The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on as Zabo led Ell and Mia through the winding alleys of Rustblock. Frustration boiled over Zabo. He hadn’t expected to be abandoned by his master and the people of Rustblock so easily. He peered back at the two people that caused all of this to happen. No. Why was he blaming them? He was the one who got involved. Naturally, it was his responsibility to get them out of Zeus’s clutches now. But he didn’t have a clue on what to do.

“What the hell was that all about?” Ell finally shouted, breaking the silence and Zabo’s deep thoughts. She stopped in her tracks, forcing Zabo to turn and face her. “Why would he attack you like that? And why did he call you out like you were some sort of traitor?”

Right, master did punch the shit out of me. Most regular folk, would think he hated me.

Zabo’s chest rose and fell as he caught his breath. “Man, we don’t have time for this. We’re in big trouble now.” Facing in front of the pair, he realized he had to give an explanation. “Rustblock is my home,” his voice steady, despite his inner turmoil. “They would have naturally looked after the two of you. It’s what we do, protect our own. But the circumstances couldn’t allow it this time, I guess, as you saw.”

“Yeah, like a bunch of people living in Rustblock could keep away hunters from the Zeus guild, along with the Voltaire family backing them.” Ell’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You’re all a bunch of losers living out in this gross part of town.”

“You don’t know anything about Rustblock or its people!” A vein began popping out from Zabo’s temple. How dare someone talk so badly about his area. If only she knew what really went on in Rustblock. He controlled himself before he could let slip any important secrets.

Ell’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, her grip on Mia tightening instinctively. “And who was that man? The one who hit you? You called him your master, right? Is that how Rustblock people treat their own? You’re all nothing but ruffians.”

Zabo hesitated, glancing down at Mia before meeting Ell’s gaze, before puffing his chest in pride. “Lonzo Mourning, my master, is one of the strongest men in Havana. And I’m his apprentice. He taught me how to fight and how to use aura. He taught me to be a man.”

Amid his declaration, a silence fell over the three of them before laughter erupted once again. Ell cackled hysterically. “HAHA. Strongest in Havana, some guy living in Rustblock, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard. Aura? What’s that, some sort of secret martial art?” Mia smiled weakly back at Zabo as Ell clutched her sides in laughter.

Great, I’m even receiving pity from a kid

Ell wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Man, you seriously are funny. I’ll give you that. Anyway, we still appreciate your help. We should start-”

Before she could finish her sentence, they turned a corner and froze in place. A group of men stood in front of them and blocked their path. At the front of the group, a man stood tall with an air of authority that made Ell’s blood run cold. He commanded attention, and his piercing gaze focused directly on Mia. He wore the Zeus guild uniform. The man’s long, flowing cyan hair and piercing blue eyes seemed perfectly tailored to the design, as if created just for him.

Noah Voltaire had come out to play.

“Damn,” Zabo muttered under his breath. “Such shit luck.”

Ell’s heart sank as she recognized the danger they were in. She clutched Mia to her chest, her mind racing. In her head, she silently apologized to Cynthia.

I’m sorry Cynthia, I couldn’t do it, in the end.

Noah stepped forward, his expression a mixture of boredom and irritation. “So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” he sighed. “I’ve finally found the bastard I’ve been hunting down for months. And now the only thing standing between me and exterminating that pest is some stupid kid and a woman.”

Zabo took a deep breath and positioned himself between Noah and the two girls. “Ell, Mia,” he said calmly, without turning around. “Step back. This will all be over quickly.”

Noah sneered at the sight. “I’ll make you an offer,” he said, addressing Zabo with a casual wave of his hand. “I can spare your life if you just step aside. And you,” he added, glancing at Ell, “even you can live if you hand over the girl.”

Zabo’s eyes narrowed, and a stiff smile crossed his lips. “Did Elektra learn her arrogance from you?”

The mention of his sister’s name showed a subtle change to his expression, an expression of minor intrigue. “So, you know Elektra,” he said, his tone menacing. “Interesting. I’d love to hear more about it, while you’re begging for death.”

With a snap of his fingers, Noah signaled his men. “Teach him a lesson. Make sure he can still talk when you’re done.”

As the five of Noah’s men stepped forward, Zabo turned his head to look behind. “Hey, Ell, let’s see you laugh now.” He adjusted his stance, facing them, his stance loose.

The first three guards raised their weapons, rifles that crackled with energy as they aimed directly at Zabo. The other two rolled their shoulders, their muscles bulging unnaturally as they prepared to unleash their superhuman strength.

Mia shook with fear as she watched Zabo face the impossible. Why was he doing this? He could just run away. She heard Ell whisper under her breath. “That idiot. What is he thinking?”

“You guys are going to regret this,” Zabo warned, his voice low and deadly. He straightened his posture and yelled. “Before we begin, you should know. My name is Zabo Kiakor, the man destined to be the last scion and the inheritor of the great ancestor. You should be honored.”

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Noah rolled his eyes in response before nodding to his men, as a signal to begin their attack. One rifleman charged an attack, using his telekinesis as the catalyst. The first energy blast hurtled toward Zabo like a bolt of lightning. Time seemed to slow as Zabo’s instincts kicked in. He threw himself to the side, the crackling energy searing the air where he had just been. The ground beneath his feet trembled as the blast exploded against the pavement, sending shards of debris flying. As he dodged, his body twisted mid-air with a fluid grace.

Before the first blast had even finished dissipating, the second shot followed, tracking his movements with deadly precision. Zabo spun and flipped over it, his muscles coiled and taut, using the momentum to propel himself higher. The blast skimmed beneath him, scorching the tips of his dreadlocks as he soared overhead. He landed with cat-like agility, barely a breath’s pause before launching himself forward in a low roll that kept him just ahead of the third shot. The energy blast streaked past him, its force carving a smoking trench into the ground.

After his roll lost momentum, he sprang to his feet and sprinted towards the two melee fighters. The first man, a hulking brute with arms as thick as tree trunks, swung a fist the size of a boulder toward Zabo’s head. The blow was a hammer strike meant to obliterate anything in its path, and the sheer force of it caused the air to crack like a whip. But Zabo was faster. He dropped into a slide, his body skimming the ground as the punch whooshed over his head, missing by mere inches.

As he slid between the brute’s legs, he twisted his body, snapping his leg towards the man’s side. The bone-shattering kick sounded like a gunshot, yet the sound of ribs cracking was just as audible. The giant let out a grunt of pain as the force of the kick lifted him off his feet, sending him crashing into a wall with enough power to crack the dirty brickwork.

The other bruiser noticed Zabo getting back up and saw this as an opportunity to attack. He lunged at him with a speed that belied his enormous size. His massive hands reached out to grab Zabo, intending to crush him with his bare hands. But Zabo was a step ahead. He pivoted on his heel, twisting his body to avoid the guard’s grasp. As the man’s fingers closed on empty air, Zabo countered with a swift, precise elbow strike to the guard’s jaw.

An agonizing noise followed, like a sledgehammer striking concrete. The man’s head snapped back, his eyes shaking and his body staggered backwards. Not giving him the chance to recover, Zabo spun around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of the guard’s head. The man crumpled to the ground like a puppet without its marionette unconscious, even before he hit the hard pavement.

The 3 riflemen watched as some no name kid effortlessly defeated their friends. Noticing his heavy breathing, they charged their weapons in unison. The air hummed with energy as their rifles began harnessing their telekinesis, readying for a relentless barrage.

Zabo wasn’t done yet, though. He darted forward, closing the distance between them in a blink. Instinctively, one hunter aimed at his head, but Zabo was already in his face, grabbing the barrel of the gun and forcing it upward as the energy shot fired. The blast went wide, tearing a hole through one of the abandoned buildings filled with rust.

With a savage twist, Zabo ripped the weapon from the man’s hands and used it as a club, smashing the man across the face with the butt of the gun. Blood sprayed as the guard’s nose shattered, and he went down in a heap.

The second rifleman took a rapid step with the goal of flanking him. He powered his rifle as he took off, aiming directly for a point blank headshot. Within one fluid motion, Zabo turned to face the hunter and threw the gun in his hands like a javelin, striking him in the chest with such force that it knocked the wind out of him.

The guard stumbled back, gasping for breath, but Zabo showed no mercy. He drove a knee into the man’s midsection, doubling him over, then delivered a brutal uppercut that sent him sprawling to the ground.

The last of Noah’s henchmen hesitated, fear flickering in his eyes as he watched Zabo tear through his comrades with surgical precision. He aimed his weapon, hands shaking, but before he could pull the trigger, Zabo closed the distance in the blink of an eye. He grabbed the man’s wrist, twisting it until the guard cried out in pain and dropped the gun. Then, with a swift, practiced motion, he swept the man’s legs out from under him, dropping him to the floor with the rest of them.

Ell and Mia watched from the back in excitement. “Did you see that Ell? He beat those bad guys in seconds.” Mia’s eyes shone.

Ell couldn’t help but be shocked, “I didn’t know he could move like that, does he maybe have super strength or something.” Maybe that kid is actually special.

Zabo wiped his hands against each other. “Well, that takes care of the grunts. Now it’s time for the main boss.” He looked at Noah with a smile whilst taking heavy breaths. “Two guys with super strength and three with telekinesis? You really didn’t bring any of your guild’s heavy hitters, did you?”

Noah’s expression darkened, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he fought to keep his composure. His eyes burned with a cold fury, and Zabo could see that the taunt had struck a nerve. “You want a heavy hitter, eh?” Noah spat, his voice dripping with venom. “Be careful what you wish for, rat.”

Zabo’s heart pounded in his chest as he saw the storm clouds gathering overhead, the first rumblings of thunder echoing in the distance. He knew Noah was about to unleash something far more dangerous than the goons he had just taken down. But he had no intention of backing down. Not now. Not ever.

Noah leaked killing intent, that made even swallowing the lump in Zabo’s throat difficult. I definitely can’t beat him. Fuck, what do I do? As the skies darkened, Zabo made a quick decision.

Quickly, he reached into his satchel, pulling out a small, metallic object. He hurled it at Noah with all his strength, but Noah easily dodged it, the object clattering harmlessly to the ground.

“Run!” Zabo screamed, his voice full of urgency as he turned to Ell and Mia. “Run now!”

Ell didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Mia’s hand and bolted past Noah, closing her eyes in fear of what he would do. Before Noah could even lift a muscle, Zabo appeared in front of him, blocking his path with a clenched fist aimed directly at his face.

Noah deflected the punch with a lazy swipe, a smirk playing at his lips. “Are you sure you want to do this, young man?”

“Sorry, but you’ll have to get through me first,” Zabo said, his fists clenched tightly as a bead of sweat slowly running down his forehead.

“Very well. I commend your tenacity. Although I doubt you’ll last very long,” Noah mocked, as he raised his hand, and the sky above them turned even darker. The stormy clouds gathered ominously. The crackle of thunder counted down the seconds to their bout.

Zabo’s muscles tensed, his body coiling like a spring ready to be unleashed. He had to face an elite noble that was clearly stronger than him. I guess it’s karma for all those years pretending to be weak at the academy, huh?

Zabo looked past Noah’s shoulder, to the girl who has escaped. He knew he couldn’t back down. Not now. Not when they were counting on him.

Lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating the icy determination in his amber eyes. This was it, a fight where he could test his full capabilities. But this was no spar. Lives were at stake. He had to hold Noah back, no matter the cost.

As the first raindrop fell, the two men stood facing each other, neither willing to give an inch. The battle had begun.