Mind Blown

[N/T: Honestly, writing fight scenes isn't my strong suit; I prefer smut scenes. But it is what it is; at least there won't be many more fight scenes for now.]

Vera strides toward the arena with firm, determined steps as echoes of her past parade in her mind. She once dreamed of being a huntress, but was rejected for "lack of talent." Since then, her options have been limited to jobs that felt mediocre: police, military forces... nothing interested her, and even less offered the salary she sought. However, with her aura unlocked, being a bodyguard turned out to be an easy job, and at least it paid better than those other alternatives.

And now, here she was. "From bodyguard to underground fighter…" she says, letting out a sigh while keeping her eyes on her opponent. "Every day I sink lower."

In front of her is Aegis, "if he didn't lie about his name," a boy about seventeen years old. Vera has already watched him fight and knows he's good, much better than she would expect from someone in this place. Better not get complacent.

"BEGIN!" shouts the announcer, and the crowd erupts in cheers and anticipation.

Aegis charges straight at her, and Vera gets into guard position, ready to block. When his fist aims at her torso, she crosses her forearms in a firm block, but the force of the impact pushes her back. Her feet leave marks on the ground as the blow reverberates painfully in her arms.

Without wasting time, Vera throws a quick hook to Aegis's side. He sidesteps the trajectory with a precise lean, and without losing momentum, spins on his heel to deliver a side kick that connects with her ribs. The blow shakes her, eliciting a grunt, but Vera quickly regains her balance, launching a flurry of varied punches, aiming to keep Aegis on the defensive.

Aegis takes the first blow on his shoulder, but without flinching, deflects the next ones with precise wrist turns, one after the other. His blocks seem barely affected by Vera's strength. Just when she attempts a hook to his face, Aegis ducks and, with a swift motion, delivers a spinning kick to her support leg. The impact wobbles her, but Vera steadies herself on one hand and uses the momentum to spring back on the offensive.

Aegis, not giving her any space, is already on her when she gets back up, throwing a punch that connects with her shoulder, forcing her to retreat as a sharp pain courses through her arm. Without hesitation, Vera responds with a series of quick strikes, alternating between torso and head, searching for any weak point. One of her punches hits Aegis's chest, making him back off, but he doesn't flinch; he closes the distance and throws a knee strike directly at her abdomen.

Vera barely has time to tense up before the blow knocks the air out of her lungs. She feels her legs tremble, but she remains standing as Aegis continues with a series of quick, heavy blows. His right fist impacts her jaw, followed by a punch to the stomach that forces her to double over. Blood fills her mouth, but she doesn't give up; she raises her arms, blocking as best as she can the impacts that keep raining down, absorbing them even though her arms are already showing signs of exhaustion.

In a desperate attempt, Vera sees a small opening and throws a direct punch to Aegis's ribs. However, he slides just enough for her fist to only graze his shirt. Aegis takes advantage of her oversight and responds with a straight punch to her ribs, leaving her breathless.

Aegis doesn't relent and keeps the pressure on, launching a continuous sequence of solid blows. Vera feels her defenses beginning to falter until a punch opens her lip and blood trickles down her chin. Despite the pain, her gaze remains fixed on Aegis, concentrating on each of his movements.

A direct blow to her stomach makes her stagger back again, forcing her to stabilize herself while breathing laboriously. Aegis tries to keep attacking, but Vera, seizing the gap, steps back and distances herself from him. This brief respite allows her to divert her attention to the announcer, who is trying to catch her gaze with an insistent gesture, pointing to the balconies.

Following the indication, Vera looks up and finds her boss watching her from above with a serious and displeased expression. The simple motion of her superior's hand makes it clear what she needs to do: end the fight, no matter the cost.

Losing here is not an option for Vera. She knows very well what happens to those who fail; she has personally dealt with some of those "failures" in the past. Having aura doesn't make her untouchable or indispensable.

"Fuck this," Vera mutters. She's not going to die here, not today.

Aegis lunges at her, throwing a direct punch to her face. At the last moment, Vera activates her aura; her body glows, and suddenly, Aegis's strike doesn't seem so fast. She grabs his fist in the air with strength, and the crowd falls silent.

Aegis tries to free himself, but she tightens her grip, pulling a scream of pain from him: "Ahh!"

[STR: 93,7 -> 104,94]

Without giving him a chance to react, Vera slams him to the ground twice and finally tosses him away, making him bounce across the sand. "That should be enough," she murmurs to herself.

[STR: 93,7 -> 131,18]

[STR: 131,18 -> 149.92]

Booing floods the stadium. "Booo!" they shout upon seeing Vera use her aura, while no one seems to really care about Daniel. A fight between someone with aura and someone without it is absurd; it's like pitting an adult against a baby, and the audience knows it. "Cheat!" the crowd chants, increasingly agitated. "Give me my money back!"

The announcer, after receiving an order through her earpiece, rushes to calm the audience. "Everything is in order! The fight continues!" she exclaims, clarifying: "It was never specified that aura couldn't be used. So the fight goes on!"

Meanwhile, Aegis quickly gets back on his feet. His shirt is in tatters, and his arm, were it not for his superhuman nature, would be completely broken. Vera watches him rise and sighs. "Maybe I should have slammed him one more time," she thinks, hoping he'll stay down.

Aegis stands up and, the first thing he does, is signal to a girl in the audience. She, visibly annoyed, had approached the platform, but upon hearing what he says, she stops in her tracks.

"Whatever," Vera says, preparing to end the fight. But she halts when she sees Aegis tearing off his torn shirt.

"WUUUUU!" The crowd roars with excitement at the sight, shouting with enthusiasm. Vera may be a bully, but she's also a woman, and the spectacle distracts her for a few seconds. Aegis seizes that moment to pull something out of his pocket.

That action doesn't go unnoticed by Vera, but she doesn't bother to stop him. She just watches, wondering what he's pulling out: a weapon? A knife, perhaps? But instead, he pulls out… a piece of gum.

"Ahh…" Vera sighs, disappointed. However, a bad feeling washes over her as she sees him putting the gum in his mouth. She also notices that his eyes, once a bright blue, are now a dull gray.

[Dex: 75 -> 150]

Vera watches Aegis run toward her. "You should have pulled back when you had the chance," he says firmly. Without hesitation, he throws a direct punch to her face, but Aegis dodges, increasing his speed with a sudden burst, and in an instant, lands a powerful blow to her stomach. The impact is stronger than any she has received from him before.

Despite the strength of the attack, her aura blocks almost all the damage, but it can't protect her from the electric explosion that follows.

"BAAM!" Vera is sent flying several meters back, feeling her aura mitigate the damage, but it also weakens. The audience watches the scene in astonishment.

"Does he have aura too?" one person wonders. Another replies, "If he had aura, he wouldn't be bleeding or have those bruises." Confusion grips the spectators. "It looks like he doesn't have aura, but I guess he has semblance," another comments.

"NO AURA!" someone yells, and quickly more voices join in.

"NO AURA! NO AURA! NO AURA!" the crowd begins to chant.

Aegis moves swiftly, launching himself toward Vera in a decisive motion. She, ready to respond, concentrates all her strength into a direct punch to his chest, aiming to overwhelm him. Just when it seems she won't be able to dodge, Aegis suddenly accelerates and narrowly avoids the impact by mere millimeters, leaving her momentarily off balance. Before she can react, he closes in and delivers a punch to her stomach. Her aura absorbs most of the impact, but the electric explosion accompanying the blow courses through her body, forcing her to stagger back several meters as she feels her defense has truly been compromised.

Without giving Vera time to recover, Aegis attacks again, launching a series of quick strikes. Vera reacts with all the speed and strength her aura provides, attempting to approach from hidden angles and attacking from blind spots. However, Aegis seems to anticipate every move, dodging with an agility that borders on supernatural. His body bends, twists, and turns in bewildering ways, evading her attacks by mere seconds before countering with blows charged with electricity.

Aegis delivers a sidekick to Vera's torso; she blocks it, but the explosive impact forces her to stagger back. She quickly regains her balance and responds with a swift spin and a hook aimed at his face, seeking a vulnerability. Aegis tilts his head to the side, and Vera's fist barely grazes the air before he, with a fluid motion, counters with a direct kick to her side.

Vera blocks again, but the electricity from the impact spreads through her side, gradually weakening her aura. She feels the buzzing of energy coursing through her body; although the pain is bearable, she knows that each blow is eroding her defense.

Aegis changes the rhythm, unleashing a flurry of punches from different angles that force her to retreat. Vera raises her arms, blocking each strike, feeling how the electric shocks wear down her endurance. Although her energy still protects her, each impact makes her aura flicker unsteadily.

Aegis steps back and delivers a quick kick to her leg. Vera manages to maintain her balance despite the impact, but she has no time for another reaction before Aegis is back on her, throwing an elbow at her shoulder that explodes in an electric flash. She stumbles but stabilizes, resetting her guard.

Changing strategy, Vera tries to overwhelm him with a combination of quick, precise attacks, throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession, hoping to break Aegis's constant evasion. Some blows graze him, but he avoids the rest with fluid and agile movements. In a final attempt, Vera throws an uppercut straight at his face, but Aegis slips to the side, allowing her fist to pass just over his shoulder.

Without losing momentum, Aegis throws a punch at Vera's face. The electric explosion sends her reeling, her steps unsteady as her aura begins to visibly weaken.

Determined to endure, Vera advances, raising her arms and reinforcing her aura around them, using all her remaining energy to try to buy time. She lifts her head, searching for any opening while keeping her defense high, her eyes fixed on Aegis.

However, he does not relent. Aegis attacks with a continuous barrage of strikes, the first hitting against Vera's block, followed by a punch from the left that thunders against her guard. With each impact, her aura shudders, but Vera withstands the assault, keeping her arms raised with all her strength.

Left, right, left again; Aegis continues with relentless brutality, and each electric discharge erodes Vera's energy. Pain and tension increase, but she remains firm, her arms trembling under the onslaught. Gradually, however, her defense wears thin, and with one final, devastating blow, her aura shatters in a burst of energy.

Her arms fall, exhausted, and Vera is left unprotected. In an instant, Aegis advances, his expression determined and cold. Visibly angry, he throws a direct punch to her face, impacting with devastating force. The explosion of energy is so brutal that her head bursts in a cloud of blood, and Vera's body remains upright for a second before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

The arena falls into absolute silence.

[Imagen]

"WINNER!" shouts the announcer, breaking the stillness.

With that said, people begin to react. "Woooo!" some scream and celebrate in the stands.

"Ugh... bleh." Another, on the other hand, has a reaction more in line with the situation and vomits.

The arena chief, alarmed, quickly flees, escorted by her security guards.

As chaos erupts around him, Daniel scans the crowd for Neo but does not see her anywhere. Not thinking much of it, he heads to a quieter area outside the arena, seeking a moment to recover and perhaps reunite with her.

"I really need my bag," Daniel whispers.

It takes longer than Daniel would like, but finally, Neo arrives with his bag and some briefcases. Before he can say anything, Neo quickly approaches and begins to check him over. Her face grows serious as she assesses Daniel's condition. "This isn't good," Neo thinks as her hands explore his body. "Several broken fingers, a fractured hand, maybe a chipped rib, and various bruises."

Neo takes his hand and tries to pull him toward one of Roman's hideouts, where there are medical supplies. "You never know when you'll need to pull a bullet out of someone or stitch up a cut."

Feeling dragged along, Daniel says, "Stop!" and breaks free from her grip. "I need my bag!" Neo looks at him incredulously, but he stands firm and grabs the bag. "Just give me a minute," he says as he quickly heads to a bathroom.

Neo tries to stop him, gesturing that it's not the time for that. "Just a moment," Daniel replies, closing the door behind him. Minutes pass, and she is about to knock down the door when suddenly it swings open. Daniel steps out looking better. Neo wouldn't say he's completely recovered, but he looks much better. His bleeding has stopped, and his hands, while still bruised, seem almost healed. He wears a clean shirt.

"How did you do that?" Neo asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Boy stuff, you wouldn't understand," Daniel says, laughing despite the pain he still feels. He's about to leave when he remembers something important.

"NO! WAIT, MY MONEY!" he screams, realizing he didn't collect his share. He's about to run out again to demand what he's owed, but Neo stops him.

She shows him a suitcase full of cash. Daniel looks at her, surprised, and hugs Neo, starting to kiss her face. "Oh, Neo! I knew you had something special!"

Then, Daniel glances at the other suitcase. "And that?" he asks, pointing. She gestures to herself, implying that it's hers.

"You bet on me?" Daniel asks, and Neo looks at him for a moment before nodding, a smile on her face. Though hesitant, Daniel doesn't question it.

"Did they give you everything without a fuss?" Daniel asks.

Neo makes some signs, explaining that at first, they were reluctant to give it to her, but in the end, she managed to reason with them.

[Chief's Office in the Arena]

The new chief of the arena watches the former chief, or what's left of her, with her head smashed against the wall. Her bodyguards didn't fare any better: clean cuts adorn their bodies and their throats are slit. The guards died quickly; the same can't be said for the former chief. "Ahh…" she sighs, already tired.

"You should've just given her the money," says the new chief coldly.

"Well, too bad," she adds, as she walks away, letting the workers take care of the cleanup.

[Cut to Daniel and Neo]

"By the way," Daniel says to Neo, "we're not doing anything today. My body hurts too much for that…"

… …

…

Neo frowns, visibly disappointed. ☹

[Achievement unlocked: I'm so tired… better another day]

+1 gacha

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Author's note: Some clarifications and things I want to say

- Power levels?

I never understood the power levels in the series. At one moment, Ruby runs fast enough to create a mini storm that drags her teammates and slams them against the wall; in another chapter, she can't outrun Roman.

- How strong is Daniel alone?

He could easily beat six thugs.

- Could Aegis beat a real hunter?

Mmmmm... no.

- When will Daniel learn to use his aura?

Someday, surely... maybe.

- What happened to the Nokia?

You'll see it in the next one, so if you want to leave a message, this is the time. It might be the last one I receive.

- When does Bacon start?

Honestly... it's still a long way off. I'm not in a rush to reach the canon.

- What happened to the +18 scene?

I owe you that.

- Why am I not releasing more chapters?

I don't know, why don't you leave a review? Huh?

That's it, bye!