The room was thick with tension, the acrid scent of gunpowder still lingering in the air. The boy's chest heaved as he stared at the fresh corpse of the arms dealer, blood pooling beneath him. The sound of the gunshot still rang in his ears.

  His fists clenched. His body trembled,not from fear, but from fury.

  "What the fuck, Vash?" His voice was sharp, raw with disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

  Vash, still gripping his smoking pistol, merely chuckled as he holstered the weapon. "You act like you didn't know how this would end," he said, voice smooth as silk. "This world ain't built for mercy, kid."

  The boy's vision blurred with rage. His cloak rippled wildly, shifting like a storm. Vash turned his back, walking away casually as if nothing had happened.

  That was a mistake.

  The boy lunged.

  His fist shot forward, but before it could connect, the air around him shifted. A sudden force slammed into his gut like a hammer, launching him across the room. He crashed into a wooden crate, shattering it on impact.

  Vash turned back, smirking. "Tsk. And here I thought you had more sense."

  The boy groaned, pushing himself up. His eyes blazed with fury. His cloak twisted violently around him, responding to his anger.

  "You took my pay," he growled, rising to his feet. "And you expect me to just stand there?"

  Vash exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. The air around him seemed to shift, the very room bending to his will. He extended his hand, fingers twitching.

  The ground beneath the boy's feet trembled. Before he could react, stone erupted from the floor, slamming into his ribs and sending him airborne. He barely had time to recover before a gust of wind struck him midair, flipping him violently.

  He crashed onto the floor, rolling to his feet just in time to see Vash advancing.

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  The air grew heavy with moisture.

  The boy had just enough time to move before a wave of water surged from Vash's palm, slamming into the spot where he had stood. The impact shattered the wooden planks, sending splinters flying.

  "Let's see how well you dance, kid."

  The boy's mind raced. Vash wasn't just a fighter he was a master of the four elements. Fire, water, earth, and air bent to his will. He could shift the battlefield at a moment's notice.

  The boy had fought many battles, but this... this was different.

  Vash raised a hand, and flames coiled around his fingers, crackling hungrily, he heats up a stone, its temperature is so high it started melting the stone. chanting a elemental control magic, He launched a fireball, and the boy barely dodged, rolling aside as the heat seared his skin.

  His cloak snapped outward, stretching toward Vash like a viper. But before it could reach him, a wall of stone erupted from the ground, blocking its path. The cloak struck the rock, unable to break through.

  "Predictable," Vash taunted, stepping through the dissipating stone wall.

  The boy gritted his teeth. He had to change tactics.

  He dashed forward, weaving between Vash's attacks. His cloak extended again, aiming not for Vash, but for the ground at his feet. The moment it touched the floor, the fabric twisted and surged, yanking the boy forward with unnatural speed.

  He was in front of Vash in an instant, blade flashing.

  But Vash was faster.

  A gust of wind slammed into the boy's chest, sending him skidding backward. Before he could regain his footing, the ground beneath him cracked open. Stone arms shot up, wrapping around his legs like chains.

  Vash snapped his fingers.

  A torrent of water crashed over the boy's body, drenching him instantly. The cold bit into his skin, numbing his limbs.

  Then, the air shifted again.

  The water around him hardened into ice, locking him in place.

  The boy struggled, his cloak thrashing wildly, trying to break free. But Vash wasn't finished.

  He extended his hand, and flames flickered to life in his palm. The ice trapping the boy began to melt—but the water did not disappear.

  It wrapped around his arms, his legs, his throat.

  Then, it hardened again.

  The boy gasped, feeling the pressure constricting him. His breath came in ragged, desperate gulps.

  Vash stepped closer, looking down at him with a smirk. "You're good, kid. But not good enough, disappointing if i have to say."

  The boy thrashed, his cloak shifting wildly, trying to pull him free. But Vash flicked his wrist slowly, and the ice tightened further, locking the cloak down as well.

  "I am really disappointed," Vash said, shaking his head. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

  With a flick of his fingers, the boy felt his body lift off the ground, the frozen bindings keeping him suspended in the air. He struggled, but it was no use.

  Vash sighed. "Don't take it personally. It's just business."

  The boy's vision blurred. He had been caught. Defeated. His chest burned with frustration, with anger, with regret.

  I should have been stronger.

  Then, everything went black for him.

  To be continued...