Chapter 49: Losing
Rift’s smirk flickered for a brief moment before his expression turned serious. The air between him and Ace crackled with tension, the shadows around him twisting wildly as if sensing the shift in power.
Ace rolled his shoulders, still adjusting to the unfamiliar surge of energy coursing through him. His limbs no longer felt sluggish, and the fatigue that had been dragging him down moments ago was completely gone. Whatever Rift had tried to drain from him—Ace had somehow managed to take it back and now, it was his turn.
Without warning, Ace vanished from where he stood.
Rift barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his stomach, sending him staggering backward. Ace didn’t let him stand up, he followed up with a sharp knee to the ribs, then a spinning kick that crashed against Rift’s side, launching him across the room.
The villain gritted his teeth, rolling to his feet, but Ace was already closing in.
Shadows erupted from the ground, lashing out like tendrils, but Ace ducked through them with newfound speed. He could see Rift’s attacks before they fully formed, moving just in time to avoid them.
’I get it now’. Ace realized, eyes glowing. ’I’m not just resisting his shadows—I’m countering them.
Rift clicked his tongue. "Annoying brat," he muttered before thrusting both hands forward.
A wave of darkness flooded toward Ace like a tidal wave, thick enough to swallow the entire room in shadows.
But Ace was unfazed.
Instead of dodging, he clenched his fists and charged straight through.
The shadows engulfed him instantly, trying to sap his strength, to slow him down—but this time, they failed. The energy Rift had drained from him earlier now acted like a shield, repelling the darkness as if his body refused to be weakened again.
Rift’s eyes widened in shock. "What—?!"
Before he could react, Ace broke through the wave of shadows, appearing right in front of him.
Ace’s fist slammed into Rift’s jaw with a force that sent him reeling. The villain barely managed to keep his footing before Ace struck again, a brutal uppercut that lifted him off the ground. Rift’s body crashed against the floor with a heavy thud.
Ace didn’t give him a chance to recover, he immediately grabbed Rift by the collar and flipped him over, slamming him face-first into the cold concrete. The villain groaned, dazed, but Ace twisted his arm behind his back before he could fight back.
~Click!~
The sharp sound of metal snapping into place echoed through the room.
Handcuffs.
Rift’s breath came in short, sharp gasps as he tried to struggle, but Ace pressed a knee against his back, keeping him pinned. The villain let out a bitter chuckle. "You little—"
"Yeah, yeah." Ace exhaled, catching his breath. "You talk too much."
Zia, still lying on the ground where the shadows had pinned her, finally felt the restraints disappear. She sat up quickly, adjusting her glasses as she looked at the scene before her.
Ace, was slightly bruised but had won and was kneeling over Rift who was now completely subdued.
"...Huh." Zia pushed herself to her feet, brushing dust off her uniform. "You actually did it."
Ace huffed, rolling his shoulders. "Did you doubt me because I act lazy?"
"Always."
He shot her an unimpressed look before pulling out his communicator. "Captain, we got a villain here," he said, speaking into the device. "Rift’s down. Handcuffed and ready for pickup."
There was a short pause. Then Necro’s voice came through, calm and steady.
"Good work. Stay put. I’ll be there soon."
Ace let out a long breath, finally allowing himself to relax. He glanced down at Rift, who was still glaring at him despite being completely restrained.
The villain scoffed. "This isn’t over."
Ace smirked. "Yeah, yeah. They all say that."
He pushed himself to his feet, watching as Rift remained on the ground, defeated. Finally, he had done a nice job, he was definitely going to get paid.
That thought alone made his hairs stand.
------
Meanwhile, in a different location —
Necro barely had time to react before the darkness rushed toward him. Tendrils of shadow lashed out like whips, each strike cutting through the air. He twisted his body, dodging the first few, but the ground beneath him shifted unpredictably, throwing his movements off balance.
’Damn it’. He grunted.
A shadow tendril caught his wrist, then another wrapped around his ankle. Before he could tear free, more followed, coiling around his limbs like snakes. The cold, suffocating pressure of the darkness seeped into his skin, draining his strength little by little.
Shadow exhaled a pleased sigh. "You see? There’s no winning here." He stepped forward leisurely, hands tucked in his pockets. "Heroes think they’re untouchable, but the truth is..." His crimson eyes gleamed. "You’re all just waiting to lose."
Necro gritted his teeth. He refused to let it end like this.
The shadows tightened, pulling him toward the abyss, but as they did, something inside him stirred — A dark power, one he rarely let surface.
Necro’s golden eyes flickered, his breath steady despite the crushing force around him. Slowly, he clenched his fists—his fingers digging into the very shadows that bound him. A faint, eerie glow pulsed from beneath his skin.
Shadow’s smirk faltered. "What are you—"
A sharp crack echoed through the void, followed by another. Then the tendrils constricting Necro’s limbs shattered into wisps of black smoke.
Shadow’s eyes widened, his expression twisting from amusement to disbelief. "That’s—"
Necro didn’t let him finish, in a blur of movement, he lunged. His fist connected with Shadow’s jaw, sending the villain skidding backward. The entire abyss shuddered in response, as if the ground they stood in was reacting to the blow.
Shadow staggered, bringing a hand to his bleeding lip. He stared at Necro, eyes flickering with something unreadable.
"Interesting," he muttered.
Necro didn’t give him a chance to recover. He rushed forward again, his body adapting to the ever-changing shadows beneath him. Every step was calculated, every strike relentless.
Shadow dodged, barely avoiding the attacks, but Necro was closing the gap fast.
"You’re not supposed to be this strong," Shadow hissed, his control over the abyss faltering for the first time.
Necro’s eyes locked onto him. "And you talk too much."
With a final burst of speed, he slammed his knee into Shadow’s gut, forcing the villain to gasp for air. The moment his opponent doubled over, Necro grabbed him by the collar and threw him down with enough force to shake the entire realm.
The shadows convulsed, cracks formed in the abyss, like shattered glass running through the endless darkness.
Shadow coughed, struggling to push himself up, but Necro was already standing over him, golden eyes glowing faintly.
"This fight is over," Necro stated coldly.
Shadow’s fingers twitched, as if trying to summon his power again, only to find that it wouldn’t respond.
Necro tightened his grip around Shadow’s wrist, pulling out a specialized restraint. With one swift motion, he locked the anti-ability handcuffs around Shadow’s wrists.
The darkness vanished immediately, the abyss crumbled away, and the real world snapped back into focus.
Necro stood in the middle of Paradise Park once more, the city lights flickering around him. Shadow lay restrained at his feet, his breaths ragged.
Zia and the rest of the team rushed forward, their weapons raised but they hesitated at the sight before them.
"It’s done," Necro said, stepping back. "Shadow won’t be a problem anymore."
Zia adjusted her glasses, eyeing the unconscious villain warily. "That fast?"
Ace arrived moments later, his red hair slightly disheveled. His eyes darted between Necro and Shadow before he let out a low whistle. "Damn. Remind me never to piss you off."
Necro didn’t respond. He simply turned away as the organization’s enforcers moved in to take Shadow away.
But as they lifted the villain, Necro caught the faintest trace of a smirk still lingering on his lips. Even in defeat, Shadow was still smiling. Necro narrowed his eyes, he felt that something was not right.
He watched as the enforcers secured Shadow, the anti-ability cuffs would prevent him from using his powers, but yet... that smirk. That damn smirk.
It was the same one Shadow had worn throughout their fight, as if he had never truly been worried.
Necro turned to Zia. "Make sure they keep an eye on him at all times."
She nodded, already tapping something into her wrist device. "I’ll inform headquarters. They’ll have him transferred to the highest security facility available."
Ace crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, I don’t like that look on his face. Feels like he knows something we don’t."
Necro didn’t answer. He was thinking the same thing.
The enforcers carried Shadow toward the transport van. Just as they were about to load him in, Shadow suddenly chuckled. A quiet, breathy sound.
Everyone tensed.
One of the enforcers glanced at him warily. "What’s so funny?"
Shadow lifted his gaze, his crimson eyes glinting under the streetlights. "Oh... nothing much," he murmured. "I just think it’s cute how you all believe this is over."
Necro’s body instantly went rigid.
Before anyone could react, a pulse of darkness rippled outward. The anti-ability cuffs should have suppressed his power, but the shadows beneath him flickered just for a second.
And that was enough.
The ground beneath the enforcers suddenly opened up, swallowing them whole.
"Move!" Necro barked.
Zia and Ace leaped back as the dark void spread. Necro lunged forward, reaching for Shadow before he could slip away. But the villain was already sinking into the abyss, his smirk widening.
"Better luck next time, hero," Shadow whispered as the darkness consumed him completely.
Then he was gone.
The shadows receded, leaving only the empty space where Shadow had been moments ago. The enforcers who had been holding him groaned, pulling themselves out of the dirt, shaken but alive.
Ace cursed under his breath. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
Zia adjusted her glasses, looking visibly annoyed. "I should have expected this. A high-level shadow user wouldn’t be caught so easily."
Necro clenched his fists, his target had escaped.
Not just escaped... He had planned this from the beginning. Letting himself be caught, luring Necro into a false sense of victory, only to slip away when no one expected it.
Zia sighed. "What now?"
Necro exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. "We return. Report this to headquarters. Shadow will show himself again... and when he does, we’ll be ready."
Ace ran a hand through his messy red hair. "Yeah? And next time, let’s make sure he actually stays down."
Necro didn’t respond. His golden eyes were locked on the spot where Shadow had disappeared.
The villain had been testing him. Learning about him and if Necro was right... Shadow wasn’t just another criminal, he was something much worse.
