When the dust began to settle, a heavy silence fell over the ruined school grounds. The onlookers, a mix of terrified students and shaken teachers, peered through the settling smoke, their faces etched with fear and uncertainty. They wondered if Josh had survived the devastating energy blast or if he had been utterly obliterated. Sasha, her heart pounding in her chest, was the most worried of them all, her eyes scanning the smoke-filled area with desperate hope.

  Qun Via, hovering in the air, a smug expression on her face, was confident in her victory. She was certain that no one could have survived that blast, or at the very least, they would be so badly injured that they would no longer pose a threat. Her puppet-self cackled, a sound that echoed through the smoke.

  "Well, that was fun," she declared, her voice laced with cruel satisfaction. "It's a shame I couldn’t play with him longer, as things were just getting exciting.”

  But as the smoke continued to dissipate, a collective gasp arose from the onlookers. Their eyes widened in disbelief as the scene before them became clear.

  Standing amidst the wreckage, his form silhouetted against the fading light of the energy blast, was Josh. His left arm was raised, held in front of him as if he had blocked the attack. His clothes were singed, and there was a slight reddish burn mark on his forearm, showing that he was not only still alive… but not even that badly injured.

  Quan Via's smug expression vanished, replaced by one of utter shock. Her eyes widened, and her puppet-self sputtered in disbelief. "Impossible!" she exclaimed. "That laser had enough power to blow up entire battleships in a single shot! Who… what exactly are you?" A hint of fear crept into her voice.

  Josh lowered his arm, flexing his injured hand slightly. He grimaced at the sight of the burn, but his voice remained steady. "I may not be willing to deliver on nuclear levels of force… but that doesn’t mean I can’t tank a hit from one.”

  Qun Via snarled, her frustration growing. She couldn't understand how her most powerful attack had failed. But she refused to back down. Her pride, her reputation, and the orders of her employers were at stake.

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  "Fine!" she spat. "If I can't kill you with one strike, then I'll just wear you down! I'll burn you to a crisp, cell by cell, until there's nothing left but charred skin and bones!"

  With a furious cry, Qun Via began to teleport rapidly, appearing and disappearing around Josh in a dizzying display of her meta-gene's power. She fired her scepter rifle relentlessly, a constant barrage of bullets and energy blasts that filled the air.

  Josh, however, was no longer on the defensive. He had adjusted to her teleportation pattern, his senses sharpened, as he moved with incredible speed and precision, dodging and weaving around her attacks with an almost supernatural grace.

  Qun Via then teleported behind Josh, her puppet-mouth widening as she prepared to fire a point-blank laser blast. But before she could, his elbow snapped backward, striking her directly in the face. Groaning in pain but undeterred, she teleported to his right side, attempting to flank him, but Josh was already there, his backhand connecting with her head, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through her body.

  Frustrated and desperate, Qun Via teleported high into the air, intending to rain down a barrage of energy blasts from above. But Josh, anticipating her move, suddenly appeared right behind her, his foot connecting with her back in a powerful kick that sent her crashing back down to the ground.

  Qun Via struggled to her feet, her face contorted with rage and disbelief. "How… how are you predicting my teleports?" she demanded, her voice hoarse. "Do you have some sort of mind-reading meta-gene!?”

  Josh simply shrugged, his expression almost bored. "I wouldn't say it is mind-reading, only that your intentions are rather… obvious," he said vaguely.

  "What!?" Qun Via gawked at him.

  “Your intentions… each time before you teleport, you make subtle but noticeable movements that give you away, whether you slack to the right, raise your body a little more than usual, etc," Josh explained. "Never mind that you… tend to take a slight pause after you teleport before you launch an attack.”

  Qun Via stared at Josh, speechless, as he effortlessly dissected the flaws of her own fighting style as if she were a half-baked amateur… but then she gave him a cruel grin. A dark energy began to coalesce around her, and with a final, malevolent chuckle, she vanished again, leaving behind only a lingering scent of ozone and a faint distortion in the air.

  Josh whirled around, his eyes scanning the battlefield, searching for any sign of her. But it was too late.

  A deafening explosion ripped through the air, originating from inside the school building. Josh's eyes widened in alarm as he recognized the telltale energy signature of Qun Via's teleportation.

  She had set a bomb, and it was inside the school.