My wound is widening too fast, I can’t stop it! Hold on. I can try using a [Potion of Healing], that might work! I can feel my limited control starting to fade.

Noah fought against the compulsion long enough to prevent himself from dying, but the effect brought on by his adrenaline was beginning to fade. The hand staunching the blood flowing from his throat trembled, itching to return to the fight. Noah hurried to retrieve a [Grade 1 Potion of Healing] from his [Zero-Space Dimension Ring]. Without hesitation, he placed the vial against his lips and downed the contents in one gulp, he winced at the bitter taste. The feeling of the potion taking effect was outweighed by once again losing command of his body.

His hands rose of their own accord to summon an [Ice Spear]. Simultaneously, his [Six Spirit Arms] flexed behind his back, forming an archaic sword in each hand. The Grade-4 Soulless charged toward him backed by a swarm of lesser Soulless from all directions. Noah’s lips pursed together as he watched their approach. He sighed heavily, surrendering control of his body.

He instantly sprang into action, lunging toward the horde amid a vortex of rocks defying gravity to rise from the earth. He crossed the distance within a few steps, violently crashing against the infuriated Grade-4 Soulless. He used its leading knee as a foothold to launch himself onto its shoulders, plunging the [Ice Spear] down with a two-handed grip. At the same instant, his spirit arms pierced the archaic swords into the monster’s torso.

The Soulless screamed with rage, swiping him away. The extreme force shattered his [Ice Spear], dispersing it in a shower of shards. Noah instinctively used the momentum of the hit to launch himself upward into the air with the assistance of his [Wind Element Body]. He flipped backward in slow motion, allowing him to investigate the carnage wrought earlier through the dissipated fog.

An entire city block had been levelled under the combined might of [Inferno] and [Earth Manipulation+2]. The ground had been reduced to molten lava in places as oily steam rose from the asphalt. Scorch marks marred the surface of nearby giant mushroom trunks, forcing their inhabitants to flee. Glowworms with obvious signs of being burned retreated toward the canopy over the outer surface of the mushrooms. Ignoring them, Noah looked further.

The blast radius was large but was once again filled with Soulless, now charging toward him. They clawed over molten ruins with no regard for their neighbours. Pushing down those who stumble, then trampling them underfoot, never to rise again as they were roasted by the intense heat. Over the heads of the Soulless horde, Noah was finally able to determine where all of the abandoned cars had been dragged. He saw a tower made of empty vehicles stacked atop one another, acting as a ladder toward an opening in the sky formed of mushrooms.

Standing on the roof of a yellow school bus at the base of the tower was a group of survivors. They wore the same school uniform as the twin girls, accompanied by what appeared to be two teachers. They huddled in terror amid a sea of Soulless streaming past them in Noah’s direction.

He lost sight of them over a ruined building as he descended back down. Except for a pair of Awakened at the top of the tower, they sat on the hood of a vertically suspended sedan. Yellow-lifeforce flowed through the panels of the car, hovering it through the air. The Ability-User responsible looked to be a teenager in the same uniform with torn-off sleeves and unruly red hair.

The car landed in place on the peak of the tower. The second Awakened, a middle-aged woman with tortoiseshell glasses and frizzy hair, carefully climbed down the vertical car before activating her own Ability. He caught only a glimpse of red light before his view was cut off.

Well, I guess being the centre of attention isn’t such a bad thing, after all. Those were just kids. If I go down, the horde will turn on them. I can’t let that happen. For them, I need to let go and use everything I have. Fighting the compulsion now will only hurt them.

Noah allowed gravity to reclaim hold of him, adjusting himself upright in mid-air. He landed a moment later, the impact drove him to one knee, catching himself by punching the ground. He remained motionless with his eyes lowered with Soulless surrounding him on all sides. Slowly looking up, he could see the Grade-4 Soulless flinging aside its comrades to get to him. Unable to restrain themselves any longer, Soulless leapt toward him from all directions. Noah smirked in anticipation.

A maelstrom of barely contained power raged within him, impatiently waiting for the Grade-4 Soulless to draw nearer. Noah watched its approach with single-minded abandon through the time-slowing effects of his [Battle Instinct]. Beneath the pouncing Soulless inching ever closer, swirling clouds of dust rose from the dirt. He could also see mirages of their predicted trajectories while flames licked the surface of his [Grade 1 Inferno Breastplate]. He ignored them to focus on the twisted features of the Grade-4 Soulless, making eye contact. Slaver flew from its maw in rage, pummelling aside a Soulless too slow to get out of its way.

“Boom,” Noah whispered.

He felt lifeforce surge through every fibre of his being. A wall of dust impacted moments before the [Inferno], stripping the skin from the flesh of the Soulless only to be incinerated into ash. He stood alone inside a world of golden flames. A shadow appeared through the wall of fire, aside from himself there only existed the Grade-4 Soulless. Its appearance was now visibly charred as it raised both hands above its head to grip its fist, slamming it down toward Noah. He dodged forward, rolling between its legs. Coming up behind it, Noah shot an [Ice Bullet] into the back of its knee, causing it to stumble off balance. Simultaneously resummoning the [Ice Spear].

He maintained the [Inferno] Ability at full capacity while striking the base of the creature’s skull where the Origin crystal was located.