Naina turned toward the man beside her.
"Captain… what do we do about him?" she asked, her voice controlled but tense.
The captain didn't even bother looking properly at Leon.
"Leave him," he said coldly. "He's useless. Just a waste of time."
They began to move—
But suddenly—
A man stepped forward and grabbed Leon by the collar, pulling him closer.
"Don't look at her," he growled. "Eyes down, rookie."
"Joshua!" Naina snapped.
"Let him go. Now."
Her voice was sharp—but her eyes flickered toward Leon, something unreadable hidden inside.
Leon didn't react immediately.
He just stared at her.
Silently.
Coldly.
Then—
His hand shot up.
He grabbed Joshua's wrist.
Tight.
Very tight.
His grip tightened like iron.
"AAARGH—!" Joshua screamed. "What the hell—leave my hand!"
Leon didn't blink.
Instead, he leaned closer, his eyes locking onto Joshua's.
"Say that again," he said quietly.
Joshua struggled—but Leon's grip only got tighter, bones beginning to creak under the pressure.
The captain stepped forward, pulling out his gun and pointing it straight at Leon's head.
"Let him go," he ordered. "Or I'll blow your brains out."
Leon didn't even look at the gun.
His grip didn't loosen.
Instead—
He moved.
THUD!
His fist slammed straight into the captain's face.
The man staggered back, clutching his nose as blood burst out, dripping between his fingers.
Another soldier raised his weapon—
Too slow.
Leon's leg shot out.
BAM!
A brutal kick to the stomach.
The man folded instantly, collapsing to the ground, gasping for air.
Before anyone else could react—
Leon grabbed the captain again.
This time—
As a shield.
He pulled him in, pressing the gun against his neck.
"Back off," Leon said calmly. "Or he dies first."
The others froze.
Weapons still raised—
But no one fired.
Leon stepped back slowly… one step at a time.
Every movement calculated.
Every second dangerous.
He reached his car.
Opened the door.
Pushed the captain forward—
Then—
BANG.
A single shot.
The captain's head snapped back as the bullet tore through his skull. Blood and fragments splattered across the ground as his body collapsed lifelessly.
Silence.
No one moved.
No one expected that.
Naina's eyes widened slightly—
But she said nothing.
Leon got into the car instantly.
Engine roared.
But—
BANG!
A shot rang out.
Joshua.
The bullet pierced Leon's hand, ripping through flesh and muscle.
Blood spilled instantly.
Leon didn't scream.
Didn't even flinch.
He gripped the steering wheel tighter—
And drifted the car away at full speed.
After reaching a deserted street, Leon finally stopped.
Blood dripped steadily from his hand.
He looked at it calmly.
"…Annoying."
Without hesitation—
He dug his fingers into the wound.
And pulled.
The bullet came out with a wet, sickening sound, tearing through flesh as more blood spilled out.
Still—
No reaction.
No pain on his face.
He wrapped it up quickly with a bandage.
Leon stepped out of the car and grabbed his binoculars.
He climbed a nearby building, reaching the rooftop.
From there—
He observed the hospital area again.
Searching.
Analyzing.
Then—
Something moved.
The vines.
They twisted… coiled… merging together.
Forming a massive orb of living plant matter.
At the center—
A woman.
Standing still.
Controlling it.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"…Another one with abilities."
A beep echoed in his earpiece.
He connected instantly.
"Leon," Laila's voice came through. "We need to talk. There are individuals out there with powers far beyond your current level."
She continued—
"They use elemental abilities. We've also recovered a Manual of Metal… but we can't activate it."
Leon stayed silent.
"Return to headquarters," she added. "We need to discuss this."
Leon looked at the injector in his hand.
He had taken it from the captain's pocket.
Inside—
A metallic-colored serum.
"…So this is the key," he muttered.
He stored it inside his ring and got back into the car.
As he drove toward the outskirts—
He stopped.
Something stood in the road.
A creature.
Grotesque.
Massive.
At least 13 feet tall.
Its body was warped, muscles bulging unnaturally, skin torn and stitched together like a failed experiment.
Leon stepped out slowly.
"…Guess round two."
He summoned fire—
Condensing it into a spear.
But—
Not enough energy.
"…Shit."
The creature vanished.
In a blink—
It appeared in front of him.
Too fast.
Before Leon could react—
BOOM!
A punch slammed into him, sending him flying.
The ground cracked as he hit it.
Before he could recover—
Something wrapped around him.
A tail.
The creature lifted him like he weighed nothing—
And hurled him away.
Leon's body rolled across the ground, tearing through debris.
Blood covered his face.
But he stood up again.
Breathing heavily.
"This… is new."
For the first time—
He decided to use everything.
Blood.
Gravity.
Fire.
All at once.
He raised his hand.
Ten small blood spears formed—
Crystalline.
Sharp.
He infused them with fire.
Then—
He manipulated gravity around the creature.
The air itself distorted.
The creature slowed.
Just slightly.
"…Now."
Leon threw them all.
At once.
But—
Too late.
A tentacle shot out from the creature—
And pierced straight through Leon's waist.
"AAAAARGH!!"
The pain exploded through his body.
Blood spilled as the tentacle tore through flesh.
But—
The spears hit.
THUD—CRACK—BURN.
They pierced the creature's skull.
Fire erupted inside it.
Burning.
Exploding.
The creature let out a distorted scream as its head partially collapsed, charred flesh dripping down its face.
Leon ripped the tentacle out of his body, blood gushing from the wound.
He didn't wait.
He ran.
Got into the car—
And sped away.
After reaching a safe distance, Leon stopped.
His breathing was heavy.
He pulled out an antiviral capsule and painkillers.
Swallowed them.
Bandaged his wound.
"…That thing almost killed me."
He leaned back.
"…If I had more energy… it would've been different."
Then—
A thought hit him.
"The crystal… inside its head…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…What was that? A power source… or something else?"
He drove back to headquarters.
Silent.
Focused.
He entered the building and went straight to the office.
Knock.
"May I come in?"
"Yes, Sir Leon."
Simon's voice.
Leon entered.
Laila was there too.
Leon smirked slightly and winked at her before sitting down.
She ignored it.
"Sir Leon," Simon began. "As Laila mentioned, there are individuals with extraordinary abilities."
He handed over a book.
"Take a look."
Leon opened it.
Read.
Absorbed everything.
Quickly.
Then closed it and handed it back.
"This needs a serum," Leon said calmly. "Something that fuses with the body."
He looked at them.
"Did you find one?"
Laila shook her head.
"No."
Leon nodded slightly.
Then stood up.
"Then I might have something useful."
He lifted his shirt.
The wound—
Still visible.
Flesh torn, though already healing.
"Get me medical support," he said. "This needs proper treatment."
Laila's eyes lingered on the injury for a second.
"…Come with me."
They reached the infirmary.
"Lift your shirt," she said.
Leon smirked.
"What, you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I've treated worse," she replied calmly.
She cleaned the wound carefully, pouring alcohol over it.
The sting was sharp—
But Leon didn't react.
She bandaged it and turned to leave.
But—
A hand grabbed her wrist.
She was pulled back slightly.
"What are you doing?" she said. "Let go."
Leon leaned closer.
"Stay," he said softly. "Just for a bit."
She hesitated.
Then slowly sat down beside him.
Silent.
Expressionless.
But her heartbeat—
Loud.
Fast.
And impossible to ignore.