Zain flipped the folder open again as he headed for the exit.
"Last sighting... near the border of CC and CB, huh?"
His eyes narrowed as he read the details.
"Not too far from my turf. Smart enough to stay near the edges, but dumb enough to show up again."
He closed the folder and tucked it under his arm as he stepped outside.
"Guess it's time to go hunting again."
Then, with a smirk, he muttered under his breath:
"Let's go say hi to Flicker and Skritch. I hope they're in the mood to lose some limbs."
With that, Zain's pace quickened, the folder tucked away and his eyes sharp.
The border was close—and so were his next targets.
---
Zain had just arrived at the border between CC and CB.
The damage was clear.
Scorched walls, bent streetlamps and shattered glass were everywhere.
He crouched beside a pile of rubble, picking up the scorched debris.
"Tch. Looks like they've been throwing tantrums. Savra wasn't kidding—they've been busy."
A sudden thud echoed from behind a cracked wall, followed by the sound of a low chuckle.
Then another voice—higher-pitched.
"Yo, Skritch… what did I say? I told you we'd find a stray eventually."
Zain slowly stood up, glancing at the two people coming to him.
One was thin and had a wide grin. His fingers flexed like he couldn't wait to peel them off.
Flicker.
The other was lean and cocky, stretching his legs like he was warming up for a street fight.
Skritch.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
Skritch cracked his knuckles.
"Another baby hero thinking he can play in big leagues?"
Flicker giggled as he popped one of his fingertips off like a bottlecap, catching it between two fingers.
"Hope you're fun. I get bored when they die too fast."
Zain smirked and rolled his neck slowly.
"So you're Flicker and Skritch…"
He lifted his eyes, smiling.
"Finally. You two are going to be my next meal."
Skritch narrowed his eyes.
"Meal? You trying to talk big before getting your face kicked in?"
Flicker pointed at Zain with his fingertip still detached.
"Hey, hey. I like this one. Let's break his arms first. See if he still calls us food after."
Zain smiled as a flame flickered faintly on his hand.
"I took down Ruckle and Burnshot. You think I'm afraid of cheap parlor tricks and a spinning junkyard ballerina?"
Flicker's twitching grin froze.
Skritch's eye twitched, and his muscles visibly tensed.
"...What did you just say?"
Skritch stepped forward, crushing broken glass beneath him.
Flicker's neck jerked slightly as he exhaled.
It was less a laugh and more a crack of rage.
"You're the bastard who took them out? Ruckle and Burnshot?!"
"You've got some nerve showing your face here."
Skritch's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles popped.
"You don't get it, do you?"
"Those two were like brothers to us. You think killing them makes you a big shot?!"
Flicker's expression twisted into something more unstable.
Half rage and half exhilaration.
"Our boss is pissed. You've got the whole gang stirred up! You think we're mad?"
"He's ready to burn this district down looking for you."
Skritch snarled, stomping once.
"You've made enemies you can't even comprehend. This isn't about justice anymore, hero boy. This is personal."
Zain just tilted his head with a smile.
"Good. That means I'm doing my job right."
Flicker's eye twitched violently.
"I'm going to peel your fingers off one by one."
Skritch cracked his neck, stepping into a stance.
"I'll start with your legs. You won't be standing when I'm done."
Zain's grin sharpened.
"Talk all you want. I already buried two of your enforcers. You two are just next in line."
And with that, the alley filled with silence.
---
Flicker's face contorted with a maniacal smile as he launched the first attack.
He detached three fingertips before flinging them toward Zain.
"Catch this, you smug freak!"
Zain didn't even flinch.
He calmly pulled out his pistol and aimed the fingertips.
"Do you think I don't know how your ability works?"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Each fingertip exploded mid-air, burst apart by Zain's Blast Breath-infused rounds.
They could not even land and plant any Impact Tags on Zain.
Flicker's smile vanished in an instant.
"What—? You blew up my—"
But before Flicker could finish, a blur swept in from behind Zain.
"Don't get cocky, dumbass!"
Skritch snarled, appearing out of nowhere with Quick Step.
His body spun violently, his momentum building fast as his leg arced out low.
His spinning kick, enhanced by Hard Kick, made the air tremble.
Zain caught the movement just in time.
"Tch, don't think you're the only one who can move fast."
WHOOSH!
Zain vanished just as the spinning leg sliced through where he stood.
The sheer force cracked the pavement, but Zain had already appeared behind Skritch using Quick Step of his own.
His right hand ignited in flames, reaching to seize Skritch's back—
"Got you—"
But Skritch immediately used the force of his missed kick to roll forward.
"Not that easy!"
He then pushed himself off again with his legs, distancing himself with another burst of Quick Step.
Flicker reattached his remaining fingers, twitching in frustration.
"He's reading us too easily!"
Zain stood calmly between them, eyes locked.
"Of course I am. I came prepared. Now—who's next?"
Both villains gritted their teeth, circling him with renewed caution.
The real fight had just begun.
---
Not far from the border of CC and CB, a hero moved across the cracked pavement.
Eron—the newly promoted C-Rank hero—landed atop a collapsed rooftop, scanning the area below with narrowed eyes.
His arms crackled faintly with static, the signature hum of his Thunder Hand ability pulsing with energy.
He adjusted the scarf around his neck and smirked to himself.
"So this is where those two punks were last spotted… Flicker and Skritch, right?"
"Perfect. Taking them down should boost my rep fast."
He clenched his fists, electricity snapping across his knuckles.
"I'll show them I'm not just another rookie. I'm going to be the name people remember."
His eyes suddenly locked onto the distant flashes of flame and smoke.
"Tch… Someone's already fighting them?"
He frowned.
"Don't tell me someone's trying to steal my spotlight."
Without waiting another second, Eron leapt down from the roof and sprinted across the ruined street.
He didn't know who was fighting yet—but he didn't plan on letting them finish the job without him.