Mari stared calmly at Kill Cannon, her expression unreadable. There was no fear in her eyes—not even a flicker—as the people around her screamed and scattered, running for their lives and calling for help.
Kill Cannon raised his hand again, aiming in the direction the police sirens were coming from. A red beam of energy began to build, pulsing at his palm, prepared to fire—
But he never got the chance.
Before the blast could be released, a powerful force struck the beam off-course. It arced wildly upward, punching a burning hole through the clouds above.
Kill Cannon staggered backward, eyes wide in disbelief, glancing down at his hand—now trembling slightly from the impact. His expression twisted in confusion and rage.
Standing just a few meters away was a teenage girl, wearing a full set of sleek black armor. In her hands was a massive black-and-purple sword, glowing faintly with a menacing aura. She held it effortlessly, like it weighed nothing. A sharp grin stretched across her face, and her unnatural golden-yellow eyes locked onto him like a predator watching its prey.
"Who the hell are you?" he barked, lifting his cannon arm again preparing to fire a upon her. "Some new wannabe hero?"
But the girl didn't flinch. She didn't even blink.
- - -
Mari (POV)
Oh fuck—he's right.I don't even have a name to give him! Like hell I'm telling him my real one, and I haven't even thought of a hero name yet!Ahhh, why didn't I plan for this before attacking him?!
Okay, okay—calm down.
I don't have to answer him. I'll just beat the shit out of him first. Then I'll worry about the name.
(Third Person POV)
As that thought crossed Mari's mind, a blast of red energy surged toward her—but with a slight movement of her hand, she casually slashed through the beam, cutting it apart like it was paper.
She didn't give Kill Cannon a second chance to charge another shot.
Moving like a phantom, Mari vanished from her position, reappearing right in front of him in a split second.
Before he could even register what was happening—crack!
Her fist connected with his face, a heavy thump echoing through the air as he was launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a nearby wall and shattering it on impact.
As the dust began to settle in the air, several more beams of red energy launched toward her in quick succession.
"You bitch! I'll kill you!" Kill Cannon roared, blood dripping from his face as he fired wildly, fury overtaking precision.
Mari moved with fluid grace, effortlessly dodging and deflecting the attacks. Each beam was either cut down with her blade or avoided with minimal motion—like she had done this a thousand times before.
Then, with a slight flick of her wrist, the temperature around her dropped.
An ice pillar shot up from the ground beside Kill Cannon—sharp, fast, and unrelenting. It smashed into his side with brutal force, slamming him off his feet and sending him skidding across the pavement like a broken doll.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed, struggling to get up from the ground. His hand clutched his side where the ice pillar had struck, pain twisting his face as blood dripped steadily onto the pavement.
"You're a disappointment," Mari said coldly, her voice calm and unshaken as she walked toward him, each step deliberate.
Raising her sword high above his head, Mari stepped closer, lowering it slowly as Kill Cannon groaned and growled in pain beneath her.
A cruel smile played across her lips.
With no hesitation, she brought the blade down—slicing clean through his cannon arm.
"But hey," she said, her tone almost casual, "this was kinda entertaining… don't you agree?"
Kill Cannon let out a piercing scream as his severed weapon-arm hit the ground with a metallic thud, blood pooling beneath it.
watching him screaming in pain mari decide to end this .
She slowly raised her foot above Kill Cannon's head, aiming to crush his skull into the pavement. One solid stomp would end it.
But she hesitated.
Mari didn't want to kill him. Killing could bring serious consequences—especially with other superheroes around. And besides… she had never killed anyone before. Not in her old world. Not here.
Her lips tightened. No, she decided. Knock him out. That's enough.
But just as she started to bring her foot down—
The world shifted.
Before she could blink, she was suddenly yanked from the spot, her body lifted and hurled through space at blinding speed.
In the next instant, Mari found herself standing in a desert area. No buildings. No roads. Just dry, sand stretching in all directions.
"How…?" she thought, spinning around, trying to process what had just happened.
Then she heard it.
A voice behind her—low, calm, and unsettling.
"You're wondering how you got here, aren't you?"
It sounded like a man.
Startled, Mari leapt back from her position, landing lightly on her feet. Her black-and-purple sword was already raised, eyes sharp and golden as she turned toward the direction of the voice.
"Oh there, kiddo—no need to be so alarmed," the man said casually.
He wore a bright red superhero costume, his frame lean—almost stick-thin—but there was an unmistakable sharpness to the way he stood. A stillness that somehow screamed speed.
Mari's eyes widened in realization.
This wasn't just anyone.Standing before her was none other than Red Rush, one of the fastest men alive—a founding member of the Guardians of the Globe.
And he was looking at her like she was nothing more than a mildly interesting street performer. That smug little smirk on his face only made it worse.
The truth was… he was right.
Mari wasn't a threat to someone like him. No matter how powerful her attacks were, what use were they against someone who could move faster than a thought?
With a reluctant glance downward, she slowly lowered her sword.
"What do you want?" she asked, her tone guarded but calm.
"Well, I don't want anything," Red Rush said with a shrug. "But my boss? Maybe."
A flicker of light flashed beside him—barely a blink—and suddenly, another man appeared.
He looked old, worn by the weight of years and decisions. A long scar ran across his face, and though he had a full head of white hair on the sides, the top of his head was bald. His posture was tired, yet there was a sharpness in his gaze that said he missed nothing.
Mari instinctively straightened.
"Cecil Stedman," Red Rush said, almost casually. "Director of the Global Defense Agency."
Cecil stepped forward slowly, his one visible eye scanning Mari carefully—measuring her, assessing whether she was a threat or not.