The world was still slow.
Too slow.
Every drop of rain seemed suspended in the air, every breath stretched longer than it should, every movement of his enemies was clear, predictable, inevitably flawed—and at the center of it all, Damián Cruz stood still, unmoving, his eyes empty and his body functioning like a machine designed for a single purpose.
To survive.
**[Status: OVERDRIVE active]**
**[Estimated remaining time: 00:02:11]**
The system wasn't hiding anything.
It was telling him the truth.
This had a limit.
And that limit…
Was approaching.
The masked man was the first to move again, but this time he didn't attack head-on. His trajectory shifted—more cautious, more technical—seeking to circle rather than strike, while the other adjusted his stance to cover any opening.
And for the first time since this began…
They were working as a real team.
But Damián no longer saw them the same way.
He didn't see people.
He saw trajectories.
Errors.
Possible endings.
**[Advanced Prediction active]**
The first one attacked.
A fast strike aimed at his side.
Damián moved just enough to avoid it, his body responding effortlessly, and in the same motion, he grabbed the attacker's wrist and twisted it with brutal force.
A sharp crack split the air.
**[Structural damage inflicted]**
The man reacted instantly with a strike from his other hand—but Damián was no longer there. He had moved before the attack had fully begun, positioning himself behind him as if he had seen the future.
And in a way…
He had.
His arm wrapped around the attacker's neck, tightening with perfect precision, cutting off airflow and blood without wasting energy.
There was no rage.
No hesitation.
Only execution.
The second man lunged immediately, but Damián released the body just in time, using it as an improvised shield, forcing the attacker to halt his own strike to avoid hitting his ally.
An instant.
That was all he needed.
He slid forward, closing the distance with unnatural fluidity—and struck.
Straight to the chest.
Once.
Then again.
And again.
Each blow placed exactly where it would cause the most damage.
**[STR +2]**
**[Strike chain optimized]**
The man staggered back several steps, his breathing broken, his posture disorganized for the first time.
And then…
Everything stopped.
Not the world.
Damián.
His body failed.
Without warning.
Without transition.
His muscles locked up instantly, his vision distorted, and his balance vanished as if something inside him had been switched off.
**[OVERDRIVE ended]**
**[Collapse imminent]**
Time returned to normal.
Too fast.
Too abrupt.
The pain came back.
Multiplied.
His body dropped to his knees, the air escaping his lungs as if he had never learned how to breathe, his heart beating irregularly while a crushing pressure tore through him from within.
**[Internal damage detected]**
**[END insufficient to stabilize]**
**[Status: CRITICAL]**
*…shit…* he managed to think, but he didn't even have the strength to say it out loud.
The unmasked man recovered first, his breathing heavy but quickly stabilizing as he watched Damián fall, his expression no longer just interested.
It was understanding.
*I see…* he muttered, stepping forward slowly. *That power… is killing you.*
Damián tried to stand.
His body didn't respond.
He tried to move.
Pain.
Only pain.
The masked attacker, still affected, forced himself back up, one hand on his neck as he struggled to breathe—but his eyes were now completely locked onto Damián.
Because now…
He was vulnerable again.
And that meant only one thing.
The end.
**[Death probability: 98%]**
**[Time remaining: 19:12:03]**
The system didn't lie.
It never did.
And yet…
Damián smiled.
Weak.
Almost invisible.
But real.
Because in that moment, he understood something.
Something crucial.
Overdrive wasn't meant to win.
It was meant to change the state of the fight.
And that…
It had already done.
His fingers moved slowly, just enough to close around something still lying on the ground.
Glass.
Still there.
Still useful.
The unmasked man raised his hand, ready to finish it once and for all, his shadow covering Damián as the rain fell between them.
*It's over.*
But Damián spoke.
For the first time since the collapse.
Low.
Broken.
But firm.
*Not… yet.*
The system reacted.
**[Critical will detected]**
**[Forcing core response…]**
**[Hidden resource available]**
For a second…
Everything went silent.
As if the world was waiting.
As if the city itself was watching.
And then…
Something answered.
**[Partial activation permitted]**
**[CORE: 3% unlocked]**
A current ran through Damián's body.
Not like Overdrive.
Not violent.
But deep.
Stable.
Different.
His fingers tightened.
His body responded.
Slowly.
But enough.
And at the exact moment the blow descended toward him…
Damián moved.
One final movement.
Precise.
Lethal.
The glass rose from the ground—
Straight upward.
Silence.
One second.
Two.
The rain struck the pavement.
And then…
Blood.
**[Impact confirmed]**
The outcome…
Was still undecided.
But one thing was certain.
Damián Cruz…
Was still alive.
And in that city…
That alone made him something dangerous.