Guardians of The Damned-Chapter 56: A Ragdoll

"You guys are such party poopers," I muttered before fading into smoke.

"Stop! In the name of law!" the soldier shouted.

I drifted two kilometers in seconds before reforming.

Eve and Ginto were waiting.

"They interfered again?" Eve asked knowingly.

"Yeah." I crossed my arms. "Gravendor's caught—just like every other target. Every time we pull off a mission, the official squad swoops in and steals the credit."

"You think someone's behind it?"

"Yes. But proving who is... tricky."

"Is it Wo?" Eve asked.

"No. It's someone else." I shook my head.

"Really? Not him?" she asked, still skeptical.

"Nope."

She studied me, then accepted the answer.

"Gravendor did what he did because of Synth's orders. He got captured for going rogue. Do you think... what happened to him could happen to us?"

"No," I said firmly. "I won't let it."

"That's... somewhat reassuring." She looked up at the earthen sky. "Sometimes I wonder if we're doing the right thing. Synth does terrible things, and we just clean up the mess. We're enabling them. They're going to use those kids as weapons... Can we stop it?"

"Yeah. But not yet. First, we need information. Whatever Synth is planning... we'll find it soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Honor's intuition."

"Wow. Super reassuring," she deadpanned.

I glanced at the fruit in Eve's hand. Tempting.

She hid it behind her. "As much as you want to use it, we're delivering this to Wo."

"I know," I nodded.

Suddenly, I felt several presences approaching. I turned.

Eve clutched the fruit tighter. Ginto drew both katanas.

"Just three of you?" a voice scoffed. "I am Frida, of the Sylph Squad. Drop your weapons."

I eyed her—bright cream hair, striking features, and a cold, tense expression. My gaze shifted to the other one.

"What's up, Lorie?"

"Sunny? Eve? Ginto? What are you doing here?"

"Unofficial mission from Wo. Retrieval of the Fruit of Advancement."

"I see... but sorry. Gotta take you in."

"No other way?"

"You know how this works. No hard feelings." She floated higher, raising a glowing palm.

A beam of dense energy shot toward us—fast as light.

It hit me before I could react, punching a hole through my chest. Blood sprayed. I collapsed.

"I know your tricks, Sunny," Lorie said.

I grinned. "How was my acting?" Then turned to smoke.

I reappeared behind her, stabbing a spike of mist—only for her to dodge at the last second. She countered with a gut-punch, launching me into the ceiling. Dust exploded as I hit the ground hard.

— THIRD POV —

Simultaneously, Frida fired at Ginto and Eve.

Ginto sliced the beam in half.

"Are you really just human?" Frida muttered, stunned.

"Eve, distract her. I can't attack like this."

"Got it." Eve tossed the fruit high and rushed forward, flinging knives.

Frida dodged easily—but it worked. Her focus broke.

She shifted her attention to Eve—an Honor, but no fancy abilities. Easy prey.

Frida screamed, unleashing a soundwave.

Eve kept charging, undeterred.

"Fool," Frida muttered, turning back to Ginto—just as she noticed Eve's comms sparking white noise, garbling her sound attack.

The wave fizzled out before reaching Eve.

Frida's mind blanked.

She snapped back to find Eve and Ginto within range.

She jumped back, narrowly avoiding their blows—until Ginto hurled his sword at impossible speed.

It struck her shoulder. Her strength faded instantly.

"What is this...?" She tried pulling it free, but the longer she touched the blade, the weaker she grew.

Another sword came. It hit her leg. Her powers evaporated.

She crashed to the ground, hard. A boom echoed.

Dust swirled.

Ginto and Eve landed smoothly as a breeze carried the falling fruit back into Eve's hand.

In the distance, two silhouettes passed them.

"Sunny, are you done?" Eve asked through comms.

.

.

.

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"Eve, we're talking about *Lorie*. Vice-captain of *Sylph*!"

I streaked through the air on a hoverboard of smoke, the wind howling in my ears as Lorie chased like a relentless phantom.

**\[Sunny. Enough games. End it.]**

Eve's voice cut in, sharp and flat. She didn't believe me.

"Alright, alright. You're such a nag, you know that?" I laughed, turning mid-flight to face the storm behind me.

"Your Frida's already down."

"I'm not," Lorie growled.

"This isn't worth it. You'll get hurt."

"That line's mine."

She rocketed forward. I exhaled, smoke billowing around me—mirages, clones, illusions born from breath. She ripped through them like they were paper. I fell back, throwing smoke bombs one after another, drowning the space in a shifting, choking fog.

She stopped. Scanned. Waited.

"Sunny," her voice echoed through the mist, steady and sincere, "I *like* you. I don't want to do this. But you can't hide forever. Come out before I have to break you."

I stepped into view. Just behind her.

A sword of smoke formed in my hand. I swung—

She spun. Dodged. Then slammed her fist into my gut.

The pain was *instantaneous*. A lightning bolt through my core. Darkness licked the edges of my vision.

Then—

**BOOM.**

I flew. Crashed. Dust exploded.

I coughed blood and looked up. She floated above me like an angel of wrath.

"Surrender."

"Make me, sweetheart." I bared my teeth, a grin cracked with blood.

She sighed. "Your funeral."

Her hand clamped around my throat—then *threw* me.

I smashed into the cavern ceiling. The world spun—

—and before I could breathe, she was there again. A flash of light. A *kick* to the gut that bent time.

I was airborne, streaking across the city like a meteor.

I hit the edge. The world erupted. A crater bloomed beneath me, five meters deep.

No pause. No mercy.

She chased, grabbed my neck and punched me again across the city. Caught me mid-flight. Drop-kicked me from the sky.

The impact shook the earth. Dust rose like a tidal wave, cloaking five kilometers in ash.

She descended like judgment. Slammed me down again—this time through the ground itself.

We crashed into an underground train tunnel.

She stood over me, panting.

"This ends now. Turn yourself in."

I lifted one hand, trembling—middle finger raised.

She snarled. "So be it."

Her hand closed around my throat.

Then—

A rumble.

Far down the tunnel... two glowing lights.

A train. Barreling straight toward us.

She dropped me and stepped back, staring at the oncoming monster.

I staggered to my feet. Legs shaking. Arms bloodied. The lights caught me in their glare—like prey caught in a spotlight.

"You're still standing?" she shouted. "I launched you across the damn *city*! I buried you in the earth! You should be *dead*! What the hell *are* you?!"

I laughed. Weak. Bitter.

"Sweetheart...

you throw like my grandma."

Her fury trembled in the air. "You're bluffing. You should be unconscious. *Broken.*"

"But I'm not." I stepped forward. "I'm *still here.*"

"*Why*, Sunny? *Why won't you fall?*"

I looked her dead in the eyes.

"Because I stopped waiting for the world to be fair.

If this is enough to stop me...

then I'd rather backflip off a ten-story building and smile on the way down."

I turned away. Inhaled deeply from the vape. Exhaled slowly.

Smoke swirled around my arm. Dark. Deep blue edged with violet, flickering with golden sparks—

—like eyes staring from the abyss.

I raised my hand. Open palm. Fingers loose.

"Let's see if this train hits harder than my past." frёeωebɳovel.com

It roared.

The wind screamed. The tunnel trembled. Steel howled beneath my feet.

And then—

**BOOM.**

White light *detonated* the darkness.

The train slammed into my palm.

It didn't stop.

Not right away.

Inches.

Feet.

My boots slid. Sparks showered. Concrete cracked.

But my hand—

My hand *never moved.*

Smoke whipped around my wrist. Like chains. Like wings. Like will made visible.

The train groaned. Screeched. Finally...

stopped.

Its nose hovered inches from my chest.

I didn't flinch.

I turned my gaze. Met hers.

Lorie stood frozen beneath a flickering light.

I walked past her. Slow. Heavy.

She didn't stop me.

She couldn't.

Still standing there. Still breathing. Barely.

Her fists were limp.

Her shoulders slack.

And her eyes—

Her eyes weren't on me.

They were somewhere *farther*. Somewhere *deeper*.

Somewhere I had just dragged her with me.

I raised two fingers. A lazy, tired salute.

"Take a breather, Lorie.

That was round one."