Divine Reckoning

The sky split apart.

Knox and Seraph crashed into each other with the force of titans, their blows shattering the heavens, sending shockwaves rippling across the city below. THe clouds twisted in their wake, torn apart by the sheer magnitude of their battle. Thunder howled. Wind screamed. Lightning bled across the sky like jagged veins of raw power.

Seraph's golden wings cut through the air as she lunged forward, her fists wreathed in celestial fire. Her every movement carried divine judgment, and executioner's blade in motion.

Knox met her head-on.

THeir fists collided, the impact detonating like a bomb. The resulting shockwave carved through the skyline, sending glass and steel raining onto the streets below. The sheer force of their blows fractured the air, each strike rippling outward like a supernova in miniature.

Seraph twisted, her knee driving toward his ribs. Knox barely managed to block, but the force sent him hurtling backward, spiraling through the air. She was on him before he could recover, wings folding inward as she shot like a golden spear, her elbow crashing into his sternum.

Crack.

Knox gritted his teeth as pain lanced through his Boyd, but he refused to give in. He twisted midair, catching her by the wrist before she could disengage. His grip tightened like iron, and before she could react, he yanked her forward and drove his forehead into her skull.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through her body. Blood spattered into the air.

But Seraph didn't stop. 

Through the crimson mist, her fist came crashing into Knox's jaw. His head snapped to the side, the world spinning for half a second before he righted himself. She struck again—faster, harder, her blows fueled by divine fury. Knox blocked the first, dodged the second—

But the third struck home.

Her palm slammed into his chest, and the explosion followed.

A pillar of golden light erupted from the point of impact, carving through the atmosphere, vaporizing everything in its path. The blast sent Knox flying, his body rocketing across the cityscape like a shooting star.

He crashed through a building—then another. Concrete, steel, and glass tore apart around him as he plowed through structure after structure, each impact sending debris raining onto the streets below.

Then he stopped himself.

Blood dripped from his forehead. His breath came ragged, sharp. Pain flared through his ribs—cracked, maybe broken. His suit was shredded, burned in places where Seraph's divine fire had licked at his flesh. He wiped the blood from his lip, eyes burning with something fierce, unrelenting.

Seraph was already upon him.

She descended like a wrathful comet, wings spread wide, her silhouette burning against the night sky. Every eye upon her body blazed with celestial fury, her blindfold a searing brand of judgment. She wasn't stopped. She wouldn't stop.

Knox exhaled, pushing off the broken asphalt as she struck. He ducked, twisting to the side as her fist shattered the ground where he had been standing a second earlier. The impact alone sent out a shockwave that toppled nearby streetlights and shattered every window within a three-block radius.

He retaliated. 

Knox drove his fist into her side, and this time, she felt it. The impact sent her skidding across the battlefield. her boots carving trenches into the earth. But she didn't falter. She lifted her head, her expression unreadable beneath the burning veil, and then she vanished.

A rush of air—

Knox's instincts screamed.

He pivoted just as she reappeared behind him, her golden wings slashing forward like blades. He dodged one, then the next, but her knee drove into his gut, the force folding him in half before sending him flying.

He caught himself midair, flipping just in time to block her next strike. Their arms locked, power surging between them. For a brief moment, they hung suspended in the air, muscles tensed, energy crackling.

Then Knox headbutted her again.

The crack echoed across the city, louder than before. Blood splattered across his face—hers this time. Her head snapped back, but she didn't cry out. She only staggered for a fraction of a second, but that was all he needed.

His fist drove into her ribs—once, twice, three times. Each strike reverberated through her frame like thunder, her armor fracturing, golden ichor staining the ground below.

But Seraph wasn't done.

With a desperate burst of strength, she struck back, her fist crashing into his cheek. Knox barely had time to react she unleashed another, then another, each blow hammering against his defenses like divine artillery. His vision blurred for a split second, but he pushed through the pain, swinging wildly—

And then they both struck at the same time.

Fist met fist.

The resulting explosion of force blasted both of them apart, sending shockwaves tearing through the ruined streets. Buildings groaned. The battlefield, already reduced to rubble, collapsed further under the weight of their clash.

Knix landed hard, rolling to his feet, breathing ragged. Seraph staggered, her golden wings dimming, her body swaying slightly. Blood dripped from beneath her blindfold, staining the tattered remains of her armor.

For the first time, she faltered.

Knix didn't hesitate.

In a burst of speed, he closed the distance, his movements a blur. Before she could react, his fist slammed into her stomach, driving the air from her lungs. He twisted, bringing his elbow down onto her back, sending her crashing into the earth below.

Dust erupted, debris flying everywhere. The battlefield went silent.

Knox hovered above her unmoving form, chest rising and falling heavily. His knuckles dripped with blood—hers and his own. His body ached, every nerve screaming, but he didn't let it show.

Seraph twitched.

Knox clenched his jaw. He dropped from the sky, landing beside her. She tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled beneath her weight.

She was finished.

He reached down, gripping her by the arm. With little effort, he lifted her, slinging her over his shoulder.

The distant hum of engines and sirens filled the air.

He turned, and for the first time, he saw them.

Heroes. Dozens of them.

They stood atop the ruined streets and fractured rooftops, staring in shock, in awe in something that might have been fear. None of them moved. None of them spoke. They simply watched as Knox, battered, bloodied, victorious, carried Seraph's unconscious form away.

Without a word, he took to the skies.

Leaving them behind.