The bald armored man stared at Raiden with burning, unfiltered rage. One of his eyes was completely red—damaged, bloodshot, and almost lifeless, yet somehow filled with a terrifying intensity.
Dust swirled around them. The street was already half-destroyed, cracks spreading across the ground like veins.
Raiden stood still, calm on the outside—but alert.
"It's time I end this," he said coldly, his voice cutting through the chaos.
For a brief moment, everything went silent.
Then—
The armored man raised his arm and fired his repulsor.
A blast of energy tore through the air.
Raiden moved instantly.
He stepped aside with ease, the blast barely grazing past him before exploding against a distant wall. Before the man could react again, Raiden closed the gap in a flash—
And drove his fist straight into his chest.
Lightning erupted from his hand.
A violent surge of electricity exploded outward on impact, illuminating the entire street in a blinding blue-white flash.
The bald man's body was launched backward like a missile.
He crashed straight into a building.
The impact was devastating.
Windows shattered instantly. Glass rained down like deadly shards. Concrete broke apart as the structure partially collapsed inward from the force.
The sound echoed for seconds.
Then—
Silence.
Smoke rose slowly from the wreckage.
Raiden exhaled, lowering his hand as faint sparks of lightning danced around his fingers.
"…That should do it."
A small smirk formed on his face.
Finally. It was over, he thought.
He turned away from the destruction and faced the civilians who had been watching in fear from a distance.
"Everyone, don't worry—it's over!" he shouted confidently. "It's going to take him a lot of time to recover from that."
Relief began to spread.
Some people lowered their guard. Others started stepping forward cautiously.
Then—
A collective gasp.
Raiden blinked, confused.
"…What?"
The crowd wasn't looking at him anymore.
They were looking behind him.
A chill ran down his spine.
Slowly—
He turned around.
And froze.
From within the broken remains of the building…
A figure stepped out.
The bald armored man.
Still alive.
His movements were slow, unsteady—his body clearly pushed beyond its limits. Pieces of his armor were cracked, some barely holding together. His breathing was heavy, uneven.
He looked like he should have collapsed already.
But he didn't.
He kept walking forward.
Raiden's eyes widened slightly.
"You've got to be kidding me…" he muttered, frustration slipping into his voice.
He adjusted his cap one hand behind the backstrap, the other on the front sandwich and then he let out a short, almost disbelieving laugh.
"Alright… I'll give you that," he said, raising his voice. "You're committed. Seriously. You take your job way too seriously."
No response.
The man didn't even look at him properly.
Instead, his lips moved slightly.
Muttering.
Whispering.
To himself.
Raiden frowned.
"…What are you saying?"
Nothing.
Just quiet, broken whispers.
Raiden's expression hardened. He slowly took his stance, both hands forming fists, lightning faintly crackling around his arms as he prepared for another attack.
"Look…" he said, his tone still mocking. "Whatever's going on with you, you need help."
The man kept muttering.
Raiden sighed, trying to reason with him.
"So how about this—you come with me. I'll hand you over to the soldiers. They'll fix you up first, then deal with the rest."
Still nothing.
Raiden tilted his head slightly, squinting.
"…Voices?" he added. "Is that it? Because you're talking to yourself, and honestly, I can't understand a single word you're saying."
For a split second—
The muttering stopped.
Then—
A sharp metallic sound.
Raiden's eyes snapped downward.
From the armored man's wrist, a thin mechanical needle extended outward.
"…What the—"
Before Raiden could react—
The man drove it straight into his own neck.
A sickening click echoed.
Then—
He screamed.
A raw, distorted scream of pure agony tore through the air.
Raiden instinctively stepped back, eyes widening in shock.
"What the hell…?"
The liquid from the device began spreading instantly through the man's body.
Veins bulged violently beneath his skin. A faint glow pulsed through them, moving rapidly like something alive.
His body trembled.
Armor plates began to shake and shift under the pressure.
His breathing turned into erratic, animalistic gasps.
Raiden stared, trying to process what he was seeing.
What did he just inject…?
The man's head slowly lifted.
His red eye burned brighter now.
He tried to speak—his voice broken, struggling to form words.
"I… will… kill—"
Raiden leaned forward slightly, straining to hear.
"What?"
For a moment, it seemed like he might collapse.
Like his body couldn't handle it.
Then—
Everything snapped.
The man's head jerked upward.
His entire body tensed.
And with a deafening roar, he screamed—
"I WILL KILL THEM ALL!!!"
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Before Raiden could react—
The armored man launched forward.
Faster than before.
Stronger than before.
No hesitation.
No control.
Just pure destruction—
As he rushed straight at Raiden.
Raiden raised his guard just in time—
—but it wasn't enough.
The armored man's punch slammed into him with overwhelming force.
A shockwave burst outward.
Raiden was sent flying across the street, his body crashing against the ground and spinning violently before skidding to a halt.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs.
For a moment—
Everything blurred.
His ears rang.
His vision flickered.
"…What… was that…?" he muttered, struggling to push himself up.
Pain shot through his arms. His muscles trembled just from blocking that single hit.
He forced himself onto one knee, breathing heavily, eyes locking back onto his opponent.
The bald armored man stood there—
But something was different now.
The energy surrounding him had changed.
It wasn't stable anymore.
It was rising.
Rapidly.
Wildly.
Uncontrollably.
Small bursts of energy leaked from his armor. His movements twitched unnaturally, like his body was being forced beyond its limits.
Raiden's expression hardened.
Shit…
He wiped the blood from the corner of his lip.
What am I supposed to do? He's getting stronger… every second.
The man took a step forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Another step—
Faster.
More aggressive.
Raiden clenched his fists.
Think… think! There has to be something. No one is invincible.
His eyes sharpened as he began analyzing every detail—his stance, his breathing, the way the energy moved across his armor—
Then—
He saw it.
A glow.
Faint at first.
Then clearer.
A pulsing core embedded into the man's back, flickering with unstable energy.
Every surge of power—
Every spike in strength—
It all flowed from there.
Raiden's lips curled into a smirk.
"Bingo…"
Lightning sparked around his body, growing brighter as his confidence returned.
That's it. That's your weakness.
Without wasting another second, he launched forward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he dashed at full speed, lightning trailing behind him like a streak of light.
If I can get behind him and destroy that core… this fight is over.
The distance closed in an instant.
Raiden shifted his movement, preparing to circle behind him—
But suddenly—
A shockwave exploded outward from the armored man's body.
The air itself seemed to shatter.
Raiden was thrown back violently, his body crashing deep into the ground with a deafening impact. The street cracked beneath him, dust and debris erupting into the air.
"Aghh!" Raiden shouted from the impact, pain surging through his body.
For a moment, everything rang. His vision blurred.
"This is getting boring," the armored man said coldly, his voice echoing through the settling dust. He looked down at Raiden, who was struggling to push himself up after that unexpected attack.
Raiden's fingers dug into the broken concrete as he forced himself onto one knee, breathing heavily.
"let's make it a little bit more fun."
The armored man slowly raised his arm, pointing his repulsor toward his backside—away from Raiden.
Raiden's eyes widened, confusion instantly turning into alarm.
"What are you trying to do!?"
The man didn't answer.
He just smiled.
A low hum began to build as energy gathered inside the repulsor, glowing brighter and brighter—unstable, dangerous.
Raiden's instincts screamed.
"Wait—!"
But it was too late.
BOOM!
A massive beam blasted out, ripping across the road like a blade of pure energy. Asphalt split apart, streetlights exploded, and the ground was carved open in its path.
Far ahead—
A family sat inside a car.
Two children in the back. A boy and a girl.
The father's eyes widened in horror as he saw the beam tearing toward them.
He yanked the steering wheel, trying to turn—
trying to escape—
But the beam struck the back of the car.
The impact sent the vehicle spinning out of control.
Tires screeched. Metal twisted.
The car skidded wildly before slamming into the edge of a bridge—half of it hanging over open air.
Raiden's heart dropped.
"NOOOOO!!!"
FLASH!
Lightning burst around him as Raiden launched forward without thinking, his body moving faster than his mind could process.
The car tilted further.
Just a little more—
Inside—
"Mom i scared," the boy cried, his voice trembling.
The girl sobbed uncontrollably beside him.
The mother wrapped her arms tightly around both of them, trying to shield them, even as fear overwhelmed her.
"somebody help us!" the father shouted desperately, gripping the wheel, afraid to move even an inch.
The car creaked.
The edge beneath it began to give way.
Raiden reached them—
just in time.
He caught the car.
His hands slammed against the burning metal, stopping it from falling completely.
"hurry get out from the car"
His voice was strained, urgent.
The heat hit him instantly.
The back of the car, where the beam had struck, was still scorching—his hands burned on contact, the metal almost searing through his skin.
Raiden gritted his teeth, muscles trembling as he held the full weight of the vehicle.
"Move! Now!"
The mother reacted first. She pushed the door open and helped the children out.
The boy stumbled forward, still crying. The girl clung to her, shaking.
Then the father tried to climb out from the back—
But he slipped.
For a split second, his body nearly fell back into the car.
"No—!" the mother reached out, grabbing his arm with both hands.
Raiden's grip faltered slightly.
The car shifted.
His arms shook violently.
I can't drop it… not now…
With a desperate pull, the mother dragged her husband out.
They fell onto the road together.
Safe.
The children immediately rushed into their parents' arms, clinging to them tightly.
Raiden didn't let go until he was sure—
completely sure.
Then—
He released it.
The car plunged off the bridge, crashing into the water below with a distant splash.
Raiden stumbled back slightly, breathing hard.
His heart pounded violently in his chest.
He had almost lost it.
Almost.
"Alright… everyone is okay right?"
The father nodded quickly, still shaken. "Yes, thank you."
Raiden gave a weak smile, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"okay then... I... I... have to go"
FLASH.
Lightning surged again as Raiden vanished from their sight, shooting back toward the battlefield.
His expression had changed.
The calm was gone.
Now there was only anger.
He reappeared in front of the armored man, lightning crackling around his body.
"You're going to pay for that!" he shouted, his voice filled with rage.
The armored man didn't respond.
Instead, he activated his tech—
And launched himself high into the air, creating distance in an instant.
Raiden looked up sharply.
He wasn't attacking.
He was running.
"No…"
The armored man aimed downward—
—and fired.
Another blast shot toward the streets below.
People screamed.
Raiden disappeared again—
FLASH!
He intercepted the blast mid-path, deflecting its impact before it could hit.
But before he could react—
Another shot.
Then another.
The armored man wasn't fighting him.
He was targeting everyone else.
Raiden clenched his fists.
"You coward! Stop trying to hurt the innocent people and fight me!" he shouted, chasing after him at full speed.
Again and again—
The man fired.
Again and again—
Raiden saved them.
Catching debris. Deflecting blasts. Moving faster than the eye could follow.
But every second he spent saving someone—the armored man gained more distance.
Raiden's frustration built.
His breathing grew heavier.
"Fight me!" he roared.
The armored man suddenly turned mid-air.
For a brief moment—
he aimed at Raiden.
Then—
he shifted slightly.
And fired at a distant building.
The beam struck.
A deep crack spread across the structure, crawling up its surface like a fracture in glass.
For a second—
everything went still.
Then—
pieces of concrete began to fall.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Then all at once.
Raiden's eyes widened.
That place was filled with people.
Raiden knew he could save them all at once.
"NOOOOO" He shouted. Trying to reach the place before anyone gets hurt.
Or worst—
KILLED!