Nolan's lips curled into a wide grin as he stepped forward, the ruins of the convenience store groaning under the weight of destruction. Dust spiraled in the air, swallowing the space around him, dirtying his clothes.
"Wasn't much of a fight. Haha, didn't take much, honestly—"
CRACK!
A fist slammed into his jaw, cutting his words short. His head snapped back viciously, a sharp, sickening pop crackling through his spine. His vision blurred—his footing wavered. The pain was nothing. The real shock was how? He hadn't seen Ronkai move.
"What the—"
THUD!
A brutal force caved into his stomach. His ribs bent inward. His breath choked in his throat as he folded like a crushed tin can, bile rising up his gullet. His instincts kicked in—his sword flashed up to block the next attack, but—
Nothing.
Nothing visible. Nothing tangible.
Then—
CRACK! Another hit.
His skull rattled. Blood sprayed from his mouth, painting the broken pavement. His body staggered, but his mind screamed to move. MOVE! He blurred backwards, his speed tearing up the ground beneath him, but then—
Another impact.
His vision spun. Where?!
Through the ringing in his ears, a voice snarled.
"You shouldn't have underestimated me, you fuckface."
Ronkai stood tall amidst the debris, his body cut and bruised, blood dripping from his forehead, trailing a slow path down his jaw. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes—burned with something lethal.
Then—
Something shifted.
A pulse. A ripple in the air. A killing intent so sharp it gnawed at the lungs.
Nolan tensed.
Ronkai exhaled slowly, his stance shifting. His fists clenched. And then—
Ghost Strike.
Nolan felt it before he saw it. A split-second pulse of energy—
Then pain.
A phantom barrage slammed into him. His body jerked from the unseen blows, his ribs creaking, his shoulders snapping back as if strings pulled him apart. He tried to react—his sword darting to intercept—but there was nothing to block.
Another hit. His breath hitched. His body wouldn't move fast enough.
He staggered back, wheezing, eyes scanning—analyzing.
Then—
A realization.
There's a limit.
His mind calculated, measuring the distance between them. Sixty feet. That was it. The edge of Ronkai's range.
Nolan exhaled sharply, wiping the blood from his lips. His muscles burned, his legs shaking, but he forced a grin.
"Got you."
He took a step back—sixty feet, just outside the range.
No more invisible strikes.
Nolan took the opportunity. His mind locked onto the realization, his body moving before conscious thought. His back foot grounded against the shattered concrete—his grip tightened. Then—
WHOOOSH!
His arm twisted, muscles coiling like a loaded spring before releasing with insane force. His sword tore through the air like a missile, the sheer speed igniting the wind. A sonic boom ruptured the battlefield. The pressure alone split apart the nearby ruins, buildings collapsing as the air itself recoiled from the shockwave.
The blade hit.
A sickening THWACK echoed as the sword's tip tore through Ronkai's chest, piercing skin, muscle—bone. The force sent him flying, his body crashing through multiple buildings. Each impact cracked his bones, sending debris spiraling in all directions before he finally smashed into the street.
Dust clouded the scene. Blood pooled beneath him. A sharp, guttural cough tore from his throat, crimson spilling from his lips. The sword still jutted from his chest, embedded deep, its steel drenched in his blood.
Then—
Footsteps.
Each step shattered the fractured road further. Nolan moved at inhuman speed, appearing over Ronkai in an instant. He reached down, fingers curling around the hilt of his sword, then—
SHHHK!
With a brutal tug, he ripped the blade free, blood spraying in an arc. He tilted the sword to the side, flicking the excess fluid off the steel.
"Tch," he scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "What a sneaky ability you had there, but I figured you out easily. You could land all the hits you wanted—didn't matter. In the end, I'm just better."
Ronkai gritted his teeth, his elbows digging into the ground as he tried to push himself up.
THUD!
A boot slammed down onto his chest.
Pressure. Crushing, unbearable pressure.
"Ngh—" Ronkai grunted, struggling against the weight.
Nolan sneered. "Pathetic. I'll just kill you right now—"
Then—
A pulse.
Ronkai's fingers twitched. The pain—the unbearable agony—was channeled, redirected, converted. Kinetic Flow. Every ounce of damage Nolan inflicted surged into his fist. Bones cracked under the pressure. His fingers clenched—
Then he swung.
BOOM!
His fist collided with Nolan's leg.
A sickening CRACK followed.
Nolan's bone popped sideways, his leg snapping open at the joint, a jagged protrusion of raw bone tearing through his flesh.
"AHHH! SHIT!" Nolan roared, staggering, blood leaking from the exposed wound.
But Ronkai wasn't done.
With a primal snarl, he clamped both hands around Nolan's broken leg—
Then squeezed.
CRUNCH.
The bones within shattered like brittle glass. The pain sent shockwaves through Nolan's body, his breath ragged, vision flashing white.
Then—
SLAM!
Ronkai, planting his feet, heaved. His grip locked, his muscles screamed—
Then he hurled Nolan into the earth.
BOOOOM!
The sheer force splintered the battlefield, massive cracks spreading in every direction like a spiderweb. Blood spurted from Nolan's mouth upon impact, his body caving into the ground like a dented wreck.
Then—
A blur.
Before Nolan could react, Ronkai seized him again. With all his might, he threw him skyward.
The force sent Nolan rocketing into the sky, his body twisting as wind howled against his battered frame. His clothes whipped violently, the altitude pulling him higher—
But Nolan wasn't out yet.
He snarled, shifting mid-air. His muscles tensed, his energy surged. Then—he dived.
The air shrieked as he plummeted back down, his speed tripling. The moment he broke past the sound barrier, the shockwave obliterated the ground below.
Then—
IMPACT.
Ronkai launched himself forward, kinetic energy flooding into his limbs. He shot forward like a bullet. His fist pulled back—
Then connected.
BAAAM!
His knuckles slammed into Nolan's jaw. The force reversed his momentum, sending his body rocketing downward at blinding speed. The sky itself recoiled from the sheer force, air whipping violently in the wake of the blow.
BOOOOOOOM!
Nolan's body crashed into a skyscraper, the sheer impact causing the entire structure to implode. Dust and debris engulfed the battlefield, the ground trembling as the entire building collapsed in on itself.
Then—
Silence.
Only the distant rumble of falling debris remained.
Nolan stumbled, his leg mangled, barely holding his weight. Blood seeped through the torn flesh, but his smirk remained.
BOOM!
Ronkai projectiled downward, his landing detonating the battlefield. The shockwave ruptured the terrain, debris launching in every direction, the sheer force threatening to swallow Nolan whole.
Yet—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Haha, wow! What a fucking good display!" Nolan laughed, hands slamming together in mock applause. Even broken, his ego remained unshattered.
Ronkai scowled, eyes narrowing. "You're laughing while you look like shit. Either way, I'm ending this."
Then—
A blur.
Ronkai closed the distance in an instant, his fist clenched tight, veins bulging. The killing blow was coming.
But then—
Something shifted.
Nolan's eyes dimmed. His breath slowed.
Time... lagged.
Everything around him dragged into delay. A sensation, unnatural and twisted, took hold. Lag Sword.
Before Ronkai's punch could land—
Nolan glitched out of reality.
Fist connected with nothing.
Ronkai's momentum carried forward, his expression snapping from rage to confusion. He twisted, scanning the battlefield—
Then his stomach dropped.
Nolan stood behind him. His body flickered like a corrupted image, his sword dripping with black, glitching energy.
A grin split Nolan's face. "I really hope you didn't expect that."
SLICE.
AGONY.
Nolan lagged forward—appearing in front of Ronkai instantly. With eerie precision, his sword thrust forward. It didn't pierce—
It dragged.
Skin parted. Flesh tore. Muscle unraveled.
Ronkai's entire arm split in half. Bone exposed. Blood rushed like a river, splattering the cracked ground in waves—no, not splattering—pooling. Flooding.
"AHHHHH!"
Ronkai's scream ripped through the arena. His body jerked as he clutched his ruined arm, his breath ragged, his face contorted in a mask of unfiltered agony.
Nolan—untouched.
He flickered again, his body glitching as he lagged back, placing distance between them. His wound—gone.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed through the battlefield—
[Nolan used healing ability. Down to 3 uses.]
Nolan rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck, his grip tightening around his sword. His advantage was absolute.
Ronkai's fingers twitched, his body screaming to react, to retaliate.
He channeled his power—
Nothing.
"Kinetic Flow."
Error.
It wouldn't activate.
The ability itself lagged.
Nolan's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. His blade whistled through the air.
Then—
He lunged.
Nolan gripped his sword sideways, his fingers tightening like a vice.
SHINK—
With one ruthless motion, he plunged the blade into Ronkai's torso, the tip ripping through flesh, emerging from the other side. The sword glitched, flickering unnaturally as black energy hummed violently around it.
Then—
GRRRRRKK—!
Nolan clenched the hilt hard, twisted, and yanked it back.
RIPPP—
Ronkai's throat tore open, skin parted wide, exposing bone, muscle, shredded veins. Blood flooded down his chest, soaking his torso in waves. His eyes bulged, mouth open, but no sound came—only a sickening gargle.
Nolan wasn't done.
CRACK!
He raised the sword high and slammed it down onto the crown of Ronkai's skull. The force splintered bone, fractures spiderwebbing down his forehead as fresh blood leaked down his face.
Ronkai trembled, pupils dilated, vision fading.
One minute left.
Nolan's form—the glitching, deadly Lag Sword —only lasted three minutes.
Tick.
Tock.
He ripped the sword free from Ronkai's skull and—
STAB! STAB! STAB!
Thrust after thrust—into Ronkai's stomach, each one burrowing deep, each one tearing through muscle and sinew.
Each strike = pain.
Each pain = suffering.
Ronkai's eyes glowed with sheer agony, teeth clenched, blood dribbling from his lips.
But then—
Something snapped.
His body hardened.
A red aura exploded from him—thick, swirling like blood made of flame. His skin pulsed as the energy wrapped around him like armor.
Pain Booster.
Ronkai reached up—his arm ruined, limp—and still, he grabbed Nolan's blade mid-thrust.
Nolan's eyes narrowed. His forearm bulged, veins crawling under the skin as he planted his feet and yanked to take the sword back—
But it wouldn't move.
WHAM!
Ronkai lifted his leg and slammed the sole of his foot into Nolan's stomach with terrifying force.
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave rippled out, shaking the battlefield. Nolan was flung back, but he caught himself mid-air, landing on his feet. He exhaled.
"Heh... didn't hurt."
Then—
BANG!
An internal shockwave detonated inside him.
His organs convulsed. Blood burst from his mouth. Nolan was launched again, this time slamming into a building wall, shattering the stone, cracks zigzagging around his impact point.
Before he could breathe—
Ronkai was there.
His ruined arm still limp... but now glowing red. The aura kept it strong, the pain kept it moving.
CRACK!
Ronkai's fist smashed into Nolan's sword—blocked—barely. But the energy didn't stop.
It traveled.
Through the blade. Into Nolan's arms.
BOOM!!
His arms shattered. Skin peeled, muscles tore, bones popped out.
No skin left.
Just ruined flesh.
"AHHH, FUCK!" Nolan screamed, every nerve firing at once.
He couldn't move.
His Lag Sword ability—timed out.
Exhaustion crashed into his system like a tsunami.
CRUNCH!
Ronkai slammed a hand into Nolan's raw arm—flesh into flesh—then twisted it sideways.
Nolan howled.
Then the other hand gripped his wrist—CRACK—
Fist met elbow.
POP.
Bone snapped free. Blood rained from the shredded joint.
Nolan's teeth clenched so hard his jaw cracked.
But his eyes—still locked on Ronkai.
Unmoving.
Ego flowing.
But barely alive.
[To be continued]