Chapter 108: Past Enemies
The moment their fists met the desert exploded.
BOOM!
Sand rose like tidal waves the earth split beneath their feet—
BRRRFFF!
shockwaves tore through the empty land as Daito Greyhell and Monday Valhalla vanished into a blur of violence.
"Haaa!"
"Hoaa!"
BOOOOM!
* * *
Then—
FWOOSH!
The scene shifted.
Far from the desert, far from the storm.
Inside the armored vehicle speeding away from Ash-En-Town the team sat in uneasy silence.
The road ahead stretched endlessly dust trailing behind them until Mardale Aranos suddenly stood up from his seat.
"…Alright."
He cracked his neck lightly.
"…Everyone hold on tight."
Wei-Wan frowned slightly.
"…Why?"
Mardale smirked.
"…Because I'm about to save us three days of driving."
Aerin blinked.
"…You're teleporting the whole vehicle?"
"…That's the plan."
Champagne immediately looked concerned.
"…The fact you said 'plan' instead of 'I can definitely do it' doesn't inspire confidence."
Mardale ignored him raising his hand as faint distortions began forming around the vehicle.
Space suddenly bent slightly.
The air warped.
And then—
BOOOOOOM—!!
Something slammed into the side of the vehicle with catastrophic force.
SKREEETCH!
Everyone was thrown violently sideways.
The armored transport flipped once, twice, again, metal screaming as it rolled across the dirt.
Inside chaos, Brandon crashed against the ceiling. Aerin held onto Wasabi. Nyx slammed into the side panel. Champagne cursed loudly.
Until finally–
SKREEEEEECH—!!
The vehicle stopped upside down in a cloud of smoke.
Then—
Fwoo.....
"…Everybody alive?" Champagne groaned.
"…Unfortunately," Wei-Wan replied immediately.
BANG!
The doors were kicked open.
One by one the team climbed out from the wreckage.
And waiting for them outside were two women. Standing calmly in the middle of the road. Like they had all the time in the world.
The first tall, composed, with eyes like frozen glass.
Lieutenant Sasha Yong.
The air around her distorted unnaturally.
Her "Savage Power Kinetic Redirection."
Any force aimed at her could be bent and returned amplified.
Beside her stood another woman still, quiet and unsettling.
Lieutenant Mira Wong.
Her gaze alone felt invasive.
Her "Savage Power Neural Disruption."
One moment of eye contact and perception itself became unstable.
Motor control, balance and reaction.
All compromised.
Sasha crossed her arms slowly.
"…So these are the famous 'Outsiders.'"
Mira's voice came soft almost polite.
"…You caused quite the mess back at Grimvale."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
As Wei-Wan's expression hardened, Brandon cracked his knuckles, and Aerin reached for her weapon.
Champagne stepped forward first.
"…Before this gets ugly…"
He pointed behind him casually.
"…Daito isn't here."
The Lieutenants narrowed their eyes.
"…Where is he?" Sasha asked coldly.
Champagne sighed.
"…Still fighting Monday Valhalla."
Silence.
The wind itself seemed to pause.
Mira looked at Sasha.
For the first time both of them lost composure.
"…Monday… Valhalla?" Mira repeated quietly.
Sasha clicked her tongue.
"…Then it's over."
Aerin frowned immediately.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
Sasha's eyes darkened slightly.
"…Anyone fighting that maniac alone…"
A pause.
"…Doesn't usually come back."
Mardale stepped forward suddenly.
"…Question."
He pointed lazily at the two Lieutenants.
"…Friends or enemies?"
Wei-Wan answered instantly.
"…Bad news."
"…Very bad news."
Mardale sighed heavily.
"…Great."
He rolled his shoulders stretching slightly.
"…I'm already in a terrible mood."
His eyes sharpened.
"…But thanks to you two…"
A faint smirk formed.
"…I finally get a chance to redeem myself."
Sasha raised an eyebrow.
"…Redeem yourself from what?"
Mardale's smile disappeared.
"…Monday jumped me during my fight with Ragnarock."
The distortion around him intensified.
"…I'm still pissed about it."
Champagne stepped beside him.
"…Guess we're doing this then."
He looked back at the others.
"…You guys keep moving."
"…Leave this to us."
Nyx frowned immediately.
"…You can't be serious."
Champagne grinned slightly.
"…Relax."
A pause.
"…Worst case scenario…"
He pointed at Mardale.
"…I throw the teleport guy at them and run."
"…I heard that," Mardale muttered.
Then—
SHOOOM!
The atmosphere exploded.
Four Savage Powers activated simultaneously. Sasha's surroundings bent unnaturally, the air curving around her. Mira's eyes glowed faintly, distorting perception and view. Mardale's body shimmered as space folded around him.
And Champagne—
SHWOOOSH!
His energy surged upward violent dragon-like and
alive.
The road beneath them cracked, the sky darkened slightly, and both sides realized the same thing.
This wasn't going to be a simple encounter it was going to be war.
The moment their Savage Powers erupted they moved.
FWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
All four of them launched forward simultaneously, the road beneath their feet shattering from the force alone.
Champagne's dragon-like aura roared around him as he sprinted beside Mardale Aranos.
"…What's the plan?!" Champagne shouted.
Mardale didn't even look at him.
"…Simple."
Space distorted around his body.
"…Charge your strongest move."
Champagne blinked.
"…What?"
Mardale finally smirked.
"…And when I come back…"
A beat.
"…Whatever lands here with me…"
"…Blast it."
Champagne frowned immediately.
"…Hold on what do you mean 'when you come ba—'"
SWOOSH!
Too late.
Mardale accelerated.
Lieutenant Sasha Yong and Lieutenant Mira Wong swung simultaneously, one redirecting force the other aiming for eye contact, but Mardale reached them first.
He grabbed both of them by the wrists and vanished.
FWOOOOM—!!
The road became empty, as the team stared blankly. Champagne slowly turned back toward them hands raised slightly.
"…You know…"
A pause.
"…I genuinely hate when he does that."
Wei-Wan folded his arms.
"…Then start charging."
Champagne sighed.
"…Right."
THUD!
He planted his feet firmly.
Fwooo...
Lowered his stance.
Then slowly he brought one hand back as energy began gathering into his palm.
SHWOOFFF!
Green, and violent.
The air around him trembled.
* * *
Meanwhile far away The world warped.
And suddenly—
FWOO....
The Lieutenants and Mardale reappeared.
On a tropical coastline.
SPLASH!
Waves crashed violently nearby. Palm trees bent beneath powerful winds.
Sasha barely had time to register the new environment.
Before—
BAM!
Mardale's fist buried itself into her stomach.
POW–POW–BAM!
Then another, another, finally another.
Ten devastating blows landed in rapid succession while she was still disoriented from the teleportation.
Her body skidded across the sand violently.
"…What—?!"
SWOOSH!
Mira reacted instantly lunging toward him her fingers nearly brushing his face.
The moment she touched him.....the background twisted again.
FWOOOOM—!!
Now they stood atop freezing mountains.
SLIP!
Mira lost her footing immediately, snow crumbled beneath her feet.
"…Damn—!"
She slipped falling down the mountainside.
Mardale calmly fixed his hair.
"…Careful."
Then he jumped after her.
CRASH!
CRACK!
As she crashed against rocks rolling violently
He appeared beside her mid-fall.
BAM!
A punch to the ribs.
CRACK!
An elbow to the spine.
BOOM!
A kick to the jaw.
Every impact sent her bouncing harder against the mountain.
She gritted her teeth finally preparing to retaliate but Mardale grabbed her again.
FWOOOOM—!!
The background folded again.
Suddenly, Mira crashed directly into Sasha. Both women slammed into a massive boulder together.
BRRRMMM!
The mountain trembled.
Before they could recover Mardale appeared between them, smiling.
"…You two are kinda slow."
Then He unleashed chaos.
POW–CRACK–KA-POW!
THWACK–BAM–POW!
Punches.
Kicks.
Elbows.
Teleportation bursts between every strike.
One moment he was above them, the next beneath them then behind then beside, he struck them from impossible angles.
Rapid, precise and overwhelming.
The Lieutenants were completely thrown off.
"…How is he—?!"
"…He's switching positions mid-attack!"
"…No—he's moving the SPACE ITSELF!"
Mardale laughed loudly.
The sound echoed through the mountains.
"…HAHAHAHA!"
"…THIS IS AMAZING!"
SWOOSH!
Another teleport burst, another devastating combo.
He kicked Sasha upward, grabbed Mira and slammed her into Sasha mid-air, then teleported above them both, driving them downward with a double axe kick.
BOOOOOOM—!!
The mountain cracked apart.
Mardale floated briefly in distorted space grinning wildly.
"…I'm having the time of my life!"
Sasha wiped blood from her mouth.
"…This lunatic…"
Mira steadied her breathing.
"…No…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"…He's not teleporting normally."
Mardale heard that.
His grin widened.
"…Finally catching on?"
Then—
GRAB!
He grabbed their clothes again.
The world twisted and instantly—
FWOOOM!
They appeared somewhere else entirely.
A place of violent storms and dark skies. Massive tornadoes twisting across the land. Winds screamed like monsters.
The moment the Lieutenants arrived, the tornadoes swallowed them.
WHOOOOOOOM—!!
Their bodies spun violently through the air unable to stabilize.
Then lightning struck.
KRAAAASH—!!
One bolt, then another, and finally another.
Electricity tore through the storm as both women screamed in frustration.
Meanwhile Mardale stood calmly on floating debris hands in his pockets hair flowing in the violent wind.
"…Man…"
A laugh escaped him.
"…Teleportation is FUN."
The lightning strike finally landed.
SKKRAAATT!
For the first time since the fight began, Mardale Aranos failed to react in time.
He had been floating carelessly above the tornado, hands in his pockets, talking to himself like a tourist enjoying scenery, when suddenly Lieutenant Sasha Yong raised both hands.
The lightning that had been tearing through the storm bent unnaturally toward her.
Her Savage Power activated.
Every violent force inside the tornado twisted around her body.
Redirected and amplified.
Then with blood dripping from her forehead she pointed directly at Mardale.
"Kinetic Return."
KRAAAAAAAAAASH—!!
The accumulated lightning exploded toward him.
The strike hit directly as Mardale's eyes widened.
"…Oh."
The blast swallowed him instantly.
The tornado split apart from the impact. Electricity tore through the storm clouds while the shockwave shattered nearby cliffs.
Inside the tornado both Lieutenants spun violently through the air.
Debris, trees and broken rock.
Entire chunks of land crashed against them from every direction. Lieutenant Mira Wong grabbed onto a floating piece of rubble desperately.
"…Sasha…"
Blood ran down her face.
"…We're probably going to die here…"
Another tree smashed into her shoulder.
Sasha gritted her teeth while redirecting more incoming debris away from them.
"…Shut up…"
A lightning bolt narrowly missed them both.
The tornado howled louder. Even Sasha's composed expression began cracking. For the first time they realized how terrifying Mardale's ability truly was.
He wasn't simply teleporting.
He was controlling battlefields, environments, even positioning itself. And against martial artists that ability was horrifying.
Then suddenly—
GRAB!
A hand grabbed Sasha another grabbed Mira.
Both women froze.
Mardale's voice echoed calmly behind them.
"…Alright."
Silence.
"…Playtime's over."
FWOOOOM—!!
The world vanished.
Darkness consumed everything. No wind, sound, not even gravity. Only black space crossed by endless silver lines. Like shattered mirrors floating in infinity.
Mira looked around carefully.
"…Where are we…"
Mardale's voice echoed from nowhere.
"…The Mirror Section."
Silver reflections rippled across the darkness.
Then two figures emerged, both Mardale.
One from the left and one from the right.
The Lieutenants widened their eyes.
"…Clones?!"
"No."
Mardale smirked.
"…Reflections."
Both versions of him moved simultaneously and attacked.
BOOM!
A punch buried itself into Sasha's ribs.
CRACK!
Mira got struck in the jaw instantly after.
The mirrored Mardales fought identically.
Perfectly synchronized.
Every dodge every feint every counter matched exactly.
Sasha tried redirecting one strike but the second Mardale hit her blindspot immediately.
Mira attempted neural disruption only for both Mardales to close their eyes simultaneously and continue attacking purely through instinct and movement prediction.
POW–PANG–THWACK!
THWACK–POW–POW!
SMACK–POW–PANG!
Their barrage became relentless.
Punches rained down from impossible angles.
Knees.
Elbows.
Palm strikes.
Shoulder tackles.
Combat without wasted movement.
The Lieutenants were overwhelmed.
Not because they lacked power but because they lacked preparation and Mardale noticed it immediately.
While weaving through their attacks he analyzed them calmly.
"…Strong abilities."
A dodge.
"…Excellent reactions."
A counter.
"…But your hand-to-hand combat…"
Both Mardales simultaneously drove their fists into Sasha and Mira's stomachs.
BOOOOM—!!
"…Is incomplete."
The women crashed across the mirrored floor violently.
Mardale stood still afterward, watching and thinking.
Then something clicked in his mind.
His mirrored reflection beside him moved exactly like him. Same posture, same breathing, and same rhythm. And somehow through that synchronization he understood the fight completely.
The Lieutenants weren't weak far from it. Their abilities were deadly. Their coordination was impressive. Their determination was genuine. But they made one critical mistake.
They entered battle without proper information.
They expected Daito's group to be rebels, rogues and just survivors.
Not monsters, not people like Mardale, not fighters capable of adapting to entire battlefields instantly, and that lack of information was what defeated them.
Not strength, not speed, but knowledge.
Mardale finally sighed.
Then, snapped his fingers.
CRASH!
The Mirror Section shattered and reality returned.
All three of them appeared back near the overturned vehicle. Champagne still stood there one glowing hand fully charged with terrifying energy.
"…About damn time," Champagne muttered.
Mardale casually waved him off.
"…Relax. They're finished."
The Lieutenants barely remained standing, bloodied, bruised and exhausted.
Yet their eyes still burned with hatred.
Sasha wiped blood from her lips.
"…We're not stopping…"
Mira steadied herself beside her.
"…Not until Daito pays…"
"…For what happened to Kirigaya."
Mardale's expression shifted slightly.
For the first time he stopped joking, because they weren't bluffing. Even after everything their resolve remained intact and strangely that made him think.
About Daito, about loyalty, about the strange people willing to follow him, and about enemies willing to hunt him endlessly.
Mardale looked down quietly.
"…Just what kind of person are you, Daito…"
to be continued.....