The air trembled as Knox soared toward the golden throne like a bullet shot from a cannon. His body still thrummed with the residual power of the sun, his cells overcharged with Krytonian strength. But even with that newfound power coursing through him, there was a cold, unsettling chill in his chest. Kaelina's voice had echoed in his mind the entire flight over.
["Be careful, Knox,"] Kaelina's voice echoed softly in his mind, calm but layered with concern. ["The Five are not to be underestimated. What you've gained from the sun may have made you strong, but they are far beyond what you've encountered before."]
Knox's jaw tightened. He didn't need to be reminded. He'd seen them tear apart armies like they were nothing. He'd heard of their cruelty, their overwhelming presence—monsters draped in the skins of gods. And yet, he didn't slow down. His allies needed him.
He spotted them quickly. A radiant golden throne rose above the ruins of New York like an arrogant monument of power. Nyxara sat upon it, legs crossed elegantly, her fingers lazily drumming the armrest as if she couldn't be bothered to pay attention. Around her stood the others, Vaelith, Zerath, Draeven, and Iskander, their expressions ranging from mild amusement to utter boredom.
Knox landed with a thunderous impact, the ground cracking and buckling under the force. Dust and debris whirled around him as he straightened, his gaze locked onto Nyxara's lounging form.
Nyxara's emerald eyes flickered toward him with the barest hint of recognition. A lazy smile curled her lips. "Well, well. I was beginning to wonder if you would even bother showing up."
Knox said nothing. His eyes swept over them all, his fists clenching at his sides. These monsters, those... Divine Systems. It was as Luminara had explained. They weren't even human anymore. Just hollow shells puppeteered by impossible power.
"Oh, don't tell me you're still angry about our last encounter?" Nyxara purred, leaning her cheek against her knuckles. "You and that delightful little angel girl. I was sure she'd be dead by now. And yet, here you are. Still struggling. Still failing."
Knox met her gaze, his expression deadpan. "If you're trying to bore me to death with your speech, you're doing a damn good job."
Nyxara chuckled, a rich, mocking sound. "You think you're strong now, don't you? Your little vacation in the sun must have given you quite the boost. But you're not the only one with power."
She gestured dismissively. "Zerath, dear. This one amuses me. Make it entertaining."
Zerath's grin was a savage thing, all teeth and hunger. His muscles rippled as he stepped forward, rolling his shoulders with a casual arrogance. "You really think you're ready for this, kid?" His voice was low, taunting, each word thick with brutal confidence.
"Funny," Knox replied, his own grin forming. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
Without warning, Knox rocketed forward, his first crashing into Zerath's face with a force that would have reduced steel to powder. But Zerath didn't flinch. He didn't even budge.
"Is that it?" Zerath laughed, the sound like gravel grinding against bone. "All that power, and you can't even make me take a step back?"
Knox's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate. He launched a barrage of punches, his fists blurring through the air as he unleashed everything he had. The air itself screamed under the pressure of his attacks, shockwaves rippling outward, tearing the ground apart.
And yet, Zerath just stood there, each hit landing with a thud that seemed almost insulting in its lack of impact.
"My turn."
Zerath's fist struck Knox's chest like a meteor, the impact flinging him backward through a half-collapsed skyscraper. Concrete and steel shattered around him as he tumbled through the wreckage before finally grinding to a halt in the middle of a ruined street.
Pain wracked his body, but Knix forced himself to his feet. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes were still blazing with determination.
"Kaelina?"
["I'm here, Knox,"] Kaelina's voice chimed gently in his mind, her presence a steadying force amidst the chaos. Despite her calm tone, there was a hint of concern beneath her words. ["Be careful. He's beyond anything you've faced before. His strength, his speed, his brutality — they're all off the charts. And from what I've gathered, he's highly intelligent in combat. He's not just powerful; he's devastatingly efficient. You need to stay sharp."]
"I know," Knox replied, his eyes narrowing. "Anything else you can tell me?"
["He's cocky,"] Kaelina continued, her tone turning analytical. ["He enjoys toying with his prey. Use that to your advantage. And remember, you're not the same person you were before the sun. You've grown stronger. Just... don't get overconfident. I'm here with you."]
"Thanks, Kaelina." His voice steadied, fists clenching as he took a breath. "Let's do this."
"Now, now," Zerath interrupted with a grin that could only be described as sadistic glee. "Are you ready to die, little man? Or are you just going to bore me to death with your chit-chat?"
In an instant, Knox rocketed forward, fists blazing. The air around him boiled from the sheer heat of his approach. His fist collided squarely with Zerath's jaw, the impact generating a shockwave that rippled through the air, shattering windows and sending dust swirling around them.
But Zerath didn't budge. Not even an inch. His smirk widened, his dark eyes glittering with pure amusement.
"Was that it?" Zerath mocked. "I barely felt a thing. You think you can take me on? You're just a gnat buzzing around my ear."
Knox's frustration built, but he didn't let it control him. He darted backward, evading Zerath's retaliatory swing, the air splitting as the man's fist tore through the space where he'd been standing only moments before.
Zerath lunged forward, his speed unnatural, monstrous. One moment he was yards away, and the next his hand was clamped around Knox's face, fingers digging into his skull with vice-like strength.
"You're nothing," Zerath sneered, his voice dripping with disgust. "Just another insect to be crushed."
He drove Knox down into the pavement with devastating force, the ground splintering and shattering beneath the impact. Knox's body screamed with pain, but he gritted his teeth and threw a wild punch, slamming into Zerath's side.
This time, Zerath grunted, his eyes narrowing. "Ah, so you do have some fight in you. Pathetic as it is."
Before Knox could respond, Zerath grabbed him by the arm and flung him skyward. Knox barely managed to right himself in the air before Zerath was already upon him, delivering a brutal kick that sent him careening through a skyscraper, glass and steel shearing apart as he tore through floors like wet paper.
Kaelina's voice rang urgently in his mind. ["Knox! Keep your distance! Don't let him get his hands on you like that again."]
He groaned, wiping blood from his mouth as he shot out of the crumbling building, his eyes blazing with determination. "Easier said than done."
Zerath was already there, his fist smashing down toward Knox's head. Knox twisted, narrowly dodging the blow. The sheer force of the missed strike sent a shockwave tearing through the city, rupturing concrete and buckling buildings.
Knox retaliated with a focused blast of heat vision, twin beams of scorching energy slicing toward Zerath's chest. But the monstrous man simply batted them aside with a sweep of his arm, the energy scattering uselessly against his hardened flesh.
"You call that power?" Zerath laughed, his voice thunderous. "This is power!"
He blurred forward, a black-and-red comet of violence, and slammed his fist into Knox's stomach. Knox's vision went white with pain as the air was driven from his lungs, his body doubling over as the force of the blow rocketed him into the ground like a meteor.
The earth cracked and shattered beneath him, a crater forming around his broken form. But before he could even gather his thoughts, Zerath was already upon him, seizing him by the leg and hurling him into the sky once more.
"Kaelina, I could use a little help here!" Knox grunted, struggling to orient himself as the world spun around him.
["Keep your head, Knox. Remember, he's overconfident. Make him slip up. If you just keep trying to overpower him, he's going to rip you apart."]
Kaelina's words burned through the haze of pain. She was right. Trying to match Zerath's brute force was suicidal. He needed to be smarter.
"Alright. Let's try something else," Knox muttered, his voice ragged.
As Zerath lunged toward him, Knox twisted at the last moment, dodging to the side and blasting him with a concentrated burst of icy breath. Frost clung to Zerath's arm, but he only laughed as he shattered the ice with a twitch of his muscles.
"Cut trick," Zerath taunted. "But you're only prolonging the inevitable."
Knox kept moving, weaving through the air with speed and precision, striking from multiple angles, his fists slamming into Zerath's body with relentless fury. And each time, Zerath countered with devastating force.
But for all his strength, Zerath was growing annoyed.
"Stop running and die already!" Zerathroared, his patience fraying. He lunged forward, his fists becoming blurs of destruction.
Knox grinned, his eyes blazing. "You're getting sloppy."
He sucked under a wild swing, lashing out with a savage punch to Zerath's rib cage. For the first time, a crack echoed through the air. Zerath's eyes widened with momentary shock before they narrowed with pure, unbridled rage.
"Oh, you're going to regret that."
Zerath's hand clamped down around Knox's head. And then Knox was being smashed into the ground, over and over again, his skull rattling with every impact. The world was a blur of pain and chaos, Zerath's sadistic laughter ringing in his ears.
Kaelina's voice broke through the agony. ["Knox! Don't you dare give up. You can do this. You have to."]
And somehow, against all odds, he believed her.