"You know," Ezra drawled, tilting his head slightly, hands raised in mock surrender. "If it were me, I wouldn't let someone talk to me like that."
Kyle's eyes narrowed. "Oh, shut up, you little twat. No one asked you to talk."
Ezra shrugged, his expression infuriatingly casual. "Just saying."
Kyle grunted, cracking his knuckles. "I'll say whatever the hell I want."
Ezra sighed, shaking his head as if deeply disappointed. "I mean, come on, Mark." He turned toward the taller guy. "How do you let someone like him talk to you? Someone who clearly can't control his anger? That won't be good for your team, y'know?"
Mark didn't react immediately, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—annoyance, irritation—as he glanced at Kyle.
Ezra smirked, pressing further. "I mean, just look at him." He gestured toward Kyle, lips pulling into a mock pout. "All that rage, all that frustration… Must be exhausting."
Kyle's nostrils flared, his grip on his blade tightening. "You little—"
"Careful," Ezra cut in smoothly, rocking back on his heels. "Wouldn't want to lose your temper and make a mistake now, would you?"
Kyle lunged, swinging his blade without thinking.
Ezra ducked just in time, the blade slicing through the air where his head had been a moment ago.
"See, Mark?" Ezra quipped, effortlessly sidestepping the attack. "That's what I meant. Reckless. No control. Imagine if he turns that anger on you when you're not looking."
Kyle snarled, pivoting to strike again. But Ezra was already moving—dropping low and sweeping his leg beneath him in a clean, calculated motion.
Kyle's feet left the ground.
For a brief second, his expression shifted from fury to surprise—then he hit the dirt hard, the impact sending up a spray of mud and leaves.
Silence.
Then, a snort of laughter—Liz, watching from the side, covering her mouth as she grinned.
Mark exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
Kyle, humiliated, pushed himself up, face red with rage.
Ezra stepped back, grinning. "See? Told you."
Ann lunged.
Ezra barely had time to react as she closed the distance between them, her movements far sharper and more refined than Kyle's. She attacked with precision—quick, calculated strikes that forced him on the defensive.
He twisted, dodging a jab aimed at his ribs, instincts sharp. She was skilled. Much better than Kyle. But still—
A gunshot rang out.
A bullet whizzed past his head, embedding into the tree behind him.
Ezra's heart lurched. His eyes darted toward Mark, who now had his gun raised, smoke curling from the barrel.
The rain poured harder, the ground beneath them turning slick and treacherous. His boots slipped slightly in the mud, making it difficult to keep his footing as Ann pressed her attack, relentless and unyielding.
'So now they're serious, huh?'
Ezra exhaled, tightening his grip on his dagger. His professor's voice echoed in his mind, a reminder drilled into him through countless lessons:
"Stay calm. Find the rhythm. And turn their own force against them."
He had played them against each other once.
He hoped he could do it again.
But with four against one, it would be a challenge.
A solid punch landed in his side.
Ezra barely had time to register the impact before pain exploded through his ribs. He was airborne for a split second before slamming into a tree with enough force to rattle his bones.
A sharp, wet cough escaped him, blood splattering onto the muddy ground.
Ann stood there, smirking, her fists raised in a defensive position—except now, her arms and hands were gleaming, metallic.
'So that's her Resonance…'
He forced himself to his feet, shaking off the daze.
Golden flames flickered to life at his fingertips, spreading warmth through his body as he felt the broken bones in his side begin to knit back together.
They all hesitated for a second, eyes widening in shock before quickly masking
their expressions.
Mark wasted no time. He exhaled, steadying his grip, then unholstered his second gun and fired.
Ann, pigtails whipping behind her, came at him again, fists blurring as she aimed for his ribs, his head, his throat—any opening she could find.
Ezra dodged, barely. The combination of the rain and the now-treacherous ground made keeping his footing nearly impossible.
Another bullet whizzed past his ear.
Ezra clenched his jaw.