The wind slammed behind Ash pushing him forward like a bullet.
A fist drove into his gut. His body folded, air snapping out of his lungs.
Ash staggered. The world tipped sideways.
Another blow came fast.
He shifted. The sword rose on instinct.
Steel sliced through the air.
Speedy ducked low. The blade missed by inches. His feet barely stirred the ground.
He straightened, a slow grin spreading.
"You're actually keeping up. Guess this won't be a waste of time after all."
Blood dripped from Ash's lip. He wiped it away. Feet spread firm, rooted in dirt. No more reacting—he was reading.
Speedy moved fast. But not without a pattern. Every strike rode the wind. Every dash came from a place.
There was order in the storm.
The wind whipped higher. Speedy blurred in a spiral of dust and speed. His shape bent and folded with the air, fading in and out.
Ash didn't move.
His eyes closed halfway. Shoulders dropped. The fight slipped away.
A voice came to him.
His mother's voice. Calm and Steady.
"Speed isn't invincibility. Fast opponents rely on momentum. You don't need to match them—stop them with something they won't expect. Then land your strongest hit. Knock them out. Or you know... kill them."
Ash let the thought settle.
His hands opened.
The blade dropped.
It hit the ground with a dull thud.
Speedy froze.
His step stumbled. Confusion flashed in his eyes—just long enough.
Ash moved. Of course, Speedy was fast. Even faster than Kael, who was tier 6.
Since Ash was tier 5, he wasn't slow either. The little confusion Speedy just had gave him enough time to strike a finishing blow.
His foot snapped forward. Body followed.
"[Skill: Scorch Palm]"
Fire roared along his arm, from elbow to knuckles. Light pulsed under his skin.
Speedy saw it too late.
He tried to summon wind, push it back.
But Ash's fist hit first.
Flames burst on contact, heat ripping out in waves.
Speedy lifted off the ground, slammed backward onto the dirt. Limbs dragged through dust—then stilled.
The wind shattered.
The storm broke.
Ash stood over the silence, hand warm, embers swirling like dying stars before fading.
He clenched his fist once. The sting burned sharply.
'The skill is still Weak. But enough.'
He stepped to his blade, picked it up.
Glanced back at the figure sprawled in the dirt.
"Too fast for your own good."
Then he turned, steady as stone, and vanished into the dark.
————
Aboard the Apex Carrier Ship
The masked man leaned back in his chair. A glass rested in his hand, red liquid swirling as his fingers turned it lazily. Holograms flickered around him—battle zones, maps, troop movements—casting a pale glow on his face.
His eyes scanned each feed without a flicker of feeling—until one stopped him.
On the screen, a tiger-like creature stood alone. Flames wrapped its body, twisting and snapping like living things. Shadows stretched over the troopers before it.
The humanoid creature didn't move.
The Apex troopers trembled. Rifles wavered. Feet slid back.
The masked man let out a short laugh. He raised the glass, drank slowly, eyes fixed on the wild firestorm burning the field.
"To think his son also got this transformation. Well, I guess it's possible they're Tier 6 after all."
The flames spread, cracking the rock beneath, warping the heat around the screen's edges.
The masked man stayed still, a slow smile playing on his lips.
He leaned forward, setting the glass down on the armrest. His gaze shifted to the groups of miners.
"Argh. This'll take too long. I don't think I can wait. Those damn Headquarters will send more teams."
His fingers tapped a button on his hand.
The door slid open.
A trooper quickly marched in, boots sharp against the floor. He stopped, fist raised to his chest.
"Sir! What are your orders?"
The masked man didn't move.
He lifted the glass again, took a slow sip. Then lowered it, eyes drifting back to the screen.
"Blow it apart."
The trooper blinked. Jaw tightened.
"Blow it apart? The asteroid? But Sir… what about Jov and Speedy?"
Silence stretched.
Finally, the masked man turned. His smirk stretched wider, eyes cold as stone.
"They failed. Failure has no place in the Apex."
The trooper froze.
"They are weak," the man said, flicking his hand as if brushing off dust.
"Just let them die."
The trooper swallowed hard. Nodded stiffly. He stepped back, boots echoing with each step toward the door.
"Ah, and one more thing."
The soldier stopped mid-step.
"Make sure the clean-up is thorough. No survivors."
Another nod. The trooper left without a word.
The masked man leaned forward, fingers flying over the console. The ship responded with a low, steady hum.
Lights along the walls blinked red, slicing sharp shadows across every surface.
Down the halls, Apex troops sprang into motion—fast, silent. Engineers worked on panels with urgent hands, prepping systems.
Outside, the ship's massive cannons turned.
They locked on.
The hum grew, a storm ready to break.
Then—
A flash.
Purple and blue light burst from the ship's belly.
The beam cut through space in a perfect line, striking the asteroid.
The rock trembled.
————
Seconds before the hit. The battle below continued. More troopers flooded in.
Max's robotic arms moved without hesitation, firing at anyone who stepped into range.
He stretched an arm out, and a shimmering holographic shield blossomed, blocking incoming blows.
A sharp beep echoed in his helmet.
His visor blinked—red pulses spread across the display.
His eyes snapped upward.
The Apex carrier hung above him, immense and silent, humming with power.
The ship's main cannon glowed—light spinning in its core, drawing energy like a storm gathering strength.
The air bent and crackled. Electricity danced across the sky.
It felt like it was aimed right at him.
Because it was.
Max's jaw clenched.
A female robotic voice rang out in his helmet.
"[High-energy attack detected. Activating Shield—Max Grade.]"
Golden plates flickered across his armor, locking over limbs, chest, and shoulders. Each panel hummed with life.
Dammit. This still isn't enough.
Around him, the troopers stopped moving.
Helmets hid their faces, but their bodies told the truth.
Some dropped weapons, shoulders sagging.
Others knelt slowly, heads bowed, accepting what was coming.
They were all going to die.
But Max was different. He raised both arms.
Above him, a glowing dome of energy erupted—thick, vast, stretching over the blast zone.
Still—
It wasn't enough.
He pushed harder.
Another shield layered itself atop the first. Then another.
Teeth clenched tight behind his helmet.
Every fiber of his being locked on.
————
Far across the distance.
Kael stood hunched, body trembling. The form he'd used—the beast that had burned with fury—was gone.
At least, it looked gone.
But something still clung to him. His hair had turned crimson, streaked with gray. Smoke rose from his skin in slow coils, thick and unnatural.
He bit down hard. His energy was nearly drained. Muscles ached, lungs burned. But his legs kept moving.
He forced them to as he try to attack jov with a punch.
Jov raised his arms. Stone shot from the earth, lifting him up, just enough to dodge Kael's lunge.
He landed lightly. Head tilted.
Smile sharply.
"Ohhh… I get it now. Your fancy form—doesn't last long, does it? You running out of ene—"
The smile vanished. He turned his head.
A sound ripped through the sky—low and deep, then rising into a roar that shook the very air.
A pillar of light came down from above.
It slammed into the center of the asteroid.
Jov staggered. His feet scrambled for grip as the stone beneath him trembled.
"No—no way. We were taking this rock, not—"
His breath hitched.
"What the hell is he thinking?!"
Kael didn't answer. He didn't hear the rest.
His eyes were locked on the blast's center.
On Max.
The shield was still there—barely. It had grown wider than it ever should've. Stretched thin. Cracks danced across it like glass under pressure.
Max stood beneath it, arms raised, unmoving.
Holding everything.
But it wasn't enough.
The shield shattered.
Light swallowed him.
The blast swept forward.
The ground split open beneath Kael's feet. He dropped to one knee, hands digging into the dirt, eyes still fixed on the storm.
His chest locked.
"MAX!"
The name tore from him, louder than the blast itself.
The light drowned it.
Everything vanished in white.
The blast split the stone apart, cracks spidering through the earth. Shards of the asteroid peeled away, drifting like dying embers in the void.
Minutes earlier.
Jagged stone crunched beneath Ash's boots. His chest burned, but his breath stayed steady. The battlefield noise had faded. Only the silence remained—too heavy, too still. The kind that watches.
Something was wrong.
The air throbbed, slow and deep, like a buried heartbeat.
Up ahead, a flicker of light cut through the dust.
He slowed, ducking low, weaving through boulders like broken teeth. The glow pulsed stronger with every step. When he reached the edge, he stopped.
What lay ahead wasn't a building anymore. It had once been—maybe a temple. Now it was bones. Walls eaten by time, roof caved in. Only one jagged pillar stood, half-split and leaning.
At the center of the ruin floated a bright sphere.
Perfect. Unmoving. Untouched by dirt or blood. It hovered inches from the cracked floor, spinning so slowly it almost didn't seem to move. Its bright surface gleamed like liquid metal. Not a single scratch.
A hum came from it—thin, sharp, crawling into his ears and down his spine.
Ash stepped closer.
His fingers twitched. The weight of his blade hung by his side, untouched.
He didn't reach for it.
'Is this it? Max never said what I'd find. No warnings. Just the damn coordinates.'
He raised his hand, stopping just short of the glow. The light responded—one slow pulse. Almost... alive.
Then came the wind.
It hit him from behind like a wall. His eyes snapped wide—too late.
The world spun.
His skills had already faded.
A fist struck his ribs.
Something cracked.
The ground vanished under his feet. He flew—slammed through the last standing pillar. Stone exploded around him. Dust choked the air.
The orb still floated.
Untouched by the chaos. Sound Humming. And it felt like I was watching the fight.
Ash hit the rocks hard. His back screamed. His hand clawed the dirt—empty.
His blade was gone.
Stillness returned.
The hum of the orb droned on, steady and sharp.
Ash gritted his teeth and forced his body to move. One elbow under him. Then the other.
He raised his head.
A shadow shifted through the dust, stepping into the ruined temple. Heavy boots.
Ash sucked in air, slow and shallow. His chest ached. Blood dripped into the dust.
Speedy stepped into view. No grin. Just a hard glare behind the cracked visor, eyes sharp with heat.
"You really thought you got rid of me?"
The words cut like a blade. Calm voice. But it burned underneath.
Ash tensed.
Speedy moved.
A fist slammed into his ribs. Then another on his face. And another.
Hits blurred together—arms, chest, jaw—bone-shaking blows that cracked through the air. Ash raised his arms, trying to guard, but Speedy was too fast. Too clean. Wind curled around each strike, bending the air itself.
Dust shot outward in bursts. Cracks rippled through the floor beneath them. The ground felt like it might shatter.
"You could've surrendered."
THWACK
"But no—"
WHAM
"You just had to make this difficult—"
THUD
Ash spat blood. One eye swollen, ribs screaming, breath gone. But he didn't fall.
Not yet.
A blurred shot from the side.
A foot crashed into Speedy's chest, launching him through the air like a broken doll. His body hit the ground with a crunch and skidded through the rubble.
Ash blinked.
Then he frowned.
The thing standing over him wasn't human.
It was one of the space creatures. The creatures that inhabit this asteroid.
It was not like the others from before—thin and wiry. This one was larger. Stone-thick skin, jagged like mountain rock. Spikes jutted from its shoulders, elbows, and spine. Its face was wrong. No nose. A wide mouth packed with teeth like shattered blades.
Its eyes—gray, wide, empty—locked onto Ash with something close to hatred.
Ash met the stare.
The same look of disgust on both their faces.
The creature raised one arm. Stone blades slid out of its forearm, grinding against each other. It aimed at Ash's chest.
"Yeah,"
Ash grinned through bloody teeth.
"This is what I expected from a damn creature like you."
The thing didn't flinch.
Then—everything shook.
The creature paused mid-strike, head turning toward the sky.
A low rumble grew, rising from deep beneath the rock. The air vibrated. A pulse like a heartbeat gone wrong.
Ash twisted to look.
The clouds split open.
Above, the Apex carrier ship had arrived—its cannon already glowing.
Purple and blue light spiraled from the heavens, crashing down like the wrath of a god.
The beam struck.
Silence vanished.
The world broke.
Stone ripped apart. Fire roared through the sky. Cracks split the asteroid's surface wide, chasms tearing open. Wind screamed. Chunks of earth rose and fell like shattered bones.
The ground ripped beneath Ash's body. He slid toward the edge of a forming void.
Speedy struggled to his feet, staring at the sky.
"No—no way. I thought we were taking this asteroid back. What is he thinking?"
Ash barely heard him. Everything blurred—noise, pain, light.
Then he saw it.
The orb.
Still floating.
Still glowing.
Not a scratch on it.
The hum matched his heartbeat, like it had always been part of him. The device on his hip—Max's sensor—flashed red and died, unable to read anything.
Something inside him screamed.
Move.
Ash threw out his hand.
Fingers brushed the sphere.
"[You have acquired a new sou…]"
The voice of the Soulspace began—but faltered.
Another voice rose. Not the voice of the soul space. This was different and Young. Like a kid of 10, maybe younger.
"Finally… you found me."
Ash's breath caught.
'What—'
Light burst from the distant blast—blinding, wild, and endless.
Then—
The asteroid exploded, shards spinning into the void.