Ash and Max tore through the wreckage.
Dust choked the path. Shards of twisted metal jutted out like broken teeth. Overhead, the sky pulsed with faint red light. The asteroid groaned under the weight of war.
Then came the flash.
Behind them.
A burst of heat. A shriek of sound. Lasers lit up the air, carving through stone and steel. Chunks of ground flew past their legs, glowing and cracked.
Max threw a hand behind. A light wall snapped into place—blue and humming, barely holding. Sparks scattered as lasers slammed against it.
Ash didn't slow. His blade flicked up, ready.
"I'll cut them down."
He spun, blade already rising—
Max grabbed his arm. The shield still blocking the troopers' lasers
"No."
He pointed. The soldiers were coming fast. Ten or more at least. Their steps were clean, their rifles steady.
"Elite unit."
Ash's grip tightened.
"So what? You think I can't handle them?"
Max didn't blink. He reached into his belt and dropped a small device into Ash's hand.
"You're faster. You reach the target. That's the mission. Not a bloodbath."
Ash stared at it. The weight of the device wasn't heavy, but it settled like stone in his palm.
'He still doesn't trust me when it comes to a fight against humans.'
The thought stirred something cold in his chest.
But he breathed out. Turned.
"Don't die."
He vanished into the smoke.
Max turned back to face the charge. His lips curled slightly.
"Guess I'll stop holding back and just show off a bit."
He rolled his shoulder once. A quiet click answered.
His suit activated.
Nanobots surged over his skin like a tide of black silver. Plates locked into place. Circuits lit across his chest. Four mechanical arms uncoiled from his back—sleek, armed, and alive with power.
A soldier slowed.
"…Combat rig?"
Another stepped forward.
"Doesn't matter. He looks like he is just support. Burn him down!"
Lasers screamed. The sky filled with fire.
The ground erupted in flame and smoke.
The spot where Max stood—gone.
Everything stopped.
Then—
A line of light ripped through the smoke. It cut clean, slicing through the soldiers in one sweep. The ground behind them exploded in flame and dust.
Silence followed.
Max stood alone in the wreckage. His exo-suit glowed faintly, the surface scorched but unbroken. His shield pulsed beside him, still humming. Mechanical arms behind him flexed like living blades, tracking every motion, ready to strike again.
One trooper staggered back.
"What… what is he?"
Max tilted his head. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"You thought I was just support?"
He stepped forward. The arms moved with him.
"I'm not letting anyone ruin this mission. Not while my team's still breathing."
————
Ash darted between jagged rocks, blade low at his side. The device in his hand pulsed, its light steady and cold.
On-screen, red lines danced. One dot stayed still, burning brighter with every step he took.
"Tch..."
He clenched the hilt tighter.
'How far is this thing?'
Behind him, fire cracked the sky. Max was still holding the line—but it sounded distant now. Like thunder swallowed by smoke.
Ash didn't stop. His boots pounded against cracked stone, shadows rushing past.
Then—
The device blinked. The screen twitched. Lines warped.
He smacked the side. A warning flickered:
[WARNING: UNKNOWN ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED NEAR TARGET LOCATION]
His jaw tightened.
'Unknown energy…?'
Smoke curled up from the crater ahead. He didn't slow.
Then the wind shifted.
Something struck him—hard. He flew sideways, hit the ground, and rolled once. Dust floated up around him.
Ash pushed to his feet. His eyes locked on the figure ahead.
Blond hair drifted in low gravity. A visor flashed across the man's face. Hands still in his pockets.
"You're in a rush."
Ash's shoulders rolled. He gripped his blade.
"So you're the one standing in my way."
Speedy laughed and tapped his visor.
"Well yeah. Just one of them. Name's Speedy. And before you ask—yeah, that's what they call me."
Ash didn't answer.
He saw it.
Dust around Speedy's boots had risen. Not falling. Not drifting. It curled in loops, tugged by some force. The ground breathed.
Controlled air. No mistake.
'Wind soulcore.'
Ash shifted. One step forward. His blade followed.
He moved.
Steel cut through the space ahead.
But no resistance.
Air burst behind him.
A heavy force slammed into his back. His stance broke. His boots dragged across the dirt as he turned—
Too late.
Speedy stood a short distance away, same as before. Arms loose. Head tilted. As he watched ash with his calm face.
"That's all? Thought you'd be more interesting."
Ash's blade dipped. Not from weakness—just enough to focus. His eyes tracked the air. The currents shifted around Speedy like threads pulled through a loom.
"You are from the Gales family."
A twitch cracked the mask of Speedy's grin. Just for a breath.
Ash kept still. But pain still pulsed where the hit landed. A deep bruise was already blooming beneath his ribs.
Speedy tilted his head. A flare of light skimmed across his visor.
"Well yeah, isn't it obvious from the element I use? I'm from the Gales family. One of the finest, if I do say so myself."
He rolled his shoulders. Stepped closer.
"Now that introductions are out of the way… shall we begin?"
Wind roared behind him.
The force launched him forward.
Ash's stomach twisted. He moved—
Too slow.
A blow snapped into his side. Sharp and deep.
His body buckled. Breath jammed in his chest. He slid across the dirt, boots tearing up stone.
"Tch."
Teeth clenched, he turned. His blade lashed out.
Only air.
Speedy stood behind him.
"Come on. You really think you can hit me like that?"
Ash didn't speak.
His eyes locked on the dust—how it twisted, broke, then reformed.
'He's fast, but not impossible to beat. He's using bursts—short dashes. There's a rhythm.'
The air shifted.
Speedy disappeared.
Then he was right there. Arm drawn back.
Ash moved.
The punch slammed into his ribs. Bone groaned. Heat flashed through his side. He staggered, body screaming to drop—
But his feet held.
Another strike crashed into his shoulder. His body reeled, one step back, arms shaking. The blade in his grip vibrated from the impact. He didn't let go.
Speedy watched. His head tilted.
"You're tough, I'll give you that. But tough doesn't mean much if you can't touch me. This is why skills matter."
The wind turned.
Ash caught the motion—just enough. A blur cut toward his right. Speedy's form snapped low.
Ash jumped back.
The sweep passed under him, close enough to feel the wind peel across his boots.
Then—impact.
A foot slammed into his chest.
Air left him in one violent rush. His back hit the ground. Dust flew. His boots carved tracks in the dirt as he skidded.
He pulled himself up fast. Chest burning with pain. The throb in his ribs spread with every breath.
Speedy circled him. Not just moving—learning. Every hit was a push. A test. A trap.
Actually, they were both trying to read each other. Speedy was trying to see how long Ash's tier 5 body could hold against his powerful skill.
While Ash was trying to read Speedy Attacks and movement
Ash steadied his breath.
'I've fought strong opponents before. But this is different. This isn't about brute force. This is about timing. I just need to see it—where and when the strike begins.'
Something shifted.
A whisper echoed at the edge of thought—his voice but cold and distant,
"[Soul Pool: 75%]"
Ash's eyes twitched.
'What? But I wasn't using any skill.'
He hadn't noticed. The moment he'd left Max, something in him had already changed. His skills had reacted on instinct. Worry clouded his thoughts, scattering them like ash in the wind.
Storm Vein. Static Surge.
They'd been running this whole time.
His body moved faster than it should. Strength poured through his limbs, not by command, but reflex. The pain didn't stop the flow. His veins still pulsed with power—silent, automatic.
Ash clenched his jaw.
'Dammit. Even with my skills still active, he was still faster? I was still taking hits.'
He drew in a breath.
His hands shifted on the sword. Fingers tightened. His stance fell into place. The ache in his body didn't fade, but something had cleared. His limbs felt lighter. His focus, sharper.
'Speedy is faster, but he isn't invincible. I can do this.'
Across the clearing, Speedy tilted his head.
"Oh? You look a little more confident all of a sudden. Did I wake you up?"
Ash didn't respond.
His eyes moved—from the dust on the ground to the pull in the air—then to the slight shift in Speedy's posture.
He waited.
Speedy clicked his tongue.
"Fine, let's see if you can keep up this time."
The wind cracked.
Speedy vanished.
Ash didn't blink.
He followed the pressure, not the blur. The shift in the air gave it away. The wind didn't fight Speedy's movement. It followed. It flowed around him. He moved with the storm.
Dust shot into the air. Wind clawed at Ash's coat. Speedy's laugh broke through the storm like a knife.
"Come on, don't tell me that's all you've got!"
Ash stayed still.
One breath. In and Out.
The blade in his hand froze for a heartbeat—then tensed.
His ribs burned. The pain tried to pull him down, but he didn't let it. Waiting would mean losing.
Speedy vanished again.
Ash moved.
The blade swept through the air—
Steel met nothing—
Then—
Tear.
The cloth split open.
Speedy staggered into view, mid-step. His arm pulled back fast, but not before the red line appeared. Blood welled up along the cut, blooming across the sleeve.
The smirk faltered.
His gaze dropped to the wound, then back to Ash.
"Not bad."
Ash rolled his shoulder. Pain clawed through it. But he stood firm.
A thin grin broke across his face.
"Not so untouchable now, huh?"
Speedy let out a short laugh. But something inside it had changed.
"Guess I'll have to stop playing around."
He raised his hand.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
'Here it comes.'