My eyes shot over to Gray, who stood firm, his sword raised and steady in a ready stance.
I was still paralysed by disbelief, struggling to accept the situation unfolding around us.
Two men were closing in fast, daggers drawn. Their gas masks clung tight to their faces, filtering the thick fumes that hung in the West's air.
We weren't so lucky. Every breath we took burned in our lungs, each inhale harsher than the last.
There was no way we could win this fight.
Is this it? Do we die here? Will I already lose my second chance at life?
A sharp hum cut through the tension. My head snapped towards Gray. His katana glowed fiercely as thick, blue essence enveloped the blade. It widened, lengthened—twisting into something between a greatsword and a katana.
At the same moment, something shifted in my vision as I watched him.
I could see more. Understand more.
A flickering overlay of knowledge filled my mind.
[Fury Tier 2: Slasher]
It was Gray's Level, and his subclass!
My hunch about him being the same subclass as me was correct, and he was a Tier above me.
A rush of cautious hope surged through me. Maybe… just maybe, we had a chance.
But that flicker of hope was interrupted fast.
A sharp, metallic screech pierced the distance.
The two enemies were now only a rooftop away, closing in. But behind them—further back—I caught a glint of gold. The third figure who had lingered now had something long and deadly in hand.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the shimmer.
A rifle.
"Sniper!" I shouted, diving to the side.
BANG.
The shot rang out brutally, but it wasn't aimed at me.
I heard the sharp ping of bullet against metal.
Gray had swung his sword just in time, the blade catching the bullet mid-air and sending it flying into the sky. He stayed standing, unharmed—but his expression twisted into frustration.
"Never mind," he muttered, eyes still on the far-off figure. "If they have a sniper, we need to move. Escape's our only option."
I didn't need convincing.
But then—
Thud.
The two dagger-wielders dropped onto our rooftop, boots slamming against stone. Their goggles locked onto us, eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
They weren't here to intimidate.
They were here to kill.
The man on our left raised his hand. Orange light began to pulse from his palm, fiery and dangerous. And again, the knowledge came unbidden:
[Fury Tier 2: Elementalist]
Before I could react—
WOOSH.
A roaring torrent of flame burst from his palm, aimed straight at Gray.
To our right, the second man knelt, pressing his hand against the rooftop's surface. A strange purple essence flowed from his body and spread like roots through the floor toward me.
And again, my mind understood him.
[Fury Tier 2: Summoner]
The ground beneath me quaked, sending vibrations through my feet.
From the spreading purple mist, bony skeletal hands erupted as if from the ground.
Dozens... No, hundreds of them clawed up from the stone, reaching for anything that dared to step in their way, and they were travelling rapidly towards me.
My thoughts scattered. My body froze.
Two enemies, both a tier stronger than me.
And a sniper we couldn't even reach.
This is it. I'm going to die.
But Gray had other plans.
He stepped forward, gripping his magical greatsword with both hands. With a vicious, sweeping motion, he spun in a full arc, slicing the air with raw power.
From his blade, an arc of blue essence exploded outward, surging towards the incoming fire and skeletal arms.
It carved through both like paper. Disintegrating the flames, shattering the hands—then kept going, flying at the two attackers.
But they were too fast to allow themselves to be hit.
They leapt over the arc in perfect sync, their movements unnaturally smooth, impossibly athletic.
Before they landed, I noticed another glint in the distance.
I locked eyes on the sniper, and I was able to read his class as well.
[Fury Tier 2: Sniper]
This time, I saw it clearly. His gun aimed not at us, but at something suspended high in the sky.
A mirror.
A single, floating mirror, hanging impossibly in the air.
I didn't understand what it could be until it was too late.
BANG.
The rifle fired. A half-second later—ping... thud... and then—a scream of pain.
Gray clutched his face, blood gushing through his fingers.
He stumbled, his left eye ruined, a bullet lodged in his skull. But by some miracle he was still alive.
The sniper had ricocheted the shot off the magical floating mirror.
He planned the angle. He shot through the sky just to hit Gray!
Our enemies landed lightly on their feet, blades drawn, closing in. Gray was staggered. Wounded and paralyzed by agony.
And that left me.
Just me, with nothing but a shard of broken glass, and Touch Of Blood.
Two Tier 2 mages to deal with at close range, whilst keeping my eyes on a Tier 2 Sniper in the distance...
The odds were stacked heavily against me.
"Shit"
...
I widened my stance, holding the shard tight. My heartbeat drowned out the chaos.
I can't die. Not yet. I have to fight!
My thoughts were cut off as I heard sudden footsteps coming from beside me.
I turned, expecting to see Gray bracing for another attack.
But no—he was running. Blood streaked behind him as he sprinted back the way we came, one hand still clutching his face.
I didn't blame him.
I just hoped we were fast enough.
Without hesitation, I shoved the glass into my pocket and took off after him.