The atmosphere in the stadium has shifted from a sporting event to a cosmic catastrophe. The sky above the arena is no longer visible; it is choked by swirling, Purple Lightning and the thick, metallic scent of ozone.
Thunder stands in the center, his eyes like twin voids of Pure Black. He isn't the charming brother anymore. He is a calamity. He roars, a sound that shatters the protective glass of the VIP booths, and screams with a full rage that shakes the very atoms of the Hidden Maliqun Stadium.
He doesn't just run—he deletes the distance between himself and his brother.
THE BRUTALITY OF THE CUTTER
Mark watches the blurred silhouette of his brother approaching. For the first time in his life, his Intelligence fails him. He is too much scared. Every Sensor in his mechanical suit is screaming a red alert. His Emotions are a chaotic mess of primal terror. But he is a Maliqun. He doesn't hesitate.
Mark activates his thrusters, trying to dodge the incoming strike. But Thunder's new form operates on a level of Physics that Mark's computers cannot even simulate.
"[LIGHTNING CUTTER!]"
Thunder's hand, encased in that jagged purple blade, slices through the air. Mark twists his body, trying to parry with a titanium shield, but the Purple Lightning doesn't just hit the metal—it unbinds its molecular structure.
[CRACK-SHATTER!]
The blade stabs Mark too brutally. It pierces through the Metallic Armour, melts the Mechanical Suit, and sinks deep into Mark's chest. The impact is so effective that it sends a massive shockwave through the ground, cracking the arena floor for miles.
Mark coughs, a spray of crimson hitting his visor. He is bleeding, his life force leaking onto the cold stone.
THE CHEMICAL GAMBIT
Thunder pulls the blade out, his face cold and merciless, ready for the finish. But Mark, gripping his chest, refuses to fall. He handles himself, his eyes burning with a desperate defiance.
"You... you think this is enough?" Mark wheezes. "You are gonna beat me, Thunder? Nah! You... can't!"
With a trembling hand, Mark reaches into a hidden compartment in his gauntlet. He pulls out a glowing syringe filled with a forbidden substance: 'WOUND BLOCKER'.
He slams the needle into his wound. Instantly, a synthetic, fast-acting polymer floods his veins, cauterizing the internal bleeding and sealing the hole in his chest with artificial tissue. It is a temporary fix, a "booby-trap" for his own body, but it keeps him standing.
Mark draws two high-frequency vibration blades from his back. He isn't fighting with Information anymore; he is fighting for his life. He starts fighting with Thunder, his blades clashing against Thunder's Lightning hands in a shower of sparks.
THE LIMITS OF MORTAL
Thunder's speed is too much. He is a flickering shadow, appearing behind Mark, then above him, then below. Mark is struggling to barely keep up with him. He swings his blades, but he is only hitting the afterimages of Electro-Magnetic discharge.
He fails. He just fails to land a single touch. Thunder is a god; Mark is just a man with Technology.
But Mark still doesn't lose hope. He knows that to beat a god, he must become a monster. He opens all the chemical valves in his suit at once.
"[BLOOD BLOCKER—ACTIVATE!]"
"[STAMINA REGAINER—INJECT!]"
"[STRENGTH BOOSTER—OVERLOAD!]"
"[SPEED BOOSTER—MAXIMUM!]"
"[MUSCLE TISSUE INCREASER—EVOLVE!]"
"[ENDURANCE BOOSTER—LIMIT BREAK!]"
Mark's body bulges beneath his suit. His veins turn a dark, synthetic blue. His heart rate triples, pumping a cocktail of lethal Materials through his system. His Physics are being rewritten by sheer Intelligence and chemistry.
THE DIVINE DOMINANT BEAM
Now, Mark starts to keep up. He is a blur of chrome and steel, his blades finally meeting Thunder's strikes with equal force. The stadium vibrates as the two brothers become a cyclone of purple and silver.
But nah—Thunder is still faster. Even with the chemicals, Thunder's Magnetics allow him to move without friction. Thunder becomes more effective in the battle, his Pure Black eyes analyzing Mark's movements, looking for the one critical hit that will end the Maliqun bloodline.
Thunder lunges for the killing blow.
"Now!" Mark screams.
Mark releases a high-viscosity Hard Jelly from his palms, coating the floor beneath Thunder. It isn't just sticky; it is non-Newtonian. The more force Thunder applies, the harder it becomes. Thunder loses his imbalance for a split second.
It is enough.
Mark's suit opens up, revealing a hidden core in his chest. He gathers every remaining spark of Energy from his batteries and his own life force.
"[DIVINE DOMINANT BEAM!]"
A pillar of pure, white-hot Information and plasma erupts from Mark. It hits Thunder square in the chest, sending him crashing through the arena walls, burying him in a mountain of rubble. Thunder is heavily injured, his purple glow flickering, but he still doesn't stop. He tries to rise, a demon that refuses to die.
THE FINAL GASP
Mark knows he has seconds before his heart explodes from the chemicals. He has no more beams. No more blades.
He pulls out his final weapon: a canister of specialized Anesthetic Gas designed to knock out mega-fauna. He smashes it at Thunder's feet. A thick, green mist envelops the wounded warrior. Thunder, exhausted and bleeding, breathes in the toxin.
The Purple Eyes fade. The Purple Lightning dies. Thunder collapses. He is fainted.
MARK IS THE WINNER.
The crowd is frozen. The silence is absolute. Mark stands alone in the cratered arena, his suit falling apart, his skin pale from the toxic Materials inside him. He is also becoming unconscious. His vision is blurring. He feels the cold embrace of the floor.
But before fainting, he looks at the VIP booth where the Kings watch. He raises a trembling fist and says one thing with the last of his strength:
"After all... I am the strongest!!!!"
Mark collapses. He faints after winning the one of the most brutal tournament and best duel in the history. Both brothers lie still, the cost of their battle written in the blood and broken steel of the arena.