Chapter 165
BLAZE (3)
In that split-second, Reuel and Yohan threw themselves into the fray, piling on top of him.
Fists, elbows, knees—the two of them struck all at once, unleashing a storm of blows on the stunned Blaze. Then Henry joined them, diving in with a sharp grunt, his knee driving into Blaze's side. There was a brief moment of impact—bone hitting bone, skin colliding with skin—before chaos unraveled.
Blaze snarled like a wild animal, the muscles in his back tightening beneath their hands. His laughter had stopped. His eyes, bright and wild, darted from face to face, rage simmering under his skin.
Yohan tried to pin his left arm, gripping it tightly, but Blaze twisted hard and drove an elbow into Yohan's ribs. The air shot out of him like a popped balloon, and his grip faltered.
Henry seized the opening, ducking low and locking his arms around Blaze's midsection, trying to restrict his movements. But Blaze was like iron—he bent, but didn't break. With a grunt, he twisted his torso and rammed the back of his head into Henry's chin, stunning him.
Reuel had jumped onto Blaze's back now, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, feet digging into his sides to stay on. "Don't let go!" he shouted, voice strained.
Blaze roared, standing upright with Reuel clinging to him. He stomped backward into the nearest wall, slamming Reuel's back into it with a thud. Reuel screamed, but didn't loosen his grip. Yohan, coughing, lunged forward and delivered a punch directly into Blaze's side, his knuckles digging into muscle.
"Hold him! Hold him down!" Henry growled, wiping blood from his mouth. He rushed again, driving his shoulder into Blaze's abdomen, trying to force him to the ground.
For a moment, it seemed to work.
The three of them combined their weight, their strength, their sheer desperation—and Blaze's knees buckled. He dropped a few inches. Reuel screamed again, holding tight as Blaze began to thrash harder.
"Just... fall!" Yohan shouted, teeth clenched as he drove another fist into Blaze's thigh, trying to collapse his stance.
But Blaze was a raging bull.
With a burst of force, he lifted one leg and kicked off the ground, sending them all lurching. They crashed to the dirt in a tangled heap, dust exploding around them.
He tried to roll free—but Henry, panting, twisted his arms around Blaze's wrist and shouted, "Yohan, the other arm!"
Yohan grabbed it—barely—his hands slipping with sweat.
Reuel, bruised and groaning, crawled onto Blaze's legs, pinning them down with his weight.
They were holding him.
Just barely.
Blaze snarled, his chest heaving, his limbs trembling under the combined weight of the three. He thrashed once—twice—but their grips held. Blood trickled from a cut above his brow. His wild smile had returned, but this time, it was strained.
"Not bad," he said through gritted teeth. "You little worms... have some spunk after all."
Henry ignored his taunt, clenching his jaw, and gestured sharply for Reuel and Yohan to hold him tighter. The three dug in with all their strength, straining every muscle as Blaze thrashed beneath them.
"Ka ka ka ka… not bad at all," Blaze whispered, the laughter crawling from his throat like a predator savoring the hunt.
There was a few moments as they began to catch their breaths...
Then, with a guttural grunt that seemed to shake the ground beneath them, he began to rise. Slowly. Every movement was testing their grip as he flexed his muscles against their combined weight.
"What the actual fuck! Hold him tighter!" Reuel shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as he realized the strength of Blaze's push.
"I'm trying!" Yohan groaned, his muscles trembling, veins popping as he dug in, trying to hold Blaze down.
Henry's teeth were clenched so tight they might have cracked; his hands shook under the force, his arms straining to maintain leverage. Despite their best efforts, Blaze's power was relentless. He shifted his weight, twisting subtly, inch by inch, until he was on his knees, threatening to undo all their work.
Reuel's grip began to slip. Yohan's face was red, the effort nearly overwhelming him, and Henry's knuckles were white as he fought against the inevitable.
Blaze paused for a heartbeat, almost savoring the moment, then with a mighty push, he rose fully to his feet. His eyes gleamed with triumph.
"This is useless!" Henry finally shouted, his voice strained. "We're wasting energy! Quick! Let go and create some distance!"
Without hesitation, the three leapt back, stumbling to create space as Blaze's chest heaved with ragged breaths. Dust rose from the ground as all four of them panted, the heat of exertion mingling with the tension of the battle.
Blaze slowly turned to face them, his body upright now, radiating sheer menace. He spread his arms slightly, his grin wide showing off his sharp teeth. "Not too bad at all… just too bad your name isn't Blaze!! I can't lose! Ka ka ka ka!"
Henry's chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes locked on Blaze. Sweat dripped from his brow, but there was no fear—only a smoldering determination. "You sure look tired there, Blaze," he said, his was voice low. "I reckon if we could get a hold on you one more time… you won't be able to move."
Blaze tilted his head, a slow motion, the grin on his face widening almost unnaturally. "Try me…" he said, the word a hiss and a dare at the same time, his body already flexing, coiled, ready to strike.
The four stood, circling slightly, tension radiating from their movements.
The air between them was thick with anticipation, a momentary lull before the storm resumed. Dust clung to their clothes, the asphalt scarred with marks of previous impacts, their bodies slick with sweat.
Blaze shifted his weight, testing their distance, his piercing eyes darting between Henry, Reuel, and Yohan. Each of them mirrored his movement, ready to react in an instant. The next collision was incoming...
Then suddenly all three of them struck all at once, unleashing a storm of blows on the figure before them. Blaze raised his arms, his torso twisting as he tried to absorb the impact. A sharp elbow from Reuel grazed his ribs, making him grunt, but he barely staggered, his strength far surpassing theirs.
Yohan ducked low and swept Blaze's legs with a fast kick, trying to knock him off balance, but Blaze twisted midair, landing on one foot and pivoting to deliver a spinning back kick toward Reuel's chest. Reuel rolled to the side just in time, the wind from the strike whipping past him with enough force to rattle his bones.
Henry leapt into the mix, his fist aimed at Blaze's jaw. Blaze caught the punch mid-swing with a single hand, his fingers tightening around Henry's wrist like steel. A fierce grunt escaped Blaze's throat as he swung Henry around, sending him crashing into the concrete with a heavy thud. Henry groaned, rolling onto his side, before dragging himself back to his feet.
Reuel and Yohan regrouped instantly. They both attacked from different angles, Reuel with a high punch aimed at Blaze's head, Yohan sliding low, aiming to tackle his legs. Blaze grinned, a wild gleam in his eyes, and jumped backward, landing on the floor with a thump. His momentum carried him into a spinning kick that slammed into Yohan's chest, sending him skidding across the ground.
But the two weren't done. Reuel barreled forward, shoulder first, hitting Blaze's midsection. The impact made Blaze grunt audibly, but he remained on his feet. Yohan scrambled back to his feet as well, and the two launched themselves together, forcing Blaze to backpedal. He swung wildly with his fists, each punch narrowly missing, and then countered with a brutal knee strike toward Reuel. Reuel rolled under it, feeling the heat of the strike brush past his back.
Blaze's eyes widened with excitement, blood pumping through his veins. "Ka ka ka ka! Come on! Is that all you've got?" he shouted.
Henry, finally recovering some of his breath, charged again, feinting a punch before twisting into a sweeping leg strike. Blaze jumped over it with ease, using the leap to smash his elbow into Henry's shoulder. Henry stumbled but didn't fall, swinging back a fierce punch. Blaze blocked it, gritting his teeth as the force reverberated up his arm.
Reuel and Yohan didn't wait for Henry to finish; they rushed simultaneously, one aiming a hook at Blaze's jaw, the other a low kick to his knees. Blaze blocked the punch and twisted his body, catching Yohan's kick midair. With a roar, he tossed Yohan into the air like a ragdoll, forcing him to roll on the ground as he hit the ground hard.
The three regrouped, panting, sweat dripping from their faces. Blaze advanced like a predator, his steps heavy and almost impossibly fast. Reuel threw a flurry of kicks, trying to corner him against a wall, but Blaze leapt over the last swing, coming down with a brutal stomp toward Reuel's back. Reuel rolled just in time, feeling the ground quake beneath the impact.
Henry rushed in from the side, grabbing Blaze's arm and trying to wrench him off balance. Blaze twisted violently, shrugging off the grip, and lashed out with a backhand that sent Henry sliding across the ground again.
Yohan saw an opening and hurled himself at Blaze's legs again, catching him off guard for a fraction of a second. Blaze stumbled slightly, his grin widening, before he swung a ferocious kick toward Reuel. Reuel barely ducked under it, the wind from the kick brushing past his head and raising dust into the air.
The three were relentless. They struck simultaneously, Reuel's fists, Henry's elbows, Yohan's knees—all hammering against Blaze's body in unison. Blaze grunted, staggered slightly, but the sheer force of his counterattacks pushed them back. He grabbed Yohan mid-punch, spun him around, and sent him tumbling.
The fight had become a blur of motion—punches, kicks, rolls, and jumps. Blaze's strength, speed, and experience were overwhelming, but the three refused to relent. They leapt back, regrouped, and attacked again, chaining their movements.
Finally, after what felt like endless assaults and counterassaults, they managed to corner him against another wall. Reuel and Yohan leapt simultaneously, grappling Blaze's arms while Henry charged, striking with a ferocious kick to his midsection. Blaze stumbled backward, losing his balance, and for a brief, fleeting moment, the three managed to pin him against the ground and wall.
Breathing heavily, they pressed every ounce of their strength into holding him down. Blaze thrashed violently, his sharp eyes glinting with wild excitement, but they held fast, their combined effort finally restraining the storm of power he had unleashed.
"Ka ka ka… you lucky shits! You managed to get me to the ground again, but you're all exhausted too! If you let go of me, it's over! I just need to wait!" Blaze's laughter rattled through the space as he thrashed beneath them, flexing and straining against their grip.
Henry groaned, muscles trembling, sweat dripping down his temples. Despite his fatigue, a tired grin spread across his face. "It should be time now…" he said, eyes glinting with determination.
"Time for what?" Blaze's brow furrowed, a hint of irritation creeping into his manic grin.
Henry locked eyes with him, unflinching. "After keeping us waiting all this time, he should be ready. Don't worry, Blaze… you don't need to wait for us. We're going to let go now."
Blaze's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Wha…"
Before he could finish, a low, rumbling growl approached from behind—a sound foreign to the chaotic scene. The air vibrated with it. Instinctively, Blaze turned his head, eyes narrowing. Across the empty space, the unmistakable shape of a vehicle surged into view. One of the academy's sleek mini cars barreled toward him, its engine screaming and tires screaming across the ground.
And in the driver's seat… IAM.
"Now!!!" Reuel shouted, the words almost drowned out by the roar of the approaching car.
Blaze barely had time to react as the mini car slammed into him. The impact drove him backward with terrifying force, propelling him straight into the solid wall of the building behind him. His body struck the wall with a bone-jarring crash, sending a shower of dust and debris into the air.
He slid down the wall, his back scraping against the rough surface, muscles trembling from the shockwave of the impact.
He barely managed to think... what a bunch of lunatics...