Chapter 54: Demonstration
**Upper Ruins — Iron Bastion**
The wind carried dust through the broken walls, and from within it, she walked out.
**Shinsei.**
Her body showed it, cracks in her stance, a slight drag in her step.
Daito's kick had landed and it mattered but not enough.
She rolled her shoulder and cracked her neck—
CRACK!
Then brushed it off like it was nothing.
Around her, a few desperate prisoners rushed in thinking this was their moment.
FWOOSH!
"Eyya!"
"Take this!"
But it was their grave mistake.
She didn't even look at them.
A step, strike, and turn—
*CRACK.*
*THUD.*
*SNAP.*
Bodies dropped, one after another, effortlessly.
Her eyes never left—
**Daito.**
Then shifted to—
**Monday.**
A smirk formed.
"…Come on."
Her voice low.
"…Show me something worth remembering."
Monday stepped forward—
BUZZ!
Electricity erupting violently around him, his jaw clenched, energy building, a massive lightning blast charging from his mouth—
BZZZTLE!
The air screamed—
HUMM!
Pressure rising ready to fire, then...
*Step…*
*Step…*
Footsteps from the staircase. They were slow and unbothered. The kind of steps that didn't belong on a battlefield. Everyone felt it, even Monday paused.
Then he appeared.
**Cassian.**
He was casual and relaxed, like he just stepped out for fresh air.
He looked at Shinsei first.
"…You're overdoing it."
He sighed.
"…If this keeps going, you'll all end up dead."
His eyes flicked down.
"…Also… your heels are done."
Shinsei clicked her tongue annoyed, then looked away.
For the first time, she stepped back. Yielding, not defeated but acknowledging.
Cassian walked forward, past her straight toward them.
Daito.
Monday.
Brandon.
Champagne.
The rest.
His presence shifted everything. He stopped a few meters away with his hands in his pockets.
Then, he tilted his head.
"…I hate dogs that bark without bite."
The silence felt heavy and oppressive.
His eyes scanned them.
"…What's wrong?"
A small grin.
"…You wanted a fight, didn't you?"
He took one step forward.
"…Then bring your asses."
"…I don't have time."
SWOOSH!
DASH!
FWOOSH!
That was it, no signal and no countdown. They moved all of them at once.
Monday fired first.
*CRAAAAACK!!!*
A full-powered lightning blast tore through the battlefield, straight at Cassian.
He didn't dodge, block, or move. The blast swallowed him whole as the light consumed everything.
Then it faded.
Cassian stood there unharmed.
"…That tickled."
Brandon charged a heavy strike that was aimed to crush, but Cassian caught it.
THUD!
One hand stopped it like it was nothing.
"…Too slow."
He twisted—
*BOOM.*
Brandon was gone.
Sent flying, crashing through what remained of the wall.
Champagne came next with precision and speed, as Cassian stepped inside his range—
POW!
One hit.
Champagne dropped.
Wei-Wan and Fah-jin attacked together using perfect coordination—
FWOSH!
Cassian blurred.
They froze.
Then—
THUD!
POW!
Both hit the ground before they even saw him move.
"Rooaaa!"
Zachia roared swinging with full force—
SLASH!
Cassian stopped the blade with two fingers.
"…Not bad."
Then—
SNAP!
CRASH!
Zachia was buried into the ground.
Avenor tried, with invisibility, but Cassian turned before she even struck.
"…Found you."
A flick—
SWOOSH!
CRASH!
She crashed hard.
DASH!
Monday came again, desperate and explosive, but Cassian stepped forward and punched.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The air shattered.
Monday dropped with lightning flickering out.
BZTLE!
Now, only one stood.
Daito.
Breathing steady, eyes locked with sword in hand.
Cassian looked at him—
"…You lasted the longest."
A pause.
Then—
SWOOSH!
They moved
Daito struck, fast and precise, but Cassian met him effortlessly.
SLING!
THUD!
Every strike blocked, and every movement read.
Daito pushed faster, sharper, and more frantic.
Cassian smiled.
"…This is it?"
Then—
CRACK!
A hit landed as Daito's vision shook.
Another—
BOOM!
His body lifted—
CRAAASSSH!!
Then, he slammed into the ground hard.
Silence followed as the smoke settled, and there were bodies everywhere.
No one was standing.
Except—**Cassian.**
He adjusted his sleeves.
"…Disappointing."
Behind him Shinsei watched.
Quiet and respectful.
Because even she knew that wasn't a fight.
It was a demonstration.
* * *
BOOM!
The ground was cracked.
The air was heavy.
Bodies scattered across broken stone.
But Daito… moved.
A twitch then a breath.
Then—
SWOOSH!
He pushed himself up.
Slowly.
Pain screamed through his body, but his eyes still burned.
He looked at his team. They were bruised, bleeding, and broken but not finished.
His mind raced.
*There has to be a way…*
Cassian stood ahead, calm and untouched.
Too calm.
Daito clenched his jaw.
"…Together."
The word came out low but clear. They looked at him and immediately understood.
This was not strength, nor speed but....
**Timing.**
A simultaneous strike.
One moment and one opening. That was all they needed.
Daito steadied his stance.
"…On me."
Cassian watched, amused.
"…Still thinking, huh?"
Then—
Fwoo...
He moved first.
Both arms stretched outward wide. Then he bent slightly like the air itself paused.
And crossed them.
WHOOOOM!!!
The air collapsed inward.
A violent pull, invisible, unstoppable.
Daito's eyes widened.
"…DON'T WAVER—!"
Too late.
They were already moving not by choice but by force. Dragged and ripped forward at insane speeds. Like bullets, all of them heading straight for Cassian.
"…Now!" Daito shouted.
They attacked mid-air.
All at once.
Each used blades, fists, lightning, and everything.
Everything they had left.
Cassian laughed and laughed
"…You really don't learn."
Then he opened his hands and stopped them mid-air. Just stopped like time froze. Their bodies were all suspended helpless.
Monday's eyes widened.
"…WAIT—!"
Too late.
Cassian lifted his arm, and the sky answered.
They shot upward.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Like rockets.
Their bodies launched higher and higher, above the ruins.
Above the battlefield.
Then Cassian clenched his fist and brought them down.
CRAAAAAAAAASH!!!
The ground shattered, dust exploded outward. Bones cracked and screams cut short. Before they could recover, he did it again.
WHOOOOM!!!
He pulled, lifted, and threw.
BOOOOM!!!
Again and again, and again.
Ten times.
Ten brutal cycles of sky and ground. Of hope and destruction. Each impact heavier, and each fall more violent. Each breath closer to breaking until silence filled the whole area
The dust settled slowly. What remained was ruin. Deep craters, shattered stone, and broken bodies.
Daito lay in the center barely moving, his fingers twitched, but even that felt like too much.
Around him, his team was scattered, crushed, and destroyed, not one of them was able to stand.
Cassian exhaled, almost bored.
"…Pathetic."
He looked down at them, not as enemies or as threats.
But as *Children.*
Behind him, Shinsei watched silently.
Even she didn't move because she knew that this wasn't a battle. This wasn't even close.
This was absolute dominance.
And as Daito's vision faded, one thought echoed louder than the pain.
"…This… is impossible…"
Dust settled slowly…like the battlefield itself was exhausted.
Daito lay there barely conscious, his vision flickering.
The shapes around him blurred and the sounds were distant.
He forced his head up and saw them.
Brandon… was down. Champagne… was not moving. Wei-Wan… clutched at his side. Fah-jin… was unconscious. Zachia… buried in debris. Avenor… barely breathing. Everyone… was broken. Everyone except Monday.
He stood there unsteady, bruised, but standing.
Electricity crackled faintly around him like the last spark before darkness.
He walked toward Daito slowly.
Daito coughed, blood filled his lips.
"…Listen…"
His voice strained.
"…Cassian… his powers…"
He forced the words out—
"…Gravitational… reality warping… matter manipulation…"
Monday stopped and looked at him blank.
Then his expression twisted.
"…What?"
Then—
THUD!
Monday smacked Daito across the head hard.
"…Snap out of it."
Daito blinked, dazed.
"…What…?"
Monday crouched down, grabbing his collar—
Fwish...
"…Has he hit you that hard?"
"…You're talking like he's some kind of god."
His tone sharpened.
"…There's no such thing."
Daito clenched his teeth—
Clench!
"…Then explain it…"
"…Explain how he survived..."
"…I cut his neck..."
"…I felt it."
"…Explain how he hits like that..."
"…Explain what the hell he is...!"
Monday stared at him.
For a second then exhaled.
"…You're overthinking."
He stood up, turning slightly.
"…His Savage Power…"
A pause.
"…is called...."
"Give or Take."
Daito's eyes narrowed.
"…That's it?"
Monday shrugged.
"…That's it."
"…He either gives...."
"…or he takes."
to be continued.....