New Gods of North America.

Chapter 649 Comparison
Even after they finished talking, Wayne still hadn't gotten the answer he was curious about.
Peter Clements' reply was something like this: "I heard you're a sharpshooter? Then you should know that as long as you don't linger in front of the muzzle, there are plenty of ways to destroy a gun."

Well……

This guy seems quite confident in himself, but he also sounds a little timid...

However, compared to Inessa, the detective agency's capable representative, the other agents' abilities are less impressive.
As Wayne and Peter Clemensa walked out of the kitchen, Connor, the guy who loved to stir up trouble and challenge others, was already in the middle of his third fight with the other men in black who had visited that night, right before everyone's eyes.

At first, the two were a little surprised, but when they saw the crowd a little further away making room in the workshop's open space, with people on both sides relatively clearly separated and all watching as if they were just joining in the fun, they felt relieved.

At least basic order is still in place, and there shouldn't be any major problems.

At one end of the open space were the detectives from the detective agency, and at the other end were the men in black that the fat man had brought. Inessa had even found a vantage point on the roof of a small cabin.

After walking up to the human wall and asking Lena, Wayne and Peter Clemens quickly understood the current situation.

The detective agency appears to be friendly rather than hostile towards the other party, but objectively speaking, they are not very familiar with each other, and their actual stance is probably somewhere between "neutral with a slight tendency towards friendliness."

Inessa didn't stop it, and Lina seemed more like the one stirring things up from the shadows. The agents were probably feeling a bit resentful and wanted to get revenge, while the others were "just killing time anyway," so the informal arena started.

The man in black fighting Connor in the middle of the open space possessed an extraordinary ability that seemed somewhat similar to "softening"—both allowed him to temporarily alter his body's state, transforming it into a near-fluid form.

But this guy was clearly more aggressive. He lunged forward and threw an uppercut, which Connor effortlessly blocked with his "Extraordinary Little Shield" while retreating slightly to absorb the force before preparing to counterattack. Then he was hit.

The man in black's fist wasn't deflected by Connor's extraordinary ability to harden the area; instead, it turned into a tar-like substance and stuck to him.
Then, starting with his fist, he quickly turned his entire body into asphalt, using the spot where he initially stuck as a fulcrum, and smoothly wrapped Connor's entire body into a human-shaped slime.

It's hard to say whether Connor's movements were restricted, but being completely enveloped in it, he clearly couldn't breathe anymore.
The bluish-black humanoid slime struggled and rolled around in the open space, trying to tear off its "face" and slam into the ground to make the other party feel pain and avoid it, but it always failed.

In the end, Connor had no choice but to give up the fight, suffering three consecutive defeats and ending the broadcast in disgrace.

The lump of asphalt then flowed back into the trench coat beside it, and the person stood up again.

"If we played in a different venue, I think I would have a way to deal with you."

Connor sat on the ground, panting heavily, but his head was still raised. His first thought was how to turn the tide next time. "You didn't have much offensive power in that state just now. You probably couldn't do anything like pressuring the eyes or crawling into the mouth, nose, or ear canals. The strength of the protective covering also seemed limited. If you could defend the vital points, I should be able to last longer."

The man in black facing him appeared rather aloof. He bent down, picked up a black top hat, and put it on his head. He seemed to be about to walk away, but then turned back.
"Then you'd better go and see how pythons constrict their prey. With each breath, the blood in your chest and limbs will be compressed more tightly, and you may not have much time left."

...The group was politely escorted to the edge of the plantation.
After boarding the two carriages that had brought them there, Peter Clements chuckled and teased his men, "It's rare to see you offer such useful advice to your opponent. I think that guy's extraordinary abilities are enough for localized defense. White, you might not win so easily next time."

"His main advantage lies in his agility, and he relies too much on close-quarters combat, so it's not too difficult to restrain him."

The subordinate who was singled out sat quietly opposite him. "However, his advice was very targeted. If my control were more precise, I could have quickly destroyed the target's vision and hearing, preventing him from being harmed by some kind of pollution-type extraordinary ability."

“I’ve heard they often organize these kinds of battles here. Wayne calls it the ‘Unrestricted Arena,’ which seems to be quite helpful in improving fighting skills and combat acumen.” Peter Clements’ tone shifted abruptly. “When you came over yesterday and saw that puppet, none of the partners were here?”

"Yes. I observed them from a distance for almost a whole day, but I didn't see them come back."

"A whole day..."

The subordinate named "White" detected the sigh in Peter Clemensa's tone: "Is there a problem?"

"Because of Tang's instruction, the cathedral did not conduct a thorough routine security check on these individuals, which clearly resulted in a lapse."

Peter Clements sighed slightly. "That unassuming Miss Lina's rank is clearly beyond the standard. Whatever her specific extraordinary ability is, to be able to make Master William's living idol act alone for a whole day, the rank of her extraordinary ability and the consumption of spiritual power cannot possibly be at the initial level."

"Do you need us to do another check?" Upon hearing this, the other subordinate on the other side immediately sat up straight.

"Forget it, these things are no longer our concern. Let Tyrell and those southern priests find out for themselves. With Wayne and the others, plus Tyrell's men, the cathedral is now strong enough to handle even a few scattered wild Beyonders from the Old World."

Peter Clements thought for a moment, then glanced at his subordinate. "Has anything unusual happened on your end lately?"

"No. The pastors in the south of the state have not made any obvious moves yet. Although their underhanded tactics will probably never stop, the church members we are focusing on have not suffered any casualties so far."

"His assessment is quite accurate; Tyrell is at least not a too-bad ambitious man... What about the situation at the station?"

"The frequency of the activities continues to increase."

"Ha. Now that no one is openly opposing gun smuggling anymore, they've become quite active in making money. This is probably one of the bargaining chips Tyrell offered. I just don't know if Missouri has such a large market."

(End of this chapter)