CHOSEN VS FOREST

As the moonlight spilled over the warehouse field, Chosen stepped toward Forest with silent intent, his dark energy pistols gleaming faintly. Forest, gripping his twin sai daggers with their arcs of wind and lightning, tilted his head and smirked.

"Well, well," Forest said, his voice laced with curiosity. "You don't say much, huh? But I can feel it—you're not like the others. Who are you, kid?"

Chosen offered no reply. His stance shifted slightly, his movements precise and deliberate. The air between them seemed to ripple with tension.

"Fine," Forest continued, tightening his grip on his weapons. "You're strong. I'll give you that. But don't think for a second you can keep up with me for long."

In an instant, Forest lunged, a blur of speed enhanced by gusts of wind swirling around his body. Chosen sidestepped smoothly, firing off a quick series of dark energy bullets that streaked toward Forest like shadows tearing through the air. Forest weaved between them effortlessly, his sai daggers crackling as he deflected one shot and closed the distance.

Their weapons clashed, the sound of steel and raw energy echoing sharply through the night. Chosen used his pistols like extensions of his arms, parrying Forest's strikes with pinpoint accuracy. Sparks of lightning danced each time their weapons met, the sheer force of their strikes sending brief pulses of energy outward.

"Impressive," Forest muttered, sliding back after a particularly sharp exchange. "You're not just some recruit, are you? That precision, that reaction time… What the hell did they feed you at the Academy?"

Chosen's response was a silent sprint forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. He fired a low-energy burst mid-stride, forcing Forest to deflect, then followed up with a spinning parry using one of his pistols' silencers to redirect Forest's dagger away from his torso. Forest countered with a knee aimed at Chosen's ribs, but Chosen twisted fluidly, delivering a quick, calculated elbow strike to Forest's forearm that momentarily loosened his grip on one sai.

Forest growled, leaping back to regain his footing and catching his weapon midair. "You don't just fight; you think," he said, wiping blood from a small cut on his cheek. "I've never seen someone so young move like this."

Forest charged again, his twin sai moving in rapid arcs, the lightning coursing through them crackling violently. Chosen blocked one strike with the silencer of his left pistol, simultaneously spinning his right pistol to fire a short-range burst. Forest ducked under it and used the momentum of his dodge to sweep at Chosen's legs.

Chosen leapt into the air, twisting gracefully to avoid the sweep. As he landed, Forest immediately closed the distance, their weapons clashing again in a frenzied series of strikes. Chosen's pistols, reinforced with steel and dark energy, were able to withstand the relentless blows from Forest's lightning-charged sai, though sparks flew with every impact.

"Come on, kid," Forest taunted as he launched a rapid combo of slashes, each one faster than the last. "Say something. Anything. A grunt? A scream? Nothing?"

Chosen blocked the final strike of the combo by crossing both pistols in front of him, absorbing the force of the blow. His silence remained unbroken, his expression unreadable as he swiftly sidestepped and delivered a clean strike to Forest's ribs with the blunt side of his pistol. Forest staggered slightly, gritting his teeth, but quickly recovered, his grin now wider.

"You're incredible," Forest admitted. "But if you think you can beat me…" He raised both sai, the wind and lightning around them intensifying. "…you're gonna have to push harder than this!"

The energy from Forest's weapons seemed to amplify as he launched into an all-out offensive. Each swing of his sai was accompanied by crackling bursts of electricity and the slicing sound of compressed air. Chosen matched his ferocity, using his pistols both offensively and defensively in perfect harmony.

As Forest spun into a high-speed lunge, aiming to pierce Chosen's side, Chosen parried with his left pistol, twisting Forest's arm away while simultaneously firing a precise shot with his right pistol. The dark energy bullet hit Forest's shoulder, forcing him to retreat briefly.

Breathing heavily, Forest stared at Chosen, his amusement mixed with disbelief. "You're something else," he said, shaking his head. "I thought I'd have to hold back against a rookie, but you… You're a monster."

Chosen didn't react. Instead, he moved with precision, closing the distance once more. The fight continued at a blistering pace, their movements a blur of calculated strikes and counters. Finally, Chosen saw an opening—after deflecting one of Forest's lightning-infused strikes, he swept low with his pistol's silencer, striking Forest's knee. As Forest stumbled slightly, Chosen pressed the advantage, slamming the butt of his other pistol into Forest's wrist, disarming him of one sai.

In one fluid motion, Chosen delivered a final strike to Forest's side with the edge of his pistol, sending him staggering back. Forest dropped to one knee, clutching his ribs and breathing heavily.

For the first time, there was no taunt, no grin. Forest looked up at Chosen, his expression a mix of pain and awe. "Who… Who the hell are you?" he muttered.

Chosen stared down at him, his dark pistols still aimed steadily, his silence more intimidating than any words could have been. Forest, for the first time in years, felt a chill run down his spine.

As Chosen stood over Forest, his pistols aimed steadily at the man's chest, he prepared to pull the trigger and finish the fight. Forest's labored breathing and defeated posture showed he had no strength left to resist.

But then Chosen felt it—a shift in the air, a sudden surge of energy.

A blur of motion approached with immense speed, slicing through the night like a storm. Chosen's instincts kicked in, and he pivoted at the last second, narrowly dodging the flash of a katana aimed straight for him. The blade missed him by inches, slicing through the ground where he had been standing.

Tiger stood before him, his katana gripped tightly in his hands, the swirling blue energy encasing both the blade and his body radiating with ferocious power. He straightened, his expression calm but with an unmistakable edge of danger.

"Well, well…" Tiger said, his voice carrying a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "A new recruit, huh? And you're telling me you just beat Forest? That's crazy."

Chosen remained silent, his dark pistols still aimed at Tiger, his stance unshaken. The air between them seemed to vibrate with tension as the two fighters sized each other up.

Tiger's eyes flickered to Forest, still kneeling and clutching his ribs in defeat. "You really took him down?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "I didn't think that was possible, especially not for someone so young. You're… interesting."

Forest coughed weakly, glancing up at Tiger. "Be careful with him, Tiger," he muttered. "He's not just a recruit. There's something different about this one."

Tiger chuckled, his katana lowering slightly but not leaving a ready position. "I can see that," he said, locking eyes with Chosen. "But no words, huh? You don't like to talk? That's fine. Actions speak louder anyway."

The stand-off continued, both fighters unmoving, the weight of the moment suffocating. Tiger's grin widened slightly, the thrill of the challenge clear in his eyes.

"This should be fun," he said.