The three figures close in on me.
Bad move.
They think they've got me. Overwhelm me with numbers.
They have no idea that's exactly what I want.
I clench my fists.
My body is still screaming from the last fight. Every muscle aches, heavy as a burden, my breath ragged. The pain surges, but it fades into the background. Something else stirs inside me.
Instinct.
I drop my center of gravity.
My legs root to the ground, almost like they're becoming part of it. My chest leans forward. Each breath feels like it burns, dragging a groan from me.
The first one strikes.
Too slow.
I see his move before he even takes it. It's like he's caught in a mist, a still image frozen in time.
His punch shoots out, but I see it coming, and my arm rises effortlessly in a fluid motion. No force needed.
Parry. Like a second skin.
The second leaps. Fatal mistake.
[Skill activated: Gravity Defying Kick]
My foot arcs through the air, cutting through it like a comet. The impact to his jaw is brutal. A sharp crack, the sound of glass shattering, followed by a deep, resonating explosion.
Five meters.
A wall shatters.
Silence.
The third tries to take advantage. He thinks he sees an opening.
I let him think that.
[Skill activated: Low Destructive Kick]
My foot slams into his shin with unimaginable force.
CRACK.
A scream rips through the air.
He crumples, unable to stand.
The last one.
The fastest. He tries to counterattack.
He charges like a freight train.
[Skill activated: Elbow Strike]
My elbow crashes into his temple.
His body goes limp before it even hits the floor.
Three down.
No screams. No words. Just clean strikes.
I straighten up. The adrenaline pulses through my veins, but a dull pain reminds me of my condition.
Then—
A roar.
I lift my head.
A monster.
Bigger. Broader. On another level.
He doesn't charge. He watches.
The shadow of a predator.
The pressure mounts.
The sound of his steps echoes like a drum, each vibration traveling through my body. The air gets heavier, too dense.
[Fusion Mode — Time left: 10 seconds]
A burning shock jolts through my chest.
My heart is pounding too hard. Too fast.
My breath becomes heavier, each inhalation more ragged. I feel like a caged beast, ready to explode.
—Iris, what's happening?!
— Nexus overload.
— Alert: Risk of engine collapse.
Wait, WHAT?!
My vision wavers, flashes of light dancing before my eyes. Sounds distort, becoming a distant, discordant melody, like a symphony on morphine.
A buzzing fills my skull, growing louder with each passing second, until a cold voice cuts through.
— What do you want.
I furrow my brow.
Not my father. Not Ozen.
… Eddy Gordo. Tekken 3.
Instant flash.
The old carpet in the living room.
The PlayStation controller.
My cousin beside me, smirking.
My mom's yells: "Don't play too loud!"
The nights spent spamming combos.
— Cousin, it's simple.
— One step forward or backward with the analog.
— Cross and Circle for the mix-up.
— And to finish… Cross + Circle at the same time.
It all floods back in an instant.
The boss charges.
My body moves before my mind.
My legs dance, almost mechanical.
A perfect rotating sweep.
BOOM.
He crashes down.
But he gets back up immediately.
His eyes burn.
His breath makes the air around us shake.
In my head, another voice.
Soft. Protective.
— Nation, if your opponent is stronger than you…
— Use their strength against them.
The HUD flickers.
[Recommended Move: Step Back, then Circle + Triangle]
The raging train charges.
A fraction of a second.
I step