Before Aaron could react, the man dashed through the smoke and ash, covering the distance in a blink. His fist slammed into Aaron's stomach like a hammer,
Aaron stumbled back, clutching his stomach, each breath sharp and shallow. The man's strikes weren't just strong-they were overwhelming. Every move he made seemed effortless, while Aaron scrambled just to stay on his feet.
A sharp kick followed, catching Aaron in the ribs. Pain exploded in his side as he crashed into the wall behind him, bits of charred wood splintering on impact. The man didn't even give him a second to recover. He lunged again, his shadow swallowing Aaron's space.
Aaron threw up a shaky barrier of flame, hoping it would slow him down. The man's grin only widened as he charged straight through it, the fire licking harmlessly at his arms. He was faster, stronger-untouchable.
Aaron barely managed to duck as a fist whizzed past his head, smashing into the wall behind him with enough force to leave a crater. Dust and debris rained down, making Aaron's eyes sting. He couldn't keep up-his movements felt sluggish, his limbs heavy.
Desperate, he lashed out with his flames, throwing them forward in wild, uncontrolled bursts. The man sidestepped them with ease, closing the gap once more. "Is that all you've got?" He sneered, his voice calm despite the chaos around them.
Before Aaron could answer-or even think, another punch landed squarely on his jaw, snapping his head to the side. The world tilted as he stumbled again, struggling to stay upright. Blood dripped from his nose and lips, and his vision blurred.
The man loomed over him, towering like an unstoppable force. "You're wasting my time," he said coldly, raising a hand. Power surged around him, crackling with a dark energy that made Aaron's skin crawl.
Aaron's heart pounded as he tried to summon more fire, more heat, anything but the flames flickered weakly in his hands. He was out of options. His opponent was too much.
Aaron clenched his teeth, but the huge guy in front of him didn't even budge. If anything, Aaron was the one out of strength now—completely at the man's mercy.
Then the hits came. One after another, hard and fast. Aaron couldn't block them this time. He took every blow straight on.
Suddenly, through the pain, a faint, flickering screen popped up in front of him. A message blinked across it—barely readable through the pounding:
——
Conversion of kinetic energy and impacts into heat energy.
——
As Aaron continued to endure the assault, his body began absorbing the force of the man's blows, converting it into a growing ball of heat deep in his core. The energy swirled, glowing brighter and hotter until it resembled a fiery red orb ready to explode. Without warning, Aaron released the energy in a blazing beam aimed at the man.
The attack was fast, but the man reacted quicker, dodging the beam with an effortless leap. He smirked, stepping back slightly.
"Not bad," he said, his voice steady. "You take hits like a drum. But let's see if you can handle this."
Before Aaron could respond, the man was on him again, unleashing a new barrage of punches-faster, stronger, and more devastating. The blows landed with a force that shook Aaron to his core. This time, the heat energy he tried to gather couldn't form; every time it started, the man's relentless strikes disrupted it.
"You won't get me twice with the same trick," he taunted.
Aaron roared in defiance, flames erupting from his fists as he fought back. But no matter how fiercely he attacked, the man blocked or deflected every strike with ease. Each failed attempt drained Aaron's strength further, his fiery aura dimming with every second.
A warning screen flickered weakly before his eyes:
——
WARNING: Mana Reserves Critically Low. Remaining Energy: 5%.
——
Aaron's chest tightened. He could feel the fire inside him flickering, the energy slipping away as the numbers on the screen ticked down.
The man stepped back for a moment, studying Aaron like a predator watching its prey. Then, with a powerful roundhouse kick, he sent Aaron flying through the air. Aaron hit the ground hard, skidding across the scorched earth. He lay there, his flames reduced to faint embers.
Another screen appeared briefly:
WARNING: Mana Depleted. System Functions Compromised.
Aaron struggled to move, his body heavy and unresponsive. The man's footsteps echoed as he walked toward him slowly, looming over him like a shadow. Behind him, the Mayor's cold, commanding voice cut through the silence:
"Finish him and take the ring from him."
Aaron lay sprawled on the ground, barely conscious. The stands around were ablaze, flames licking the dark sky. Smoke curled upward, and the heat made the air shimmer like a nightmare come to life.
The man took another step toward him, his movements deliberate and cold. His gaze flicked over Aaron's limp form as if calculating how best to finish the job.
But before he could get any closer, a barrier of light flared to life between them. The shield rose high, glowing faintly but strong enough to stop him in his tracks. He tilted his head slightly, studying it.
He pressed his hand against the surface. It was solid. With a calm, almost robotic motion, he pushed harder, testing its strength. When the barrier held firm, his lips curled into a small, humorless smile.
Aaron quickly realized it was Era's doing.
His opponent shifted his stance, planting his feet before slamming a powerful kick into the shield. The impact boomed, sending waves of energy across the glowing surface. He stepped back to check the damage. A small crack had formed—barely noticeable, but enough to show the shield wasn't unbreakable.
Then he went all in.
Blow after blow hammered the barrier. Each strike sent tremors through it, and more faint cracks began to spread where his fists landed.
The cracks on the barrier deepened with every blow, light flickering erratically like a dying flame. The man's strikes came faster now, each one more ferocious than the last. Aaron could only watch helplessly, his body too drained to move, as the glowing shield splintered under the relentless assault.
With one final, devastating punch, the barrier shattered, fragments of light scattering like shards of glass before vanishing into the air. The man wasted no time, charging forward in a blur of motion, his fists poised to deliver the finishing blow.
Aaron tried to raise his hands, but his limbs felt like lead. His heart pounded in his chest, the ring on his finger searing hot as though it, too, were screaming for him to get up. But he couldn't. Not this time.
Just as the man's shadow loomed over Aaron, his arm in a wide arc aimed at him, a figure darted into the fray—a blur of motion faster than Aaron's exhausted mind could process. It was Era, her stance unwavering as she positioned herself between Aaron and his attacker.
"So it was you." The man said, an evil smile playing at the corner of his lips. But Era didn't answer. Instead, she set about creating a new shield that the man quickly shattered with his sheer power before charging at Aaron again
With a reflexive gesture, Era extended her left arm, palm outstretched to summon another shield. But the man's strike was too fast, too powerful. His blade, sharp and merciless, sliced clean through her extended arm before she could fully materialize her defense.
Aaron's world slowed as blood sprayed into the air, catching the flickering flames and turning them crimson. Era's severed arm fell to the ground with a sickening thud, her expression twisting into a mixture of pain and defiance. Despite the brutal injury, she didn't move. She planted her feet firmly, refusing to give ground.
"Stay... back," she rasped, her voice trembling but resolute. Her remaining hand ignited with a faint golden light, shaky yet determined as she prepared to summon whatever strength she had left.