirked, leaning against the wall for support. "You haven't figured it out yet? When I first came here to apply for a job, I memorized every detail of this building. I knew where the cameras were, which routes to avoid, and how to use them against you. Smith used his strings to disable your cameras while staying out of sight. While you were focused on me, the others used the vent to sneak up on you."
Cobi's face contorted with rage as Mark began coughing up blood. Miwafe rushed to his side, but Cobi seized the opportunity to grab Vanessa. "If any of you move, she's dead!" he barked.
Vanessa struggled in his grip but remained calm, using her standz to read his mind. She realized Cobi planned to throw her aside and jump out the window to escape. Subtly, she pointed toward the window, hoping someone would notice.
Mark's sharp eyes caught her signal, but his body refused to move, his injuries taking their toll. As Cobi hurled Vanessa aside and made for the window, Bri acted. With a swift kick to his jaw, she sent him crashing to the floor.
"Nobody—and I mean nobody—kidnaps me," Bri declared.
The group erupted in praise as Mark managed a weak smile. Cobi, bloodied and desperate, forced himself to stand. "I refuse to lose," he muttered, his voice shaking.
"Stop hurting yourself," Mark said gently.
"What would you know?!" Cobi snapped.
"You're right," Mark replied. "Maybe I don't. But someone else does."
At that moment, Elizabeth entered the room, her face streaked with tears. "Cobi," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "I couldn't stand up for you back then, but I'm not afraid anymore. Please, stop."
Cobi froze, tears streaming down his face as he hesitantly hugged her back. Mark watched with a faint smile as the tension in the room dissolved, a single tear falling from Cobi's eyes.