The crater was still steaming. Rocks lay scattered, trees split like toothpicks. Dust clouded the air.
And from the wreckage… he rose.
The Ashura.
He looked human—but that was just skin-deep.
Tall. Lean. Barefoot. No shirt. Just tattered black pants hanging low on his hips. His muscles weren't oversized, but they were dense—like they were made of coiled steel. His skin shimred faintly, like molten tal under a thin layer of flesh.
Veins glowed faint orange beneath his arms. His hair was wild—short, ssy, with streaks of silver running through black. And his eyes? Pure white. No pupils. Just… light.
He cracked his neck slowly, one side to the other.
Then he smiled.
Big. Wide. Too wide.
His voice ca out low, husky, like it hadn't been used in years.
"Ahhh… That felt nice."
Tatia narrowed her eyes. "He got thrown through a mountain and he's grinning?"
Gloria whispered, "Mom… what is that?"
Adam didn't answer. He stepped forward a bit, calm, hands still in his pockets.
The Ashura stretched both arms behind his head, back popping. "Been too long since soone touched like that. Thought you ants were soft." He pointed at Adam without looking. "But you… you got hands. I like that."
Adam tilted his head. "Don't get excited. That was just being polite."
The Ashura's grin twitched.
And then he moved.
Fast.
One second, he was in the crater.
Next second—he was right in front of Adam, fist already mid-swing.
Tatia barely blinked. "Adam!"
Boom!
The punch didn't land.
Adam blocked it with one hand. No drama. No strain. Just—clap, palm to knuckles. Dust exploded from the pressure.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
The Ashura's grin widened again. "OHHH. I like you. I really do."
He twisted, spinning into a kick—Adam ducked. Countered. Quick jab to the ribs.
Crunch.
The Ashura slid back, feet carving trenches into the ground.
He was still smiling. "You actually hurt . That's crazy." He looked down. The spot Adam hit was already healing, muscle knitting back together like it was nothing. "But don't worry… I learn fast."
Adam didn't speak. Just dropped into a stance. Loose shoulders. Empty eyes. Ready.
The Ashura dashed again. This ti—wilder. Unpredictable. Hands and elbows, knees and shoulders. No form, just instinct.
But Adam read everything.
He weaved between the blows like smoke. Duck. Slide. Counter. Flick to the temple. Sweep the leg.
Tatia and Gloria couldn't keep up. Just blurs and shockwaves.
Then suddenly—bam!
The Ashura got through. A clean punch to Adam's chest.
Adam skidded back a few steps, boots grinding the dirt. He looked down at the scorched mark on his shirt.
"Okay," he said. "That one's gonna cost you."
And then—
Adam vanished.
He reappeared mid-air. Fist already crashing down.
The Ashura crossed his arms—blocked it—
BOOOOM!
A do of pressure exploded out. Trees blew over. Birds scattered. Clouds parted.
Both of them were sent flying.
But Adam caught himself mid-air, flipped once, and landed smoothly.
The Ashura landed rougher—shoulder-first into the side of a boulder. He bounced up laughing. "YES! That's it! Give more!"
Gloria blinked. "Is he… having fun?"
"More like losing his mind," Tatia muttered. "He's not normal."
Adam cracked his knuckles. "No. He's not."
He glanced up—toward Sector 93.
"Rav'kan's one thing," he said. "But this guy?"
He looked back at the Ashura.
"This guy's the real problem."
The Ashura licked a streak of blood from his lip and crouched like a beast, grinning like a demon.
And then—without warning—his body shifted slightly. His muscles restructured. Limbs flexed differently. He was adapting. Evolving in real-ti.
"Let's go again," he growled. "I'm just getting started."
Adam's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah," he said. "I figured."
The ground between them trembled. The sky above flickered.
Round Two was about to start.
And it was about to get insane.
Round Two
The wind picked up.
Dust spun.
Adam stood still—fingers flexing once, then stilling. His eyes were half-lidded, bored even. But the air around him? It wasn't calm anymore. It buzzed. Like reality was trying to hold itself together.
The Ashura was crouched, both hands touching the dirt. That stupid grin never left his face. His back arched like an animal ready to pounce, skin twitching with subtle shifts. Muscles bulged, reshaped, settled again. Sothing was happening under the surface.
"You ever fight soone who gets better while you're hitting 'em?" the Ashura asked, voice rough but cocky. "It's annoying, huh?"
Adam rolled his neck. "Nah. Just ans I can hit harder."
The Ashura's head tilted. "Mmm. Arrogant." He licked his teeth. "I like arrogant."
CRACK!
He vanished again.
A sonic boom trailed his movent—he didn't just dash, he ripped the space around him. And then—
CLANG!
Their fists t mid-air.
Shockwave. Bigger than before.
It rippled outward in rings—flattening grass, toppling what was left of the trees. A hawk exploded mid-flight, just from the pressure.
Adam didn't move. Just stood there, arm extended.
The Ashura pushed in, snarling. "Co on!"
Adam didn't budge.
Then, with a snap of his wrist, he twisted, flipped the Ashura off balance—slamd a knee into his gut. The Ashura folded. Adam brought down an elbow on his spine—fast, surgical.
The ground cratered again as the Ashura hit it face-first.
Silence.
Then—
"Bahahahaha!" He rolled onto his back, arms spread wide. "Ohhh, that one felt like it cracked sothing."
Adam landed nearby, hands still in his pockets. "You done?"
The Ashura raised a finger. "Not even close."
He stood up like his bones didn't matter. Everything clicked, shifted, healed. His face twisted into that sa giant grin—except now, his jaw was… longer. Eyes sharper. Fingernails darkened.
"You're strong," he said. "Like… scary strong. But strength ain't enough."
Adam raised a brow. "You sure you wanna finish that sentence?"
The Ashura's body twitched. Like his muscles were too fast for his skin.
"See, I evolve. You don't. I get faster. You stay the sa. Eventually… I win."
Adam blinked once. "Eventually?" He smirked. "You think I'm showing off right now?"
Pause.
The Ashura's grin twitched.
And then—bam! Adam was gone again.
Not a flash. Not a blur. Just gone.
The Ashura's eyes widened. "Wha—"
BOOM!
A foot crashed into his jaw from above.
The Ashura flipped mid-air, caught himself—landed skidding backwards, knees bent, breathing hard.
Adam was already there, walking forward. Calm. Cold. "You talk too much."
The Ashura wiped blood from his mouth. "And you're cocky. But I'll fix that."
Suddenly, his back ripped open.
Two jagged bone-like appendages shot out—curved, pulsing with orange light. His whole form shifted. Skin tallic. Limbs jointed like blades. Still vaguely human—but twisted now. Sharper.
Tatia stumbled back. "That's not a man anymore."
"No," Gloria whispered. "That's a monster."
The Ashura was glowing now. Like a furnace under pressure.
"I call this Phase Two," he said, voice deeper, distorted. "You still wanna keep playing?"
Adam exhaled slowly. "Yeah," he said. "I was getting bored anyway."
The two of them stepped forward at the sa ti.
And then chaos.
The screen would shake. The sky would crackle.
Every fra would blur.
Punches thrown so fast the cara barely catches the wind trails. Explosions rippling with each contact. One mont they're clashing mid-air, next they're underwater from the force of their collision, then breaking out of the lake like teors.
Every hit the Ashura lands—his body upgrades. Better angles. Sharper counters.
Every hit Adam lands—the Ashura loses pieces. Teeth. Ribs. Pride.
But he keeps laughing.
And Adam?
Still hasn't gone serious.
He blocks with fingers. Sidesteps with inches. Dodges like he's already seen it.
The final mont of this round—
Adam catches the Ashura's wrist.
And doesn't let go.
"You're strong," he says. "But not special."
WHAM.
A single punch. No flash. No sound cue.
Just raw force.
The Ashura goes flying—again. Through trees. Hills. Mountains.
Gone.
Adam dusts his hand off.
Turns around.
"Tell when he gets interesting," he mutters.
And walks away.
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