It was a girl. She had cat-like features.
Her gaze was piercing, feline eyes locking onto Neto as if they were long-lost companions. Her ears were slightly more angular, the tips twitching with curiosity, and her movements—fluid, graceful—spoke of something dangerous beneath her calm exterior.
"Do I... know you?" Neto's voice was steady, though there was an undertone of unease. His heart skipped slightly, but there was no recognition in his eyes, just a faint flicker of something else—something far more guarded.
Without warning, Zuri leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. The force of her jump caught him off guard, but he didn't flinch.
"Steveeeee, it is you!" she exclaimed, her voice high-pitched, filled with an unrestrained joy that rang too loudly in Neto's ears.
Her voice, her enthusiasm, was annoying.
"My name is Neto Amari," he muttered, his voice cold. He lifted her off the ground with a single hand, his grip tight and controlled. His eyes, now distant, met hers with a hollow indifference.
"Neto? You... you have your memories?" Zuri's voice faltered, a trace of disbelief coloring her words. She hadn't expected this. She had expected the warm Steve, the one who had been her friend, not this stranger with cold, distant eyes.
"Not the fun ones," Neto replied, his lips curling into a smile, but it was a grim one—like the barest of mockery. "But yes, I remember... and by the way, you four are trespassing. I'll have to kill you."
Zuri's eyes widened, and for the first time, she seemed unsure of herself. This wasn't the Steve she knew. The man in front of her felt entirely different—colder, darker, as if the memories he obtained had molded him into something unrecognizable.
Before Zuri could respond, Neo stepped forward, his presence as chilling as the air itself. His eyes were sharp, calculating, as he watched the exchange between them with interest. He wouldn't let this turn into something more destructive.
His hand gripped Neto's wrist with surprising force, pulling it away from Zuri.
"Let her go," Neo said, his voice low, but with an authority that brooked no argument. His grip was unyielding, his gaze unwavering.
Neto's expression didn't change, but his eyes flickered with something dark and unsettling. The tension between them was palpable, as if the space between them was alive with the threat of violence.
"Oh?" Neto said, his lips quirking into a smirk. "Interesting."
"I'd be enough for you," Neo whispered, the words dripping with quiet confidence, a hint of a challenge. There was no hesitation in his voice, only a calculating calmness that suggested he had already made up his mind.
Neto's lips twitched into a smile, not a friendly one, but a sharp, knowing grin.
Both had one thought in mind
"Let's see if that's true."
There was no further exchange. The air around them seemed to vibrate with the intensity of what was coming—two predators, poised to strike.
---
Most of the Vakkari had been neutralized, either killed or incapacitated, their ranks decimated by the sheer might of the school's elite. It was clear they had underestimated the strength of the school's top students. Or maybe they had been sent as a show of force, to test the waters. Either way, they had failed.
Of the remaining, four had gathered together, seemingly discussing their next move. They were the ranked four. Their conversation, however, was cut short as one of them suddenly struck another. A fight broke out, violent and unrestrained, while the others stood off to the side, watching in silence.
The sun above cast a dim glow over the vast metallic floor. The hum of residual energy thrummed in the air, a palpable reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded.
Neto cracked his knuckles, his expression neutral, but his eyes glinted with anticipation.
Across from him, Neo stood at ease, his posture perfect, his eyes sharp. A faint chill emanated from him, frost gathering subtly at his feet. It was clear—this was no ordinary encounter.
As though the sound of a bell rang, signaling the start of a fight, Neto moved.
A sword of translucent blue energy formed in his grasp, humming with raw power. He lunged forward, quick and precise, his body a blur as he aimed for Neo.
Neo smirked. He exhaled sharply, and mist began to swirl around him. In the blink of an eye, jagged ice spikes shot from the ground, forming a barrier between them. The air around him crystallized, the temperature dropping sharply.
Neto halted mid-stride, adjusting his momentum with a fluid motion. Without missing a beat, he shattered the sword into shards, which reformed into a chain sickle construct. With a sharp, practiced swing, the chain sliced through the ice with a force that sent shards scattering.
Neo clicked his tongue, a sharp sound that echoed through the battleground. A snap of his fingers, and in an instant, he was above Neto, swapping places with a loose piece of ice debris. He twisted mid-air, his hand raised. A cloud of freezing vapor followed, and a barrage of ice spears shot downward, aimed directly at Neto.
Neto's eyes flickered with anticipation. His perception slowed just enough—enough to see the spears in minute detail. Instead of dodging, he opened his hand, and the spears collided with an invisible force, shattering upon impact.
The moment the spears scattered, Neto made a pulling motion with his hand. Neo was yanked toward the ground with unnatural speed, but before he could react, they swapped places. Neto dropped with velocity, but his control was flawless. He twisted in mid-air, landing gracefully on the ground. The chain sickle in his hand morphed again, transforming into a spear-like projectile. He threw it with deadly precision.
Neo smirked again. Another snap of his fingers, and the spear missed him by inches as he swapped places with a broken shard of ice, his movements fluid and calculated.
Neto wasn't fooled. He had already predicted the move.
Looking around in quick succession, his eyes tracked Neo's displacement in real time. A chain shot out from his hand, connecting with the thrown spear, which morphed into a net. With a swift yank, he attempted to ensnare Neo.
Neo's eyes widened slightly. Too close. He barely managed to summon a layer of ice armor around his arm before the chain wrapped around him, the energy from Neto's attack biting through the frost.
But it wasn't an attack—it was a trap.
Neto pulled the chain upward, then downwards with force, using his gravity manipulation to accelerate its speed. The intent was clear: smash Neo into the ground.
But with snap, the ground beneath Neto's feet seemed to shudder, and suddenly, he was the one plummeting downward. Neo stood, unfazed, where Neto had been. The chain, a creation of Neto's energy, scattered and impaled the ground in a jagged wedge.
Neto didn't hesitate. Using the chain to steady himself, he spun, landing with precision, just narrowly avoiding a swinging ice blade that whizzed past him. He reconstructed the chain once again, his eyes locked on Neo. With speed and skill, he swung the chain back at him.
Neo caught the chain with one hand, but as he did, the energy within it froze solid. The two combatants were locked in a tense standoff.
Then, a sudden kick landed hard against Neo's side, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Neto, still caught in the excitement of the fight, was momentarily distracted. His attention snapped to the figure who had struck, only to find himself furious.
His grip tightened pulling them toward him with unnatural strength.
A swift kick sent the intruder flying towards another student, and in an instant, the person was replaced by Neo, who caught him by the leg mid-air and smashed it into the ground.
"No one interferes," both Neto and Neo said, their voices calm yet forceful, in perfect unison.
Their eyes locked, both recognizing the rivalry between them. Neither would back down now.
With speed that left lower-ranked students in the dust, they surged forward, each determined to prove their dominance.
But before they could clash again, a man appeared between them, his presence radiating authority. The clash of their powers halted abruptly.
"Haaah?" Both Neto and Neo were caught off guard, their annoyance palpable.
Neto struck first, his hand morphing into a metallic structure, ready to strike. Neo followed, his arm darkened, his fingers extending into deadly claws, his gaze unwavering.
The man spoke, his voice cool and commanding.
"A state shift takes too much energy. Are you two really planning on using that just to attack me?"
The words echoed between them, forcing a brief moment of hesitation.
The weight of his words sunk in.