The increasingly annoyed "Other Xiao" suddenly pulled a pistol from his waist—a Browning Hi-Power loaded with 9×19 mm rounds. One shot from it could have torn through half of Xiao's head.
"This… this isn't fair…"
Sebastian Xiao froze, pressed into a crouch, fear crawling up his spine. Despair surged in his heart. Anyone in the face of a gun would feel the same.
And for someone like him, who had been raised by a protective mother and lived a long, stable life, courage to fight simply did not exist.
He had planned to wait for the other Xiao to get closer, maybe make a desperate, playful strike—but now, with the gun drawn, all such thoughts vanished. The sixth Xiao had completely ignored any so-called martial ethics.
Why could the other Xiao bring a gun, while he—an adult, a supposed peer—stood there powerless?
"You shitty old man~"
"There's no way around it—luck is also part of strength!"
Other Xiao shrugged and pulled the trigger straight at Sebastian Xiao's head.
Despair consumed him. Fear wrapped itself tightly around every thought, leaving only the knowledge that he was about to die.
Then, at the very brink between life and death, the Compound V hidden in his flesh and blood erupted in color, a brilliant light that shimmered even through his pale skin. It was as dazzling as the sun itself.
Time seemed to slow, stretching infinitely. Sebastian Xiao's mind raced at an impossible speed. He could see the muzzle flare, the bullet's arc as it left the chamber, every detail in perfect clarity.
But his body could not follow. He felt locked in place, helpless, unable to dodge. The awakening of this superpower only intensified his desperation.
'I don't know if it will hurt… if my head is pierced… or if Mom will be sad…'
He closed his eyes, surrendering to the inevitable.
The bullet struck.
And… nothing happened.
The expected pain didn't occur. There was no penetration. His forehead barely felt a push, as if a giant hand had gently nudged him. Sebastian Xiao's body tilted backward under the invisible force—but before he could fully react, his superpower neutralized it completely.
His body snapped back upright, and a shimmering phantom of energy flickered across his form, a visible manifestation of his newly awakened power that seemed to defy all physical rules.
"Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding~~~~~"
The warhead lost all momentum, clattering onto the stone stage with a crisp metallic sound.
In that moment of life-or-death crisis, Compound V finally revealed its true value. Sebastian Xiao had awakened his superpower—an extraordinary ability: [Absorb Energy].
Not only did it absorb the kinetic energy of the bullet, but it seemed to feed on it, amplifying his own strength with each attack.
Sebastian Xiao's fear slowly shifted, replaced by a thrill he had never experienced before. His first taste of true power had arrived.
"How is that possible?"
Other Xiao's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the bullets clattering to the ground, and he fired several more rounds in rapid succession.
Yet, without exception, every bullet that hit Sebastian Xiao lost its power before striking, scattering harmlessly onto the stone stage. The deadly rounds, capable of killing with a single shot, only shredded Sebastian's blue bear pajamas.
"Damn it, kid! I knew you weren't simple!"
Other Xiao's heart pounded violently. He had been deceived by Sebastian's small frame—a mere child, yet so formidable.
Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared in Other Xiao's hand. A large-caliber machine gun materialized, aiming directly at Sebastian as it unleashed a hailstorm of fire.
The barrage crashed like a metal storm. Sebastian instinctively shielded his face, yet the impact felt strangely pleasant, like raindrops pattering against his skin.
The relentless attack rattled him, accumulating countless spent rounds on the ground. Every hit funneled inexhaustible energy into his body. His form blurred with afterimages, each representing a resolved attack from Other Xiao.
"I should have expected this!"
Sebastian felt his power swelling within him, a thrill creeping across his lips. In that moment, he remembered the full name his parents had given him—Sebastian Xiao—and a spark of insight lit his eyes.
The American TV series The Boys was essentially a derivative of Marvel and DC comics. Every hero and villain from those universes had a "monkey version" here. In this sense, names hinted at the origin of their powers—Sebastian Shaw represented a powerful mutant leader archetype.
"Superman!!!"
Horror washed over Other Xiao. This ten-year-old boy was so strong that bullets could do nothing. The thought of being outmatched by a child from another world was absurd.
"No—it can't be the Man of Steel!"
Other Xiao stared at the bullets on the ground. They hadn't bounced off steel; they had simply lost all energy mid-air and fallen.
"Is his face a weak spot?"
Other Xiao gritted his teeth, ceasing his gunfire. With a red-tasseled machete in hand, he lunged at Sebastian, swinging wildly.
"This…!"
Sebastian opened his eyes, confused at the sudden cessation of the metal storm. But before he could react, Other Xiao's machete struck, swinging with full force.
"Go to hell! Go to hell, you monster!"
Other Xiao cursed, his rage fueling every strike, but his machete—like his guns before—could not harm Sebastian. Each swing only supplied more kinetic energy to Sebastian, feeding his rapidly growing power.
"It doesn't hurt… not at all… hehehe~~~"
Sebastian instinctively closed his eyes, but the moment of fear passed. Instead, he felt the strikes as a strange comfort, like a constant, energizing massage.
"How old are you? Why are you this powerful?"
Sebastian looked at Other Xiao's terrified, panicked face, his own small white face grinning mischievously. He laughed, deliberately teasing:
"What's it to you? Hehehe~~~~~~~~~"
"The enemy attacks don't work on me… Now, the offense and defense have changed!"
Seeing Other Xiao falter, disheartened, Sebastian extended a single index finger, tapping lightly at Other Xiao's waist.
The impact sent Other Xiao flying dozens of meters backward. He slammed into the ground, his face flushed, writhing, unable to get up quickly.