Richard hid behind a slab of broken concrete, his wound throbbing under the bandage. The ruin—an old factory on the city's outskirts—was a wreck of crumbled walls and rusted beams. It wasn't the house where he'd learned Nen, but it was good for cover. He clutched his clarinet, hearing footsteps approach—gang members after him for the Vellucci name.
"Search every corner!" a voice barked. "He's here."
Richard peeked through a gap. Five men, moving carefully, spooked by the last two teams he'd dropped. One stood out—tall, holding a gun, aura shimmering around him.
Nen.
"Burrows," Richard muttered, catching the name from their chatter. "Emitter."
The group stopped at the factory's entrance. One guy spoke, voice shaky. "Boss, the others died fast. Should we wait?"
Burrows laughed, sharp. "For a kid with no Nen? Get inside."
Richard gripped his clarinet tighter. Burrows was wrong about him, and that was an edge.
As the gang entered, Richard played. Crazy Sonata's notes cut through, short and harsh. The non-Nen grunts froze, eyes turning red, snarling. One punched a wall, blood smearing. Another stabbed his partner, who howled and fought back. They fell fast.
Burrows stood firm. His aura surged, a steady light. "Ten," he said, voice calm. He squinted—Sonata hit him—but he didn't waver, unlike the others.
Richard stopped playing, slipping behind a bent steel frame. The grunts were out, dead or down. Burrows stayed up, scanning the ruin.
"Nen," he said, voice carrying. "Not Vellucci. No kid learns this quick."
Richard kept still, thinking. Crazy Sonata was his Hatsu, Specialization (Tokushitsu), breaking minds with sound. It crushed regular people, but Nen users like Burrows had strong aura, tougher to shake. It got weaker with distance too. He needed to close in.
Burrows climbed a pile of rubble, gun raised.
"Show yourself!" His aura flared, forming a glowing orb at his fingertip. "Bullet!"
A loud bang rang out. Richard dove behind a wall as a Nen bullet smashed through concrete, spraying dust. It wasn't a shaped shot—just raw aura, launched hard. Emission (Hōshutsu), projecting energy far, like Razor's throws. Burrows ruled at range.
Richard moved quick, dodging between debris. Another bullet blasted a beam nearby, sparking. "Get close," he told himself. Sonata needed Burrows near to land.
Burrows kept shooting, but he couldn't track Richard. "Stop hiding!" he yelled, annoyed. He jumped down, landing in a clear spot, gun ready. "Come on, or I'll blow this place apart!"
Richard took the chance. He slid behind a busted conveyor, closer, and played a fast Sonata burst. Burrows winced, grabbing his head, aura flickering. The madness pressed harder now, but he fought it, firing a bullet that cracked the conveyor's edge, missing Richard by inches.
"Getting there," Richard muttered. Burrows' aura was solid, but Sonata was starting to dig in at this range.
Burrows lowered his gun, eyes narrowing. "You're close. Let's finish it."
He pocketed the gun, fists tightening, aura coiling around them. Richard saw the play—Burrows wanted a straight fight, betting his Nen skill would beat a new guy. Richard stepped out, clarinet in one hand, braced to move.
"Big mistake," he said, probing Burrows' confidence. This body could handle a scrap, and Nen changed the odds.
Burrows grinned. "New to Nen? I've got years. You're finished."
They rushed each other. Richard focused his aura. "Gyo," he said, sending energy to his eyes to watch Burrows' fists. Burrows matched it, his hands bright with Ten. Their punches hit with a loud boom, shaking dust from the ceiling.
Richard's arm stung, but he held firm. Burrows was strong, but Richard's aura kept up. He wasn't fighting for Vellucci—just for another day alive.