The Zypheron Warship

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Speed Villain

Chapter 6: The Zypheron Warship

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A Shadow Over the City

The air vibrated with an unnatural hum.

Kael-X tilted his head slightly, his silver hair covering his eyes, as he stared up at the massive warship hovering above the city. It was sleek, metallic black, with glowing red symbols running along its hull—Zypheron insignias.

His pupils contracted as he recognized the design.

This wasn't just any warship.

It was a Hunter-Class Execution Vessel.

A ship specifically designed for capturing or eliminating rogue Zypherons.

Kael-X's smirk faded for the first time.

The man in black, still standing near the wreckage of his fallen soldiers, noticed the shift in Kael-X's posture. His amusement grew. "Now that's interesting. You look… concerned."

Kael-X ignored him.

His mind raced, calculating.

Zypheron tech wasn't like Earth's primitive machines. Their weapons could actually harm him. Their energy cannons were designed to disrupt his molecular stability, meaning he wouldn't just heal—he would be erased from existence.

And the fact that they brought a Hunter-Class ship meant they weren't just here to bring him back.

They were here to make sure he never escaped again.

The Warship Moves

A low mechanical whirring echoed through the city as the ship's underside opened, revealing rows of hovering drones—each the size of a human, armed with glowing red energy cannons.

Then, a deep, mechanical voice boomed from the ship's external speakers, broadcasting across the entire city.

> "ZYPHERON FUGITIVE IDENTIFIED: KAEL-X.

SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY OR FACE TOTAL ERADICATION."

Kael-X clenched his fists.

"Surrender?" he muttered. "Yeah, not happening."

The drones descended in perfect formation, their cannons locking onto him. Their movements were precise, mechanical—unlike the Specialists, these machines had no fear, no hesitation.

They were programmed to kill.

The First Strike

BOOM!

The first drone fired, releasing a burning crimson blast. Kael-X saw it coming before it even left the barrel.

To him, the energy bolt moved like a slow-moving comet, tracing its way lazily through the air.

Too slow.

Kael-X sidestepped just as the blast obliterated the ground where he had stood. Shattered pavement exploded upward, sending debris flying in all directions.

Another six drones fired simultaneously.

Kael-X vanished.

He reappeared above the drones, twisting mid-air. His hand lashed out, fingers slicing through the metal frame of the first drone like paper. Sparks erupted as its systems shut down instantly, the machine plummeting toward the ground in a lifeless heap.

Before the others could react, Kael-X was already behind them.

His leg swung out—CRASH!

Three drones shattered instantly, their fragments raining down like broken stars.

The remaining drones recalibrated. Their targeting systems flickered, adjusting. They began tracking him differently now—as if learning.

Kael-X narrowed his eyes.

Then, the ship unleashed something new.

A Challenger Appears

A dark silhouette dropped from the warship, landing with enough force to crack the pavement.

Unlike the drones, this one wasn't a machine. It was a Zypheron.

And not just any Zypheron.

A Hunter.

Kael-X's smirk returned. "Oh. Now this might be fun."

The Hunter stood up, towering over the human soldiers. His silver skin glowed faintly, the markings on his arms shifting like living tattoos. His eyes—cold, calculating—locked onto Kael-X.

Unlike Kael-X, this Zypheron wasn't a runaway.

He was a loyal enforcer of the Zypheron empire. A trained killer.

The man in black took a step back, sensing the shift. Even he knew this fight was beyond human intervention.

Kael-X cracked his knuckles.

"You must be important if they sent you," he mused. "What's your name?"

The Hunter tilted his head. His voice was deep, emotionless.

> "Designation: Vax-9.

Mission: Eliminate You."

Kael-X grinned. "Alright, Vax. Show me what you've got."

Then, they moved.

A Clash of Speed

They struck at the same time.

The air shattered as Kael-X and Vax-9 collided, their sheer speed creating a sonic boom that rippled through the city. Buildings shook. Windows shattered. The ground cracked beneath their feet.

To the human eye, they were blurs of silver and shadow, flickering in and out of existence as they clashed across the battlefield.

Vax-9 was fast.

Not as fast as Kael-X, but fast enough to react.

Kael-X's first punch missed by a fraction of an inch—Vax-9 had already sidestepped, countering with a brutal elbow strike to the ribs.

Kael-X grunted, barely feeling the hit before retaliating with a knee to the gut—but Vax-9 twisted, deflecting the attack with his forearm.

Their movements were too fast for any human to comprehend.

A soldier tried to lift his gun—by the time he blinked, the two Zypherons had already exchanged over fifty blows.

Then, Kael-X made his move.

He faked a punch, forcing Vax-9 to block—then instantly shifted behind him, delivering a brutal spinning kick to the side of his head.

Vax-9 flew backward, crashing through a wrecked police car.

Kael-X exhaled. "Not bad."

Vax-9 stood, wiping a thin trail of glowing blue blood from his mouth.

He didn't look hurt.

He looked excited.

Then, Vax-9 did something Kael-X didn't expect.

He reached to his chest and tapped a symbol on his armor.

A low hum filled the air.

Kael-X's vision shifted.

The world, which always seemed slow to him, suddenly became normal.

His heart skipped a beat.

His perception had changed.

He wasn't seeing things in slow motion anymore.

Vax-9 smirked.

> "Now, Kael-X... let's see how strong you are when you're not the fastest one here."

Kael-X gritted his teeth.

For the first time in his life—someone had leveled the playing field.

And that meant…

This fight had only just begun.

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To Be Continued...

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