Tsumi's head bounced against the floor, her vision turning blurry as colours swirled in her vision.
Blood dripped down the side of her face, soaking her hair in the thick, viscous fluids.
As her vision was about to fade, and she was sure that this was her last moment, Tsumi couldn't help but think about Kyle.
'He'll… probably… be back home by now…'
All her choices, every single move and wrong turn she made. She had done it for him.
And now, looking back, Tsumi smiled bitterly.
'I… should have done better…'
She coughed.
'I… never should have… started… that comp—'
Black dots clouded her vision as the villain raised his foot once more, about to bring an end to her life.
The last thing Tsumi saw was another man in the distance, dressed in a leather coat and golden mask that shone through the night.
For whatever reason, he seemed very, very angry.
Then the darkness took her.
•••
Kyle flew high up into the sky the moment he realised that the building and several others were empty.
Now in the sky, he began to turn around, his excellent vision seeing several miles above what the average human could ever dream of.
That was when he saw a large crowd in the distance.
Without even observing the area, his wings tore out of his back, the crimson feathers unwinding before releasing an explosive burst of wind.
Combining it with his vampiric flight, he cut through the air like a missile, landing on the road with so much force that the pavement cracked.
"What the hell is happening here?"
There were dozens of people scattered around, standing like mindless zombies as they stood still.
He quickly scanned the area then stiffened, his heart freezing in his chest.
Kyle's hands twitched, his eyes wide behind the mask as he opened his mouth to unleash a blood-curdling scream.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!!!"
A roll of oppressive energy surged out of his body, causing everything to tremble.
Followed by a rush of primordial fear that snapped the crowd back to reality. Every single person who had been under the effects of whatever quirk woke up, just as the fear gripped their hearts.
They all fell to their knees, eyes wide as sweat emerged from their bodies.
But Kyle paid them no attention, because his eyes were locked in front of him, at Pulse.
And the woman he had under his feet, his sister, Tsumi.
Rage overtook his mind, blanketing his senses as multiple questions raced through his mind.
What happened?
Is she alive?
What is Pulse doing here?!
But one voice stood out amongst the mess.
He has to pay.
As Pulse lifted his feet, about to bring it down on Tsumi's head, Kyle lifted his hand.
Whoosh!
A tide of blood surged forwards like a river, continuously pouring out of his body as it soaked the streets, encroaching on every single thing in sight.
Pulse disappeared, racing back to avoid the tide while Kyle reached Tsumi and checked her state.
She was alive, thankfully her condition was not critical, but she was a mess.
Pulse was standing next to another man who was watching him with wide eyes.
"The two of you are responsible for this aren't you?"
With a wave of his hand, Tsumi was encapsulated in a capsule of crystal-like blood.
Pulse cocked his head to the side and laughed as the flood of blood receded. "Midnight vigilante? How I wished to see you!"
He walked forward proudly, a smug look on his face as he walked towards him.
Unlike in the past, his voice was as smooth as honey. He was nothing like the Nomu Kyle had fought back in the arena, and worst of all, he could tell.
He had gotten stronger.
"You embarrassed me during our last meeting, and damn, I never thought I was the type to hold a grudge."
His shimmering eyes narrowed. "But damn, you piss me off—"
"That was not what I asked," Kyle interrupted him. "I said, did you do this?"
Pulse shrugged. "The crowd wasn't my idea, but if you are asking what happened to that woman…" Pulse rubbed his fingers together.
"I did it. What are you going to do about it?"
Vwhoosh!
Kyle lunged forward, his fist charging right towards Pulse— but his hand cut into plain air, missing completely.
Pulse chuckled just before laughing like a crazed beast. "I am not the same Pulse you fought back then, fool! I have evolved!" he barked.
"I am faster!" Lightning pulsed across his body, curling round his horns.
"I am stronger!" His footstep caused the road to cave as he slammed his leg onto the floor.
"I am deadlier!"
Kyle stared at him through narrowed eyes, his very breath like fire as his mind screamed at him to take care of business.
He did not just want to beat the Nomu.
He wanted to embarrass him.
'System, assign twenty stat points to agility.'
[All Points have been assigned]
[Agility 100+20=120]
Kyle did not smile, neither did he say another word. He simply moved.
Both fighters blurred into nothing as they met in a colossal clash that sent a shockwave cutting past them.
Seconds after their fists connected, Kyle felt another blow slam into him without Pulse even making a move.
Pulse laughed as he launched multiple blows in the space of a second. "How do you like that? It's Double Impact!"
'He has more quirks than before,' Kyle mused.
Double Impact was just one of them; from the force of his blows, Kyle could tell that his strength had also been augmented.
Yet, he took every blow, hardening his fists as he defended against his attacks.
They raced across the road, leaving the civilians far behind as they unleashed devastation upon the world.
Every blow caused a shockwave, every step caused something to break.
Red currents were intertwined with amber lightning, both lashing out at each other in another battle of their own.
Kyle twisted his body, dodging a blow from Pulse, then drove his fist into Pulse's gut, shattering his ribs and spewing blood.
"Tell me, how does it feel?" Kyle asked, a smile on his face.
But a second later, the wound was already healing. "You're going to have to do better than that, vigilante!"
Pulse jumped back as Kyle unleashed another punch, but his distance only worked to his disadvantage.
Whoosh!
A storm of feathers tore out of Kyle's wings, but it was not the regular feathers Hawks used.
Each and every one of them were under the effects of hardening, meaning they were several times more dangerous.
Bang—Bang—Crash!
Pulse raced across the street, evading as many feathers as he could, the projectiles shattering the road and walls as they followed him.
And they finally caught up—
Stab!
A feather embedded itself into Pulse's leg, causing him to fall face-first to the floor, his body rolling several times due to his inertia.
Before he could even rise up, a blood string had wrapped around his leg all the way up to his thigh.
"Well fuck!"
He was tossed into the air, flying right towards Kyle. The moment he got close enough, two invisible forces crashed into him, compressing him from both sides.
[Wind Barrier]
"Argh!" Pulse grunted as the wind crushed him.
Kyle stared at him coldly. "The problem with you villains and heroes is that I give you a little allowance and you think you are at the top of the world."
"Did you really think, in your wildest dreams, that you could beat me?!"
The pressure increased and Pulse's foot snapped, blood dripping down the wind barrier.
Bang!
A blood whip slammed into his face, knocking him back to the dirt where he belonged.
Kyle slowly walked towards him, his hand glowing crimson as the currents sparked violently.
Pulse stared up, his eye trembling as he watched Kyle.
His supersuit had been ripped apart, revealing his inhuman face, and now, that face was completely emotionless.
"Tsh$&;@—comand err—"
Pulse began to babble gibberish, revealing his true inhuman nature.
Kyle stared at him with disgust and a hint of remorse.
Bang!
A hefty punch sent him flying high up into the air, his body falling towards Kyle.
Red electricity surged around his body, twisting and turning as they grew more violent by the second.
Then Kyle lifted his hand towards Pulse as he descended.
'You might have been human once…'
But Nomu's were just vain imitations and nothing more.
Not that it mattered. 'You signed your death warrant the moment you touched Tsumi.'
"Burn."
Tzzzzz!
The electricity tore out of his fist like a lightning bolt, crashing into Pulse and engulfing his entire body in a violent flash.
In seconds, his entire body had been severely burned.
He crashed down to the floor, unmoving, while Kyle stared at him for a few seconds before turning around.
"Where's the other one…"