Metal shrieked through the air.
Moonfish launched a wave of jagged blades toward Reiji like a living guillotine, sweeping in a wide arc that sliced through air and stone alike. The whirling steel tore through the space where Reiji stood just moments before—now only a flickering afterimage remained as he teleported through shadow to a rooftop above. A gust of hot wind followed in his wake, scattering dust and embers from nearby wreckage. The rooftop trembled slightly under the surge of energy left in Reiji's wake.
From the corner of his eye, Reiji saw Muscular rise again, staggering but relentless. His body steamed with fury, flesh weaving back together. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, but the monster still grinned. Even pain didn't slow him down—only fueled his rage further. Reiji could sense the pressure building in Muscular's muscles again, his regeneration revving to keep up with the mounting damage.
Moonfish hissed and slithered forward, his metal appendages slicing into the pavement. He moved like a spider, unpredictably sharp and fast. "More blood... more... break him apart..." he whispered in that chilling, unhinged voice, dragging steel along concrete like fingernails on glass. His tongue lolled grotesquely, and his eyes shimmered with lunacy under the moonlight. The paragraph is vivid—consider splitting it for pacing, but otherwise, it builds menace effectively.
Reiji clenched his fists. The moment demanded more than strength—it required precision. His hellfire simmered beneath his skin while the shadows curled at his feet like loyal hounds, waiting to strike. Every nerve in his body was primed. Every second counted.
Muscular lunged from below. Reiji dodged mid-air, twisting through his teleportation technique to land behind him. He fired a hellfire blast to Muscular's back, sending him careening into a pile of rubble with a roar that shook loose nearby bricks. The smell of scorched flesh briefly pierced through the smoky air.
But Moonfish was already closing in. Blades snapped toward Reiji's side with uncanny speed and angle.
Too close.
A shadow clone absorbed the first strike—shattering like smoke—giving Reiji just enough time to draw both tonfas and deflect the next three attacks. Sparks burst in quick succession with every impact, scattering burning embers into the air.
Steel rang against shadow-forged weaponry. The air filled with the screech of metal. The clash echoed through the empty streets like a drumbeat of war. Reiji grunted from the effort, beads of sweat forming as the rapid strikes tested his reflexes.
Moonfish shrieked and spun away, only to come slashing from above again, but Reiji caught him with a sweep of hellfire that scorched his lower limbs. The villain hissed, twitching violently, and skittered back like a wounded insect.
"You're erratic... but not impossible to read," Reiji muttered, eyes narrowing.
He glanced around. Too much open space. He needed to control the terrain.
With a surge of energy, he leapt toward a collapsed scaffold and kicked it into a falling mess—steel poles clattered loudly as he moved beneath it, using the debris to slow Moonfish's mobility. Dust choked the alley. Visibility dropped.
Muscular, now furious and smoking, roared back into the fray. He charged through the fallen rubble, ignoring pain and debris alike. His eyes locked on Reiji.
"I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!"
Reiji dodged just in time—but not fast enough. A glancing blow caught his shoulder and sent him tumbling back. He crashed into a storefront, shattering the window and rolling inside. Shards sliced into his uniform and skin. A trail of blood followed behind him.
Pain flared. His shoulder screamed in protest. But he kept moving.
Still not fast enough with both of them active.
He pushed himself up, wincing. Gritted his teeth. And smiled faintly, despite the blood dripping from his brow.
"Then let's try something new."
With a wave of his hand, shadows erupted across the interior of the building. Darkness enveloped the space. The broken shelves and overturned tables disappeared into black. The temperature dropped noticeably.
When Moonfish burst in next, he found only silence and shadow.
A trap.
Chains of shadow shot up from the floor and wrapped around Moonfish's limbs. He writhed and shrieked, trying to slice through them, but the shadows flexed with every movement. Reiji emerged from the ceiling shadows, launching a concentrated blast of flame at his chest. The villain screeched and recoiled, crashing into the far wall with a sickening crack.
Outside, Muscular hesitated. "Where the hell'd you go?!"
Reiji leapt out from the second floor, crashing into Muscular with a flaming shoulder strike that sent them both tumbling. He rebounded quickly, tonfas drawn and eyes sharp. A trail of embers spiraled behind him.
"I'm done playing," he said softly, voice low but resolute.
Moonfish rose again, wobbling, hissing in fury. Reiji sensed his movements before they began. The patterns were no longer random—they were predictable, desperate, like a beast cornered.
Reiji's mind sharpened. They're losing coordination. This is the moment.
In a flash of speed and flame, he moved between both villains, dishing rapid strikes, teleporting mid-motion, using clone feints and fire bursts to turn the battlefield into chaos—his chaos. Debris flew in every direction. Shadow afterimage illusions disoriented Moonfish. Muscular's attempts to land a solid hit were thwarted again and again. Reiji moved like a blur—never in one place long enough to be hit.
Muscular fell to one knee, wheezing. Moonfish twitched erratically, now dragging broken limbs and leaving a scorched trail.
Reiji stood at the center, breathing hard but steady. His chest heaved, but his stance didn't falter. His tonfas glowed faintly in the smoke. The battle was his.
Then a voice crackled through Moonfish's comm device—a voice Reiji barely made out:
"Fall back. Do not engage further. Orders from above."
Moonfish hissed like a wounded animal, eyes darting in frustration.
Muscular growled but obeyed. "Tch. Lucky day, brat."
Before Reiji could strike, a thick cloud of smoke dropped between them. Gas canisters burst, flooding the area. The hiss of release echoed as the fog consumed the street. By the time it cleared, the villains were gone—vanished into the night.
Reiji lowered his weapons slowly, still alert. His heartbeat gradually steadied, but his mind raced. Orders from above? Who's giving them commands now?
Someone's organizing them. This wasn't random.
He looked to the sky, where the clouds now churned. The air had shifted. The tension didn't vanish—it evolved.
This fight had ended, but the real war was drawing closer.
To be continued...
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