COVELENT: XenoTrait

The rain continued to fall. Blade lay motionless on the shattered road, his chest rose and fell weakly as his last breath faded away.

Abel stood over him, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from his hands and mixed with the rainwater running across the broken concrete.

"For the first time since entering this city, I feel different... stronger, alive," Abel thought as a grin appeared on his face.

Behind him, Felix smirked. "He is better indeed."

Abel allowed himself a small smile.

Far above the battlefield, inside a massive control chamber, Markus watched everything through a holographic display.

The image showed Blade’s defeat from multiple angles. For several seconds, Markus said nothing.

Then he chuckled. "He completely toyed with him, and he didn’t even use his power... hmm, I guess it makes sense."

One of the operators swallowed nervously. "Sir... should we deploy additional forces?"

Markus smiled. "No."

The operator relaxed slightly as he let out a soft breath.

Then Markus continued, "We’ll deploy all of them."

The room fell silent. "What... all of them?"

Markus stood. "Are you questioning me?" His dark coat shifted behind him. "I want to see how far he can go." The hologram vanished. "Open the gates," Markus barked.

Across the city, alarms suddenly began screaming. "WARNING... WARNING."

Massive metal barriers opened, and figures emerged. Dozens first poured in, then hundreds. Mutated soldiers flooded the streets from every direction with different types of diamonds.

Abel looked up. "What the hell..."

Felix sighed. "Looks like our audience wants an encore."

The first wave charged. Abel rushed forward. He extended his fingers outward and tore through one attacker.

Felix moved beside him. Another soldier swung a blade, Felix caught the wrist and snapped it, then used the soldier as a projectile against three others.

Bodies crashed together.

The battle exploded. Rain continued to fall, mixed with the blood of Felix’s and Abel’s enemies. Concrete exploded everywhere as they clashed with the soldiers.

Everywhere they turned, enemies appeared. A spear came flying, but Felix caught it without looking. A blade swung toward Abel.

A cracking sound was heard as scales appeared on Felix’s body.

The blade that was swung toward Abel was intercepted by the scales on Felix’s forearms.

The weapon shattered. "Keep your eyes moving," Felix said.

Abel nodded in agreement.

For several minutes, the battlefield became a blur.

The lessons from Blade’s fight echoed inside Abel’s head. "Watch their balance, watch their feet, watch their shoulders."

One by one, enemies fell, and then everything stopped. The soldiers suddenly backed away.

The street became silent as a figure walked forward slowly.

His shoes splashed through puddles as he approached. The soldiers immediately lowered their heads.

Abel felt his stomach tighten.

Markus glanced around, then smiled. "Wonderful."

One of the nearby soldiers stepped forward. "Lord Markus—" Everyone froze as Markus grabbed the man’s face. There was a faint shimmering sound, then the man’s body crystallized.

His scream cut off. Moments later, he had become a massive diamond shield.

Abel stared. "What..."

Another soldier took a step back, terrified, and thought, "I can’t do this..." Memories came back in an auditorium, Reina giving a speech about how they had all survived natural selection and how they had to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of Russia and the world.

Markus looked toward him. The soldier ran, but he never made it three steps. Markus grabbed him. The transformation spread, the man’s body stretched, then compressed and hardened. Moments later, a giant crystalline spear rested in Markus’s hand.

Panic erupted. The soldiers began running, screaming, and begging, "Please spare us!"

Markus simply laughed. "You all exist for a purpose."

He hurled the spear. The weapon shot through the rain like a missile.

Felix moved to the side, but the spear wasn’t aimed at him... it was aimed at Abel.

Abel screamed. "Aaaahhhhhhh!" The spear pierced through the side of his leg.

Blood exploded across the pavement.

"ABEL!" Felix barked as he vanished, appearing beside him instantly. He ripped the spear free. Abel nearly collapsed.

Felix bit his thumb, and his blood fell into Abel’s injury. The wound immediately began healing, thin flesh crawling across the injury.

Markus watched with interest. "Fascinating."

Felix hurled the spear back. The crystalline weapon flew toward Markus.

Just before impact, it dissolved, turning into dust.

The wind carried the fragments away as Markus smiled. "Hello, Felix."

Felix’s expression darkened. "Markus."

"It’s been a while," Markus said.

"I preferred it that way," Felix answered.

Markus laughed. His eyes shifted toward Abel. "Oh." His smile widened. "You’re still alive."

Abel froze.

Markus tilted his head. "Still chasing Amme?"

Everything stopped as Abel’s heart skipped. "...What?"

Markus laughed. "That’s adorable."

Abel stepped forward as rain dripped from his face. "What happened to her?"

Markus smiled. "What do you think happened... she failed natural selection."

Abel’s fists tightened. "What happened to Amme?"

Markus’s grin widened. "She’s gone."

Silence filled the once-roaring battlefield. The world disappeared. Abel’s vision began to turn hazy.

Then Markus delivered the final blow. "She’s dead."

Abel’s eyes widened as tears poured out. "No... she can’t be dead... no."

Abel heard a ringing sound in his ears. "Nooooooooooooo..." The ground beneath him cracked. His breathing became uneven as his vision blurred. Every memory flooded back. "Amme laughing, smiling, and Amme promising they’d meet again."

"No..." Abel murmured, while Felix stood behind him silently.

Markus raised a hand, and dozens of soldiers rushed forward.

Abel screamed. "You took her from meeeee!!!!" He exploded into motion.

His fingers pierced a soldier’s chest. Another slash broke an arm. Another attack, another, and another.

Abel was now growling, his face and body splattered with blood, saliva dripping from his mouth.

He was attacking all of Markus’s men. One after another, they fell.

Felix watched, his eyes narrowed. "Idiot..."

Meanwhile, Markus smiled. "Interesting."

Felix stepped forward, his scales spreading once more, starting from his arms to his shoulders, then across his entire body.

The rain hissed as droplets struck the hardened surface.

Felix wasn’t smiling anymore, and Markus noticed this as his grin widened. "There he is."

Felix vanished. The street exploded. He appeared directly in front of Markus.

A clawed fist slammed toward his face. Markus barely blocked.

The impact launched him through three buildings.

Concrete erupted, and before the dust settled, Felix was already there. His claws flashed.

Markus leaned aside. The strike carved through an entire wall.

The building collapsed.

Markus countered as dark veins erupted across his arm.

His punch connected, and Felix flew backward, skidding across the road.

Felix spoke. "How?..."

Markus answered, "Oh, you noticed... my new power, huh?"

Felix repeated, "I said how."

Markus replied, "This again... physical enhancements."

Felix barked, "I said how, goddamnit... those dark veins, that’s my research... where did you get it?"

Markus erupted in laughter. "Oh, this... this was a gift from Takakura for keeping him alive."

Markus charged, and Felix spat.

A stream of acidic venom struck Markus directly in the face. Smoke exploded upward.

Markus stumbled as his skin melted.

Abel continued fighting. His movements were becoming slower and more desperate.

A blade pierced his shoulder. Another cut his side. A spear stabbed into his back.

He just kept moving. "They killed her..." He slashed one of the enemies. "They killed her..." He punched one. "They killed her..."

Felix noticed this, closed his eyes, and barked, "Damn it."

He disengaged. Markus immediately realized what was happening, his face still melting. "Leaving already?"

Felix ignored him. He crashed into the crowd surrounding Abel.

Bodies flew in every direction. Claws flashed, and soldiers dropped one after another.

Within seconds, the road was clear. Felix grabbed Abel. "We’re leaving." He cut him with his claw, paralyzing him.

Felix threw him over his shoulder and ran.

The city blurred around them as he glanced at Markus being transported away.

Rain hammered down relentlessly.

"Next time, Felix," Markus whispered as he fell unconscious.

Felix didn’t respond.

He kept running, and moments later, he was out of Russia as they entered the helicopter that Kim Jung was driving.

The doors shut as silence filled the cabin.

Rain tapped against the windows.

Abel sat motionless, blood still staining his clothes.

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