Conquering Ladies With My 10x Rebate System
Chapter 54: Meet a killer?

Chapter 54: Meet a killer?

Hakate hadn’t been wrong when he said they were running on limited energy.

Caleb could see it clearly now—the more they tapped into the card’s power, the more their stamina dwindled. Naya’s ice spikes were growing smaller, slower, and less precise.

Even Julia, though still ferocious, was beginning to lose some of her edge. Her movements, once sharp and seamless, were starting to show signs of fatigue.

Still, Caleb felt a flicker of relief. They were holding their ground, and the clones they faced weren’t doing much better.

In fact, the clone Julia fought didn’t last long enough to capitalize on her slowing pace. Her blows were savage—each strike fiercer than the last—until the clone collapsed, unable to move.

As for Caleb, his momentary distraction hadn’t been an oversight—it had been part of the plan.

He had deliberately drawn Hakate closer, lowering his own guard to bait him in.

Closer.

Close enough to unleash the ability he’d been saving—Absolute Freeze.

And now, with Hakate within range, the effect was devastating.

Yes, Caleb had taken a punch to make it happen. But the trade-off was worth it.

Because now, his opponent was trapped.

Encased in thick, shimmering ice. Frozen completely.

Yet even as the frost climbed across his body, Hakate let out a twisted, manic laugh.

"Your efforts are futile," he said, his voice echoing with dark amusement. "Killing me... is impossible."

’What’s he saying? He’s already trapped...’ Caleb thought, casting a bewildered look at Hakate, as though the man had lost his mind.

There was nowhere left for him to run.

Once the ice enclosed him completely, it would be over.

Without giving Hakate another glance, Caleb calmly walked past him.

"Let’s see how you break out of that," he said coolly.

The ice climbed steadily, encasing Hakate entirely—

Leaving behind nothing but a frozen statue.

Meanwhile, Julia had already taken care of her clone.

Naya, though her energy had drained much faster than Julia’s, still managed to finish her fight cleanly.

Her clone’s death was far more pitiful than the others.

A single sloppy movement was all it took—

Spikes erupted, piercing through every part of its body.

It was barely recognizable now.

More a pincushion than a person, with ice spikes jutting out from every angle.

The three regrouped at the center of the VIP box.

"That was much easier than I expected," Julia muttered, her gaze sweeping over the destruction they’d left behind.

Chairs were overturned, some impaled by jagged ice spikes from Naya’s earlier barrage. The walls were scarred, the floor cracked.

The three clones lay strewn across the room—motionless, defeated.

One frozen in place like an eerie ice sculpture.

Another looked like a pincushion, pierced from every angle.

And the last... a broken mess, beaten and bloodied like a poorly used punching bag.

Then her eyes landed on it—the grotesque pile of flesh Hakate had shed during his transformation.

Even now, the sight made her stomach lurch.

She quickly looked away, bile rising in her throat.

God, I hope I never have to see anything like that again, she thought, turning her attention toward Caleb instead.

"I guess it’s over for now... but it won’t last," she said quietly, concern creeping into her voice.

"X isn’t going to give up. We need to figure out how to keep her safe. This time, they sent someone weaker... but who knows what kind of monster they’ll send next?" Julia said, her voice growing quiet as a memory surfaced.

The image of a broad-shouldered figure flashed in her mind—the X member who had given her the card. Just recalling his presence sent a shiver down her spine.

"I’ve seen far more powerful members of X," she added grimly. "I think they went easy on us this time."

Naya nodded in agreement. She hadn’t fought the man who gave her the card, but from the glimpse she got of his abilities... she didn’t even want to imagine what a real fight with him would look like.

"I get it," Caleb said, his expression hardening. "But the real question is—how do we do this? How do we protect her?"

He glanced at Naya, then Julia. The weight of their shared reality was heavy. Naya was a target now. And by standing beside her, both he and Julia had likely painted targets on their own backs as well.

They were all in danger.

And none of them had a clear plan.

"I actually know someone who might be able to help..." Julia began, hesitating.

Caleb caught the look on her face.

"But?" he asked, brow raised.

Julia let out a reluctant sigh. The name she was thinking of left a sour taste in her mouth. She had done everything to stay away from that person, to keep distance. But now...

’I guess in the end, I still need her help,’ she thought bitterly.

"She’s an old friend," Julia finally said. "Or... we used to be friends. But if anyone can help us right now—it’s her."

"Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go meet her," Caleb said, a note of impatience in his voice.

"Calm down," Julia replied sharply. "She’s dangerous. Definitely not someone I’d want to be around unless absolutely necessary. You asked how I knew X would come after Naya? Well... it’s because of her."

Caleb’s expression darkened as her words sank in.

’So X is after this person too... which means she must’ve killed someone,’ Caleb thought, his jaw tightening.

Unlike Naya, who had taken Nathan’s card in a desperate fight for survival—her life hanging in the balance—this person... sounded different.

A chill ran down his spine.

They were about to seek help from someone who might’ve willingly killed a cardholder, knowing full well what that would bring.

He glanced at Julia again.

From the tension in her face, the way her eyes seemed to avoid his, it was clear. This wasn’t like Naya’s case. There had been no desperation—no accident.

Whoever this person was... she had made a choice.

And now, they were choosing to walk straight to her doorstep.

"Do you understand now why I don’t want you going anywhere near her?" Julia asked, her voice low, almost pleading.

Caleb didn’t respond right away. The weight of her warning settled like a stone in his chest. He could see it now—this wasn’t just reluctance. It was fear. Real, bone-deep fear.

Naya remained silent as well, her gaze flicking between the two of them.

But while the trio was deep in discussion, none of them noticed it.

The discarded skin from earlier—the grotesque husk left behind by Hakate—twitched ever so slightly.

It was subtle, nearly imperceptible.

But it moved.