Inside the Blade Headquarters, chaos brewed like a gathering storm.
Kale moved like a shadow through the dimly lit corridors, every footstep measured, every breath calculated. Alarms still blared in the distance, echoing off concrete walls. The inside of the facility was a labyrinth of staircases, steel doors, and surveillance cameras. But Kale had trained for this. His focus was razor-sharp.
Somewhere ahead, Kraven—the man who led Blade's Clanda operations—waited.
But outside… a different war had begun.
——
Aryan stood, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, eyes narrowed and breath ragged. The dirt beneath him was scorched black. His shirt was torn, revealing bruises and cuts across his torso.
Three of them. Fire. Speed. Hardening. Each one stronger than the last.
This wasn't the first time Aryan had bled in a fight.
Back in his world, he'd been a street-hardened mischief-maker, a fighter, a troublemaker no one dared to cross. But here, things were different. Here, people had powers. Here, fists and instinct weren't always enough.
But Aryan wasn't just fists and instinct anymore.
He had the Ice Pulse.
Still, the Speed user had struck first—faster than Aryan could react. A blur, a slash, a shockwave of pain. Then the Hardening brute had followed with a blow to the stomach that nearly broke Aryan in half. Blood sprayed from his lips like a cracked fountain.
And then came the fire.
A roar of orange and red. The Fire user screamed as he extended his arms, releasing a torrent of flame. The sheer heat melted the frozen grass. Aryan's instincts screamed. In a split-second decision, he raised both hands.
**CRACK!**
A wall of solid ice burst upward just in time, the flames colliding against it and splitting in all directions. Steam hissed violently, engulfing the battlefield in white mist.
Aryan dropped to one knee behind the barrier, panting.
"I won't die here…"
But no respite. The moment the steam cleared, the Hardening user came crashing from the side like a falling boulder, fist raised high. Aryan turned—too slow.
**THOOM!**
Aryan was knocked back, tumbling across the dirt like a ragdoll. He coughed violently, blood streaking down his chin. His ribs screamed in protest.
But as the Hardening Pulse user stepped forward to finish him, Aryan's eyes narrowed. His fingers dug into the dirt.
"Freeze."
In an instant, ice snaked from his palms along the ground—fast, precise. It caught the Hardening user mid-step. Ice crawled up his legs, locking him into place.
"ARGH—!" the man growled, struggling.
But Aryan wasn't done.
He clenched both fists.
**WHUMP!**
Thick layers of ice erupted around the brute's entire body, trapping him in a jagged cocoon. The pressure forced him still. He couldn't move.
But the Speed user wasn't about to watch.
In a flicker, he vanished. Aryan barely had time to turn before a strike slammed into the side of his jaw, sending him spinning.
Then another. And another.
The world blurred with every impact—each one faster than Aryan could track. The pain blurred together into a symphony of agony. Aryan dropped to one knee again, arms limp at his sides.
The Speed user skidded to a stop across from him, panting.
"You're too slow," he spat. "You're just a wannabe with a flashy power."
Aryan didn't reply. His vision swam. Blood soaked the side of his shirt. But he grinned.
"You're right," Aryan muttered.
"But I don't need to catch you…"
The Speed user tilted his head, confused.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped.
"…I just need to make sure you're running through **my** domain."
From the ground beneath him, dozens of tiny ice crystals began to form, invisible at first—so thin, so precise they were like wires. Aryan had been weaving them the whole time the Speed user was attacking.
And now—
He slammed his palm into the dirt.
**FLASH-FREEZE!**
The ground exploded in a burst of frost. The Speed user's legs were instantly caught mid-sprint. He froze—literally—skidding and falling forward. Before he could rise, a jagged spike of ice burst upward from the earth and pierced through his shoulder.
"AGH—!"
Aryan stood, trembling.
"That's one."
But a deep, cracking roar split the night.
The Hardening user broke free, shattering the ice prison with sheer force. Chunks of frozen armor exploded in all directions.
"You'll pay for that!"
Aryan turned just in time to see him charging.
He couldn't dodge.
He didn't have to.
He met him head-on.
"ICE ARMOR!"
A thick coat of crystalline armor shot across Aryan's body just before impact. The punch landed—HARD—but Aryan didn't fly this time. He slid back a few feet, boots digging into the dirt.
He roared and drove a frozen fist into the brute's gut. Then another. And another.
The Hardening user tried to retaliate—but Aryan ducked low and swept his legs with an ice whip, then launched himself upward with a platform of frozen air.
He landed on the man's shoulders.
"FREEZE EVERYTHING YOU ARE!"
With both palms to the skull, Aryan unleashed a blizzard.
The Hardening user's entire body encased in seconds. A frozen statue.
Aryan collapsed to the ground, gasping.
Only one left.
Fire.
Flames licked across the clearing, now out of control. The Fire user floated in the air, fury on his face.
"You little—!"
He hurled a massive fireball, lighting up the sky.
Aryan, still bleeding, still breathing, raised one final hand.
"…Absolute Zero."
**BOOOOM!**
Fire and ice collided mid-air. The explosion sent a shockwave across the forest.
When the smoke cleared…
Aryan still stood.
Burned. Bloodied. Barely alive.
But standing.
The Fire user lay unconscious, frost clinging to his skin.
Aryan turned toward the massive gates.
One step. Then two. Then three.
He pushed the doors open with trembling hands.
"Kale…"
The real danger was still inside.
——
To be continued in Chapter 19: Showdown With Kraven...