The Zypheron-5 Specialist
Chapter 61 – The Zypheron-5 Specialist
The ground beneath Kael-X cracked as he pushed himself upright, his body still aching from the last attack. His opponent—this Zypheron-5 Specialist—was different. The armor they wore pulsed with some unknown energy, and their warhammer radiated an aura of pure destruction.
Kael-X rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers. Time to test just how strong they really are.
The Specialist charged, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Kael-X barely had time to react before—
BOOM!
The warhammer slammed down, creating a massive shockwave that sent Kael-X skidding back. His arms stung from blocking the force.
Nyx materialized beside him, her shadowy tendrils curling like smoke.
"This one… will not fall easily."
Kael-X smirked, wiping dust from his cheek. "That just makes it more fun."
The Dance of Death
Kael-X moved, his speed blurring him out of existence. He reappeared behind the Specialist, throwing a lightning-fast kick.
But before it could land—
CLANG!
The warhammer swung backward, blocking the attack with inhuman precision.
Kael-X's eyes narrowed. They're reading my moves.
Before he could retreat, the hammer flared with energy, sending out a pulse of force that blasted him away. He flipped midair, landing on a collapsed building.
Veyron's voice echoed through the shadows.
"Speed cannot outrun foresight."
Kael-X frowned. "Foresight?"
The Specialist raised a hand. Their helmet visor pulsed, scanning him with eerie precision.
They weren't just reacting. They were predicting.
Umbra growled from the darkness.
"They know your movements before you make them."
Kael-X exhaled. So that's their ability. They can read my attacks in real time.
A slow grin spread across his face. That just means I have to be unpredictable.
He vanished again—but this time, instead of attacking, he faked left, then spun right, letting Nyx's shadows mask his next move. The Specialist swung their hammer where he should have been—
Only for Kael-X to appear above them.
With a vicious downward punch, he slammed his fist into their helmet—
CRACK!
The impact shattered part of the visor, revealing a glimpse of alien flesh underneath. The Specialist stumbled, their calculations failing.
Kael-X landed, fists clenched. "Not so perfect now, huh?"
But before he could follow up—
The warhammer lit up, and the air around them warped.
A massive gravitational force slammed into Kael-X, pinning him in place.
His body felt like it was being crushed from all sides.
The Specialist's damaged visor flickered.
"Adjusting… recalibrating… commencing destruction."
Kael-X gritted his teeth. He couldn't move—
And the next strike was coming.
Chapter 61 (Continued) – The Zypheron-5 Specialist
Kael-X felt his ribs strain under the increasing gravity. The Specialist's warhammer pulsed again, sending another crushing wave of force. His knees nearly buckled. His body was fast, but this wasn't just about speed.
Veyron's voice slithered into his mind.
"Gravity bends for no man… but the void bends for nothing."
Kael-X clenched his fists. "Then let's see if it can bend this."
With a flick of his fingers, Veyron's magic surged. The shadows around him twisted, warping the gravity field itself. The crushing force lessened just enough for Kael-X to move.
The Specialist tilted their head, adjusting their stance.
"Unexpected anomaly. Recalculating."
Kael-X grinned. "You keep calculating. I'll keep breaking you."
Boom!
Kael-X vanished, reappearing behind the Specialist in an instant. He swung—not at them, but at the air itself.
The force of his strike sent a compressed shockwave toward them at point-blank range.
CRACK!
The remaining part of the visor shattered, revealing the alien eyes underneath—black, unreadable, but flickering with data streams.
The Specialist took a step back, their calculations failing.
"Break their mind, and the body will follow," Veyron whispered.
Kael-X didn't hesitate. He blurred forward again, feinting right—then sending Nyx's tendrils lashing from the left.
The Specialist tried to react, but their recalibrations weren't fast enough this time.
SLASH!
Nyx's shadows tore into their armor, leaving deep, jagged scars across the metal plating. Sparks flew as the alien stumbled back, their balance momentarily broken.
Kael-X pressed the advantage.
He shot forward, fist glowing with energy—
Only for the Specialist to slam their hammer down once more.
BOOM!
A new shockwave erupted, not just gravity—but time itself seemed to distort.
Kael-X's movements slowed, as if the world had thickened around him.
His eyes widened. "Time dilation?"
The Specialist's voice crackled, a mix of organic and machine.
"Predicting is insufficient. Controlling time… is superior."
Kael-X's heartbeat thundered in his ears. His own speed was his greatest weapon—and now, it was being negated.
Nyx and Umbra snarled in unison.
"They seek to make you crawl."
Veyron chuckled darkly.
"Then teach them how to fall."
Kael-X smirked. "Let's do this, then."
Even with time slowed, he still had one trick up his sleeve.
Because his shadows were untouched by time.
With a flick of his fingers, Oblivion surged forward—an endless maw of darkness devouring everything in its path.
The Specialist raised their hammer, but—
Too late.
Oblivion engulfed their weapon, swallowing the energy that powered it.
The time dilation shattered.
Kael-X blurred forward at full speed—and this time, he didn't hold back.
His fist slammed into the Specialist's exposed face.
CRACK!
The alien was sent flying, crashing through two buildings before landing in a heap of smoke and rubble.
Kael-X exhaled, watching the dust settle.
His shadows curled around him, whispering.
"One step closer."
But he knew it wasn't over yet.
The Specialist was still alive.
And Zypheron-5 wasn't done with him.
Chapter 61 (Continued) – The Zypheron-5 Specialist
The rubble where the Specialist had crashed remained still for a moment. Then—
BOOM.
The remains of the building exploded outward, sending debris flying in all directions.
Kael-X's eyes narrowed. He had hit them with everything.
And yet, the Zypheron-5 warrior stood up once more.
The damage was clear—their armor was cracked, their warhammer flickered with unstable energy, and one of their arms hung limply at their side. Yet, their eyes still burned with cold calculation.
"Damage sustained: 47%," the Specialist muttered, their voice more mechanical than before. "Adaptation in progress."
Kael-X scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "You guys just don't quit, huh?"
Veyron's voice curled through his mind, dripping with amusement.
"Persistence is a virtue… until it becomes a mistake."
Kael-X agreed. It was time to make this a mistake.
The Specialist lifted their remaining good arm—and suddenly, the ground beneath Kael-X cracked.
Gravity surged downward—far stronger than before.
Kael-X's entire body felt like it was sinking into the earth. His bones creaked, muscles strained.
Umbra snarled.
"This weight… it seeks to chain us."
Nyx hissed.
"Shall we consume it?"
Veyron merely chuckled.
"No, let him find the key first."
Kael-X grit his teeth. He wasn't about to be crushed under some alien's tricks.
His fingers twitched—then, he vanished.
Not forward. Not sideways.
Straight up.
The Specialist's cold gaze flickered as Kael-X broke through the gravity field, launching into the sky with a force that shattered the very air.
Above the battlefield, for a split second, he was free.
Then—he plummeted down.
Faster than the eye could follow.
Faster than gravity could adapt.
Faster than the Specialist could react.
BOOM!
His fist collided with their chest, and this time—
The ground collapsed.
The impact cratered the earth, sending shockwaves for miles. Buildings cracked, roads shattered, and the entire battlefield trembled.
The Specialist didn't get up this time.
Their broken form lay still, sparks flickering from their damaged systems.
Kael-X exhaled, his shadows swirling around him. He knew this wasn't the end.
Zypheron-5 wouldn't stop coming.
But at least, for now—
This Specialist was done.
— To Be Continued in Chapter 62 —