Chapter 3:

Sheffer Residence 11:26 AM

Chris is running home, the wind gusting through his hair, with a huge grin on his face. He had never seen anyone use their abilities, except for a few Awakened, before today.

On his way home, having pushed his speed to his limit, he has thoroughly destroyed his running shoes now. He rounds the corner and heads up the dirt driveway to his house, kicking up clouds of dust in his wake.

When he reaches the house, he attempts to slow down, sliding dozens of feet before coming to a controllable speed. He then opens up the door and runs inside. Entering the kitchen at break-neck speed, he sets the beans on the counter before entering the living room where Gertrude and Joe are sitting.

“Guys, you're never going to believe this. So, ok, um, uh, …” He tries but fails to collect his thoughts. Gertrude notices the panicked yet ecstatic look on his face.

What’s got him so riled up?

“Where're the beans?” Gertrude is expecting him to give her a blank stare and to say he forgot them.

“What? Oh yeah, right. Beans are in the kitchen. Anyway, I just saw someone with the same powers as me.”

“!!”

Gertrude and Joe's eyes widen.

“Wait ... really?!” Joe fails to hide his shock.

“Yeah! Well, not exactly like mine. His were a bit different. But his strength and speed were close to my level. It was awesome. I was so confused. I mean, he was using his abilities out in the open.”

Despite her husband's lack of composure, Gertrude keeps a cool head. She knows Chris’s personality; His curious nature will potentially put him in danger. She wants to control this scenario and decrease Chris’s curiosity as much as possible.

Therefore, she wants to downplay the ‘awesomeness’ of this event.

“That dumb ass. Is he trying to attract attention to himself? After the Riverdale incident 15 years ago, this town isn't very pleasant to those with powers.”

“Yeah, I don't think he cared much. I mean, he flipped the car with a punch!”

Gertrude suddenly puts on a stern face. There is a dangerous reason why she wants Chris to stay away from Ethan.

“Chris. Eric’s mother Tirissa warned me of something interesting yesterday. She said that there is a powerful bounty hunter in town cleaning up the sheriff's messes. The man you saw today was most likely him. He's already taken down more than 8 criminals hiding in the territory. That boy of her’s, who wants to be a Bounty Hunter himself, is elated.”

Chris's eyes widen again. Then he gets excited, which is the exact opposite response Gertrude wants.

“Wait, do you mean that someone commissioned by the GE is here. And they have abilities. THAT'S AWESOME!”

“NO BRAT! IT'S NOT!” Gertrude becomes frustrated with Chris’s ignorance, although she knows she is just taking out her worries on him. “Having a licensed bounty hunter here is bad news. Not only does that mean the Empire think’s someone dangerous is in Arbhar, but the bounty hunter could discover you and take you out as a precaution.”

Chris becomes timid.

“Well, that's the thing. I think he ... already knows about me.”

Panic envelopes the faces of Joe and Gertrude. Are you fucking kidding me! Although they don’t say it out loud, it’s what they’re both thinking.

“And just how would he know about you?” Gertrude wants to strap Chris to a metal chair and start a full interrogation.

“THE HELL IF I KNOW! All I was doing was standing in the crowd watching him, then he turned and looked at me with a suspicious face. HE HAD TO OF KNOWN!” Chris answers honestly. Chris has always wanted to meet someone else with powers, but his previously excitement has turned into panic.

“Well, we don't really know that for sure …”

“HUSH JOE! This could be really bad. If there is even a slight chance he could know then we're screwed.” Gertrude has entered Mom mode, treating this as the worst-case scenario.

Joe helplessly slumps back down onto the couch.

Still, he tries to smooth out the tense atmosphere. “Well, we can't do much about it now. All we really can do is take precautions.”

“Okay ... but what would those be?” Chris honestly doesn’t know what he should do.

“Well for starters, TRY TO AVOID HIM!”

“YEAH I GOT THAT YOU DUMB HAG, BUT HOW DO I DO THAT?!”

Joe hurriedly tries to get a word in before the two start fighting with each other. “Don't use your powers at all. We still don't know how they work or if someone is watching you.”

Chris agrees with Joe’s advice. “Yeah, alright, that's smart.” Though, that doesn’t mean Chris won’t be fussy about it.

“Ugh, that'll be boring though.” To which Gertrude tells him, “Suck it up.” Joe silently laments over his wife’s rough personality. Joe looks Chris in the eyes to make sure the teen fully comprehends his words.

Joe doesn’t put much stock in Chris’s listening skills.

“It'll only be for a few weeks. He'll probably leave by then. But yeah, don't use your powers. We never know how close he is.”

…

Rachel Clothing

An hour and a half ago,

Ethan is buying clothes in a clothing store recommended to him by the receptionist at his hotel. He is looking around the jacket section, with the shirts and pants he wants to buy already draped over his arm. Suddenly, a jacket catches his eye.

Without hesitation, he grabs it.

5 Minutes later,

After, he emerges from the changing rooms wearing the pitch-black long coat he picked out along with long black pants and black tactical shoes. In other words, all black clothing. He rolls up the sleeves on the long coat and makes his way to the check-out counter. He pays for the outfit plus a few extra pieces of clothing, which are then placed in a bright pink bag for him.

As he exits the store, he receives stares. After all, a guy in long, black clothes in the middle of May, when it’s 70 degrees out, is exceedingly strange. Not only that, but he is also carrying the little pink bag in juxtaposition to his jet black appearance. People walking by him can’t help but chuckle a little when looking at the sight.

Walking down the middle of the street, he takes out the wanted posters, which, earlier, he stuffed in his coat pocket. He then casually looks threw them, deciding who to go after next.

…

Sheffer Residence 2:25 PM

Chris is carrying hay from one barn to another, reflecting on his day so far. After he picks up two stacks of hay, he walks slowly, acting like the hay is heavy, to avoid showing his powers, despite the hay feeling close to weightless to him.

“A bounty hunter? But why? Why would one be here? I mean, we don't have any big-time criminals here that a bounty hunter would go after.”

Wrong.

Unbeknown to Chris, Arbhar is, for many criminals, a place to lie low since the town is small and has no contact with the Empire - having a presence in every territory is impossible, even for the massive military force the Empire possesses. Although there’s not much crime in the town, there are a lot of criminals, which is precisely why the Sheriff was quite willing to let Ethan pursue them.

Chris, feeling he is about to drop one of the stacks, re-adjusts the hay on his shoulder.

“This doesn't make any sense. Of course, he would have to be a bounty hunter. As if my life needed the extra stress. I mean, the town has never needed a bounty hunter before, so why now?” He sets the hay down in the barn and starts walking back to grab more stacks.

“I wonder if the big wigs at the GE ordered him to come here or if he’s just here on his own. Hopefully, he just wants to make a bit of cash. If the GE sent him, that means they suspect someone dangerous in the territory.”

The GE, as the military of the Empire, can order a Bounty Hunter guild to investigate or to clean up any territories they suspect might have a growing amount of criminal activity.

Chris picks up two new blocks of hay. “But I’m harmless. They wouldn't send someone after a high school student ... right?”

He stumbles in the grass at the thought. Chris has, in his time of worry, started assuming that the bounty hunter is here exclusively for him. He has forgotten what Gertrude had stated to him, saying that the bounty hunter was here to clean up the Sheriff’s problems.

“I mean, if I had to fight him, I might win. Maybe. His speed was super fast but nothing I couldn't follow, and his strength looked close to mine. So I could probably stand a chance.”

Because of his monstrous strength, Chris has never been in a fight in his life out of fear that he might hurt someone. Instead, he has always avoided conflict, even in the brief period where he was picked on in Middle School.

In a mental simulation about fighting Ethan, Chris realizes something.

“Dude, how does his speed work though? I mean, he sped up so fast, like he was being pulled or something.”

He is referring to a technique Ethan used called Flash Step. A Flash Step works by manipulating one’s energy rather than utilizing a powerful physique. Instead of using one’s leg muscles to push off the ground, one extends their energy of their body, causing it to slingshot them forward.

Chris grabs more hay. “For that matter, how does his strength work. If I remember hard enough, I don't think I ever saw his hand touch the car …”

Ethan's hand actually stopped a full 4 feet before the car. Chi Fist, a technique where one pools their chi into their fists, projects a wave of concussive energy outwards to increase the effect of the punch. However, to be able to flip a car with only the subsequent concussive wave, one has to possess extremely strong chi.

“Just thinking about his powers gets me worried. I mean, someone who uses their powers out in the open like that must be confident they can use them.

“I wish I could meet him.”

He drops the hay into the barn before scrunching his face in confusion, realizing what he just said.

“What am I saying? Meet him? No way. He's dangerous ... and probably after me. I can't meet him. I ... I …”

But Chris can no longer lie to himself.

“But ... he's so cool!”

Earlier, while Ethan was leaving the scene, Chris had stared at him in awe of how badass he was. His stone-cold face, the sword on his back, the all-black attire, and crisp white aura that surrounded him made Chris giddy with excitement.

Ethan, at that moment, was like a hero from legend.

“Wrong! He's not coo ... but he is. I can admit that. I mean just because he's coming after me doesn't mean he isn't cool as hell.”

Chris, despite being happy with his life, has always wanted to go on an adventure. No matter how much he has tried to ignore that desire, he could never rid it of his mind.

Dammit. Now I have to see him again. Somehow. Chris, who has always known that there might be more people out there with powers, now sees Ethan as his gateway into that world.

…

Abandoned Housing District 2:52 PM

All the members of the 8 ghosts are currently standing around a table studying a set of building blueprints. They are preparing for their next job.

“This is the plan Alex and myself concocted. It is paramount that you understand the plan so please do refrain from daydreaming,” Jarvis says sternly while adjusting the glasses on his nose. He then turns the blueprints towards himself so that he may explain more easily.

To Jarvis’s words, Ulrike points at Charlotte.

“That includes you, Perez. I don't want another plan to fall apart because you couldn't open your damn ears.”

“Like I'll screw this up.” Charlotte snaps back. “I've been with this group longer than you have. If you don't have anything smart to say, maybe shut the hell up.”

Ulrike chuckles in response. He has developed a certain amount of patience when dealing with her.

Jarvis lets out an “ahem” as to remind everyone to listen.

“As I was saying, this is what Alex and I conceived. Keep in mind, I will consult each of you individually to discuss details. So this is just an overview for the time being.

He points at the top left corner of the map. “The first group of 2 will cut the alarm on the roof. While this process is swift, it is also quite difficult. I will demonstrate for you later.”

He moves his finger and points to the center-right of the map. “One of you will plaster and detonate a small EMP on the East side of the building. This will eliminate all footage of entry and subsequent escape. I will get to work on preparing an EMP after this.

He shifts his finger once again and points to the center top of the blueprints. “The remaining four will enter on the North side, behind the building. You will have to walk through about 3 feet of concrete and metal before you enter.

Jarvis then lifts his head, shifting his focus towards others.

“Hours before the job, I will mark an X on the outside wall. That way, you will know where to go in order to correctly enter the vault. Understood?”

Steffan nods his head, while the rest of them just stare at Jarvis with uninterested eyes. Jarvis sighs at the lethargic display.

Continuing to talk, Jarvis explains, “Even with these precautions, Alex and I decided it would be unwise to stay longer than 5 minutes. Hopefully, that will create a sufficient window for escape.”

Ulrike, with a sudden realization, points at the map with his knife.

“Question. Why do we need an EMP? This territory is so poor that I doubt they even have MCs, let alone security cameras.”

MC stands for Mobile Communicator, and they are similar cell phones. There are different types of Communicators, such as RC (Regular Communicator), which are similar to landline phones, SDC (Short Distance Communicator) which are similar to Walkie Talkies, MMC (Miniature Mobile Communicator) which are similar to Bluetooth earpieces.

To Ulrike’s comment, Jarvis answers, “True, most technology has been monopolized in Rose Kingdom. But, Alex thought it best we don't take the chance.”

Ulrike frowns. “Okay, I get you.” He turns to Alex. “But Alex, aren't you the one who loves taking chances? Isn't that how you get your kicks?”

Alex shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, but, this is a stupid risk that I don't feel like taking. I mean, there is nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking it. That doesn't sound like a fun risk to me.”

Before Ulrike has a chance to poke fun at Alex’s words, Charlotte chimes in with a look of utter annoyance on her face.

“Great. Are we done here? This is boring.”

Jarvis nods his head. “Yes, Ms. Charlotte. You can go.” He then turns and glares at Ulrike, who is about to follow her out the door. “Everyone else stays here, I'm afraid.”

Charlotte exits the room, smirking at Ulrike on her way out. Vexed, Ulrike points the tip of his knife at Jarvis.

“Why'd you let her go and not us?”

“Because she is most experienced at this and won’t make mistakes. I don’t have to guide her on the particulars. Her mistake last time wasn’t her fault. And please stop pointing your knife at me, Mr. Müller. It’s nerve-racking.”

As Ulrike pulls his knife away from Jarvis’s face, Steffan earnestly raises his hand.

“I do have a question. What happens if the bounty hunter shows up? That could cause trouble. It wouldn’t hurt to scrap this job and leave.”

This question strikes a nerve in Lyra. “I'm not scared of some pussy ass bounty hunter. If he shows up, we just kill him!”

Guzel, who feels that what Lyra says is logical, interjects. “Just one of us should be able to kill him if we're juiced up on the power gem. Right?”

Alex crosses his arms as a concerned look appears on his face. “Maybe. But, as I said, we're all small fry. If he is a high ranking bounty hunter, we'd be killed instantly in a one on one confrontation. So we have to avoid that scenario at all costs.”

“Agreed.” Jarvis agrees whole-heartedly with Alex’s words. “Even if he isn't a skilled hunter, we should avoid confrontation in any event. It will increase our chance of success greatly.”

Lyra starts to walk angrily towards the door, stomping her feet with every step. Their fear, as she sees it, of a bounty hunter has pushed her temper over the edge.

“Where are you going?” Ulrike asks as she reaches the doorway.

“To kill this bounty hunter.”

“!!!”

What? You wanna repeat that? Everyone looks at each other with dumbfounded expressions.

Alex is the first to speak up. “Dumb ass. Did you not hear a word I said? We have to avoid him …”

“ ... at all cost. Yeah, yeah. I heard you asshole.” Lyra cuts him off since she is sick of hearing his warnings. “I just don't care. I won't believe, even for a second, that a bounty hunter could be that powerful. I defeated my first bounty hunter when I was 15.”

A town known as “Dred”, 19 years ago,

Lyra is 15 years of age. She is running down a dirt road, with no shoes and ragged clothes, from an amateur, non-registered bounty hunter.

The town around her is nothing more than a collection of wooden, one-story buildings, making the town resemble the wild west. The reason for the town's terrible state is a lack of competent governing. The conqueror in charge of the territory does not care about the people within it.

The bounty hunter chasing her is holding a sword in his right hand, swinging it around wildly while chasing her.

She turns abruptly and heads down a grimy alley, thinking it will allow her to escape faster. However, her eyes widen with despair when the alley turns out to be a dead end.

She involuntarily falls to the ground. When she turns back around, she sees the

bounty hunter standing over her, sadistically smiling. He thinks about raping her before turning her over for the bounty reward. To him, he is looking at nothing more than a sex toy and paycheck. However, she has no idea he intends to capture her alive.

There are bags of trash all around, with rats scurrying across the alleyway, carrying food in their mouths. She notices a dead body not too far from her that has clearly been there for some time.

I don’t want to die here.

She tries to crawl away from the hunter but backs right up into the wall. There, she feels a rusty cutlass on the ground against her hand. Her eyes widen again, seeing a sliver a hope left.

The hunter approaches within arms reach and points his sword at her.

“Aye bitch. Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.”

She lifts her head and stares him straight in the eyes. She slowly grabs the cutlass and tightens her grip.

I don’t want to die!

She swings viciously and stabs him in the leg, causing him to fall to the ground.

Startled, the hunter drops his sword. Seeing the opportunity, she pounces on top of him and starts slicing at his chest.

She cuts, hacks and slices over and over again, carving up his torso. Blood gushes from his chest, staining her already dirty clothes. She slices and stabs him probably 30 times.

Seeing that he has long since died, she gets off him. Not even bothering to look at the worthless human being she just killed, she stares at the rusty blade, now soaked in blood, thinking it to be her savior.

She still carries that same blade today.

Present-day,

Lyra, after telling her story, looks at the group listening to her.

“He only came after me because I was an easy target, not because I had a high bounty. These guys aren't brave warriors. They're just street shit waiting to prey on weak opponents. So I will give this bounty hunter an opponent he can't defeat.”

She, knowing Steffan will try to stop her again, quickly runs outside. Sure enough, Steffan goes to chase her but is stopped by Alex.

“Stop Steffan. We won't change her mind. Just let her do her thing. Chances are she won't find him anyway.”

…

Welsh Pub 4:29 PM

A dive bar in the middle of the town is filled with customers, despite only being half-passed 4. However, many of these drinkers are older men who are attempting to get a drink before the large night crowd rolls in.

At this moment, Lyra walks into the dive bar and gives the place a quick look over.

“Do we pass the inspection?” Noticing Lyra’s gaze sweeping over the establishment, the bartender makes an attempt at sarcasm.

Lyra looks over at the person who said these words and finds a young girl, possibly 18-20 years old, cleaning a shot glass before starting her shift as a bartender.

“Hm. Whatever, you’ll do.” Lyra, not reacting to the girl’s joke, walks up to the bar and looks the bartender dead in the face. The girl becomes nervous at the sight of Lyra’s scowl.

“D-do you need something? A drink maybe?” The bartender tries to save herself by offering the angry person a drink because she clearly needs a depressant of some sort.

“No. Just tell me everything you know about the bounty hunter that’s in town.”

“Well … I know he fli…

“Yeah yeah, he flipped a car with a punch.” Lyra cuts her off, having already heard this answer before. “Listen, sweety, the rumor that’s going around is complete bullshit. Only Empire soldiers can do that.”

Once again, Lyra refuses to believe a bounty hunter is as powerful as the rumors make him out to be. Her stubbornness and hatred know no bounds.

“Yeah, I thought it was weird.” The bartender, not wanting to get into an argument, attempts to please Lyra with an agreeing answer. However, her plan backfires.

“So you don’t know anything, huh?” The bartender flinches at Lyra’s response.

“I’m sorry. Besides that rumor, I don’t.”

“Tch. Useless.”

The girl abruptly pauses wiping the glass in her hand. What a bitch! Just what does she want from me?! She can normally deal with aggressive customers, but Lyra is extremely intimidating.

Click.

Lyra recognizes that click. It’s the sound of the hammer being pulled back on a revolver. Before she can turn around, the barrel of a gun is pressed against the back of her head.

“Lyra Ozpri, put your hands behind your back.”

I was recognized?! That sounds like a cop. Fuck. I forgot they had those here. Lyra silently reminds herself that Arbhar is not a shithole, unlike many of the other territories on the continent.

Most territories hire patrollers, which are mercenaries tasked with roaming the streets in search of criminal activities. Unfortunately, however, in most cases, patrollers also aggressively harass citizens for money in exchange for “protection.”

The customers in the bar slowly retreat from the scene and make their way outside. Lyra casually raises her hands into the air as a response to the policeman’s command.

“Hey, I said ‘hands behind your back.’” Lyra gives no response to the policeman’s reminder. She is eagerly waiting for him to try cuffing her wrists.

“Fine. Don’t make any sudden moves.” The policeman reaches for her left wrist while still holding his gun to her head, not willing to remove the threat of a bullet when dealing with a criminal who is stated to be an Awakened in her profile.

Lyra, waiting for the right moment, finally feels the cops hand grab her left wrist. In response, she violently spins her shoulders and grabs his gun with her right hand in a swift, smooth motion, too fast for the policeman to react to.

She yanks the pistol from the policeman’s hand, tossing the gun straight through the wooden floor, before grabbing the back of the policeman’s head and slamming his face into the bar countertop.

The polished countertop splinters and cracks from impacting the policeman’s face, demonstrating the explosive strength an Awakened, like Lyra, possesses. She then follows up by lifting the policeman’s bloodied head into the air, exposing his neck, and slashing it with her cutlass that was concealed in her leather jacket.

Having already been knocked unconscious, the policeman does not make a sound while his neck is slashed. Lyra releases her grip on his head, which she had been using to hold his entire body weight in the air, allowing him to drop onto the wooden floor to bleed out. A pool of blood quickly surrounds the policeman’s head and shoulders.

It is then that Lyra notices many onlookers outside the bar frantically attempting to call the Police on their MCs.

Damn it! People actually care! It’s not like with patrollers! If those guys die, no one gives a shit! I messed up!

Lyra, realizing she’s in a tough spot, decides to take a hostage. Hence, she whips around to face the extremely frightened bartender and grabs her by the neck.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” The girl tries to choke out her plea while being lifted up and over the bar countertop by her neck. To her words, Lyra gives her a look filled with killing intent.

“Just shut the fuck up and do what I say!”

…

Center of Arbhar 4:35 PM

Ethan is casually jumping from one rooftop to the next, looking at the different wanted posters. About half of the posters in his hand have been crossed off, meaning 14 different criminals have been caught or killed by Ethan in 24 hours. His speed has astonished the Sheriff, even surprising Ethan slightly.

I've been making more progress than I thought I would. I’ve made more money in a single day than most white-collar workers would make in a year.

This, however, is to be expected. Ethan is currently tracking down E rank and D rank criminals, despite possessing strength that rivals low A rank hunters.

As he is leaping across a rooftop near the center of the town, he hears a scream from a nearby block. He looks up and darts his eyes around to see what's going on.

Nothing. After waiting for 20 seconds, he assumes the scream was harmless and titles his head back down to look at the stack of wanted posters.

But then, more shouting happens. He looks up again with his interest peaked. He listens to the shouting becoming louder and louder, before hearing,

“BACK THE FUCK UP NOW OR I'LL SLIT THIS GIRL'S THROAT!”

Someone is actively threatening an innocent bystander while a Bounty Hunter is near? Ethan smells a money-making opportunity. He stops moving North and turns West. He then uses Flash Step to travel over to the next block.

Standing atop a building, he looks down at the scene on the street, where he sees a mass of people standing around a woman holding a bloody cutlass to a teenage girl’s throat. The girl has tears streaming down her face, trying to be a cooperative as possible with her captor, since she does not want to die.

Everybody in the crowd is gasping in shock, with a few shouting at Lyra to put the sword down, which is actually just pissing Lyra off more.

“ARE YOU PEOPLE DEAF!? GET OUT OF MY WAY NOW!”

She is furious. Even the girl being held captive is begging the bystanders to move, in fear that they’re actions will get her killed.

Lyra, who grew up in a shithole of a town, is used to using violence to get something she wants. Normally, in her old town, if one took a hostage, people would just give them what they want and move on. Either that or kill the hostage-taker. However, now, she is astonished at how the people around her are reacting.

They're treating me like I’m the criminal of the century! Lyra has realized that the situation is not going her way. If only that cop hadn’t recognized my face!

Meanwhile, Ethan is calmly assessing the situation atop the building.

Who is she? He starts looking through the wanted posters and sees her face.

Lyra Ozpri. Age: 34. Dead or Alive. Difficulty Rank: D. Wanted for Robbery and Murder.

D rank? She’s an easy target, but I’m not 100% sure I can kill her without harming the hostage. I’ll play this safe for the time being.

Ethan jumps off the building and lands right into the middle of the encirclement the crowd has made, placing him only a dozen steps away from Lyra. He twists his body and puts his hand out behind him.

“Bystanders! Move back! Now!”

Nobody in the crowd argues with him. His presence has created a stir amongst the bystanders, causing them to murmur. They are theorizing if he is the rumored bounty hunter or not.

The face of the hostage suddenly tenses, unsure if she is relieved by Ethan’s arrival. Although she had heard about how powerful the bounty hunter in town was, she also did not trust him enough to place her fate in his hands. Meanwhile, due to Ethan’s appearance, Lyra’s face lights up, though not with happiness, but with killing intent.

“So, you're the bounty hunter?!”

Ethan does not react to her words, silently staring at her with an apathetic look. Because of Ethan’s silence, she grows furious again.

“DON’T IGNORE ME ASSHOLE!” She applies more pressure to the blade, creating a small cut on the hostage’s neck.

“I COULD KILL THIS GIRL AT ANY TIME! OR IS IT THAT YOU DON’T CARE?! HA! YOU BOUNTY HUNTERS ARE ALL THE SAME! YOU DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYONE BUT YOURSELVES!”

“Says the person holding a hostage.”

Ethan’s retort was not loud, but it struck a nerve in Lyra. The girl, who has the cutlass pointed at her throat, gulps, fearing her captor might snap at his words.

However, she is thrown aside by Lyra, slamming into the concrete. Ethan is confused by Lyra’s actions. In truth, he had not been attempting to achieve that result at all, merely answering Lyra’s idiotic slander.

“You don't need her?”

“I don't.” Lyra angrily smirks with confidence. “I found what I'm looking for.” She bends her knees and takes a fighting stance, positioning her cutlass to attack.

“NOW COME ON, ASSHOLE! SHOW ME YOUR NOT A COWARD AND FIGHT!”

Ethan sighs at her stupidity. He has dealt with her type in the past. He knows she will not listen to reason, which disappoints him. He decided to use Lyra as an experiment.

This is a good opportunity to find out how much I’ve grown these last few years. Let’s see how proficiently I can avoid her attacks. He starts walking towards her with his hands secure in his pockets.

“WHAT!? NOT GOING TO TAKE OUT YOUR SWORD!”

Lyra has long since noticed the sword on his back. Her comment causes Ethan to stop walking.

“No need. I will kill you too quickly if I use my sword.”

She grips her cutlass hard enough to make her hand bleed. His words anger her to no end.

“DON'T MOCK ME BOUNTY HUNTER! AND DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME! I’LL KILL YOU IN 20 SECOND OR LESS, SO PREPARE YOURSELF!”

She dashes towards him at a speed unattainable for average humans, astonishing the surrounding crowd. Once she reaches Ethan, she stiffens her grip around her cutlass and slices down towards his chest.

Slow.

Despite her speed, Ethan dodges to the right with minimum effort. While she may be an Awakened, a 2nd Tier like herself is nothing compared to a 7th Tier Chi Master like him. The tiering system allows for the GE to assess the threat of an individual by measuring their Chi quantity.

By rough calculation, her overall strength and speed are at least 50 times weaker than his, not taking into account the overwhelming difference in skill.

As she falls past him after failing to hit her target, Ethan jabs her in the back, causing her to stumble forward and almost lose her footing. After she catches her balance, she turns back around to face her opponent, only to find Ethan standing there with his hands back in his pockets.

He won't even take a fighting stance! His arrogance infuriates her to high heaven.

She charges at him again, swinging her cutlass at great speed.

She swings diagonally, he dodges to his left. She swings horizontal right, he steps back out of the blade’s reach. She swings downwards, he dodges to his right. No matter how fast she swings, she can’t even scratch him.

It appears as though the blade is actively avoiding Ethan.

When she angrily tries to stab him by thrusting forward, he jumps up and pushes the blade downwards into the concrete with his foot, creating a loud ‘clank’ sound. Because of this, she almost drops the blade.

He is just toying with me! With her pride damaged beyond belief, she yanks the blade out from under his foot and swings at his head. He easily ducks; the blade takes off a miniscule scrap of his hair.

Realizing that he should conclude this farce, he pops back up and before she can swing at him again, he casually jumps backwards out of her attack range.

After Ethan jumps backwards, Lyra looks at his hands. They are in his pockets again. She comes to a realization: He never took his hands out of his pockets while dodging her blade.

“FIGHT BACK! WHAT, ARE YOU TOO SCARED?! YOU CLEARLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIGHT, SO DO IT!”

“Are you trying to die?”

“What!” Ethan’s question had startled her.

Ethan is slightly perplexed by her behavior. Her opponent is much stronger than her, yet her eagerness to battle has only increased since the beginning of their confrontation.

Ethan repeats his question. “Are you trying... to die?”

“That's a retarded question! Of course not!”

“Don't kid yourself. You know you can't defeat me. Your face shows your desperation.”

“So what,” she snaps back.

“No, I take it back. You’re not trying to die. More like, you're trying to prove something.”

Lyra's body language changes to defensive. She panics, realizing he has been studying her the whole time. She quickly attempts to wipe her expression away.

“Yeah, that's it.” Ethan's theory was confirmed by her defensiveness. Lyra, humiliated that he saw through her so easily, reveals a cold glint in her eye as her bloodlust grows to new heights.

“Listen asshole. I'm not some weak woman who needs your pity.”

Ethan, with absolutely no hesitation, says, “Good, because you won't get any.”

Before Lyra has a chance to retort, the screeching of police car tires scream out from a couple of blocks away, startling most in the spectating crowd. Since there are very few cars in the territory, the sound is quite distinct among the empty roads.

However, Ethan is familiar with the sound of cars, having grown up in a large city. “You hear that. You have a choice to make. Be picked up by the police in handcuffs or in a body bag. Which one?”

Lyra understands the tough position she’s in. Only, she couldn’t care less. As long as she takes down the bounty hunter, the rest of her comrades can easily break her out of a holding cell.

She raises her killing intent to the max, preparing to end the fight here. Her ego won’t allow her to admit defeat. She bends her knees and launches toward Ethan at full speed.

“DAMN YOU! I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOCK ME! SHUT UP AND FIGHT!”

Ethan is not at all surprised by her decision. Hence, he swiftly pulls his sword from his back. In the blink of an eye, Ethan moves past Lyra using Flash Step, slicing through her neck in the process.

Her body falls limp as her head rolls off her shoulders. Blood spews from her neck and pools onto the street.

Ethan looks back at her headless body. “What an idiot to throw her life away like that.”