There was a moment of stillness—like the world itself had paused. Even the air seemed heavy, as if it held its breath. Keal's rage was boiling over, hard to contain. He took a step forward, his hand glowing a menacing red. He was ready to end it.
In a flash, Keal lunged, his hand shooting out toward Fai.
"Don't let him touch you!" Johnson screamed, his voice raw with urgency.
He wanted to warn Fai earlier, to tell him the truth about Keal's ability, to give him a chance—but everything had been moving too fast. Now it was too late.
Keal's hand struck Fai's arm. His ability activated—
Nothing happened.
The confident smile slipped from Keal's face, fading into disbelief. His eyes widened.
"What…?"
Fai smirked. "What's wrong? Oh right—your little trick doesn't work on me, does it?"
"Ooh, stupid me, I forgot—you're a special case," Johnson muttered weakly.
Keal stumbled back, instinctively recoiling.
"Impossible," he spat. He struck again, reaching for Fai's body, desperate to prove himself wrong. Again—nothing.
Why isn't it working? Something isn't right…
Keal's heartbeat pounded in his chest. For the first time, fear crept into him. Doubt—uncertainty—cracked through his anger.
Johnson, still struggling to sit up, managed a strained laugh. "I knew it… There's something different about this guy. He's not like the others. No… he's the one. The only one who can help me."
Keal's eyes flared red with rage. "It doesn't matter! I don't even need that ability to deal with you!"
He launched forward. The real fight began.
The clash between Keal and Fai was like fire meeting lightning—violent, unrelenting. Neither held back. Neither could afford to.
Fai's HP glimmered faintly in the corner of his vision: [6/23]. The slightest mistake could mean the end.
Keal struck fast, every punch precise and loaded with power, guided by experience and mutation. But Fai—Fai flowed like the wind itself. His dodges weren't just evasions—they were movements of grace, a dance of survival sharpened by his boosted speed.
But Keal wasn't some reckless brawler. He adapted, step by step, adjusting mid-strike, predicting Fai's reactions. It became a deadly exchange of anticipation, every move countered, every strike answered.
Fai was faster—but Keal was relentless. For every blow Fai landed, two more came back. His stamina was thinning. He blocked when he could, deflecting strikes from vital points, but his body was taking a toll.
"Johnson!" Fai shouted between clashes, breath ragged. "I can't keep this up alone! Fight with me!"
Johnson gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His legs shook, his arms trembled, but still he nodded.
Keal scoffed, sneering. "Two-on-one? How pathetic. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"
"No," Johnson answered, blood trailing down his cheek. "Nothing was ever fair from the start."
And then they moved—together.
Fai's speed cut through the battlefield like a blade, weaving in and out, while Johnson's brute strength filled the gaps. Where Fai distracted, Johnson struck. Where Johnson faltered, Fai covered.
Johnson tried to use his mutation—again nothing. It refused to answer him. But this wasn't the time to question why. For now, his fists and willpower would have to be enough.
Fai leapt, body twisting in midair, his foot swinging in a roundhouse kick. Keal threw his arms up to block—the impact cracked like thunder, forcing him back several steps. His guard held, but his view was blocked—
—and Johnson struck.
Low and brutal, Johnson swept Keal's legs from under him. Keal felt his balance vanish, his body tilting backward. But he reacted, flipping midair in a tight somersault, landing hard on both feet.
Snarling, Keal thrust his hands to the ground. Red energy swirled, bright and unstable, burning brighter than ever, tinted now with a sharp pink hue. The sky above seemed to darken, clouds rolling as if summoned by his fury.
The ground split open.
Two glowing waves of destruction surged forward, ripping the earth in straight, violent lines toward Fai and Johnson. The very ground crumbled in their wake.
The waves caught them—impact like a brutal punch, knocking the breath from their lungs, slamming them to the dirt.
[-4 HP]
[HP: 2/23]
They staggered up, bloodied and shaking. But they rose. They had to.
Keal's face was twisted with rage, cuts and bruises scattered across it, his eyes burning with unfiltered hatred.
"You worthless pieces of—!" His words broke off. His fury could no longer be caged by language.
He charged.
His hands radiated violent energy. His fighting style, once calm and precise, was gone—now broken into chaos, into raw rage. His steps thundered forward, every ounce of his fury ready to tear into them.
The next clash was inevitable.
********
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