*CRRACK!*

1: “Huff Huff...twenty...twenty – two.”

To the untrained observer, It appeared as if these two killers were moving at a pace so unimaginably fast, they created not mere after-images, but actual body doubles!

To the average and modern human being, it seemed like 99 Noels were fighting against 98 One’s – these two were moving way too fast!

---

Going back, a bit…

Noel temporarily paused in his step. The criminal before him was turning out to be an unexpected adversary! He time and time again, prior to Noel’s awareness...

...escaped death!

EACH time: Noel aimed for different deadly spots on the body that would either cause massive blood loss or quick and painless death. But EVERY single moment his needle would pierce through One, penetrating a certain part of his figure, momentarily, the patch closest to where Noel would light up and teleport him. This process did NOT escape from Noel’s sight. It merely frustrated him even further.

{...What the fuck! What are those weird blinking things – and WHY can’t I get him?!?! Is it technology? It HAS to be technology of some sort!

...There’s also that cracking noise...Hm.}

1: “...Haah. To think that I’d have to use so many expensive goods in a single fight. This mission is going to make me bleed before it ends…”

*Crrraack!*

Noel: “Make you bleed? Don’t worry~ just stay still and I’ll bleed you out completely..!”

*Crrraack!*

One: “...I can’t be indecisive any longer. I have to make a move – no matter HOW much time it takes! Spacial acceleration...activate!!”

Noel: “…This is beginning to grow tiresome---?”

{Hm? Strange. Is he getting...faster?

…

No. it’s my imagination. He sped up for a moment, but that was all. I THINK that was all, at least.

..I hope that was all…

I hope.}

Noel struck in a plethora of places: the Cephalic Vein. The chest cavity. The left temple. The base of his spine. His carotid artery. The man’s respiratory organs: also referred to as the ‘lungs’. His Dorsal body cavity.

An alarming aggregate of carefully chosen body parts in order to incapacitate his foe.

.

.

But no matter HOW he tried – the man would only teleport in Noel’s blind spot! How infuriating! This feeling of being...outpaced by a piece of technology time and time again… would wear just about any twelve year old’s patience out after a large number of failures. Especially to an elite from one of the 10 families!

Noel’s pint - sized physique was beginning to sharpen as this battle...or rather the game of ‘cat and mouse’ continued. Somewhat similar to Ophelia – Noel has a seal placed on his body...but this was not done by the school. Also, it’s properties are not as severe in hindering his strength and durability as theirs are.

This ‘seal’ doesn’t only apply to him either: Within hero high school’s boundaries, there are 3 others donning the same category of seal as him. One of them being Nathan Ericson…

Only the 10 families Residing deep within Spes Nova each have a ‘special seal’ developed differently to tailor suit the specific family’s needs.

Originally, all 10 suffered the same curse. However at some point, the ten heads toiled strenuously in order to ensure their family’s ‘curse’ underwent subtle changes. The change differed from family to family – due to each one messing with it in their own way. The moment those curses became ‘seals’ those sharing the same blood as the one that changed it, such as their children, will also undergo the subtle changes as the tweaker.

It not only serves to hinder their overall power output so badly that they actually appear closer to ‘peak’ human beings instead of what they truly are - save for a few unique individual traits pertaining to their family specialties - but these ‘seals’ differ largely from Ophelia’s because of one hard to grasp fact, entirely unknown by the overpopulated, super-powered world:

These 10 ‘Seals’ are actually a group of curses, ALTERED to function as a seal. A curse that EVERY member of the 10 families is born with, and functions to harm them so long as they remain a member of that family.

A Malierano’s ‘Cursed Seal’ is a fusion of a curse placed to restrict Noel’s soul, a curse limiting the impact of his mental strength, both fused with a curse placed on his physical body – forcibly weakening it tremendously(but not as much as Ophelia’s. Not nearly as much). This isn’t the same as the one Noel erased accidentally when he was ten.

No.

That was just a minor one his father developed to rein his children in and maintain peace throughout the family.

It wasn’t designed to restrict their very existence and seal a majority of their potential away, only letting a portion of the developed strength seep through as the years go by while barring up the rest – forcing it to deteriorate out of touch and out of reach.

No.

Nor was it altered by the Malieranos to help strengthen and cultivate their stored away power, instead of watching it wastefully deteriorate.

It’s only role is to completely ‘punish’ the family member who would dare betray the ‘family’. One could see this as being a ‘slave’ to the family, or, one could view this as making sure the family remains protected and safe from outside corruptors.

…

Noel’s body was sharpening as the evasive fight progressed, but there was only so much he could do. It was already impressive enough how fast Noel was able to move within an area four hundred times Earth’s gravity, and with his family’s seal working to both restrict him physically, AND ensure his growth receives a significantly heavy cap…

His only reminder to all present of even being within the BOUNDARIES of 4 and 1 were the random craters that would appear whenever he couldn’t control his step well enough. Then… without, warning: the battle suddenly took a sharp turn!

The energy around 1 started to pulsate sporadically! While Noel took another pause to question if it was even wise to keep attacking without knowing what those ‘Crack’ noises were, his opponent underwent yet another shocking change on the battlefield! His invisible ‘aura’ acted in an unstable manner until condensing around his body, no different from its original appearance before. But…

What managed to TRULY change...was his speed! He defied all sense of reality at this very moment. Once, he was panicking like a grown man witnessing a deadly ghost aggressively haunting him – but NOW he not only charged towards the 12 year old with speed similar to Noel’s, but he EVEN managed to catch the boy entirely off guard and ill-prepared!

Noel did NOT expect for One to actually increase his speed so spontaneously like he did…

Earlier when the rough – looking man announced he was about to activate his ‘Spacial Acceleration’ Noel naturally looked down on it. After all, he only got PROGRESSIVELY faster by a LITTLE BIT after that stupidly cringey announcement he shouted to the world.

But now…

*BOOM!*

Noel was sent flying through the field with a gravity empowered punch! He skyrocketed from one side of the field to the other, before his feet brushed across the soil, allowing him to touch it again and break his body’s momentum. Luckily Noel put up both arms in front of his face right before contact. It was a reflexive act that even moved his body while his mind was still in a state of frozen confusion, panic and anxiety.

The moment he caught himself, he glanced ahead – only to see another fist already about to make contact with his nose…

Of course, THIS time, his mind wasn’t lost in doubt, over-confidence and shock.

No. It was only processing things like anger, embarrassment, and combat readiness through cool-headedness.

This was OBVIOUSLY the ‘Spacial Acceleration’ technique that he mentioned!!

Still…

*FWOOOSH!*

Just as quick as 1 moved, Noel was faster. It was a small difference, but this allowed the boy to get a return strike that had sent 1 crashing past the battlefield and through a close – by cluster of trees.

Noel’s body vanished after that, twirling his needle that he actually forgot to use. A punch worked but… stabbing didn’t? Was it because the man’s FACE was targeted that his fist connected? Or did he just not trigger that hidden contraption to teleport the man because it was a ‘punch’ and not something registered as life-threatening like a stabbing motion filled with murderous intent?

Well, this time, he was planning on bringing everything to the table. He appeared next to a fallen 1 and delivered a heavy kick to the man’s love handle. Close to a spot he triggered a *Crack* previously. His kick landed, but...the increase in gravity allowed 1 to release enough force to blow back opponents with ease.

It didn’t blow NOEL back, but it at least served its purpose in completely blocking the force of Noel’s kick, by releasing a protective layer of space energy around One’s fist right before he punched the crazy pre-teen’s foot.

But this was merely a feint – as Noel immediately disappeared once his foot was touched, and a small piercing pain traveled through 1’s right forearm!. It now sported a hole through it.

Noel: “Hmm~ It seems like whatever was protecting you before wore off already. Oh well, too bad for you!”

Noel prepared to stab him again, thereby plotting to end this farce with a stab straight through the forehead…

but the man kicked up his left foot so that the back of his ankle faced the needle down bravely.

A flash of light occurred, and he was now facing at an angle just behind Noel’s left elbow!

1: “Dammit kid. That...makes twelve!”

Rather than punching this time however...his fist released its vice-like grip on something - something sharp. Something sharp and circular.

It was an automatic saw. A wheel shaped saw that floated in the air alone, where it slowly begun to spin. Noel gained enough time to shift his position around, throwing the needle simultaneous to his twirl. But it froze in midair, right next to the saw.

1: “I do have another power. And this one may prove,,,much more of a challenge for you to beat.”

*Shwiiing!*

But even while his needle betrayed him, and threatened to impale him as it’d done to so many of his opponents before today…

Noel wasn’t worried in the slightest.

Noel: “If you can try to put up a challenge, then do it already. As it stands, Frankly, I’m bored fighting against you. Without that teleport machine saving you: you’d already be a pile of lifeless flesh…

So if you can: then do it~ By ALL means, give me a challenge! Consider it your final struggle, right before I kill you.”

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