The moment the first gunshots echoed through the hall, the entire chamber descended into chaos. Explosions cracked through the air as furniture shattered and debris scattered across the floor. Within seconds, the confrontation between the two mutant factions erupted into a full-scale battle.
Pairs of combatants clashed across the room like sparks from colliding steel. Eric engaged the masked ninja in a brutal close-quarters fight, metal fragments and blades whipping through the air around them. The Nail Man locked horns with Darwin, their abilities colliding in a strange contest of adaptation and offense. The Wolf Man barreled toward Havok through waves of destructive energy, while the Siren faced off against the Windblade Man in a shrieking aerial duel.
Rorschach, meanwhile, found himself tangled in a frustrating standoff with the Wind Woman.
Moira remained close to Charles, her attention constantly shifting between the chaos around them and the immobile professor beside her. She stood ready to intervene if necessary, though in truth there was little she could do against enemies of this caliber.
Charles and the enemy leader—Sebastian Shaw—had not yet taken action.
A strange, shimmering figure stood beside Shaw as well, a man whose body seemed almost unreal, like a projection made of flickering light. Neither of them moved, but the contrast between Shaw and Charles could not have been clearer.
Charles was completely suppressed.
The strange device on his head prevented him from using his telepathic powers effectively. Though he strained with every ounce of concentration, he could not deliver any meaningful strike against his enemies. All he could do was watch the battlefield anxiously as his companions fought for their lives.
Shaw, on the other hand, stood relaxed and composed.
From his posture alone it was obvious he felt the entire situation was under control. He watched the fighting with the detached interest of someone observing a performance, as though none of the violence unfolding around him required his involvement.
The difference between the two sides was obvious.
Even though Charles and the others had undergone intense training recently and their strength had improved dramatically, their opponents were hardened veterans. These were mutants who had fought real battles for years, and the moment true combat began, the experience gap immediately revealed itself.
Only Eric seemed completely comfortable.
His control over metal gave him a natural advantage against the ninja, allowing him to keep the masked assassin locked in a tense stalemate. The others, however, were clearly struggling. Every movement carried a hint of urgency as they fought simply to keep up with their opponents.
Training and real combat were not the same thing.
Rorschach noticed it as well.
He wanted to help the others, but the Wind Woman stuck to him like glue. The moment his attention drifted even slightly, a sudden gust would whip through the air and strike from an unexpected angle, usually accompanied by a dagger lunging toward his throat.
Her attacks were relentless and unpredictable.
At the same time, Rorschach's own attacks were completely ineffective against her.
The woman's body seemed to dissolve into wind whenever he tried to strike her directly. Blades cut through nothing but swirling air, and punches passed harmlessly through the empty currents where her body should have been.
It was incredibly annoying.
The Wind Woman could not actually injure him—his body was far too durable for that—but her constant harassment made it impossible for him to assist anyone else.
A sharp whistling sound suddenly cut through the battlefield.
Another gust of compressed wind shot toward him from the side. Hidden within the current was the glint of steel as a dagger stabbed forward without warning.
Rorschach reacted instantly.
His super speed exploded into motion as he stepped aside, the blade slicing past his shoulder by a hair's breadth. In the same instant he pivoted and slashed his own knife straight through the swirling air where the Wind Woman's form hovered.
The blade passed straight through the wind.
A smug laugh echoed around him, carried by the swirling currents.
"Getting annoyed? Getting angry?" the Wind Woman teased as her voice drifted through the room. "You want to kill me so badly, don't you? Unfortunately for you, that's impossible. You'll never be able to touch me in your entire life."
What she didn't notice was the faint sneer forming at the corner of Rorschach's mouth.
After exchanging blows with her repeatedly, he had already figured out the rules behind her ability.
"Alex, watch out!"
Charles's urgent shout suddenly rang out across the hall.
In the middle of the battlefield, the Wolf Man had seized his opportunity. Charging through the storm of energy blasts unleashed by Havok, the creature rode the shockwaves like a predator racing through crashing waves.
With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air.
His body twisted mid-jump, claws extended like hooked knives as he descended toward Havok with murderous intent.
"Got you!"
A feral grin stretched across the Wolf Man's face.
Havok's eyes widened in alarm as cold sweat formed on his forehead. The distance was too short, the timing too perfect. There was no way for him to dodge, and no time to fire another attack.
Then—
Two blazing beams of red light suddenly sliced across the battlefield.
Rorschach had turned his head and fired twin heat rays directly at the Wolf Man.
The creature was slammed sideways as if struck by a sledgehammer. His body spun violently through the air before crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact.
Havok's crisis vanished instantly.
Breathing hard, he looked toward Rorschach with a mixture of shock and overwhelming gratitude. If not for that sudden intervention, he would already be lying on the floor with his chest torn open.
But before he could say anything, his expression changed drastically.
"Rorschach, behind you!" Havok shouted.
The Wind Woman had seized the moment perfectly.
While Rorschach's attention shifted to saving Havok, she materialized beside him like a phantom emerging from a storm. Her dagger flashed as she thrust it straight toward his chest.
"You actually dared to look away while fighting me?" she sneered triumphantly. "Looks like you don't know how the word 'death' is spelled."
Her smile lasted less than a second.
Something felt wrong.
The sensation in her hand was completely different from what she expected. Instead of sinking smoothly into flesh, the blade barely pierced the surface of Rorschach's skin before stopping cold.
Her eyes widened as she glanced down.
The dagger had barely penetrated at all.
It was as if she had stabbed a block of steel.
"How…?"
Shock flashed across her face. Was this boy's body made of metal?
"If I didn't leave an opening, how could you fall for the bait?" Rorschach said calmly.
His hand shot forward and clamped around her wrist.
The Wind Woman's expression changed instantly.
"As long as I catch you, you're not so invincible anymore, right?" Rorschach continued, staring at her steadily. "Otherwise you wouldn't rely on sneak attacks despite having such a ridiculous ability."
She struggled violently.
Her body twisted and fought with all her strength, but Rorschach's grip was like an iron vice. No matter how desperately she tried to break free, she couldn't move even an inch.
Her power meant nothing in front of his overwhelming strength.
"Alice!"
A furious shout suddenly echoed across the hall.
The ninja battling Eric caught sight of the scene from the corner of his eye. Without hesitation he abandoned his fight and rushed toward Rorschach, blade raised high.
At the same time, the Wolf Man—who had just slammed into the wall—dragged himself back to his feet and charged forward as well.
Both of them were trying to rescue the Wind Woman.
That alone confirmed Rorschach's deduction.
Unfortunately for them, he had no intention of giving them the chance.
With a swift motion, Rorschach drove the dagger forward.
The blade plunged straight into the Wind Woman's heart.
The Wolf Man had only made it halfway across the room when a blazing energy wave from Havok intercepted him, forcing him to stop and defend himself.
The same thing happened to the ninja.
Eric was not someone he could simply ignore.
Rorschach casually released his grip and let the Wind Woman's lifeless body collapse onto the floor. Without wasting another second, he leaned forward and launched himself toward the Wolf Man at a speed nearly three times faster than a car racing down the highway.
His fist shot forward like a cannonball.
The air exploded with a sharp cracking sound as the punch tore through it, arriving in front of the Wolf Man almost instantly.
Feeling the crushing pressure behind that strike, the Wolf Man didn't dare take it lightly. He kicked off the ground and lunged toward Rorschach in response.
Their attacks collided.
The impact sounded like a hammer smashing into stone.
The Wolf Man's body flew backward and slammed into the ground as if struck by a falling meteor. Dust and fragments scattered across the floor as he hit the ground hard.
This time he didn't move again.
He had already taken a direct heat ray earlier, and now Rorschach's punch—carrying hundreds of tons of force—had finished the job completely.
The remaining members of Shaw's group watched with grim expressions.
In such a short time, Rorschach had already killed two of their teammates. The sheer brutality of his combat power sent a wave of unease through their ranks.
Rorschach, however, didn't pause.
He turned his head and began walking toward the Windblade Man who was fighting the Siren.
.....
Read the next chapter on my p@treon for free.
Paid members can get more than 60 chapters.
Link: [email protected]/GalaxyWonder