Chapter 14

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...

"Wow!" came excited exclamations from across the river.

A group of kids stood on the opposite bank, watching with glee as Sergei got a beating. Their excitement was understandable—they'd all been in his shoes before. After all, seeing someone else in pain often brings a strange sense of satisfaction.

Pietro, in particular, was enjoying the scene. Lately, he'd been acting a bit too cocky. His super-speed made him the fastest, second only to Leon, and his strength had grown as a result. That success had fed his pride.

Leon didn't want Pietro's overconfidence to lead to carelessness—like getting grazed by a bullet in the future. So, he struck hard, almost humbling the boy into submission.

Using his superior speed, Leon quickly overwhelmed Pietro, landing a swift kick to his backside. After a few more kicks, Pietro felt his rear go numb. Frustrated, he eventually gave up and lay flat on the ground, no longer bothering to resist. Meanwhile, his friends seized the moment to tease him. Pietro had always loved taunting them with his speed, so they had long been eager to see him taken down a peg. It was Leon who finally knocked his arrogance down.

The kids squatting on the riverbank gazed up at Leon, who hovered in the air like a radiant sun, their eyes filled with envy. Flying was the ability everyone craved most—seeing the world from the sky was entirely different from seeing it from the ground.

The younger ones especially loved to sweet-talk Leon into taking them on sky-high adventures, and when they returned, they couldn't stop bragging about it. The envy from the others was palpable.

"Wow, Sergei's really taking a beating. He still hasn't gotten up?" said Lomon, a 12-year-old boy standing at 1.65 meters, peering toward the middle of the river, where only a few bubbles were rising to the surface.

"Heh, Boss Leon's light-speed kick could knock down a mountain. Sergei's definitely hurting," Pietro gloated.

"I'm not so sure," Wanda, standing beside Pietro, shook her head slightly. Having spent so much time together, she could see how much Sergei had grown.

"Leon mentioned that Sergei's physical talent is second only to Gennady and Sumarokov. Plus, Leon didn't use the full force of his kick, so Sergei's probably still looking for a chance to counterattack."

"Tsk," the others grumbled. When it came to physical talent, the rest of the group—Pietro included—couldn't help but feel a bit sour. Only Gennady and Sumarokov shrugged, unfazed.

At nearly thirteen, Gennady and Sumarokov had fully tapped into their physical potential, thanks to intense training and nutrition. They already stood an impressive 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and solid frames—on par with full-grown, strong Eastern European men. The rest of the group lagged far behind, with the tallest not even reaching 1.7 meters. The gap in physical talent was clear.

Physical talent involves more than height; it includes bone density, skeletal structure, and muscle strength. Gennady, Sumarokov, and Sergei excelled in these areas, which gave them a significant edge in combat. Over the past two years, their strength had far outpaced the rest of the group.

Without their special abilities, even Pietro and Wanda would have fallen behind the three of them. Sergei, in particular, had mastered Flame Breathing, greatly enhancing his strength. While he wasn't as physically powerful as Gennady and Sumarokov, nor as fast as Pietro, his balanced abilities, combined with the sheer destructive power of Flame Breathing, made him a formidable fighter.

Just as Wanda predicted, Sergei had been kicked to the bottom of the river by Leon's light-speed strike. Though he blocked it with his sword, the force left faint cracks in the blade, and it was slightly bent. Still, Sergei refused to give up. Instead, he used the opportunity to think through how to leverage his strengths and tactics for a counterattack.

Maybe...

Bubbles gurgled from his mouth as Sergei crouched at the riverbed, gripping his sword with both hands. The hilt rested on his right shoulder. Even without oxygen, he was determined to summon his power.

Boom!

A fierce wave of scorching heat erupted. The intense heat caused the surrounding water to boil instantly, sending a surge of white bubbles rushing to the surface. The powerful force began to spin the water, creating a massive whirlpool in seconds.

The sudden shift in the river immediately drew the attention of Wanda and the others, who were watching from the shore.

High above, Leon's red coat flapped wildly in the wind. A slight smirk played on his lips as he looked down at the scene. "Using the environment to obscure vision is clever, but..."

Boom!

It was as if thousands of tons of dynamite had exploded. The clear whirlpool turned a deep red, like a fiery cloud sinking into the river's depths.

In the next moment, a massive ball of red flames took the shape of a roaring bear, fangs bared as it charged toward the sky. The heat evaporated the surrounding water droplets, reducing visibility as steam filled the air. The fiery bear, fueled by explosive power, seemed determined to tear Leon apart.

Leon inhaled deeply, the air rushing into his lungs like a hurricane. He slightly raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and a dark, ominous glow spread over it. His eyes sharpened like an eagle's. As the flame bear lunged, Leon twisted his body and unleashed a powerful punch.

His fist collided with the bear's fiery claws, sending it flying back. Sparks erupted like red fireworks in the sky, beautiful but short-lived. Yet, there was no sign of Sergei.

Suddenly, from behind, Sergei's voice came, filled with excitement: "Flame Breathing: Flame Tornado!"

A massive tornado of fire appeared, roaring toward Leon as it spiraled with destructive energy, as if it would consume everything in its path. Within the fiery vortex, Sergei's silhouette flickered in and out of view.

But Leon reacted swiftly. He turned, his hand cutting through the flaming tornado with precision, and caught Sergei by the neck like a steel vice. In an instant, the swirling flames disappeared, and the red sky brightened as the heat dissipated.

Hovering in the air with Sergei in his grasp, Leon sighed. "Who taught you to shout out your moves during a fight? Is it just because it sounds cool?"