Hopkins slid back, mana coalescing into a visible aura around him as he prepared to cast, while Knowles took point, muscles bulging under his clothes.

Despite James's disdain toward the two men, he could still recognize the smooth way they fell into formation. They had fought together for many years, and it could be seen in the way they didn't need to communicate to know what to do.

Of course, thanks to his psychic abilities, James was also privy to those thoughts.

Not that he needed them to realize what their tactic was. The big guy would attack and take his attention while the mage prepared a destructive spell. It was basic, but that didn't make it any less effective.

James could have attempted to overwhelm them with Soul Rend, but he didn't want to. This entire fight was about catharsis. He was self-aware enough to admit that. If he lobotomized them, they wouldn't be able to admit to their sins.

Therefore, he settled in a stance, bringing his left foot forward and sliding his right one back, twisting his torso. He'd take everything they could dish and crush them completely.

Ordinarily, this was a terrible idea for any fight, much less one in which the enemies were a rank higher. Fifty levels was a big deal, especially in the upper tiers.

But James had a secret weapon that gave him assuredness. Harmony would be enough to escape any lethal attack and inflict fatal damage, should he wish to.

"Let's do this then." He called, and Knowles charged.

The man had a very aggressive style, which James had expected. He was capable of casting regeneration magic, after all. It would make sense that he didn't put much stock in minor injuries.

He was also a decent martial artist, and James was forced to dodge more than once. Knowles' meaty fists whistled through the air, causing significant gusts of wind. He aimed for the kill, showing absolutely no mercy in his dark eyes.

James countered. Weaving through Knowles' attacks, he landed a heavy punch that made the man stagger back. His defensive power was enough to prevent significant damage, but the first blow still went to him.

The man charged again with a growl, but James' psychic senses kept him one step ahead, allowing him to anticipate Knowles' moves and respond in kind. He dodged and shifted, preventing the worst of it, but that wasn't enough for him.

He didn't want to exhaust his opponent, especially since giving Hopkins too much time might result in an actual threat, so he got closer. Knowles didn't waste the opportunity.

A fist connected with James's side, a solid hit that sent pain radiating through his ribs as they cracked, even though he shielded them telekinetically. He grunted, feeling the heavy impact more than he'd expected.

But James didn't budge. Pain was no issue, and Etereal Leech would heal him in time. He absorbed the blow and, using the new closeness, released one of his own.

Mana traveled down his fist and exploded at the point of contact. The tank was sent tumbling back, shouting in surprise.

James moved to press the advantage but was forced to jump back as his senses screamed a warning. It seemed that Hopkins was finally joining the fight. The vegetation around them stirred, leaves rustling not with the wind but with intent as they were gathered under Hopkins' druidic magic. Vines thickened, branches swayed with purpose, and the earth shifted underfoot.

James had only a fraction of a second to react. He leaped to the side as thorny vines shot from the ground where he'd stood moments before, seeking to ensnare him.

Eidetic Echo told James that Hopkins was smirking while Knowles gathered himself and dusted off the dirt from his clothes.

James danced around the attacking plants. When a vine whipped towards him, he caught it, muffling the blow with his mind and using his enhanced strength to rip it apart. Another vine lashed out, and he sidestepped, letting it pass harmlessly.

He refrained from using telekinesis initially, but it was quickly becoming evident that he couldn't close the distance with the plants getting in his way.

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Rather than revealing his skill, however, James punched the air in the two men's direction. Mimicking a skill he didn't have, he used telekinesis to deliver a hard blow in the same spot his fist was directed at.

Hopkins was sent flying back with a crunch, blood streaming down his broken nose. The plants stopped their assault, and James took the moment to rush Knowles.

The man planted himself before his fallen comrade and released a shout. Bright light left his body in a wave, and James felt something try to direct his attention away from the bleeding druid and toward the tank.

Do you think you can use taunt skills on me? This is pathetic.

James tore through the attempt at mental manipulation without even batting an eye but still allowed the enemy to believe he had fallen prey to it, letting his feet turn to meet the man's charge.

Knowles, encouraged by his perceived success, moved with renewed vigor, believing he had James right where he wanted. But James was ready, his focus unshaken by the futile attempt at manipulation. Their collision was brutal. With all his raw strength, Knowles aimed a powerful blow towards James, who sidestepped at the last moment. James's counter was swift, a sharp uppercut aimed at Knowles's jaw, empowered by a subtle push of telekinesis, adding force to the impact.

Knowles's head snapped back, a spray of saliva and blood marking the trajectory of James's fist. For a moment, the tank staggered, his eyes glazed from the sudden assault. Yet, he didn't fall. His innate resilience and healing abilities kicked in, keeping him on his feet, ready for more.

James didn't give him a moment to recover. He followed up with a series of strikes, each precise and calculated to break through Knowles's defenses. A left hook hit the tank's cheek, followed by a right jab that connected with his sternum, eliciting a grunt of pain from the larger man.

All the while, James remained acutely aware of Hopkins's movements. The druid, now back on his feet, was hastily preparing another spell, earth mana gathering in his palms to form bullets of compressed soil and rock. James could see the determination in Hopkins's eyes, the focus as he aimed to take him down with a barrage of deadly projectiles.

The first of the earth bullets shot towards James, a blur of motion aimed directly at his heart. But James was ready; with a flick of his wrist, he diverted the bullet's trajectory, sending it crashing against the Tank, who staggered back at the hit.

He didn't stop there. Moving fluidly, he avoided each subsequent bullet with a dancer's grace, his body weaving through the air like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze thanks to Echo informing him of exactly where the bullets would go and using telekinesis to shift his limbs when needed.

Seeing his partner's efforts, Knowles tried to capitalize on James's divided attention, charging in with a roar of defiance. But James could not be outmaneuvered. He executed a swift pivot as Knowles approached, using the tank's momentum against him. With a well-timed push, enhanced by a surge of telekinesis, James sent Knowles crashing into the plants that had sought to entangle him moments before and had silently been creeping by, waiting for the right moment to attack again.

The man roared in anger at his teammate, "Get this shit off me!"

Vines snapped as he began to glow, his true power brought to bear. He lowered his head and charged forward like a rhino, intending to crush James against a tree.

James planted his feet on the ground and prepared to meet the charge, seemingly still under the taunt. For a moment, he was surprised at the speed Knowles was picking up and realized that if he actually tried to stop him, he'd get crushed.

Instead, at the last moment, he jumped, empowering his leap with telekinesis. In a half-assed attempt to recreate Mr. Julian's flight, James sustained his own weight in the air for a second. When the tank passed him by, he touched back down and immediately ran for the druid, not bothering to look at the crash behind him.

Hopkins scrambled back, summoning another hail of bullets and calling on his plants, but they were useless.

James attacked the bullets mid-air and crushed them into dust. Shards of rock harmlessly pelted his telekinetic shield. He was too fast for the vines to reach him now that he wasn’t sandbagging.

Finally reaching Hopkins, James took a second to savor the grimace he wore and delivered justice. A torrent of mana left his fist upon contact, and the man's right arm vanished into red mist.

A powerful kick followed, sending the druid crashing against a tree.

James didn't allow himself to gloat yet. He turned back to where Knowles was shaking himself free from the tree he had destroyed with his charge.

Without allowing the man the chance to recover, James closed the distance. Mindforge Mastery empowered his telekinesis, which he used to significantly increase the power behind his blows and delivered a kick to his spine. It snapped with a sickening sound.

A scream of pain left the tank, but James didn't hesitate. He had regeneration magic, after all, and if he were allowed to rest, he'd go right back to fighting.

Thus, James stomped down on both legs, breaking through the significant defenses in a few blows. Then, he grabbed the man by his hair and dragged him to where his companion was while keeping an impassive expression.

James threw Knowles next to Hopkins and watched them groan in pain. His expectations had played out almost one-to-one, but he couldn't say he was satisfied yet.

"I have to say, you disappointed me." He mused, getting the two men's attention, "When I learned you both were C-ranks, I thought we'd have a great showdown. A fight for the ages of good against evil."

Only hate, pain, and anger were reflected in the two sets of eyes staring back at him. They were wondering how much he'd make them suffer before killing them and if they could exploit his monologue.

Shaking his head, he continued, "But that was my fault. I put too many expectations on you despite knowing well you are both cowards. You abandoned my father, after all. You are not the type of people to cultivate strength."

Hopkins spat a glob of blood, holding his stump gingerly. The blow had been so powerful that the wound was cauterized, but it still hurt like a bitch.

"You are an arrogant little bastard just like him. Always saying shit about duty and telling us what to do. Leaving him to die was the best choice I ever made." The druid said venomously.

James realized the man simply trying to hurt him, but he still felt his eyes narrow into slits. "What the fuck did you say?" He roared, stomping on his leg.

A scream of pain followed a snap. The man seemed to have min-maxed his stats, putting everything in MIND to get a bit more juice from his weaker-than-average spells. It made sense since he was part of the first wave of Awakeners. Modern understanding dictated that an Awakener should never leave a stat lagging behind, but they applied wacky theories in the beginning.

"Your father died like a bitch!" Hopkins yelled, blood staining his teeth. "He kept radioing us. Until I told him we left him to die, he kept trusting we'd come to his rescue!"

Inhuman rage took James. For a moment, he didn't care about anything else than hurting the man. His vaunted psychic abilities did nothing to retain his mind because this was something intrinsic to him. Red was all he saw.

When James came back to his senses, a crater appeared before him, and his foot was soaked in blood and gore. Hopkins' upper body was gone.