Clash of the Titans

Chapter 43: Clash of the Titans

The moment Kael-X landed, V-02 was already upon him. A metallic fist streaked through the air, aimed straight for his chest. Kael-X twisted his body just in time, narrowly avoiding the impact. The ground beneath them cracked from the sheer force of the missed punch.

V-02 didn't hesitate. It pressed forward, launching a series of calculated strikes—each one faster than the last.

Kael-X blocked the first two, dodged the third, but the fourth clipped his side. The impact sent him skidding backward, his boots carving trenches into the ground.

Maya and Elijah, watching from a distance, barely had time to react.

"Holy—he just—Kael!" Maya shouted, gripping Elijah's arm.

Elijah clenched his jaw. "That thing is stronger than anything we've seen so far."

Kael-X didn't need them to tell him that. He already knew.

V-02 was different. It wasn't just a brute force fighter—it was precise. Every movement was calculated to maximize damage while minimizing wasted effort.

Kael-X straightened, rolling his shoulders. "So that's how they're playing it?" He exhaled, then blurred forward.

This time, he attacked first.

His fist connected with V-02's torso, sending a shockwave through its armor. The impact launched the machine backward, slamming it through a series of abandoned cars.

But before Kael-X could press the advantage, V-02 twisted mid-air, planting its feet against a crushed vehicle and rebounding at impossible speeds.

Kael-X barely had time to react before a knee slammed into his ribs, sending him flying through a collapsed building.

---

Above Earth – Zypheron-5 Warship "Orion-12"

"Commander, V-02 has engaged Kael-X. Initial combat data is coming in."

Sloan watched the live footage with a cold smirk. "And?"

"V-02 is adapting to his movements. It's already predicting his dodges and counterattacks."

Dr. Helena tapped her fingers against the control panel. "Interesting… but Kael-X is still holding back. Let's see what happens when he stops."

Sloan's smirk widened. "If he stops."

---

Back on Earth

Kael-X burst from the rubble, dust and debris scattering around him. He wiped blood from his lip, his expression unreadable.

V-02 stood in the distance, unmoving, its glowing red eyes locked onto him.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Kael-X grinned. "Alright, let's see how well you handle this."

He blurred out of sight.

V-02 shifted its stance, anticipating an attack—

But Kael-X wasn't coming from the front.

In a fraction of a second, he reappeared above V-02, flipping mid-air and slamming his heel down onto its head.

The force drove V-02 straight into the pavement, forming a massive crater. The ground trembled from the impact.

Before V-02 could rise, Kael-X grabbed it by the leg and spun, hurling it through the nearest building. The structure collapsed instantly, burying V-02 under tons of debris.

Kael-X cracked his neck. "Not so fast now, are you?"

Maya and Elijah watched in stunned silence.

"That… was insane," Elijah muttered.

"Is it over?" Maya asked hesitantly.

But Kael-X's expression darkened. "No."

Because from beneath the wreckage, something was moving.

The rubble exploded outward—and V-02 emerged, completely unharmed.

Its armor shifted, plates rearranging themselves. The red glow in its eyes intensified.

And then, it spoke again.

"Analysis complete. Adjusting battle mode."

Kael-X tensed.

V-02 wasn't just strong. It was learning.

Chapter 43 (Continued): Learning Machine

The dust settled, revealing V-02 standing tall, its armor shifting like liquid metal as it adapted to Kael-X's combat style. The red glow in its eyes pulsed rapidly—analyzing, calculating.

Kael-X clenched his fists. "So you learn, huh?"

The machine didn't answer. It simply moved.

Faster than before.

Kael-X barely had time to react before V-02 was in front of him, its fist streaking toward his face. He dodged left, but the machine anticipated it, twisting mid-attack and driving an elbow into his ribs.

Kael-X grunted as he was launched backward, smashing through a truck.

V-02 didn't let up. It followed, appearing above him in an instant and slamming both fists down.

Kael-X rolled away at the last second, the ground shattering where he had been.

"Damn it," he muttered, wiping his mouth. "It's getting faster."

Maya and Elijah stood at a distance, watching in horror.

"It's adapting too quickly!" Elijah shouted. "Kael, you need to end this!"

Kael-X knew that. But how?

If the machine kept adapting, then his usual attacks wouldn't work. He needed something unpredictable.

Something it couldn't calculate.

He took a deep breath, then smirked.

"Alright, V-02, let's see how good you really are."

Instead of charging forward, Kael-X did something unexpected—he turned his back and ran.

Maya's eyes widened. "Wait—what?!"

Elijah frowned. "What the hell is he doing?"

V-02 tilted its head, confused for a millisecond. But then, it pursued.

Kael-X sprinted down the ruined street, weaving between debris at insane speeds. V-02 followed at equal speed, closing the distance rapidly.

Then Kael-X suddenly stopped.

V-02 had already committed to full speed—meaning it couldn't stop in time.

Kael-X pivoted on his heel and delivered a brutal uppercut to the machine's jaw.

The force sent V-02 flying upward, crashing into the remains of a collapsed building.

Kael-X didn't let up. He blurred into the air after it, twisting mid-flight and delivering a spinning kick.

The impact sent V-02 hurtling toward the ground, forming another crater.

Maya and Elijah watched in disbelief.

"He's… making it overcommit," Elijah realized.

Maya grinned. "That's genius!"

V-02 slowly rose from the crater, its armor dented for the first time. It processed the new data, but Kael-X was already moving again.

This time, he didn't give it time to adapt.

He was faster.

He attacked from all angles, never repeating the same move twice. Left, right, above, below—V-02 couldn't keep up.

For the first time since the fight began—Kael-X had the upper hand.

V-02's systems struggled to calculate his movements, but Kael-X didn't give it a chance.

One final strike—a devastating punch to its core.

V-02's chestplate cracked. The glow in its eyes flickered.

And then, for the first time, it spoke in a distorted, broken voice.

"Warning… System… Failure."

Kael-X stood over the damaged machine, breathing heavily.

He cracked his knuckles. "Looks like you've got a limit after all."

But before he could celebrate—

V-02's chest opened, revealing something inside.

A small, glowing device.

Kael-X narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is that—"

Suddenly—

The device emitted a high-pitched noise.

And V-02 exploded.

A massive shockwave tore through the battlefield, engulfing Kael-X in fire and debris.

Maya screamed. "KAEL!"

Elijah shielded his eyes from the blast, heart pounding.

And when the smoke cleared—

Kael-X was gone.