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In the cities of the East Blue, the nights grew colder as the Winter Festival approached. On the roof of a twenty-one-story skyscraper, the wind howled with enough force to knock a grown man off his feet, carrying with it a biting chill and flurries of snow. The rooftop access door had long been locked; no one ever came up here, not even during the day.
But tonight, the roof was not empty.
One person was crouched on top of the large water tower, while the other leaned against a railing, both shrouded in the darkness of the night, separated by about ten meters.
"Who are you?" Nami called out, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized her opponent through the eye-slits of her spider-hood.
The sight was breathtaking.
The woman before her didn't look particularly strong. The skin visible beyond her armor was smooth and fair, with no obvious muscle definition. It was hard to imagine where her incredible power came from. The armor, weapons, and circlet she wore seemed to carry the weight of ages, radiating an aura of both wildness and nobility.
She stood against the fierce wind on the ice-dusted roof, the moonlight cascading down and illuminating her long, flowing silver hair, making her entire being seem to glow with a holy, silver light. She looked like a goddess pulled from an ancient tale.
"So beautiful," Nami whispered, the words escaping her lips before she could stop them.
Even though the woman was turned slightly to the side, her face partially obscured by the swirling silver hair and the falling snow, her beauty was undeniable. It was a compliment from the heart; Nami couldn't find any other word to describe her.
While Nami was observing Leo, he was doing the same.
The figure before him was clad head-to-toe in a tight-fitting uniform. Unlike his own unfortunate disguise, this person's body shape, attire, and movements all pointed to her being female. His armor and skirt could only do so much, but a skintight uniform like hers would make it impossible for a man to hide his gender.
What truly caught Leo's eye was how the black-and-white spider-suit perfectly accentuated her slender, yet powerful, physique. She was poised like a predator stalking its prey, every line of her body suggesting a coiled strength. She was the perfect balance of tenacity and grace.
When he heard her question, Leo was momentarily stunned. It was a cool, clear, feminine voice. He didn't recognize it, yet it felt inexplicably familiar.
Strange and familiar. The contradiction was jarring.
Then he heard her compliment. "Beautiful."
At that, Leo wanted to die. He felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to simply jump off the skyscraper.
"Who are you? Are you going to answer me?" Nami asked again, leaning forward from her perch on the water tower, looking down at him.
Leo remained silent.
"I can sense that the weapon in your hand is dangerous," Nami continued, her tone more curious now. "If you had used it, the Marines, even with their airship, wouldn't have been able to stop you. So why did you just run?"
Leo didn't answer, instead looking down at the vintage sword in his hand. He hadn't let go of it for a second during his frantic escape. It was something his aunt had hidden in their home, and for that reason alone, he couldn't lose it. As for why he hadn't used it… was that even a question? He didn't know the first thing about sword fighting.
"You didn't want to hurt those Marines or the civilians," Nami concluded, seeming to read his thoughts.
Leo nodded. An idea struck him. He pressed the tip of his sword against the rooftop and drew a clear, straight line in the concrete between them, as if cutting through tofu.
Nami watched the line appear. "A boundary?" she interpreted. "Don't cross?"
Leo gave a slight nod, then held the sword in a defensive stance, making it clear that if she came any closer, he would be forced to fight. He didn't want a confrontation with another person who clearly possessed extraordinary powers, and he hoped the threat would be enough to make her back off.
"Alright," Nami said cheerfully.
The moment Leo relaxed, a sly glint appeared in her eyes. Her hands shot forward.
Thwip! Thwip!
Two white webs shot from her wrists. One stuck to the sword in Leo's hand, the other to the railing behind him, boxing him in.
"Let's see who you really are!"
Nami yanked on the webs. She failed to pull the sword from Leo's grasp, but using the incredible elasticity of the webs, she launched herself forward like a human cannonball, hurtling straight towards him.
She was on him in an instant.
At that moment, a primal fighting instinct took over Leo. Instead of trying to hold onto his sword, he threw it with all his might.
WHOOSH!
The longsword cut through the air, a silver blur.
Nami's eyes widened. She tried to dodge, but the sword only grazed past her, the web still attached to her wrist trailing behind it.
"NO!"
Nami's mouth fell open as her forward momentum was violently arrested. She was yanked backward by the web now stuck to the flying sword. The sword embedded itself deep into the iron rooftop access door with a loud THUNK!
But Nami's reaction speed was superhuman. Just before she slammed into the iron door, she used her other web, the one still attached to the railing, to divert some of her momentum. She swung her body in a tight arc, adjusted her posture, and landed lightly on her feet against the door.
Before she could even turn around, a shadow was upon her.
"Get off!"
Nami lashed out with a powerful backward kick, but Leo was ready. He caught her ankle in an iron grip, then used his other leg to sweep her feet out from under her, pushing her hard against the iron door. Worried she would use her webs again, he quickly pinned her to the ground, sitting on her back and using his body weight to hold her down. He locked her ankles with one hand and her wrists with the other.
The entire counter-attack was a series of smooth, practiced movements, so fluid that even Leo himself was surprised. Just moments before, he could barely control his own strength. It seemed his desire to avoid social death was a powerful motivator.
Nami struggled, but it was no use. There was a clear gap in their power levels.
In terms of raw physical strength, she was completely outmatched. This was the most shocking part for her. She knew her own strength; she could lift a small car with ease. But now, pinned with her limbs held behind her back, she could barely move.
It was a feeling of powerlessness she had never experienced before, not since the day she'd gotten her powers.
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