Ruckle ducked behind a pile of broken crates, his eyes narrowed.
BOOM!
Another breath bullet detonated behind him as he rolled into cover again.
"Tch—Damn it! This isn't a gun—it's a damn artillery cannon!"
Zain stepped forward calmly, the pistol held loosely at his side.
He exhaled into the magazine again—a soft glow pulsing as the breath charged into bullets.
Click.
He raised it again with a smirk.
"What's wrong, Ruckle? Tired of running already?"
PFTT—BOOM!
Ruckle dove to the side again, just barely avoiding the blast, but a shard of metal scraped across his back.
He grunted in pain, gritting his teeth harder.
Zain chuckled, walking slowly like a hunter closing in.
"You know, I like this gun. Breath-based bullets? Silent, precise, and efficient. It's perfect for sweeping out garbage."
PFTT—BOOM!
Another round exploded near Ruckle's feet, knocking him off balance.
Zain calmly reloaded again—another breath, another magazine full.
"You guys wanted to play dirty. I'm just doing it better."
Ruckle's breathing was ragged now, his legs scraped and his jacket nearly torn off from the explosions.
His eyes blazed with fury.
"Enough!"
He roared, slamming his fists together.
Knuckle Burst ignited—both hands glowing.
"I'm done dodging! You want a final charge? You got it!"
He launched forward in a full sprint, fists pulled back, explosive energy pulsing in each punch.
Zain smirked and raised his gun again.
"Come on, then. Let's end this."
But before he could pull the trigger—
BOOM!
A small explosion erupted beneath Ruckle's feet, propelling him forward like a rocket.
The force sent dust and rubble flying as he launched straight at Zain like a missile.
Zain's eyes widened.
"What the—?! I didn't shoot there!"
Before he could react, Ruckle was already in front of him, both fists blazing.
CRACK—BOOM!
A Knuckle Burst-enhanced punch slammed into Zain's jaw.
The explosion magnified the blow, sending him flying backward.
Zain's body crashed through a stack of junk metal, flipping mid-air before hitting the ground hard.
His face was charred and bleeding, smoke curling off his jaw.
He lay there for a moment—then chuckled through bloodied lips.
"Heh… been a while since I've been hit this hard."
Zain pushed himself to a knee and looked up at Ruckle, his breathing ragged.
"I didn't fire at your feet. That means... you awakened a new ability, right."
Ruckle stepped forward, chest heaving, knuckles crackling with energy.
"Not just one. I awakened two."
BOOM!
Another explosion burst in Zain's face, the side where he got punched.
Zain's head snapped back, the shockwave slamming into him point-blank.
He gritted his teeth and stumbled, his face burned and cracked, blood trailing from his lip and nose.
Only Hard Skin had saved his head from being turned to ash.
"Ugh… damn it..."
Zain growled, blinking through the pain.
Ruckle grinned widely, his body trembling with energy.
"You're not the only freak with multiple abilities now, Heavenly Demon. With these new abilities… I can finally kill you."
Zain slowly stood, wiping the blood from his face.
"You had your fun."
He exhaled, letting his hands burn in flame.
"But I guess it's time I stop playing around. Let me show you… my full power."
Ruckle blinked, surprised after seeing Zain's flaming hand.
"To think you were hiding another ability all this time. How many do you have?"
Zain just smirked. "Just another trick. And you've earned the privilege of seeing it."
While speaking, Zain silently triggered his system scan:
---
[Burst Hop: A quick shockwave blast underfoot that propels the user for fast dodging or gap closing.]
[Impact Tag: A touch-based explosive mark that detonates after a short delay to damage or stagger enemies.]
---
Zain's mind raced.
"So that was Burst Hop that launched him earlier. And the delayed explosion on my face… Impact Tag."
"Both linked to his core Knuckle Burst style. All timed impact abilities. Dangerous… but predictable."
Ruckle cracked his knuckles, his body tensed.
"Let's see who stands at the end of this, Heavenly Demon."
He slammed his foot down—
BOOM!
Burst Hop launched him forward.
But—
Zain vanished.
Quick Step.
In the split second Ruckle soared past, Zain reappeared behind him.
"His hop's fast and long, but one line. Mine shorter but flexible."
Zain reached out and grabbed Ruckle's arm mid-air, his Hard Grip locking around it like a vice.
"Got you."
FWOOSH!
Zain's Flame Hand ignited, and the fire surged down Ruckle's forearm, searing through fabric and skin.
"ARGHHH!"
Ruckle screamed, twisting violently in pain.
But in desperation, he spun in midair, using momentum to raise both legs.
"TAKE THIS!"
Dropkick—BOOM!
Hop Burst-enhanced, it slammed into Zain's chest like a cannonball.
CRACK!
Zain flew backward, dust exploding as he hit the ground, coughing from the impact.
But then—
BOOM!
Another explosion.
Zain clutched his chest—Impact Tag had been left on him during the kick.
His coat burned, smoke rising from the blast marks on his ribs.
He groaned and pushed himself up slowly, fire still flickering in his palms.
Blood trailed from his lip.
He looked up at Ruckle with a fierce grin.
"You really are fierce, Ruckle. You're the first one to push me this far."
Ruckle wiped a stream of blood from his chin and smirked.
"Tch. Thanks for that... but now—"
He slammed his foot down, Burst Hop igniting beneath him.
"It's time for you to die!"
BOOM!
He launched himself forward again, a blur of brute force.
But Zain didn't flinch.
His grin widened.
"Your abilities are strong, Ruckle... but they're still too damn predictable."
Zain's hand blurred—the black pistol was already raised.
PFTT—BOOM!
A Blast Breath bullet shot straight into Ruckle's face.
Direct hit.
His head snapped back, blood spraying, momentum breaking.
"GRAAGHH—!"
Ruckle cried out, staggering mid-air, limbs flailing as the force of the silent explosion threw off his balance.
Zain's eyes flashed.
Quick Step—activated.
He vanished from sight—reappearing just behind Ruckle mid-fall.
"It's over."
Zain's hand quickly shot forward, clamping around Ruckle's throat.
Hard Grip activated.
Flames surged across his hand—Flame Hand ignited point-blank.
The heat and pressure ignited into a violent burst, and—
CRACK—!
With a single, twisting motion—
Zain snapped Ruckle's neck and unleashed the fire through his throat in one devastating strike.
Ruckle's body twitched once—then went limp.
Zain let the corpse drop to the ground, smoke rising from the neck like burnt paper.
He stood over the fallen enforcer, chest rising and falling.
"One more C-Rank… burned and broken."