On the other side, Olivia and Lucas emerged from a pool of shadow.

  "Liam... you'll pay for this. I remember you now!" Olivia's body trembled slightly, black gas swirling around her.

  She and Liam had no prior grievances. She'd targeted him only for another's sake. But he'd wounded her, and now the grudge was personal.

  "You alright?" Lucas asked, rubbing his arm.

  He'd also been caught by the black dragon's cold breath, but he'd retreated quickly—no serious harm. Olivia, however, had taken several direct hits from Liam's hair whips. Her injuries were likely significant.

  Olivia shot Lucas a cold look. "I'm fine. But they're stronger than us now. Difficult odds."

  "Tch, that bastard got dog-shit lucky finding a dragon mount. Pisses me off." Lucas immediately fumed at her words.

  Olivia's voice dropped colder. "If it were merely luck, that would be one thing. I'm afraid he truly has the capability to control that dragon completely."

  "So what do we do now?" Lucas looked at Olivia. These past days, he'd come to respect this woman—calm, ruthless, vicious in her methods. Those who crossed her, human or mutant, ended up dead or skinned alive. A witch in every sense.

  Olivia laughed coldly. "What else? Recruit more elites. Just the two of us? The odds are too slim."

  Reluctant as he was, Lucas knew she spoke truth. They couldn't handle that dragon alone.

  "But we won't let them live comfortably either!" Olivia suddenly turned toward the distant plains, a savage grin twisting her features...

  Liam landed the black dragon on the rooftop across from Emma's building, then used his hair to snag her balcony railing and swing himself onto it.

  Emma was somehow playing video games—specifically Contra on an old Famicom clone. Watching her focused expression, Liam genuinely worried. If a flying mutant crashed through the balcony, she'd be dead before she knew it.

  "Welcome back! Dinner's almost ready—just hang on a minute." Emma glanced at him, never pausing her game.

  Liam smiled bitterly. "Sorry, but I'm afraid Girl and I won't be eating this meal."

  "Why?" Emma paused the game, turning to face him.

  She'd already accepted Liam and Girl as family, even prepared for a shared life together.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "I have an enemy. Don't know how, but he found this place. So Girl and I have to leave." Liam sat on the carpet, explaining seriously.

  Emma frowned slightly. "You can't beat him?"

  "Strength-wise, we're roughly even. But their abilities are troublesome. Alone, no problem. But with you and Girl in danger..." Liam trailed off.

  Facing Lucas and his ally alone, Liam could manage with the black dragon and Black Armor. But add Girl and Emma as liabilities, and his odds plummeted.

  Girl was different—her headbutt packed serious power. But Emma? Far weaker. Even ordinary mutants could one-shot her.

  "I see..." Emma's voice fell. Rare companionship, barely two days, and now they were leaving. She'd grown attached.

  Liam was frustrated too. He couldn't fathom how Lucas had tracked him. Finally finding a decent shelter, now forced to abandon it because of them. Murderous thoughts swirled in his chest.

  "I'll pack." Liam fell silent, then spoke.

  Truthfully, he had little to pack—just a few clothes, all woven from his hair. He could make as many as he wanted.

  Gathering his garments, Liam led Girl from Emma's apartment. Seated on the black dragon's back, he waved to Emma standing on her balcony, then commanded takeoff.

  Liam watched Emma's building shrink below, regret tugging at him. A beautiful woman, and they'd barely shared any... memorable moments. Now they might never meet again.

  Wind picked up. Liam ran a hand through his hair, one arm around Girl before him, the other gripping the reins. "East!" he commanded the dragon.

  "Woo! Woo!" After flying a while, Girl suddenly twisted around, pointing behind them and shouting.

  Liam turned, confused. Then he yelled: "Shit!"

  He'd thought it strange earlier—the dragon flew forward, yet the cooling breeze came from behind. Now he saw why: a massive herd of mutant wild horses thundered behind them!

  Mutant mustangs were pack creatures. Stallions bore meter-long horns on their foreheads, stood three meters tall, armored in natural plate—perfect cavalry. Mares possessed wings, flew at two-plus meters, and could generate hurricane winds with each wingbeat.

  Now hundreds of each stampeded toward the city. When they passed through, this place would become rubble.

  Liam immediately wheeled the dragon around, racing back to Emma's building. He had to extract her before the herd arrived!

  "Faster!" Liam wrapped hair around surrounding structures, pulling to augment the dragon's speed. Still not fast enough.

  Hundreds of stallions. Hundreds of mares. They charged at terrifying velocity, the mares' wing-generated winds already uprooting city trees wholesale.

  Mutants fled the streets in panic. Smaller creatures were trampled into paste by larger ones.

  Finally, Emma's building came into view. She was boarding up windows with planks—probably thinking it was just an ordinary hurricane.

  Liam laughed and cursed simultaneously, hair snagging the balcony railing to haul himself aboard.

  "Liam? Why are you back?" Emma held her hammer mid-swing, surprised. Then understanding dawned. "Oh! The typhoon—you came back to shelter from the wind!"

  Liam stared at her, speechless. But this wasn't the time. He shoved open the sliding glass door. "Massive mutant horse herd approaching from outside. They'll flatten this city soon. Come with me if you want to live."

  "Ah! Wait, I need to pack my things!" Shocked, Emma grabbed a suitcase and began stuffing items inside.

  Liam knew mustang speed allowed no time for packing. His hair instantly seized Emma and Bentley, then snagged the circling black dragon above. Once aboard, he roared: "Northeast! Maximum speed!"

  The black dragon bellowed, pouring every ounce of power into flight. Behind them, the mare swarm was already clearly visible.