Ash saw her drop before he even processed the sound.
One second Samantha was standing, the next she was on the ground, her head tilted at an impossible angle, blood running into the dirt. It didn't look real.
No… did she really… He didn't want to finish the thought.
Cole turned the gun toward him. The man wasn't even rushing, just standing there like he already knew how this would end.
The system window popped in front of Ash.
[INDUSTRIAL VACUUM UNIT – EQUIP]
"Yes." His voice came out low.
The machine appeared in his hands. The hum of its motor wasn't loud, but it was enough to drown out the ringing in his ears.
Around him, bits of broken glass, old nails, and scraps of paper started to lift off the ground. They circled him, slow at first, then faster, like they were waiting for his signal.
He charged straight for Cole.
The mohawk guy blocked his path, flames sparking along his arms. "You'll have to get through me first."
Cole spoke as if the fight didn't matter to him. "Finish him. I'll give you ten gold coins for this."
Ash's blood boiled. Ten coins? That was all Samantha's life was worth? He didn't even know if she was gone, but hearing that made something in him break.
He's not walking away from this.
The trash spun harder, the air growing heavy. Ash gripped the vacuum tighter and kept pushing forward.
He didn't care if the mohawk burned him alive, Cole was his target.
Ash swung the vacuum like a hammer, slamming it into the mohawk guy's side.
The man staggered, but his flames flared hotter, forcing Ash to step back.
The trash around him darted forward like sharp projectiles, some melting in the heat before they could connect.
Ash gritted his teeth and pushed harder, turning a rusted nail into a jagged blade midair and sending it straight toward his opponent.
The mohawk swiped it aside with his burning forearm and charged in.
Ash blocked one strike with the vacuum's metal frame, sparks flying, and drove his knee into the man's stomach.
The impact made him stumble, but the mohawk recovered fast, throwing a hook that Ash barely ducked.
Cole stood a few meters away, calm as ever, hands in his pockets. "Pathetic. You're not even worth the bullet."
Ash's heart pounded faster. I'm not letting him win.
He spun a piece of broken pipe into a spear and lunged, but the mohawk caught his wrist, flames searing his skin. The pain made him hiss, but he rammed his head into the man's jaw, breaking free for a second.
He sent a storm of sharp debris at the mohawk, forcing him back. Some cut through the man's shirt, drawing blood, but the fire kept coming. The heat grew unbearable.
Then, in one sudden rush, the mohawk's fist connected square with his jaw. The world spun, and Ash hit the ground hard.
The mohawk stood over him, smirking. "That's all you've got? What a waste of my time."
Cole walked closer, looking down at him like he was dirt on the road. "You really thought you could protect her? You can't even protect yourself."
The system glowed up for a second.
[Rise to the Top Activated]
[Rise to the Top +1]
[You Have Grown Stronger!]
Cole's boot slammed into the side of Ash's face, grinding it against the dirt. Pain shot through his skull, but something deep inside burned hotter than the pain.
[Rise to the Top +2]
[You Have Grown Stronger!]
Cole raised his foot again for another stomp, but Ash's hand shot out, catching his ankle mid-swing.
With a growl, Ash twisted and yanked, sending Cole stumbling forward before hurling him several meters away.
The mohawk guy didn't hesitate. He charged, fire trailing behind him, but Ash met him head-on.
His strikes were faster now, his swings were heavier, the trash around them spinning and reshaping faster than his opponent could react.
A jagged shard turned into a steel plate midair, blocking a punch before Ash rammed it into the mohawk's ribs, knocking the wind out of him.
"I don't care how you got this new ability!" the mohawk spat, coughing. "But I'll demolish you now!"
Ash didn't answer.
His hands moved instinctively, pulling in debris and twisting it into weapons, shields, and projectiles all at once.
Every hit he landed felt sharper, heavier, more precise, as if his body had been reforged in the middle of battle.
[You Have Been Given A Rank!]
[Rank: Trash Collector Apprentice]
The mohawk stumbled back, clutching his side. Cole pushed himself up from the ground, eyes narrowing.
But this time, Ash didn't flinch. He stepped forward.
By the time the fight reached its peak, it wasn't just that Ash had gotten stronger, it was that every second made him feel like the strength would never stop growing.
The mohawk guy crashed onto the ground, groaning before going completely still.
Cole staggered back, and then his knees gave out. Dirt clung to his fine clothes as he sat there trembling, his gun lying forgotten a few feet away.
Ash stepped forward.
Cole's eyes darted around, looking for an escape, but his body refused to move.
"W–wait… don't do this," Cole stammered. "I can pay you. I'll double whatever they're giving you. Just—just let me live."
Ash kept walking, his gaze fixed on him. So this is what he turns into when he's cornered. The great Cole Elbarins, reduced to nothing but a sniveling coward.
Cole raised his hands in front of him, desperation pouring out of every word. "I'll give you anything! Money, influence, a place in my family! You don't have to kill me!"
Ash stopped a step away, crouching slightly so their eyes met. His hand reached down, plucking a dry leaf from the ground.
"You see this leaf, rich pig?" Ash said. "This will end your life."
Before Cole could speak, the leaf twisted and warped in Ash's fingers, the edges hardening, rust spreading like rot across its surface until it became a rusted sword.
Cole's face went pale.
"No—no, please! Don't—"
THUMP!
The blade fell from Ash's hand, landing to Cole's chest. Ash straightened, his eyes cold.
"Die with the fact you begged for your life."
---
Cole lay motionless on the dirt.
The mohawk guy stayed low behind a rock several meters away, holding his breath as if any sound might draw the same fate toward him.
I thought this Fire Lizard Trait would kill him! he thought, his hands shaking. I need to escape!
He slipped away the moment Ash's attention stayed on Cole's body, moving quietly at first, then breaking into a full sprint.
His boots pounded the earth as he ran and ran, not daring to look back.
A kilometer from there, he finally ducked behind a massive rock, gasping for air.
He pressed his back against the stone, forcing himself to think through the mess. Lamine, Robert, and that rich guy… they're probably dead. That's three people he killed like it was nothing. And I almost—
A sound cut through the forest, faint at first, then closer. His stomach dropped.
Slowly, he leaned to peek past the rock.
Ash was there.
The sight froze him completely. Fear tore through his chest like claws, and his instincts screamed to run. He didn't think.
He bolted, crashing through bushes, shoving aside branches. "Please! Don't kill me! I'll give you anything!" he yelled, voice breaking.
Flames burst from his palms, setting the nearest trees on fire. The fire spread with the wind, but Ash kept coming, walking through the smoke like it didn't matter.
After a minute of frantic running, the mohawk guy's legs gave out. He collapsed onto the dirt, chest heaving, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Around him, the forest burned.
Then, from behind the wall of heat, Ash emerged.
"Don't you get it? My name is Ash. I'm what's left after a fire. After these trees burn… I'm what's left after."
(Art Display)