Alex vs Raine

Blue fires his plasma gun, but Tyson deflects the shot with his sword, sending sparks flying. The force of the blast pushed him back a step, yet he continued to advance, dashing forward and aiming a slash at Blue's torso.

Blue skillfully dodges, driving his knee into Tyson's stomach and then crashing an elbow into his helmet. Tyson reels backward.

"I'm not sensing any killing intent," Blue chuckled. "What happened to you? I was genuinely looking forward to this fight."

Gritting his teeth, Tyson releases a fierce scream and swings his sword horizontally. Blue backpedals just in time, then counters with a sharp kick to Tyson's knee, causing him to stumble again. Seizing the opportunity, Blue swings his gun like a club.

Tyson ducks, spins, and delivers a forceful kick that sends Blue crashing into the glass wall—cracks spider webs across the surface from the impact.

"How's that?"

Blue groans yet smirks. "That was something."

He quickly raises his plasma gun, aiming it point-blank, but Tyson grabs the barrel and pushes it aside just as a shot fires wildly. Using sheer strength, Tyson twists Blue's wrist, forcing the gun down before slamming an elbow into Blue's jaw plate.

Blue falters momentarily but quickly regains composure, landing a fierce uppercut that knocks Tyson off balance.

"You're picking up quickly," Blue comments,

Tyson hardly regains footing before Blue lunges forward, their weapons colliding with a sharp metallic clang. Sparks fly as sword meets gun, both pushing forward with brute force.

Then, in a swift motion, Blue twists his gun around Tyson's blade, securing the hilt before pulling it free—Tyson's sword slides across the floor.

"Now we're talking," Blue smirks, drawing his guns back into his armor. 

Tyson moves without hesitation, rushing forward to deliver a powerful punch. Blue deftly sidesteps, seizing Tyson's arm and twisting it, which elicits a faint whine from the armor under the strain. Before Tyson can respond, Blue delivers a knee strike to his stomach plate, creating a dull shockwave reverberating through the metal.

Tyson grunts and counters with a mighty swing of his metal-armored fist. The strike glances off Blue's helmet, producing a resounding clang that echoes throughout the area. In response, Blue delivers a devastating uppercut to Tyson's chin, the force resonating through his helmet.

Tyson stumbles backward as Blue clutches his chest plate and throws him against the glass wall, the sound of cracking spiderweb fractures echoing as they spread across the surface.

"I admit, you're skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Tyson," Blue said, rolling his shoulders. "And I've never excelled in close-quarters fighting. But my power points are making my armor tougher than yours."

"It's always about those damn power points."

Tyson pushed himself off the cracked glass, slamming a gauntleted fist into Blue's side. Sparks danced across Blue's armor as nano-particles swiftly repaired the damage. In an instant, Blue twisted Tyson's arm and drove an elbow into his shoulder plate. Tyson crashed against the glass again, and additional fractures formed on the glass wall. 

His breathing echoed inside his helmet, and the HUD flashed red on small sections of his body where the nanoparticles were repairing damage at a steady rate. His reserves had dropped to 79 percent.

"You're slowing down," Blue taunted, stepping back just enough to let Tyson catch his breath. "What's the matter? Did that fire from before already burn out?"

Tyson exhaled sharply, shutting his eyes for a brief moment. Think.

Edward's words echoed in his mind: "You can't win fights with sheer strength. Learn to utilize your surroundings."

His eyes darted around—the damaged concrete floor beneath him and the massive glass wall behind him, barely holding together. He could glimpse the chaos below through its deep cracks—fire and people running for safety.

He raised a hand, pressing his fingers lightly against the glass. The surface quivered under his touch. One more hit, and it's finished.

Blue suddenly grabbed his helmet. "I miss the old you."

Tyson remained silent. Instead, he shifted slightly, tempting Blue to move closer—then launched himself low, crashing into him with a powerful spear tackle.

The glass shattered on impact.

"WAIT—!"

They crashed through the wall, plummeting from the fifth floor, their metal bodies contorting midair.

"You "Crazy bastard!" Blue screamed. "Are you trying to get us KILLED—!"

They crashed into a truck below. The metal crumpled like paper, absorbing the brunt of the fall. Tyson rolled off with a grunt, lying on his back on the ground, his body aching—but a victorious smirk tugged at his lips.

Even with the helmet on, Blue could tell.

Lying flat on the wrecked truck, pain radiating through his body, Blue groaned. He had absorbed the brunt of the crash, including Tyson's full weight crashing down on him.

"I regret saying that," he gasped.

"Serves you right," Tyson muttered, watching his HUD display flicker. His nano-particle reserves had fallen to 71 percent.

---

Alex gritted his teeth and glanced back. Raine and her two armored allies were closing in, their metallic boots echoing in the narrow corridor as they sprinted.

 "There's the elevator!" Liora called, spotting the steel doors at the end of the hall. The rangers were behind her, shielding the president's family from the rogues.

"We can't take the elevator," Alex shouted. "It's too risky—let's head for the stairs!"

"He's right, Mom!" Seraphina exclaimed. "We could get trapped in there, or worse—"

"Down!" Alex yanked Sera's head down just as a blast whizzed over them. "These bastards—!"

Raine yelled, "Are you crazy? You could have hurt her!"

"I'm sorry, I was trying to stop them!" one of her subordinates stammered.

"Shaun, take them to the stairs! I'll take care of this." Alex spun around, raising his katana as the stairwell door loomed behind him.

"There are three of them, Serge," Shaun hesitated. Seraphina paused briefly, glancing back before disappearing through the stairwell.

"Don't worry," Alex reassured, "I'll be right behind you. Go on."

Raine and her allies stopped when they saw Alex standing watch in front of the stairwell door.

"Distract him," Raine commanded. "I'll pursue the cargo."

"Yes, boss!" one of her subordinates shouted, firing a blast at Alex. With a quick movement, Alex effortlessly deflected the blast with his katana, leaving all three of them stunned.

"Careful," Raine warned, her eyes narrowing as she examined Alex's stats on her HUD. "He's stronger than I am… this could be a problem."

Alex was the first to dash at them, catching them off guard. His blade slashed toward Raine, forcing her to step back just in time to avoid the strike. Before she could counter, Alex spun around, delivering a powerful kick to her two subordinates, sending them crashing into the walls.

Raine hardly had a moment to react. Nano-particles surged over her fist, strengthening it for a powerful punch. She swung hard—

Alex met the blow with his katana. Sparks flew between them as metal clashed against metal. They were locked in place for a moment, their strengths pushing against each other. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, Alex angled his blade, deflecting the attack and sending Raine stumbling forward.

"You're a fighter," Alex said, observing her regain her balance.

The Rangers and Rogues are mainly divided into three specialized categories, each trained for unique combat styles. The first group is made up of Weapon Masters, elite warriors skilled in melee combat, who wield swords, spears, or dual blades with remarkable ability. Their armor is designed for agility and precision, enhancing their reflexes and attack speed to dominate enemies in direct combat.

The second category consists of Long-Range Combatants, who are experts in firearms and energy-based weapons. These rangers depend on precision shooting, rapid-fire tactics, and advanced targeting systems integrated into their suits, sometimes aided by drones or stabilizers to enhance accuracy.

Lastly, there are the Close Combat Fighters, specialists in hand-to-hand combat, who excel in both raw strength and technique. Their armor is reinforced to withstand intense physical clashes, enhancing their punches, kicks, and grappling moves to dominate opponents at close range. Each Ranger is trained based on their specialty, making them a formidable force on the battlefield.

"You don't look happy," Raine said, her gaze drifting toward the doorway as her allies steadied themselves.

Alex stayed silent, his focus fixed on Raine. Unlike her two companions, who seemed to excel in long-range combat, she had the power to endure his heavy strikes. She was the actual threat in this situation.

"Now!" Raine exclaimed.

Her two subordinates lunged at Alex from both sides, forcing him to engage them while she sprinted toward the stairway. The sound of her metal boots clanged against the steps as she rolled through the doorway, slipping past the struggle.

Behind her, the clash of metal echoed through the hall as her subordinates battled against Alex, the general's son. But she couldn't afford to waste time worrying about them.

Leaning over the railing, she noticed the President's daughter and her mother being escorted by a frail-looking ranger.

Without hesitation, she jumped, landing directly at the base of the third floor—right in front of them.

The sudden impact jarred the metal stairs, causing Seraphina and her mother to stumble back in alarm. Shaun quickly stepped forward, placing himself between them and the rogue.

"Stay back!" he shouted, his stance tense.

Raine grinned, rolling her shoulders as her armored fists crackled with energy. "No way I'm doing that," she said, excitedly bumping one fist against the other.