Chapter 58 — Against the One Who Made Them
The battlefield no longer felt like a battlefield.
It felt like a stage.
And they were nothing more than pieces placed exactly where they were meant to be.
John's chest rose and fell as he stared at the man before him. Every instinct told him the same thing—this was not an enemy he could face the way he had faced others.
Beside him, Scar stood still, his aura unstable, flickering between control and collapse. For the first time since John had known him, there was something uncertain in his presence.
"You planned all of this…" John said quietly.
The man smiled faintly.
"Of course."
His gaze moved between them, calm and calculating.
"Two survivors of the same fire. One driven by guilt. One driven by revenge. It was inevitable you would meet here."
Scar's fist tightened.
"I'll kill you."
The words came out low, filled with years of buried hatred.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"You can try."
Scar moved first.
In an instant, he vanished, his speed tearing through the air as he appeared directly in front of the man. His fist carried everything—rage, loss, years of suffering compressed into a single strike.
It never landed.
The man caught it effortlessly.
Not with force.
With ease.
Scar's eyes widened, but he didn't stop. His other hand came forward, faster, sharper—
Blocked again.
Then—
With a slight motion of the man's wrist, Scar was thrown back, crashing across the ground, tearing through the ruins before finally stopping.
John's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't a gap in strength.
This was something absolute.
"You're too emotional," the man said calmly. "You'll never reach me like that."
Scar pushed himself up, blood running down his face, but his expression had changed.
Not rage.
Focus.
"You're right," he said quietly.
The air shifted.
John felt it instantly.
Scar's presence stabilized.
The chaos in his aura began to settle, compressing into something far more dangerous.
Controlled destruction.
John stepped forward.
"I'm not working with him," he said.
Scar didn't look at him.
"I'm not asking you to."
A pause.
"But if you get in my way, I'll kill you too."
John let out a breath.
"…same."
For a brief moment, they stood side by side.
Not allies.
Not enemies.
Something in between.
The man watched them with interest.
"Good," he said. "Show me what happens when broken weapons try to defy their creator."
John moved.
Scar moved.
This time—
Together.
Their attacks came from opposite sides, perfectly timed despite the lack of coordination. Years of fighting, of instinct, of shared battles guided their movements without words.
The man didn't move at first.
Then—
He stepped forward.
Everything changed.
Their attacks missed.
Not because they were slow.
But because he wasn't where they thought he was.
John felt a sudden impact in his stomach and was thrown backward before he even saw the strike.
Scar reacted faster, turning mid-attack, but the man's hand was already there, gripping his arm and redirecting his force into the ground, creating a massive crater beneath them.
"You're predictable," the man said.
Scar broke free instantly, jumping back.
John landed hard, forcing himself up again.
"…we can't beat him like this," John muttered.
Scar didn't respond, but his eyes were locked onto the man, analyzing, calculating.
For the first time, both of them were thinking the same thing.
This wasn't a fight they could win head-on.
The man raised his hand slightly.
The air bent.
Pressure dropped.
Something massive gathered without noise, without light—pure, overwhelming force.
"Let me show you the difference," he said.
John's instincts screamed.
Scar moved instantly.
"Move!"
But instead of retreating—
John stepped forward.
Scar saw it.
"…what are you doing?"
John's eyes were steady now.
Not confused.
Not broken.
Clear.
"If he made me…" John said, "…then I'll break what he made."
Energy surged around him, unstable at first—but then it began to change.
Not forced.
Accepted.
His memories, his guilt, his past—all of it stopped fighting him.
And started fueling him.
Scar felt it.
Something new.
Something dangerous.
The man's expression shifted for the first time.
"…interesting."
The attack descended.
John didn't move back.
Scar clicked his tongue and stepped in beside him.
"Don't die before I kill you," he said.
John almost smiled.
"Same to you."
They raised their power together.
Not in sync.
But not clashing either.
Two different paths.
One moment.
The attack collided with them.
The world exploded.
Light swallowed everything.
The ground vanished beneath their feet.
And for a moment—
There was nothing.
Then—
From within the destruction—
Two figures still stood.
Barely.
But standing.
The man looked at them.
And smiled.
"Now this…"
A pause.
"…is worth continuing."
The real battle had just begun.
To be continued…