The brick corridor ended at a heavy steel door, but standing in front of it was a figure wrapped in shifting, smoky shadows.
It was a Chaya-Duta enforcer, his face hidden behind a dark-matter mask, a solid shadow shield resting on his left arm. The air around him was so cold that the water on the floor had frozen into a thick sheet of ice.
"You should not have come here, Rathod," the enforcer said, his voice distorted by the mask.
"Get out of the way," Vikram said, stepping forward.
The enforcer lunged, throwing his shadow shield forward. A wave of solid dark photons shot across the floor. Vikram leaped over the wave, but the enforcer was already in the air, his fist wrapped in solid shadow driving toward Vikram's face.
Vikram blocked with his forearms, but the impact sent him crashing back against the brick wall. The cold from the strike numbed his arms instantly.
The enforcer spun, throwing a sweeping kick. Vikram ducked, countering with a quick combination to the enforcer's ribs. His normal punches landed, but the enforcer's armor absorbed the kinetic force.
"Your punches are weak, boxer!" the enforcer laughed, his shadow shield expanding to cover his entire body.
Vikram retreated, his eyes scanning the room. He needed to break the shield, but his physical strikes weren't enough. He had to use the environment.