Xerah returned to her room, her hands covered in mud and blood with flesh stuck under her nails. It took her a long time to clean them, but she was surprised to find that her nails were not damaged, still strong and sharp. In fact, they were longer than before, which excited her. She grabbed the old wooden table and scratched it through with her nails, feeling a new power moving through her body. She spent an hour cleaning the stain from her toenails, then kicked hard forward. Xerah felt her body grow stronger and lighter, enabling her to kick faster, higher, and more aggressively. She was filled with excitement at the newfound strength and power.
From that day on, Grandma never criticized Xerah’s nails again. Instead, she lovingly drove Xerah to maintain her 3cm long nails. Xerah accompanied her grandmother to the market every day to sell vegetables, and Hive Five never bothered them again. Whenever the members of Hive Five saw Xerah, they ran away in fear.
The story of Xerah spread throughout the village, and people had mixed opinions. Some praised her courage, while others were skeptical of her strange powers. Xerah didn’t care about their opinions. She only had eyes for her nails and wished they would grow even longer.
As the days passed, Xerah continued to explore her newfound strength and power. She trained harder in the woods, becoming more agile and quick-witted. Her eyes would turn red whenever she fought, and her nails would become even sharper and stronger.
Hive5 had been quiet for a while, and it seemed like they had given up on their pursuit of Xerah. However, the truth was that they were merely biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike. They knew they had to recover from their injuries first, and so they retreated to their hideout to plot their revenge.
Vole, the youngest member of Hive5, was the most badly hurt. His arms were covered in deep scratches, and his legs had scars from where Xerah had kicked him with her powerful toenails. He grimaced in pain as he recounted his ordeal to the others, “That woman is a monster. Her nails are like knives, cutting deep into my flesh and causing me immense pain.” The other members listened intently, nodding in agreement. “We need to stay away from her in the future to avoid getting hurt again.”
However, Neo was not willing to let the matter rest. He was furious at being beaten by a mere girl and was determined to teach her a lesson. “Are we just going to let her get away with this?” he bellowed. “We need to make her pay for what she did to us.” He touched the deep scratches on his face and sneered, “I have a brother, Tony. He’s strong and works out regularly. No one dares to mess with him in school.” The other members exchanged glances, knowing exactly what Neo was thinking. “Maybe we should ask him for help,” one of them suggested.
The idea was met with enthusiastic agreement from everyone, and Neo wasted no time in contacting his brother. Tony, a 19-year-old fitness enthusiast, was more than happy to accept the offer. He saw it as a chance to prove his strength and earn some quick cash. “What’s the reward?” he asked eagerly. “Five hundred dollars? That’s nothing. I’ll do it for free.”
Tony was confident that he could take down Xerah easily. After all, he was nearly 6 feet tall, heavily muscled, and had a reputation as a tough guy in school. He was itching to show off his strength and put Xerah in her place. He agreed to meet with Hive5 in the woods, where they would confront Xerah and force her to fight.
Three days later, Vole limped up to Xerah’s grandmother’s house and knocked on the door. Xerah answered, and Vole’s eyes widened in fear when he saw her. He quickly delivered Tony’s message, telling her to meet them in the woods for a duel. Without waiting for Xerah’s reply, he turned and fled, still scared of her formidable strength.
Xerah was surprised by the sudden challenge but not afraid. She had fought countless battles before, both in school and on the streets, and had always emerged victorious. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she retreated to her room to prepare for the fight. She inspected her nails, running her fingers along the sharp edges and marveling at their strength. She knew that they were her greatest weapon, capable of slicing through flesh and bone with ease.
She spent the next three days sharpening her nails, using a sharpening stone to hone them to razor-sharp points. She knew that she would need every advantage she could get against Tony, who was rumored to be a formidable opponent. As she worked, she felt a surge of power coursing through her body, filling her with a sense of strength and confidence.
Finally, the day of the fight arrived. At the night, Xerah donned her favorite black outfit and open-toe sandals. she set out for the woods, her heart pounding with anticipation. She arrived at the designated spot to find Tony and the members of Hive5 waiting for her.
… to be continued
