Boom!!!!
The heavy impact exploded once more.
Bear was forced backward, sliding across the ground.
His boots carved long trenches into the surface.
The mechanical exoskeleton shrieked with piercing alarms.
Internal stabilization systems were nearing their limit.
And yet, Dawolf still stood there.
Not even his breathing had visibly changed.
After shedding the heavy armor,
his movements had become faster—
and far more dangerous.
This was no longer ordinary close combat.
It felt more like condensed violence.
Every strike carried an extremely stable structure of force.
No deviation.
No waste.
No imbalance.
For the first time, Bear truly felt it—
he was fighting a war machine.
Boom!!!
Dawolf stomped again.
His massive frame burst forward instantly.
Bear shifted to the side.
But in the next moment—
Dawolf altered his trajectory in advance.
A sweeping punch tore across.
Boom!!!!
Bear blocked with both arms.
He was driven back again.
The exoskeleton's left arm structure finally began to deform.
The grinding of metal rang continuously.
Scope's expression darkened.
Because Bear was being completely suppressed.
And this wasn't a matter of technique.
It was—
A difference in structure.
The most terrifying aspect of Dawolf's ability
was that he could always maintain optimal output.
No decay from continuous attacks.
No distortion from impact.
No loss of form.
But Bear was different.
The exoskeleton degraded.
Muscles fatigued.
Internal balance slowly collapsed.
If this dragged on—
Bear would break first.
"Bear,"
Scope spoke in a low voice.
"Fall back."
But Bear didn't respond.
He simply steadied himself again,
taking up his stance once more.
Dawolf spoke slowly:
"Not bad."
"You are a true warrior."
The next second—
Boom!!!
The two collided head-on again.
The air itself seemed to shake.
Bear's heavy punch slammed toward Dawolf's abdomen.
Dawolf took it head-on.
Then—
A reverse elbow crashed down instantly.
Boom!!!!
Bear's head snapped violently to the side.
Cracks even formed on his helmet.
The next moment—
Dawolf grabbed Bear's shoulder
and exerted force.
Boom!!!
Bear was smashed straight into the ground.
The street collapsed instantly.
Debris blasted outward in all directions.
The escort unit's expressions changed at once.
And yet—
Bear forced himself back up.
Inside the exoskeleton, sparks were already bursting.
Some support systems had begun to fail.
But he still moved forward.
Because he knew—
If he retreated,
the formation behind him would collapse.
Dawolf watched this.
For the first time, his eyes changed.
Something like recognition appeared.
Then—
He lowered his body slightly,
entering a true charging stance.
Scope's pupils contracted sharply.
"Not good—"
Boom!!!!
The ground exploded.
Dawolf's speed surged.
He became almost a blur.
Bear had just raised his arms—
The next moment—
The punch had already struck his chest.
BOOM!!!!!!!
The outer armor of the exoskeleton shattered instantly.
The impact tore through his entire body.
Bear was blasted away.
He smashed through three walls in succession,
before crashing deep into the ruins.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
"Bear!!!"
Several members rushed forward at once.
Inside the rubble—
Bear tried to stand again.
But in the next second—
The exoskeleton finally overloaded.
Alarms screamed simultaneously.
Internal systems began shutting down.
Blood flowed continuously from the gaps in his helmet.
His breathing became chaotic.
And yet—
He still tried to stand.
But his body finally lost control.
Thud.
Bear dropped to one knee.
Then—
Collapsed completely.
The communication channel descended into chaos.
"Captain is unconscious!"
"Get him out!"
"Medical team, move!"
Several members rushed into the ruins immediately.
They began forcibly removing the remaining armor.
Because the exoskeleton had entered a dangerous state.
If the connection continued,
the internal structure could further crush his wounds.
Metal locks popped open one after another.
Damaged armor was rapidly stripped away.
Bear's chest was visibly caved in.
The bones in his arm were grotesquely twisted.
For the first time, Scope's expression turned grim.
Because he knew—
That final blow
had exceeded the limits of the human body.
On the other side—
Dawolf did not pursue.
He simply stood upright,
looking toward the ruins.
As if a battle had truly ended.
Even the Cobra members around him grew quiet.
No one cheered.
Because even they understood—
That level of combat
had already surpassed ordinary humans.
And at that moment—
A figure stepped forward.
Lucian.
He finally walked out from the rear.
Everyone instinctively turned to look at him.
Lucian said nothing.
He simply crouched down slowly,
placing his right hand lightly on Bear's chest.
The next moment—
A faint azure light spread outward.
The air seemed to fall silent.
It was not a blinding radiance.
Instead, it was calm.
Like the surface of water,
flowing gently.
Then—
Bear's rapidly worsening injuries
began to stabilize.
His breathing returned.
The bleeding slowed.
The surrounding members' expressions shifted at once.
Because this was the first time
they had truly seen Lucian act.
Scope immediately realized—
That wasn't healing.
It was—
Stopping.
Stopping the further spread of damage.
Forcing the body to remain
in a fixed state.
Lucian spoke calmly:
"Withdraw immediately."
"Apply emergency stabilization."
"Prioritize internal organs."
"Remove all combat gear."
His voice remained calm.
But no one hesitated.
The escort unit moved at once.
The medical team deployed rapidly.
Damaged armor was fully removed.
Stabilizers locked the bones in place.
Bleeding control systems activated instantly.
Signals were already sent toward the helicopter.
Lucian slowly stood up.
The azure light still lingered around Bear—
like a thin membrane,
maintaining his final stability.
Then—
Lucian raised his head.
Looking forward.
Dawolf was already looking at him.
The two faced each other across the ruins.
The air seemed to fall silent again.
Everyone around them instinctively stopped.
Because they all felt it—
The real battle
was about to begin.
Dawolf spoke slowly:
"You've finally come."
His voice was low.
But without contempt.
Because from earlier—
he had been observing Lucian.
Lucian simply stepped forward.
His pace was steady.
No killing intent.
No visible emotion.
And yet—
The surrounding air began to change.
A faint azure glow
emerged around him.
Like a quiet, flowing energy.
Even the dust in the air
began to drift.
The direction of the wind itself seemed to shift.
Scope's pupils tightened slightly.
Because he had never truly seen Lucian fight.
On the other side—
Dawolf narrowed his eyes for the first time.
Because he could feel it—
Danger.
A completely different kind of danger.
Not power.
Not destruction.
But—
An incomprehensible pressure.
The next moment—
Lucian slowly raised his hand.
Azure light began to gather.
Then—
The outline of a sword
formed gradually.
No metal structure.
No physical texture.
More like something made purely of light.
Yet—
The air began to vibrate faintly.
Even the surrounding debris
started to float.
Lucian calmly grasped the hilt.
The azure blade fully unfolded.
The entire battlefield—
fell silent once more.