Fish held Kael's leg casually, like he was holding a grocery bag instead of stopping a flame-wreathed kick from a fighter who'd just been matching Sora blow for blow.
Kael's eyes widened.
He stopped it—with one hand—
—without even looking—
Fish finally turned his head fully, grinning at Kael.
"Nice kick. Angle's decent. But—"
He flicked his wrist.
BOOM.
Kael was launched backward, spinning through the air before crashing into a building's second floor with enough force to collapse the entire wall.
Rubble exploded outward.
Fish lowered his hand, dusting it off casually.
"—your follow-through sucks."
Sora's fists ignited with red-white mantra, the V-mark on his forehead blazing.
"Who are you?"
Fish turned toward him, that same wide grin plastered across his bald head.
"Told you already. Round Fish."
Behind him, several figures emerged from the shadows—his team, all standing at the edge of the crater, arms crossed, silent.
Watching.
Sora's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
Fish cracked his knuckles once, twice.
"Was gonna grab some snacks and watch, but—" He gestured at the destroyed battlefield around them. "—you two made a mess of my favorite spot."
Kael pulled himself from the rubble, flames reigniting around his arms, blood dripping from a cut above his eye.
"Your spot?" he said flatly.
"Yeah." Fish's grin widened impossibly further. "So I gotta teach you some manners."
He glanced over his shoulder at his team.
"Oi. You guys stay back. These two are mine."
One of them—a tall figure with their arms crossed—nodded once.
Fish turned back to Sora and Kael.
Rolled his shoulders and dropped into a stance.
Weight distributed evenly. Hands loose. Eyes focused. A pure martial form.
"Come on then," Fish said casually. "Both of you. Don't hold back."
Sora and Kael exchanged a glance.
For half a second, an unspoken agreement passed between them.
We take him together.
Then—
They moved.
BOOM.
Sora came from the left, fist wreathed in plasma—Plasma Platinum Punch—
Kael came from the right, flames spiraling around his arm—Blazing Fist: Incineration—
Both attacks converged on Fish simultaneously from opposite sides.
Fish didn't dodge and took both hits directly.
CRACK.
The impact created a shockwave that cratered the ground beneath them, sending debris flying outward in all directions.
Plasma and flame exploded against Fish's body—heat distorting the air, electricity crackling, fire roaring—
When the light faded—Fish stood in the same spot.
Completely unbothered.
"That it?"
Sora's eyes widened.
"He didn't even—
Kael's flames flickered.
"No damage?!"
Fish tilted his head.
"Your turn's over. My turn now."
He moved.
One step. Two steps.
And suddenly he was in front of Sora.
Fist already mid-swing.
Jab.
Pure boxing form—textbook perfect—rotated hips, snapped wrist, entire body weight behind a single straight punch.
BOOM.
Sora's head snapped back, and he was sent skidding backward across broken asphalt, boots carving trenches.
Before he could recover—
Fish was already pivoting toward Kael.
Roundhouse kick.
Muay Thai—shin meeting Kael's hastily raised guard with bone-rattling force.
CRACK.
Kael was launched sideways, tumbling across the crater before catching himself.
Fish dropped back into stance.
"Your punches are strong," he said, looking at Sora. "But you're telegraphing. I saw that plasma punch coming three seconds before you threw it."
He turned to Kael.
"And you—flames are pretty, but you're relying on them too much. Your footwork's garbage."
Both Sora and Kael glared at him.
Then attacked again.
Sora unleashed Plasma Barrage—ten rapid strikes, each one trailing red-white mantra—
Fish didn't block.
Just weaved—head movement, shoulder rolls, subtle shifts—every punch missing by millimeters.
Slip. Slip. Roll. Duck.
Pure boxing defense.
Kael came in from behind, fist ignited—
Fish spun—Wing Chun chain punches—three lightning-fast strikes to Kael's chest in half a second—
Kael stumbled backward, gasping.
Sora charged, lightning crackling around his fist—
Fish shifted stance—Karate—and delivered a devastating palm strike to Sora's solar plexus—
BOOM.
Sora folded, air exploding from his lungs, and was sent flying backward.
Fish transitioned immediately—Taekwondo spinning kick—heel catching Kael's jaw as he tried to counter—
CRACK.
Kael's head snapped sideways, and he crashed into a pile of rubble.
Fish landed lightly, not even breathing hard.
"You're both too predictable," he said, walking forward casually. "You throw big attacks and hope they land. That's not fighting. That's just... flailing with fancy effects."
Sora forced himself upright, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Then what is fighting?"
Fish grinned.
"Let me show you."
They came at him together—coordinated this time—
Sora low, Kael high—
Plasma and flame converging—
Fish moved.
He stepped into Sora's range—Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—grabbed Sora's wrist mid-punch, used his own momentum against him, and threw him—
Sora's body was launched upward, straight into Kael's descending attack—
BOOM.
Both collided mid-air, plasma and flame detonating between them, sending both tumbling in opposite directions.
Fish dusted off his hands.
"Timing. Positioning. Leverage. That's fighting."
He walked toward Sora, who was pulling himself from a crater.
"You've got power, kid. Plasma mantra, lightning attacks, all that flashy stuff. Impressive."
He stopped in front of Sora.
"But power means nothing if you can't land a hit."
Sora gritted his teeth, fist igniting with plasma—
Swung—
Fish sidestepped—minimal movement—and delivered a perfect elbow strike to Sora's ribs—
CRACK.
Sora gasped, pain exploding through his chest.
Fish wasn't done.
Muay Thai clinch—grabbed Sora's head, pulled it down, drove his knee up—
BOOM.
Sora's vision whited out.
Fish released him, and Sora dropped to one knee, gasping.
"Your stance is too wide," Fish said casually. "Leaves your ribs exposed. Fix that."
Kael attacked from behind—flames roaring—
Fish didn't turn.
Just dropped low—Capoeira sweep—leg sweeping Kael's feet out from under him—
Kael hit the ground hard—
Fish transitioned immediately—ground-and-pound—fist descending toward Kael's face—
Kael rolled desperately, flames erupting defensively—
Fish's fist punched through the flames like they weren't there and cratered the ground where Kael's head had been half a second ago.
The impact split the street, a fissure spreading outward for thirty meters.
Kael scrambled backward, staring at the crater.
He punched through my flames—
Fish stood, brushing dust off his pants.
"Fire's nice. But technique beats element every time."
Both Sora and Kael stood on opposite sides of him, breathing hard, bloodied, battered.
Fish cracked his neck once.
"You're learning. Good."
He dropped into another stance—this time Judo.
"Let's keep going. I'm just getting warmed up."
Sora's plasma mantra flared.
Kael's flames intensified.
Both charged—
Fish grinned.
"That's more like it."
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
Sora's Plasma Platinum Punch met Fish's perfect counter—Aikido redirection—Fish grabbed Sora's wrist, twisted, used his own force to send him spinning—
Straight into Kael's Blazing Fist—
Both attacks collided—
BOOM.
Explosion consumed the street.
Fish walked through the smoke, completely unbothered.
Kael came from above—fire-enhanced drop kick—
Fish raised one arm—blocked it with his forearm—
CRACK.
The impact created a shockwave, but Fish didn't move.
Just stood there, holding Kael's kick in place.
"Good height. Bad angle. You're off-balance."
He pushed—
Kael was launched backward, crashing through a building.
Sora appeared beside Fish—lightning crackling—Plasma Bolt at point-blank range—
Fish caught the lightning—
Bare-handed.
Electricity arced around his palm, crackling, searing—
Fish didn't even flinch.
Just closed his fist, crushing the lightning into nothing.
"Flashy," Fish said. "But predictable."
He drove his other fist forward—straight punch—
BOOM.
Sora was sent flying, tumbling across broken ground.
Fish straightened, looking at both of them as they struggled to stand.
"You both rely too much on your powers," he said, voice still casual but carrying weight now. "Plasma. Fire. Fancy mantra techniques."
He tapped his temple.
"But you're not thinking. Just throwing your strongest attacks and hoping they work."
He dropped into stance again.
"Power isn't everything."
His grin widened.
"Let me show you"