Crowds swarmed around a skyscraper as chunks of debris rained down. Various heroes intercepted the falling concrete, pulverizing the rubble before it could reach the pavement.

  No one outside knew that within the building’s guts, General Titan was drenched in sweat, trading blows with a man sprouting tentacles from his back and a torso slick with scales. This man was, like so many others, an Uncontrolled—someone whose ability had spiraled out of his grasp. The Federation had no solid evidence regarding what triggered the break; they only knew that once a person's ability went rogue, that person slowly and agonizingly became a monster.

  Outside, Shinobi and Allen watched the tower.

  “How much longer is Titan going to take?”

  Allen was dressed in a compact blue outfit, reinforced in key areas with silver plating. A simple mask covered his eyes and temples. Although the Federation hadn't bothered to give him a codename, Allen didn't care. Despite his reluctance to reveal all his secrets to the Federation, Allen remained confident that his Knight Style was his most effective strategy.

  “Allen, check if everyone has been evacuated.”

  “Can I go in and help him?”

  Shinobi gave Allen a disapproving look. “You’re on probation. Sending you into a fight against an Uncontrolled isn't the smartest move. Furthermore, the team would face severe consequences if the Federation discovered the truth.

  Allen sighed and nodded, which brought Shinobi a momentary sense of relief.

  Originally, Allen had no intention of joining any hero group, but Shinobi and Titan had "persuaded" him—or so they thought. In reality, Allen's primary goal was to gather intelligence on the Federation, and joining a team was merely a means to that end.

  “How much time is left?” Shinobi asked a nearby police officer.

  “Under five minutes, Shinobi. If General Titan doesn't neutralize the Uncontrolled by then, we’re authorized to level the building.”

  Shinobi clenched his fists. In the final moments, he would have to send Allen inside. He wanted to save Allen’s strength for monsters, but he might not have a choice.

  Scanning the perimeter, Shinobi suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned to a pair of low-rank heroes. “Where’s the rookie?”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “We’re so sorry, Chief Shinobi! As soon as we told the new guy there was someone left inside who couldn't evacuate, he bolted for the building.”

  Shinobi stood speechless. If he didn't know exactly how powerful Allen was, he would have written him off as KIA. Looking toward the skyscraper, he saw Allen kick the front doors open with a thunderous crash.

  At the entrance, Allen only needed a single kick to shatter the door’s hinges and rip part of the frame from the wall.

  In his right hand, a green stone pulsed with a faint, beautiful glow. Within seconds, a localized whirlwind spiraled around him, and he vanished from the lobby.

  Everything happened at a breakneck speed. Reaching the 24th floor, he picked up a civilian and ascended to the 59th, where General Titan and the Uncontrolled engaged in combat. As he came to a halt, Allen saw he was holding an unconscious woman. He leaned her gently against a wall and turned his gaze toward the monster.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Alle—?!”

  Before Titan could finish, a tentacle slammed into him, launching him through the glass and out the window.

  The Uncontrolled’s face was a nightmare. His mouth resembled a crab’s maw, and his scale-covered skin made Allen’s stomach churn.

  “I’m against fighting humans—or, in this case, what used to be humans. But there are some things I don’t forgive.”

  Allen summoned the staff to his left hand. In his right, he held the Prism of Emotion and the red stone.

  “Style Shift.”

  The prism absorbed the red gem, and Allen slotted it into the staff, his body erupting in flames. When the fire subsided, Allen was clad in the crimson suit.

  “Knight of Passion Style.”

  The Uncontrolled lashed out with a tentacle. Before it could touch him, the limb caught fire, and the stench of burnt octopus filled the air.

  “Weapon of Blazing Passion.”

  The staff in Allen’s hand flared with heat, reshaping into a massive double-headed axe as the flames died down.

  “In your next life, remember a knight’s code of honor: never harm a lady.”

  Hoisting the axe high, Allen looked down at the Uncontrolled, which was squirming under the unbearable heat radiating from his body.

  “Lesser Star Blazing Slash!”

  Allen cleaved through the monster vertically, then followed with a horizontal sweep. The impact generated a shockwave that tore through the building’s structural frame.

  The battle over, Allen panted as his red suit shifted back to white. He dropped the axe and leaned on his knees, exhausted.

  “Still can't use it continuously... but the Knight Style is enough to get this person to safety.”

  The building groaned and tilted. Allen lost his footing, nearly hitting the floor. He gathered the woman in his arms and leaped out the shattered window, holding her as tightly as he could.

  He hit the ground with a bone-jarring impact. A second later, the Uncontrolled exploded on the 59th floor—the final shove the skyscraper needed to collapse.

  Allen tried to move, but he couldn't. Although his legs had held up largely due to the power of the prism, the bones were pulverized. He couldn't feel the pain yet, but he knew that as soon as the adrenaline faded, he would feel every jagged splinter of bone piercing through his muscle.

  He saw Shinobi approaching and let out a breath of relief.

  “Help me move. I think I fractured my legs on impact.”

  Shinobi stared at him for a long beat before plunging a needle into Allen’s chest, knocking him out instantly. He then pulled out his comms.

  “Titan, order two ambulances. Now.”