The bell went off and I instantly jumped back firing a few rounds trying to distract Ivan.

Ivan, just like any other student, was calm even under gunfire, in fact, I could see it, that little smirk … he… he was excited?

Ivan swiped his claws in mid air and blocked most of my bullets. I still found it hard to believe that these people were human.

How could they make blocking and dodging bullets look so easy? When would I reach that stage?

I continued to fire my pistols. It felt like some unknown spirits were controlling my feet because the more I fired the harder it felt to stand one place. It felt like some unknown force was forcing me to keep moving.

But regardless of me trying to keep the distance Ivan was closing in. Each time he dodged or blocked a bullet he drew closer.

I could feel it. I felt like a deer in the headlights just watching him approach regardless of how hard I tried, to him I was little more than a stationary target.

I looked around trying to find something to break the tension and force him to keep his distance.

It hit ,this entire factory was my playground! I looked up and saw a plate hook holding a few sheets of steel plates.

I smirked before looking back at Ivan.

“Try this!”

With one shot I fired at the plate hook and it deformed until it broke and sent the steel plates falling down on Ivan.

Ivan already noticed the falling plates and pounced into the air.

His pounce looked more like a tiger than a human, even the height seemed superhuman.

Ivan pounced on the wall and sunk his claws deep into the concrete column before jumping once again to the next column dodging all of the falling plates and my bullets.

I had to admit he was very dedicated to his beast-like persona. Not only his fighting style but even his movements seemed inspired by a tiger.

I was drawn from my amazement when I realized something.

Shit is he flying this way?!

Ivan was rocketing towards me at knots.

Should I dodge or continue firing?

Afterall he was in mid air. It should be even harder for him to dodge now right? But if I waste time shooting I won’t be able to dodge…

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I gritted my teeth and blazed up my dual pistols at Ivan as he was in mid air.

“Ridiculous!”

I heard Ivan who was still rocketing towards me scoff.

To my surprise Ivan in midair twisted his body a few times dodging almost all of my bullets and blocking what he could.

By the time I realized it and my feet tried to carry me away Ivan had already whizzed past me.

I turned around to look at him but he was already gone but that’s when I felt it.

[PSSSSSHH]

My uniform on my shoulder was ripped open and a shot of crimson blood sprouted out like a fizzed up bottle of soda being opened prematurely.

“AAARG!”

The pain felt almost delayed. But it hit like a freight truck.

“Too slow”

My feet didn’t feel like they were my own and they moved regardless of my injury but I still heard that voice behind me. My hair stood on end and my eyes widened.

My body unconsciously ducked while my feet seemed to move on their own.

[SLASH!]

I saw Ivans claw just slash quarter way through a thick concrete column.

His follow up was even deadlier and slashed half way through the column but by then I had already jumped to the side trying to make some more distance.

my feet didn’t even touch the floor yet but I fired while jumping and Ivan was forced to jump back since he was too close to dodge the gunshot and could only block.

I smirked when I realized that a few of my rounds had grazed Ivan.

Ivan retreated to the other side of the room and hid behind a column while looking at his grazed shoulder.

I had to let out a little smirk, realizing that I finally got close to shooting Ivan. But my few seconds of joy was cut short when I felt a stinging pain in my back and even my leg.

I looked and realized my back had three large claw wounds with my uniform ripped right open. The wound on my back was so deep I could feel the fat from under my skin and muscle dripping out despite my skinny frame.

My leg was a little better. The claw marks weren’t as deep but the uniform was still torn and blood was still pouring profusely.

The factory was filled with a bone chilling laugh.

[hahahaaha!]

“Have you realized it yet?”

I grit my teeth while trying to use my school jacket to wrap the injuries all over my body. I had to talk him out to buy time.

“Realized what? that you’re a piece of shit?”

Ivan laughed again before continuing,

“That my claws are laced with anesthetic!

by the time you realize that you’ve been cut open you’re already a few liters down in blood”

My eyes opened wide when I heard that. It wasn’t the fact that his claws were laced with anesthetic that got me angry but it was the fact that he used anesthetic just to make me suffer a little more.

I thought I was angry thinking that, but that was before I heard him finish his sentence.

“You see, a little first year rat like you, I don’t even take you seriously enough to use my usual poison.

That would have ended our little cat and mouse game way too early.

Afterall your little buddy Laath told me to make sure you suffer and learn your place!”

I gritted my teeth. Afterall he was right. If he had been taking this match seriously I would have definitely lost already. Just the thought that I only made it this far because he was ‘Taking it easy on me’ made me cross without end.

I wanted him to pay. I wanted him to know I wasn’t someone to take lightly.

But looking at the tattered state I was in I realized it. I was definitely fighting out of my league.

“Dammit!”

I gritted my teeth and clutched my pistols before looking behind the column I was leaning against ready to fire again.

But when I looked out I couldn’t see him.

“Pathetic.”

My hair stood on end. My eyes opened wide and my pupils dilated. Every cell in my body ran cold when I felt those words on my neck… he was already behind me?!