Amanda had a bad feeling about this whole situation.

She was driving towards her home but she couldn’t keep her mind away from what was about to happen.

Ever since she heard about Ava Klaus coming over to investigate this matter, she knew that things would spiral uncontrollably.

That woman was known for her evilness.

’What exactly can I do to help Kyle?’ Asking her father for help would take too much time and she knew even if she explained things to him, it was highly likely he would ask her to let Ava do her job.

In the eyes of those who don’t know Kyle, he has done something wrong by keeping his awakening hidden. But she knew what exactly was his thought behind this decision.

She was about to turn her car and go search for Kyle when suddenly her phone buzzed.

It was Blake.

She hurriedly picked the call and said, "Hello, Brother? Did you hear something from Kyle?"

{No, but where are you right now?}

She looked around and said, "Near the public library."

{Alright, just go home and wait for my call.}

"No, wait. Did something happen?"

There was a brief pause before Blake said,

{Ava...might already know where Kyle is headed. It was her trap all along.}

....

When a person is pushed into a corner, only two instincts arise within them.

Fight or flight.

Kyle was experiencing exactly that the moment he saw Ava grinning at him, her hand lazily draped over his shoulder.

His senses screamed in warning. This woman was not here to talk. The gleam in her eyes made that much clear.

"You look scared, my dear lamb," Ava said, her finger tracing along his jaw. "Just when you were about to sink into your last hole, I caught your tail, fufu."

She seemed to be enjoying herself.

Kyle narrowed his eyes and slapped her hand away. "Why are you stalking me?"

Ava chuckled. "That’s a bold reaction from someone whose life I can already see behind bars."

Kyle frowned. "What are you even talking about? Don’t you have anything better to do?"

Ava smirked. "I like that confidence. But let me tell you something I heard before I was dispatched." She stepped closer, draping her arm over his shoulder again. "I have the authority to take anyone into custody if I deem them suspicious, or even those connected to them."

"And you... have always been at the top of that list. Not only have you been sneaking around a lot, but the Genesis sensors have clearly detected you using magic."

Kyle took a deep breath. Just as he thought, this was a dead end.

"So... you’re going to arrest me, huh?"

Ava’s grin widened. "Oh, yes, I will. But before that..."

"Ghk!" Kyle cried out as she suddenly stomped on his foot with brutal force. In the next instant, a fist came flying toward his nose.

He raised his hand, but it was already too late.

DHAK

The punch connected, sending him stumbling backward. Stars burst across his vision as a warm streak trickled down from his nose.

Ava wore a predatory grin as she muttered, "I wouldn’t have resorted to violence if you hadn’t been such a brat back then."

’Track her movements!’ Kyle commanded instantly. God’s Eye activated, and her movements slowed, just slightly. Still fast, but enough for him to react as her kick shot toward his stomach.

His body felt sluggish against her speed, so he chose not to block.

"Hoh~" Ava’s eyes widened in mild surprise as her kick met nothing but air, Kyle rolling away and quickly getting back to his feet.

He did not hesitate. He knew this was a losing battle.

So without wasting a single moment, he ran.

A fiery grin stretched across Ava’s lips as she shrugged off her cloak and charged at him.

She could already tell he was neither as strong nor as fast as the reports claimed. That meant he was only a monster in front of knull residents. An interesting discovery, but not one that made her hesitate in the slightest.

"Where are you going?!"

She leaped high, using a nearby dump bin as a springboard, her fist drawn back and aimed straight for his shoulder. A little pain would surely ease her mood.

But just as she closed in, Kyle twisted on his feet, and a golden arrow shot toward her.

Ava’s eyes widened for a split second as she slammed her fist into the arrow, deflecting it off course.

It soared through the air, struck a metal pole, and—

BOOOOOM

Ava landed smoothly on her feet and glanced over her shoulder.

Damn... that was flashy.

Meanwhile, Kyle took a moment to steady his breathing. His hand tightened around Aquilla as he fixed his gaze on the redhead.

’Assess her...’

[Assessing the target...]

Stats:

Strength: 57

Speed: 62

Endurance: 48

Intelligence: 36

Damn... no wonder her punches almost knocked him out. She was built like a human gorilla.

He wiped the blood from his nose and looked back at her.

They had drifted closer to the railway tracks, cargo compartments scattered around them. Not a single person was in sight.

That was good.

Because now, Kyle had no reason to hold back.

"You’ve got fire in your eyes," Ava admitted. "But sadly, I don’t appreciate someone glaring at me."

Her figure vanished.

His eyes tracked her movement. She was fast, but not beyond what he could follow now that his perception had sharpened.

He saw her draw a pair of curved knives.

She was not holding back anymore.

She was aiming to impale him... or take off a limb or two.

Snickering, he pulled his bow and noticed the shift in her movement.

He drew the string further, and the arrow split into several fragments.

Without caring about the destruction it might cause, he released the attack.

The arrows whizzed through the air, converging on her from multiple directions.

Ava’s eyes flickered rapidly, tracking each one, up and down, left and right.

Not all the arrows moved at the same speed. She spotted the gap, slipped through it, and dodged every single one without a scratch.

Kyle clicked his tongue and immediately fired another Genesis-charged arrow, faster and stronger than before.

Yet Ava, as if she could see the future, shifted her trajectory at the very last moment, avoiding the intercept entirely.

BOOOOOM

Another explosion, but it amounted to nothing.

She was closing in. He could see the amusement growing in her eyes.

He clicked his tongue. ’Guess I have no choice.’

Pulling out another arrow, he aimed straight at her.

Ava snickered, already preparing to dodge and crush his throat this time.

But to her surprise, Kyle tilted the bow downward. Just as she came within inches of him, he released the arrow.

She expected an explosion beneath her feet, a desperate attempt to create distance.

Instead, a silvery dome expanded outward, enveloping them both and suppressing her Genesis completely.

Her eyes widened. Her footing faltered.

Seizing the moment, Kyle drove his knee forward.

DHAK

Ava barely managed to drop her knife and bring her palm to her stomach, softening the blow. Even so, she was sent sliding backward, her balance nearly breaking.

With her eyes widened she looked at her hands.

Her magic was gone?!

Kyle chuckled, "Now, we fight fair and square."