Chapter 6 - Tragedy

"Roar!" A roar capable of shaking the soul echoed through the air.

Bear swung his arms alternately several times. Ralph and Jaclyn were struck by his right hand, while Amanda, who was carrying Aric, was hit by his left hand.

They were all thrown far away by Bear's powerful swipes. Aric slipped from Amanda's grasp and rolled on the ground. Fortunately, the broken and shattered bones he had earlier were healed by Amanda.

Only his internal injuries hadn't been fully healed yet by Amanda's powers. It would take time, as Aric's injuries were very severe.

"Bear, grab the boy now! I can sense a group of Novas approaching," ordered Cat.

Bear was always obedient to Cat's commands. He immediately ran swiftly to get Aric. Despite his large size, his speed was astonishing.

"Don't you dare!" Ryan shouted a warning cry.

Ryan's body was now covered in numerous wounds. It was unusual to see Ryan in such a state. Usually, he had no problem defeating enemies on their missions. With his super strength, it was rare for him to meet his match.

Most of the enemies would be easily beaten as most missions were tasked to the team according to their overall Novas ranks and Ryan could easily fight those a rank above him with his power.

But not this time. Their enemies far surpassed the strength of his team. Therefore, it was as if his team amounted to nothing in this fight. Sensing the dire situation his brother was in, Ryan unconsciously released a powerful aura wave from his body, sending Snake and Cat flying.

In a blink of an eye, Ryan vanished from his position and appeared in front of Bear. He was now holding Bear's hand just as Bear was about to touch Aric. Ryan moved at a speed far beyond what he had ever achieved before!

Seeing Ryan, Bear was stunned for a moment. He was wondering how Ryan was able to cover more than a hundred meters at such speed. 

While holding Bear's hand, Ryan pushed Aric far away from them using his aura. The aura was fierce toward enemies but gentle towards Aric. Ryan's mastery and control of his aura this time around also surpassed what he was able to.

Despite the sudden burst of strength and mastery, something terrifying was happening. Ryan's eyes had changed color, turning a deep red. His aura, once bright and clean, now slowly resembles that of a demon.

"Huh?" For the first time, they heard Bear's deep voice. He was also shocked by Ryan's transformation. The aura managed to send shivers down his spine.

"Ryan…" His friends were equally stunned. They had never seen Ryan like this. Even though Ryan's aura and strength were now vastly different, Bear remained composed. Instead of retreating, he did something unimaginable.

FUUM! FUUM!

The gravity in their location suddenly increased a hundredfold. The ground where Bear and Ryan stood now shattered greatly. Despite his sudden transformation, Ryan was struggling a little bit.

"Gyrokinesis?!" Jaclyn exclaimed, witnessing the scene before her.

"Who are these people? Why do they have two powers?" Ralph questioned next.

Amanda, still clinging tightly on her duty to protect Aric, immediately moved to retrieve Aric, who had been pushed away by Ryan's aura. He was not too far away from her.

Before Amanda could take five steps, a voice stopped her, "Where are you going?"

Snake suddenly appeared before her, separating her from Aric. Despite being startled, she quickly pulled out an energy pistol. This weapon was developed by David in order to aid non-combatant Novas in battles or dire situations.

This energy pistol, known as Energy Blaster 01, could shoot energy balls with destructive power that were equal to that of an Expert Nova's attacks. After aiming at Snake, Amanda fired several shots.

Facing the energy ball, Snake remained calm. "Kekeke! You think that piece of junk can save you?" Snake lashed his tail at the energy balls, completely unscathed.

"N-n-no way!" Amanda screamed in terror. Her legs turned to jelly, and she slowly fell to the ground. Their enemies this time were very different. She could feel that their lives were truly in danger today.

"Amanda!" Ryan's focus wavered at Amanda's plight, compounded by Aric being near her, making him even more anxious.

A strong punch from Bear landed on Ryan's cheek, sending him flying to the side before rolling on the ground. Cat seized this opportunity to thrust her hand into a manifested teleportation portal.

The portal's exit was behind Ryan's chest. Cat's hand moved swiftly and accurately. Even if Ryan was able to notice her attack, it was too late for him to take any action. Her claw stabbed into Ryan's back.

The stab penetrated Ryan's body fully. Blood splashed out from his body and mouth. Only a few inches remained before Cat's claw and hand would emerge from his chest. "Die—"

Before Cat could finish her sentence, a diamond-studded punch hit her cheek. The attacker also successfully landed a similar punch on Bear's face.

Both Cat and Bear were sent flying several meters before tumbling to the ground. Their robes were torn, and part of their masks shattered.

"Fergus!" Jaclyn shouted the name. Finally, help had arrived. They were all saved!

"Don't think you'll get away," a middle-aged man's voice warned Snake. Seven Novas appeared, six of them Specialist Novas, and the middle-aged man was an Expert Nova.

They surrounded Snake, leaving him no room for escape. With a command from the Expert Nova, two of them rescued Aric and Amanda.

"Damn it! How dare you!" Cat cursed, quickly standing up after Fergus's ambush.

Cat discarded her shredded robe. With her mask broken, half of Cat's face was visible. She had an incredibly beautiful face and a seductive figure.

Fergus almost fell for Cat's charm. "A charm power? Dangerous," Fergus remarked.

Fergus, known for his indulgent lifestyle, nearly got trapped by Cat's power.

He then rushed to Ryan, who was lying unconscious. Blood was pouring from Ryan's body non-stop.

"Vogue! Kamala! Quickly, save Ryan," Fergus ordered.

Two more Novas emerged from the nearby forest. Like Amanda, their powers were not suited for combat, so they chose to hide and be ready to help when needed.

"Who are you? Why are you attacking Valoria's Novas?" Fergus's voice was firm.

He knew the three enemies before him were capable of endangering their lives. Just look at Ryan's condition. Even though both he and Ryan were Expert Novas, and Ryan was much younger, Fergus doubted he could defeat Ryan easily.

"Why do you want to know? It's none of your business!" Cat retorted angrily, raising one hand above her head and pointing the other at Snake.

"Snake! Bear! Enough. We can't fight them all. Let's postpone the mission," Cat ordered. She was losing patience. The mission was supposed to be easy—find the cosmic energy source and bring it back to their base.

But many complications arose. The cosmic energy source had merged with a teenager, and then there was the arrival of Expert Novas Ryan and Fergus.

Initially, she was excited to fight Ryan. The opportunity to eliminate Ryan, a highly rewarded target, was too tempting.

If successful, she would earn a substantial bounty. She could use the money to indulge and take a break from her organization's orders.

But Fergus and his team's arrival thwarted her plans. That's why she chose to postpone the mission despite her anger.

She didn't believe that even if the three of them used their full powers, they could defeat all these Novas. Even if they succeeded, the cost would be too high, and they didn't want to take the risk.

WIZZ! WIZZ! WIZZ!

Teleportation portals appeared behind the three of them. Cat and Bear immediately stepped in. Fergus considered stopping them but decided it was more important to get treatment for Ryan and his team first.

Moreover, he had seen half of Cat's face. Perhaps, with this information and his memory, the Novas Union could gather detailed information and plan a counterattack.

"Don't chase them!" Fergus ordered.

If Ryan and his team were in such a state here, what would it be like on the enemy's turf? Entering enemy's territory without information and preparation was tantamount to suicide.

He couldn't let his team do that. Fergus surveyed the surroundings. The destruction at Rumera Hill was severe.

The information about an asteroid hitting the hill seemed accurate. He felt sad that such a beautiful place was destroyed. He then looked at Ryan.

"Ryan…" Fergus gazed at Ryan's body being treated by his team. Ryan's injuries were severe. His face was turning pale.

"Ralph, report everything to the Union. All Novas need to know what happened today," Fergus commanded. Ralph nodded in understanding.