The battle raged on in the war-torn plaza, reduced to rubble and panic. Kael's lungs burned, his arms heavy with effort, as he deflected another barrage of attacks. Ryken, cloaked in his ever-flickering Reflector field, moved with smug precision. Behind him, the dreadlocked woman—now known by the name Voltage Lash—weaved streaks of electric current through the air like whips, while the bulky man in white—Craterfist—tore through debris with explosive punches that cracked pavement like paper.
Kael darted sideways, blinking behind a crumbled wall using Flashstep, avoiding an arc of voltage that carved into a nearby statue. He didn't need to see her directly to know where she was—his body reacted on instinct now. His hand pulsed as he activated DarkBind, the shadowy tendrils slithering from his body and burrowing into the terrain like serpents, sensing movement, breathing, and friction. He no longer needed his eyes in combat—not with DarkBind guiding him.
Smoke burst outward from his position—Smokescreen. The gray haze enveloped the square in seconds, drawing yells of frustration from the villains.
"The hell is this?! I can't see anything!" Voltage Lash snapped, her electricity sizzling dreads semi useless in the fog.
"Don't move too far apart!" Ryken barked. "He's in here somewhere."
Kael remained still inside the veil of smoke, breathing slowly. Smokescreen gave him cover—but it blinded him too. That's why he paired it with DarkBind now, letting the shadows extend in all directions up to a 15-meter radius. Every vibration, every step, echoed to him like sonar.
His muscles tensed. Craterfist stomped forward—reckless, predictable. Kael slipped through the smoke like a phantom and appeared behind him. With a snap of his fingers, shadowy tendrils lashed out from the ground, wrapping around the man's limbs. The bindings strained against Craterfist's brute strength, but Kael wasn't done. He aimed a kick to the back of the man's knee, forcing him down.
"Arrogant little punk!" Craterfist roared, detonating his aura outward and blasting Kael away in a shockwave.
Kael flipped mid-air, skidding to a stop and coughing from the impact. Bruised—but not broken.
He wiped the blood from his lip. "Guess I deserved that," he muttered.
Up above, civilians still trapped on a balcony screamed for help. Kael's eyes snapped toward them. Voltage Lash, smiling cruelly, flung one of her dreadlocks toward the structure. Kael vanished, reappearing mid-air just in time to summon a mass of shadows that formed a thick barrier—absorbing the blow.
The crowd gasped as he landed in front of them, shielding them with his body. A child no older than 5 stared up at him wide-eyed. "Are you… Equinox?"
Kael didn't respond. His mind was a storm of calculations.
His enemies weren't just strong—they were coordinated. And worst of all, they knew not to let him touch them.
Balancekeeper, his true Quirk, still slept beneath the surface of every move. If he could only grab one of them for even just a split second, he could tip the scales. But they danced at the edge of his reach, just out of grasp.
He'd used it before. Too many times now. Word had gotten out. If Kael touched you… your Quirk might not be yours anymore.
"You're too careful," Kael thought bitterly, eyes tracking Ryken through the haze. They're adapting.
A burning sensation returned to his side—remnants of an earlier dreadlock strike. He was getting worn down.
Then he made a choice.
He reached deep into his arsenal.
Healing Aura.
The golden glow rippled faintly across his body. It was subtle—too subtle for most villains to notice right away. He remembered the fight where he'd gained it—a desperate alley brawl with a Quirked-up street doctor who'd gone rogue. That man's power had healed anyone within a short radius. Kael had absorbed the ability after knocking him out cold, but never used it—until now.
The drawback was simple: it wasn't selective. Enemies nearby could benefit too.
So he had to keep his distance—heal only himself.
His breath steadied. His burns eased. Cuts stitched themselves closed.
Voltage Lash blinked in confusion as Kael stood tall again, posture corrected, breathing even.
"You were dying a second ago," she spat.
"Still might," Kael replied. "But not before I take one of you with me."
Another flashstep—and he was gone. Shadows surged behind Craterfist again, but this time Kael didn't go for restraint. He used the momentum of his speed to slam into the bulky man's side, sending him flying across the plaza.
Ryken's eyes narrowed. "Enough of this."
His Reflector shimmered—and Kael braced.
A a charged up dread lovk from voltage Lash. A redirected shadow strike. A brute-force punch from Craterfist—all in sync.
Kael blinked again, reappearing mid-attack, dodging one but taking the others.
He grunted as he crashed into a collapsed vending machine, barely cushioning the blow.
He stood slowly, coughing hard. His smoke was thinning. His healing slowing.
Civilians were still everywhere—some crying, others staring in awe or fear.
"You're slipping, Equinox," Ryken growled.
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he looked around—really looked.
They weren't just here for destruction. This was a message. To the city. To him.
And Kael?
He had a message too.
He summoned his shadows once more, cast his smoke, and vanished into the gray.
This battle wasn't over.
And now, he was the hunter.
…