The stormy clouds summoned by Noah coiled around them, creating a fighting ring from above. Neither spoke a word. Zabo could sense his cold and calculative gaze, knowing this might be his last day in this world, he didn’t look away. With no signal or warning, both men charged at each other at blinding speed.

Zabo was a human missile, his body a haze as he closed in on the noble. He went low, considering Noah’s taller stature. Once in range, from the ground, he rose, catapulting himself upwards with momentum, aiming an uppercut at Noah’s jaw. Noah simply tilted his head to the side, Zabo’s fist straying away from the target.

In retaliation, Noah swung a punch of his own towards Zabo’s head, but he plummeted down once again, weaving under his punch like a pendulum. In the same motion, Zabo went for a counterpunch, with the only thing he could hit being Noah’s torso.

As if encountering a bug, Noah swatted it away, his movement leaving a trail of electric residue. He moves fast, perhaps a speed enhancing ability. Noah smiled, realizing that this fight may be more fun than he had initially thought. “Alright, let’s see what you got, Zabo Kiakor.”

With such a warm invitation, Zabo didn’t need to think twice before summoning all the force he could into each of his attacks. Noah welcomed the tidal wave of attacks, allowing the strikes to make contact before pushing him away, allowing him to come again, like he was bouncing a ball against a wall.

“Quit toying with me!” Zabo shouted, as he threw a spinning kick that got palmed away, causing him to stumble to the ground.

Noah couldn’t help but admire his fighting ability. For an inferior being, he fought well. Too well. If he would hazard a guess, this boy was miles ahead of his sister, hell he’d probably beat him as well, if they were the same age. Fascinating. Zabo’s form was a constant, unpredictable motion, his limbs striking with a speed that seemed almost supernatural. His fists and feet cut through the air with a terrifying swiftness, each blow landing with precision and force far beyond what his lean frame suggested.

His strikes are far too powerful to be merely speed enhancement. Is his enhancement a unique ability? Noah continued to scramble to defend himself, walking a fine line between testing the young man’s power but also endangering his life. Though a formidable fighter himself, he found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the onslaught. Each time he raised his arms to block a punch, Zabo’s fist was already retracting, another strike coming from a different angle. He deflected a powerful kick aimed at his head; the impact resonating through his arm like the shock of a sledgehammer. The sheer velocity of Zabo’s attacks was overwhelming, each strike carrying a bone-jarring force that left Noah reeling.

Such strength isn’t unheard of, but mixed with that speed It’s bizarre. Noah cursed under his breath as he blocked a kick aimed at his head, the impact reverberating through his arm. This wasn’t right at all. The kid was too strong, too fast. This was not the regular super strength that he was used to. It was as if Zabo’s very existence defied the natural order.

Deciding he had seen enough of Zabo’s close combat, he disengaged. His body enveloped in electricity and before Zabo’s next attack could make contact, he shot backwards, gaining some distance to continue probing him, this time from a distance.

Zabo didn’t pursue, sensing the shift in strategy. He watched as Noah’s expression darkened. The man’s bloodlust oozed from his smirk. Zabo had felt like he was winning the fight, but seeing the Voltaire unphased, it was wishful thinking. Noah’s eyes narrowed as he raised a hand, a crackle of electricity sparking between his fingers.

“Let’s see how you handle this.”

With a low growl, Noah’s eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, the power of his Esper abilities awakening within him. The surrounding air hummed with energy, the atmosphere thickening with the electric charge. He thrust his hand toward the ground, and a bolt of lightning exploded from his fingertips, shooting downward with blinding speed.

Before the lightning could even touch the earth, Zabo had darted to the side, his body moving with an instinctive speed that left Noah momentarily stunned. The lightning struck the ground where Zabo had been standing just a heartbeat ago, leaving a smoking crater in its wake and the waft of chlorine.

Noah’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How…? How did you know when the lightning was going to strike?” His gaze zeroed in on Zabo, only to notice that the boy’s eyes were closed. His eyes are closed in the heat of battle against the great Noah Voltaire. Is he mocking me!?

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Zabo exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Holy shit, that actually worked. Man, I never train in flow, but goddamn, it’s amazing. I’ll never question you again, Master. All that training his entire life seemed to all be worth it now.

Noah’s expression hardened as he clenched his fists. This boy is more than interesting. Is he a new type of specimen? He possesses physical enhancement yet also displays sensory abilities. He had never encountered someone who could fight in such a manner. It was mildly infuriating, seeing his lightning, the power that had always made him feared, so effortlessly dodged.

Very well, let’s see how he handles this. Noah raised both arms to the sky, his eyes blazing with blue energy. The storm clouds above heard his cries churning madly as they built up strength. Lightning spiraled up the heavens, dozens of bolts coming together in a chaotic pattern, where you couldn’t tell where they were going to land. The storm came down on top of Zabo like a rain of arrows.

The ground erupted in flames as the bolts struck, one after another, in rapid succession. Zabo continued to close his eyes, as he danced through the storm, swaying and swerving, each bolt continued to miss him by breadth’s hair, the searing heat kissing his skin but never quite touching. He moved like the wind, his body flowing with the rhythm of the world around him.

“I live within the world, but the world whispers to me. I am a reader of its secrets. I am its vessel.” Zabo whispered to himself, an ancient mantra of a civilization in ruins.

Noah’s frustration boiled over as he watched his lightning strikes miss their mark, again and again. Noah scorched and burned the ground, but the boy remained untouched, moving with an almost preternatural grace. It was as if he could anticipate the lightnings path before it even formed, dodging with a precision that was infuriatingly perfect.

“How is this possible? What kind of Esper abilities does this rat possess?” Noah snarled. He hated to admit it, but seeing a boy a few years younger than him toy with his powers completely shattered his pride. Yet, his sheer intrigue that bordered on madness smothered his tarnished pride. Zabo’s evasive maneuvers defied all logic.

As he envisioned what he would do next, he remembered why he was here. He looked back over his shoulder, the path the bastard had taken to run away. I can’t possibly just leave without this boy. He could be the key to the next evolution. What if I convince him to join me, somehow?

“Listen young man, I apologize for calling you a rat earlier-”

Cutting off his sentence, Zabo reached into his satchel and pulled out something small and angular. Before Noah could stop him, he flung the object at him with a sharp, practiced motion. Instinctively, Noah dodged to the side, the object whizzing past his ear with a high-pitched whistle.

For a split second, Noah thought he had evaded the attack. But then he heard it, a faint whistling sound, growing louder as it looped back around. His eyes widened in realization, but it was too late. The object, a boomerang, sliced through the air and struck him on the head, before returning to Zabo’s outstretched hand, landing perfectly in his grasp.

Noah’s anger flared. To think he was willing to allow this insolent rat to join his ranks. “You’re going to regret that one!” He summoned two balls of pure blue energy that wrapped around his hands like gloves. Sharply inhaling, he brought his hands together, combining the energy and molding it into a javelin shape.

However, before he could throw it, Zabo bolted away, his feet barely touching the ground as he sprinted toward the nearest building. In a flash, he scaled the wall, his hands and feet finding firm contact on the rough surface.

“Get back here, you little-” Noah shouted, cutting himself off as he threw the lightning javelin, aiming for Zabo’s back. The blast struck the building, setting it ablaze, but Zabo had already vaulted over the roof, disappearing from view.

Noah’s fury knew no bounds as he sent more lightning crashing down onto the rooftops, each strike more destructive than the last. Flames erupted across the buildings, the once peaceful neighborhood now a burning hellscape. But Zabo was always one step ahead, his figure darting between the flames like a shadow in the night.

With Zabo getting further away, Noah’s breaths came in ragged gasps, his chest squeezing, trying to keep him at full strength. Never had he been so outmatched, so outplayed by someone whom he considered inferior. His vanity shouted for him to chase after, to finish what he started. But Zabo was already too far ahead.

With a last roar of frustration, Noah clenched his fists, the electricity in the air fading as he slowly brought his powers under control. The storm clouds above dispersed, the sky gradually clearing back to a pale blue. He stood amidst the wreckage he had created and simply tutted his tongue.

Zabo had escaped for now. But Noah swore to himself that this was far from over. He would find that rat, and when he did, he would make sure he’d find every secret that the boy’s powers hid. Noah watched the distant flames dance across the rooftops with a detached annoyance. He stomped away from the scene, leaving his unconscious men in a heap. He was a hunter and his pride couldn’t allow his prey to escape.