I'm in Marvel 11

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The first thing I did was to set up a barrier around the perimeter of the manor, hiding what was going on inside and preventing anyone from getting out. Next, I planned to teleport the guys into the house where they wouldn't be harassed, but I ran into... Interference? I don't know what it is, but it's seriously interfering. If I teleport Benji and Dan, I'll lose most of my powers. They'll have to make it on their own. 

Since the teleportation didn't work, I've ordered my subordinates to destroy the red-clad ninjas through our comms. Something tells me we can't kill their leader that easily. I'll take care of him myself. Except that in addition to the masses and the raid boss, they also had "elites". A trio of women appeared from behind Abe and started launching all sorts of magical constructs in our direction. In addition to them, there were several other mages and mutants who also launched all sorts of murderous nastiness in our direction. I instantly deployed a shield in the form of a circle with an inscribed Star of David around our five. Hmm, maybe there's something I don't know about Pluto's nationality.

But no sooner had the projectiles reached halfway to us than they suddenly stopped and flew backwards under Gerda's force. Abe sliced through some of them with his katana with great speed, the supernaturals defended themselves with magic and abilities, but the ninjas who had run up to us were not so lucky. To make matters worse, they began to be taken out by Aki, turning them into chops with every strike of her arms and legs.

At the same moment, the guards came on, starting to reduce the number of killers on the private property. Only they never seemed to run out. How many of them are here?

But it was time for me to join the fight. I decided to concentrate on my most dangerous opponents. I started by creating a lot of "magic "* circles over them, which after a moment struck with constructs in the form of hands and all sorts of stabbing and cutting weapons. The witches and some of the mutants were able to defend themselves again, and at least they stopped firing. Abe, on the other hand, was pierced through with four spears, even though he was able to destroy several constructs with his stinger. So much for the immortal, I thought, but I noticed that his energy was still boiling. And indeed, with a joyful grin he simply tore the constructs out of his body and broke them. The wounds on the Japanese man healed instantly. Well, no one said it would be easy.

While I tried to take out the top of the attackers, the girls started clearing a path for Dan and Benjamin. The ninjas were almost surrounding us, pelting us with iron, which made it dangerous to let them go. Gerda, still sitting still, began to telekinesis break enemies in the distance, while Aki did the same with her fists nearby. Ben tried to influence the ninjas with his powers, mixing up the information in their heads. This sort of thing made them stop in place, fall down, or even attack their own.

For a brief moment it looked like we were going to win without much trouble. All that was left was to grind down the masses and deal with the most dangerous enemies all together. Except that there was a second wave with a lot of mutants, mages and Goddess knows who. And everyone had a certain potential. Some I was able to take out at once, creating energy constructs in huge quantities, some had time to defend themselves. In addition, Isao Abe made himself known again. He poured a lot of Ki-like energy into his katana, swung his blade, and released the full charge at us. A wave of pale colour hit my barrier and seriously shook it. With a smirk, he moved with a calm step towards us, wrapped in an energy shroud similar to Aki's, only many times stronger.

The others also came to life. While some of them were holding back my attacks, the others were hitting our defences, trying to overwhelm them. Everyone else tried to join in, but Gerda quickly cooled their banging, redirecting their attacks to the creators.

I, on the other hand, decided to focus on maintaining the barrier and containing Abe. While the former was more or less fine, there was no way to stop that Immortal Bastard. Some attacks he chopped, some he dodged, and some he simply ignored. As he came closer, the man began to concentrate energy again, but it was no longer just Ki, but something more dangerous and... Evil? Nasty? Scary? This was the first time I had ever encountered such a thing. I decided to take the precaution of concentrating my energy on defence. And I was right.

Glavgad released a wave of black colour with small purple prominences in our direction. I barely managed to keep my shield up despite my best efforts. This was helped by Gerda's strength, who was able to weaken the attack a bit. The energy that Abe used was extremely aggressive, literally eating away at the barrier. At the same time, several ninjas were hit by the attack and simply vaporised. 

- Not bad lad," the satisfied man said with a woozy expression, and the ninjas stopped as if on cue. - You're pretty strong. I hope you are not completely exhausted and can still continue?- You've had enough," I snapped, preparing to hit him with my biggest calibre. 

No matter how immortal he was, it was hard to regenerate from a pile of dust. As Abe prepared to strike again, I unleashed a wave of destruction right at him. Apparently the Japanese man sensed something and with surprise on his face, he strengthened the aura around his body. Instead of wiping him out literally, my attack simply ate away a significant chunk of his energy cover, while also properly destroying several ninjas around the man.

- Wow! You're full of surprises, kid! - Abe exclaimed, not at all bothered by the deaths of his subordinates. - Devouring so much energy from the defence aura with a single attack! Very dignified! 

- I was planning to turn your body into nothing, so it doesn't count," he replied with a grin, frantically thinking about what to do next. 

- That wasn't your last trump card, was it?

- Don't get your hopes up!

What kind of aura is it that can withstand conceptual attacks? On the other hand, the destruction still managed to sap his defence. That's something. But would the Japanese let me strike again? I had one more trick, and that was Implied Contract. But I was afraid to use it now. The thing is, I could make him not use any ability, say, more than three times. But that would be enough for him to wipe us all out just by putting all his strength into the remaining attacks. So what to do?

The girls and Benji, meanwhile, were holding back the mutants and ninjas. Aki in close, Gerda in the distance. Guy, on the other hand, was trying to help them in any way he could. Mostly it was the destructive effects of information, but occasionally a friend would change reality, incapacitating at least temporarily someone more dangerous. So, with each other's backs, they were holding up pretty well, gradually exterminating their opponents. Both girls didn't use all their strength at once, apparently fearing the reinforcements of the Hand. They were especially hampered by the trio of witches, who worked well as a team, and the other supernaturals, who possessed sometimes dangerous abilities. They even had telepaths with other psychos. True, the Moonstone made their attempts at brainwashing useless.

My contractors didn't eat their bread for nothing, either, and made our lives easier. Too bad they were too few compared to the Hand's minions. Daniel was the only one who did nothing, for obvious reasons, and was tormented by his powerlessness. He stood in the centre of a triangle with Benji, with the girls and me at the top.

- M-maybe I've already awakened my power, Kyle? - Kyle asked pleadingly, clinging to Yoncim, trying not to look at what was happening.

- No, Dan, don't even think about it! - I exclaimed, firing constructs at a satisfied Abe. - I didn't carry out the procedure properly!

- But I have to help! - said the guy, who was shaking violently.

- You don't have to do anything! We'll take care of it!

And just as badly, I felt Lin's signature flare up in the house. Oh, for fuck's sake! Mine, actually. Where the fuck is she going? If Dubois lets her come in here, I'll give him hell!

But we have to do something. Abe didn't approach us just on a whim. He's too strong and fast. In a close fight, this guy could hurt the boys. We can't let that happen.

Besides, he's not the only problem. There are too many other enemies. But they can be dealt with. And I think I've figured out what to do. Even though teleportation was seriously complicated, it wasn't impossible. Apparently, due to the unconventional way of travelling, this possibility could not be completely blocked. Even if I spent most of my strength to throw out the most dangerous enemy, it would be a reasonable waste. Well then, I won't procrastinate.

I used teleportation on the Japanese. Except his nasty aura once again protected him from my ability. Isao felt something and stopped standing there, and like Sonic he ran straight at me, swinging his katana. I was in a good position to do that, so I didn't interfere with him. Concentrating all my strength on teleportation, I waited until he was a couple of metres away and tried to move him away again.

But Abe began to resist. The interference was getting worse, complicating an already difficult problem. It was like pushing a truck through the neck of a bottle. What's more, he managed to cut the distance, break the barrier with his katana, and grab me by the neck. In the next moment, pain shot through my body as if I had concentrated acid pumped into my blood vessels. Before I could do anything, the ability still worked and the assassin was dragged through space and time along with me.

It was the most disgusting teleportation of my life. I was broken, shaken, turned upside down, and finally spit out onto a large rock.

- Ha-ha-ha!

- What a ride! - Abe muffled in the distance. - You were stubborn enough to throw me in... Where are we, by the way? 

- Afghanistan," I wheezed, trying to get up.

- By the way, look how beautiful the rising sun is," the killer said, turning to the left. - Red like blood. Symbolic.

- Yeah, very," I confirmed grimly, getting to my feet.How did he get me here? I only teleported him. The plan was as simple as that. Throw him out, kill all the remaining ninjutsu, and then beat Abe to death. It's easier to beat the father in a crowd, after all. But instead, I found myself face to face with him. No, of course, my hormones were raging, and it was very interesting to test my strength, but not at the cost of the guys. Oh, well, why worry, I'll just teleport back in an instant and...!

- ..!

- Something wrong kid? - The man sitting on the rocks asked mockingly. As he did so, he checked the katana for scratches, twirling the blade in front of him.

- What did you do? - He asked, groping his neck. It felt like there were marks burned into my neck like a brand. Some kind of symbol, only I couldn't make out what it was.

- We have to start from a distance," he began with a chuckle. - We're not in any hurry, so we can tell you everything in some detail....

- I don't know about you, but I have things to do," I interrupted him, preparing to attack him.

- Why are you so serious? I wouldn't be in such a hurry to die. You and your friends had a chance to kill me, and now you don't.

- You think too much of yourself. I haven't shown my full potential.

- Well, that's great. I don't mind having some more fun. Now, where were we? Oh, I remember. You see, at one time I got so tired of teleporters that I started looking for a way to limit them," the man explained, sitting back on the rock. - In the end, with the help of some people, I managed to create a special technique that feeds on my life energy. I called it the Spatial Anchor. It chains the victim to me in such a way that while I'm alive, it's impossible to teleport further than thirty metres away. By the way, if you teleport me somewhere like you did, the Spatial Anchor will drag the bound person along. That's it.

- How do I get this thing off? - I asked, groping my neck. 

It was all becoming clear now. The trace itself has no special function. He'd channelled the energy into my body that kept me from moving. If he'd given me a few minutes, I might have been able to flush the filth out of me. I just don't believe in that kind of luck.

- Either I'll cancel it myself, or you'll kill me," the Japanese replied with a wry grin. - You can also try to dispel the spatial anchor yourself. I won't let it happen, but why not? It might work.

- I prefer the second option.

- Good answer. Did you get some rest? Can you go on? - The Japanese asked, calmly rising from the rock and shaking the dust off his trousers.

- Aha! A stream of silence! - I shouted, wanting to finish this as quickly as possible. While I'm here, the guys in New York are fighting to the death!

It was Pluto's special attack, which created dozens of circles with a Star of David, from which constructs in the shape of hands appeared and crushed everyone they could reach. There were so many of them that Abe didn't have time to chop them all down. In addition, they instantly recovered and tried to destroy the enemy. As a result, the Japanese had to actively manoeuvre, trying to reach me. I didn't need that, so I tried to increase the number of energy constructs. From time to time, the blows broke through Isao's katana, which was barely visible due to its speed, and even through his protective aura, causing wounds. However, the opponent was happy to be hurt. Is he a masochist? 

But that was only the first act. Next, I was preparing to create a clone of Abe. Together with him, we can quickly deal with the tenacious swordsman. I'll even give him a chance to come to me. Go ahead and walk into the trap.

And it didn't take long for the assassin to arrive. Seeing an opportunity, he deftly sidestepped the attacking constructs and was about to strike at me when a Japanese clone appeared from behind with the seal of David on his head, shining through his hair. False Abe swung his katana at his original, wanting to hollow him out.

- What the hell is that?! - The man asked in surprise, managing to miss the blade by a few centimetres next to him.

He took the next blow on the weapon, standing sideways to me. I struck with a wave of destruction that once again failed to pass through his aura, weakening it by a third. It was the clone's fault, taking the lion's share of my strength to maintain it. 

I was still unable to recreate an identical fighter to the original. My level of mastery of the book was not great, and I mostly trained other abilities. I only made clones to get an alibi, and strength wasn't important there. Besides, the recipient was very strong. 

- You're making me happier every time I see you, kid. Fighting with yourself, even if it's a Chinese fake is an interesting experience! - shouted the satisfied Japanese, fighting with my creature, putting his copy between us, wanting to make it harder for me to attack. When is he going to die and let me teleport out of here?!

I didn't stand idly by either. Using energy constructs, I hurt and wounded the man, trying to drain his reserves. And it seemed to be working, when suddenly he was able to chop his clone into two pieces, then rushed through the hastily created defences. 

Realising that I couldn't stop him, I created a reinforced shield right in front of him. But Isao instantly cut through it and, standing next to me, brought his energy-filled katana to strike a chopping blow. Crossing my arms in front of my face and shrouding myself in a barrier, I had to rely on my overall strength. But even the energy defences, the Nouveau cloth that could easily withstand tank shells, along with Iredzumi's tattoo, couldn't hold Abe's blade. The blade only stopped when it cut through his hands to the bone. 

On adrenaline, I created a number of constructs around me that drove the enemy away. He didn't seem to mind moving away, though.

- Haaah! Haaah! What the hell is that thing?! - I asked, seeing that the assassin was in no hurry to attack and trying to heal the wounds with regeneration. Except it wasn't working out well. The impact had sent that unpleasant energy into me, as if it had infected my body.

- It wasn't a pick, it was Chimamire no yoru," Abe said with a smirk as he held his blade out in front of him, parallel to the ground. - If translated into your language it would sound like Bloody Night. This beauty was forged by Master Muramasa, infusing it not only with evil and curses, but also with his own blood, making it the best treat for her. In addition, the blacksmith was also helped by our Lord, whom you know as the Beast, by giving a piece of his power. Even gods can be killed with this katana, let alone mortals. Come on, Yoru, say hello to the boy whose blood you're devouring.

At first I thought he was just crazy for treating a sword like a living thing, but a second later the blade shook and I heard a metallic rumble in my head. And oddly enough, it sounded like something feminine. That's crazy. Now there's an iron with a mind of its own. I hope he doesn't shout out to Bankai now to gain incredible cosmic power?

- Hmm, your blood is interesting," the Japanese said, running his finger along the smeared part of the blade. As I looked closer, I could see the red liquid seeming to soak into the blade. - Saturated with powerful energy and some kind of particles. Curious. Yoru liked it a lot. 

- 'Good for her,' he said sarcastically to his opponent, having finally healed his wounds.

- Are you also a healer? - The man asked, slinging the now clean katana on his shoulder. - It's a shame, though.

- Yeah? Why is that?

- In a couple of years, you'd be very strong," Abe replied. - If we had fought then... That battle would have been legendary! But you're not ready now. Not physically, not mentally. You'll have to settle for a half-cooked meal. 

- What's this nonsense?

- Fighting is like a gourmet meal that I want to savour for a long time. You haven't had time to 'cook' yet," the man said, sighing sadly. - Well, it's time to finish our fight.

- Surprisingly enough, our thoughts are similar in this matter! - I shouted, creating a black parchment with red pulsating letters in my hand and throwing it upwards. - The Contract of Uncertainty!

- What...?

The A4-sized sheet in the air above us turned into a multi-metre long cloth.

- "The 'signatory' is obligated to perform random attacks as directed by the Contract for 3 minutes. After that time, if performed he will receive a general reinforcement. In the case of three times failure to fulfil the conditions, the "signer" will not be able to move for 10 seconds, - sounded in our heads a depersonalised voice, after which the sheet disintegrated into black grains of sand.

- I didn't sign anything," Abe said, looking at me curiously. - What the hell is that, kid?

- It's an enforced contract. And you signed it when you were in range. But if it bothers you, then take that thing off me and I'll dispel the Contract.

- No way! That's even more interesting! - The Japanese said, grinning happily as he slung his katana on his shoulder. - I've never seen such abilities before!

- Good for you!

In the next second, the man was attacked by energy constructs. And now things were about to change in a big way. Now the assassin only had to use the techniques that the Contract ordered, switching on the randomiser. If Abe uses something else three times, he'll be paralysed for 10 seconds. That's more than enough time for me to kill him. 

At the same time, I used some of the accumulated Light to boost my abilities. It had an immediate effect on the fight. Combined with the fact that the Japanese could use random attacks, my constructs began to overwhelm my opponent very quickly. That's great! Just a little bit more, and I'll be back with the guys!

- Not so fast kid! - The wounded assassin exclaimed and, using some sort of Ki technique, instantly reduced the distance from me by pulling his katana arm back. Before I could defend myself, I was pierced with coldness in my chest. 

- Kha! 

- Two moves were enough for me to win. You're a dummy, kid," Abe said with a frown, holding the katana to my chest as I fell to my knees. - You can't think about anything but your opponent during a fight. Eh, what potential. Alright, let Yoru enjoy it a bit since I couldn't.

Through the red haze in my eyes, I noticed the man stepped back, leaving the blade in my chest. My strength and blood were rapidly leaving my body, being devoured by the ugly iron. The bastard.

Retreat.

 - What the hell?! Where did Kai go?! - Aki exclaimed, chopping off the head of another ninja with her palm.

- It was teleportation," Gerda replied tensely, telekinesis breaking the mutant controlling the fire.

- What an idiot! - growled the girl, punching through the chest of another assassin and mincing the head of another. - He was supposed to hold him back until we finished off the others! The immortal bastard has been fighting for over two hundred years! His strength and experience are unimaginable! Why did he do that?!

- It was an accident. The enemy took him with him. He'll be back to help us.

- Kyle will be fine," Benjamin said with conviction, not taking his eyes off helping the girls.

- I hope so!

But not a minute or two later, Kyle didn't show up. This had a big impact on the morale of the guys, which made it harder and harder to hold back the attackers. 

The situation changed a bit when Lin, whom Aki already knew, appeared. Following her was Emma Smith and Arthur Dubois, who was covering her. Lin began to absorb the power of her enemies, literally drying them up to the state of mummies. At the same time she became visible even to ordinary people. Seeing a dangerous new enemy, some Supernaturals switched to Emma's E.G.O.'s. They even managed to inflict damage on the angry creature, which was immediately repaired by the power absorbed earlier. Dubois was also doing his part, though his priority was to protect Miss Smith.

All this reduced the burden on the tired Gerda, since she was in charge of defence. But the opponents were not fools either, and some of them were waiting for the right moment to attack. And one of the mages waited for it. Releasing a fan of energy projectiles, he was able to partially bypass Gerda's defence with a single projectile. The overstretched girl had to not completely subdue him, but change the trajectory. But the projectile fell too close and the ensuing explosion reached Aki and Daniel.

If the former was much stronger than ordinary people and managed to get off quite easily, the fallen guy was hit harder. Even so, it would have been possible to say that he got off lightly, if it hadn't been for the accidentally switched on Yonsim clutched to his chest. The fragile device wasn't designed to withstand close explosions, so it malfunctioned. All the safety settings went off, causing the cube to bombard Daniel with visions from other worlds. 

At the same moment he saw many parallel realities. Most of them were similar, differing only in certain details. The main difference was Kyle. In each world he had different abilities, ranging from controlling biomass to summoning energy beings that assumed strange poses. But in each reality, the five of them became friends. That was invariably the case.

Alas, not everywhere Daniel's life was good. In some Mirror Worlds, his relatives died, because of cataclysms, supers, or Kyle's enemies trying to make a mess of things in some way. But the boy didn't blame his friend for that. There was no ill will on Kyle's part. As Smith himself had put it, the worst part was that a man was suddenly mortal. And having seen so many variations of different realities one could only be convinced of those words. And Kyle had saved Daniel's family more than once at the risk of his own life.

The only thing that tormented the guy was his inability to help his friends. How long had he been observing other realities? A year? Five? Ten? Or a hundred? And how long had it been in his world? The helplessness and the impossibility of knowing what was wrong with Ben and the girls was unbearable, just maddening. And then to all these thoughts came the Voice. Every word he said hit the right spot, which only made it hurt more. The Voice whispered to Daniel, trying to convince him to accept his fate. That would be the only way to help his friends. 

And the guy at first decided to do so, but remembering the moment of his rescue by Kyle stopped. As the friend admitted later, he didn't know if his ability would work. And the possibility of death didn't stop him. So could Daniel himself just give up? No! He would personally pay his debt to Kyle and help him in his future endeavours. And the Voice's offer should be discarded. The boy vaguely felt that if he accepted this fate, he would never be the same again. Even Kyle's powers might not be able to turn things around.

The voice gave him a sad sigh, wished him to stick to his principles, to be prepared for great sorrows in the future, then said goodbye and disappeared. The next moment a hitherto unseen sensation swept over the lad's mind. Looking at his right hand, he exhaled in satisfaction and waited for the girls to rescue him. They are strong and will definitely be able to do it. They just need to wait a little longer. In the meantime, he could look at the alternate worlds.In reality, things weren't going well, even with help in the form of Kyle's mum and her guard. Even though they had drawn some of the invaders away, the trio of friends were too exhausted. E.G.O. gives unimaginable power, but the toll is often great. Aki was still holding her own, being the toughest of the selfie-takers, but Gerda and Ben were having a much harder time.

Only Wright wasn't about to give up. All she had to do was wait for Kyle. He'd deal with that creepy Japanese guy and help them. There was no other option. Couldn't lose her newfound love, could she? It was impossible!

So Gerda endured the terrible pain in her eyes from strain and blood flowing in the manner of tears. She was the strongest, so she couldn't go along with her desires and just lie down on the ground to take a little nap. That was why she had to protect everyone. And she would do it, no matter how many of these cockroaches she had to squash. They would know Pain for daring to wish harm on her loved ones.

Akiko, though different from Gerda, thought along the same lines and was just as afraid that Kyle would die. No, she was much more afraid of the latter. She knew what a monster Isao Abe was. He had killed at least a hundred Igarashi members in his lifetime, proving his exceptional strength and skill every time. Aki feared and hated him, perhaps more than anyone. It was hard to feel differently about a man who had killed so many of your distant relatives, and her grandfather and father as well. The only thing that kept her going was hope. Hope that Kyle would turn around like he always did and come back to her. And Black, for that matter.

Benjamin was the only one who wasn't afraid. Why be afraid when you know and believe? All he had to do was wait for Kyle to defeat that scary man and that was it. He had no doubt about that. There was no other option. The only doubt was in his own abilities, as his strength melted like snow in the summer sun. 

And when the whole trio weakened enough, that mage was able to break through Gerda's defence, breaking Yonsim. True, the man didn't survive the prank. The enraged Wright used the captured projectiles to kill the creator, along with a host of ninjas. But Daniel was already lying on the ground, shaking in convulsions, clutching the cube that was flashing in every conceivable colour. The girl was able to understand that the device was to blame for her friend's condition, and she ripped it out with her telekinesis, breaking it and throwing it away.

But only distracted by Daniel's rescue, Gerda weakened the defence even more. Several mutants and one of the witches took advantage of this, firing a dozen different projectiles at once. When she realised that there was no way to defend herself, she remembered Kyle's face for the last time and prepared to push her friends away, wanting to save them at least.

But at that moment, it was as if she had a tenth breath, no less. In addition, the symptoms of overexertion had subsided. Without hesitation, the girl used it to protect the boys. Having subordinated magic and attacks of mutants, Gerda struck at those who did not have time to defend themselves, and then collected a bloody harvest from the thinning ninjas. As she did so, she felt the effects of something similar to her power taking over some of the attacks. Aki, along with Benjamin, also began mowing down the shaken enemies as if they had drunk several litres of energy. 

Gerda turned back to where the invisible channel was stretching, giving her strength. She was surprised when her gaze fell on a pale Daniel, who was wearing a massive bracelet, pale golden in colour, consisting of three connected bands of metal, on top of which were two connected circles with all sorts of gears and blue stones. This steampunk thing was definitely E.G.O.. But how did he get it? That wasn't as important as the fact that one of the guy's eyes looked like hers while the E.G.O. was in action. Now that was just weird.

- Yo Gerda! Haven't seen you in ages! I'd love to talk to you, but I'll have to postpone it until later! - Dan rambled on, constantly pointing his finger at his bracelet.

- Okay," the girl agreed, not understanding anything.

Hearing the guy's voice, Benjamin and Aki reacted as well. It was obvious that they had a lot of questions too, but they had to finish with the attackers.

- Guys! I can reinforce you multiple times, but only for about five seconds! 

- That should be enough! - Aki growled, trying to defeat a mutant defended by energy fields and armed with swords. Gerda and Benjamin supported her.

- Then on the count of three! - Daniel said, tapping the buttons on his bracelet. - One! Two! Three! Maximum power!

At that moment, Aki, Gerda and Ben felt an unprecedented power. The Japanese woman simply broke through the enemy's shields, almost tearing his torso in two. After that, she rushed at the witches, who were in the way all the time, not allowing her to turn around. All parameters of the girl increased to such an extent that she simply flew in the allotted time to the opponents, dodging some ninjas. Once she was within striking distance, she activated Void, smirked anticipatively and struck with all her strength. The result exceeded all expectations. Everything within a dozen metres radius turned to nothing. Not even a trace of the witches remained, despite all their defences. Everyone close to them was wiped out, too. Only, it didn't go in vain. Akiko was barely able to stay on her feet after being hit. And the surviving ninjas rushed to kill the girl.

At the same time, Gerda was drastically reducing the enemy's population, knocking out the strongest ones. When her sister ran like in a soft place stung, the girl, realising the plan, focused on preventing as many enemies as possible in the way of the Japanese girl's movement. And when Aki stung with Void, Gerda was ready to defend her, despite shivering at the realisation of the power of her main rival's weapon. All of Igarashi's attackers were simply flattened to mush by the telekinesis.

Benjamin wasn't beating around the bush either. He was destroying the enemies by rewriting reality, basically stopping the heart of those who got too close or changing important information in the enemies' heads. Besides, the girls were now focusing on the most dangerous opponents, so it was a good idea to let them stay focused while keeping an eye on Daniel, who was giving his best.

Miss Emma and the strange flying woman and the tall man made their way towards them, covering them with an energy barrier as they approached. The only thing to do was to get Aki out, which Gerda did, and finally destroy the Hand's minions, of which there were dozens left. 

Despite the fact that it had been an eternity for the guys, the fight lasted a few minutes. Together with Kyle at the beginning, and then with the help of his guards and mother, they had managed to kill at least a couple of hundred of Ruki's minions. What remained was the bare minimum. Finish off thirty ninjas and five supernaturals. Except both sides were already exhausted from trying to kill each other.

Kyle's supporters and opponents hastened to clash in one last battle.

End of retreat.

- Ha-ha-ha!

- You had a chance to win," Abe grumbled, standing with his back to me as I tried to pull the blade out of his chest. It wasn't working. It was like the damn thing was stuck to my body. And my strength was fading. - You should have used all your strength to win from the start. But instead, you've been doing nothing but limiting your strength. Planning to help your loved ones. Except you should have helped yourself first! Besides, you're missing something. I'd say the will to kill and the determination to follow through. You seem to have both, but not enough. Absolutely not enough!

- Ha ha, you.

- Without those two qualities, no amount of force will get you what you want. It's like fighting with a sword of fine steel, but with a missing blade. And you weren't even focused on fighting me. Oh, you've ruined the mood. Come on, how much longer are you going to be in there? - The Japanese asked, coming closer and taking hold of the hilt of the blade. - Come on, die already. 

I bowed my head, realising that he was basically right. That's the way it is. I don't like killing, and it's not like I want to do it. I wasn't going to go all the way in this fight and put everything on the line, either, because I was going to New York. That's where my thoughts were. But...

- What, you've made your peace already?

- I should have... Kha-kha! I should have..." I tried to whisper as I grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving the blade.

- You should have what? - The man asked with a little interest.

- I should have... Kicked him in the head!!! - I yelled in his face, using teleportation and finding myself about thirty metres away from my opponent. - Heh heh heh! I'm not going to put up with it that easily! And now: A Star Called Sun!

Showing E.G.O., I started pumping my body with portions of Light. After receiving the boost, I used the regeneration to heal the wound. I was struggling, even though I was pumping Light into my ability. At least I had the help of the nanites. The little labourers were doing their part to help me heal. I kept my eyes on Isao. He looked at me curiously and did not take any action at all. 

- You know, I have to thank you, as much as I hate it," I admitted to him when the treatment was almost over. - In a way, you've become my teacher, opening my eyes to some things that made me realise how wrong I was. 

- Heh, I'm glad you did, kid," Abe replied with a smirk.

- You made a huge mistake. You should have killed me instead of giving me a second chance. Instead, like some stupid villain, you started to do nothing. Now I will destroy you for the safety of my loved ones. 

- Do you really think I made a mistake?! - the assassin asked, even stepping forward. - And you're comparing me to the stamp of literature and cinema? Ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

- What's so funny? 

- Basically everything," he replied, wiping away a tear that came out from laughter. - I specifically gave you a chance to break out and use all your strength against me, kid. I want an interesting fight, not some nonsense.

- Absurd," I said. - You could die now. What's the point?

- That's exactly the point! - Abe exclaimed expressively, swinging his katana. - Only fighting on the edge, when the blood is boiling, is interesting to me! Would you eat food without salt, sauce or seasoning? You might eat it to keep from starving, but you won't enjoy it that way. Neither do I. Death makes a fight so much more interesting and desirable. And the value of defeating a strong opponent is much greater. And possible death is just a price to pay for the pleasure, which makes it even more exciting. 

- You're crazy, - I expressed my opinion.

- Think what you want," Abe said with a smirk. - But, first of all, it's in a man's nature to want to rise up and defeat the enemy. You have it too. And secondly, I am two hundred and thirty years old. I have become so enriched in my knowledge that this whole world has become absolutely clear to me. I seek only one thing here - battles with strong opponents. All other pleasures have bored me. But you wouldn't understand that. We live in this world with different sensations and different aspirations, accordingly, our place is different, our distribution is different.

- You're rubbing some bullshit in my face.

- Well, well, well. You fight for survival. I fight for pleasure. We're on different levels," the killer said, adjusting what was left of his tie.

- You know, I've been thinking, and I've decided to give your head as a gift to Aki and my future mother-in-law," I changed the subject. - I think they'll appreciate it. 

- Oh, yes! They'll be very happy! Then in return, I promise that if I win, I'll give Akiko your head. I'm sure that will motivate her quite well to gain power and get revenge," the Japanese man said as he slowly approached.

- That's unlikely, since you won't touch me again.

- Sounds interesting! Then let's put it to the test! - The man shouted, shrouding himself in aura and running at me.

In response, I began to create energy chains from the seals that would stop the enemy for a time long enough to finally kill him. Now, the Light's generously powered abilities were many times stronger, making it harder to defend or break them. In the end, Abe had to go sideways as I had placed too many seals in front of him. I was left to hold him back and wait. Waiting for my emotional state to peak. At that point, I would be able to harness the power of the book much more fully. Right now, only a fraction of its true power is available to me. But that's about to change.

Right now, with my abilities fully unleashed, I was able to follow my opponent without much trouble and react instantly to his advances. But I was sure that he still hadn't used all of his abilities. But there would be an end to the rope. 

The chains I had created managed to catch Abe first by his right arm, and then swaddled him all over his body. The Japanese man's black-red aura was eating away at the constructs, but I kept creating new ones to keep him from breaking free. Once the patient was well secured, I pierced him with a dozen energy arms emerging from the seals. 

- Ha-ha-ha!

But even hitting the vital organs didn't kill this truly Immortal bastard. Nothing. Destruction would put him to rest forever.

After pouring enough power into this attack, I channelled it into Abe's body. Only, he got away with it too. Moments before he was hit by the wave of destruction, the assassin flashed with more sinister energy than before and suppressed my attack. The restraining chains crumbled as well. The freed man smiled with satisfaction as he stretched his neck and limbs, then spoke:

- Phew, that was really dangerous! If it wasn't for the power of the Overlord, I would have been incapacitated for a long time! Right now, I can feel the desire to destroy me in your attacks! Now I believe that you can really destroy the Hand! - This type of guy stated quite contentedly. 

- Yes, you have too many abilities and skills. Ki, some anti-teleportation techniques, regeneration, strength, speed. And this energy? What the hell is that?

- Do you want to know the secrets of my power? - A grinning Isao asked, having fully recovered. - Although they are not secrets at all. I'm a mutant with enhanced physical characteristics and regeneration. On top of that, I have Ki, basic magic, and access to a portion of the Overlord's power as the current champion of the Hand. 

- What a set," I remarked. 

- I hope you can pick a move against me that will make things more fun! Come on, enough chitchat! 

I tried to use an energy cage on my opponent, but no way. The Beast's energy simply suppressed any external influence. So I created a blade construct and held it in my hands, while forcing the Iredzumi to work at maximum power. This caused the tattoo to appear on my body and glow. 

- Wow!" the man exclaimed contentedly as I met him with a ramming blow. Even though his skill was superior, my physical characteristics somewhat made up for the gap. - What an interesting tattoo you have on you! Yakuza style! Only they don't put them all over their bodies!

Despite waving his saber vigorously, he spoke without much trouble and didn't stutter. He's very strong. In all aspects. That's fine. Then I'll become even stronger and surpass him. Besides, the tipping point was near.

It came at a time when I was slowly losing in close combat. My emotional state had finally reached its peak, which was like breaking through an invisible barrier that prevented me from using more of the book's power. Well, it's time to end this fight.

- The contract of the empty hand! - I shouted, jumping away from the Japanese.

- "The 'signer' of the Contract cannot use any weapon other than his body. In return, he receives an increase in strength. In case he tries to use any weapon, the "signer" of the Contract will start getting slower every second," the voice explained all the terms of the Implied Contract. Though in truth, it simply informed my brain what could and could not be done. It was akin to another condition of the Imposition Contract.

- Hmph, the working principle is different this time," Abe said as he placed his katana on a nearby rock. 

- Naturally, thanks to the intensity of our battle, I finally reached a new level of interaction with this power," he explained, trying to suppress a satisfied smile.

Now I could not set a certain number of possible offences, but punish at once. On the other hand, according to the law of universal balance, I also had to immediately strengthen the opponent . 

- That's great! But I hope you don't think you've already won! 

- I didn't think so," he replied. - I'll think that after I saw your head off.

- That's good!

The man lunged at me and pumped most of the Beast's power into his limbs, weakening his defences and opening himself up to counterattacks. Now he could break my barriers with a single blow. I had to put up a few at a time to avoid getting hit in the face with demonic energy. But it was still better than a goddamn sword. 

I released blades that pierced Abe, created cages with chains that restrained him, and defended myself from the blows with my limbs until the man began to give up. Still, even his body had limits. So did mine, but the Light, absorbed generously from the medallion, was helping.

And as I prepared to swaddle the killer for the last time, he proved once again that he had not lived so long for nothing. As he unleashed a huge wave of demonic energy at me, Abe dashed towards the katana and grabbed the blade and hilt. I was defending myself from such a strong attack at that moment, not realising what he was up to. The contract was still working. It was too dangerous to use a weapon. And I'm not gonna stand idly by.

But it was simpler and more complicated than I thought. The killer didn't think to use the blade. No, instead he absorbed all the light sucked out of me by the katana. 

- You're old and you're not smart enough! - I shouted happily, about to take control of his body. The Light belongs to me and I alone obey it! - So much for pi! What the hell?!

- What's a kid? - The enemy asked mockingly, slowly approaching closer. - You look surprised.

This guy just recycled the Light inside his body, amplifying himself that way. It's crazy. I don't have the energy to marvel at his skills anymore.

- You were talking about a generic villain. Here's another one for you. Did you really think only protagonists could get stronger as they fight? And it's possible I'm the protagonist! It works both ways, kid!

He's kidding me.

- Can you still dance or have you gone soft?

- You think a drop of my power is gonna help you? - I asked him, soaking up the rest of the Light. That's it. That's all I have left. - Foolish. 

- Together with the power of the Lord that fills my body, it's enough! - replied the man, flaring up again with an eerie aura.

- Fuck! The Purity Contract! - I exclaimed, realising there was no choice.

- "The 'signatory' cannot use the borrowed power, in return strengthening the control of his own. In case of disobedience, the "signatory" will be deprived of life energy.

- Can you even do that? You're really something kid! But!" Abe exclaimed, flying towards his blade, masterfully evading all my attempts to stop him. - Now I'm just going to chop you up!

- Only in my dreams!

The assassin channelled all of the Beast's remaining energy into his blade and unleashed it at me. It didn't come easy. He had to give up some of his life in return. It's not as bad for a regenerator as a normal person, but he'll be weakened in the near future.

I used three sins at once - Despondency, Anger and Sloth - to intensify the wave of destruction and released it to cut through the giant cloud of all-consuming darkness with flecks of red colour. Damn it, I barely had the concentration and energy to suppress such an attack.

Just when I was glad I'd survived the attack, a thirty-two-tooth grinning Isao burst out of the remaining wisps of energy. He looked like shit, but that didn't stop him from moving at breakneck speed and crossing the distance between us in a flash. Before I knew it, the killer was hovering over me, about to cut me in two with his damn katana.

But he didn't. The chain-like constructs bound him hand and foot. I stood up and pointed a finger at his chest, mimicking a gun.

- Bang.

- Khaah! - Abe wheezed as he looked down and saw that he had a hole the size of two fists instead of a heart. However, even that didn't shake his joyful mood. - Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I haven't had this much fun in ages! Say hello to that girl Naomi! And chop my head off! 

I'll be honest, I was hoping Abe would beg for his life or something, but he surprised me. Instead, he's here teaching me how to make everything beautiful. That being said, his wound, which is kind of fatal, has gradually healed. Amazing survivability. Isn't he going to grow a body and a head, by any chance? I wouldn't want to end up with two Immortal Bastards.

- And heh-heh, save Yora. Maybe I'll come back for her," the man wheezed.

- You're about to die and I think you're going somewhere far and deep.

- Kha-kha-kha-kha! This is a world where anything is possible Kyle Smith!" said Isao, hanging from the chains. Apparently even his stamina was failing.

- Then I hope we never meet again.

- I'm hoping for a different outcome. I have enjoyed this battle immensely. As did you. Your face at the end was very telling!

Not wanting to hear any more of this, I stretched out my arm in his direction and with one sharp throw turned the Japanese's body into dust, leaving only his head. Even in this state he lived for a few seconds. But the satisfied grin never left his face. 

As soon as he died, I felt the thing that had prevented me from teleporting disappear. Grabbing Aki's gift and the katana packed in energy constructs, I teleported to the mansion with barriers just in case.

- Fuck! - A familiar female voice exclaimed.

- It's the boss! Put the guns down!

- Bastard, Mr Smith, don't scare me like that! - one of my guards asked as she lowered her gun.

- I can't promise," I replied, looking around.

There were at least a hundred bodies lying around. More than that, though. They were literally everywhere, and the ground was red with blood. But I didn't care much about my opponents. The boys and girls were sitting not far from the house, and apparently they hadn't noticed me yet. I need to find out how they're doing.

- What are our losses? - I asked Lisa, who followed me.

- Fortunately, zero. Thanks to hilopnesis, we were able to pull five people out of the grave. It's amazing! And the rest were helped greatly by the implants. With their help, we confidently dominated the regular invaders and even some mutants and mages. 

- I'm glad.

- What's with the head and the katana, sir?

- A gift for a girl.

- Oh-original gift," Lisa muttered.

- What about Ruki's killers?

- Who? Ah! We're still doing the math. 

- ... Kyle's going to be fine," a dishevelled Benji said patiently when he saw me.

- How do you know?! - exclaimed Aki, who was red with blood. I was beginning to worry, but in case of wounds, she'd be injected with chilopnesis.

- Because he's standing behind you," I replied.

- Kyle! - Gerda, Aki and Danielle all exclaimed at once. The three of them all rushed over to hug me. It was obvious that my friends were on their last legs. They had definitely given it their all.

- I told you, and you were worried," Ben said, coming over to me and putting his hand on my shoulder for support.

- Kyle-baka, what the fuck are you-! - The Japanese woman shouted, pulling away, but when she saw the head in my hand and the katana hovering just off to the side, she choked on her words. - What's this?!

- And this is my gift to you and Aunt Naomi.

- Kyle! - Mum exclaimed behind me. I turned to see a woman running towards us, followed by Dubois. And from the looks of it, they'd been in combat, even if not in the front lines. - My boy, you're covered in blood!

- I've healed my wounds, I'm fine," I assured my mother, who was clinging to me, and hugged her back.

- So what happened?! - Aki asked impatiently.

- I'll tell you in a moment, but I'll update the barrier just in case.

Having channelled the last remnants of energy into the construct that was blocking the manor from prying eyes, he turned to his listeners.

- I began, but at that moment the last of my strength left my mortal body, and I felt myself falling.

- Kyle! 

That was the last thing I heard.

***

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