Chapter 388 The Return Of Lana

Dickson stepped forward, his face dark with frustration. Lightning sparked in his eyes as his fists clenched tight. The air around him hummed, low and angry, every step he took lighting up the cracked road beneath his boots. He’d had enough of watching everyone get tossed around like toys.

"Alright, metal boy," he muttered under his breath, electricity crawling down his arm. "Let’s see you eat this."

He kicked off the ground, body shooting forward like a bullet. The charge in his fist glowed bright blue, his entire arm wrapped in crackling light. He let out a rough yell and swung with everything he had.

Bang!

The sound ripped through the air like thunder. The impact shook the ground, but when Dickson’s vision cleared, he froze.

The metal man didn’t dodge. Didn’t even flinch.

He caught the punch.

Right there in his palm.

The lightning danced across his metal skin, running up his arm and neck, but instead of screaming, the man just smiled. His jaw clenched, and he groaned like someone mildly irritated.

"That hurts," he said coldly. Then his fingers twisted.

Crack!

Dickson screamed. "Ahhhhhh!"

The sound cut through the chaos around them. His bones crumbled under the man’s grip like dry twigs. Pain shot up his arm so sharp it felt like fire running through his nerves. His face twisted as he tried to stay standing, but his legs gave out for a moment.

"Let him go!" Vanessa shouted, appearing beside them in a blink, but before she could act, the metal man turned and kicked Dickson square in the chest.

Bang!

The hit sent him flying several meters back. He crashed to the ground, rolling across the dirt before landing face down.

He groaned, his body shaking as he clutched his arm. "Motherfucker broke my bones! Fuckkkk!" He hissed through his teeth, trying to sit up. "If I catch your mother—!"

He didn’t finish the sentence. The pain hit harder, and he bit his lip, face pale. Even with all his energy, he didn’t dare stand.

Vanessa looked furious but couldn’t move fast enough. The metal man stood tall, his arms glowing faintly from the absorbed lightning. The grin on his face said it all—he was enjoying this.

Ann and Seo Yeon exchanged nervous looks. Their breathing grew heavy. Ann’s shadows twitched on the ground but didn’t move forward. Seo Yeon took a half step back, swallowing hard. The sight of Dickson on the floor made both of them hesitate.

"Shit," Seo Yeon whispered under her breath.

The metal man chuckled. "That’s right. Stay where you are. I don’t have time to babysit children."

Then a loud explosion rocked the area.

Boom!

Everyone turned.

The heat hit them first—a sharp wave of fire that melted through the air. Lilith was pushed back, crashing through a pile of rubble. Smoke burst around her, but before anyone could blink, she was already standing again.

Her body was covered in dust, small burns tracing her arms and shoulders. Parts of her cloth were torn and singed, but her eyes burned with something else—excitement.

Blake walked forward through the smoke, his body glowing faintly orange from the heat. He flexed his fingers, his expression calm but focused. "You’re tougher than I thought," he said.

Lilith spat on the ground and smiled. A faint cut trailed down the side of her lip. She wiped it with the back of her hand, her eyes never leaving his. "You too," she said, voice low.

Her skin shimmered as the ice spread from her feet again, freezing the cracked pavement beneath her. Steam rose from the ground as her power clashed with his heat.

"Let’s see how long you last this time," Blake said, fire building around his arm like a storm.

Lilith grinned wider, then launched herself forward. The two collided again with a thunderous roar, fire and ice clashing in the middle. Sparks flew. The ground cracked. The air around them shook like a living thing.

From the distance, the others could barely keep their balance from the shockwaves.

"Damn..." Dickson groaned, lying flat, one eye half open. "She’s still fighting?"

Kelly helped Seo Yeon stand while keeping her eyes on Lilith and Blake. "She’s not fighting," Kelly said quietly. "She’s enjoying it."

Another explosion followed. This one was even louder. Fire rose high like a pillar, melting a nearby car to ash. Then ice followed right after, freezing the melted metal midair.

Blake was laughing now, clearly entertained. "Finally! Someone worth my time!"

Lilith’s voice came sharp and fierce through the roar. "Again!"

She rushed in faster this time, her body glowing faintly blue. Her hand turned into a blade of crystal ice, slicing through the heat. Blake countered with a burning fist, their attacks meeting with another bone-rattling BOOM!

The street was gone. Just smoke, fire, and frost.

Back on the sidelines, Seo Yeon shielded her face from the wind. "This is insane," she said softly.

Ann’s voice came out tight. "We can’t even get close to help."

Kelly sighed, looking between them. "Right now, we’d just get in her way."

Dickson laughed weakly from the ground. "Yeah, no kidding..."

His arm was limp, his face twisted in pain, but even he couldn’t help but stare at the fight in disbelief.

Lilith was smiling like a maniac, eyes glowing white, power leaking from every pore. The burns on her skin healed instantly as she blocked another fire strike, then kicked Blake straight in the stomach, sending him crashing into a wall.

The fire around him exploded when he landed, lighting up the whole sky.

She cracked her neck, the grin still on her lips. "Come on," she said, voice steady, "again."

And Blake, coughing out smoke, started laughing.

The metal man cracked his knuckles as he let out a dull sigh. His voice came out flat and bored. "You. Come." He pointed straight at Kelly.

Kelly froze. The man’s tone carried no emotion, yet it felt heavier than a threat. She clenched her fists. Every camera in the city was pointed at them, the entire world watching, waiting to see what would happen next.

She could already imagine the headlines, the comments, the judgment. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

She hated that he was talking down to her like that. And she hated even more that she couldn’t just ignore it.

Kelly took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "Guess I have to give it everything," she said under her breath. Her voice was firm, but her palms were shaking.

Just as she stepped forward, a soft hand gripped her arm.

She turned quickly—and froze.

It was a slender, feminine hand. When Kelly’s eyes lifted, she saw her.

Lana.

She stood there quietly, her long dark hair falling loosely around her shoulders. The wind brushed against her face as if the world itself had stopped for her arrival. Her green eyes were calm, steady, and cold in a way that made the air around her feel heavy.

There was no dramatic entrance, no flash of power or fiery glare. She just stood there—quiet, still, yet every eye turned to her without needing to be told.

Kelly blinked, her lips parting slightly. "Lana...?"

The others noticed too. Dickson’s eyes widened, his usual smirk vanishing. Ann and Vanessa exchanged confused glances, and even Seo Yeon stopped mid-step.

"She’s back?" Dickson muttered. "Wait—if she’s here, that means..."

"Liam," Vanessa said softly. Her voice carried a mix of relief and disbelief.

Lana gave Kelly a small, almost comforting smile before turning her gaze to the metal man. Her expression didn’t change, but something about her stare made the air shift.

"How about you pick on someone your own size," she said calmly.

The metal man tilted his head. For a moment, he looked like he didn’t know how to respond.

He hadn’t expected that voice—steady, low, and confident. It wasn’t loud, but it carried weight.

He looked her up and down, and for once, he didn’t move.

To be honest, even he was caught off guard. He’d seen Lilith’s icy beauty, Vanessa’s sharpness, Ann’s dark charm, Kelly’s striking glow, Seo Yeon’s graceful presence—but this one felt different.

Lana wasn’t trying to look powerful or seductive. She didn’t need to. Her calmness alone drew eyes to her like a flame pulling in moths.

The crowd watching the live feed exploded online.

"Who is that?"

"Wait—no way. That’s Lana?"

"Lana?! The model who disappeared?"

"Oh my god, she looks even better now!"

"Hold on, if she’s fighting them... does that mean she has powers too?"

"My goddess is an ability user? I’m done. I can die happy."

The chatrooms, comment sections, and streams were full of disbelief and excitement. Every news anchor stammered over her name as they replayed her calm entrance over and over again.

She wasn’t glowing, she wasn’t surrounded by special effects—she was just there. Beautiful, confident, quiet.

The metal man frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. He muttered under his breath, "How many of you freaks are there?"

He studied her again, slower this time. "You’re not even scared?"

Lana’s voice stayed soft. "Should I be?"

That small question made something flicker in his expression—irritation, maybe curiosity. He flexed his metal-covered fingers, the faint sound of grinding steel echoing in the air.

Behind Lana, Kelly slowly lowered her hand, still staring at her like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Lana didn’t move her gaze from the metal man. Her calm eyes didn’t waver, even when the air hummed from his power.

He smirked. "You sure you want this fight? You look too pretty to die."

Lana’s lips curved slightly—not into a smile, but something colder. "You talk too much."

The way she said it wasn’t angry. It was just... calm. Like someone stating a fact.

The man’s smirk faded a little. He straightened, metal plates forming along his arms. Sparks of electricity from Dickson’s earlier attack still flickered faintly across his body.

Everyone watching held their breath.

Kelly’s stomach tightened. She wanted to say something, anything—but she couldn’t find her voice.

Lana tilted her head slightly, green eyes locked on him. "Well," she said softly, her tone almost casual, "are you going to fight, or just stare?"