The giant rat lunged at them.
Its claws tore through the air with a murderous whistle.
Noah caught the flash of the claws a fraction of a second before impact.
He reacted instinctively.
His hand struck Aurel’s back.
“Down !”
Aurel toppled sideways while Noah pivoted awkwardly.
The claws passed between them.
BOOM.
The concrete split.
A deep gash appeared in the ground.
Aurel went pale.
‘If that had hit me…’
‘I would have been gutted.’
He raised his head.
“Thanks, man.”
“Run faster.”
The two men immediately started running again.
Their shoes struck the soaked asphalt.
Noah quickly felt something strange.
He was leaving Aurel behind easily.
And yet Aurel had never been particularly slow.
‘Hm.’
‘That’s interesting.’
Even in the middle of running for his life, part of his scientific mind refused to stop.
‘Ascension didn’t only give me a Node.’
‘My physical abilities have also increased.’
Not enormously.
But enough to notice.
A few percent.
Maybe more.
Behind him, Aurel was struggling to keep up.
His breathing was becoming irregular.
The wet ground did not help.
Then his foot slipped.
“Shit !”
He collapsed heavily.
His ankle struck the pavement.
A sharp pain immediately shot up his leg.
“Urgh !”
Noah kept running for a few seconds.
Then something felt wrong.
The sound of Aurel’s steps had vanished.
He turned his head.
No one.
His heart tightened.
‘Where did he go ?’
He looked behind him and saw Aurel on the ground.
The rat was already coming.
“Aurel !”
Aurel tried to stand.
His ankle immediately protested.
Burning pain tore through his leg.
‘Shit.’
‘Not now.’
The rat slowed down.
Like a predator savoring its victory.
“Griiih.”
Its red eyes fixed on its prey.
Aurel felt his blood turn cold.
“Fuck…”
He looked up at Noah.
“Keep going !”
The scientist remained still.
“What ?”
“Go !”
The rat was advancing slowly certain of itself.
“Call the HMA !”
Aurel forced a smile.
“I’ll manage.”
‘What the hell is he talking about ?’
Noah felt anger momentarily replace his fear.
‘He’s going to get eaten.’
‘Idiot.’
He inhaled deeply.
Then turned fully around.
Facing the monster.
‘It’s time.’
The rat raised a claw.
Aurel understood immediately.
This time, he would not dodge.
Not with his ankle in that state.
‘I’m done.’
Then he saw a silhouette.
Noah.
Running back.
‘We can’t let this beast kill him.’
Angel was still too far away.
He was still carrying the unconscious young woman.
He would never arrive in time.
Noah felt his heart beat faster and harder.
‘I’m an Ascendant now.’
‘If I do nothing…’
‘Then what was the point of receiving this power ?’
He ran straight toward the rat.
‘Focus.’
‘Find that sensation again.’
He briefly closed his eyes, then dove deep inside himself, where his Node resided.
Astra responded immediately.
Gray energy.
Almost transparent.
Like an underground current.
Like a forgotten river.
‘Yes.’
‘That’s it.’
His Node vibrated.
The moving particles resumed their chaotic dance.
‘Decomposition.’
For the first time, he was going to use his power on a living being.
‘Let’s see what happens.’
The rat only noticed his presence at the last moment.
Too late.
Noah struck.
His palm made contact with the creature’s flank.
The gray energy poured out.
Silent.
Invisible.
Deadly.
Crack.
The fur blackened.
Then dried.
The skin cracked.
Fissures appeared.
Like ground struck by years of drought.
Then the flesh followed.
Grayish vapor escaped.
Along with a strange dust.
“GRRIIIIIH !”
The rat’s howl echoed through the entire alley.
The creature leapt backward.
Aurel stared, speechless.
“Why…
what how is that possible”
He was breathing with difficulty.
“…why did you come back ?”
Noah did not answer.
His gaze was fixed on the wound.
Part of the flank had disappeared.
The flesh was still slowly decomposing.
Blood flowed heavily.
One could even see part of the entrails.
‘It worked.’
Then he frowned.
‘No.
Not completely.’
‘The contact didn’t last long enough.’
The rat growled but this time, there was something else in its eyes.
Caution and fear.
It had understood that this new prey could hurt it.
Then anger took over again.
The creature charged.
Noah felt his stomach twist.
‘This is terrifying.’
Despite his new power.
Despite Astra.
The beast remained monstrous.
Yet he forced his Astra to circulate once more.
‘Again.’
‘One good attack.’
The rat leapt.
Claws extended.
Fangs bared.
Noah dodged by a hair.
The monster’s foul breath brushed his face.
Then he tried to pivot but his foot slipped.
“Shit !”
He crashed to the ground just like Aurel moments earlier.
‘This damned wet ground !’
The rat turned immediately.
This time.
No hesitation.
No caution.
It leapt.
“GRRIIIH !”
Noah saw the fangs coming.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
‘I’m finished.’
“DIE !”
BOOM !
A brutal shock exploded against the rat’s injured flank.
The creature was thrown sideways.
Angel had arrived.
His foot was still raised.
His breathing was short.
The young woman now lay on the ground behind him.
He had run while carrying a person in his arms, then struck a monster capable of breaking concrete.
And yet…
He was still standing.
The rat tried to rise.
Once.
Twice.
Then its body wavered.
“Griii…”
Blood poured from its mouth and from the wound in its flank.
Its legs gave out.
And it collapsed into a crimson pool.
This time for good.
Silence fell again.
Noah remained seated on the ground.
‘How…’
‘How can he hit that hard ?’
Angel held out a hand.
“Bro.”
He was smiling despite the fatigue.
“Can you stand ?”
Noah took the hand.
“Yes.”
He got back to his feet.
“Nothing broken.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Urgh…”
Aurel raised a hand.
“My ankle, on the other hand…”
The two men rushed toward him.
“Aurel !”
“Are you okay ?”
“Sprain.”
He grimaced.
“I’ll live.”
Then his gaze moved to the corpse.
“And the monster ?”
“Dead.”
A silence followed.
Then Aurel narrowed his eyes.
“Wait a minute.”
Noah immediately felt the danger.
Angel too.
“How exactly did it die ?”
The three friends exchanged a look.
No one spoke.
The silence suddenly became very interesting.
Finally, Angel coughed.
“Hum.”
“Did you call the HMA ?”
Noah seized the opening immediately.
“I was just about to.”
“Hurry.”
Angel pointed at the Hole.
The bluish opening was still pulsing.
“They need to handle that before other creatures come out.”
Aurel crossed his arms.
“You seem surprisingly well informed.”
“Simple logic.”
Angel shrugged.
“No need to be a genius.”
Aurel continued staring at him for a long moment, then sighed.
“Fine.”
“And the young woman ?”
They all turned toward her.
Noah approached.
Checked her pulse.
Then quickly examined her wound.
“She’s breathing.”
He nodded.
“I think she fainted from the shock.”
“But she’ll need to go to the hospital.”
Angel let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank God.”
Noah pulled out his phone.
Sirens were already beginning to echo in the distance.
Then he raised his eyes toward Angel.
“By the way.”
The athlete stiffened slightly.
“How did you know she was in danger ?”
Angel looked away.
“A hunch ?”
Noah adjusted his glasses.
‘Of course.’
‘A hunch.’
“And you ?”
Angel smiled.
“How did the rat end up wounded exactly where you touched it ?”
This time.
Noah froze.
“Pure coincidence.”
“Oh really ?”
“Yes.”
“I’m pretty sure of what I saw.”
“After everything you drank tonight ?”
Noah shook his head.
“I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you, Mister Bottomless Sink.”
Angel grimaced.
“You little…”
Aurel burst out laughing.
“Very well.”
His gaze moved from Aurel to the Hole.
Then to the approaching sirens.
“We’ll settle this later.”
Blue lights appeared at the end of the street.
The HMA was arriving.
Noah observed Angel from the corner of his eye.
‘Sorry.’
‘It’s still too soon.’
His gaze slid toward the Hole, then toward his own hands.
‘I haven’t even registered with the HMA yet.’
‘And before I reveal anything…’
‘I need to understand exactly how all this works.’