The air still smelled of dust and blood. The center battlefield was dominated by Zain and Mahir, but at the fringes, another storm was brewing.
Orion faced Imanji.
No rings. No symbols. Just two fighters with history, respect, and rage burning in their veins.
Orion's hoodie was ripped at the shoulder. His hands were wrapped, knuckles raw.
Imanji's eyes glinted cold, calculating, yet furious — every line of his body coiled like a spring.
They circled each other, neither stepping back, neither blinking. The soil beneath them crunched with every move.
BOOM!
Imanji lunged first — a low, fast strike aimed at Orion's ribs.
Orion ducked, letting Imanji's momentum carry him past, then slammed his shoulder into Imanji's side.
CRUNCH!
Imanji stumbled but didn't fall. He twisted, catching Orion by the wrist, then threw him across the dirt field.
Orion hit the ground hard, dust exploding around him. He rolled, sprang to his feet, and charged again.
Their fists collided—SMACK!
Fists against forearms, elbows clashing, boots kicking dirt into each other's faces.
The fight wasn't elegant; it was survival. Every strike carried the weight of U-Force, of WS, of countless battles behind them.
Imanji caught Orion's punch mid-air and shoved him back with his shoulder. Orion grunted but spun, catching Imanji's leg in a low sweep.
THUD!
Imanji hit the ground hard but rolled seamlessly, coming up behind Orion. He grabbed Orion by the hoodie, slammed his back into a pile of rubble, then punched him across the jaw.
Blood trickled from Orion's mouth. He coughed, spit it out, and smirked despite the pain.
> "That all you've got, Imanji?"
Imanji's smirk was sharper.
> "I've barely started."
He charged, fast as a predator.
Orion met him head-on — a collision of speed and calculation. Their fists collided, sparks seeming to fly off the hard soil with every blow.
Orion ducked under a right hook, delivered a brutal uppercut to Imanji's stomach — Imanji gasped but countered instantly with a spinning elbow, smashing Orion across the shoulder.
CRACK!
The impact echoed across the battlefield.
Both fighters staggered, faces bloodied, breathing ragged.
Around them, U-Force and WS fighters paused, instinctively giving space for the two leaders to clash.
Orion rolled forward, sweeping Imanji's legs again.
Imanji jumped, landed behind Orion, and threw a series of quick punches, each one measured, brutal, precise.
Orion grinned, wiping blood from his lip.
> "You're fast. Smart. But you're predictable."
> "Predictable?" Imanji hissed. "You're about to get annihilated."
He lunged again — faster, sharper, and this time, aiming for Orion's head.
Orion braced, fists raised.
The earth trembled beneath them as they collided once more.
Dust, blood, adrenaline — the battlefield disappeared, leaving only two shadows clashing in a storm of rage.