The assassin struck without hesitation.
The blade gleamed under the pale moonlight as it carved through the air, sending out an arc of compressed wind and crackling energy. Kaiqok barely had time to shove Korra aside, the attack grazing his shoulder and tearing through the steel container behind him like paper.
Korra rolled, landed hard, and retaliated with a whip of water drawn from a nearby pipe. "Who the hell is that?!"
Kaiqok didn't answer—he was already in motion, golden chakra cloak flaring to life around him. The energy shimmered, tail-like flares trailing behind his arms and legs. With a roar, he launched toward the masked enemy.
The clash shook the yard.
Blow met blow, air cracked, the ground split. The masked man matched Kaiqok's speed—almost too well.
Korra tried to flank them, summoning fire in one hand and ice in the other. She shot twin blasts, aiming for the masked figure's feet, but the enemy twisted unnaturally, like wind itself moved him. Her blasts hit nothing but broken crates and dust.
Kaiqok grunted as the blade caught his side. Not deep, but enough to sting. The man was strong. Fast. And somehow bending elements without using any clear style.
"Your power is wasted here," the masked man hissed. "This world will drown in its own arrogance, and you protect it?"
Kaiqok gritted his teeth. "I protect her. That's enough."
He shifted his chakra mode.
Golden light exploded around him, morphing—first into the sleek outline of a panther, then shifting mid-dash into a falcon, wings of fire and wind blazing from his back. He soared upward, the air vibrating with his energy.
Korra stared in awe. "What…?"
Kaiqok twisted in the sky and dived—beak glowing, wind and fire spiraling around him. He hit the assassin with the force of a lightning strike, slamming him into the ground.
The yard exploded.
A crater formed under the impact. The assassin was sent flying through a storage tower, metal and sparks raining down.
But he landed. Still alive.
Still grinning.
"I knew it," he whispered. "You're the one they warned me about. The godling."
Kaiqok's form shifted again, his chakra reverting to his humanoid cloak. He panted lightly, still keeping his eyes fixed on the enemy.
"Who sent you?"
But the assassin didn't answer. He raised one hand—and the sky turned dark.
Storm clouds spiraled above them, unnaturally fast. Rain began to fall—but it sizzled on contact.
Acid.
Korra jumped backward as droplets hit the ground, burning small holes into concrete. "Spirits! What is this guy?"
"An elemental mimic," Kaiqok muttered. "But mixed with something else. Spirit corruption?"
The assassin raised both arms.
The sea beyond the yard surged—waves rising unnaturally high. The air itself screamed as bolts of red lightning rained down, striking the water and sending pillars of steam skyward.
Korra clenched her fists. "We can't fight here. Too many people nearby."
Kaiqok nodded. "We lure him away."
He placed two fingers on the ground, focusing his energy. The golden cloak pulsed and spread outward, forming a radiant glyph in the dirt beneath them.
Korra recognized the formation. "Teleport seal?"
"Fast travel," he confirmed. "But it only works if he follows."
She nodded. "I'll bait him."
"No," he said quickly. "I will."
Korra blinked. "Why?"
Kaiqok's eyes were serious. "Because if he's after me… I want him isolated."
Without waiting, he launched forward, kicking off the edge of the crater. "Hey, you walking trash heap! Bet you can't catch a golden god in a real storm!"
The assassin hissed and gave chase, leaping after him across the rooftops.
Korra touched the glowing glyph—and vanished.
---
Ten miles out, atop a windswept cliff…
Lightning arced across the sky. The sea below raged like a beast unchained. Kaiqok stood at the edge of the cliff, chakra flaring in sharp pulses of gold.
The assassin landed across from him.
"You hide your fear behind bravado," he growled.
"No," Kaiqok replied calmly. "I stand for something stronger than fear."
He brought both hands forward—then molded the golden chakra into a new shape: a massive dragon. The chakra roared to life, serpentine and majestic, scales rippling with every breath.
The assassin raised his blade—and the storm screamed.
They clashed in a roar of fire, wind, and thunder.
The sky lit up in gold and red.
The sea boiled with fury.
And in the middle of it all—two titans battled, their fates colliding like stars on the edge of destruction.
---
Meanwhile, back in Republic City…
Korra appeared in a flash of golden light at the edge of Air Temple Island, stumbling as she landed.
Tenzin was there instantly. "Korra! What happened?"
"We were ambushed," she gasped. "Kaiqok… he stayed to fight."
Tenzin's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
She pointed. "South cliff. Over the ocean."
Tenzin called for Oogi, but Korra was already grabbing her glider staff. "I'm going to help him."
Tenzin hesitated. "You may be too late."
Korra's eyes blazed. "Not if I fly fast enough."