Seeing the man dodge his brick with ease, Kieran felt a jolt of surprise. This guy’s an awakener. “I thought this would be simple.”

  Axel's words were not a joke. Not only was he very accurate, but the person on the other side was an awakener.

  Axel was about to let out a sigh of relief when he heard Kieran’s sharp shout.

  “Move! They’ve got one more!”

  The situation was escalating quickly. The man in black wasn’t alone. If Axel made a run for it now, he might have a chance to escape, but the danger was far from over. He didn’t know how strong the other guy was. If he was another awakener... Kieran wouldn’t be able to protect him.

  “Run!” Axel pulled Annabelle away, his voice desperate, his grip firm.

  Meanwhile, Kieran and the man in black had already collided.

  Kieran’s Force surged. His speed was insane. His fists were hammering out like a storm, faster than any regular human could ever hope to match.

  The man in black hesitated for a moment before also unleashing his Force. But it was clear—he wasn’t moving as fast as Kieran. Every time Kieran’s fists connected, the man was knocked back, but he kept coming.

  “I fucking hate body-enhancing awakeners,” Kieran grunted, frustration.

  This was what Kieran had been worried about. He was confident in his own combat abilities, sure. He thought he could take the guy down fast, then go after Axel. But now this opponent is the most resistant "sandbag"!

  Outside the wall, this kind of awakener is very popular, and it is often they who rush forward to withstand the damage of the mutant beast.

  ....

  Axel ran for a few paces before he slowed down. Kieran had told him to get out of there, and he’d obeyed. But he’d overlooked something crucial.

  There’s a mark on me. No matter where he ran, the enemy could track him.

  If he were to erase the mark now, it would consume a huge amount of his original force, which would definitely reduce his combat effectiveness.

  Axel’s heart pounded as he glanced at Annabelle, still following him. He came to a sudden stop.

  He had no choice. His only hope now was that Kieran could deal with the man. Or better yet—he could take down the pursuer himself.

  He turned sharply, and there, emerging from the shadows, was another figure in black. The man’s eyes were cold, fixed on him without emotion.

  Originally, it would’ve been simple. One man could’ve taken care of Axel without breaking a sweat. But the boss had insisted on sending an awakener for backup. In hindsight, the man in black now realized how fortunate that was. If he hadn’t had the extra power, this could have been a much different story.

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  While he was afraid, he also felt lucky, because the credit for killing the target in the end would definitely fall on him.

  Axel’s gaze hardened as he looked at Annabelle. A deep, painful reluctance settled over him.

  “Annabelle… don’t worry about me. Go. Now. Call the police!”

  “Brother, I’m not leaving you,” Annabelle said, shaking her head stubbornly, her voice firm.

  “Damn it, leave!” Axel snapped, his anger masking the fear that burned through him.

  Annabelle hesitated, looking back every few steps, before she finally disappeared into the darkness, her reluctance to go palpable.

  Axel’s heart clenched as he picked up the hatchet from the ground, gripping it tightly in his hand, and looked at the man in black vigilantly.

  “Willing to throw your life away to buy time for your sister? That’s real sweet. Too bad it won’t matter. You’re all dead tonight.”

  The man in black lunged forward, his dagger raised high, his movements fluid and swift. While not an awakener himself, his Force exceeded 150—more than enough to make even seasoned fighters think twice.

  The dagger moved like lightning. Even with Axel’s Force at 105, it was still too fast for him to track clearly. But Axel didn’t need to see it—because.....

  Bang!

  A sharp, jarring pain shot through the man in black's hand. The hatchet Axel had been holding had been thrown with perfect precision, hitting the man’s hand and forcing him to stumble back. Axel didn’t waste a second. He turned and bolted.

  “What…?”

  The man in black froze for a moment, but then a smirk curled on his lips. A little clever trick?

  The man in black had always been confident in his physical superiority. Most people without an awakening could barely break the 100 mark in Force, but his own power was 150. His physical conditioning was unmatched, and yet, he found Axel’s movements weren’t far behind.

  No, this guy’s not slow at all...

  Axel’s breathing came in shallow bursts as he ran. His nerves, previously on edge, began to calm. Wait a second... this guy isn’t an awakener. Or at least, he’s a weak one.

  Axel had encountered more than his fair share of powerful awakeners: Kieran, Skye, and the heads of both the Crimson Vipers and the Ironfang Syndicate. He knew better than to think he could take them on, but this man was different. He’s nowhere near as strong.

  Axel’s eyes grew cold, his expression unreadable, but his breath quickened as if he was about to collapse from the exertion. He slipped on the slick ground and tumbled into an alley.

  The alley was a forgotten corner of the slums, a neglected stretch in the far reaches of Area C, overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage. A perfect place to get trapped.

  Axel scrambled to his feet, panic creeping in. He had to escape. But the man in black was already at the mouth of the alley, blocking his exit.

  Axel forced himself to stand tall, even though his body trembled with fear. He picked up a broken tile, holding it in front of him with shaking hands. “Who the hell are you? And why are you trying to kill me?”

  The man in black didn’t respond. He just stalked forward, dagger in hand, avoiding the debris Axel flung at him. Step by step, he pushed Axel back into the corner. Axel was cornered now, and the man in black was close enough to strike.

  With a final, swift motion, the dagger plunged into Axel’s side. The cold steel bit deep, and he felt the warm, sickening rush of blood spilling from the wound. It’s over.

  But the man in black paused. Something was wrong. The knife had slid in too easily—almost as if Axel had willingly taken it. The guy’s bloodshot eyes were wide open, filled not with fear, but with something far more dangerous: ferocity.

  Axel’s lips pulled into a twisted grin. His blood soaked the ground, but in that moment, the Force inside him surged. He’d been playing possum the whole time. His body trembled, but it wasn’t from weakness—he was building up for something.

  The man in black tried to pull his knife free, but Axel’s arms locked around him like iron bands. He squeezed with all his strength, nails digging into the man’s flesh.

  The man in black winced, anger flashing in his eyes. He tried to punch Axel, aiming for his skull, but just as he was about to strike, a light footstep caught his attention.

  He turned, and what he saw made his blood run cold.