The bullets came fast, screaming through the air like deadly wasps. Each round struck the marble floor, the furniture, or the bar where Sia and I crouched, sending shards of wood and stone flying in every direction.

“Stay down!” I hissed, raising an arm to shield my face from the spray of debris.

The sharp cracks of gunfire were deafening, echoing off the Sky Lounge’s high ceilings. The hunters moved like a single organism, tightening their formation with each burst. They had us cornered, and they knew it.

I reached out through EchoFlux, feeling the sharp, cold intent of their minds. It was like icy daggers stabbing into my senses. Neutralize the targets. That singular, relentless focus pressed down on me like a weight.

“They’re patient,” I muttered aloud, glancing at Sia. She crouched against the bar, her breathing steady despite the chaos. Through The Pulse, her calm voice touched my mind.

We can’t wait this out. They’re not going to stop.

She wasn’t wrong. These weren’t ordinary hunters—they were trained, disciplined, and equipped. Arguros Metal bullets, thermal sensors, smoke bombs, tear gas... They’d come prepared.

I clenched my fists, drawing on my Arkamon Flux. Warm, copper-colored energy sparked to life around my forearms, steadying me. It wasn’t as strong as it had been against Mika. My wounds were knitting together, but they weren’t fully healed. The brief respite we’d gotten while avoiding the hunters had been enough to recharge our Flux just a little, but it wasn’t enough for a drawn-out fight yet at least it was enough to deflect the bullets—for now.

“They’re waiting for us to exhaust ourselves,” Sia said, her voice steady in my mind. Her knife was in her hand, her knuckles white around the hilt.

“Let’s weather the storm first,” I replied through The Pulse, my voice steadier than I felt. “Then we hit back.”

I rose just enough to draw their fire, the bullets striking my Flux barrier with sharp, metallic pings. Each impact sent a dull shock through my body, cracks forming in the energy field.

Sia’s voice cut through my mind again, calm but urgent. Use your surroundings. Splintered wood. Glass. Fuel them with Flux.

I froze for a moment, surprised. Flux as a weapon—not just an enhancement?

“You’ve done this before,” I muttered, even as my hand reached for a jagged shard of glass.

Sia didn’t answer, but her smirk said enough. Her Flux flared, subtle and precise, wrapping around a splintered piece of wood she’d grabbed. The shard seemed to hum in her hand, glowing faintly with her energy.

In a single, fluid motion, she hurled it toward a hunter. The wood streaked through the air and struck him in the chest with a dull thud. He crumpled, his rifle clattering to the floor.

“Your turn,” she said through The Pulse, her tone steady.

I didn’t hesitate. Grabbing a shard of glass, I channeled my Arkamon Flux into it, letting the coppery energy wrap around its edges. It felt alive in my hand, vibrating with potential.

I hurled it at another hunter, my EchoFlux guiding the throw. The shard struck his shoulder, the force spinning him into a column. He groaned, his rifle slipping from his grasp as blood seeped through his jacket.

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Two down.

The hunters adjusted instantly, their formation tightening. A pair moved forward, rifles raised, while another lobbed a smoke grenade into the room.

“Smoke!” I shouted, ducking as the canister hissed and released a thick, choking fog.

The room transformed into a gray haze, obscuring everything. My EchoFlux flared, painting the hunters’ movements in my mind like faint silhouettes.

They’re closing in, Sia warned, her voice steady despite the tension.

“They’re trying to flank us,” I muttered, gripping a splintered chair leg. My Flux surged through it, sharpening the wood until it felt like a blade in my hand.

“Then we make it costly for them,” Sia replied.

She moved first, darting through the smoke like a shadow. Her dagger gleamed with Flux as she closed the distance to a nearby hunter. He swung his rifle toward her, but she was faster, dodging low and driving her blade into his side. He fell with a grunt, his weapon clattering to the floor.

Three.

I followed her lead, charging a hunter through the smoke. His bullets pinged off my Flux barrier, each impact rattling my bones. When I reached him, I drove my Flux-coated fist into his chest. The blow sent him staggering, his ribs cracking audibly before he hit the ground.

Four.

The hunters didn’t falter. Suppressive fire forced me back, bullets tearing through the haze and punching into the walls around me.

Kyon, move! Sia’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding.

I rolled just as a hunter lunged at me, his dagger gleaming with Arguros Metal. My Flux-coated fist met his jaw, the impact sending him sprawling.

“Five!” I shouted, adrenaline surging through me.

The victory was short-lived. Another hunter emerged from the smoke, his rifle aimed squarely at me. My EchoFlux flared, but I wasn’t fast enough.

The bullet grazed my shoulder, pain flaring as blood seeped through my shirt.

“Kyon!” Sia’s voice was laced with panic, but she didn’t stop moving.

She darted toward the shooter, her dagger slicing through the air. He blocked her strike, but she twisted, her blade catching him across the arm. Before she could finish him, another hunter tackled her to the ground.

“Get off her!” I roared, surging forward.

My Flux surged, stronger than before, as I drove my fist into the hunter’s side. He flew off Sia, crashing into a pillar.

Sia scrambled to her feet, her eyes locking on mine.

The hunters moved with precision, fanning out to cover every angle. They fired in controlled bursts, forcing us to keep our heads down. Smoke bombs and tear gas were thrown into the fray, the acrid smell stinging my nose and eyes. My vision blurred, and I had to rely on my EchoFlux to sense their positions.

“They’re regrouping,” Sia said, her voice sharp in my mind.

I felt it too—the hunters’ intent shifting, their formation tightening. They weren’t panicking. If anything, they were adapting. Thermal sensors scanned the room, tracking our heat signatures even through the smoke.

“They’re not giving us any openings,” I said, ducking behind another pillar as bullets chewed through the furniture around me.

“They don’t have to,” Sia replied grimly. “They’re waiting for us to slip up.”

I clenched my fists, the coppery glow of my Arkamon Flux flickering. We couldn’t keep this up. The energy field around my arms was already starting to fade, and I could feel the strain in my body.

“They’re forcing us into a long-distance fight,” Sia said through The Pulse. “We won’t win like this.”

“We need to close the gap,” I agreed, scanning the room. The hunters had taken positions behind cover, their weapons trained on us. They were too disciplined to be drawn out.

“We need a distraction,” Sia said.

I nodded, focusing my EchoFlux again. Their intent lit up in my mind like beacons, each hunter’s movements predictable for a fraction of a second. It was just enough time to act.

I grabbed a second piece of splintered wood, channeling my Flux into it until it glowed faintly. With a sharp breath, I hurled it toward the nearest hunter. He dodged, but the momentary distraction was all Sia needed.

She darted forward, her blade flashing. The hunter’s body jerked as the dagger found its mark, and he crumpled to the ground.

The remaining hunters opened fire again, forcing us back into cover. I could feel the heat of the bullets as they passed, too close for comfort.

“This isn’t sustainable,” Sia said, her voice tight.

I knew she was right. Every second we spent in this firefight drained our energy further. The hunters were relentless, their training and equipment far superior to anything we’d faced before.

“We need to change the rules,” I said through The Pulse.

“How?”

“We go to them.”

Sia’s gaze met mine, and she nodded. We both knew the risks. But staying here meant death.

With a deep breath, I prepared to move. My Arkamon Flux flared one last time, the coppery glow spreading across my arms. It wasn’t enough to shield me completely, but it would have to do.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Always,” Sia replied.

And then we moved.