Lana and Nine stood across from each other in the ruined street, their breath ragged, locking eyes.
Without warning, Nine hurled James directly at Lana again.
Lana flinched, bracing for the impact. But just like before, the dagger abruptly froze in mid-air right before touching her skin, hovering motionlessly.
Lana let out a sharp breath, glaring at her opponent. "If you love your precious 'James' so much, then stop throwing him at me like trash!"
The dagger floated back into Nine's waiting palm. Nine stroked the cold metal, looking up with a cold smile. "Here's a piece of free advice: never ask questions in the middle of a fight. But... I really can't figure out why James keeps stopping mid-air before touching you. I know I can do that by altering his gravity, but I'm certain you don't possess a gravity-type ability."
Lana crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you violating your own advice right now?"
"That's not an answer," Nine said, her fake, cheerful smile instantly dropping into something eerie. "Answer me, please. I'm asking nicely."
Lana hesitated, rubbing her bruised arm. "I'm not entirely sure myself... but I think I have an ability called Levitat. It lets me float objects in mid-air."
Nine's eyes widened slightly. "Woah... so that's why you've been flying in the air this whole time?"
Lana blinked, utterly confused. "Am I... flying?"
Nine nodded slowly, pointing a slender finger at Lana's feet.
Lana looked down. Sure enough, her boots were hovering a few meters off the hard cobblestones. The moment she realized she was floating, her brain panicked—her center of balance snapped, and she tumbled clumsily through the air, crashing hard onto the ground!
THUD!
Before she could push herself up, Nine hurled James at her face a third time!
Once again, the dagger stopped short, hovering inches above Lana's nose.
Nine chuckled, stepping over the rubble. "Another piece of free advice: never reveal your ability to your enemy."
Lana spat a mouthful of dust, glaring up at her. "You were the one who asked me!"
"Then die," Nine replied flatly.
"Fine, I get it!" Lana huffed, scrambling backward.
Nine sighed, tossing the dagger casually from hand to hand. "You know, I've never fought someone for this long before. Usually, I just crush my targets into the dirt with heavy gravity. If someone is lucky enough to survive that, James finishes the job. My strategies always work..."
Nine suddenly drew her handgun, pointed it toward the heavens, and fired a single shot into the open sky!
BANG!
Without a second thought, she tossed the gun aside into the debris.
Lana stared at her, bewildered. "What was that for?"
"Don't forget we're in the middle of a battle," Nine said, cracking her knuckles. "Using a gun feels like I'm cheating on James anyway. Now, get up and fight me with your bare hands."
Lana didn't move an inch.
Nine narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong now?"
"I... I don't know how to fight!" Lana admitted, looking away awkwardly.
Nine's jaw dropped. "Wow. You really just handed me your biggest weakness on a silver platter, didn't you? STAND UP! Try to attack me!"
Lana stayed frozen on the ground.
"I said, STAND UP!" Nine shrieked.
Scared out of her mind, Lana scrambled to her feet and clumsily rushed forward. Nine easily side-stepped her pathetic attempt at a punch, bringing the sharp edge of James slicing toward her throat.
Lana instinctively ducked, dodging the lethal strike by a hair's breadth. But Nine reacted instantly—she drove a brutal punch straight into Lana's stomach, following up with a harsh, cracking slap across her face!
PAK!
"I am not your teacher!" Nine growled, her face contorting with rage. "And I still haven't forgotten that you called my James a 'knife'!"
"I'm sor—" Lana tried to apologize, but Nine swept her leg, tripping her cleanly.
Lana hit the dirt again. Nine stood over her, casually letting James drop from her hand straight onto Lana's face!
SLICE!
The blade grazed Lana's cheek, leaving a sharp, bleeding gash before falling onto the ground beside her.
Nine picked up the dagger, a dark, realization dawning on her face. "Now I understand... your defense only stops an attack if you can actually see it coming!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield...
Eleven was repeatedly slamming Null's head against the crumbling brick wall, the impact echoing like thunder.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
Suddenly, the loud gunshot fired by Nine into the sky echoed across the district.
The unexpected signal distracted Eleven for a fraction of a second, his grip loosening slightly as he glanced toward the sound.
That split second was all Null needed.
Null raised his compact firearm and pulled the trigger at point-blank range!
BANG!
The metal-piercing bullet tore directly into Eleven's right eye!
"AGHHHHHH!" Eleven screamed in absolute agony, releasing his hold on Null as blood and black energy spewed from his shattered eye socket.
Null stumbled back, instantly snapping his aim toward Twelve, who was standing a short distance away preparing another prayer. Null fired!
BANG!
Twelve shifted his body with supernatural speed, the bullet grazing his coat as he dodged smoothly.
Before Null could re-adjust his aim, the blind, enraged Eleven lunged forward through the pain, delivering a thunderous punch straight into Null's chest!
BOOM!
The crushing blow launched Null through the air, his body tumbling across the rough cobblestones.
Refusing to let Null breathe, Eleven charged through the dust cloud. Null fired two rapid shots at Eleven's legs to slow him down, but the hulking man ignored the bullets entirely, driving a heavy boot straight into Null's face!
CRACK!
Null flew backward once more, crashing violently into the rubble.
As he hit the ground, the impact forced his fingers open—the metallic handgun slipped from his grip, skittering across the dirt.
Eleven stomped over, his remaining good eye burning with psychotic rage. He reached down, scooped up Null's gun from the ground, and racked the slide.
Pointing the barrel directly at Null's forehead, Eleven grinned, his blood-stained face twisti
ng into a terrifying sneer.
"Time to taste your own medicine.