Devon said, "I don't know."

Cloudy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you have some unique genetics or DNA."

Devon’s eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Like, unique genetics? You think I’m a mutation?"

Cloudy smirked. "You could be one."

Devon’s grin stretched ear to ear as he started bouncing around the room. "Oh yeah! I could be Wolverine or Cyclops! He mimicked shooting laser beams from his eyes and made clawing motions with his hands.

Cloudy observed Devon’s endless energy with a small sigh of relief. "This kid is very strange, but at least he’s having fun," he thought. "I should think of another activity for us to do before he destroys my house."

He cleared his throat. "Devon, would you like to go fishing?"

Devon tilted his head curiously. "Fishing? I don’t know how to fish."

"That’s okay. I can teach you," Cloudy said with a warm smile. He pointed toward a corner of the room. "Grab those two rods over there, and let’s head outside."

Devon picked up the two rods and walked alongside Cloudy. “Where are we fishing at? In a lake or something?” he asked.

“Nope, we’re heading outside of New Rise City,” Cloudy replied.

As they walked, the city’s noise grew louder until they reached 83rd Street, where cars sped past in a constant rush. Devon glanced around, watching the busy traffic. “So... where’s the water?”

Cloudy smirked and pointed at the nearby bus stop. “We’ll take the bus.”

“The bus?!” Devon exclaimed.

They stood by the bus stop, Devon fidgeting with the rods in his hands while Cloudy patiently waited. Cars zoomed past, and Devon’s excitement began to grow again.

“Are the fish we’re going for really big or small?” Devon asked.

“There are big and small fish where we’re going,” Cloudy replied. “It’s a great fishing spot out by the ocean, with a huge variety of fish.”

“That sounds fun! I’m gonna catch the biggest fish ever!” Devon said excitedly.

The bus pulled up with a loud hiss, its doors opening with a mechanical groan. Cloudy and Devon stepped inside and looked around. The bus was already packed with people—elderly passengers sitting quietly, teenagers glued to their phones, and others chatting with their friends. They made their way to the back, where the last few empty seats were.

Cloudy sank into his seat with a sigh, resting the fishing rods against his leg, while Devon bounced in place, too excited to sit still.

As the bus continued its route, the city streets blurred past the windows. After a while, the bus came to a sudden, jarring stop, nearly throwing everyone forward. Cloudy looked up. a figure standing in the middle of the road, arms raised as if to halt the vehicle.

The bus doors hissed open, and the figure calmly stepped inside. He was a man cloaked in a crimson robe that draped to the floor, the back adorned with a strange symbol: 血の捧げ物—“Blood Offering.”

Cloudy tense immediately. He could feel it—a sinister essence radiating from the man, dark and heavy. But there was something more. Cloudy’s instincts flared.

The bus driver, confused and irritated, turned to the man. “Hey! Why were you just standing in the middle of the road? What do you think you’re doing?”

The man slowly lifted his head, his face obscured by the hood of the robe. In a low, chilling voice, he said, “The blood... for our god.”

“Huh? What do you mean—”

Before the driver could finish, the man reached into his robe, pulled out a handgun, and shot him point-blank in the head.

The deafening bang echoed through the bus. Blood splattered against the windshield as the driver slumped forward, lifeless.

The bus erupted into chaos. Passengers screamed, some ducking for cover while others froze in place. The sound of terrified cries filled the air.

Little Devon grabbed onto Cloudy, his small hands clutching tightly to Cloudy’s sleeve. Though his face remained stoic, his body trembled slightly—he was scared. Cloudy didn’t need to look down to know it.

Cloudy’s eyes locked onto the man in the red robe, his mind racing. This isn’t just some random act... this is planned.

“Devon, don’t move a muscle,” Cloudy muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the man in the red robe.

The robed man turned toward Cloudy with a twisted grin. “Ah, another offering. How sweet.”

Without hesitation, he raised the gun and aimed directly at Cloudy’s head.

BANG!

The shot rang out. The entire bus screamed in horror, passengers ducking and covering their heads, convinced they had just witnessed another death. But when the chaos settled, Cloudy was still standing, completely unfazed. The bullet had passed through him—no blood, no wound, nothing.

Cloudy tilted his head slightly, his expression calm. “I think you missed.”

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?”

Snarling, he fired again. BANG! BANG! BANG! The sound thundered through the bus, but each bullet passed harmlessly through Cloudy’s body as if he were made of smoke.

The man staggered back.“How… how is this possible?!”

Cloudy stepped forward and grabbed the man’s wrist firmly, his grip like iron. “Step out of the bus,” he ordered.

Devon, still clinging to his seat, couldn’t help but marvel. “Wow, Cloudy is so cool!” he whispered in awe.

Outside, the man in the red robe was forced to stand at gunpoint.

“Why are you attacking the bus?” Cloudy demanded.

The robed man smirked, unfazed by his predicament. “For our god. And you… you would make a perfect offering.”

Cloudy’s eyes narrowed. “A god? What god do you speak of?”

The man chuckled darkly, his laughter low and menacing. “The god of everything—the world, the dawn before time. The one who is above all humans and demons alike. A god of supreme ruling.”

Cloudy frowned and thought, " This guy is crazy. Maybe I should turn him in an— “

Suddenly, Cloudy leapt to the side, narrowly dodging a sharp, crackling streak of energy that pierced the air where he had just stood.

“What the—?!” Cloudy spun to face the new threat.

From the shadows, another man emerged. He was taller, his presence even more imposing than the first. His red robe bore the same symbol.

“Wait… how many of them are there?” Cloudy muttered.

The robed man on the ground sneered, his expression smug. “Two,” he said.

Cloudy raised his gun and began firing at the tall man. The bullets, however, ricocheted harmlessly off the man’s body, clinking to the ground.

The tall man smirked, his confidence unshaken, and charged forward. In an instant, he was upon Cloudy, throwing a flurry of rapid punches. Each strike was powerful enough to shatter bones, but every blow passed straight through Cloudy’s body as though he wasn’t there.

The onlookers on the bus gasped in confusion and awe. Devon’s eyes widened. “What’s happening?!”

Cloudy’s form shimmered faintly, wisps of vapor trailing from where the punches landed. His essence ability was in full effect. By shifting all his essence within his body, he turned himself into an intangible form, almost like smoke or clouds.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The downside, however, was glaring—while in this state, Cloudy couldn’t retaliate.

Cloudy analyzed the situation. “This guy is relentless. My bullets didn’t even scratch him. He’s probably using his essence as a shield around his body. “

The tall man suddenly attempted a sweeping kick aimed at Cloudy’s legs. Cloudy nimbly dodged, stepping back just in time.

“Alright, let’s see what I’m dealing with,” Cloudy muttered. He focused, channeling his essence into his eyes. His vision shifted, revealing the tall man’s essence flowing heavily into his fists, amplifying their power. However, Cloudy noticed something important: the essence protecting the man’s body was significantly weaker.

So he’s sacrificing defense for offense, Cloudy thought. All I need is one good opportunity.

The tall man lunged forward again, throwing a powerful punch. This time, Cloudy sidestepped, grabbing the man’s arm mid-strike. Before the tall man could react, Cloudy swung his gun upward, slamming it into his forehead with a sharp, resounding crack.

The force of the blow sent the tall man sprawling to the ground, momentarily dazed.

Devon, still watching from the bus, jumped up and cheered. “Whoa! You got him, Cloudy! That was awesome!”

Cloudy looked at Devon and gave a thumbs up.

“Heh, you knocked him to the ground,” said the man, still pinned in place as Cloudy held him at gunpoint.

He turned his attention back to the man he had at gunpoint. “Alright, talk. Who sent you two here, and what are your names?”

The man smirked defiantly. “Why would I tell you that?”

Without hesitation, Cloudy shifted his aim, pressing the gun firmly against the tall man’s forehead. “Because if you don’t, your buddy here gets a head full of lead. Now, start talking.”

“Okay, okay!” The man raised his hands in mock surrender. “No need to be so mean. My name’s Sin, and his name’s Saint.”

Cloudy arched a brow. “Sin and Saint? Seriously?”

Sin nodded with a sly grin. “Yep. And we’re here because our leader sent us.”

Cloudy narrowed his eyes. “Leader? Who’s your leader?”

Sin chuckled softly. “Our leader is someone far greater than you could imagine. We are his faithful followers, bound to his will. Everything we do is to fulfill his prophecy.”

Cloudy tightening his grip on the gun. “Prophecy, huh? What kind of prophecy are we talking about?”

“The one to bring great despair to the world,” Sin said with a twisted grin. “A force, a calamity that no man or demon could ever imagine in their wildest nightmares.”

Cloudy’s expression hardened as he thought to himself, These two are completely insane. I should just take them out before they cause more trouble.

But before Cloudy could act, the tall man, Saint, suddenly grabbed his leg and hurled him to the side with immense strength. Cloudy hit the ground with a grunt, rolling to his feet quickly.

Saint turned his head slightly, addressing his brother. “Sin, are you just going to stand there and watch while your little brother does all the work?”

Sin smirked and cracked his neck. “Don’t worry, Saint. Big brother’s got this.”

With a dramatic motion, Sin extended his hand, and dark energy began swirling around it. Moments later, a sinister blade materialized, its edges glowing faintly with a crimson hue.

Cloudy steadied himself, glancing at Sin as he approached, blade in hand. "What is that thing?" he muttered, watching the weapon hum with dark energy.

Sin smirked and slashed the air, sending a crimson wave of destructive energy barreling forward. Cloudy reacted quickly, shifting into his essence form. The deadly slash passed harmlessly through him but continued on, slicing clean through two buildings in its path.

Cloudy turned, his eyes widening in disbelief at the devastation. "What the hell was that?"

Inside the bus, chaos erupted. One of the passengers, terrified beyond reason, bolted for the door. A teenager sitting nearby grabbed his sleeve. “Don’t! You’ll die if you go out there!”

“Let go! If we stay here, we’re as good as dead anyway!” the man shouted, breaking free and running outside.

Sin, noticing the man’s escape, swung his blade again. A second red slash shot out, heading directly for the fleeing passenger. Cloudy dashed after him, shoving the man to the ground just in time to dodge the attack. The slash soared overhead, carving a deep trench in the asphalt.

The man scrambled to his feet, panicking. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

Cloudy grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “ Stop, why did you leave the bus?”

Sin and Saint stood side by side, both grinning wickedly as they prepared for their next move. Sin rested his blade casually on his shoulder. “Hey, before we turn you into an offering, why don’t you tell us your name?”

Cloudy narrowed his eyes, gripping his gun tightly. “It’s Cloudy.”

“Ah, Cloudy,” Sin repeated with a sinister chuckle. “Well then, Cloudy... let’s see how long you can survive against me and my little brother.”

Cloudy gritted his teeth while Sin and Saint closed in. With only two bullets left in his gun, he knew he couldn’t rely on firepower alone. He had to fight smarter.

Sin’s blade came at him again, slicing through the air with incredible speed, while Saint moved in with heavy punches, aiming for Cloudy’s chest. Cloudy dodged the blade by a hair's breadth but couldn’t avoid Saint’s kick, which sent him crashing into the ground. His body felt the sting of the blow, but he pushed through the pain, getting back to his feet.

barely able to keep up with their synchronized assault. Every time he grabbed Sin’s arm to block the blade, Saint would strike, his kicks powerful enough to knock Cloudy off balance.

As he struggled to hold his ground, Devon watched from the bus, his face filled with concern. “Cloudy’s in trouble!” he cried. Without thinking, he darted for the door.

“Wait, child!” an elderly passenger called out, but Devon was already out of earshot.

Cloudy’s thoughts raced as he dodged another slash. His stamina was wearing thin, and he couldn’t keep this up for much longer. "I can't lose to these guys..." he muttered, his body aching from the constant barrage of attacks.

“If I lose, they’ll kill everyone on that bus... including Devon. If I let these two win and let Devon die, I can’t imagine how Momo would feel.” he muttered.

"Hey!!" someone shouted.

Cloudy turned to see Devon.

"Who’s that?" Saint asked.

"Leave Cloudy alone!" Devon shouted as he charged at the brothers.

"No! Devon!" Cloudy cried out.

The young Devon mustered all his strength and struck Saint's knee, but it had no effect.

“Oh, he’s trying to be a little hero,” Sin smirked.

Saint grabbed Devon effortlessly with one hand.

"Let me go!" Devon yelled.

"Okay," Saint said with a cruel smirk. He slammed Devon to the ground, then kicked him hard, sending him flying into a nearby lamppost.

"You bastard!" Cloudy shouted, rushing to Devon to check if he was okay.

Cloudy knelt beside Devon, panic rising as he realized the boy wasn’t waking up.

Sin stepped closer, a mocking grin on his face. "Is he alright? I hope my brother didn’t hurt him too badly."

Without a second thought, Cloudy swung hard, his fist connecting squarely with Sin’s face.

"Oh... didn’t see that coming," Sin muttered, staggering slightly.

Cloudy unleashed a flurry of punches, each one landing with precision.

Saint rushed to his brother's aid, throwing a powerful punch, but Cloudy caught it mid-swing. Sin quickly followed, swinging his blade to stab Cloudy, but the blade passed straight through him.

Cloudy’s essence ability, Smoke and Clouds, had activated, making him intangible. Using the moment to his advantage, Cloudy delivered a sharp kick, sending Saint stumbling backward.

"Ah, I see," Sin muttered, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "He blocked my brother's punch without activating his essence. But just in time to dodge my blade, he turned it on. Clever."

Sin swung his blade again, sending two crimson waves slicing through the air. They passed harmlessly through Cloudy, his essence rendering them ineffective.

Growing impatient, Saint glanced toward the bus. “Brother, should we just kill everyone on that bus?”

“Sure, but you do it,” Sin replied, his eyes fixed on Cloudy. “I’m busy trying to kill him.”

Saint smirked and started walking toward the bus.

Cloudy’s eyes widened. “No!” he shouted, rushing toward Saint to stop him.

But before he could reach him, Sin intercepted with a powerful punch, sending Cloudy flying.

Sin walked over to Cloudy and crouched down, a mocking grin on his face. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I can kill you and let the kid live. He seems to know you, right?"

Cloudy’s hand shot up, gripping Sin's neck as he tried to choke him out, his determination unwavering.

Sin grimaced and thrust his blade into Cloudy’s chest. Blood trickled down, but Cloudy, gritting his teeth, refused to let go.

"My... vision," Cloudy gasped, his strength faltering.

"Bye," Sin sneered, raising his blade for the final blow.

Suddenly, a mailbox smashed into Sin, knocking him away.

“What the—?” Sin growled, stumbling as he looked for the source of the attack.

It was Devon, standing shakily but with fierce determination. "Leave him alone!" he shouted.

"Devon?" Cloudy muttered in disbelief.

"Oh, the kid’s still standing," Sin said with a smirk, walking toward him.

Before Sin could get any closer, Devon grabbed the lamppost and ripped it out of the ground with surprising strength. With a fierce yell, he swung it like a bat, sending Sin flying into the distance.

"What?!" Sin sputtered, staggering to his feet far away. "How is that boy so strong?"

Saint glanced at Sin. “Need help, brother?”

“I’ve got it,” Sin replied, brushing off the dust.

But then, a powerful aura filled the air, sending a shiver down both brothers’ spines.

“This... this power...” Sin muttered, his confident smirk fading.

“Saint, we need to go. Now!”

“But what about the offerings?” Saint asked hesitantly.

“It’s fine! Just move!” Sin barked.

Without another word, the two brothers turned and bolted, vanishing into the distance.

Cloudy, still catching his breath, looked up in confusion. “Where are they going?”

“Yeah, run away, cowards!” Devon shouted.

Cloudy felt the powerful aura as well, his mind racing to understand what it was. Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see…

"Howdy, Cloudy."

"Gabriel?" Cloudy blinked in surprise.

"Yep, it’s me," Gabriel said casually. "Say, have you seen two guys wearing red robes around here?"

Cloudy pointed down the street. "They went that way—wait, how did you even—"

"Find my way here? Oh, you know me," Gabriel interrupted with a grin. "Anyway, I’ve got a mission to take out two guys: one tall, the other with a scar across his face. They've been killing people all over this district. Been tracking them for… let’s see... one, two, three... five days now."