Zayn shot a look to his team like, Are we really doing this?
Tobias just sipped his tea again. "You’re not getting out of this."
Elisse stood with a sigh, stretching her arms. "If he breaks sothing, I’ll fix it. And then break it again if needed."
Seren blinked. "...is that man always like this?"
"I believe so," Bran said.
And with that, the entire squad — plus Ragnar’s team — marched a little ways out of town.
Past the wooden gates, through a dirt path lined with sparse trees and patches of dry grass, until they found a wide open field.
Just the right amount of space for two testosterone-filled soul warriors to violently test their mutual respect.
Zayn cracked his neck. Ragnar bounced on his heels like he was prepping for a championship title.
Then — without warning — Ragnar grabbed Zayn by the shoulder, grinned, and yeeted him across the field like a ragdoll.
Zayn spun midair, slamd into the dirt feet-first, and skidded back several ters, trenching the ground with his boots.
Dust flew up around him.
"THAT’S HOW YOU SAY HELLO IN MY HOTOWN!" Ragnar shouted, practically vibrating with energy.
Zayn stood up, brushing off his coat, eyes twitching. "My back was literally turned."
Ragnar spread his arms. "I sensed it. I want to see how deep you can go."
’Pause!’
Zayn’s eyes narrowed. "You tryin’ to flirt with or fight ?"
"Both if necessary!" Ragnar roared with joy, planting one foot into the dirt.
Soul energy began to pulse around him — bright golden threads of aura coiling around his body like a lion’s mane.
The air rippled with the force of it. Zayn narrowed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
He let his own energy spill out — a mix of vibrant pink and golden escaping from his being. His pupils faintly glowed as the surge built.
The field buzzed with pressure.
"Let’s not kill each other," Zayn muttered.
"No promises," Ragnar grinned.
They shot forward at the sa ti — a blur of speed and force, fists clashing in the center of the field.
BOOM!
The impact cracked the earth beneath them. Wind blasted outward, ripping grass from the ground and sending leaves fluttering.
Their fists stayed locked in the center, eyes inches apart, teeth gritted, power pushing against power like a raw storm in motion.
Zayn smirked. "You’re strong. Heavy hitter."
Ragnar laughed through clenched teeth. "And you’ve got that insane twitchy energy. I love it."
The ground gave a low groan beneath them. Zayn twisted his hips and threw Ragnar’s fist to the side, breaking the clash.
Ragnar stumbled back slightly but caught himself, pivoting and grinning.
Zayn followed up fast, stepping in with a spinning kick that Ragnar ducked under — barely.
He responded with an uppercut that grazed Zayn’s chin and sent him skidding back, but Zayn dug his heels in and rebounded imdiately, soul energy coiling around his leg for a rapid roundhouse.
This ti Ragnar blocked, forearms braced — only to be pushed back a solid five ters.
Bran whistled from the sidelines. "Damn, he’s not holding back."
Tobias nodded. "Neither of them are. This is their idea of bonding. Zayn can be a muscle-head at tis too."
Seren’s eyes were wide. "I didn’t know he was so strong... They might kill each other!"
"Only if we’re lucky," Kara mumbled.
Back in the field, Ragnar was already charging again.
He didn’t need weapons — his entire body was a weapon.
He leapt, fist cocked back, and Zayn countered by pouring golden and pink soul energy into both arms.
’A little bit of this and a little bit of that.’
Their fists t again — this ti with a pulse that cracked the nearby rocks.
Zayn’s eyes glowed brighter.
"You sure you wanna keep going?" Zayn asked, sweat trailing down his brow.
Ragnar’s teeth glead. "You kidding? This is the most fun I’ve had in months!"
Zayn grinned too. "Alright then... round two."
The dust from the last impact was still settling when both of them suddenly dispelled their soul energy in sync — threads of glowing pink and blazing gold fizzled away into the air like dying fireworks.
Zayn straightened his collar. "Alright, let’s stop tickling each other."
Ragnar tilted his neck side to side, a crack sounding from his spine. "No soul energy?"
Zayn nodded. "Co at , full power. Just fists."
Ragnar’s grin stretched. "You’ll regret that."
Then he was gone.
Zayn barely saw the blur before Ragnar appeared right in front of him like a thunderclap with abs.
His instincts scread.
Zayn shifted — one step back.
The punch missed by a breath, ruffling his hair as it passed his nose. He flipped backward, boots tapping the dirt in rapid succession, gaining distance.
His heart thumped. Fast. Like really fast.
"Holy crap..." Zayn muttered. "He’s a damn missile in a at suit."
Before he could reset, Ragnar was on him again.
No flashy moves. No calls. Just pure speed and martial precision.
A left jab toward the ribs — Zayn slapped it away and pivoted. Ragnar turned it into a shoulder feint and ca in low with a sweeping kick.
Zayn jumped, his cloak flaring, landing on his feet just in ti to duck under a right hook.
Boom! The wind pressure from the punch sent dirt scattering behind him.
Zayn raised his forearms to block the next blow — thud. Ragnar’s punch still jarred his bones like a battering ram.
He stepped inside Ragnar’s range, slamming his elbow toward his chin. Ragnar tilted his head and caught the strike against his shoulder.
Their arms locked.
The world slowed for a second — grit in both their eyes, muscles strained, foreheads almost colliding.
Then they broke apart, sliding back on the ground like windblown debris.
Both of them rushed in again.
Zayn led this ti — a short dash and a sharp feint to the left.
Ragnar bit it, ducked early, and Zayn twisted mid-spin to catch him with a side kick to the ribs.
Thump!
Ragnar grunted but used the impact to roll away and spring back like a damn beast.
Zayn braced himself.
Whap!
Ragnar’s fist ca from below — a sneaky uppercut. Zayn twisted his head just in ti, but Ragnar pivoted, switching to an elbow that nearly kissed his jaw.
Zayn weaved under it and landed a quick, clean jab to Ragnar’s solar plexus.
"Unf," Ragnar grunted. "Nice."
"You too," Zayn said, already twisting into a roundhouse.
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