Victor had already started an all-out attack on New York City, killing people and destroying things. It almost seemed like life had no meaning to them – and for these Eidolons, it really didn't. SWAT teams, police, even the army couldn't do anything about Victor and his Eidolons. Finally, the Elite Eidolon Elimination squad (Squad E.E.E.) arrived. A lot of damage had already been done, but when they showed up, it nearly evened things out. They used new weapons that fired pure energy, energy so strong it could destroy the tough skin of Eidolons. This was a big advantage, along with their armor that offered very good protection. Things were starting to look good for the humans, as the strong E.E.E. had already wiped out over 80% of the Eidolons. Victor still hadn't joined the fight directly. He felt he could easily take out everyone on the field, which was also true. But that wasn't the main reason. He was waiting for Ace – the one Daemon and Kael were so careful of.
"Avon, I hope you're already moving. We need backup right away," Victor asked into a small earpiece.
"Yes, we're close. Also, we just saw a group in suits heading your way," Avon replied. "The people who saw them said they also wore masks, so I'm sure they're the Masked."
"Good. Finally, some real action. If we can take them down now, we don't have to worry about them getting stronger," Victor said. He stood up from where he was on one of the tallest buildings, cracking his fingers and his neck. He started laughing as he felt the excitement of a real battle arrive, something he hadn't felt since the Great Eidolon War.
The group of Masked, including Nyah, had finally arrived at the scene. It was a picture of pure chaos and destruction. The first thing they noticed was that every member of the E.E.E. had their power blasters pointed right at them.
"Wait, this is a mistake! We're here to help humans and fight the Originals and Eidolons," Xavier said as he stepped forward to show he was a leader. But as soon as he moved one step, the E.E.E. powered up their blasters, getting them ready to fire.
"So, what do we do?" Sam asked, looking around for a way out. Before anyone could answer, a loud sound was heard. As the dust cleared, they saw a man, probably in his 40s, about 6'6" tall with wide shoulders and unbelievable muscles. Just him being there sent shivers down everyone's spines. Even though Ace and the others had met an Original before, this felt different. Daemon wasn't much of a fighter, but Victor, with how many battles he'd been in, was on a completely different level of strength. Finally, one of the E.E.E. members got up the nerve to shoot while everyone else, including Ace, stayed frozen. As the energy beam shot from the blaster, it moved as fast as light. But before it could reach Victor, he had already dodged it so easily it looked like the energy beam was moving in slow motion.
"Mistake," a voice said in Ace's head. It was clearly Alexos.
"Huh?" Ace snapped back to his senses, about to ask Alexos what he meant. But the meaning became clear right before his eyes: the E.E.E. member got his guts ripped out of his stomach, and his head was brutally crushed. One thing was clear: Ace needed to move, or everyone there would end up the same way. Releasing his twin blades as fast as he could, Ace dashed towards Victor with amazing speed. He controlled the quant in his blades and sliced the air, creating a powerful pull. Victor quickly stepped back, dodging the blade but not the huge power from them. Two cuts appeared on his chest.
He took a few more steps back to get his balance. Ace didn't wait; this time, he went for close-up attacks. Closing in, he swung his blades. Victor was dodging and blocking the attacks much better now; it seemed like he had started taking the fight a little more seriously. He went for an attack, landing a direct hit on Ace's ribs, which sent him flying. It was like he just got hit by a train moving at the speed of sound. Without hesitating, Xavier quickly pulled his katana from its sheath and went for a strike. Victor caught him in mid-air and shattered the katana with his bare hand. Ace and Sam came dashing towards Victor, attacking at the same time – Ace with his twin blades and Sam with his fists. Victor managed to block most of the attacks but still got a few cuts, though nothing deadly. Xavier moved quickly and stabbed Victor in the leg, slowing him down. Victor now realized that he wasn't just outnumbered; they were also better fighters one-on-one. The only thing he had over them was his battle smarts. Xavier, still being careful, stopped Ace from rushing him.
"What?" Ace asked Xavier.
"We need to be careful. We can't just rush in. No matter how much stronger you are, always remember he's been in more battles," Xavier explained.
"But we need to do something quickly. He's already healing," Sam said.
"I suggest we all attack at once," Ace said.
"We don't have time to think of a better plan," Sam said as he was already running towards Victor, and the rest followed. Victor got ready to launch his own attack. Taking them all on together would be difficult, so he decided he would go after them one by one. Nyah, Wei, and Phiona watched from a distance, not daring to jump in. As they all got close, a slim but muscular figure landed on the ground with a huge impact, splitting the Masked away from Victor. It was a good-looking lady, probably in her late 20s, wearing a tight silk suit. Without saying anything, she went straight to attack Xavier, landing a kick right to his head that sent him flying, and she followed right behind him with incredible speed. Victor, seeing an opening, took the opportunity to attack Sam right in the gut. As he was about to hit him again, he got a slash from Ace on his leg. Sam dropped to the floor, trying to get himself together. Victor was also down on one knee, just realizing that any attack from Ace's blades seemed to heal slower.
Thump, thump, thump. The loud sound of Eidolons running to the battlefield could be heard. Everyone froze. Then, an evil grin spread across Victor's face as he saw the number of backups coming. "Took them long enough," he said as he quickly stood up and got into a fighting stance, ready to begin round two.
"Sam, go ahead! I'll take on this guy," Ace said.
Sam got back on his feet and wiped the blood off his lips. "Okay, and don't forget – don't hold back."
Everyone took their fighting stances. It was clear the real battle was about to begin.