Jorak stood in the clearing striking an absurd pose… again. Enaros, still on the ground from earlier, stared at the scene in dumbfounded silence.
"What… what is wrong with this guy?" He thought to himself, not sure whether to be scared or embarrassed as Jorak switched poses shouting something about the glory of the stage.
Another noise grabbed his attention. He turned and spotted Nix. Relief flooded his body immediately at the sight of his son safe and sound. Without thinking he scrambled to his feet, sprinting towards him.
"Nix! Stay right there, I'm coming—" He began to say when a voice struck fear in his body and stopped him dead in his tracks.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Jorak said, appearing right next to him seemingly in a flash.
Enaros froze in terror as Jorak loomed over him. He was almost two full meters taller than him.
Before anything could happen, the sound of crackling filled the air as lightning-infused chains shot out from the treeline, wrapping tightly around Jorak's torso. Sparks erupted from the chain as electricity surged through his body.
"Argh! What is this cheap little trick?!" He grunted out.
Kaito emerged from the bushes gripping the chain as he dragged Jorak backward.
"Old man, grab Nix and run!" He yelled out.
Enaros hesitated as confusion flashed across his face.
"Why are you helping us? I was just about to—"
"—give me away, yeah, I know!" Kaito snapped, cutting him off.
"You're an asshole for that by the way!"
Enaros tilted his head slightly.
"What's an… asshole?"
Kaito sighed and rolled his eyes.
"It's nothing. Forget it. Just… listen to me!" He tightened his grip on the chain as Jorak began to recover slightly.
"Once I heard what happened to your world, to your daughter, I couldn't just stand by. Yeah, what you were about to do was messed up, but I get it. You're desperate. Desperation makes people do terrible things."
His tone shifted as he thought back to his childhood and the numerous times he was beaten over and over… and everytime, Farro was there to patch him up.
"Someone has to be there when the universe turns its back on you. You'd do it for your son…your daughter, right?"
Enaros looked at Nix, who was watching everything unfold with wide eyes as he held on to his leg. He began to smirk a little before speaking again.
"Well, I'd do it for anyone who needs that. That's the person I want to be. So go, old man. Take Nix and run."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, without a word, Enaros scooped up Nix and sprinted toward the forest edge. As he ran, a faint glimmer of a material fell from his hand.
Kaito turned his attention back to Jorak just as he grabbed the chain. With a grunt, he ripped the chain apart.
"You really think cheap weapons can stop me?! Using toys in a fight… pathetic." He said as he shook off the residual sparks.
"A fights a fight, big guy. Anything goes." Kaito rebutted.
"Oh, is that right?"
He cracked his knuckles and assumed another absurd pose.
"Then I'll make sure you regret those words."
The two locked eyes, and without any clear warning, Kaito ran forward.
He opened with a fake left hook, before spinning and landing a nasty spinning backfist on the Beast's jaw.
With zero wasted movements, he spun again in the opposite direction, using his own and the Beast's momentum against him while charging a lightning infused kick.
The Beast barely had time to react before Kaito's leg hit his back so hard, his body folded over it before being sent flying through the air before crashing through a villager's home.
Tiny sparks of lightning were left in his trail. Kaito landed on the ground, sparks of electricity dancing around his body.
"Shit, my essence reserves… I'm basically running on empty." He thought to himself.
Suddenly, a massive hand burst through the cloud of dust that pillowed up, followed by the sound of laughter.
"Not bad, kid! Not bad at all!" The Beast emerged from the cloud seemingly unscathed.
"That little zap of yours tickled!"
Kaito's eyes widened as he scanned his body.
"No damage, again? How is that possible?"
The Beast struck another ridiculous pose and pointed at Kaito.
"But now, it's my turn! And guess what folks?" He turned addressing the starborne troupe lackeys like an audience.
"I'M BRINGING OUT THE CLASSICS!"
The lackeys all shouted together in response like a crowd of rowdy fans.
Before Kaito could say anything, the Beast charge in, moving faster than his size should allow. In a single fluid motion, he scooped Kaito up by his legs, hoisting him high into the air.
"THEPOWER-BEAST-BOMB!"
He slammed Kaito into the ground with a spine breaking force. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ground and created a massive crater, destroying nearby village homes.
But the Beast wasn't done.
He grabbed Kaito by the ankles and began spinning him violently. He twirled him faster and faster until he became a blur. Then, with a mighty roar, he hurled him across the battlefield.
"HURRICANE BEAST!"
Kaito's body crashed through several buildings and trees, leaving a trail of destruction. He laid in the wreckage, battered, coughing violently, as blood came oozing out of his mouth. But before he could gather himself, the Beast was already in mid-air.
"THE BEAST'S ELBOW!"
He descended like a comet. His elbow connected squarely with Kaito's chest, caving it in and driving him back into the ground. Pain exploded through his body, unlike anything he'd ever felt before.
The Beast jumped up, celebrating his rowdy crowd of lackies.
Kaito's CPI scanner flickered weakly in his peripheral vision–
Beast: 200,000 CPI
The Beast stood over him, posing dramatically as he spoke.
"And now for the grand finale!"
He grabbed Kaito by the neck and raised him with one hand.
"Say goodbye to the hero, folks! THE BEAST'S CHOKESLAM!"
With terrifying force, he slammed him into the ground. Kaito began to black out from the pain alone.
The Beast began pacing around, flexing and striking exaggerated poses as he rambled to no one in particular, as he held up a title belt that came from…no one's sure where it came from actually.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you take down the underdog! Truly, a masterclass performance by yours truly!" He pointed dramatically toward the sky.
"Who's next to step into the ring with Jorak the Beast?!"
Enaros and Nix, who were still running, glanced back at the distant sound of the battle. Nix's voice wavered as he tugged on his father's clothing.
"Father… is he going to be okay?"
"I… I don't know, son."
Back on the battlefield, Kaito laid there.
"This pain…I've never… I've never felt pain like this…" He thought to himself.
At that moment, the mysterious elf man's words began to echo in his mind.
"The most important aspect is how you finish a fight. Your opponent can be stronger, faster, smarter… but if you have a signature move—something so sudden and devastating—it can turn the tide in an instant."
Kaito slowly staggered to his feet as memories of his fight with Liora surface.
"That move… I don't have much essence left, so it's my only choice."
Purple essence began to flow around him along with sparks of lightning.
The Beast stopped mid-pose and looked over.
"What's this? The underdog's got a second wind?"
Kaito raised his hand, steadying it with his other arm at the crease of his elbow.
"This is your last warning. Return Enaros's daughter, leave this planet, and never come back."
The Beast laughed, throwing his arms wide open.
"Or what? You gonna zap me again, little man?" He said jokingly, but his tone quickly changed once his CPI scanner blipped to life in his eye.
Human Underdog: 65,000... 110,000... 160,000...
"You damn right I am…" Kaito muttered.
The sheer brightness of the lightning lit up the battlefield, even forcing the Beast to shield his eyes momentarily before—
"Raiden Cannon!"
Jorak unshielded his eyes just in time to see a large blast of purple essence surrounded by lightning streaking toward him.
"Wait, wha—"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A blinding explosion of electricity rattled the village, destroying homes, a portion of the nearby forest, and sending debris flying in all directions. Enaros and Nix stumbled as the ground shook beneath them. They turned back, their faces were instantly filled with disbelief as a large cloud of smoke billowed out from the direction of the village.
At the battle, Kaito stood amidst the destruction. His breathing was heavy, his essence depleted.
"I–I… got him…" He muttered between breaths.
But before he could celebrate, he felt a searing pain in his chest. He looked down to see a smoking hole in his chest. Before his mind could truly process the sight, his vision blurred as he fell to one knee.
"Come on guys! I had him!" Jorak yelled out in frustration.
Kaito's blurry vision focused on two new figures stepping onto the battlefield. One was a tall alien man with yellow glowing eyes and scaly green skin. Despite his reptilian look, he was fairly handsome. He lowered his outstretched hand, a faint glow of yellow essence still around his finger from his attack.
"Where are my manners? I should really practice on my opening pitch." He cleared his throat and bowed slighty before continuing.
"My name is Velzari." He said before pointing to the person beside him.
She was a short alien woman with long silver-white hair. She had icy blue scales accentuating her arms, neck, and some of her face, but unlike Nix, Enaros, and the other villagers, her scales along with the light blue fins on the sides of her head resembled one of a fish.
"And this is Aqua. We're here to clean up the mess of our overgrown fool here."
Kaito's face paled. Blood dripped from his gaping wound as he glared at the new foes.
"Th– This isn't good… This isn't good at all."