As Stallion was thrown by Henry's powerful right haymaker, his body crashed hard against the ground, skidding several feet away. For a brief moment, he lay motionless, unconscious from the impact. The crowd held their breath, watching in anticipation.
Then, with a sharp inhale, Stallion's eyes snapped open. A low growl rumbled from his throat as he staggered to his feet. His King's Presence surged violently, crackling like a storm. The air around him trembled under the sheer force of his aura, a thunderous pressure radiating outward. Dust and debris lifted from the ground as his power spiraled out of control.
Henry, breathing heavily, forced himself to stand. His vision blurred, his muscles ached, and his chest throbbed from the deep wound he had sustained. Blood dripped from his side, staining the ground beneath him. Yet, he clenched his fists, determination burning in his gaze. Even with his battered body, he raised both hands in a defensive stance.
His left gauntlet was cracked now, barely holding together.
Stallion's approach was slow and deliberate, his glowing lavender eyes locked onto Henry. Every step he took sent a tremor through the battlefield. His overwhelming King's Presence bore down on Henry like an unrelenting wave, suffocating and absolute. The sheer weight of it made Henry's body feel heavier with each second.
'You should've stayed down!,' Stallion said.
His voice eerily calm, but dripping with menace. 'Now, I'll make sure you never stand again.'
Henry gritted his teeth, trying to push through the invisible force pressing him down. His knees buckled, but he refused to yield.
Then, his King's Presence faltered.
In an instant, his aura vanished, swallowed whole by Stallion's superior force.
'What…?' Henry barely managed to whisper before his legs gave out completely, and he collapsed to his knees.
Stallion smirked. 'You were strong, Henry. But strength alone isn't enough.'
Without hesitation, Stallion swung his foot and landed a brutal kick to Henry's ribs. The impact sent him sprawling onto his back, gasping for air. Pain erupted across his body, and his vision darkened at the edges.
Before he could even attempt to rise again, Stallion loomed over him. With a slow, deliberate motion, he placed his palm firmly against Henry's chest.
A sudden, crushing force overtook Henry's body.
It was unlike anything he had felt before—an unbearable weight sinking into his core, draining him from within. His limbs felt sluggish, his breath shallow. His very strength was being ripped away.
'What… is this…?' Henry struggled to move, but his body refused to obey.
Stallion's smirk widened. 'Famine doesn't just steal stamina through my blade. I can drain life itself. And right now…' His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. 'You're mine.'
Henry grunted, desperately trying to lift his arm, to push Stallion away—but the moment he moved, Stallion's King's Presence surged even stronger, pinning him in place.
Henry's vision blurred. His mind screamed for him to fight back, but his body was betraying him. His strength was slipping away, and for the first time…
He felt powerless.
As Henry remained pinned to the ground, struggling against the crushing weight of Stallion's overwhelming King's Presence, concern flickered across the faces of the Grimknights. Kaiser's fists clenched tightly as he watched Henry writhe in pain, his stamina being drained away by Stallion's palm pressing into his chest.
Kaiser took a step forward, his instincts screaming at him to intervene. Elric, standing beside him, immediately caught onto his intent and grabbed his arm. "Kaiser, don't! This isn't our fight!" he urged.
Kaiser scowled, yanking his arm free. "If we don't step in, he's going to die!" he snapped back. Without waiting for another word, Kaiser dashed forward, his aura flaring.
Elric cursed under his breath. "Damn it, Kaiser!"
As Kaiser sprinted, a dark figure materialized behind him—Alzalel. Without hesitation, Alzalel hurled a dagger toward Stallion, then Kaiser flickered, vanishing and reappearing right beside the blade mid-flight. In a blink, Kaiser was upon Stallion, his deadly strike poised for impact.
But before the dagger could land, Stallion's hand shot out with inhuman speed, catching Kaiser by the throat. The entity behind let out a piercing shriek, its body writhing as a dark mist coiled around him. Stallion turned his head slowly, his glowing lavender eyes locking onto Kaiser, his aura swelling with terrifying intensity.
Kaiser's breath hitched. The air around him grew heavier as Stallion's King's Presence surged once more, its oppressive force threatening to crush him where he stood. The mere act of Stallion shifting his gaze felt suffocating.
Alzalel convulsed in Stallion's grip, its form flickering wildly. "Kais…!" it shrieked before dissipating into thin air.
Stallion's lips curled into a smirk as he opened his mouth to speak. "All of you must d—"
Before he could finish, a sudden force yanked his arm away. Henry had grabbed the very arm pressing him down and, with a burst of strength, hurled Stallion backward. Though Stallion managed to land on his feet, he skidded several meters back, his expression shifting into something between surprise and amusement.
Henry pushed himself up, his breathing ragged. "I'm not done yet," he growled, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Stallion grunts annoyingly, rolling his shoulder. "Good. It'd be a shame if you were."
Kaiser rushed to Henry's side, gripping his arm and pulling him up. "You're still breathing, right?" Kaiser asked, his voice carrying a mix of concern and amusement.
Henry let out a strained chuckle. "Barely."
Kaiser turned to Alzalel, who reformed beside him. With a smirk, he taunted, "He got you good, didn't he?"
Alzalel scoffed. "Tch. I let my guard down. Won't happen again."
Before any of them could say more, Stallion was already upon them, moving like a blur. His scimitar carved through the air in a vicious arc, forcing Kaiser and Henry to split apart. Stallion didn't hesitate—he lunged at Kaiser first, his blade aiming for his throat.
Kaiser flickered backward, barely avoiding the strike. He countered with his shadow blade, daggers gleaming, and slashed toward Stallion's side. But Stallion twisted his body, avoiding the assault and immediately shifting his focus back to Henry.
Henry raised his gauntlet to block the incoming slash, sparks flying as metal met metal. He pushed forward, trying to overpower Stallion, but the latter was relentless. His king's presence flared wildly, the sheer pressure making it hard for Henry to hold his ground.
Kaiser, seeing the struggle, clenched his fists. His aura darkened, growing more intense. Then, his body trembled as veins of energy surged through him. His eyes glowed fiercely as his transformation began. "I guess it's time... Partial Fusion."
A wave of energy erupted from Kaiser as his form shifted—his face darkened, his muscles tensed, spectral arms grows behind his shoulder and Alzalel's dark spectral energy wrapped around him like a living shadow. All four arms where gripping shadow blades. His speed amplified instantly, and in the blink of an eye, he flickered to a shadow blade he had thrown beside Stallion.
"Surprise," Kaiser whispered before delivering a powerful elbow strike to Stallion's ribs. The impact was strong enough, forcing Stallion to stumble back.
Henry seized the opportunity. Summoning all his remaining strength, he surged forward and threw a massive right hook. Stallion barely managed to block it with his scimitar, but the sheer force still sent him sliding backward.
Stallion's breathing grew heavier. His eyes burned with fury. "Two against one? Fine. I'll crush you both!"
Without warning, he spun, his scimitar gleaming with energy as he unleashed a whirlwind of slashes. Henry and Kaiser dodged desperately, but the relentless attacks left no room to counter.
Kaiser grinned despite the chaos. "How can we defeat this monster?!"
Henry exhaled sharply, clenching his fists. "Let's do this."