Maxi laughed—loud and wild—as blood clung to his lips and sweat dripped from his jaw. Across from him, Hana tilted her chin with a devilish grin.
"You're barely holding those arms up," she said, noting the limp sway of his sleeves.
Maxi grinned like a madman, his eyes glowing with defiance.
"I don't need them," he said, breathless but firm. "As long as I can breathe, I can struggle… all the way to the bitter, frickin' end."
Hana threw her head back in laughter. "True! But… it's gonna make dodging a lot harder."
With no further warning, she spun her wrecking balls and hurled one at him. Maxi rolled to the side, barely avoiding it, then jumped onto the chain mid-swing, feet skimming along it like a tightrope walker during a storm.
He sprinted forward.
Hana's eyes sparkled with excitement as she threw her second wrecking ball. Maxi leapt again-not up, but forward-landing squarely on the swinging chain. He ran along it, momentum building
Hana reeled back her second, wrecking ball and lashed it at him. Maxi jumped once more, just over the head of the wrecking ball, barely clearing it. He kept doing this-leap after leap-forcing her to swing closer and closer and to aim higher and higher until she had no choice but to swing directly in front of herself, obscuring her vision.
That was the moment.
Maxi leapt again-this time, hugging tight to the wrecking ball's curve, twisting his body as he pressed flat against its surface. He was then forced by his momentum and gravity to do a sideways flip, and as he did, he dropped his foot onto the chain and began to zipline forward, his shoes screeching against the metal.
Wind tore through his hair. His glasses cracked a little more, but he didn't care.
He flew.
Straight toward Hana.
She panicked slightly and tried to retract both wrecking balls—but it was too late. Maxi used the momentum, swung up with another flip, and launched a spinning kick that cracked across Hana's face.
She dropped to her knees, dazed, laughing again as her chains dissolved into floating blood midair. The blood hovered, then flowed back into her wounds—except for a few remnants that wrapped around her arms, congealing into her metallic, silver-like metal gauntlets that hardened into armor.
Maxi landed and stumbled, barely able to stand.
Hana's eyes gleamed.
She dashed forward and punched Maxi straight in the stomach.
Maxi coughed blood, crashing and rolling across the ground. He tried to get up—but she was already there, a foot planted on his throat. Her smile widened as she raised her fist, ready to knock him out for good.
But then Maxi's legs began to do some kind of maneuver some kind of… dance?
He started moving like he was breaking down or break dancing—literally. In a bizarre, smooth maneuver, he twisted his hips and used his legs in a rapid motion that resembled some battle form of hip-hop.
"What the hell—?" Hana muttered.
Then—bam!
Maxi kicked her right in the liver, staggering her.
Then, using his other leg as a pivot, he flipped and kicked upward, striking her neck with shocking precision and strength.
Hana stumbled back, stunned.
Maxi rose shakily to his feet, panting hard, arms still limp. Hana, wide-eyed with joy, panted too.
"You look tired," she teased, crouching again. "I think you need to eat more iron."
Maxi raised a brow, confused. "Wait, wha—"
Hana then puts her hands on her knees as she then—
She then disappeared.
Reappeared.
Punched his jaw.
Maxi flew back several feet, skidding across the dirt.
Before he could react, another punch slammed into his chest.
Then another.
He was being teleported across the battlefield by the force of her fists. Each punch brought pain he could barely process. His mouth hung open, a scream forming but never finishing. His eyes nearly rolled back.
Then—Hana aimed one last punch for his open mouth.
But Maxi's jaw snapped shut—like a bear trap.
She gasped as her fist was caught between his teeth—immovable.
"Wha—!?"
Maxi's eyes rolled back forward.
They flickered—green
Then yellow.
A golden yellow light was slowly devaworing the green like a gluttoness beast eating more than had to the golden glow now burned in his eyes, steady, calm, unshakable.
He bit down harder.
Then, using the last of his strength, Maxi jump kicked forward at Hana's chest as he ripped the metal armor off her gauntlet and sent her staggering backward.
He landed, low and shaky.
Then, to Hana's utter disbelief—
He chewed the metal.
Yes. Chewed it.
Spat it out.
And stood up straight.
His aura had changed. No longer was it manic or desperate. It was quiet. Focused. Proud. prideful
The yellow light in his eyes shimmered like molten gold.
And then he lifted his head.
Did the "come here" gesture.
Smiled.
"I'm waiting still waiting for that iron sandwich."