Implacable Ruin

Even though he was still standing, Khaz knew he had reached his physical and mental limits. His chest heaved, his muscles trembled, and every movement felt heavier, harder to sustain.

"Let me take over this fight now. You've endured enough," Johan's stern voice echoed in his mind, clear and authoritative.

"Ha... look who decided to show up..." Khaz laughed, spitting blood onto the ground. "Well, if it's you, I can rest a bit... but don't get us killed, you lunatic."

His vision darkened for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, Khaz was no longer there.

It was Johan.

Varian frowned, his smile faltering for a brief moment. Something had changed.

"Have you finally lost it, kid? Did I hit you too hard?"

He got no response. Only a cold, silver gaze.

Without any warning, Johan lunged forward.

His body moved with surgical precision, and every strike was a sentence of pain. Punches, elbows, kicks, and knees—each one targeting vital points. Every impact made Varian's bones vibrate with brutality.

The fight, which had seemed balanced before, turned into a massacre.

Varian found himself pressured. He tried to dodge, to counterattack, but Johan was different from Khaz. He didn't fight with blind fury, but with murderous intent. He didn't just want to win. He wanted to break him.

"You... who are you? No, what are you?" Varian took a step back, his tone filled with shock and curiosity.

"I'm the one who's going to crush you."

Johan's voice was calm. Cold. Merciless.

He advanced again, his movements a blur of refined brutality. Varian blocked a punch, only to feel a knee drive into his ribs. The air escaped his lungs. An elbow struck his chin, making his head spin. His vision flickered.

Varian staggered back.

And then... he smiled.

A confident smile, as if he was finally having fun.

"You're good, kid. Really good."

And he vanished.

Johan's instincts screamed danger, but it was too late.

The blow came like thunder.

A crushing force hit his chest, the impact reverberating through his entire body. His body was launched backward like a projectile. Everything turned into a blur of concrete and pain.

The wall split in half as he collided with it. Dust rose. The floor cracked under his weight.

Johan tried to move. But something was wrong.

His arms wouldn't respond. His legs felt like they were trapped in iron. His body, which moments ago had been a machine of destruction, was now inert.

Varian adjusted the glove on his fist, walking calmly toward the altar.

"A shame, really. You almost convinced me to keep playing."

He picked up the medallion and tucked it into his coat.

Cyrus's allies were frozen.

"Shit... we have to do something!" Troy shouted, pulling Salen by the arm.

"Do what?! Look at what he did to the boss!" Salen retorted, sweating cold.

Ezra, who was still trying to open the door, finally unlocked the runic seal.

"We've got a way out! But we have to run now!"

Varian cast a casual glance at them, as if the fight from minutes ago meant nothing.

"You should listen to your friend. Security will be here in seconds, and trust me... you don't want to be here when they arrive."

Without a second thought, the group ran.

Gideon and Troy were the first to pull Johan, who was still paralyzed, his body heavy as lead. Willy practically dragged himself, trying not to faint from nerves.

Ezra was the last to leave. But before crossing the passage, he cast one last look at Varian.

The veteran merely raised a hand in a casual wave. As if this fight had meant nothing to him.

"Until next time, kid."

And then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

The heavy footsteps of security echoed through the building.

The group dove into the narrow tunnel of the secret exit. Hearts racing. Lungs burning. They were alive... but they had failed.

The mission was a failure.

Silence took over the place, only the distant echo of the siren filling the air.

Varian sighed, adjusting his collar as he flexed his fingers. The sensation of the impact still pulsed in his bones, a subtle reminder that, for a moment, he had to push himself a little harder than expected.

"Interesting."

His eyes turned to the crack in the wall where Johan had been thrown.

"Really, very interesting."

A small smile formed on his lips. Something about that kid, about Cyrus and his sudden changes... piqued his curiosity.

But this wasn't the time to think about that.

The footsteps of security were getting closer.

Varian gave one last look at the destroyed room before disappearing into the darkness.

Only his voice remained in the air.

"I want to see the monster you'll become, Cyrus."