The Rogues Of: No Man's Land

Hanuman sighed. "You should be thanking me, kid. I just pulled your sorry ass from the brink of death. But do I get gratitude? No. Instead, I get stuck with another reckless, clueless human."

Tao exhaled. "Oh, fantastic. The ancient deity is a discriminator."

"Let's get back on track, we've got enemies. Have you awakened the Rogue Codex?"

Tao frowned. "The Rogue Codex?"

"A hidden system embedded into the very foundation of No-Man's Land. It governs strength, techniques, and evolution itself. Only those who break the world's natural order can tap into it. And congratulations, you just joined the club. Thanks to me."

Sister Seraphina gasped. "The Rogue Codex? That's a myth."

"A myth? Tell that Girl keep quiet! I lived through the fall of the old world. This system was created to ensure only the strong survive."

Tao clenched his fists. "So, what, I level up now? Get a menu screen?"

Hanuman scoffed. "This isn't some game. But if you survive long enough, you'll unlock the ability to evolve your abilities, master new techniques, and tap into hidden power locked deep within your soul."

A sudden pulse ran through Tao's mind, and for a brief moment, his vision distorted. Symbols, text, and glyphs formed in his consciousness, a record of his abilities, strengths, and latent potential. It wasn't a screen. It wasn't digital. It was something more ancient, something woven into reality itself.

Tao's eyes widened. "I can... see everything."

Hanuman chuckled. "That's the Codex's Record, your personal archive of power. Use it wisely."

Master Sora sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Well, this is getting annoying."

Kane smirked, leveling his gun at Tao's head. "Shame we gotta kill him. I was starting to like the brat."

Without another word, Tao launched forward, his golden aura igniting the air around him. Kane fired, a massive bullet of condensed energy streaking toward him like a comet.

BOOM!

Tao spun his Gada, deflecting the bullet mid-air. The impact alone cracked the stone beneath them, sending dust and debris flying.

Master Sora moved next, raising his palm. Demon Mana forming in his hand before forming a massive black spear. "You're strong, but let's see how well you handle this."

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the dark weapon at Tao.

Tao flipped mid-air, his monkey tail wrapping around the Gada as he swung it with full force. The collision sent tremors through the battlefield, but the impact only served to push Tao back slightly.

Kane was already moving, his Primal Engine-enhanced bullets lighting up the sky. Each shot carried the power to level buildings, the energy rippling through the air with destructive force.

Tao dodged, his movements faster than before. His body felt lighter, sharper. Every instinct was honed to perfection.

Hanuman's voice rang in his head. "Tap into your instincts, boy. Use what you've gained."

Tao grinned. "Don't mind if I do."

With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between himself and Kane. The gunman barely had time to react before Tao's slammed into his gut. 

BAM!

Kane was sent flying through a stone wall, vanishing in a cloud of rubble.

Master Sora narrowed his eyes. "Impressive."

Tao turned to face him, gripping his Gada. "You're next."

Dark flames ignited around Master Sora's body. "Come then, Monkey-Boy. Show me what you're truly capable of."

Tao quickly opened up the record of his abilities, tapping the screen as his mind raced through the new discoveries. The list of powers that had manifested in him seemed endless, but there was something unsettling about their vast scope.

"You've gained a rare set of Primal Engines, Tao," Hanuman said, his tone neither surprised nor worried. "Element control... mostly consisting of Golden Fire, Divine Lightning, and Whirlwinds. You may manipulate these at will."

Tao nodded, absorbing the information. "Shapeshifting... regeneration... flying... hypnosis... summoning beasts... and precognition, huh?" His gaze lingered on the list, each ability seemingly more powerful than the last.

"That's right," Hanuman affirmed. "These are Primal Engines most fighters would never possess."

Tao grinned. "I guess that explains why I feel like I'm about to take the world on."

Before Hanuman could respond, Master Sora launched himself at Tao with terrifying speed. His Dark Flames curled around his fists, crackling with violent energy. Tao's eyes narrowed, his body already in motion.

With a burst of speed, Tao took to the air, dodging the flames as they scorched the ground beneath him. Master Sora, however, was relentless, raining fireballs down onto the first level of the story block, turning the area into a fiery inferno. The entire structure trembled under the pressure of the onslaught.

Tao zipped through the flames, his speed nearly blurring him out of sight. He darted in and out of the chaos, expertly evading the fireballs that Master Sora threw. The ground was beginning to crumble from the sheer intensity of the attack, but Tao's focus remained sharp.

Then, the rubble shifted, and Kane emerged, his face twisted with fury. He raised his gun, now transforming into a long, sleek sniper rifle, a sign of his Primal Engine in action. ''Sniper Mode.''

Tao realized something, his eyes widening in realization.

"Innocent people live in here," he muttered to himself, his earlier confidence faltering as he glanced around the shattered first level. "Can't destroy too much..."

Before he could react, Kane fired, sending an energy bullet straight toward Tao's chest. The shot was too fast for him to dodge.

The bullet slammed into Tao's body, and for a split second, he felt the impact, pain flashing through his chest.

His breath caught in his throat as he staggered back. But before any more damage could follow, Master Sora seized the opportunity. He rushed forward, unleashing a barrage of fireballs aimed directly at Tao, sending him flying into the air.

Tao's senses flared as he rapidly ascended, but his movements weren't fast enough to avoid the demon technique Master Sora was preparing. The flames wrapped around his hands, growing larger, fiercer, and more intense with each passing second. ''FLAME DOOM!''

Master Sora unleashed a huge wave of fire, crashing it toward Tao. Kane continued his onslaught, shooting energy bullets that pierced through Tao's body, one in his chest, another in his abdomen, and even a shot straight through his head.

Tao's body jerked with each shot, but then, the flames hit him. A massive cloud of smoke erupted, obscuring the scene.

Master Sora and Kane stood side by side, staring at the thick smoke, convinced they had finished Tao. But as the smoke cleared, their eyes widened in shock. Tao stood there, unscathed. All the bullet wounds were gone, and not a single flame had even scorched his skin.

Tao grinned. "Thanks Regeneration. You know, I'm starting to get used to it."

Without wasting another second, he shot forward like a missile. His tail lashed out, wrapping around Master Sora's neck, and in one swift motion, Tao slammed the demon into the wall with a thunderous crack. Before Master Sora could react, Tao swung his gada directly into Sora's stomach, sending the demon crashing down toward the 40th floor below.

Tao's eyes flicked toward Kane, who was preparing to shoot again. With a single gesture, Tao pointed his fingers, and in an instant, lightning crackled to life, charging through the air. A bolt of divine lightning struck Kane, the energy sending a shockwave that reverberated through the walls.

Kane grunted, struggling to stay upright, his body jolted by the force. Tao smirked, his power running through him like a tempest. He wasn't just surviving anymore, he was thriving.

Master Sora, recovering from the impact of Tao's strike, slowly got to his feet on the 40th floor, looking down at Tao far below. The two locked eyes. ''That damn Monkey made that kid stronger..''

Tao shot upwards, a streak of golden lightning arcing through the air toward Master Sora, his speed increasing as the crackling energy shot forward. Master Sora, with a quick sidestep, narrowly dodged the blast, his eyes tracking Tao's movements as the lightning scorched the area around them.

But the moment Master Sora looked back down, his eyes widened in shock.

Tao was already charging up toward him, but this time, he wasn't alone. He had Kane's mouth gripped tightly in his hands, dragging the gunman up with him as he soared toward Master Sora.

Before either of them could react, Tao slammed Kane into Master Sora, knocking both fighters back. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and Tao swiftly followed up, pointing his gada at both of them.

A stream of golden fire erupted from the weapon, blasting through the air with enough force to create an explosion that shook the entire floor. The flames enveloped the two fighters, sending them flying in opposite directions.

The room filled with smoke in an instant, making it impossible to see through. Tao narrowed his eyes and activated his precognition technique. Hanuman's voice echoed in his mind.

"They could be trying to attack through the smoke," Hanuman warned.

Tao smiled, unfazed. "I already know."

Kane, having barely managed to get back on his feet, rushed out of the smoke, holding an uzi in his hands. His eyes scanned the area, and he found himself staring directly at Master Sora. 

"We got 'em, Kane," Master Sora said, his voice low and assured.

But it wasn't the real Master Sora standing there.

Tao grinned widely, transforming back to his original appearance. In an instant, he wrapped his tail around Kane's mouth once more, pulling kane into the air as he hovered above both of them.

"Kane," Tao said, shaking his head, "you're too predictable. I knew exactly what you were going to do. I saw it all."

Kane's eyes widened in confusion as Tao continued, "You were going to pretend that you were dead, make me think you were out of the fight... before running out of the smokescreen and shooting me."

Without giving Kane time to process, Tao unleashed a massive punch to his face, sending the gunman spiraling back. He didn't stop there. A flurry of punches and kicks followed, each one hitting with incredible speed and precision.

Kane's defenses crumbled under the assault, and Tao's strikes became a blur of power. Tao then reached down and grabbed Kane's neck with his monkey tail, lifting him off the ground and choking him with brutal force. Kane gasped for air, his hands clawing at Tao's tail, but it was no use.

Master Sora, seeing his ally in trouble, snarled and unleashed a demon mana blast toward Tao. The blast shot forward with the force of a hurricane, but Tao wasn't fazed.

In an instant, Tao reached out, his fingers closing around the mana blast. His power flared as he absorbed the energy, then, with a swift motion, he sent it back at Master Sora with twice the force it had come.

Master Sora's eyes widened as the mana blast barreled toward him, but he had no time to evade. The blast hit him full force, sending him crashing into the far wall.

The force of the blast shook the entire level, leaving both of Tao's enemies stunned. Tao, still hovering in the air with Kane struggling in his grasp, smirked, his confidence surging.

"You two... don't know when to quit, do you?" Tao said, his eyes flashing with anticipation for the next move. The fight was far from over, and he was just getting started.