Now, Ultra City.
"Uhm, sir... that's a touching story and all, but—sorry—are you gonna help with the cash?" asked the man sitting beside him on the bench.
"Oh, sorry," Craig replied mildly. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and counted through it. Then, without hesitation, he handed the man dressed in ragged clothes 50 Cellies.
The money gleamed like gold in the man's eyes. His name was Jonas. He stretched out his hands, cupping them like a bowl to receive it.
Jonas muttered under his breath, "Oh, I really hit a big one today."
Craig's expression remained calm—like still water.
"You didn't have to act like it was a big deal, sir. And… sorry for putting my life story on you," Craig said, almost apologetically.
Jonas grinned. "It's fine. I'd love to hear more about it...
If you'll give me another amount."
Craig didn't look surprised. In fact, he seemed to expect that response.
He nodded slowly, as if to say Sure. But just as he was about to speak again, a soft notification buzzed on his phone.
He picked it up, tapped the alert, and a map opened—showing a red dot moving steadily across the screen.
Craig's eyes sharpened, his cold demeanor flickering to life. In a low voice, he said:
"One of my targets is on the move."
He stood up to leave.
"You're leaving already?" Jonas asked.
"Yes, I am," Craig replied plainly.
He reached back into his wallet and handed Jonas another 50 Cellies.
As he walked away, Craig spoke inwardly:
"Mr. Jonas asked for money in return for a slice of my life...
But I can't blame him.
It's a give-and-take world.
The so-called Rule of Equivalent Exchange.
To me, it's more like... the greed of the human heart."
As he left the area where he had been seated, Craig constantly checked his phone. The red dot kept moving closer and closer—until it stopped.
"This is my chance to attack him," Craig said. In a blink, he vanished.
Location: Tora Link Way
The so-called red dot turned out to be a guy and a girl—none other than the Smith Twins. Tyler Smith and Tomika Smith stood at the edge of the alley, arguing like siblings often did. Their hands were full of grocery bags from the nearby supermarket.
"Why do we have to pass through this corner? It's pretty scary, you know," Tomika said nervously.
"No, I don't know. Why is it scary?" Tyler replied, looking up from his phone, visibly confused.
"You know... the stuff that happened here. And what's been going on in this area ever since," Tomika said, trying to convince him to take another route.
"Oh, come on, Tomiks. Don't tell me you're one of those people who believe that dumb trend—that the ghosts of the men massacred in this old factory still haunt this area because their spirits weren't at peace." Tyler rolled his eyes.
"Duh. Why wouldn't I believe it?" Tomika shot back.
"I've always told you—not everything you see on social media is true."
"Hey! Zeebook is the platform that reports what happens around the world!" Tomika argued.
Tyler muttered under his breath in distaste, "Stupid bloggers spreading fake news."
He sighed loudly. "Let's go, Tomika. Bethany's waiting for us at home. And don't be scared," he added, raising his eyebrows jokingly. "Your brother here is a superhero. A top B-rank hero, no less—so I'll protect you!" He beat his chest with one hand to show confidence.
Tomika walked a little closer beside him, muttering, "Show-off."
Just as she caught up with him and they started down the path, a figure appeared above them. Dressed in a dark outfit, the figure held a long, wicked scythe—ready to strike.
But Tyler's instincts weren't dull.
He spotted the weapon descending from the corner of his eye. In a flash, he tossed the grocery bags aside, scooped up his sister from the ground, and leapt back—just in time to dodge the deadly swing of the scythe.
Tyler frowned as Tomika, clinging to him tightly, looked up in shock.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah… I'm fine," she muttered, still shaken. Then she squinted toward the attacker and added, "Isn't this the guy they talked about on the news?"
Still frowning, Tyler responded, "Yeah, he is." He gently set her down and said, "Stay somewhere safe—I'll handle him."
Tyler turned to face the shadowy figure. "That scythe… just like the reports said. Jakson warned me enough about you. And since you clearly know who I am, there's no point in suiting up. I'll kick your ass just like this."
The figure yanked his scythe from the cracked pavement where it had landed with force. His eyes locked onto Tyler as he spoke in a cold, emotionless tone.
"Fast reflexes. Sharp senses. Impressive. But that won't be enough to help you. You said 'Jakson'—Blaze. He was lucky I chose to retreat. That luck won't apply to you."
"We'll see about that," Tyler growled.
Scythe raised his weapon with one hand and hurled it straight at him. The scythe spun through the air like a deadly boomerang, its blade aimed for Tyler's head. Tyler ducked, barely avoiding the weapon. As he rose, Scythe teleported—reappearing midair above him, his weapon already back in his hands and swinging downward.
This time, the attack grazed Tyler's shoulder, cutting through his shirt and drawing blood.
Tyler quickly jumped away, landing on the opposite side of the street. They had now switched positions.
Clutching his shoulder, Tyler winced, his thoughts racing.
> "It just grazed me... So why does it burn like hell? That weapon is no joke."
Across from him, Scythe tilted his head, silently studying him. He glanced at his weapon, almost like he was questioning why it hadn't done more damage.
Then—without warning—Scythe teleported again.
He reappeared directly in front of Tyler and slashed him clean across the chest.
Blood soaked through Tyler's black shirt.
Before he could react, Scythe appeared behind him and delivered another brutal strike to his back. Tyler stumbled, pain flaring through his body.
But just before Scythe could land a third blow, Tyler summoned a burst of lightning. The surge exploded outward, crackling with raw energy and forcing Scythe to retreat.
Blood dripped from Tyler's wounds as he staggered back, clutching his chest. He was panting heavily, struggling to stay upright.
Meanwhile, Tomika—who had been hiding—watched the fight unfold, horror in her eyes. Her brother was bleeding. Hurt. She couldn't just stand there.
Gritting her teeth, she picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at Scythe.
"Get away from my brother!" she screamed.
The rock hit Scythe square in the back.
He paused.
Then, without a word, he vanished and reappeared right in front of her.
She froze.
Before she could react, his fist slammed into her stomach. The force of the blow lifted her from the ground and sent her crashing into a nearby wall.
She collapsed—unconscious.
Tyler's eyes widened in horror.
He froze for a moment. Then... something shifted.
His sorrow turned to rage.
The skies answered his emotions.
The clouds turned dark. Thunder rolled violently. Lightning flashed, illuminating the city in bursts of white-blue light. Winds whipped around him as his power surged.
Scythe noticed it. He narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself.
> "All this... just because I hit his sister?"
The atmosphere completely changed. Lightning bolts rained down across the city. Sparks of electricity burst from Tyler's body, wrapping around him like a living storm.
The lightning condensed into his right arm—glowing bright and unstable.
Tyler shot forward with blinding speed.
He threw a punch, a blow filled with enough power to level a building.
But Scythe vanished a second before impact.
The missed punch struck the street.
BOOOOM!
The ground shattered. The shockwave rippled through Ultra City, shaking buildings and sending cars skidding.
Scythe had retreated.
Tyler looked around frantically—then spotted his sister's body. He rushed to her side and knelt.
"Tomika... Please, say something. Please be okay..."
He gently lifted her in his arms and flew upward into the stormy sky.
The clouds still churned. Lightning flashed behind him.
With fury in his voice, he whispered through clenched teeth,
"You're going to pay for this, Scythe... I swear, you'll pay."
Far away, on top of a building, Scythe watched them disappear into the storm.
Silently.
Expressionless.
Waiting.