The tension broke. The armored man, interpreting Cid's silence as a refusal and his cryptic response as a threat, gave the order. "Contain him! Maximum caution!"
The National-Level Hunters launched an attack. It wasn't a disorganized assault, but a coordinated onslaught of individuals with immense combat experience. Each one was a force of nature in their own right, capable of altering the landscape with their powers.
The ice master conjured a torrent of giant icicles that whizzed toward Cid at supersonic speeds. The earthbender raised walls of solid rock from the ground, attempting to confine him. The speedster disappeared in a blur, seeking to flank him, while the tank charged head-on, enveloped in an aura of invulnerability.
Cid Kagenou stood motionless for a moment longer, watching the torrent of attacks converging upon him. There was no panic, not even haste. Only a calm assessment of the incoming threats.
Cid thought: A demonstration. The deterrence protocol. Assess the local response and temporarily neutralize resistance. I must be efficient. And subtle.
When the first icicle was inches from his face, Cid simply... moved. It wasn't a speed the human eye could follow, not even the Hunters' augmented ones. It was more like he stopped being in one place and appeared in another. The blast of ice passed harmlessly through the space it had just occupied.
Cid's speed was absurd. He became a momentary shadow, dodging the emerging rock walls with insulting ease. The speedster, who thought he had circled around him, suddenly felt a light but firm touch on the back of his neck before his vision went black and he collapsed unconscious, without a visible scratch.
The tank arrived, an unstoppable colossus. Cid didn't dodge it. Instead, he shot out an open hand and, with a motion that seemed lazy, deflected the armored man's entire charge. He didn't use muscle power; he used pure energy manipulation. A tiny pulse of fundamental energy emanated from his palm, collided with the tank's aura of invulnerability, and... neutralized it. The armor lost its sheen, the man staggered, stunned and vulnerable. Before he could react, Cid tapped him quickly on the forehead with two fingers. The tank fell unconscious next to the speedster.
The other Hunters, who were attacking from a distance or preparing their own offensives, were momentarily paralyzed by astonishment. Their two most resilient companions were neutralized in an instant, with no apparent effort, and without damage.
The earthbender tried to trap him again, creating a rock cage around him. Cid didn't even stop. He simply continued moving, passing through the rock like smoke. He didn't destroy it; he passed through it, reconfiguring the energy of the walls with microscopic precision as he passed. Once outside the cage, he instantly appeared in front of the earthbender. She only saw Shadow's mask for a split second before Cid gently touched her chest. A wave of controlled energy coursed through her, paralyzing her, then rendering her unconscious, as she fell back onto her own rock creations.
The Ice Master, the last one standing from this initial group, instinctively backed away. His normally composed face displayed a mixture of fear and utter incomprehension. Not only was this being incredibly powerful, but his combat style was... surreal. He seemed immune to their attacks, and his own "attacks" were light touches that knocked his opponents out without apparent violence.
Cid Kagenou stopped. He had neutralized the three Hunters who attacked him directly, and the one who tried to flank him. He did so in less than a minute. The destruction of the highway around him was the only physical evidence of the fight, caused more by the Hunters' attacks than by his own actions.
Cid thought: First phase of the deterrence protocol completed. Non-lethal neutralization of local defense assets. Three high-powered individuals. The method was efficient. It demonstrated the level disparity without resorting to extreme measures. Subtle. As a Level 7 Agent should be.
The ice master watched him, desperation beginning to cloud his judgment. He knew others were on the way, the nation's most powerful reinforcements. But if this being could handle them so easily...
Before the ice master could launch his final attack or attempt to flee, he felt an immense pressure immobilize him. It wasn't a physical force, but something that acted directly on his energy, freezing it in place. Cid hadn't even touched him. He'd only looked at him.
Cid thought: The fourth active. Desire to escape detected. A remote immobilization is required to secure the perimeter. Use of Level 3 'Fundamental Energy Suppression Field'. Non-lethal, but effective.
The ice master was suspended in the air for a moment, his body rigid, before the pressure gave way and he too fell, unconscious, to the broken ground.
The highway was silent except for the wind blowing over the wreckage and the unconscious bodies of the most powerful Hunters in the United States. Cid Kagenou was alone again, at the center of the destruction he hadn't directly caused, but which his arrival and response had precipitated. He had sent a clear, if cryptic, message to whoever might be watching. He was waiting.
Cid thought: The initial demonstration is done. The local assets have been contained. Now, the real heavyweights of this sector will feel the disruption. The next level of response. Perfect. The Recruitment Operation is progressing according to plan... the Level 7 Agent's plan, of course.
The first part of the demonstration of power had concluded, leaving behind shock and bewilderment among the authorities of that reality. Cid Kagenou was ready for the next phase.
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