Lan Jia's eyes flickered with a strange light of kindness. Then her lips curled upward, revealing a smile that made every hair on Ren's body stand on end. It was not human—too wide, too sharp, like a mask stretched over hunger itself.

"I love you, Ren," she whispered, voice dripping with a sickly sweetness. "But don't worry… once Meiling is gone, I will become Meiling."

"What?!" Ren shouted.

Before anyone could react, Lan Jia's golden aura pulsed. The dagger lodged in Meiling's abdomen twisted on its own, grinding deeper. Blood spilled over Meiling's uniform as she let out a strangled cry, eyes wide with shock and pain.

"Meiling!" Ren lunged forward.

Amanda barked, "Shoot!"

The storage room erupted in thunder. Muzzle flashes lit the shelves as the SWAT team opened fire. Bullets hissed through the air toward the golden-haired woman.

Lan Jia didn't even flinch. Mid-flight, every bullet froze, suspended in the glowing haze around her like metal insects trapped in amber. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent them back even faster than they came.

The bullets spun and tore through the air in reverse arcs, hissing straight toward the shooters.

"Get down!" Amanda roared.

The SWAT members screamed as their own rounds ripped into them. Armor plates shattered. Blood sprayed across the floor. In the cramped space, there was nowhere to dodge. Men and women fell one by one, cut down by their own fire.

Ren's eyes widened in horror as he noticed he was about to be shot. "Stop! Stop it!"

Amanda's finger tightened on her trigger even as she dove forward, shoving Ren to the floor. One of the bullets meant for him slammed into her back. The impact hurled her sideways, but the military vest she wore blunted the worst of it.

She gritted her teeth, eyes narrowing. "Enough. This is no longer an arrest." Her voice dropped to a cold growl. "I'm going to kill you."

Slowly, deliberately, Amanda reached down and unbuckled her vest. The heavy gear thudded onto the ground. Underneath, a tight black combat suit clung to her body showing all her womanly curves, all sleek lines and reinforced weave. In the dim light she looked less like an officer and more like a predator.

Ren blinked up at her from the floor. "W-what are you doing?!"

Amanda's jaw tightened. "Lan Jia," she called, leveling her pistol again, "last warning."

Lan Jia tilted her head, eyes glinting. "Amanda Marquez," she purred. "Stop trying to follow me, or you will be next. Even though you are not a target."

Amanda smiled without humor. "I'm flattered you consider me a target now."

Then she ran.

"Wait!" Ren shouted, but Amanda was already a blur, charging straight toward the golden aura.

"Is she insane?" Ren whispered. But even as the thought formed, something clicked in his mind. Up until now, Amanda hadn't revealed her power at all. He had never heard anything about her except that she was one of the most prominent NDA officers and a secret commander of a military unit, but to reach that position she had to be powerful. Ren suddenly felt he was about to witness something interesting — and he was right.

Amanda moved like a blade loosed from its sheath. The golden threads of Lan Jia's aura curled toward her but fizzled out before they could touch her, dissolving like mist in sunlight.

Ren's breath caught. "She… she's negating it…"

The black-suited woman snapped her pistol up and fired point-blank. The bullet cut a straight line through the air, unbent, unhalted. Lan Jia twisted aside just in time; the round grazed her cheek and buried itself in the wall behind her.

Ren's mind raced. Her power… it negates powers directed at her. In front of Amanda Marquez, even the strongest Imperial Qi user was like a powerless human. Combined with her training, it made her one of the most dangerous women alive outside the dungeons.

Lan Jia's smile sharpened. "Interesting…so Null Field users still exist...I thought they were hunted in Second Era"

Amanda landed in a crouch, eyes blazing. "None of your business! Just focus on fight because you're going to need that."

"You think you can stop me?" Lan Jia hissed.

Amanda's grin was all teeth. "I can. I will."

The two women moved at once.

Lan Jia's aura flared, hurling invisible blades of Qi across the room. They shredded shelves and cracked tiles, but the moment they touched Amanda they simply vanished, dissipated like smoke. Amanda rolled under a flying chair, came up firing three more rounds. Lan Jia dodged again, the bullets nicking her sleeve.

"You're fast," Amanda said flatly. "But you're not untouchable."

Lan Jia's eyes glowed. "You're ruining my reunion." She flicked her fingers; the dagger twisted deeper in Meiling's stomach. Meiling gasped, body jerking.

"Stop!" Ren shouted, but Amanda's bark cut him off.

"Stay back!"

Lan Jia laughed, a low, almost delighted sound. "Stop giving orders to him, Amanda? He's mine. He's always been mine."

Amanda lunged forward, closing the gap. "You talk too much."

She swung her pistol like a club. Lan Jia ducked, golden aura flaring to shove Amanda back—but again the pressure slid off her like water off glass. Amanda slammed a knee into Lan Jia's midsection. Lan Jia grunted, the first sign of real pain.

"You—!" Lan Jia snarled, hair flying as she stepped back. "You dare touch me?!"

"First touch," Amanda spat. She holstered the pistol, both hands free now. "Two more times and I will see real you."

Ren stared, heart hammering. The room was a blur of black and gold. Amanda moved with military precision, every step calculated. Lan Jia moved like a storm, her aura cracking tiles, warping air, yet she couldn't pin Amanda down.

"You're not the only one with power," Lan Jia hissed, slashing a hand. The golden aura coalesced into a spear of light, thrusting straight for Amanda's chest.

Amanda didn't even flinch. The spear winked out an inch from her skin, disintegrated by the Null Field.

"You should really read the manual before you fight me," Amanda said dryly, grabbing Lan Jia's wrist and twisting. "Rule one: no powers and this is second touch."

Lan Jia hissed in frustration, flipping back with a burst of strength. She landed lightly, aura flickering like an angry sun.

Ren whispered, "They're like… monsters…" Two monsters clashing, each bending the rules of reality around themselves.

Lan Jia wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and licked it off her thumb. "You're good, Amanda Marquez. I'll give you that."

Amanda's eyes narrowed with a sly smile on her face. "By the way...I lied about having to touch you three times."

Lan Jia's face showed fear for the first time as it began to melt before their eyes, triggered by a flick of Amanda's fingers. "Let's see who you really are… the Faceless Woman — the notorious serial killer."

Jia suddenly began to panic, clutching her face. She covered it with her fingers, peering through the gaps while cursing Amanda. By this point Meiling had fainted from losing too much blood, so Ren quickly ran to her and supported her. He channeled his own Imperial Qi again and again to stem the blood loss.

Jia's skin rippled like wax under fire. The false face sagged and cracked, revealing glimpses of a pale, angular visage beneath. Her eyes widened with fury.

"Stop looking at me!" she screamed, golden light flaring violently.

Amanda took a step forward, boots crunching on broken tiles. "You've killed too many to hide behind another mask. This ends here."

Jia snarled, stumbling back. "No… I can't— not now—!" She clutched her face tighter, aura whipping around her like a storm.

Ren held Meiling upright, his hands glowing faintly as he forced Imperial Qi into her wound. "Stay with me, Meiling. Stay with me!" Her breaths were shallow, blood soaking his arms.

Amanda's eyes flicked from Jia to Meiling, jaw clenched. "Damn it… she's bleeding out."

Jia hissed, backing toward the shattered doorway. "I'll kill you both next time. I swear it!"

Amanda raised her pistol again. "You're not leaving."

Golden shards shot out like knives; Amanda sidestepped them all, her Null Field hissing. She darted forward, grabbing for Jia's arm—

—but Jia was already moving, her body flickering like a mirage. "Get away from me!" she shrieked. A blinding flash filled the room.

Ren shielded Meiling's face, gritting his teeth. "What the—"

When the light faded, Jia was already halfway through the doorway, golden aura shredding the walls.

Amanda cursed under her breath. She aimed, finger tightening on the trigger—then her eyes caught Meiling's pale face, her slowing pulse, the pool of blood.

"Damn it!" she growled, lowering the gun. "If I chase her now, this girl dies…"

Jia's laughter echoed back from the hall. "Next time, Amanda Marquez! Remember my name!"

Amanda shouted after her, voice like a blade. "Someday I will catch you—and until that day, don't you dare forget what happened here, Faceless Woman!"

Jia vanished into the stairwell, her aura leaving golden scorch marks in the concrete. Silence crashed over the ruined room.

Ren trembled as he forced more Qi into Meiling. "Please… don't die on me…"

Amanda turned toward them, eyes narrowing. "You… you're using Imperial Qi?" For a moment real surprise flickered across her face. "You're not even—" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Not now."

She knelt beside him, pressing a gloved hand to his shoulder. "Everything will be fine. Keep doing what you're doing."

With her other hand she snatched her walkie-talkie from her belt. "Unit Medics, this is Marquez," she barked. "We have a critical casualty, third floor storage. Send medics immediately. I repeat—send medics immediately!"

Ren looked up at her, eyes desperate. "Can they make it in time?"

Amanda squeezed his shoulder firmly. "They will. Hold on. She's going to live."

Sirens began to wail faintly somewhere below as Amanda stayed crouched, eyes flicking once toward the doorway where Jia had escaped. Her voice dropped to a whisper only she could hear. "Next time… you won't get away."