The boss's smile widened as he stepped forward, arms relaxed, posture loose—like a predator amused by struggling prey.
Henry looked right—Emilia, standing with her fists trembling, her body aching though her wounds were sealed. Then left Daniel, pale, his left arm nothing more than a half-mangled stump.
Henry's chest heaved. He shook his head. Then, with a step forward, his voice thundered:
Henry: "You will pay for it."
Boss: "Give me all you got."
Henry blurred forward, faster than most eyes could track. His fist screamed through the air, wrapped faintly in that radiant blue energy.
But the boss was ready this time. He tilted his head effortlessly, the punch slicing through empty space.
Henry struck again—left fist this time. Again, the boss leaned the opposite way, dodging by inches.
Another strike—another dodge. The rhythm built like a drumbeat—bam-bam-bam—until finally the boss's hand snapped out like a viper, catching Henry's fist mid-swing.
Henry's eyes widened.
From behind him, Emilia surged, her arm blooming into a massive fog axe. She swung down with a war cry—
But the boss sneered and, with monstrous strength, hurled Henry like a projectile.
Henry: "—Ughh!!"
The air knocked from his lungs, Henry crashed straight into Emilia, scattering her attack. She gasped but forced her body into fog from the waist down, stabilizing in midair and catching her brother before they both plummeted.
Henry: "Are you okay?"
Emilia: "I'm alright. He's just… really strong."
She let him down gently, but her voice trembled.
The Boss laughed—mocking, hollow, inhuman.
Boss: "Is this all you got?"
Henry's lips curled into a smile.
Henry: "Not yet."
He launched himself forward once more.
The boss braced—ready to counter again. He deflected Henry's punch with ease, twisting his wrist to redirect the strike. Henry's back was exposed—open, vulnerable.
But this time, Henry had baited him. Using the momentum, he spun with the grace of a trained fighter, his body twisting into a leap.
Mid-spin, Henry's eyes locked onto the boss's smirking face. His leg snapped out—
WHAM!!
A roundhouse kick exploded across the boss's jaw, cracking the air like thunder.
The Boss was sent skidding through the dirt—straight toward Emilia. She inhaled sharply, her arm morphing into a gigantic fog fist.
Emilia: "Haaah!!"
Her strike collided with the airborne boss, hammering him down like a meteor. The ground was cratered, with smoke and dust surging upward.
Henry: "You got him good!"
Emilia: "Not yet."
And she was right.
From the crater, the Boss rose. Flesh peeled from his arm and forehead, strips of skin dangling as beneath them, gleaming metallic parts glistened. Machinery hissed. His eyes burned with cold madness.
Boss: "You got me good. Now… it's my turn."
His arm leveled at Emilia. A deep crimson glow swelled in his palm before detonating outward—a beam of red energy, searing through the air.
Emilia barely twisted aside, the beam scorching past her shoulder.
Daniel froze where he stood, his chest heaving. He had seen many criminals and many fights. But this—this was war. As an ICD agent, he'd always been one of the strongest among his peers. Yet here, he felt like an insect.
But still—he clenched his fists, surrounding them with a golden aura. His legs trembled, but he charged.
The Boss blinked, tilting his head with mock amusement.
Boss: "Why would a weakling waste his life like this?"
The red glow gathered again in his palm—
But before he could fire, a foggy hand seized his wrist, yanking it aside. The beam tore through the harbor wall instead, scattering debris.
Emilia: "Now, Danny!!"
Daniel leapt in, his fist blazing golden. He slammed it into the boss's face, snapping his head to the side. The Boss staggered, surprised—only for Daniel to grab him with his remaining arm.
Electricity sparked violently from Daniel's aura, coursing into the boss's skull. The sickening stench of burning flesh filled the air as his skin bubbled and peeled, half his face melting away to reveal a grinning metallic skull.
The Boss's distorted voice howled—half human, half machine.
But then—CRUNCH.
The boss's hand plunged straight through Daniel's stomach.
Daniel: "Ghhk—"
Blood burst from his lips, splattering the ground. His golden glow flickered and dimmed.
Emilia: "DANNY!!"
The Boss yanked his arm free, and Daniel collapsed, a gaping hole in his torso.
Emilia's scream shook the air as her eyes filled with horror. She turned back to the Boss—half flesh, half machine, his melted smile still plastered across his face.
Boss: "Maybe you're right, Emilia… Maybe I never was human."
His voice grated with robotic distortion.
Emilia snapped. She roared, her fists becoming fog-wrapped gauntlets as she launched herself at him.
She swung wildly—furiously. The boss slipped aside, weaving effortlessly before smashing his fist into her nose. CRACK. Blood burst down her face.
But she didn't falter. Screaming, she formed a fog blade and slashed—CLANG! Sparks flew as it bit into his chest, tearing away flesh and metal. A glimpse of his inner machinery whirred beneath.
Boss: "Wonderful… just wonderful."
Emilia: "What are you smiling at, old man!?"
Boss: "Just look how strong you've become."
Then, with a flick of his arm, a razor-sharp bubble blade whirled into existence. He slashed upward, the air splitting with a shriek. Emilia barely jumped aside—
Only to be caught by the follow-up: a beam tearing across her side.
Blood sprayed as a deep gash opened in her stomach. She gasped, falling to one knee, clutching the wound.
Her eyes blurred toward Daniel's lifeless body.
Emilia: "I-I'm sorry, Danny…"
The Boss loomed over her, his hand glowing red, readying another beam. His metallic grin was obscene.
Boss: "Truly wonderful."
He laughed.
Then—CLANG!!
From behind, Henry landed, shoving a jagged metal rod deep into the boss's neck. Sparks erupted as wires snapped. The Boss convulsed, dropping to his knees, his distorted scream ringing through the harbor.
Henry rushed to Emilia, gripping her hand and pressing it against her wound.
Henry: "Hold on, big sis, okay?"
She nodded weakly, blood trickling down her lips, her face twisted with pain.
Henry turned back—eyes ablaze.
The Boss was already rising again. His hand tore the metal rod from his neck with a screech of twisting steel. Half of his face hung in tatters, one eye glowing red, the other still human.
He grinned through sparks and blood.
The fight was far from over.