The air inside the Shen Kao was heavy, thick with a pressure that made it hard to breathe. Everyone stood frozen for a moment, the silence of the domain pressing against their ears. Galsen looked around, his eyes scanning the shimmering boundaries of the space with a mocking tilt of his head.
"So, this is your Shen Kao? Impressive," Galsen said, his voice echoing with a chilling calmness. "I really don't think I can break this. Ha..."
As the last syllable left his lips, his relaxed posture vanished. In a blur of movement that the human eye could barely follow, Galsen closed the distance. He slammed a deadly kick into Arnold's ribs, the sound of the impact like a crack of thunder. Before Arnold could even hit the ground, Galsen pivoted and launched a high kick at Ayelen.
Both were sent flying into the air. Galsen didn't give them a second to recover. He leaped after them, his fists and feet moving like a whirlwind. He landed a barrage of punches and kicks, hitting them from every angle. Arnold and Ayelen were completely helpless. Without Nyloxin, defeating Galsen in hand-to-hand combat was a nightmare, and the lack of Flauge made them feel naked against his raw power.
They crashed into the ground, sliding across the hard floor of the Shen Kao. Ayelen coughed, wiping a trail of blood from her lip as she looked at Arnold with pure frustration.
"Are you out of your mind?" Ayelen hissed, her voice shaking with adrenaline. "Why did you activate this? We can't engage him in hand-to-hand combat!"
Arnold struggled to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He didn't look back at her, his eyes locked on the monster standing a few feet away. He knew he had made a gamble.
"If I hadn't activated the Shen Kao, the atmosphere itself would have finished us," Arnold replied, his voice strained. "It got so cold out there that our Flauge was freezing. I had to do it. This was the only way to keep us moving."
Ayelen gritted her teeth and dropped into a low fighting stance. She tried to rush Galsen again, her movements desperate and sharp, but it was useless. Galsen moved with a casual grace, dodging her strikes as if she were moving in slow motion. He "low-diffed" her, sidestepping a punch and sending her tumbling with a flick of his wrist.
Arnold saw the opening and lunged forward with a heavy kick, but Galsen wasn't there. He moved like a shadow. Suddenly, Galsen appeared between them, his elbows slamming into both of their chests at the same time. The force was enough to knock the wind out of them completely, and they both slumped to the ground, momentarily unconscious.
Galsen didn't even look at them. He turned his gaze toward Vermiliya. A predatory smile grew on his face as he walked toward her. He reached out his hand, his fingers curling like claws, ready to wrap around her throat and end it.
"Stay away from her!"
The shout came from two voices at once. Arnold and Ayelen had forced themselves back up. They looked battered, their clothes torn and covered in dust, but their eyes were burning with a new intensity. Ayelen charged first. Galsen smirked, prepared to dodge her just like before, but as he moved to the side, Arnold was already there.
Arnold's foot connected solidly with Galsen's side, sending the man stumbling back.
The atmosphere in the Shen Kao shifted instantly. The air felt charged with a sudden, sharp thrill. Galsen straightened up, his eyes wide with a flicker of genuine shock. He touched his side, wondering how they had managed to land a hit on him.
He didn't wait to find out. He vanished again, reappearing in front of Ayelen with terrifying speed. Ayelen managed to twist her body just enough to dodge the killing blow, and at that exact moment, Arnold swung a heavy punch from beneath Galsen's guard.
Galsen recoiled, his heart racing. How were they matching his speed? They shouldn't be able to see him. Then, it clicked.
They weren't seeing him. They were playing a dangerous game of pure guesswork.
Galsen watched them closely now. He realized their strategy. Whenever he tried to hit one of them, the other didn't wait to see where he went. They simply assumed his direction based on his momentum and attacked the empty air where they thought he would be. It was a reckless, high-speed gamble, and it was working.
Arnold and Ayelen didn't give him time to think. They closed in again, their movements synchronized by desperation.
"Again!" Arnold shouted.
They struck. Then they struck again. And again. Galsen was forced onto the defensive, his body taking heavy hits that rattled his bones. He was taking serious damage. He knew that if this continued, he might actually die here. In the Shen Kao, the rules were absolute, and healing was strictly banned.
Galsen's eyes darted around, looking for a way out. He needed a distraction. A clever, cruel move.
While Arnold and Ayelen were focused on their next coordinated strike, Galsen reached into his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a tiny, nearly invisible poison needle flying through the air. It didn't go toward the fighters. It went straight for the girl standing behind them.
The needle sank into Vermiliya's skin. She gasped, her hand flying to her neck, but the poison was already spreading.
Galsen knew the rules of this domain better than anyone. The Shen Kao would only dissolve if one person inside died. He didn't care who it was.
The fight continued for a few more seconds, with Ayelen and Arnold finally dominating the exchange. They drove Galsen back, their strikes landing with the weight of all their rage. They were winning. They had him cornered.
But then, a horrific sound broke the rhythm of the battle.
Vermiliya let out a sharp, pained scream. She collapsed to her knees, her face pale as the poison began to shut down her heart.
Galsen threw his head back and laughed, a jagged, manic sound that filled the golden space.
Ayelen and Arnold froze. Their fists stayed raised, but the fire in their eyes died out, replaced by a cold, paralyzing silence. They turned slowly, looking back at the girl who was dying because of the very barrier meant to protect them.
CHAPTER 20 ENDS