FACE OFF

Right in front of a bungalow that has the number "20" written on its front door, five people are seen standing there as one of them was knocking on the door.

"Why isn't he answering the door? or is he not around?" Jake suddenly asked after waiting for a few minutes in front of the entrance.

"I doubt it. I haven't seen him outside for quite a long time and Lord Xavier also said he rarely leaves his house" Jonah answered with a sigh escaping his mouth. But before Jake could ask another question, they heard a deep voice coming out of the house.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys!? I don't wanna join any squad!!"

When Dave heard that voice, he immediately stopped knocking as he replied.

"But I just came to see someone I haven't seen for six years!! Or am I not worthy to see you"

Silence reigned in that area after Dave finished speaking. But not long after, they began to hear clanging sounds at the door.

"Are you the one named Dave Starks?" asked a messy-looking teen who immediately came out of the house after the clanging sound ended.

Although the teen's appearance shocked the four people behind Dave, he still kept his calm look as he asked a question back at the messy-looking Austin.

"And what if I said am not?"

Right now Austin looked no different than a beggar that wore slightly decent clothing. He now has long green hair that was roughly kept on his head. He wore a white sleeveless shirt that had different stains all over the body, blue shorts, and blue slippers.

When Austin heard the question Dave used to answer his question, battle intent suddenly surged out of his body as he answered.

"Then I will just have to beat you up for disturbing me"

"Come then if you can beat me," Dave said as he suddenly did a battle stance as a sheathed sabers suddenly appeared in both his hands.

Although the four people behind Dave were both surprised and confused by the sudden turn of events, understanding dawned on them after staring at the tense duo in front of them. As soon as they created a space suitable for the battle that was about to happen, Austin suddenly did a quick jab toward Dave's face.

<DIVINE FLASH>

But what Austin hit with his jab was just the afterimage of Dave who was now 10 meters away from where he previously stood.

'He has gotten a lot faster' Austin thought as his eyes sharpened. Although he knew that Dave was someone who can catch up to him as he was in the initial phase of Rank B, he failed to acknowledge that Dave could actually be leagues above him.

"Am waiting" Dave suddenly spoke as he now stood leisurely while staring at Austin with disdain.

'Did he just look down on me?' Austin thought as his battle intent got more intense. But when he looked at the aloof expression on Dave's face, anger burst out of him as he suddenly activated two spells at the same time.

<LIGHTNING>

<ENERGY MOVE: SAINTS SPARK>

"Seriously!!" Jake shouted as he immediately activated his defensive spell along with the others when they felt the threatening force accumulating on Austin's hand.

When Austin used his first spell he activated to cross half the distance between him and Dave, a golden orb suddenly appeared on his hand as thick lightning bolts ran through its body.

Right from when Austin began to dash toward Dave till when he activated his second spell, Dave's aloof expression didn't change which intensified the anger Austin had in him.

But right when the saint's spark was about to touch Dave, the rainbow-like crystal on Dave's forehead glowed as time suddenly stopped.

<DIVINE MOVE: CREATORS ZONE>

When this spell got activated, the whole beast hunters' HQ suddenly freezed from the people walking in it to the machines operating in that vicinity, even the insects and animals in that area stopped moving.

'i still can't control this spell well' Dave thought as he stared at the frozen people around him with an awkward smile. But he didn't dwell on that situation for long as he immediately activated another spell while touching the frozen golden orb on Austin's left hand.

<DIVINE MOVE: ELEMENT SUCTION>

As soon as Dave activated this spell, the golden orb suddenly melted as It went into his hand that was on the orb. When he absorbed the orb completely, a sudden boost appeared inside him as his rainbow crystal shone with its color.

When his body settled down from the boost It had earlier, he immediately kept one of his sabers on Austin's neck as he deactivated his first spell.

"Huh? what just happened?" Jonah asked when he stared at the current situation in the battle between Dave and Austin. But when he looked at the expression of the people beside him, he suddenly decided to keep shut.

"How is this possible?" Austin suddenly asked with a shocked expression on his face. But Dave decided not to answer him as he smirked while saying.

"This is payback for Ignoring me at the gathering six years ago"

(To be continued...)