The crimson energy shot through the bald man's body like liquid lava running through his veins. The pulsating glow intensified until every inch of his skin radiated light that made the air vibrate with perceptible heat.
Blood Night faced the transformation up close, fascinated by the demonstration of power. Shine floated a few inches off the ground, muscles tense, ready to intercept any aggressive movement.
"Guys, you better stop this guy soon," Kel's voice echoed through the communicator.
The bald man screamed in growing pain, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. Tears ran down his face as he obsessively repeated:
"Meisy... Meisy... MEISY!"
"Leave it to me, shiny firefly, I'll handle this baldy," Blood Night said, placing his hand on the sword's hilt.
He began to squeeze the grip, but the man moved with impossible speed. In a fraction of a second he was on the other side of the corridor; the next instant, his hand closed around Blood Night's throat like a vise.
The impact was devastating. Blood Night felt his feet leave the ground as he was lifted by the neck. The man continued rising, flying directly through the prison ceiling as if the concrete were paper.
Debris rained down as they pierced layer after layer of structure. Blood Night kicked his legs uselessly, struggling to breathe with his throat being crushed.
"Time... time..." he managed to stammer.
In response, the man abruptly threw him toward the ground.
Blood Night plummeted like a stone. The wind tore at his face with brutal pressure, making his eyes water. The asphalt approached - every crack, every mark becoming clear.
Before impact, crimson beams shot from the attacker's hands. The beams hit his chest, accelerating the deadly fall even more.
When he was millimeters from the ground, the man shot downward at supersonic speed. His fist connected with Blood Night's chest at the exact moment of impact.
BOOM.
The explosion made the earth tremble in a hundred-meter radius. Dust rose in dense clouds, the asphalt cracking in spiderweb patterns that spread in all directions.
Blood Night coughed blood, each breath sending waves of pain through his ribs. He barely managed to get up when the dust settled, revealing his opponent emerging like a demonic apparition.
With a casual arm movement, the man landed a backhand that launched Blood Night into the air again. This time he pursued his victim, but was intercepted mid-flight.
Shine collided against him with all her rainbow force. The impact was devastating - for her. The man barely moved, but she ricocheted as if she had hit solid steel.
Reacting quickly, she concentrated remaining energy and launched herself again, managing to land a direct punch to his face. The retaliation was immediate and brutal. His fists moved like pneumatic hammers, each blow connecting with surgical precision. Shine tried to defend herself, but the power difference was absolute - punches to the stomach made her double over, uppercuts lifted her off the ground, kicks sent her flying.
Meanwhile, Blood Night continued his uncontrolled trajectory. He went through the ceiling of a nearby building, piercing concrete and beams as if they were cardboard, falling directly onto a wooden table that shattered under the impact.
Vodka bottles exploded, spreading glass and alcohol. When he lifted his head, dazed, he saw three drunk women observing him in an improvised clandestine bar.
His gaze immediately fixed on one of them. Long black hair fell over delicate shoulders, white dress contrasting with the sordid environment. Even intoxicated, there was something ethereal about her beauty that instantly hypnotized him.
"This is love... I'm feeling love, my holy writer," he murmured.
"Oh, you bastard!" Leila shouted. "You ruined my bottles!"
As he got up, he realized his mask had fallen off. Leila's friend - a woman with short black hair - even visibly drunk, moved with surprising agility. She saw his exposed face and pulled a pistol in fluid motion.
When their eyes met, Blood Night whispered with recognition:
"A02!"
Half surprised, but not that much - his attention remained divided by Leila. A02 didn't hesitate, finger moving to the trigger.
BOOM.
It wasn't a shot. The wall exploded inward. The bald man had appeared like a human missile, flying through the structure and hitting Blood Night with tremendous force.
The two pierced the opposite wall, then another, creating a straight line of destruction through the block. When they stopped, Blood Night almost collapsed, but received another blow that launched him even farther, going through blocks before hitting against the bridge over a dam.
The impact against the concrete made him cough blood. He crawled a few meters before leaning on the protective railing, while his opponent landed with a thud that made the entire structure vibrate.
"Alright. My turn. Time for me to shine."
He pulled the sword with trembling hands and gripped the hilt. Familiar darkness spread instantly, swallowing the bridge in absolute darkness.
During eight seconds of artificial night, the man only felt something touch - the cold tip of the blade penetrating between his ribs.
When the light returned, the impact was devastating. The attacker was thrown against the dam walls with enough force to crack the reinforced concrete.
But retaliation came instantly. A pulsating crimson beam shot like a concentrated laser, hitting Blood Night directly in the chest, making him crawl across the ground.
"I demand new powers, MLP!" he shouted to the air.
He forced himself to stand, leaning on the sword like a cane.
"Hey, I'm the star here! I'm the success! So don't think you're going to humiliate me this way!"
Before he finished, the man stood up. Roars of anger mixed with sobs for Meisy's loss. In a blink, both arms pointed at Blood Night.
The energy that shot this time was different - more concentrated, more intense, capable of melting steel. The twin beams hit him in the chest with apocalyptic force.
The pressure launched him backward with terrible speed, breaking through the dam walls like paper. He flew through the structure and began falling from a considerable height.
The impact had been too powerful. Blood Night passed out during the flight, his body becoming motionless as he plummeted.
Below, at the dry bottom of the dam, hundreds of sharp metal structures protruded like deadly spears - remains of abandoned construction, iron bars, pieces of cutting steel, pointed structures similar to giant hooks.
There was no escape. Unconscious and falling directly toward certain death, about to be impaled by dozens of sharp metals.
**[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]**