Heart Mutation.
The pinnacle of a mutation's power. The final form—an evolution so rare, so devastating, it was almost impossible to achieve among warriors. Few ever reached it.
And now, this man—no, this beast—stood before Arnik, radiating with raw, unrestrained energy. His body oozed mutation, the air itself bending around him. Arnik's pulse pounded in his ears as he lifted his battered arms, trembling but ready.
His armor was cracked, scorched from the brutal impact. His skin stung, blood trickling down in slow, heavy drops. His breath rasped in his throat, chest heaving, every muscle screaming in protest.
I have to hold out... even for just a little longer...
His mind raced, adrenaline screaming through his veins.
If I fall here... it's over.
ZIP!
The world blurred. In an instant, the enemy was right in front of him.
Too fast!
Arnik barely had time to register it—
POW!
A brutal fist slammed into his gut with the force of a cannon. The shockwave blasted through his body, every bone rattling. His breath left him in a strangled gasp as he was launched skyward, tearing through the roof like a ragdoll, debris raining down in his wake.
The city shrank beneath him as he ascended—high, higher, so high he could see the entire Capital. Fires burned in the streets, smoke billowing in thick clouds. The chaos of battle sprawled out like a living map, and for a brief, breathless moment, it felt like he was hovering above a dying world.
This... this is what it feels like to be powerless...
ZIP!
The enemy appeared above him, a streak of plasma and fury. His armor—what was left of it—had peeled away, disintegrated by the unstable mutation surging through him. What remained was an unnatural glow, plasma radiating from his skin in a twisted, living shell.
He looked like a being forged from fire itself.
Arnik's gut twisted. He crossed his arms in a desperate block—
CLANG!
The impact roared in his ears, rattling his skull. His body hurtled downward, spiraling through the air, lightning trailing in crackling bursts.
I need... an opening... just one...
The enemy hovered above, his hands glowing—plasma coalescing into a blinding, unstable mass. The air shimmered with heat, distorting around the energy he gathered.
If that hits... I'm dead.
Arnik's instincts screamed—he had no time to think. He gathered what little strength he had left, every last drop of energy, every fragment of will—
He forced it into his hands.
Come on...!
His palms glowed, a high-pitched hum building into a roar as a plasma blast burst from him, jagged, wild, raw.
SSSSSSSIPPP!
The enemy's beam fired at the same moment—
POW!
The clash split the air, a sonic boom tearing through the sky.
Light seared across the battlefield, the shockwave flattening buildings, shattering glass, cratering the ground.
The enemy's voice howled through the blinding energy."You aren't strong enough to defeat me at this stage!"
Arnik's arms trembled, teeth clenched so hard he thought they might crack. His beam faltered—until—
Something... inside me...
A flicker. A shift.
For an instant, his eyes turned pure, glowing blue—as if something deep within his core had awakened, pulsing with ancient, untapped power.
His plasma surged, overtaking the enemy's beam in a sudden, devastating blast—
The energy struck the man's face head-on, melting away the right side in a burst of light, flesh and bone sizzling into a horrific, molten mess.
The man screamed, staggering, the sound raw, animalistic.
Arnik gasped for air, chest heaving, body barely holding together—
But the fight wasn't over.
The enemy, enraged, released a primal roar—mutation surging like a tidal wave. He launched forward, every ounce of his strength focused into a single, reckless dive.
His hands clamped around Arnik's throat, plasma burning into his skin.
They plummeted, spinning, a tangled mass of fury and destruction—
The ground raced toward them.
Arnik barely registered the chaos, his fists pounding blindly—one, two strikes to the enemy's face, wild and desperate.
The enemy grunted, rage boiling over—he retaliated with a brutal punch to Arnik's jaw, snapping his head sideways.
They crashed into the heart of the Capital in an earth-shaking explosion—
BOOM!
Concrete split, metal twisted, a crater yawning in the ground where they landed.
Dust and smoke swallowed the square, the air vibrating with residual energy.
The enemy staggered up, panting, blood dripping from his half-melted face. His breath came in ragged bursts, every inhale a growl.
"I... truly am... the stronger one..."
He steadied himself, a savage grin splitting his twisted features.
But as the smoke cleared—
Arnik was gone.
The man's breath hitched, his twisted face turning in confusion."What...?"
He spun—
Arnik was behind him.
No longer staggering. No longer broken.
His stance was steady, shoulders squared, blood dripping from his torn armor. His hair, once damp with sweat and grime, now shimmered faintly, lifted by an unseen force, glowing like a wild storm barely contained.
Arnik's eyes—
They blazed an impossible, searing blue, as if the very essence of his Mutation had cracked open something deeper, something ancient.
His fist glowed with an overwhelming energy—plasma, fire, and lightning swirling together in a chaotic, unstable fusion.
The man recoiled, his own fist charging up instinctively, mutation pulsing wildly, crackling sparks jumping across his skin.
But it was too late.
Arnik's voice thundered across the ruined square, raw, fierce, alive with unyielding resolve."I am Arnik Handerfall! And I won't let monsters like you decide humanity's future!"
Their fists collided—
BOOOOOOM!!
The shockwave ripped through the city, tearing apart what remained of the street. Buildings crumbled. Windows shattered. The sky itself seemed to ripple under the sheer force.
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then the man collapsed, his body lifeless, smoking, mutation burned out.
Arnik stood swaying, every breath a struggle, chest heaving, blood dripping from his chin. His arms shook violently—he had never... never used so much power.
I didn't want to kill him... but I had to...
His knees buckled, his body too battered to hold up any longer.
I just... need to rest my eyes... just for a second...
He fell to one knee—
Boots pounded the cracked ground. Voices barked orders.
Terrorists. Dozens of them.
Weapons leveled. Barrels glinting in the firelight.
"Kill the Chosen One! Now!"
Arnik forced himself up, swaying, the world tilting dangerously."I'm... not done yet..."
Blood dripped from his lips as he gritted his teeth, fists barely able to lift.
The terrorists steadied their aim, fingers tightening on triggers—
Then—
A blinding flash.
The air cracked—
A figure appeared, as if stepping through a tear in the world itself.
Silky black hair, neck-length, tousled slightly. Bright green eyes that seemed to glow, sharp and calculating. His armor was sleek, almost too elegant for the battlefield, etched with faint patterns—ancient, almost ceremonial.
No words. No hesitation.
Blades erupted from him.
Swords—sleek, curved, moving like a storm, piercing through the air in a deadly, fluid dance. They impaled the terrorists mid-motion, their bodies dropping before they could even process what had happened.
A clean strike to the chest.A blade severing a rifle mid-barrel.One soldier's weapon split in half before his body crumpled in a clean, silent motion.
It was over in seconds.
Arnik stared, gasping, mind spinning."...Thanks."
He tried to steady his breath, but his body swayed, vision swimming.
The man stepped forward, kneeling calmly beside Arnik.
A small, almost amused smile curved his lips."My name is Seinjin Nemizora... you may also know me as one of the Seven Heroes of the Pirate Wars."
Arnik's breath caught.
His mind reeled.
Nemizora... that name...
Nemizora turned his head slightly, his green eyes glinting in the fading light.
"Hey, Alaric... how long are you planning on hiding?"
A shimmer—
Vayne appeared in the air beside them, the cloak of invisibility dissipating in a ripple of energy.
Arnik let out a weak, pained laugh."I... could've used some help, you know..."
Vayne's smile was faint, distant, almost amused."You would never have grown stronger if I'd helped you. It would have been... inelegant of me to do all the work."
Arnik's vision blurred. The words barely registered as he slumped forward, the exhaustion overtaking him at last.
Vayne caught him before he hit the ground, effortlessly lifting him over his shoulder.
Nemizora tilted his head, smirking faintly."Aren't you at least a little surprised to see—"
Vayne's cane shot up, the tip hovering an inch from Nemizora's throat. His voice was sharp, precise."Stay back."
Nemizora's hands lifted in mock surrender, a sly grin still playing on his lips."Harsh... quite the rude welcome."
"Enough," Vayne snapped, voice cold as steel. "We all thought you were dead. We'll speak later. I have to get Arnik medical attention. Now, excuse me."
With a sharp flick of his cane, the air shimmered—
Poof.
They were gone.
Nemizora stood alone for a moment, his smirk lingering.
Then he vanished as well, a whisper on the wind.