Just as I finish off Ikaris, Zombified Captain Marvel breaks free. The shards of my [Lockdown] spell disintegrated into streaks of fading light as her body flared with raw power. Her eyes, twin orbs of molten gold, locked on me with primal hunger. The storm clouds above churned faster, drawn by her chaotic aura, painting the world in violent hues of blue and red.
"Persistent," I muttered, rolling my shoulders as the tension in the air thickened. "Fine. Let's finish this."
She shot forward in an instant. The air cracked as she moved—not flew, moved—a blur of corrupted light. I barely had time to brace when her fist connected with my chest, launching me backward. The impact was a hammer blow that shattered the asphalt beneath my boots when I hit the ground.
Pain rippled through me, and for a moment, I tasted blood.
I grinned.
"She hits hard…" I murmured, pushing myself up, "…good."
Captain Marvel descended like a meteor, her body wreathed in flames. I sidestepped at the last moment, the force of her landing carving a crater where I'd just been. The shockwave leveled several nearby cars and sent debris flying like shrapnel. Before the dust even settled, I darted forward and threw a heavy right hook.
She caught it—barely. Her arms trembled as I pressed forward, the ground cracking beneath our feet. I leaned closer, meeting her hollow, rage-filled eyes.
"Still holding back, aren't you?" I said with a faint smirk.
She answered with an ear-splitting roar, swinging her knee into my ribs. I let the blow land, then twisted her arm and slammed my elbow into her face. The hit made her stagger, but she retaliated instantly—her left hand glowing bright as she fired a concentrated energy blast point-blank.
The explosion swallowed us both.
Flames rolled across the streets, glass shattered, and the night howled with the storm's fury. Through the roar of destruction, I broke through the cloud of smoke, moving faster than before. My fist met her gut with a sound like thunder, sending her skidding across the ground.
She tore through the remains of a storefront and burst out the other side, snarling like a wild beast. Energy crackled across her arms as she tried to charge another blast, but I was already there. I slammed into her mid-motion, both of us soaring into the air, breaking through layers of dust and lightning.
We collided above the ruined city, fists trading faster than the eye could follow. Every impact sent ripples through the rain-soaked clouds. She was powerful—faster and stronger than I'd expected. But her movements were sloppy, her instincts dulled by the infection twisting her mind.
She was strength without control.
I was control refined through strength.
She swung wide—a wild haymaker meant to tear through steel. I ducked beneath it, spinning inside her guard, and drove an uppercut into her jaw. The blow snapped her head back, and I followed with a kick to her midsection that sent her hurtling upward.
She recovered midair, energy blazing around her hands as she prepared another strike.
This time, I didn't give her the chance.
I closed the distance in a blink, appearing right in front of her face. My fist collided with her stomach—hard enough to bend space around us. The explosion of force sent shockwaves rippling across the city ruins below, toppling what few structures remained standing.
But she wasn't finished yet.
Even as her body convulsed from the impact, she lashed out, firing a burst of cosmic energy point-blank. It tore through my shoulder, burning through flesh before I regenerated the damage in seconds. Her strength was fading, but her fury wasn't.
I caught her wrist before she could fire again and twisted sharply. Bones cracked. Then I drove my knee into her chest, sending her crashing back to earth.
The ground split apart under the impact.
I landed a moment later, the rain pouring harder now. The crater she'd made was wide enough to swallow a small building. I stepped to the edge, watching her struggle to rise—her light flickering, her power chaotic and unstable.
She staggered upright, face burned and cracked, hair hanging in blood-soaked strands. She still glowed faintly—the dying ember of a collapsing star.
And she charged again.
Her speed was insane, faster than before. She aimed straight for my head, both fists blazing with enough force to vaporize concrete. I ducked under the first swing, caught her arm with one hand, and slammed my elbow into her throat. She reeled, gasping—not for air, but out of reflex, her body still remembering how to live.
I spun on my heel, pivoted my weight, and brought my left fist around in a brutal arc. The punch connected with her side, shattering ribs and sending her airborne once more. I followed instantly, leaping after her.
Midair, she tried one last desperate move—summoning all her remaining energy into her right hand. The glow was blinding and unstable, leaking sparks in every direction.
"Don't even try," I said flatly.
I vanished from her sight and reappeared right above her. My right fist came down like a comet.
The impact was decisive.
Final.
Absolutely.
Her head exploded under the force, a burst of red mist and shattered bone scattering into the rain. Her body went limp, the cosmic glow fading from her veins as it tumbled lifelessly toward the earth.
I landed beside it moments later. The rain hissed against the heat still radiating from her corpse, washing away the gore and dust. For a long moment, I just stood there, breathing slowly, letting the storm drown out the echoes of battle.
"Stronger than I expected," I said quietly. "But still not enough."
Shalltear descended behind me, her parasol shielding her from the rain as always. Her crimson eyes glimmered with admiration—and something deeper.
"Magnificent as ever, my lord," she said softly, bowing slightly. "The stars themselves trembled at that strike."
"Thanks, Shalltear. Now let's see my rewards."
~~~
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