"He used to be a hero?" James asked, his voice tight with concern. "Does that mean if we fail, we'll also be turned into these Steel Soldiers?"
Before anyone could answer, Harma raised his massive greataxe high above his head. The weapon gleamed ominously in the dim light of the chamber as the giant leapt into the air with surprising speed for his size. The axe came down with devastating force, aimed at obliterating all three of them at once.
The crew scattered in different directions, narrowly avoiding the attack. Harma's axe slammed into the ground where they had stood moments before, creating a massive crater and sending a powerful shockwave that rippled across the entire floor. The impact was so powerful that cracks spread through the reinforced metal flooring.
"He's stronger than he looks," Michael warned, regaining his balance. "Don't underestimate him."
James flipped backward, landing in a perfect stance before activating both of his gauntlets. Blue energy surged through the biotech, illuminating his determined expression. With a powerful push from his legs, he launched himself toward Harma, aiming a devastating left hook directly at the giant's head.
The punch connected with a thunderous boom, but Harma merely turned his head slightly, seemingly more annoyed than injured. His eyes narrowed as he swung the edge of his axe toward James with frightening precision.
"James, watch out!" Violet shouted.
James managed to raise both gauntlets in a defensive cross just in time. The block saved his life, but the sheer force of Harma's swing sent him rocketing upward. James crashed into the ceiling sixty meters above before plummeting back to the ground, landing with a heavy thud.
"My turn," Violet said through gritted teeth.
She drew both guns in one fluid motion, loading energy orbs with practiced precision. Her weapons hummed to life as she unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, each shot precise and powerful. Michael followed her lead, throwing a series of crimson knives that whistled through the air, leaving trails of light as they flew.
Both attacks struck Harma simultaneously, the energy blasts and knives hitting various points on his massive frame. Dark fluid leaked from the wounds, but Harma's expression only darkened with rage.
"Insects!" he roared, his voice reverberating throughout the chamber.
Harma lunged toward Violet with unexpected speed, his axe cutting a deadly arc aimed at cleaving her in half. Just before the blade reached her, Michael appeared in a crimson blur, the Shimobe Blade meeting Harma's axe with a shower of sparks.
"I won't let you harm them," Michael growled, his arms trembling from the effort of holding back Harma's immense strength.
The giant pushed forward, gradually overpowering Michael despite his enhanced abilities. Michael's feet slid backward across the floor as Harma applied more pressure.
"You cannot win," Harma said, his voice surprisingly calm. "Hundreds have tried. All have failed."
With a sudden surge of strength, Harma pushed harder, sending Michael flying across the room. Unlike James, Michael managed to control his trajectory, flipping in mid-air to land firmly on his feet, the Shimobe Blade still gripped tightly in his hand.
"James," Michael called out, making eye contact with his ally who was now back on his feet. He gestured subtly with his blade, a signal they had practiced during their training sessions.
James nodded in understanding. The siblings had quickly learned to interpret Michael's combat signals during their preparation.
Both men charged simultaneously, approaching from opposite directions. James from Harma's left, Michael from his right. The giant smirked, spinning his axe in a horizontal circle meant to catch both attackers in a single devastating sweep.
Michael and James had anticipated this. They both dropped into perfectly timed slides, ducking beneath the deadly arc of the axe. As they passed under the blade, James pushed upward with explosive force.
"ALMIGHTY FIST!" he shouted, his right gauntlet glowing with concentrated energy as he aimed a devastating uppercut at Harma's chin.
Harma swung his axe downward with incredible speed, meeting James's attack. The collision created a blinding flash and a shockwave that rattled the entire chamber. For a moment, they seemed evenly matched, James's enhanced strength holding against the giant's raw power.
In that crucial moment, Michael seized his opportunity.
"CRESCENT MOON SLASH!" he called out, the Shimobe Blade tracing a perfect crimson arc as he targeted Harma's right wrist.
The blade bit deep, nearly severing Harma's hand from his arm. The giant roared in pain, his grip on the axe weakening just enough for James to overpower him. James's punch broke through Harma's defense, connecting squarely with his jaw and sending the massive warrior stumbling backward before crashing to the ground.
"Now, Violet!" Michael called out.
Violet was already moving, having anticipated the opening. She sprinted forward with enhanced speed, sliding beneath Harma's failing defenses. In one smooth motion, she pressed her gun directly against the giant's throat.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered, pulling the trigger.
The energy blast tore through Harma's neck, separating his head from his shoulders in a blinding flash. The giant's body went limp, his axe clattering to the floor beside him.
Violet rose to her feet, brushing dust from her clothes. "That was easier than I expected," she said, holstering her weapons. "Time for me to heal our injuries and move to the next floor."
Suddenly, there was a metallic grinding sound. Before anyone could react, Harma's headless body surged upward, grabbing his axe with his uninjured hand. With blinding speed, he swung the massive weapon directly at Violet.
"Violet, look out!" James shouted.
The warning came too late. The axe caught Violet square in the midsection, sending her flying across the chamber. She slammed into the far wall with bone-crushing force, a trail of blood marking her path. Though her healing abilities prevented the blow from splitting her in half, the attack had clearly caused serious damage.
"Impossible," Michael whispered, watching in horror as Harma's severed head began to reform, dark energy swirling where his neck had been.
"James," Michael called out, his mind racing, "keep him busy while I find his weakness. There has to be something keeping him alive despite these injuries."
James nodded, determination replacing the shock on his face. He charged his gauntlets to maximum power, blue lightning crackling around his arms as he rushed toward Harma once more.
"Come on, you oversized tin can!" James taunted, launching a flurry of punches at the regenerating giant.
Harma swung his axe in wide, devastating arcs, but James was faster now, ducking and weaving between the attacks with precision. He rolled beneath a horizontal swing, then spun to deliver a crushing uppercut that connected with Harma's chin. The blow lifted the giant slightly off his feet, forcing him back several steps.
Enraged, Harma unleashed a barrage of axe strikes, each powerful enough to shatter concrete. James met each attack with his gauntlets, blue energy flaring with each impact as he deflected blow after blow. The exchange created a storm of sparks and energy that lit up the entire chamber.
"Is that all you've got?" James taunted, though his breathing was becoming labored.
Harma's eyes narrowed. He suddenly changed tactics, dropping low to deliver a devastating kick to James's midsection. The impact lifted James off his feet, causing him to cough blood as the air was forced from his lungs. Before he could recover, Harma struck again, slamming the flat side of his axe against James's head.
James collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him as he struggled to remain conscious.
"James!" Violet screamed, having partially recovered from her own injuries.
With a burst of speed that surprised even Harma, Violet launched herself toward the giant. She executed a perfect flip kick that connected with the handle of Harma's axe, sending the weapon spinning upward out of his grasp. Landing gracefully, she immediately opened fire, her energy blasts targeting Harma's head with relentless precision.
The giant bellowed in pain but managed to lash out with a massive fist, catching Violet with a backhanded blow that sent her crashing into the distant wall. The impact left a Violet-shaped dent in the metal surface as she slumped to the floor, momentarily stunned.
Harma retrieved his axe from where it had fallen, turning toward Michael with malevolent intent. Only then did he notice the intensity with which Michael was staring at him, the vigilante's crimson eyes glowing brighter than ever before.
During the battle, Michael had been using Moon's enhanced eyes to analyze Harma's physiology. Now, he had found what he was looking for—a pulsing orb within Harma's chest that constantly shifted position, moving to avoid damage whenever an attack came close. This had to be Harma's core, the source of his seemingly unlimited regeneration.
"I see you now," Michael said quietly, raising the Shimobe Blade into a precise striking position. "Your secret is revealed."
The katana began to vibrate in Michael's hands, as if responding to his thoughts.
"CRIMSON FLAMING SWORD," the Michael whispered.
Crimson flames erupted along the length of the katana, growing in intensity until they illuminated the entire chamber in blood-red light. The heat radiating from the blade was so intense that the air around it shimmered and distorted.
Harma seemed to recognize the danger. For the first time since the battle began, uncertainty flickered across his face. He gripped his axe tightly, taking a defensive stance.
"No one has ever seen my true form and lived," the giant growled. "You will not be the first to defeat me!"
Harma charged forward with renewed fury, his axe raised high for a killing blow. Michael remained perfectly still, his stance unwavering as he waited for the perfect moment.
When Harma was just three meters away, Michael moved. In a burst of speed that made him appear as nothing more than a crimson streak, he launched himself toward the giant. Their weapons met in the center of the chamber—Harma's massive axe against Michael's flaming katana.
For a split second, they stood frozen in perfect balance, neither giving ground. Then, the crimson flames intensified, spreading along the edge of Michael's blade as it began to cut through Harma's axe like it was made of paper. The flames didn't stop at the axe—they continued forward, slicing cleanly through Harma's chest in a diagonal cut that perfectly intersected with the constantly moving core.
Time seemed to stand still as Harma's expression shifted from rage to disbelief. Then, slowly, his massive body began to slide apart along the diagonal cut, the two halves separating cleanly. His core, now cut in half, flickered once before going dark.
"Thank... you..." Harma whispered as his body crumbled into metallic dust, his voice carrying a hint of the hero he had once been.
With the immediate threat eliminated, Violet limped over to James and began to heal his injuries, her hands emitting a soft blue glow. Once James was stable, she treated her own wounds before approaching Michael.
"Your turn," she said, reaching toward a cut on Michael's forehead.
"I'm fine," Michael replied, though he didn't resist her healing touch.
As his wound closed, James approached, looking at Michael with newfound respect. "Since when could you use flames, Michael?" he asked, amazement clear in his voice.
"It's an ability of the Shimobe Blade," Michael explained, examining the katana which had returned to its normal state. "The sword responds to necessity and my intent. When I discovered Harma's core, it provided the means to destroy it."
James nodded, flexing his newly healed arms. "That was rough, but we made it."
"Don't celebrate too soon," Michael cautioned, sheathing his blade. "This battle was difficult, but it only gets harder from here. The second floor guardian will be even more powerful."
Violet checked her weapons, ensuring they were fully charged. "Then we'd better not keep them waiting," she said with grim determination.
Together, the three allies made their way toward the staircase leading to the second floor, each preparing themselves for the greater challenges that lay ahead.