The winged monster came down like a falling building. Its enormous wings tore through the clouds, sending a shockwave across the streets below. Windows rattled. Cars swerved. People screamed and scattered in every direction, desperate to escape the shadow spreading over them. Naji stood in the middle of the road, his newly bought hoodie fluttering in the violent wind. For several seconds, he simply watched the creature descend. So this is a monster. He slowly raised his eyes. It is considerably uglier than I expected.
Ren: "Naji! Move!"
Naji didn't. The monster opened its jaws, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and dove. At the last possible moment, its claws entered the invisible boundary around Naji. They stopped. Completely. The creature's enormous body seemed to slam against something that wasn't there. Its momentum vanished so abruptly that the air itself seemed to bend. Naji looked at the frozen claws inches from his face. Then the field reacted. The monster was violently expelled backward, launched through the air so quickly that to the watching civilians, it seemed to disappear and reappear dozens of meters away.
Akari: "It stopped it..."
Akari stared at Naji, realization slowly replacing her fear. The monster crashed through a storefront and rolled across the pavement before finally stopping. Naji lowered his hand. He hadn't even moved his feet.
Akari: "That's not ordinary force. He's not blocking attacks. He's stopping their movement... then reversing it."
Ren: "Akari, this isn't the time to analyze him!"
Akari: "I'm trying to figure out how we're supposed to survive standing next to him!"
The monster recovered faster than expected. It screamed and launched itself forward again, this time sweeping its wings through the street. Naji's Continuous Repulsion Field reacted once more. The enormous wing halted before reaching him, then exploded backward under the force of the repulsion. But this time Naji's expression tightened. The impact was greater. The creature was stronger than the thugs he had dealt with earlier. He could feel the strain beginning to travel through his body. So it isn't completely effortless.
The monster rose again, circling above the buildings. Naji followed it with his eyes. The creature was learning. It wouldn't keep charging directly into the field. It climbed higher, folded its wings, and began gathering speed. Ren grabbed Akari and pulled her behind a concrete barrier.
Ren: "Whatever you're planning, don't."
Naji looked over his shoulder.
Naji: "I wasn't planning anything."
Ren: "That's exactly what worries me."
The monster descended from above like a spear. Naji's eyes narrowed. The space around his body trembled as gravity shifted. Instead of waiting for the creature to enter his field, he reached toward it. The air distorted. The monster suddenly lost control of its descent as an immense gravitational pull seized its body and dragged it downward. Asphalt cracked beneath its weight. Cars lifted from the street. Debris spiraled toward the center. Akari watched in disbelief as the creature was forcibly dragged into a crushing point of gravity.
Akari: "He's pulling everything toward one point..."
Ren: "What does that mean?"
Akari: "I don't know!"
The monster roared and fought against the invisible pressure. Naji's arm trembled. His breathing became heavier.
Naji: "...Graviton Collapse."
The gravitational force intensified. The creature was slammed into the ground with enough power to create a crater beneath it. Dust erupted through the street. For a moment, everything became silent. Then the monster burst from the crater, wounded but alive. Naji stared at it. His eyes narrowed. Still standing? The creature opened its wings and released a violent sonic scream that shattered nearby windows. Naji raised his arm. The pressure around him changed direction instantly.
Akari: "He's changing the force!"
Ren: "Akari!"
Akari: "He's not pulling anymore. He's pushing!"
Naji's palm opened.
Naji: "Repulsion Burst."
The street exploded outward. The monster was struck by an invisible wall of force and hurled into the sky. Buildings shook as the pressure wave raced between them. Naji remained standing, but his knees weakened for half a second. He caught himself before anyone noticed. That's taking more out of me than the others. Above him, the monster struggled to regain control. Its wings spread wide. It was preparing another attack.
Akari saw Naji's breathing.
Akari: "He's getting tired."
Ren: "You sure?"
Akari: "Look at him. He's stronger than anything I've ever seen, but those attacks are costing him something."
The monster descended again. Naji looked up. His body felt heavier now. His muscles burned. His breathing was uneven. But the creature was still coming. Naji wiped a small line of blood from the corner of his mouth and looked toward the monster. He smiled.
Naji: "You're stubborn."
The monster screamed.
Naji raised both hands.
The surrounding gravity collapsed inward. The air warped. The remaining debris, shattered vehicles, and pieces of concrete began floating toward a single point between Naji and the monster. Then the force reversed. Attraction and repulsion collided. Space seemed to twist around the forming mass of gravitational energy. Akari's eyes widened. She couldn't understand what she was seeing, but something inside her told her that this attack was different.
Akari: "Naji..."
Ren: "What?"
Akari: "Whatever he's about to do..."
She swallowed.
Akari: "...We need to get farther away."
Naji's expression became completely calm. The monster charged straight toward him, desperate to finish the fight. Naji brought his hands together. The distorted gravitational mass compressed into a blinding point. Then it moved forward. There was no explosion at first. No roar. No dramatic impact. Just a silent distortion passing through the battlefield. Then everything in its path was torn apart. The monster vanished inside the attack. The clouds above split apart. The street disappeared beneath the force. Buildings shook violently as the attack tore through the sky before finally dissipating in the distance.
Naji: "Singularity Break."
Silence followed. The monster was gone. Dust drifted through the ruined street. Broken glass continued falling from nearby buildings. Naji remained standing for several seconds, staring at the empty sky. Then his shoulders dropped slightly. His breathing became heavier. The strength that had carried him through the battle began leaving his body all at once.
Akari: "Naji?"
He looked toward her.
Naji: "...I'm fine."
He took one step.
His leg nearly gave out.
Naji caught himself against a damaged vehicle. His breathing was rough now, but he remained conscious. The battle had taken its payment. Not enough to destroy him. Not enough to make him helpless. But enough to remind him that his power still had a limit. Before Akari could reach him, a mechanical voice echoed through the ruined street. Black aircraft descended between the buildings. Drones surrounded Naji from every direction, weapons locking onto his position.
CDA Officer: "Unidentified mutant detected. Stand down immediately."
Akari moved.
Akari: "He's not your enemy!"
Ren grabbed her arm.
Ren: "Akari, don't."
Akari: "Let go of me!"
Ren: "You can't fight the CDA!"
Akari glared at him, furious. Then she looked past him toward Naji. Soldiers were closing in. Naji looked exhausted, surrounded, and completely outnumbered. Yet somehow, he still smiled. He lifted two fingers toward her.
A small peace sign.
Akari froze.
Naji gave her a quiet smile.
Naji: "...It's okay."
Akari's anger faltered.
Akari: "Naji..."
A soldier raised a weapon.
CDA Officer: "Fire."
The mutant taser struck Naji directly. His entire body convulsed as the suppression current surged through him. His gravity abilities disappeared instantly. His knees buckled. Before he could recover, a reinforced collar was locked around his neck.
CDA Officer: "Ability suppression confirmed."
Naji's vision blurred. The voices around him became distant. His body no longer responded properly. The last thing he saw was Akari standing several meters away, staring at him with helpless anger. Naji tried to smile again.
Then everything went black.
To Be Continued.