CHAPTER 4: THE VANGUARD OF THE ASSOCIATION
In the aftermath of the chaos in the fifth compartment, the air was thick with the smell of burnt gunpowder and the whimpering of the defeated. A middle-aged man, his hands shaking, stepped forward from the huddle of terrified passengers.
"Excuse me... young girl," the man stammered, looking at Alina. "Are you guys from the Association? Can you tell us what the hell is going on here? Who are these people?"
Alina Glade looked up from her tablet, her expression softening for a moment to offer a reassuring nod. "We are still trying to figure out the full scope of the situation, sir," she said, her voice calm and authoritative despite her age. "But you can trust us. While it's true we aren't fully-fledged Sorcerers yet, you can put your faith in Dario. He's not just any student; he is one of the elites personally scouted by the Association. We're here to make sure you get home."
The man looked toward the door where Dario had disappeared, nodding slowly as a small flicker of hope returned to his eyes.
Meanwhile, in the corridor leading to the next section, the remaining hijackers were scrambling. They had heard the sounds of the fight and were moving to intercept the intruder.
"We are up against a Sorcerer!" one of the minions hissed, sliding a fresh magazine into his pistol. "Stop thinking of him as a kid. Keep your head in the game and take him out the moment he shows his face!"
The door hissed open. Before the men could even raise their weapons, Dario Cale was already moving. His fingers twisted into a specific ritual sign, and a low, hum of energy vibrated through the metal floor.
"Jinx Manipulation - Minimum: Chain Bind Technique."
From the shadows of the floorboards, translucent blue chains constructed of pure energy erupted like striking cobras. They coiled around the two lead minions, pinning their arms to their sides and yanking them violently against the walls.
"AAHH! What the hell is this?" one of the men screamed, his face turning red as he strained against the glowing links. "Is this a Technique? I can't move my arms!"
Dario walked past them, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. "Don't waste your breath," he said without looking back. "You won't be able to break out of that. It's a 'Minimum' rank technique the kind even a basic student can use but for a non-Sorcerer like you, those chains might as well be made of solid diamond. Now... where are the others?"
The pinned men only glared at him with hatred. Dario didn't care. He took a deep breath and let out a roar that echoed through the entire carriage.
"HEY! YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! I'M OVER HERE! COME GET ME!"
The challenge worked instantly. The sound of heavy boots thundering against the floor filled the hallway as a wave of reinforcements rushed into the compartment.
"You bastard! We're going to kill you for that!" one of the thugs roared, pulling a submachine gun from under his jacket. The others followed suit, a dozen barrels leveling at Dario's chest.
"Oh? You're going to use guns now?" Dario's smirk widened, his eyes glowing with an intense blue light. "Fine by me. Let's see who gets the last laugh. Jinx Manipulation - Minimum: Shield."
A brilliant, translucent blue sphere of energy flared into existence around him, shimmering like oil on water.
"Kill him! Shoot him down!" they roared in unison.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The compartment erupted in a deafening roar of gunfire. Muzzle flashes lit up the dark hallway like strobe lights. Bullets flew through the air at lethal speeds, but as they hit the blue light surrounding Dario, they didn't penetrate. They didn't even slow down. They simply flattened against the energy field and dropped to the floor like harmless pebbles.
To the hijackers, it looked like the bullets were hitting his bare body and simply failing to leave a mark.
"The hell? The bullets... they aren't hitting him!" one of the men cried out, his voice cracking with panic.
"Just keep shooting him, damnit! Nothing can stand up to this much lead!" the leader screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of Dario moving.
With a sudden burst of speed that blurred his silhouette, Dario dashed through the storm of lead. He moved like a predatory cat, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.
"Ah shit he's right here!"
Suddenly, Dario was standing directly in front of the lead gunman. The blue shield dissipated, replaced by a concentrated glow around his right fist.
"Clench your teeth," Dario said coldly.
He landed a devastating punch into the lead man's gut. The impact was so powerful that the air was sucked out of the man's lungs, and he was sent flying backward. He crashed into the men behind him, the force of his body acting like a bowling ball. They were all blown away in a tangled mess of limbs and weapons, bursting through the heavy door into the next section.
Dario stood in the doorway, shaking out his hand. "It's very hard to control myself," he muttered, his eyes scanning the new room. "I keep wanting to go harder, but the train won't take it."
He looked up. The next section of the train was even more crowded. It was filled with the main body of the hijacking force, all of them staring at him in shock.
"What... the hell? Did he really take down everyone in Section 3C by himself?" one of the hijackers stammered, backing away.
Dario stepped over the threshold, his smirk returning as he looked at the dozens of armed men standing in his way.
"You guys are just like cockroaches," Dario said, his voice dripping with disdain.
"What did you say?" the hijackers snarled, their anger momentarily overcoming their fear.
"I said... you guys are fucking cockroaches," Dario repeated, leaning forward. "Small, annoying, and everywhere. It's time to call the exterminator."
The leader of the group pointed his blade at Dario. "Everyone! Attack him! Kill him now! He's just one kid!"