Zain burst forward, fire bursting from both hands, his eyes locked on her.
His voice cut through the rooftop air.
"You're not leaving this roof alive."
He closed the gap in an instant.
He was ready to crush her with Hard Grip if she moved wrong.
But Mirro just smiled.
"Too slow, Demon."
She jumped back—off the edge of the rooftop.
Zain's eyes narrowed as he reached the ledge and looked down.
She wasn't falling.
Mid-air, Mirro twisted her body, stretched out her hand.
She touched a shard of mirror bolted to an old antenna below.
Her body flickered and vanished.
Zain growled. "Shit—"
A flash from his left.
CRACK!
A sniper round tore past his shoulder, kicking sparks off a metal pipe.
He dove, rolled, and slid behind cover.
Mirro's voice echoed from across the rooftop.
"You can chase me all you want, but don't forget—I have Mirror Step too."
Zain wiped the blood off his arm, eyes locked on her new position.
She stood atop a crumbling rooftop vent across the alley, sniper raised again.
"You think this is a duel?" she shouted, grinning.
"It's not. It's a game. One I'm really good at."
Zain crouched low. He didn't respond immediately.
She was right.
This whole rooftop… these mirrors… the sniper rifle… the vanish-and-reappear tactics…
This was her battlefield. And she'd shaped it perfectly.
He gritted his teeth. She's not just fast. She's tricky. Evasive.
Her timing's surgical. And with Mirror Step… she's a ghost with a scope.
But then a thought slid into his mind like a dagger.
I can give myself abilities.
He smirked.
So why not take one away?
Zain locked eyes on her, standing proud and smug on the opposing rooftop.
"Let's see how cocky you are without your ability."
---
[Hack Initiation: Ability Removal]
[Target: Mirro]
[Ability Targeted: Mirror Step]
[Effect: Forcefully remove Mirror Step from the target]
[Cost Required: 200 Hack Points]
[Status: Hack Failed – Target is Resisting]
---
Zain's eyes narrowed.
The system's message burned in his mind.
He muttered, "Failed?"
Mirro cocked her head.
"What's the matter, Demon? You freeze up or finally realizing I'm not some grunt with a fancy toy?"
Zain narrowed his eyes, lips tight.
So that's how it is.
Either I overpower her… or she has to lower her guard willingly.
Can't hack what's actively resisting me. Not yet.
He ducked as another shot grazed a rusted beam behind him.
Damn it. I need a new plan. Fast.
Mirro laughed.
"What happened to all that fire, huh? You looked so confident a minute ago."
Zain ducked behind a low rooftop vent, letting her words echo.
He didn't answer.
Then he spotted it.
Tucked beside a ventilation duct, wrapped in a dull gray cloth—a sniper rifle.
Same make. Same custom scope. Her backup stash.
He grinned.
"So she hides toys all over in case someone corners her... good. That saves me the effort."
Zain pulled the rifle out, checked the chamber. Full.
He brought it to his shoulder and whispered into the loading chamber.
A short burst of Blast Breath hissed into the bullet slot—charging the next round.
The metal shimmered as Zain cocked it in place.
Mirro called out again, voice sing-song.
"Come on, Demon! Show me that smug face again! I'll frame it after I blow it off!"
But Zain didn't rise from the same spot.
Instead, he phased into a nearby mirror.
He exited silently from a window across the rooftop on her blind side.
She blinked. Saw the movement.
And froze.
Zain stood tall, one eye behind the scope, flames barely flickering along the barrel.
Her smirk dropped.
"…You found one of my stashes."
Zain smiled back. "Your mistake."
He pulled the trigger.
BOOM—!
The shot screamed across the rooftop. Mirro dove sideways—too slow.
The mirror she had just reached exploded, sending her tumbling to the side with a grunt.
She barely managed to phase into another shard nearby, appearing again behind a rooftop antenna.
She clutched her shoulder, glaring.
"What the hell was that?! That's not a normal shot!"
Zain racked the bolt. The rifle hissed.
"Your own medicine," he said.
"And it's time for you to get your shot."
---
Mirro vanished again, slipping through a sliver of glass in a broken window frame.
She popped out across the rooftop, breath heavy, blood on her sleeve.
But the second she stepped out—
BOOM!
Zain's next shot hit just a meter away.
The force tore through three mirror shards embedded in the wall behind her.
Mirro stumbled, teeth clenched.
"Damn you, Demon!"
Zain reloaded casually, the rifle still warm in his hands.
He tilted his head, expression amused.
"There it is," he said.
"Finally dropped the smug act. I was getting bored of your fake smile."
Mirro's eyes twitched. Her calm facade cracked.
She reached down without a word, slipping her hand into a hidden pouch on her waist.
Her fingers closed around a small red bullet, etched with red runes.
She loaded it into the chamber with a firm click.
Zain's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"
Mirro didn't answer.
She raised the rifle. Aimed. Fired.
Zain twisted aside, expecting the same standard shot.
But the moment the bullet hit the rooftop behind him—
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion tore a chunk out of the ground, flames and shockwaves sending Zain flying back.
He slammed into a rooftop duct, coughing as smoke billowed around him.
He rolled, charred and scraped, blinking through the smoke.
"What the hell was that…?"
Mirro stepped forward, rifle still smoking.
"That's my special bullet, Demon," she hissed.
"And you're the first idiot I've had to use it on."
Zain got back to one knee, body still steaming.
He wiped blood from his mouth and glared at her.
"So I'm special now?"
His voice was low.
"Nice to know I'm getting under your skin."
Mirro narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
She adjusted her stance, reloading with practiced speed.
Zain, however, didn't move right away. His frown deepened.
That blast... He glanced at the scorched metal behind him.
It was far stronger than my Blast Breath. Way more force packed into one round.
He stood slowly.
If she gets another shot like that off…
He turned to his system. "Give me Sharp Eye. Now."
---
[Hack Initiation: Ability Acquisition]
[Target: Zain]
[Ability Acquired: Sharp Eye (Low Tier)]
[Effect: Enhances vision, allowing the user to see farther, track fast movements, and detect small details with precision.]
[Cost Required: 100 Hack Points]
[Status: Executing...]
---
Zain's eyes burned for a moment—then cleared.
Everything sharpened.
The sway of her rifle, the twitch in her left shoulder.
The subtle breath she took to stabilize her shot—all of it became obvious.
He smirked.
"It's time to end it."