The fist came in without slowing.
Arin raised his arm to block, but the impact still landed hard. A heavy thud followed as the force drove him backward. His footing slipped, and his arm went numb for a moment before he forced it to respond again.
His breathing had already turned uneven, but his thoughts stayed focused.
He looked up and assessed them.
The man in front carried the most pressure. His movement was steady and direct, closing distance step by step without leaving openings. Early body stage. Two others moved differently. One relied on speed, closing in quickly with lighter steps. The other moved with heavier force, each strike carrying more weight than expected. Enhanced. The remaining ones were trained, slower to react and easier to read.
Arin measured himself against them.
The semi-core inside him had stabilized slightly and was pulling in energy at a slow rate. His body responded better than before, giving him more control and strength, but not enough to match the stronger ones. He could handle the trained attackers. The others were still beyond him.
So he didn't prepare to fight.
He searched for a way out.
Ren stepped in and intercepted another attack. Their arms collided with a sharp crack, and Ren was pushed back a step.
Arin moved immediately.
Another strike came toward him. He shifted early, but not fully. The impact landed across his ribs with a dull force, breaking his breath for a moment. He staggered forward as blood rose into his mouth, leaving a faint metallic taste before he forced it down.
He kept moving.
The faster enhanced opponent closed in again.
Arin watched his movement carefully. Fast, but direct. Once committed, he didn't adjust much.
Arin moved before the attack fully formed.
The blade passed close, cutting across his sleeve and leaving a thin wound along his arm. Blood gathered at his fingers and began to drip.
He ignored it.
Behind him, the stronger enhanced man pushed forward.
Ren blocked again. A deep impact followed, forcing him back harder this time. His stance broke for a moment before he recovered.
"We can't hold them," Ren said, his breathing already heavy.
Arin nodded. "We don't need to."
Arin reached into his pocket and threw a device toward the ground.
It burst on impact with a sharp sound, spreading across the surface and disrupting their footing for a brief moment.
That opening was enough.
Arin grabbed Ren and pulled him forward.
They moved into a narrower path between the structures.
The man in front entered next.
Even in the restricted space, his movement didn't slow. He adjusted naturally and closed the distance quickly.
Arin saw it and shifted.
Not enough.
The strike landed across his side again.
The impact forced him into the wall. A heavy shock spread through his body, and this time blood slipped past his lips before he forced it down.
One more hit like that, and he wouldn't be able to continue.
Ren stepped in immediately and intercepted the next attack. The clash echoed in the narrow space, and he was pushed back again.
Arin pushed himself off the wall and moved forward.
His breathing was rough now. Each movement carried more strain, and the cut along his arm continued to bleed, drops falling steadily.
But his mind stayed clear.
They moved out of the narrow path into a wider section.
For a brief moment, there was space.
Arin noticed movement at the edges.
People stood at a distance, watching. Some shifted slightly, narrowing the open area ahead without stepping in.
Behind them, the attackers adjusted again.
"Move right."
"Cut them off."
Their coordination tightened.
The body stage fighter closed in again.
Arin didn't have time to create distance.
He threw an alcohol bomb forward.
The explosion spread quickly, flames rising across the path.
The man moved through it without slowing.
A faint defensive layer dispersed most of the effect.
That wouldn't work.
Arin pulled out the small handmade gun.
Two shots.
No margin.
He fired.
The first shot cracked through the space. The man shifted slightly, the pellet grazing past and forcing a small adjustment.
Arin fired again.
The second shot connected along the side of the man's body. It forced him back half a step.
Not enough to stop him.
But enough to create a brief gap.
That gap gave Arin a breath.
Only one.
At the same time, Ren turned and fired his weapon.
The faster enhanced woman had already closed in toward him.
At that range, she couldn't avoid it.
The shot struck directly.
She dropped immediately.
Ren adjusted and aimed at the body stage fighter.
He fired again.
The man reacted instantly.
He moved sideways, using one of the trained men as partial cover.
The shot missed its intended target.
The trained man fell instead.
That moment created distance between Ren and Arin.
Now Arin stood closest.
The body stage fighter moved again.
Closing the gap.
Arin's hand tightened around the last device.
The gunpowder bomb.
Using it at this distance would damage him as well.
He didn't have another option.
Behind him, Ren fired again, forcing the others to shift and slow their advance.
That was enough.
Arin threw the bomb forward and turned immediately.
He ran without looking back.
A moment later, the explosion hit.
A deep blast tore through the space, followed by a shockwave that spread outward and disrupted everything nearby.
The trained man closest to the blast didn't survive it.
The body stage fighter was caught at the edge.
The impact forced him back and broke his forward momentum.
Arin didn't look back.
Ren caught up beside him.
They kept moving.
Behind them, the group didn't follow immediately.
The explosion had broken their formation.
Arin's breathing was unstable now, each breath heavier than the last, but he kept moving.
They continued forward, putting distance between themselves and the fight.