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Helen felt the grip on her neck loosen. Did it let go? No—
Boom!
A punch echoed through the skies, pushing the beast back.
???: "I don't know what you are or where you came from... but I won't let you hurt her!"
Helen looked up—and saw the back of the one who always left her conflicted. His back... Sacium's back!
She stood, and suddenly... everything felt like a dream.
The creature—Wrath—howled, its wild nature provoked.
Wrath: "You… forged in hellfire. Your body, tempered in the abyss.
Your strength, born of hope. Your speed, a gift of survival.
But me?
I am the savage crystallization... the reflection of you, stripped of compassion.
Everything I have—I borrowed from you.
I multiplied your instincts. Your thirst. Your wildness.
And now, both of us… crave the purity of the beast within."
It roared once more, revving its chainsaw. Then—
It lunged. A horizontal slash—
But Sacium caught it. His strength was enough to hold the blow.
It grabbed Sacium's neck—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Headbutts like sledgehammers. The force shook the air, even Helen could feel the wind.
Then—WHAM!
A punch sent Sacium flying into a tree.
Wrath laughed in euphoria.
Wrath: "Born from your mercy! I exist to be your punching bag! I am—WRATH!"
CRACK!
Before it could celebrate, it took a punch to the jaw from Sacium—blasted backward.
It raised the chainsaw to block a flash strike.
Wrath: "Your strength, a masterpiece—I'll help you indulge in savagery!"
Sacium grabbed its neck.
Sacium: "Then let me return the favor!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
He slammed its forehead with brutal headbutts, then gripped its skull and kneed it full-force in the face.
Their forms were starkly different—
One, 1.65 meters. The other, nearly 2 meters tall.
One small. One towering.
Wrath slashed again—
Sacium twisted, the blade missing him by mere centimeters.
In a flash, he unleashed a spinning kick into Wrath's chest—sending the beast staggering.
BAM!
Wrath smashed its knee into the ground and launched up again, hooking Sacium's jaw. Blood and broken teeth flew—
Sacium hit a tree hard.
But he roared, planting his feet—
He launched off the trunk, breaking it, and rocketed back—
Fists flying like a storm—one, two, three!
Wrath blocked, but Sacium ducked inside—
Snapped its elbow with a judo twist—
Then jumped—knee to chin!
Wrath was launched back, but mid-air, it spun—
Wrapped its legs around Sacium's neck—
SLAM! Crashed him to the ground.
The earth cracked.
They broke apart—then charged!
Every punch—a miniature quake.
Sacium missed—
Wrath struck with a chest tackle—
But in the air, Sacium spun 540°, delivering a roundhouse to Wrath's face—
The mask cracked. Blood flowed.
Wrath slashed downward—
Sacium caught the spinning blade with both hands—
Sparks flew.
His muscles trembled—
Then—Sacium roared, lifted both the chainsaw and Wrath—
And hurled them like trash across the field!
Before Wrath could rise—BOOM!
Sacium blasted in like a cannonball—smashed him through three broken walls.
As Wrath staggered up—
A palm strike to the neck—
Wrath coughed.
Stepped back.
Blood oozed from his lips.
And then—Wrath smiled.
Wrath: "Forty percent, huh?"
Sacium, blood on his face, grinned back.
Sacium: "Bring it on."
BAM!
A monstrous hook—Sacium crashed into stone, coughing blood.
Wrath followed, foot aiming for his skull—
But Sacium caught it, twisted, threw him down—SLAM!
They lay on the ground—then rose together.
Weapons thrown aside.
Now—just instinct.
Wrath: overhand hook!
Sacium: uppercut!
Wrath: elbow slash!
Sacium: folded elbow strike!
CRACK!
Wrath bit into Sacium's shoulder—
Sacium punched his ear, grabbed his throat, and slammed him down!
Blood scattered. Wind screamed.
Wrath crawled up—
His mask… cracked.
A red eye glared at Sacium.
Then—
The mask fell.
Sacium froze.
The face... that face...
Wrath grabbed Sacium's head—
Slammed it into the wall—BOOM!—sent him crashing through dirt, landing beside Helen.
Wrath climbed out of the pit, smoke rising from his mouth.
The face… so familiar.
???: "Thank you… for the fight. Thank you… for the feast."
The face was older. No longer Wrath—only sorrow and hatred.
Helen: "Huh? Sacium?"
Older Sacium: "Truly… Thank you, younger me. You've awakened me once more..."
With a flash step, he appeared beside younger Sacium—too fast to even register.
Older Sacium: "The future may be dark and cruel—but our spirit shall blaze forever."
The younger only had time to glance—before a punch slammed into his gut, dropping him to his knees.
Older Sacium: "I've searched for the strong, despaired in failure, rejoiced in victory.
Now—show me that burning spirit of ours."
Sixty percent.
Younger Sacium: "Whoa… Going all out, huh? Fine—I'll answer you!"
BOOM!
A powerful straight punch—
But Older Sacium slid beneath it like mist through crimson leaves—
Whoosh—
Younger Sacium spun, launching a kick—
Older Sacium caught it, muscles taut in red light.
BAM! BAM!
Chops, side slashes, gut hooks—
Younger Sacium ducked, jumped, twisted, kicked—
His every move tore at the red-stained air.
Older Sacium stepped back—then launched—
Knee strike to the ribs—CRACK!
But the young one struck back—hook to the side—
Drawing a red line across the bark of this dying forest.
Older Sacium hurled him skyward—
In mid-air, the younger spun—
Kicked backward into his temple—light exploded!
CRASH!
Older Sacium fell, then instantly rose—
Grabbed the younger's throat—slammed him into the ground again.
Younger Sacium growled, sweat and blood dripping into the dry leaves—
He rose, unleashed a flurry—left, right, under, over.
Older Sacium evaded them all—his form, like red waves in motion—
Then—heel to the ribs—
Younger staggered—
And then—
SWOOSH!
Older Sacium drew a blade—
Not to slash—
But to wield like a martial weapon.
The hilt struck the younger's wrist—twisted—
Flung him into the scarlet tree trunk—
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