chapter 17

Ken now walked beside Havoc, acting as his personal guard and following him wherever he went.

Havoc held a sword in his right hand and a spear in his left.

Havoc: "Hiyaa! Take this!"

With a swing of his weapons, Havoc turned people, animals—even buildings—into stone.

"Aaaaaah, a villain!"

Citizens screamed and scattered in panic. Some cars attempted to run Havoc over, but he quickly turned them into stone.

Havoc: "Haha! Try to run me down? Not fast enough!"

Havoc: "Wanna try it too, Ken? It's fun."

Ken: "No thanks."

Before they knew it, they'd arrived at a large supermarket.

Havoc used his power to terrify the guards.

CRASS! CRASS!

Havoc: "Out, all of you! This supermarket belongs to us now! Take whatever you want, boys!"

Havoc's men stormed the building without hesitation.

Henchman: "Thanks, boss!!"

Havoc: "Hahaha! This city is mine now! Hahaha!"

Ken, still standing at Havoc's side, exhaled deeply through his nose.

Ken: "Hais..."

---

Meanwhile, in the underground prison where the Veyron were locked up...

Noa: "Great, we're stuck. How long are we gonna be in here?"

Noa began complaining in the cramped cell. Glen leaned against the bars in thought, as did Lyn.

Guru Ven stayed silent, still in shock.

Roy interrupted, playing tic-tac-toe with Cris.

Roy: "Come on, buddy. Just enjoy the moment like me and Cris."

Cris: "Your move, Roy."

Roy drew an X. Cris placed an O and won.

Cris: "Jackpot! I win."

Roy: "Let's go again."

Cris: "Nope."

Lyn: "Could you two be quiet!? At least try thinking of a way out!"

Startled, Roy and Cris went silent.

Glen, deep in thought, spotted a skeleton guard holding the cell key. Without a word, he stood up.

Glen: "Roy, why are you just playing? Help us figure something out."

He subtly nodded toward the key. Roy picked up the signal and nodded.

Roy: "What's your problem, huh?"

Glen: "You're the problem! You're not helping us escape at all!"

Roy: "Hey, I'm thinking! Not just you!"

Glen: "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Roy: "And what if I don't want to?"

They started a fake argument, Roy tugging on Glen's hair, Glen grabbing Roy's collar.

Noa: "Guys! Don't fight!"

Noa stepped in, pretending to stop them.

Their noise drew a skeleton guard to the cell door.

TUK TUK TUK!

That was the moment. Glen and Roy grabbed the skeleton.

Roy: "Lyn, grab the key and unlock it!"

Lyn reached out, snatched the key, and opened the lock. The skeleton screeched, and others began to rush in—but they were already free.

Roy: "Come on, everyone! We don't have time to sit around!"

Everyone fled—except Guru Ven, still sitting, holding the box Ken had left him. Ken's words echoed in his mind:

"Your son is still alive. He's suffering out there."

Glen: "Guru, aren't you coming?"

Guru Ven blinked, then rose.

Guru Ven: "Of course."

Roy: "Alright, let's go, Veyron!"

ALL: "LET'S GO!"

They raised their fists, charging through the skeleton guards to escape the dungeon.

---

Now Havoc, Ken, and their army stood in the city center, right before the City Hall.

Guards quickly intercepted, guns drawn.

Guard: "Stop right there, or we'll shoot!"

But Havoc instantly turned them to stone.

Havoc: "What was that? Shoot me? Ha! Try it—oh, wait, you can't! Hahaha!"

At the front doors, the Veyron team arrived in force, using vehicles armored with protective glass.

Roy and Cris flew in on jets. Lyn, Glen, and Guru Ven arrived by car. Noa came on his motorcycle.

Roy landed in front of Glen's vehicle and waved mockingly.

Roy: "Hello again, Havoc."

Annoyed, Havoc fired a blast from his spear. Roy dodged, and the attack hit Glen's car—only to bounce off the reinforced glass.

Ken: "Look out!"

Ken pulled Havoc back just in time. The deflected blast hit one of Havoc's men instead. Havoc growled.

Roy: "Surprise! Like our new ride?"

Everyone got out. Cris landed his jet beside them.

The Veyron stood tall, facing Havoc and Ken.

Glen: "Give up, Havoc. You can't win."

Noa: "That's right. Surrender before it's too late."

Havoc: "Oh yeah? You sure about that?"

Guru Ven: "Did you... did you brainwash Ken?"

The Veyron exchanged confused looks. Havoc and Ken glanced at each other and laughed.

Havoc: "Hahaha! No."

Ken: "It's complicated, old man. But no, I wasn't brainwashed."

Lyn: "Ken, I'll ask one more time—where is Zy?"

Ken: "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

Cris: "Lyn, he's not worth talking to!"

Roy: "That's right. Hands up. You're under arrest!"

Havoc and his army backed into the building.

The Veyron followed, cornering them.

Once about 50 meters away from their vehicles, Havoc and his men stopped and drew weapons.

Havoc: "Hmm... let me think... yeah... no. Ken!"

Ken: "Got it."

Ken pulled out a small remote with a red button. The Veyron tensed.

Ken: "You really should've questioned why I stayed at your base so long... hais..."

He pressed the button.

DUAR! DUAR!

CRAAK! BOOM!!!

Explosions roared. Their vehicles erupted in flames. Smoke curled skyward like black thunderclouds.

Roy: "KEN! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

Ken: "Like you saw—I planted bombs in your base. Want me to repeat that?"

Glen stared at the flames.

Glen: "That... that's our base..." His voice cracked. He went silent.

The place where they trained, laughed, and lived—was now rubble.

Noa stood frozen, face pale.

Noa: "No… our rooms… the training hall… my protein pantry..."

His fists trembled.

Noa: "Ken... you crossed the line!!!"

Cris dropped to his knees.

Cris: "My gear… all my equipment… my shoes… gone..."

Tears welled up. He covered his face.

Cris: "Damn it... that wasn't just a building... it was our home..."

Roy said nothing. Fire sparked violently in his palm. He stared at the ground, jaw clenched.

Roy: "You destroyed... our home, Ken..."

Guru Ven stepped forward, weakly.

He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of loss.

Guru Ven: "That base wasn't just built by hands... it was built with trust."

He opened his eyes, staring at Ken.

Guru Ven: "If you think destroying it will break us… you clearly don't know us at all."

Lyn: "Ken, you've gone too far!"

Glen: "Roy, Lyn—don't attack!"

But they already had.

Roy and Lyn launched at Ken and Havoc.

Havoc hurled his spear. The Veyron scattered.

Roy shot a fireball at Ken, but Ken dodged and countered with a gust of wind that slammed Roy into a wall.

Roy: "Ughh!"

Ken arrogantly approached.

Ken: "Roy... compared to me, you're nothing."

Lyn charged at Havoc with a punch. He dodged and countered, but Lyn leaped aside.

Havoc: "Not bad."

Lyn: "Of course. Unlike you, I'm not a coward."

Havoc: "What did you say!?"

Furious, Havoc fired spear blasts repeatedly, but none landed.

Lyn ducked behind a table and threw a charged spoon at him—electrified by her lightning.

Just as she turned to hide again, she spotted a small child cowering under the table.

Lyn: "Huh!?"

The shock made her hesitate.

Havoc seized the moment—striking her and turning her into stone.

Guru Ven: "LYN!!! NO!!!"