The battle had finally settled. Zero stood amidst the ruins, looking at the city. It was a grim sight—buildings leveled, the stench of burning concrete filling the air, and silence where there used to be life.
"Did my resistance cause all of this?" Zero muttered, his voice cold. "Yeah... if I hadn't fought back, maybe it wouldn't have ended like this." He paused, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. "But you know what? I don't give a damn. I was only defending myself."
He looked at his hands. "The next time this happens, I'm going to make sure it doesn't end in such a mess. We're going to play it cool from now on." He let out a short, hollow laugh. "This was quite the debut, wasn't it? But I think I'd like a better stage next time."
Zero turned back to the man he had spared—the "Bomb Guy." "I want the easiest one," Zero demanded. "Out of the 28 of you left, who is the weakest?"
The man stammered, "28? Ah, yeah... 28." Zero narrowed his eyes. "Tell me. Who should I fight next?"
The Bomb Guy chuckled nervously. "You think you're the one chasing us? You better be careful... sometimes the hunter becomes the prey, hahaha!"
Zero's expression shifted. He gave the man a look so terrifying, so piercing, that the laughter died in his throat. The man felt forced to speak. "Fine! Look... up until rank 20, they are mostly like me. But here's the trick: the top 8? You wouldn't stand a second against them. I can tell."
Zero smirked. "Alright then. Give me a name and a location."
Zero decided to leave the ruined city. He had no interest in living among debris. As he traveled, he reflected on his awakening. "This power... it's crazy. I need to understand it better. I need to make it stronger."
He began to train, testing his limits by destroying already-collapsed structures. He felt himself becoming faster. "I can punch and retreat so fast it looks like I'm teleported," he whispered, impressed. "This is cool."
Meanwhile, in a hidden location, the Bomb Guy reported back. "That guy wasn't an easy win. You might have to take him seriously," he warned a chilling, shadowed figure. The voice replied quietly, "He has so much energy... interesting." A low laugh echoed in the darkness.
Suddenly, Zero appeared on a new battlefield. He moved with such speed that it seemed he had teleported; no one noticed his arrival until he was already there. A woman stood there, sensing a presence. She looked to her left and saw him.
"It's time for my peak," Zero said calmly.
"Do you even know where you are?" the woman asked, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Just because you defeated two weak, low-ranking fools doesn't mean you can kill me."
She gestured, and suddenly, two massive, hulking humans were summoned from thin air, charging at Zero. Zero met them head-on, landing a powerful punch on one. But something was wrong. The giant didn't flinch. There was no pain, no reaction, as if he were hitting a brick wall.
Zero stepped back, thinking fast. Why aren't they taking damage? He tried to bypass them to reach the woman, but the two giants stretched their bodies, forming a literal wall of flesh to protect her. No matter how Zero jumped or pivoted, they blocked his path.
They aren't humans, Zero realized. They are her technique—dolls she controls. But why don't they take damage?
Zero decided to change tactics. He began to punch the floor! His technique allowed him to repeat any move with unlimited speed and power. He punched the ground so fast he created a hole, disappearing into the earth. The woman, safe behind her wall of flesh, couldn't see what was happening. She panicked for a split second and opened the wall to find him—but Zero was gone.
BOOM!
Zero erupted from the ground and landed a massive blow on the woman. But again, she didn't look hurt. Instead, one of her giants flew backward as if it had been hit.
"I see it now," Zero grinned. "Your ability... you transfer the damage you take to your dolls. And if I hit the dolls directly, the damage goes nowhere because they aren't the controller."
The woman tried to summon hundreds of smaller human dolls to form a massive shield, but she was weakening. Her control wasn't 100% anymore.
"My turn," Zero said. "Let's see how many of them can handle my combos."
Zero moved like a blur. He focused his power, remembering that he could repeat his strongest moves. He rained down a barrage of punches, each one stronger than the last. The air pressure alone was deafening. One by one, the dolls disintegrated under the sheer force of his "Red Frequency" strikes.
Finally, the wall collapsed. The woman stood defenseless, coughing as her ability failed. Zero stood over her, a confident smile on his face.
"Did you see my combat?"
written by: redz
Author's Note:
The real challenge begins now. Next chapter: The Annoying Voice and the Colossal Machine. You are not ready for this! Stay tuned!