A New Foe Part 2

He was covered in cybernetic armor, sleek and advanced, with intricate engravings running along its plating. His long hair flowed behind him, dark as the void, moving unnaturally as if caught in an unseen current. His eyes—deep, blood-red—gleamed with something unholy, something ancient.

Markus tightened his grip, stepping forward. He drew his massive trident-sword, its weight familiar in his hands. The blade shimmered under the dim light, its chained segments rattling slightly as he pointed it toward the figure.

"He has impeccable magic power…" Markus muttered, feeling the sheer weight of the energy radiating from him.

Rose scoffed, flicking her tail. "DUH. We all can see it, Nimrod."

Markus growled, his grip tightening. "Why are you working for the demons…? You're a human!"

The man's lips curled into a sneer.

"Human?!" His voice dripped with disgust. "You dare lump me in with those worthless pieces of entrails?"

Kai stepped forward slightly, adjusting his stance. "What's the game plan, Arnik?"

But—

The moment Kai finished speaking—

A burst of energy erupted.

Arnik was already moving.

In a flash, he appeared at the man's side, his fist surging with raw energy, crackling with the force of his mutation.

I can't risk my team's safety. He's an unknown entity.

His fist shot forward.

The man tilted his head slightly, meeting Arnik's gaze with a slow, confident smile.

Arnik's fist surged forward, a direct strike backed by his full strength and the force of his mutation.

Then—

CLANG.

The man caught it.

With a single hand.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Impossible…" Kai muttered, gripping his weapon tighter.

Arnik's arm trembled. Not from weakness—but from something far worse.

He read my movements.

The man's grip tightened, stopping Arnik completely in his tracks. His smile didn't waver, his blood-red eyes burning with amusement.

The man's smirk widened as he tightened his grip around Arnik's hand.

"That's all you've got? Your power is pathetic."

A sickening crack echoed through the battlefield.

Arnik's scream tore through the air.

Without hesitation, Rose and Markus dashed forward.

Markus lunged with his trident-sword, its energy surging as he unleashed the stored magic in a devastating arc. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of his charge.

At the same time, Rose thrust her Yari with deadly precision, aiming to pierce straight through the man's armor.

But—

He smirked.

A pulse of magic erupted from his body.

Dozens of swords materialized midair and launched toward them like a storm of blades.

Markus and Rose reacted instantly, slicing through the incoming barrage, their weapons moving in perfect rhythm. The clanging of steel echoed as they cut their way through.

But—

By the time they reached him, he was gone.

Arnik gritted his teeth, gripping his shattered hand.

Aika sprinted toward him, her hands glowing with healing magic. "Arnik—!"

His eyes widened. "Aika, behind you!"

A chilling presence loomed behind her.

The man was there, a magic blade raised high, its edge glowing with lethal intent.

Aika barely had time to turn her head before the blade came down—aiming to cleave her head from her shoulders.

But—

CRACK!

A whip-like chain wrapped around the man's wrist, stopping his blade just inches from Aika's neck.

Kai stood firm, his weapon shifting fluidly in his grip. His expression was unreadable.

"Not happening."

The man hummed, intrigued.

He grabbed the whip, yanking hard—but the moment he did, Kai's weapon shifted again.

From a whip, it reformed into a war hammer mid-pull.

BOOM!

Caught off guard, the man barely had time to raise a shield. The impact sent him skidding backward, dust kicking up around him.

Kai exhaled sharply, gripping his weapon tighter. "Thought so."

Aika turned back, hands trembling, before kneeling beside Arnik once again, trying to heal him.

But—

The man wasn't going to give them any breathing room.

A crackling ball of magic energy wailed toward Aika's direction. She barely had time to react—her staff pulsed as she threw up a magical barrier. The impact sent shockwaves through her body, her knees nearly buckling from the sheer force.

Arnik gritted his teeth. He could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on them.

This can't slow me down.

His shattered hand throbbed with unbearable pain, but he refused to let it hinder him. His mutation flared to life, heat radiating from his veins. The flames crawled up his arms, flickering wildly. He focused—his energy surging, forcing his broken bones to hold together, as if his very mutation was refusing to acknowledge the damage.

He roared and charged.

The man barely had time to react before Arnik's flaming fist came crashing down, the sheer heat distorting the air around them.

But he was fast.

He twisted at the last second, barely avoiding the brunt of the attack, his blade flashing toward Arnik in retaliation.

Markus was already moving.

He gripped the chain of his trident-sword, swinging it like a whip. The blade coiled around the man's arm, locking it in place.

Markus pulled.

The force sent the man hurtling into a nearby building, the structure collapsing around him.

Before the dust could settle—Rose and Kai were on him.

The fight was relentless.

All of them pressed forward, their attacks coordinated, their movements sharp.

Aika's hands glowed as she cast buffing spells, amplifying their speed and strength, reinforcing their stamina. Keep going. Keep pushing.

The battlefield was chaos.

Markus's sword lashed out, striking from impossible angles, keeping the man on edge. Arnik slammed his fists into the ground, sending tremors that cracked the earth. Rose weaved between strikes, her Yari spinning like a cyclone, each thrust precise and deadly.

And yet—

He still held his ground.

The man countered effortlessly, dodging and deflecting, his speed almost inhuman.

Buildings shattered from the force of their clash, debris raining down like a war-torn storm.

Kai took aim with his gun and fired.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The magic rounds shot straight toward the man's chest.

Nothing.

The bullets barely fazed him, the energy dissipating harmlessly against his armor.

Kai's eyes narrowed. So only magic weapons can harm him?

"Tch—figures," he muttered, flipping his weapon back into sword form.

He had to get in close.

The battle raged on.

Smoke and dust clouding the sky as the echoes of destruction rang through the crumbling streets. Machines lay in heaps of scrap, the ground littered with shattered weapons and scorched debris. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and burning magic.

Amidst the chaos, Aika moved swiftly, her hands glowing with restorative energy as she weaved between her allies. Every time someone staggered, she was there—patching wounds, reinforcing barriers, keeping them standing.

Kai groaned as she pressed magic against a deep gash on his shoulder. "Do you have to be so rough?"

Aika rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you stopped getting hit, I wouldn't have to heal you."

Rose wiped blood from the side of her mouth, smirking. "Just be grateful she's not charging you for it."

Arnik barely reacted as Aika reached for him, his focus locked onto the battlefield. "No time. Keep moving."

Aika hesitated before nodding, her magic never stopping.

Then—

A heavy silence fell.

They all stood, panting heavily, the battlefield around them in ruins. Smoke and dust filled the air, the echoes of their battle still lingering in the crumbling remains of the city.

The man stood there, his cybernetic armor cracked, wounds decorating his body. And yet—he was healing. The cuts closed, the damage repairing itself as his blood-red eyes gleamed with something between rage and amusement.

Arnik and Markus stood tall. Unlike the others, who were struggling to catch their breath, they were still holding strong, their bodies refusing to falter.

The man scoffed, flexing his fingers as his regeneration continued. "You two… you're the only strong ones here."

Markus and Arnik exchanged a glance, then nodded.

No words were needed.

They charged.

The man snarled, his fury boiling over. With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance between himself and Markus.

Before Markus could react, a crushing blow slammed into his chest.

The impact sent him flying.

His body crashed through shattered debris, concrete and metal caving under the force. Dust and rubble exploded around him as he tumbled, his grip loosening—

His weapon slipped from his grasp.

But Arnik was already there, to back him up!

His flaming fist crashed against the man's ribs, the impact sending out a shockwave.

The man stumbled, coughing.

Then—

A slow, delighted grin spread across his face. "I'm so glad…" His eyes glowed brighter. "It seems you are him… the one with multiple mutations."

Arnik didn't answer.

Instead, he sucker-punched him across the face.

The man staggered but quickly caught himself, wiping the blood from his lip. "I see. Not much of a talker."

Arnik was reaching his limit. His body was screaming at him to stop, but something inside him refused.

Then—

It happened.

His mutation shifted, evolved.

Energy surged around him as flames twisted into a new form.

A sword.

Arnik had forged a blade from his own mutation.

Kai's eyes widened from the sidelines. "He's… exceeding his limits."

"You still have to hit me—" The man started.

But Arnik had already dashed.

A flash of movement.

A slice.

The man froze.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

His hands were gone.

Arnik sneered. "Call that payback for my hand."

The man screamed, eyes wild with fury. His body trembled with rage as his wounds regenerated once more.

"I CAN'T BE WOUNDED BY A MERE HUMAN!!"

Rose narrowed her eyes. What a baby.

Then—the man snapped.

He went all out.

His movements became erratic, monstrous, his strikes faster than before. Arnik could barely keep up. Each hit sent him reeling, his body breaking under the overwhelming force.

Then—

Arnik lunged forward.

Before the man could react, Arnik wrapped his arms around him in a tight bear hug.

Then—he ignited.

A violent burst of flames erupted from his body, consuming them both in a searing inferno.

"Aika!" Kai shouted.

Aika didn't hesitate. She threw her hand forward, gravity magic pulsing as Markus's trident-sword flew into his grip.

Markus caught it, eyes sharp.

Arnik, in that same moment, pushed off the man, forcing him right into Markus's waiting blade.

The trident-sword pierced straight through his chest.

"NOOOOO!!!" the man howled.

He gathered all his remaining magic, preparing one final attack.

But he was too slow.

A blur of movement.

Rose.

She dashed in, her Yari cutting through the air like lightning.

Then—a clean slice.

The man's head rolled to the ground.

Rose flicked the blood off her blade, smirking.

"Too slow."

The fight was over.