Riko's levels jump again as he goes for the boss.
When the screen throws up that unfinished challenge—Then prove me wron—Riko feels this rush in his blood, like waking up hot wires. The device glows brighter, pulsing on his skin, fast and strong. Each pulse sends heat through him, again and again, so fast he gasps.
The boss tightens its grip, but Riko pushes back.
The screen goes wild with numbers—no words, just digits, arrows, spikes, error symbols, and levels going up. They flash like crazy. Riko doesn't get what they mean, but he feels them. Every flicker slams into him, giving him strength that shakes his bones.
The boss sees the glow. Its grip weakens a bit.
Riko's chest swells. Air rushes into his lungs. "Oh," he pants, half-laughing. "Oh—you wanna work now?! Finally!"
The device pulses again.
His body reacts.
Riko plants his feet against the monster's arm and shoves as hard as he can with the glitch-power. The boss's fingers slip. Tendons crack. The creature looks unsure for the first time.
Riko feels the power get stronger—levels stacking up fast, like hitting a slot machine jackpot. The screen flashes brighter, giving him power faster than he can get it. His heart beats with the pulses, harder and faster.
The monster growls and tries to squeeze tighter.
Too slow.
Riko gets free, landing hard on the cracked ground. His legs are like springs. Dust flies up. His arms shake from adrenaline, but he keeps going. He can't stop. The rush feels like lightning, buzzing in his skin, ready to explode.
He looks up at the giant creature and yells, "HEY! ROUND FOUR!"
The screen flares, blinding him.
Something clicks in his body—some limit breaks.
He charges.
Not running.
Flying.
His feet crack the ground, making tiny shockwaves. The world blurs. The air rushes past his ears. His legs move without fear, taking him to the monster.
"GO—GO—GO!" he shouts, mostly to himself, mostly to the screen, mostly because he's scared but doing it anyway.
As he gets closer, the levels spike again.
The screen flashes:
++LEVELS RISING++
++POWER UNSTABLE++
++FORCE OUTPUT MAXING++
"Perfect!" Riko yells. "I love not knowing!"
He jumps.
His fist pulls back, glowing like a glitch-fireball. The air warps around it. For a split second, Riko thinks, What if this blows up?
Then he forgets it in the adrenaline, and he punches anyway.
His fist hits the boss's arm.
It explodes.
A shockwave rips through the monster's arm like crazy. The sound hits a second later—like a thunderclap. It shoots up the boss's arm, shaking armor, cracking bones, going all the way to its shoulder.
The monster staggers back, roaring in pain and surprise—its eyes showing panic. It tries to pull its arm away, but the shockwave locks it up for a second, making it shake.
Riko falls back, landing on one knee. The ground cracks from the force. His knuckles sting, but adrenaline hides the pain.
He stares at his fist, stunned. "Whoa. Holy—did I just… did I DO that?!"
The screen chirps like it's smug.
Riko snaps, "Don't be proud! You almost blew ME up too!"
The device flicks a sarcastic bing.
The boss steadies itself, holding its hurt arm. Its broken jaw clicks. Its chest heaves. It looks down at Riko—not confused, not amused, but angry. A growl builds in its chest, shaking the street.
Riko points. "Yeah, I can hit back now! You thought I was easy?!"
The monster's eyes narrow.
Its shadow falls over him as it lowers its body. Riko tenses up, heart pounding.
But instead of backing off…
Instead of waiting…
Instead of healing…
The boss attacks.
Its good arm shoots out, fast.
Riko tries to dodge—jump, roll, run—but his legs are too slow.
The boss's arm grabs him.
Riko gasps as it squeezes—harder than before, full of rage. Its claws dig into his sides, pinning his arms.
He fights, twists, tries to breathe, but it only squeezes harder.
His vision blurs.
His spine hurts.
His ribs feel like they'll break.
The monster's other arm grabs him, tighter than steel.