They charged.
BOOM.
The collision obliterated the street.
Sora's plasma-wreathed fist met Kael's flame-coated palm, and the impact created a shockwave that flattened everything within thirty meters—lampposts bent, cars flipped, windows three blocks away shattered simultaneously.
Neither backed down.
Red-white mantra ground against red-orange flames, the air between them distorting, screaming from the pressure.
Sora twisted, breaking the lock, and threw a plasma-enhanced elbow—
Kael ducked, flames spiraling around his fist—
"Blazing Fist: Incineration!"
His punch came up fast, fire condensed into a single point of surgical heat—
Sora blocked with his forearm, plasma mantra flaring—
CRACK.
The impact sent both skidding backward, boots carving trenches into asphalt.
They didn't stop.
Both launched forward again—
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.
Fist against fist. Plasma against flame.All at the speed of lightning.
Every collision created deafening sonic booms, every strike tore chunks from the battlefield, turning the ruined street into a warzone of craters and demolished buildings.
Sora struck high—Kael deflected—
Kael countered low—Sora blocked—
Back and forth, neither yielding, moving so fast normal eyes couldn't track them—just blurs of red-white and red-orange streaking across the destruction.
BOOM.
Sora's Plasma Platinum Punch slammed into Kael's guard.
Kael grit his teeth, feeling the heat seep through his defense, the plasma affecting him at a cellular level.
He pushed back, grinning.
"That burns!"
Flames erupted around both his arms, spiraling higher, hotter—
"Good!"
He moved—
So fast Sora barely tracked him—
Appeared behind Sora, fist already descending—
Sora spun, raising his arm to block—
CRACK.
The impact sent Sora stumbling forward, boots grinding across broken ground.
He twisted mid-stumble, planting his feet, and thrust both palms upward—
Lightning crackled between his fingers—white, brilliant, deadly—
"Plasma Bolt!"
Twin spears of concentrated electricity launched downward, tearing through the air with sounds like reality screaming—
Kael crossed his arms, flames condensing into a dense shield—
BOOM-BOOM.
Both lightning spears struck simultaneously, and for half a second, the entire battlefield was bathed in blinding white light.
When it cleared—
Kael stood, arms smoking, shield dispersed, grin undiminished.
"That actually stings."
He lowered his arms, flames roaring to life around his entire upper body.
"Let's go faster."
He vanished.
Sora's eyes tracked him—
There—
They collided mid-air.
CRACK.
The shockwave demolished a nearby building, the entire structure collapsing in on itself, sending debris raining down across the street.
They rebounded, landed on opposite rooftops—
And launched again—
BOOM.
Met in the center—
Sora unleashed Plasma Barrage—ten rapid strikes in two seconds, each one trailing red-white mantra, each impact releasing concussive bursts—
Kael weaved through half, blocked the rest, flames flaring with each deflection—
Then countered—
"Inferno Spiral!"
Flames spiraled from his back, forming twin serpents of fire that twisted through the air, chasing Sora with terrifying speed and precision—
Sora leapt backward, lightning crackling around his hands—
He thrust forward—
Three lightning bolts intercepted the fire serpents mid-flight.
The collisions created massive explosions, fire and electricity grinding against each other before detonating outward, consuming an entire city block in light and sound.
Sora landed hard, breathing heavier now.
Kael touched down across the crater, flames still spiraling but flickering slightly.
Both were showing signs of sweat. Heavier breathing. Muscles straining.
They stared at each other across the ruined battlefield.
For three seconds, neither moved.
Then—
Sora clenched his fists, mantra flaring brighter—
Kael's flames intensified, spiraling higher—
Both charged—
Sora's fist ignited with concentrated plasma—
"Plasma Platinum Punch!"
Kael's entire arm became a pillar of fire—
"Blazing Fist: Incineration!"
They closed the distance in a heartbeat—
Fists raised—
Mantra screaming—
BOOOO—
"HEY!"
A voice cut through the chaos.
Both Sora and Kael froze mid-charge, fists inches from collision.
They turned—slowly—toward the source.
Standing at the edge of the crater, completely unbothered by the destruction around him, was a bald man.
Completely bald, head shining faintly in the light of nearby fires.
He was eating chips.
He popped another chip into his mouth, chewing slowly, looking at both of them like they were mildly inconveniencing him.
"You guys are loud," he said casually, swallowing. "I was trying to enjoy my snack."
Complete, utter silence.Sora and Kael stared at him.
The bald man tilted his head, chips bag crinkling in his hand.
"Also—"
He grinned. Wide and excited.
"—you're fighting in my spot."
The pressure changed in the whole area.
The air became heavy— Like gravity had doubled, like the atmosphere itself was holding its breath.
Sora's eyes widened.
Kael's grin faded slightly, replaced by something else.
The bald man took another bite of chips.
Crunch.
"So—"
He stepped forward casually, like he was walking through a park instead of a battlefield .
"—you gonna move, or do I gotta make you?"
Sora's mantra flickered.Kael's flames wavered.
Neither answered.
The bald man's grin widened even further.
"That's what I thought."
He crumpled the empty chip bag and tossed it aside.
"The name's, uh—"
He paused.
Blinked.
Then turned his head slightly, calling over his shoulder.
"Hey! What's my name again?"
A figure emerged from the shadows behind him—another person, clearly his partner, looking exasperated.
"Rio Fernández," they said flatly.
The bald man nodded confidently. "Yeah, right! That's the name!"
He turned back to Sora and Kael, grinning wider.
"Round Fish!"
The partner's eye twitched.
"That is not what I said, you fool! I said Rio, not Round!"
The bald man waved dismissively. "I said what you said. You're ruining my cool moment."
Sora and Kael just stared .
Without Amy hesitation.
Kael moved.
Flames erupted around his fist as he appeared behind Fish, attack already descending—
Fish's leg moved.
He reached behind himself—didn't even turn his head—and grabbed Kael's ankle mid-kick.
Stopped it completely.Like catching a falling leaf.
Kael's eyes widened.
"What—"
Fish finally turned his head, glancing back at Kael with that same wide grin.
Still holding Kael's leg.
"Looks like it's time to party."