The table had completely turned. It had become a one-sided match, with Soyo taking almost every hit Anix threw at her. Yet, despite the punishment, she managed to pull herself up and stand on two feet.
Anix's speed was unmatched. For someone whose core was crafted from a space ore used to power the Xcri ships—capable of moving at light speed—such a feat was expected.
She threw punches and kicks from different angles, disappearing and reappearing in places Soyo couldn't guard. Soyo was being overwhelmed. Covered in bruises, her suit soaked in sweat and blood, she was approaching her limit.
"Is that all you have to offer, human?"
Anix's voice echoed as she moved from one spot to another, leaving afterimages trailing behind her.
Soyo's breathing was labored, each breath forced. She panted heavily, trying to form words.
"You depend on your speed. Take that away, and you're nothing but a useless junk of metal, bitch."
"I see no difference between that and the way you humans use those suits against us. Take them away, and you're nothing more than weak creatures clinging to life."
Anix appeared right in front of Soyo's face.
"But if you prefer me to fight without my speed, I'll take you up on that offer."
She grabbed Soyo by the neck, lifting her off the ground. Soyo struggled, her legs dangling midair. She clenched her fist and struck, but Anix took the punch effortlessly.
Now that Anix's hand was close, Soyo twisted her body in midair, curled her legs around Anix's arm, and snapped the elbow joint.
Anix let go, and Soyo leaped backward, creating some distance—even though she knew it was useless.
Anix's arm dangled for a moment before instantly repairing itself. Without hesitation, she appeared in front of Soyo and delivered a devastating kick to her gut, sending her crashing through buildings miles away.
Soyo coughed and groaned, clutching her stomach as she crawled out from the debris and rolled onto the ground.
The gap in strength was now clear, yet the reason remained unknown. They were Synthetic Humans, dubbed the strongest form of humanity—yet an alien that appeared in the sky one day was effortlessly overpowering her. It was insane.
Soyo spread her arms across the ground, lying comfortably. She had accepted her fate.
Death isn't so bad, she thought.
"I want to ask you something," she muttered as Anix walked toward her.
Anix didn't reply, but Soyo continued.
"Why are your kind here? Why do you want to wipe out the human race?"
Anix loomed over her, gazing at Soyo with what almost seemed like pity.
"Life forms need other life forms to survive. What we do is simply an act of survival. You humans are no different from us. You kill other organisms and feed on them for sustenance—have you ever stopped to think about how they feel?"
Soyo let out a sigh and chuckled lightly.
"Guess you're right. Never thought about it that way."
She looked up at the dark, cloudy sky, closed her eyes, and accepted her fate.
"Just get it over with. I'm tired of this damn shit."
A great silence followed, broken only by the distant sounds of crumbling buildings and faraway screams.
Curious as to why her death was being delayed, Soyo opened her eyes—only to find that Anix was gone.
---
North Wing, Shibuya Base
Shrinking his size to three times smaller than usual, Nero sat atop one of the buildings, watching as civilians fled in terror.
He pointed a finger toward an empty building, and with a small flick, a compressed air bullet shot out from his fingertip. The building shattered instantly, debris scattering across the area as dust filled the air.
Nero then aimed at another vacant structure, about to fire again, when something sped toward him at incredible speed. The impact sent shockwaves through the building he sat on, shattering it into pieces and kicking up a dense cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, two figures emerged—Nero, blocking Reiko's punch with both arms.
"You're fast," Reiko remarked not expecting him to block.
She smirked, leaped backward, and moved out of the way—revealing Kazushi, who had a bazooka perched on his shoulder.
"Eat dust!"
The projectile whizzed through the air, leaving a trail of dust behind. Nero crossed his arms in front of him, and upon impact, a massive shockwave rippled through the ground, kicking up another storm of debris.
"Hah! Not even an ant could survive that," Kazushi scoffed.
Reiko sighed and turned to him.
"You do realize this is a residential area, right? I hope you're aware of the consequences of using that here."
Kazushi Quincy. He called his weapon the Meteorite Gun. A bazooka capable of converting energy into explosive power, releasing an attack based on the user's desired intensity. However, the weapon had a significant drawback—it took an extensive amount of time to recharge. Given the sheer destruction it caused, that was expected.
According to records, it was capable of wiping out an entire base.
Because of this, Kazushi was strictly forbidden from using it inside or near any base unless the situation was classified as a Grade-S threat.
Technically, this was his first time using it.
"Damn, that felt so good. I wish I could use it one more—"
Kazushi swallowed his words as the dust cleared.
Standing there completely unharmed was Nero.
No damage. No scratches. Not even a dent.
"What the hell is that…?" Kazushi whispered.
"For a moment, I was a little concerned," Nero mused, tilting his head. "But I guess I worried for nothing."
His eyeless gaze locked onto them.
"Tell me, why do you humans always underestimate other species?" His voice was calm but cold. "Even Xeno's horrible craftsmanship is a million times better than this."
In an instant, Nero kicked forward, appearing beside Reiko. He spun and drove his leg into her gut, sending her flying through several buildings.
Then, he appeared in front of Kazushi, grabbed his bazooka, and used it like a pulley—hoisting him up before slamming him into the ground.
Kazushi's body recoiled violently. Before he could react, Nero lifted him again and slammed him into a nearby structure.
Kazushi was barely conscious. He should have been dead—if not for his suit absorbing most of the impact. Even so, he struggled to breathe.
Nero walked toward him and grabbed his throat, lifting him off the ground.
"I hate my current master…" His grip tightened. "But I still follow his orders."
He stared at Kazushi, his fingers pressing against his windpipe.
"My attack had no killing intent," Nero st
ated. "So answer me—are you a Captain or not?"
Nero's grip tightened further, threatening to snap Kazushi's neck in two.