“Stop right there, Hao Vee! You've crossed the line this time!” The shout echoed across the vast, abandoned building complex, emerging from a melanin man of mountainous build, his veins were standing out like cords on his sweat-drenched forehead. His name was Colgate, a name as fresh and hard as his rock-solid exterior.

Behind him, an equally resolute yet strikingly attractive woman chimed in. “Hao, that sword isn’t a plaything. Hand it back, or it's our necks on the line!” Diana's voice carried a blend of worry and annoyance. Her relationship with Hao was complicated – sort of like a friendship mired by their positions on opposite sides.

She glanced towards Colgate. With frustration bleeding into her words, she said, “What's with him, thinking he's some kind of criminal mastermind? He's a Blade Engineer, not a burglar!”

Colgate grunted in agreement. “Diana, keep up. This street rat won't outrun us for long.” He pointed a finger towards the fleeing figure of Hao before speaking into his wrist communicator, “Air One, contain Hao within the building. He can’t escape this time.”

As they moved through the complex, Colgate shook his head, grumbling loudly, "How does a blind man dodge this well? Must have traded his real eyes for ones in the back of his head."

Acknowledging the order, a gruff voice replied from the other end of the communicator, “Understood, Colgate.” The roar of rotors grew louder as the military-grade helicopter swooped into position.

“Oh mother of sharpness! Those Imperial Hounds are catching up to me and for the love of God, this thing won’t even budge!” Hao Vee, a youth garbed in a humble, dark-blue vestment, struggled to evade his persistent pursuers. What had his mind in a tangle was not so much the pursuit, but the ancient weapon he held in his grip, a sword revered as an X-Class artefact, a Blade Edge so formidable that it wouldn’t yield itself to him.

“Did I just waste my time stealing this one-of-a-kind relic?” Cursing his luck, he thought, ‘All this trouble for an unyielding blade? Can’t even take it out of its sheath. What’s the point of putting my life in jeopardy if I can’t use it? Oh damn, today isn’t my lucky day.’ The consequences of his actions loomed over him as he manoeuvred over a pile of steel that was strewn about the floor.

The Imperial Hound’s radio crackled to life again, “Target acquired. Starting the offensive.”

“Huh?” Tapping into the invisible airwaves just outside the building, Hao heard the aircraft moving smoothly into position, and a short moment later, a dreadful storm of high-calibre rounds began tearing into the abandoned complex towards him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The impact of the deadly bullets was blasting through walls with ease, laying waste to everything in their paths and constantly ricocheting off rigid metals when the momentum was hampered. The fleeing assailant was finding it increasingly difficult to prevent his body from getting penetrated.

“Blast it! Those bullets are a sure one-hit K.O.! I better be careful not to trip!” He told himself as he skipped over into another building.

With each corner cut and every leap made, Hao Vee's heart pounded in his chest like a drumbeat, echoing through the hollowed buildings of the Wranglers District. The district was neglected, a forgotten part of the city where the imperial authorities turned a blind eye, unless of course, there was an X-Class sword to retrieve. Hao Vee could almost hear the sinister chuckles of the powers-that-be as they ravaged the area without a second thought.

Ducking under a falling beam, he berated himself in his mind, ‘What the bloody hell have I got myself into, eh? This was supposed to be a simple heist, in and out, but here I am, running from a dangerous sky beast and the likes of Colgate and Diana!’ His senses drifted a few metres behind him.

“Damn you Vee, for giving us trouble!” Colgate sped up his tyrannical pounce, his legs were so darn heavy that they were leaving visible imprints wherever he stepped. THUD! THUD! THUD! Nearing the edge of the building, he glimpsed a Sword-Glider pulling up nearby, it belonged to their fleet. It looked like a sleek, metallic stingray, with the handle of the sword doubling as the steering apparatus.

‘Hmm? That glider…’ An idea came to Colgate’s mind, "I could use a boost." Moving swiftly, he leapt onto the Sword-Glider, leaving Diana to navigate the paths on her own. He commanded while pointing ahead, “Driver, catch up to that blind piece of filth that is stinking up my vision!”

“I’m on it, sir!” Answered the driver, tweaking the accelerator.

While the Sword-Glider soared ahead, Colgate rummaged through the storage compartment on his waist and pulled out several small, spherical bombs. ‘These little beauties are my special concoction. They'll surely shake him up.’

Unaware of the danger closing in, Hao continued to evade Diana’s slashing attacks. “Huh!” His heart skipped another melodious beat as he tripped over a chunk of metal. Just as he stumbled, a deadly slash whizzed overhead. He narrowly escaped getting his head cut off.

"Diana's handy work, no doubt, and to think the very thing I was trying to avoid actually saved my life," he spoke softly and assumed correctly. However, just as he regained his footing, his acute senses soon picked up another threat; Colgate closing in on the Sword-Glider. It was just at the edge of his sensory perception range, but it was enough for him to realise the imminent danger.

“What is that muscle freak up to now…?” Cursing under his breath, Hao saw, in his own unique way, the cluster of bombs hurled in his direction. The sound of Colgate's rambunctious laughter rang in his ears also. Hao had to act quickly or face the deadly consequences. And with that, he knew it was time to rely on his trusty weapon.

Whoosh!

With a swift, fluid motion, he reached for the handle of his sword, Vibe Edge. The moment his fingers wrapped around the handle, it felt like a surge of electricity ran through his body, connecting him with the mysterious spirit dwelling inside the sword. The sensation was beyond mere touch; it was a bond that transcended the physical world.

The air rumbled with tension as Hao drew Vibe Edge from its scabbard. The sound of the blade sliding out was a buzzing symphony that only Hao could hear. As the sword's edge vibrated with an intensity that resonated deep within his being, the miniature speakers on the sword began to play a rhythmic beat that filled him with a sense of power and confidence. Moreover, a quiet, almost invisible option on his Sword Details status window began to blink insistently that was visible only to him, and it read:

<Sword Details>

User: Hao Vee

Sword Type: Uncommon

Sword Spirit: Vibe Edge

Link Connection: 62%

HP: 140

Tunes: 0

Passive Skills>>

...

Vibe Sense

...

Vibe Sense - Skill Tab

Level 1: Vibe Detection

• Description: Allows the user to perceive the world around them through vibrations in the air. This ability greatly enhances the user's spatial awareness and anticipation of incoming attacks or threats. Particularly useful in detecting unseen or stealthy threats.
• Range: Short
• Cooldown: Passive Skill (Always Active)

Level 2: Sonic Perception

• Description: The user's sensory perception is further enhanced. They can now decipher the nature of different sounds and vibrations, granting them insights into the type of threat or object making the sound or creating the vibration.
• Range: Medium
• Cooldown: Passive Skill (Always Active)

"Well, well," A slow smile spread across Hao's face before continuing, "Looks like the vibe is about to get crazy." The sword in his hands pulsed gently as though acknowledging his newfound awareness; it felt more alive now than ever.

The moment Vibe Edge revealed its full sharpness to the outside world, Hao's sensing ability increased dramatically. WHOOSH! The vibrations emitted by the sword allowed him to perceive everything around him with astonishing clarity, both inside the building and beyond its walls. He could even sense the aircraft moving into position, ready to unleash its terrifying barrage at him.

The world as Hao experienced it was a culmination of blue beat tones, each synchronized with a specific rhythm. His Vibe Sense calculated the trajectory of the incoming bombs, which allowed him to time his movements with precision. In the split second before the bombs reached him, he turned his sword towards it.

“Huh!” Colgate noticed Hao's action and smirked coldly, anticipating the explosive surprise that awaited his target. "Impressive, Vee," Colgate scoffed underneath his fresh, minty breath and added, "But did you really think you could escape unscathed by cutting the bombs? This is the end for you. I can’t wait to trample all over your corpse."

However, Hao had a different plan in mind. Instead of slicing the bombs, he directed the sword inches away from them and slashed at the Sword-Glider, or rather, its driver. The dark slash was anything but simple.

Boom!

In a split second, a deafening explosion occurred; thousands of sizzling miniature swords that were smoking at their tips were bombarding Hao’s focal point with rapid brutality.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Watching this sparkling display of exploding blade works, Colgate, and the driver of the Sword-Glider were left believing that Hao had taken the full force of the blast.

RUMBLE! The building shook violently, moreover, thick smoke billowed into the sky, obscuring Hao's fate from his pursuers.

"What’s happening?" Diana shouted through her communicator while struggling to see through the smoke and debris up ahead. “That explosion just now sounded like one of your Bomb Clusters, Colgate. Was it?”

Hearing Diana’s voice, Colgate replied through his device also, saying, "I just blast that rat to smithereens, Diana. There's no way he could have survived that." His tone, although confident, betrayed a hint of uncertainty.

But unbeknownst to Colgate and Diana, the blind Blade Engineer had a trick up his sleeve, or rather, a unique skill hidden within his sword that would leave them both speechless.

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