The moment the instructor dropped his hand, Velo exploded forward—a blur of muscle and motion. His fist cut the air like lightning, aiming straight for Jin's jaw.
But Jin sidestepped, heart pounding, and snapped upward with a counter uppercut—barely missing Velo's chin.
"Not bad!" Velo laughed, eyes gleaming. He whipped around with a tight left hook.
Jin's arms shot up, blocking with a sharp grunt. The impact rattled his bones, but he pushed through, twisting his hips and firing a back kick that sent Velo skidding three feet across the mat.
The crowd gasped. Raul's voice tore through the air:
"COME ON JIN!!!"
⸻
The Clash
Velo landed, grinning wider. "Oh, I like this! You got guts, Eryndor!"
Then, without warning—he vanished. One instant he was there, the next his body blurred into raw speed, the air cracking as he disappeared.
Jin's eyes sharpened. His body moved on instinct. He vanished too.
BOOM!
The two collided midair with such force the shockwave rippled across the arena, rattling every soldier's armor. Sonic booms snapped like thunderclaps as fists blurred into rapid fire—each strike faster than the eye could follow.
⸻
The Hype
The squad leapt to their feet, cheering over the roaring echoes.
Raul slammed his hands against the railing. "LET'S GO JIN! DON'T LET HIM SHOW YOU UP!!"
Marco's jaw dropped. "Bro, me next! I want to fight next! HAHAHAHA!"
Jerome hollered, voice cracking. "That's my boy! Woo Jin, baby!!"
Even Min-seo, normally quiet, clenched his fists, eyes wide in awe. "This is amazing..."
Asura and John were all just starring and arms crossed.
⸻
The Storm of Blows
Punches, kicks, sweeps—each one carrying sonic cracks as Jin and Velo blinked in and out of sight, reappearing for split-seconds in violent bursts. The ground shook beneath their movements, cracks forming in the sparring floor.
Finally, they both clashed fists—BOOOOM!—a shockwave throwing dust into the air and forcing the crowd to shield their faces.
When it cleared, both stood panting, grinning like maniacs—Velo's teeth flashing, Jin's eyes burning with new confidence.
-
The sparring ring thundered again as both Jin and Velo vanished simultaneously, their bodies blurring into streaks of afterimages.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Air burst apart with every clash, each sonic boom louder than the last. The crowd of Marines erupted, shouting and hollering, but couldn't track a single movement. To them it looked like explosions popping across the mat.
"ARE THEY—ARE THEY USING AIR STEP NOW?!" Marco shouted, eyes wide.
"They're gone before I can even blink!" Jerome yelled back, slamming his fist against the railing.
Raul's voice cracked with excitement. "JIN, YOU MADMAN!!"
⸻
Elite Speed
Above the noise, the instructor stood unmoving. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, his gaze followed every strike with perfect clarity. His voice was steady, almost bored.
"Mach 20, huh."
A private standing nearby heard this "MACH 20?! THEY'RE MOVING AT MACH 20?!"
The words cut through the chaos like a knife.
The rookies froze, turning toward him in disbelief.
"M-Mach... twenty?!" Min-seo stammered.
"Wow, never knew privates like us could even move that fast." Jerome added, his jaw dropping.
The instructor gave a faint smirk. "Privates usually move around Mach 5 as fresh Marines that just graduated, but later depending if they kept on training, or go to war then their speed and strength can increase significantly high... maybe up to Mach 15 and even 50. These two... they're dancing. But wait... that Velo kid is a damn corporal. Velo is just toying with him."
The group of privates stare in awe, not knowing that people like them can get to that level.
⸻
The Clash Continues
Velo and Jin reappeared for half a heartbeat, fists locked together, eyes burning with fire—then vanished again in a burst of sonic cracks. They bounced off invisible steps midair, Air Step propelling them like titans dueling in the sky.
Suddenly, Velo blurred behind Jin with a Blink Step, his fist slicing forward like lightning. Jin twisted at the last second, narrowly dodging and countering with a spinning kick that grazed Velo's shoulder, forcing him back.
The air cracked like thunder.
The crowd lost their minds.
"YOOOOOO!" Raul screamed, shaking Jerome by the shoulders. "OUR BOY'S DOING IT!!!"
Even John and Asura's eyes flickered with the faintest acknowledgment—Jin was starting to grow.
-
The sparring ring roared with noise. Jin and Velo were still tearing through the air, sonic booms rattling the arena, when the instructor's voice cut in calm and sharp:
"Funny..." His arms stayed crossed, eyes tracking every motion.
"...that kid over there, the one fighting your boy? He's not even trying."
The crowd froze for a split-second.
Jerome's eyes went wide. "W-what do you mean not trying?!"
Marco's jaw dropped. "No way... he's moving like a he's been doing this since day 1 out of the womb!"
The sonic bursts intensified—then suddenly, everything stopped.
⸻
The End of the Spar
Velo blurred forward with a blink-step feint, slipping past Jin's guard before anyone could react. In one clean motion, his fist tapped Jin's jaw.
CRACK!
Jin's body froze—then collapsed flat onto the mat, unconscious. His helmet slip out.
Gasps and shouts echoed through the arena. The squad leapt to the railing.
"JIN!!!" Raul yelled, ready to jump in before Jerome pulled him back.
The instructor held out a hand, calm as ever. "Relax. He's fine. Just out cold."
⸻
The Reveal
Velo stood tall, breathing steady. He reached up and pulled off his helmet—his messy hair sticking out as he grinned wide, not a single bead of sweat on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Jin stirred on the ground, groaning as he was helped up by the medic droids. His hair clung to his skin, his uniform drenched in sweat, chest heaving like he had run a thousand miles.
The comparison was stark.
Raul's mouth hung open. "Bro... Velo looks like he just woke up from a nap."
Marco slapped the railing, half shocked, half laughing. "And Jin looks like he ran five marathons back to back! Crazy!"
Jerome just shook his head, speechless.
⸻
Velo's Persona
Velo grinned, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Kid's got potential. He kept me moving, I'll give him that!"
He walked over, crouched, and gave Jin a pat on the shoulder. "Not bad, Jin. You've got fire. With more training? You'll be trouble for sure."
The squad still cheered their friend, proud despite the loss. Even Asura gave the faintest nod of approval.
Raul stepped up and looks at Jin "Bro how did you manage to perform Air Step Tactic so well while going at that crazy speed?!"
Jin looks at him smiling, "Let's just say I did some secret practicing, during our training with Reaper back in Base Genesis."
Marco looked at him "Cheater!" Then laughs.
Jin smirked "oh yeah? Maybe you all shouldn't have been lazy!" He then laughs too.
the group laughs... except John, Asura, and the Instructor who just smirks.
——————————————————
To be continued...