Lynn quickly retreated further down the alley, keeping to the shadows as the battle began to unfold. He observed the exchange between Amber and the masked man with focused intensity.
The flaming bullet streaked through the air, its trajectory set on the leg of the mysterious intruder, seeking to incapacitate rather than take a life. However, upon impact, the explosive round missed its mark and landed forcefully on the ground, unleashing flames.
In a display of supernatural agility, the man effortlessly evaded the projectile, his body becoming a blur as he sidestepped the blazing inferno. Both Amber and Lynn were slightly taken aback by this.
Indeed, it was not just a fool who thought he could take on a Special Investigation Bureau investigator armed only with a bladed weapon. The swordsman was clearly another extraordinary person.
Unfazed by the failed attempt, she quickly readjusted her aim and fired again in rapid succession. But he continued evading with fluid grace, utilizing his enhanced agility to its maximum potential.
Each shot missed as he twisted and turned, propelling himself around debris and cracked sections of pavement. The flaming bullets scorched the ground yet found no purchase in the flesh.
In a matter of moments, he covered the short distance of a few dozen meters separating him from the woman with incredible swiftness. Closing in rapidly, he thrust his long sword forward with deadly precision.
A faint glimmer caught Lynn's eye. Along the length of the blade, barely visible wisps of white light swirled and danced, converging toward the tip and heading toward Amber.
His eyes widened in surprise. That subtle glow was unmistakably the manifestation of concentrated spiritual energy, hinting at the blade’s extraordinary nature.
She avoided the sword stab narrowly, bending backward at an extreme angle as the gleaming weapon sliced through the space her torso had just occupied a mere moment ago.
Despite her current vulnerable position, she calmly and quickly retaliated. An additional revolver emerged from beneath her cloak, firmly clasped in her other hand. Unlike the first one she held, this firearm was ordinary, lacking any extraordinary properties.
Without a moment's hesitation, she seized the opportunity presented by the enemy’s proximity and pulled the trigger, unleashing a lethal bullet aimed directly at the man who now stood at point-blank range.
This all happened in a matter of seconds. Just as the projectile was about to make contact, the man pulled out his long sword and immediately angled it downwards with incredible reflexes.
The clash of metal and lead reverberated through the air as the sword intercepted the round’s trajectory, creating a burst of radiant sparks from the point of impact.
What astonished Lynn, however, was the sword's resilience. Despite the tremendous force, the long sword remained unscathed, its surface with no signs of weakness or damage.
The masked man in black took two steps back, maintaining distance between himself and the enemy. The previous shot had come dangerously close to injuring him.
In that brief window, Amber readjusted herself and aimed once more. Her finger squeezed the trigger of the mystical revolver. Two orange-red bullets erupted from the burning barrel with lethal intent.
The swordsman anticipated the attack and was ready to smoothly avoid the incoming projectiles with his extraordinary reflexes and agility. His body and muscles seemed to tense as he prepared to sidestep the first round.
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However, when he tried to move at the critical moment, his limbs refused to respond. His eyes widened in alarm as he realized, to his horror, that he couldn't budge an inch.
His skin prickled with an eerie coldness as ghostly shadows materialized and entwined around his body, rendering him completely paralyzed, unable to make even the slightest of movements.
Lynn watched intensely from the concealing obscurity as the scene unfolded before him. For the second time now, he had witnessed Amber utilize this strange extraordinary power to immobilize opponents.
The shadows grasped the masked man like twisted humanoid figures, their forms wispy and translucent yet their grip solid. They embraced him in an intangible cocoon, rendering him completely helpless.
The explosive bullets continued their trajectory, their fiery tails leaving a trail of imminent danger. With every passing moment, the assurance of their inevitable impact grew, leaving no doubt that they would find their mark this time.
However, at the final moment before contact, a powerful shockwave of energy pulsed from within the cocoon of shadows. It shuddered violently in response before rupturing.
The twisted silhouettes that formed it shrieked in fury, their smoky forms dispersing rapidly as they were forcefully shattered by the powerful impulse emanating from within.
Freed from the paralyzing embrace, the mysterious figure wasted no time exploiting this opportunity. With reflexes honed to a razor's edge, his body moved and the gleaming blade sliced through the air.
Two distinct clangs rang out in quick succession as the sword cut the orange-red bullets flying at high speed into two halves. This caused a torrent of fiery energy to be unleashed, resulting in an explosion that sent vibrant flames cascading through the surrounding atmosphere.
She narrowed her eyes, fixing the swordsman with an intense stare. A subtle yet distinct sharp aura enveloped him, blending with the flickering flames in the background. It was as if he had been plucked from the depths of a scabbard, ready to strike with lethal precision.
The masked man swatted away the last bits of flame licking at his clothes and spoke solemnly, "I underestimated you, I didn't expect to encounter this much difficulties.”
This was no ordinary figure he was facing, and the situation was rapidly escalating beyond his expectations. He needed to reassess and recalibrate his strategy before making another move.
Amber kept her revolvers aimed unwaveringly at the swordsman, her sharp eyes tracking his every minute movement. She remained composed, but inwardly her mind raced, calculating the best course of action.
"Being able to effortlessly split explosive bullets and resist my abilities… It’s not something that can be accomplished by a random person," she remarked, her voice laced with intrigue.
"Could you be connected to the werewolf pollution that has been spreading in this district? Or perhaps you are a member of one of those secret organizations that have been surfacing throughout the federation?"
Her words hung in the air between them, filled with probing intent as she attempted to glean even the slightest information about this mysterious swordsman's identity and origins.
"Do you think I can say that?" the masked man responded; his voice laced with a hint of mockery. He tilted his head slightly, a sly smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“It doesn't matter. Once I capture you, I will know your identity," Amber said, her voice becoming colder. Her fingers instantly squeezed the trigger of the extraordinary revolver.
The swordsman's muscles were taut, his senses heightened as he spoke, his gaze fixated on the woman's every movement. He anticipated another attack, aware that it was only a matter of time.
He immediately dodged to the side, the explosive round missing him by a hair's breadth and impacting the alley wall behind in a burst of flames. But he had no time to relax as the second bullet followed close behind.
Once again demonstrating extraordinary reflexes, he swung his sword with blinding speed to intercept the second projectile's path. A resounding clang reverberated as the blade cleanly split the bullet into two halves.
Using the brief opening created, his left hand shot to his waist, retrieving a small metal ball from a concealed pocket in his garments. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it towards Amber.
The metal ball landed on the ground directly in front of the woman, impacting the hard concrete with a heavy thud. A large, thick fog instantly flooded the cramped alley, billowing outward in all directions. It was a smoke bomb.
Within seconds, the alley was completely shrouded, a disorienting haze enveloping everything. The wispy tendrils clung heavily to the air, limiting the line of sight and vision.
Taking advantage of this cover, the masked man lunged into the cloud, his form disappearing into the white murk that now enveloped their makeshift battlefield.
Shortly after, from within the fog, a rapid succession of gunshots shattered the silence, accompanied by the metallic sound of collisions. This combination created an atmosphere charged with suspense and uncertainty.