Zorlak raised the blade above Nova's head, his smirk cold and merciless.
"Goodbye," he whispered.
But before the blade could fall, a thunderous boom cracked through the air. A wave of sound rippled outward, hurling Zorlak, Nova, and Muscle backward. Zorlak slammed into a wall with a groan. Nova's eyes widened as he spotted the source a boy standing atop the ruins of a broken home, cloaked in dust and light.
"I'm sensing… Kai?" Zorlak muttered, confused.
Muscle blinked. "Who the hell is that?"
The boy didn't answer. Instead, he raised his right hand. "Sonic Boom!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. A devastating shockwave burst outward, shaking the earth and sending debris flying.
Zorlak instantly appeared behind the boy, swinging his fist. The boy reacted just in time, blocking but Zorlak's white Kai shield nullified the counterpunch.
"I'm impressed," Zorlak growled, then drove his fist into the boy's gut. He skidded backward, panting.
Damn, the boy thought. He's so naturally strong…
He rushed in again, but Zorlak caught him mid-strike and slammed him into the ground. "Insect," Zorlak snarled.
From behind, Nova crashed an iron rod into Zorlak's back. The prince grunted in pain. The boy leapt up and landed a blow to Zorlak's face, drawing blood. Nova joined in, swinging again but Zorlak's Kai shield absorbed it. He retaliated with a savage kick to Nova, then punched the boy with brutal force.
Muscle charged in from the side with Nova's axe, attempting to cut Zorlak down. Zorlak flipped over him, landing a crushing back-kick, then grabbed the axe and swung at Muscle. Muscle rolled away, barely escaping the strike.
The boy growled, slamming his fists into the ground. Another soundwave exploded from beneath, launching Zorlak into the air. The boy's voice shook with rage. "Why did you hurt my mother?!"
He caught Zorlak midair and landed a barrage of punches, each one releasing a blast of sound. Zorlak's face ran with blood.
Suddenly, Polo reappeared from the shadows. He tackled the boy, smashing him into the ground and pulling out a blade.
Before the slash could fall, Muscle arrived with a flying punch. Polo stumbled back, blood trickling from his lip.
Muscle didn't stop. He elbowed, kneed, and hammered Polo again. "You begged for mercy why did you do this to innocent people?!"
"They're not innocent," Polo hissed. "None of them."
He choked back a sob. "I was good once. Poor, but happy. I had a family... they took them from me."
Nova stared silently as Polo collapsed to his knees, tears falling.
Muscle asked softly, "Then why not take revenge on those who did it?"
Polo looked up, eyes wild. "Because it wasn't just them. It was all of them! The entire town killed my family... out of jealousy."
Suddenly, Polo's body twitched. His skin turned green. His face stretched, twisted tentacles growing where his mouth once was. A monstrous aura poured from him.
"What the hell…?" Muscle muttered, stepping back.
"He's turning…" Nova said, shocked. "Into a monster?"
Polo's transformation completed his face now resembled an octopus, his body covered in scales. He roared, a deep, otherworldly screech.
He lunged at Muscle.
But the boy with the Sound Kai struck first driving a shockwave punch into the creature's gut. The monster crashed into rubble and lay still, unmoving.
Zorlak watched in silence. Then he laughed cold and unhinged.
"BAHAHAHA! I killed his family!" he shouted.
Muscle blinked. "What did you say…?"
Zorlak sneered, licking the blood from his lips. "I killed that boy's family. Just to see what would happen."
Nova's fists trembled. He raised his axe and rushed Zorlak, swinging it down but Zorlak blocked with his Kai barrier, grabbed the weapon, and slashed back, cutting Nova's shoulder. Blood trickled down.
Nova groaned, but his eyes stayed locked on Zorlak.
This wasn't over.