The words echoed silently in Kael's mind as the smoky veil around him thickened. His breaths, though ragged, remained steady. The battlefield was a darkened maze, but with DarkBind's tendrils radiating out in a precise fifteen-meter radius, he could 'see' the enemies without sight—his own invisible eyes probing the murk.
Ryken's shimmering reflective shield flared faintly in the smokescreen, a ghostly shimmer that marked the villain's every movement. Kael was painfully aware of Ryken's quirk—Reflector. Every physical and energy attack Ryken caught could be thrown right back. The awareness made Kael wary, forcing him to rely less on straightforward attacks and more on cunning, precision, and misdirection.
The bulky man in white—the third of the trio—loomed with radiant fists pulsing, each strike capable of leveling chunks of concrete. Kael knew he had to keep his distance but also not lose focus. The dreadlocked woman moved with a lithe and deadly rhythm, her tendrils crackling with conductive energy, slashing and striking from unexpected angles. She was a living trap, weaving in and out, her electric tendrils extending like serpents in the haze.
Kael's hands glowed faintly with a golden light as he activated Healing Aura. This Quirk, stolen from a villain whose desperation had nearly cost him his life months ago, now served him as a lifeline. The warm radiance spread through his body, knitting wounds and easing exhaustion—but the power drew heavily on his stamina. Overusing it would leave him weak, defenseless, and exposed.
The smokescreen shrouded the entire block in impenetrable blackness, swallowing sounds and light alike. Normally, Kael would have avoided this Quirk—it blinded him as much as anyone else. But now, DarkBind acted as his senses, extending invisible tendrils to detect movement and energy shifts within the radius.
His "second eyes" flickered and pulsed as they mapped the silhouettes of his opponents.
He struck first.
Launching a swift Flashstep forward, Kael closed the distance on the bulky man, narrowly avoiding a searing punch that cracked the pavement behind him. A quick strike to the knee brought the giant stumbling, the white glow around his fists sputtering in frustration.
From the shadows, the dreadlocked woman lashed her tendrils, sparks flying as her energy conduits searched for Kael's form. But his DarkBind tendrils anticipated each strike—snaring and redirecting her attacks with the precision of a master puppeteer. Kael countered, landing a sharp jab to her ribs that sent her sprawling against the rusted remains of a fire escape.
Ryken's voice sliced through the darkness, calm and cruel. "You think you can keep this up? You won't get close enough to touch me, BalanceKeeper."
Kael smirked beneath his mask. He didn't need to touch Ryken to defeat him—his strategy wasn't brute force, but wearing them down, exploiting weaknesses.
Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the chaos. Through the thick smoke, Kael sensed panicked energy—civilians trapped near a crumbling storefront. They were too close to the deadly tendrils now creeping in their direction.
Without hesitation, Kael surged forward, moving faster than the eye could follow. A tendril snapped toward the group, but he wove DarkBind around it, pulling it away from the innocents. The bulky man's fist smashed the pavement where Kael had just stood, sending shards flying dangerously close.
Ryken's voice was now tinged with irritation. "You're reckless. Protecting them will get you killed."
Kael's eyes hardened. "If you want to break me, you'll have to try harder than that."
The dreadlocked woman hissed and lunged again, tendrils crackling in a frenzy, but Kael danced around the strikes, combining Flashstep and DarkBind in perfect harmony. Each movement was calculated, each strike designed to incapacitate and confuse rather than overpower.
He felt the Healing Aura flicker again, staving off the burn in his muscles and the ache in his ribs. His body was screaming, but he pushed on—knowing full well the cost of exhaustion in a fight like this.
The villains adapted quickly, their attacks growing sharper, more coordinated. Ryken's reflective shield flashed with every attack Kael attempted, forcing him to rethink his approach. Direct strikes were futile; Kael shifted tactics.
He began to use his environment—launching debris with DarkBind tendrils, forcing Ryken and the others into defensive positions, buying time to protect civilians who were still trapped or caught in the crossfire.
The crowd's fearful gasps and cries fueled Kael's resolve. Some of the civilians froze, watching helplessly, while others screamed, trying to flee the nightmare unfolding before them. Kael knew he had to act fast—any delay would mean innocent lives lost.
In one fluid motion, he launched a Flashstep toward the closest trapped civilians, enveloping them in a protective web of DarkBind just as the dreadlocked woman's tendrils crashed down. The energy discharged harmlessly into the bindings, sparing the group from harm.
But every act of defense left Kael momentarily exposed. The bulky man capitalized, delivering a devastating blow that sent Kael skidding across the cracked asphalt, pain flaring through his side.
Kael gritted his teeth and rose, the golden pulse of Healing Aura flaring again, buying him precious seconds to recover. He could not afford to fall.
This battle was unlike any other. Ryken and his companions were powerful, coordinated, and ruthless. Kael's usual tricks and borrowed quirks could only get him so far. It was time to fight smarter—to anticipate, adapt, and outmaneuver.
As the tendrils whipped closer again, and Ryken's shield shimmered in the dark, Kael's mind sharpened.
…