The southern district's streets blurred into indistinct shapes as Oziel pushed his Flash Step to its absolute limits, Helena secured in his arms while his enhanced perception tracked their destination. The broadcasting station loomed ahead, perhaps four streets remaining before they could reach it and complete their mission.

But behind them the pursuit had shifted, Bowman's casual following transforming into serious chase as the assassin apparently decided reconnaissance was complete. His Shadow Step activated with frequency that matched Oziel's own movement technique, the gap between them closing with mathematical precision.

"He's done playing," Oziel said, his voice tight with recognition of changing circumstances. "We're not reaching the station before he catches us, he's been letting us run to evaluate my stamina and now he's moving to end this."

"Then what do we do?" Helena asked, her journalist's pragmatism cutting through panic that less experienced people might have felt.

"I put you down and we fight," Oziel replied, his body already shifting position as he prepared for combat while maintaining momentum. "When I engage him you run for the station, don't look back and don't wait for me, just activate that broadcast crystal and complete the mission."

"He'll kill you," Helena said bluntly.

"Maybe," Oziel acknowledged. "But maybe not, and either way you'll have the time you need to finish what we started."

Bowman's voice carried from directly behind them, close enough that conversation was possible despite their speed. "Impressive endurance, Radcliffe, but this chase is over, time for our rematch and this time there won't be mutual withdrawal."

Oziel stopped abruptly, his Flash Step reversing direction as he set Helena down with surprising gentleness before spinning to face the pursuing assassin. His sword cleared its sheath with familiar ring of steel, silver light already beginning to manifest around the blade.

"Run," he said to Helena without taking his eyes from Bowman. "Don't stop for anything, don't look back, just run until you reach that station and activate the broadcast."

Helena hesitated for only a heartbeat before turning and sprinting southward, her pack containing the crystal bouncing against her back with each stride. Behind her she heard the first clash of combat as Master rank cultivators engaged with full force.

Clang!

Bowman's daggers met Oziel's sword with impact that cracked the cobblestones beneath them, both warriors pouring maximum power into that initial exchange. The shockwave rippled outward, shattering windows in nearby buildings and sending loose debris skittering across the street.

"No holding back this time," Bowman said, his poison aura manifesting immediately at full intensity. "No tactical withdrawal when things get difficult, we fight until one of us can't continue."

"Agreed," Oziel replied, his bloodline activating as silver energy flooded through his system. "I'm done letting you walk away from consequences, you chose to serve corruption and tonight that choice ends."

They moved simultaneously, both masters launching into exchanges that transcended normal combat. Bowman's daggers became blur of green-lit death, each strike carrying poison that would kill with slightest contact. Oziel's sword answered with silver arcs that cut air itself, his Severance Authority making space bend away from his edge.

Clang clang clang clang!

The impacts came so rapidly they blended into continuous thunder, each collision generating sparks and force that carved gouges in the street. They moved through the environment with complete disregard for obstacles, their speed and power turning solid architecture into mere suggestion that shattered when touched.

Bowman's Shadow Step carried him behind Oziel, daggers aimed at spine with surgical precision. But Oziel's combat intuition predicted the attack, his blade already positioned to intercept despite the impossible angle. The counter forced Bowman to abort and retreat, avoiding decapitation by margin of inches.

"You've improved since this afternoon," Bowman observed, his amber eyes tracking every movement with professional assessment. "The poison should still be affecting your system but you're moving like you're completely recovered."

"I'm built strong," Oziel said, pressing forward with a combination that pushed Bowman backward.

His sword created wall of silver light that Bowman struggled to penetrate, each swing generating cutting force that made approach dangerous. The assassin was forced to rely on his superior agility, using Shadow Step to find angles that Oziel's defense couldn't immediately cover.

But Oziel's perception at S rank meant those angles lasted only moments before being recognized and countered. His Perfect Counter technique activated repeatedly, blade moving to intercept attacks his conscious mind hadn't fully processed yet.

The fight escalated beyond their initial confrontation's intensity, both warriors pushing themselves harder than the drawn match had required. This was for keeps, no mutual withdrawal available when mission success demanded decisive outcome.

Bowman's poison began manifesting independently again, green mist pouring from his body to fill the surrounding area. But this time Oziel didn't allow the buildup, his Severance Authority cutting through the forming cloud and dispersing it before concentration could reach lethal levels.

"Not this time," Oziel said, his blade carving paths through poison that shouldn't be possible. "Your atmospheric advantage won't work when I can cut the concept of accumulation itself."

"Then I adapt," Bowman replied, his Authority shifting manifestation. Instead of diffuse cloud the poison condensed into concentrated projectiles, dozens of needle-like constructs launching toward Oziel from every direction.

The swordsman's blade became absolute blur, silver light creating dome of protection as he cut every projectile from the air. But the defense was draining, required constant maximum effort that would eventually exhaust even Master Peak stamina.

Bowman recognized the tactical advantage, pressing harder with continuous poison manifestation while his daggers sought openings in Oziel's concentration. This was war of attrition, testing which master's resources would deplete first.

Miles away in the western district, Raze fought with desperate precision against knights whose cultivation exceeded his own. The three Adept Peak warriors coordinated their attacks with professional efficiency, each strike designed to exploit openings created by their companions.

His Azure Edge moved through defensive patterns that his training had burned into muscle memory, blade intercepting attacks from angles that should have been impossible to block. But blocking wasn't enough against opponents whose raw power exceeded his own, each successful defense cost him ground and energy.

Clang clang clang!

"He's better than his rank suggests," one knight observed to his companions. "Technique and awareness compensating for cultivation disadvantage, we need to overwhelm him before he finds rhythm."

They pressed harder, their coordination tightening as they sought to exploit the numbers advantage. One feinted high while another struck low, the third positioning to capitalize on whichever direction Raze committed to defending.

His Combat Reflex screamed warnings about all three attacks simultaneously, his enhanced perception showing him the tactical trap they'd created. Defending one angle left him vulnerable to the others, attempting to defend all three meant committing insufficient force to actually stop any of them.

So he didn't defend at all.

Raze activated Instant Transmission, his body blurring as he blinked through the coordinated attack entirely. He materialized behind the leftmost knight, Azure Edge already moving in strike the man couldn't possibly block from that position.

Slash!

The blade bit deep into the knight's shoulder, cutting through armor and flesh with the enhanced sharpness Raze's mana conductivity provided. The wound wasn't fatal but it was disabling, forcing that opponent to withdraw from immediate combat.

But the action cost him positional advantage, the other two knights capitalizing on his committed attack to strike from opposite sides. He barely got his blade up in time to block one strike while the other caught his left arm, armor absorbing most of the impact but the force still sending shockwaves through his system.

Pain flared but Raze pushed through it, his recently advanced Adept rank providing endurance that kept him functional despite accumulating damage. He used Scarlet Leap to create distance, buying precious seconds to reassess the tactical situation.

Two Adept Peak knights still combat effective plus one wounded but not completely out of the fight. Gunn watching from the shadows with unreadable expression. Mariabel engaged with her own opponents twenty feet away, her flames creating enough of a barrier that her knights couldn't coordinate with his effectively.

The western broadcasting station was still four streets distant, an impossible gap with enemies blocking every direct approach. They needed breakthrough moment, needed something to shift the tactical balance enough that reaching their destination became viable.

"You're doing well," Gunn called from his observation position. "Better than most at your rank would manage against Adept Peak opponents, but doing well isn't the same as winning, eventually your stamina depletes or your luck runs out and then my knights cut you down."

"Then why not fight yourself?" Raze called back, his mind working through the implications of Master rank involvement. "You're clearly stronger than any of us, you could end this immediately if you committed."

"Where's the intelligence value in that?" Gunn replied. "I'm here to evaluate what makes you dangerous enough to warrant Syndicate attention, watching you fight reveals capabilities that killing you quickly wouldn't demonstrate."

The knights attacked again, their formation adjusted to account for Raze's movement techniques. They positioned themselves to limit his blinking radius, forcing him to either engage in close quarters or retreat further from his objective.

Raze chose engagement, his blade moving through offensive combinations that pushed the knights backward. His technique was superior to theirs despite the cultivation disadvantage.

But skill had limits when facing multiple opponents who exceeded his rank, his strikes lacked the force to break through their defenses decisively while their attacks threatened serious injury with each exchange.

One knight's blade slipped through his guard, the edge catching his ribs with impact that cracked bone despite his armor. Raze gasped, pain exploding through his torso as he staggered backward.

The knights pressed their advantage, sensing weakness and moving to capitalize. Their coordination became tighter, attacks flowing seamlessly as they sought to overwhelm him before he could recover.

Raze's vision blurred momentarily from the pain, his Combat Reflex screaming warnings about incoming strikes from multiple angles. His blade moved automatically, muscle memory guiding defense while his conscious mind struggled to process through the agony of broken ribs.

Clang clang!

He blocked two attacks but the third got through, catching his thigh and opening deep cut that bled profusely. His leg nearly gave out, only his enhanced endurance keeping him upright as damage accumulated.

"He's faltering," one knight said. "Press harder, finish this before he pulls another movement technique."

They attacked with renewed aggression, sensing victory within reach. Their blades came from angles designed to exploit his compromised mobility, forcing him into defensive positions that couldn't be maintained indefinitely.

Raze knew he was losing, knew that without intervention this fight would end with his death in the next thirty seconds. His mind raced through desperate options, techniques he could attempt and risks he could take.

Then Gunn moved.

The Master rank cultivator stepped forward from his observation position, his hooded form suddenly radiating power that made the ambient mana pressure spike dramatically. His movement wasn't aggressive yet, just positioning himself closer to the combat with implications that were impossible to misinterpret.

"Enough reconnaissance," Gunn said, his voice carrying weight of absolute authority. "I've seen what I needed to see, his technique is impressive but his cultivation is insufficient for sustained combat against multiple superior opponents."

He drew a weapon from beneath his cloak, revealing curved blade that pulsed with dark energy suggesting specialized enchantments. "Stand aside," he instructed his knights. "Let me demonstrate the difference between fighting peers and fighting your betters."

The knights withdrew immediately, professional discipline evident in how quickly they obeyed. They formed loose perimeter around the combat area, ready to intervene if Raze attempted to flee but otherwise giving their Master rank commander space to work.

Gunn advanced with measured steps, each one deliberate and calculated as he closed distance to striking range. His cultivation pressure intensified with proximity, Master Peak rank made manifest in way that made the air feel thick and difficult to breathe.

Raze forced himself upright despite his injuries, his blade coming to guard position even as his body screamed protest. His Inspect activated automatically, desperate need for information overriding tactical caution about revealing the ability.

Ding.

The notification confirmed what he'd already known from cultivation sense, Master Peak rank with unknown bloodline and Authority. Skills that would be revealed only through actual combat, capabilities he'd have to discover while fighting for his life.

"Show me what you can do," Gunn said, his curved blade settling into ready position. "Show me if you're worth the Syndicate's concern or if you're just lucky children who've survived through circumstance rather than capability."

He took one more step forward, closing the distance to where combat would become inevitable.

The fight was about to escalate beyond anything Raze had faced before, Master rank against Adept Low with injuries already compromising his effectiveness. The odds were catastrophic but retreat wasn't option with the broadcast crystal still in his possession.

All he could do was fight and hope that somehow he survived long enough for the mission to succeed.

Gunn's blade began to glow with dark energy, power manifestation suggesting his Authority was activating. Whatever came next would reveal the true difference between ranks, would demonstrate whether Raze's skills could compensate for the overwhelming gap in raw cultivation.

The Master rank cultivator smiled beneath his hood, anticipation evident despite the concealed features.

And Raze tightened his grip on Azure Edge, preparing to face impossible odds with nothing but technique and desperate determination.

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