1 Prologue

My chest burned with every breath, my legs almost buckling as I sprint and evade the people chasing me. I had been running for what felt like hours, they'd found me again and I don't know how, all I know is if they catch me... I'm dead.

"You can't run forever Gabriel! There's nowhere you can go that we won't find you!" a male voice called out, making me grit my teeth. I knew that voice, it was the son of a bitch who ratted me out. He was actually here? The nerve of that bastard! I had to get out of here, being stuck in a warehouse would be real bad but it would be better than where I am now.

"Come on Gabriel think..." I whisper, my chest heaving as I take in deep breaths to fill my lungs before I pass out, my breathing was getting worse, my injuries seemed to be catching up with me. I wrecked my brains for a way out of this situation and since I needed time, I activated my own Crest, the words 'Time Dilation' ringing in my mind as the spell activated. The world around me seemed to pause, nothing else moving aside from myself, I'd bought myself Twenty five seconds to plan while moving before my spell ended and they all began catching up again. So I trudged on while trying to formulate a plan.

"I'm being chased by six people, each one with advanced Crests. Two C class, Three B class, one A Class. C class Crests appear to be Elemental, one fire and the other some variation of lightning. B class Crests seem to be Enchancers, one self buffer and two group buffers, perhaps speed and strength types. A class..." at this I couldn't help but swallow down a lump of fear that lodged itself in my throat. "A class Liquid Nitrogen, freezing time on a victim takes barely four seconds. Highest threat level out of ten would be nine, chance of survival.... slim."

It looked like my time would seen be up, I was alone, no backup and I was being g hunted by people more powerful than myself. If only I hadn't been caught off guard, I would have been able to give them the slip so easily. "If only I hadn't let my guard down- what was that?" I'd heard a noise to my left just as my spell ended and spun around, leaning over backwards as a knife skimmed past my face and barely missed my eye. I could see every slight jagged edge in the blade as it passed me.

"That Time Dilation of yours is pretty irritating, at least if you can't predict what the user does. But you kid? Tch, I feel insulted. You should have known that wasn't enough to get away~" I heard those words come with a melodic voice, one that made a little heat rise in my cheeks to cause a rather humiliating blush to spread across my face, not fun. Especially when the person it's coming from has been hunting you for the past forty minutes.

"Hey look we don't have to do this, you can just let me go. Pretend you lost me, no blood needs to be shed right?" I try to appease her, I didn't actually think it would work but if it bought me more time i could use Dilation again, I just needed a few minutes.

It seemed luck wasn't on my side today. The next thing I know I'm being launched back, having just been sent flying by one fucking hell of a punch and I got slammed back first into a concrete wall. Luckily I saw it coming fast enough to block the brunt with my arms, my arms and legs felt ready to shatter after the hit though. It was like being hit by a small truck!

"Crazy bitch, could have warned me about the love tap at least, you'll never get a guy like th-" I was hoping that she'd wait and at least hear the insult first before trying to break my neck, I barely even dodged the kick she aimed straight at the side of my head. "You'll pay for that you little fuck." She growled out, she then followed up with some rather quick punches which I just about managed to deflect from my vital areas, a little text window appearing before my eye.

"Do you wish to Activate Skill: Painless?" Oh fuck yes, may as well put this damn system to use. "Yes!" I immediately feel all pain leave my body and even a little revitalised, adrenaline pumping through my system at an accelerated rate, allowing me to now fight back properly. With that thought in mind I rush her, another window appearing over my eye. "Do you wish to activate the Body art: Harden?" I wish I'd learned this System more instead of focusing on my Crest, I could have the ability to say my skills at will. "Yes!" My body's muscles immediately tightened and became rock solid, my assailant wincing when she landed a punch to my stomach only to hurt herself. God I love these skills.

I didn't have long, only a minute at most before the rest caught up, so I started fighting. I go to jab her in the face, only to hit air as she ducked past the blow and followed up with an uppercut, missing me though as I slip back out of reach and I quickly spun on one foot, bringing my left leg up and slamming it into her arm hard. I definitely heard something crack there, wait- no she winced, I'm fine. I quickly shook my head to clear it and grimaced as she brought her foot up and slammed the heel into my chin, I felt my head snap back quickly and I was pretty damn sure that my mouth was filling with blood. I didn't even get the chance to spit it out before she just kicked me across the right side of my face, that boot was going to leave a mark- "Fuck! You're gonna regret that!"

I then quickly spit out the blood into her face, blinding her for a moment and I growl "Change Crest: Homura!" I felt the crest on my chest then split in half and creep along to my shoulders before sliding down my arms in the pattern of a Dragon. It's then I felt the telltale presence of those Dragon Scales I was rather fond of. "Now then..." I lick my lips and crack my knuckles.

"Shall we dance?"