Amid swirling dust, Kaito gasped for breath. He set Selena down.

Both of his hands shot out, aimed at the spot where their enemy had stood.

He was a Conjurer—a Nen user whose ability let him conjure any item he could picture in his mind, provided he had used or touched it before and understood its structure. Earlier, he'd blocked two rounds of gunfire by conjuring a shield in front of him.

Right now, he'd just killed the heavy-gunner by conjuring that same shield with one hand to stop bullets, and a handgun with the other to pull off the fatal shot. Of course, for ordinary people with no Nen-awareness, the conjured items were invisible. They never saw him "raise a gun" at all—just the impact.

However, using any Nen ability burns through your aura. For someone at Kaito's level, while he could conjure anything that fell under the category of "objects," the cost in aura rose with the object's complexity and size. In theory, if his Nen were strong enough, he could produce a car or larger machinery, but at his current skill level, that was impossible.

Just shielding himself from the gunfire as much as he did had him exhausted. He was quite young, having become a Nen user only about a year ago after a stroke of luck put him in contact with a Hunter who took him under their wing. Originally, he planned to attend the Hunter Exam and join the Association… until he met the perfect woman who stole his heart: Selena—leading to his current predicament.

"While they're not on us yet, you need to go. I've just put a bulletproof vest on you… I'll draw them off," Kaito said hurriedly, pressing his hand against Selena's torso. With a flux of aura, a bulletproof vest manifested on her body.

Though the enemy were ordinary humans, they had overwhelming numbers—and from that hidden sniper and the guy he'd just killed, it was clear they were far better equipped than normal police. They seemed like a highly trained paramilitary force.

Kaito sensed more officers converging at the mouth of the alley. He couldn't stay and protect his beloved any longer.

Selena was still shaking from fear, but upon hearing his words, she instantly bolted—ignoring his longing gaze, without a single backward glance or farewell. She ran off, not even pausing.

"Damn it!"

"I'm finished!"

"Going to be killed—I haven't even had my fun yet!"

Fury bubbled inside Selena, overshadowing even her panic. She never imagined she'd get wrecked in the second round of the Extinction Game—and in such a humiliating way. She raged at herself, scanning the area wildly for any way to escape.

"Watch out!" Kaito suddenly shouted, having sensed something—his face went pale.

It was already too late.

From overhead, a black canister clattered into the alley, releasing a choking white cloud. A flashbang also exploded, dazzlingly bright. Kaito's vision turned hazy, and he lost sight of Selena in the smoke.

Meanwhile, Selena barely had time to react when a figure materialized in front of her.

"Hello there," came a cold voice. Selena's eyes teared up from the flashbang, leaving everything blurry. All she could make out was the shape of a man wearing some kind of mask.

Hearing his greeting, Selena felt her heart sink into an icy pit. Realizing the situation, she fumbled for the blade strapped to her thigh under her dress. But a split second later, her body suddenly doubled over like a shrimp. The man's knee, brimming with brutal force, had slammed into her stomach, leaving her wanting to vomit the contents of her stomach as she let out a piercing scream.

"Oh? How interesting—some sort of energy on you… Could that be Nen?" came his contemptuous voice.

Before her scream could finish, the man's iron grip seized her hair with such force it felt like her scalp would be ripped off.

Crack!

He kicked her lower leg, snapping it apart. A piece of white bone, dripping blood, burst through the torn skin.

"Hmm… Just like I thought," he said, voice cold behind his mask. "You've got zero real combat ability."

From the moment he reached the battlefield, Xiang Nan had quickly confirmed that this woman wasn't the Nen user. And the system screen, displaying distance data, proved that she was the player.

"AAAAHHHH!" Selena shrieked in torment, eyes bulging. The crushing pain nearly knocked her unconscious, but the man's grip on her skull was so agonizing that it forced her to stay awake.

"I'm curious… how did you even pass the first round? Must be the system's talent, right?" Xiang Nan bent closer, whispering into her ear with a small chuckle. He shook her body like she was a rag doll.

When Xiang Nan launched his ambush, even the wounded Kaito—though aware of the danger—couldn't rescue her. Another barrage of gunfire pinned him in place.

"Don't you try using your powers," Xiang Nan snarled in Kaito's direction through the smoke. "In your condition, I can kill her before you even fire a shot. You can give it a go if you want." Pausing, he added, "I bet you're almost out of aura, anyway."

He started dragging the thrashing woman backward, step by step, maintaining distance.

He hadn't killed the player right away for a reason—this Nen user was the bigger prize.

A chill ran down Kaito's spine. How did this man know about his Nen? Was the masked assailant a Nen user too? Or a Hunter?

"I surrender—just let Selena go!" Kaito yelled.

The man did sound genuinely desperate. Xiang Nan pulled off his mask and seized Selena by the throat, hoisting her limp body upward. Only then did he notice her striking face.

"You led this poor sap on? Man, you really are scum," Xiang Nan sneered, locking eyes with the trembling woman. "So he doesn't know you used to be a total piece of shit in your past life, huh?"

He grinned thinly, taking in her reaction, especially that flicker in her eyes.

"Interesting… Another lesson learned—this reincarnation can place a male soul in a female body. That's new."

At the look of shock in her face, Xiang Nan almost laughed out loud.

"Right? …Brother."

~~~

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