The leader flew in, dodging Wolfen's fireballs, his movements fluid and precise. He landed a punch—but his fist didn't connect. Steam and heat waves stopped it, creating a barrier of superheated air that deflected the blow.
Wolfen's counterattack was devastating. His fist connected with the leader's face, sending him flying through the sky at extreme speeds.
"How did he turn invisible?" Leo's eyes were fixed on the fight, his voice tight.
"He's adapting." Sasha's voice was calm, analytical. "His Pulse is at its peak. He's making new abilities mid-fight."
"What?" Eva's voice was sharp. "Making abilities using Pulse can take years."
"You're right." Nora's voice was flat. "But he's figured something out. And he's using it."
The four men still flew in the sky, watching as a mere human went toe-to-toe with one of them. This wasn't possible. It shouldn't be possible.
Wolfen landed another devastating hit. The ground shattered like glass, destruction spreading for hundreds of miles.
The leader was laughing. Hard. He was saying something in his own language—words Wolfen couldn't understand—but the tone was unmistakable. He was having the time of his life.
Wolfen brought both hands together. A small fireball formed between them—extremely concentrated, so dense that it started becoming unstable.
Instead of stopping, he pushed harder.
"What the hell is he doing?" Leo shouted over the heat waves.
Nora's voice was calm. "He's ending it."
The men in the sky had their arms up, shielding their faces from the heat. The ground beneath Wolfen started melting away.
Even Sasha was having trouble. The heat waves were intense, but she activated her Infinity, spreading it over miles, creating a protective barrier that saved the survivors and everyone else.
The fight was taking place hundreds of miles away.
Wolfen vanished. He appeared behind the leader and slammed the fireball into his face.
The explosion was devastating. It consumed everything—the sky, the earth, the ocean. It kept going, spreading outward, unstoppable.
When it finally settled, Wolfen was standing. Barely. He was in his base form, his body trembling, his breathing ragged. In front of him was a massive crater spanning thousands of miles, burning even a part of the ocean.
Everyone was in shock. Even Nora was surprised.
From within the blast, impossibly, the leader walked out. His clothes were gone. His arms were completely burned, his flesh visible, his skin blackened. He was smiling.
"No way in hell," Jordan said, his eyes wide.
"How?" Leo's voice was barely a whisper.
"What the fuck," Derek said.
Maya was flabbergasted. Eva couldn't speak.
These aliens—whatever they were—were extremely durable, extremely strong, with extreme speed.
Nora wasn't watching the battle anymore. Her eyes were fixed on Selene, who had been sitting unbothered, watching it all go down.
Something was wrong.
Selene's Pulse was different. And something only Nora noticed—Selene's Pulse was completely wrong. This wasn't their Selene.
"Sasha." Nora's voice was low.
Sasha followed her gaze. Her eyes widened.
"Open a portal," Nora said.
Selene's head slowly turned toward her. Her eyes suddenly turned black.
"Open the fucking portal, Sasha."
Sasha did. Before Selene could do anything, she was consumed by it, disappearing into the other universe.
"What the hell?" Sasha was sweating from the heat, her voice shaking. "That wasn't Selene."
"No." Nora's voice was cold. "It wasn't."
"But then where is she?"
The leader flew at Wolfen, grabbing his head. In 0.0000009 seconds, he took him into space.
Wolfen couldn't breathe. The void was cold, silent, endless.
The leader punched him so hard he hit the moon in a millionth of a second. Massive chunks of rock flew everywhere.
Wolfen wasn't moving.
The leader's voice spoke in his head. You can not fight anymore. Accept your defeat.
Defeat.
Wolfen's eyes snapped open. Adrenaline surged through him. He punched the leader so hard he sent him flying in a hundredth of a nanosecond.
Wolfen flew after him. His solar lava form flickered, barely holding together. He punched the leader into the ground, sending massive chunks of rock flying like a tsunami.
The leader walked out, Wolfen on his shoulders. He set him down gently.
Eva was suddenly in front of him, a purple fireball inches from his face. Jordan's katana was at his neck. Leo's red lightning crackled at his side.
They looked murderous.
"I accept defeat," the leader said, flying up slowly. "You have earned my respect, human." He looked at Wolfen's unconscious form. "But this isn't the last time we meet. When I come again in a hundred years, I will defeat you."
His men flew up to him, and they left the orbit.
"Is he gone?" Wolfen's voice came from the ground, peeking.
Eva spun around. "WHAT THE FUCK?"
"What happened to you, Evie?" Wolfen's voice was raspy, weak, but there was a grin in it.
"You little piece of shit!" Leo started laughing.
"Can someone help me up?" Wolfen said. "I can't move."