Chapter 170 - Ares (II)

Ollie was never one for fighting. Just two years ago, he was another kid, content to fade into the background and make a meager living. Another soul surviving among the smog-filled alleys, hiding from the glow of pulsating pipes and the hiss of arctech engines. Another child lost in the countless faces of the South Sector, a world where there was never enough to go around.

He was well-acquainted with death and starvation, seeing the daylight flood the slums while he daydreamed of legends. Heroes and warriors fighting in wars long past against the heavens. Not once in his miserable life would he have imagined that he would be anything but a bystander, watching the city go by.

Not anymore.

"OLLIE!" A voice called out, a familiar voice that grew up with him. Ollie's eyes struggled open, his vision a dizzying blur of smoke and rubble. An acrid stench of searing flesh and smoking pellet holes assaulted his senses while he stirred awake, seeing the hazy outline of Bola shaking him out of his stupor. His ears were still ringing, the continuous din of screams and cries of war flooding his entire being as he propped himself up with his hands. Blisters on his palms and a searing fire in his chest sent waves of pain shooting through his arms. His legs wobbled violently in a bid to regain his footing, almost losing his balance.

"Ollie, come on, get up!" Bola wrapped his own sweaty, unprotected arm glistening with metal fragments under Ollie's shoulder, the armored gauntlets long shredded by pellets. With a grunt, he helped Ollie lean against a sloping pile of debris and shattered glass fragments, checking Ollie over. Bola used his soot-covered fingers to pry apart Ollie's chest armor, his face grim as he saw the gruesome wound beneath.

Ollie heaved and panted while he rested, each breath painful. The blood thumped in his ears in rhythm with the mortars firing and shouts of valor. From the corner of his eye, he saw out past their current collapsed floor at the destructive landscape. He spotted an entire building collapsing in the distance, disintegrating into a fiery cloud of dust and debris. Two figures leaped out from the cloud, wispy trails of smoke following their paths as they clashed far away. Each blow they traded sent ripples through the smoke.

Bola frantically slung his rifle to his back and reached for his belt. His fingers fumbled as he tried to undo a button on a potion pouch. Pellets still zinged into the collapsed room through exposed crumbling holes, the rest of their squad taking cover behind what was left of the walls. "Bola, how's Ollie? The Cretins are starting to push!" Alex roared over the din.

"Still breathing, but he got hit badly by the shrapnel!" Bola shouted back before turning to face Ollie once more with a softer tone. "We're going to make it out of this, you hear me?" He whispered with a shaky voice, finally pulling out a health potion in his left hand. But before he gave it to Ollie, he gingerly reached forward to Ollie's bleeding chest, prying out searing hot metal fragments one by one.

Each tug caused Ollie's face to scrounge up, Ollie clenching his own teeth. Through his squinting eyes, he could see one of their squad members already turned into a pincushion, the bloody corpse slumped against the wall. It was one thing to die because of starvation. Another thing entirely to die in an instant with a look of horror at their own mortality. Ollie averted his gaze, unable to look his dead squad member in the eyes.

Yet, no matter where he looked, the only two things he saw were the dead and the dying. He could tell Alex was wounded, and half of the original squad had already fallen. Only Rico and Bola remained in fighting condition, while the others cowering with each shudder were enforcers or other Seven Snakes. Ollie winced again as Bola pulled out the last fragment. The cold yet comforting splash of the health potion alleviated his pained chest, the wounds healing up rapidly. Ollie regained enough strength to yank a stamina potion out of his own pocket, gulping its contents greedily.

The world seemed to come back into focus, the smell of burning flesh stronger than ever. Ollie could tell that none of the men in the room were prepared for this. They were gangsters, enforcers - not warriors born for war. But deep down, all of them knew the alternative if they were to give up right now. A spark of realization lingered behind every grim face, every tight grip of their rifles: this battle would decide the fate of the South Sector.

"Hey, you good?" Bola clasped his grimy hand around Ollie's cheek, trying to check his eyes for a response.

"I'm good. What happened?" Ollie replied as he pushed himself off the rubble again. His entire body felt like he was maimed by a million little splinters, but his mind was now locked onto the battle.

"Kyle's holding off Ares on his own - but it doesn't look like it's going too well," Bola muttered in response, his eyes wandering over to the catastrophic duel far in the distance, two blocks over. The battle had spilled all over the district, and there was no question that the two leaders were in a league of their own. Rows of shophouses, lives, and utilities had been torn to shreds in the wake of their battle, both sides suffering casualties.

"Those damn Cretins are pushing harder than ever!" Alex cursed as he flinched from a pellet shot that got too close.

Another enforcer shivered in a corner as he tried to come to terms with the situation around him. "If... If Kyle loses to Ares-"

"Kyle isn't going to lose! Not while we're around!" Ollie interrupted the enforcer before he could continue.

"What can we even do?" Bola lamented. "None of us are mages unless you were hiding something from us?"

Ollie wanted to retort, but he, too, didn't know what he could do to help in the duel. It was a clash between titans, the battle of legend that he had fantasized about so many times in the past. However, now he stood helpless, unsure of his role in the battle. Even as he regrouped with Alex and Rico, killing another Cretin felt like a drop in the ocean.

As he returned fire in the general direction of the Cretins, Ollie's heart dropped like a stone as he spotted the commander of the Cretin knights far down the street. "They are recharging the relic gun!" Ollie exclaimed, prompting Alex to peek out behind his cover to get a good look.

"Wasn't Sasha supposed to kill that guy?" Bola scrambled to the edge, finding a safe vantage point to observe the battle.

"Not while she's fighting against three hundred of them!" Alex gritted his teeth as he watched Sasha dance and weave through the platoon of Cretin knights with the Ghosts under her command, fighting against impossible odds. As invincible as Sasha seemed, there was no chance that she would be able to reach the commander without injury.

"We have to go - we have to help! If they get the relic gun back up..." Ollie's voice trailed off as he looked once again at the forlorn faces of the men in the same collapsed building. None of them were willing to be the first to step out, to be the first into the fray. Ollie didn't blame them: it was a life-or-death situation, and he could feel the fear in the room. Even Rico, the hobgoblin, looked at the hundreds of Cretin knights armed to the teeth with a timid stare. Ollie turned to Alex for help, but Alex avoided his gaze. "Alex, please, we have to help!"

"I would, but realistically, we can't do anything. We would be slaughtered - we've been fighting for hours, and those knights are fresh," Alex sighed. "It's better that we hunker down and fortify this area. Kyle and the vipers can take care of it."

"What...? Weren't we charging right at the start? What happened-"

"You happened!" Alex shot back. "You think I can make these kinds of decisions when you almost lost your life to a mortar? To see another of my men riddled with holes with their organs falling out? It's one thing to fight a war. It's another to order others to their death."

"And then what? We wait here for a mortar to hit us? Just fifty mortars would break through our point defenses and kill us all the same!" Ollie screamed. "Once that relic gun is charged, they will kill Kyle, and then the vipers, and then us!"

"We could run, we could run away. The East Sector-" The same fearful enforcer mumbled incoherently, his mind a mess.

Ollie stormed up to the fearful enforcer, using his own rifle butt to smack the guy in the head. The surrounding men were perplexed at the sight of a teenager suddenly taking charge as Ollie shouted at the top of his lungs. "Run away? After everything we've been through? After everything we've fought for? For months we have held the line to defend against the Cretins. And at the most critical moment, you want to run?!"

The fearful enforcer was infuriated, standing back up to snarl at Ollie. "I'm not a Seven Snakes - I'm an enforcer! If it were up to me, I'd put you all behind bars or in the mines at Tryas!"

"If you were an enforcer, then you know the vow you took!" Ollie retorted. "All of you are here because we fight for something, something greater than our lives. Something worth dying for. And out there, right now, there's a single person standing for everything that we are now giving up. I once dreamt of heroes and warriors fighting for glory, for victory. But all I see here are grown men cowering in the moment. The moment when your family, your friends, and your men need you the most. The moment when the South Sector needs you the most! And if none of you are going to help, then let your cowardice be your legend. It won't be mine."

Ollie strapped his chest armor back to his chest, readying his rifle as he prepared to push out on his own. He half-expected Alex to stop him, but instead, Alex tugged him back, gearing up. "Good speech, kid. But I'm the cobra, not you. Can't let my daughters or you guys think I'm a coward, eh?" Rico and Bola joined alongside him, too, with smiles and grins on their faces as they reunited as a squad.

Alex turned to the rest of the Seven Snakes in the same building, beckoning them to join them. "You gonna let a kid show off just like that? Who are we?"

"Seven Snakes!" Rico, Bola, and Ollie shouted, thumping their chest.

"WHO ARE WE?!" Alex bellowed once more, rallying them.

"Seven Snakes!" More men joined the chant.

"WHO ARE WE?!"

"SEVEN SNAKES!"

"AND WE FIGHT TO WIN!" Alex roared, leading the charge out of the collapsed building in a frenzy. As the throng of Seven Snakes poured out into the adjoining buildings, the Cretins sieging them were caught entirely by surprise. Alex's squad rushed headlong into a Cretin defensive position, Rico carrying a large piece of rubble that blocked incoming pellets. Without hesitation, Ollie and Bola leaped over the rows of sandbags, shooting the horrified Cretins dead on the spot.

Alex activated his arctech radio as the counterattack began. [All squads nearby, the second relic gun is being recharged! Take it out!]

Mortar projectiles sailed through the air from both sides, each gang trying to bomb the other out while squads fought tooth and nail in the adjoining buildings. Blood clouded the vision of the men as they struggled in a brutal melee brawl, lives exchanging in a matter of seconds. But the rallying cry of Alex and Ollie invigorated the Seven Snakes, their morale surging.

Still, the three hundred Cretin knights were a staggering sight to behold. They had wagons and warmachines set up all along the street while Sasha fought against them, using the knights as a body shield. Despite the overwhelming firepower, Alex and Ollie still led the men through the buildings in a bid to flank the knights. "Get to the upper floors, harass the knights!" Alex ordered, jabbing towards the ceiling.

Pellet fire began to shower the knights, forcing them to cower behind defensive barriers while more and more Seven Snakes came to the battle. Sasha smiled as she watched the Seven Snakes help her from the higher vantage points. At the same time, the Ghosts that she had brought fired relentlessly into the Cretins, railguns blowing up warmachine one after the other.

Sasha was about to lunge out with the Thunder Blade once more, but suddenly two familiar faces joined the fight against the Cretin knights. More than a hundred hobgoblins followed their lead from behind them.

"Sasha, don't waste your time on this riffraff!" Niko yelled as he slammed into a Cretin knight with a direct body charge. "Go help Kyle!"

"We can handle it here - make sure Kyle doesn't lose to Ares!" Monica charged forward along with Niko into the fray. "If he loses, it's all over!"

Sasha nodded, but she wasn't sure what much she could do when Kyle was already having issues dealing with Ares. As she turned to look toward the duel, she saw Kyle racing through a series of destroyed buildings. His hands were conspicuously empty as he fought Ares with what remained of his gauntlets. What happened to the Spear of Defiance?

A few Ghosts were already trying to help out, but their railguns couldn't get through Ares's forcefield, nor could they keep up with the speed. Sasha glanced down at the Thunder Blade crackling in her hand, the edge stained with blood and guts. I have to get this to Kyle!

She used hand signs to order the Ghosts to cover, her legs breaking out into a sprint. Each stride carried her across the battlefield, her eyes darting about as she looked for a chance. I could try to hit Ares, but I need to throw it somewhere Kyle can reac-

A sharp, gashing pain shot into her right thigh, a growing vine's thorns biting into the flesh. Sasha instantly used the Thunder Blade to slice the vine off, but three more shot out from the cobblestone rubble around her. They engulfed her, only to be chopped apart easily while Sasha looked for the culprit.

Her gaze finally matched the half-alive mage hunter, who had a feral grin. The mage hunter stood between Sasha and the duel, preventing her from moving any further. "You're not going anywher-"

The mage hunter did not even have the time to blink as Sasha sprinted to her, intending to slash her in half. In a hasty move, the mage hunter frantically activated her bracelet, more vines sprouting from the ground. They swarmed towards Sasha like a rushing tide, each thorny edge aiming to kill.

Sasha swerved, ducked and weaved between the deadly vines, her skin slowly shredded with each near miss. Dzi flower sand particles glistened in Sasha's forearm, strange words muttered from each breath. Arcia energy lanced across her tattoos, surging to her mouth with an eerie pulse that unnerved the mage hunter.

Despite the mage hunter's best efforts, the vines were unable to land a killing blow. However, they formed a defensive net that eventually began to restrict Sasha's movements no matter how many she sliced. The mage hunter gripped her bracelet even harder, her knuckles whitening as more vines sprouted. In a combined twist, the vines shot forward aimed right toward the center of Sasha.

However, instead of blocking the incoming attack with the blade, Sasha used her free left arm. The torrent of vines ripped into Sasha's shoulder, tearing the left arm out from its socket with a fountain of blood and ruptured flesh. But Sasha ignored the pain as she drove her left foot forward, assuming a throwing stance. The mage hunter's eyes widened as Sasha wound her right arm back with the Thunder Blade, her grip reversed. Every ounce of arcia energy was summoned into the tattoos on her forearm, swirling into a chaotic bundle of blinding light.

<KYLE!> Sasha shouted with every bead of strength in her body, the first non-magical word she had uttered out loud since turning mute. With sheer will and power, she launched the Thunder Blade like a javelin. Streaks of arcia energy lanced across its bloodied edge as it shot forward like a rocket, aimed right at the mage hunter.

The mage hunter raised her arms to block her head, the vines following suit and forming a wall of plant matter. But it did not matter - the Thunder Blade pierced through the woven defense like an arrow, blasting apart the vines like confetti. The mage hunter's life flashed before her eyes as the tip of the sparking blade shattered her gauntlet into a million pieces. 

It followed through, shredding apart her forearm's skin and flesh, searing the meat before tearing a hole right through the bone. The swirling arcia energy incinerated every exposed nerve ending as it broke through cleanly. The blade carved a searing path through a third of her skull, the remaining parts of her brain and bone blazing hot from the friction. 

In a glorious display, the Thunder Blade soared high above the battlefield in a trail of dazzling brilliance, the hopes of the Seven Snakes embodied within as it rushed to Kyle.

***

Kyle grunted as he punched against a seemingly invisible forcefield, one that attempted to crush him against the rubble. His footwork was swift and nimble, dancing through the rubble with a barely functioning exosuit. Only fragments of armor, blood-stained fabric and determination clung to his body as his mind cycled through the possibilities.

Telekinesis - I've seen that before. It wasn't a new thing to Kyle , being a well known ability of hostile aliens. The most famous of them was the Orisians, which Kyle had last seen information about when he was selecting his racial upgrade.

MG404: [Race | Orisian | A humanoid alien race, with clear signs of telepathic and psychic inclinations | Stats Increment Per Level Boost: +2 CHA, -4 DEX, -2 STA, +2MP, +1 HP, +7 INT, +1 STR.]

MG404: [Skill | Overpowering Will (Intermediate) | Unleash your inner strength and dominate the others | Throws enemy minds into confusion and despair, while inspiring allies around you. +50% chance to cause confusion in enemies, +50% chance to boost morale of allies. Duration: Ten minutes. Cooldown: Thirty Minutes.]

MG404: [Skill | Telekinesis (Intermediate) | One of the great mysteries of the Galactic Era. | Fling objects with just a thought. Upgradable. Note: Requires immense training to apply correctly. Duration: Five Minutes continuous. Cooldown: One hour.]

It won't last forever. Kyle tried to look for an angle, even as the spot he was last standing on was crushed. Kyle immediately leaped out of the way as another invisible forcefield shifted towards him. He jumped from collapsing buildings to mounds of debris around crumbling pillars, all while his senses kept track of the movements of Ares.

"You're outmatched now - surrender, and your men will live." Ares spoke with a rumbling voice as he levitated through the air, seemingly untouchable. The rims of his eyes were brimming with energy, the sparks licking at the edge of his hair. Each movement saw the destruction of the landscape, a cacophony of devastation following his gaze through the district. Everything he looked at was either flattened or turned to dust, pulverized into an unrecognizable mess.

Kyle now knew that telekinesis was the real ability behind Ares's forcefield. But something is different. Kyle could tell that Ares's telekinesis wasn't the same as what he fought in the past. Back then, entire swaths of ships could be wrenched apart on the whim of a dozen Orisians. It was no wonder the galaxy banded together to eradicate them off the star maps.

But here, Kyle could still fight against the forcefield. His eyes were locked onto Ares, seeing the same flashes and glimpses of arcia energy empowering Ares. This time, the energy did not funnel into his arms like they did before, but instead towards his head. Kyle couldn't fully visualise Ares's arcia pathways yet, but he intuitively know that the core was in Ares's neck.

Despite his inability to perceive the forcefield or Ares's arcia, Kyle could still rely on other hints. The world crawled to a halt as Kyle sensed every sound, every wisp of air that the forcefield pushed apart with its movement. The telltale signs of tiny dust particles shifting from the changing pressure were enough to clue Kyle in. It's a projection. 

He sidestepped again as the forcefield shot past him again, attempting to crush him into a paste. The change in pressure, the rushing wind was what Kyle used to predict the attacks, but it couldn't last forever.

As the Penchant for Violence began to run out, Kyle could feel his body beginning to return to its original state. He still had the Enhancement effect from his 229-A-X package, but already his mental clock and dexterity was plummeting. His muscles screamed as they tried to keep up with his brain, Kyle dodging once more as the forcefield came crashing down from above. The tumultuous slam caused a cloud of smoke and dust to erupt, masking the entire field in a dense fog of swirling particles.

Kyle's eyes widened as he finally spotted the movement of the particles, watching the trailing smoke as the forcefield moved. He ducked again, narrowly avoiding another attack when he confirmed his assumptions. A small grin appeared on Kyle's face, confidence returning to his demeanor.

"A shame. I'll write a word for you as the second strongest in the south on your tombstone." Ares grunted, his hand extending forward in a commanding fashion. The forcefield screeched against the debris scattered on the floor, accumulating them into a rolling, chaotic ball.

Instead of jumping out of the way, Kyle stood steady, planting his feet. He clenched his armored fist, summoning what was left of the exosuit into his arm. The internal engravings began to glow brighter than they ever had while the Advanced Arcia Crystal in the back overheated. Kyle raised his clenched fist, preparing to strike as he channeled all of his arcia energy into his knuckles. With a battle cry, Kyle thrust his fist forward, his punch accelerating forward like a bullet.

His fist hit the forcefield head-on, smacking right into it. Instead of the forcefield shoving Kyle back, it veered off course, crashing into the rubble nearby. Ares visibly winced from the hit, even though he was nowhere near. That reaction and the impact of the forcefield gave Kyle the assurance he needed. The forcefield is shaped like an invisible hand! 

He watched as Ares fell from his levitating pose onto the ground, kneeling in apparent pain. The earth beneath Kyle's feet cracked as Kyle pumped most of what he had left of the exosuit into the acceleration engravings. He lunged forward, his figure pushing apart the fog in a violent, turbulent trail. His body streaked towards Ares from above, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

However, Kyle noticed a sudden small grin crack on Ares's face. He summoned the last of his exosuit energy, thrusting him backward just as another invisible hand shot up from the ground. It nearly caught Kyle, and the sudden dodge caused Kyle to tumble uncontrollably to the ground. He felt the tremor of the crash run all the way through his ribs, causing him to gag as he rolled over shattered glass, severed limbs, and buried corpses. Before he could recover back into a fighting posture, he felt his body clasped by the invisible hand and lifted up into the air.

"So you figured it out," Ares muttered as he stood up, his face full of derision while walking to Kyle. "You thought I only had one hand? If it was anyone else but me, perhaps you might have won. But not this time."

Kyle squirmed in the invisible grip, his armor plates creaking from the strain. However, to Ares's surprise, Kyle didn't show any sign of wanting to escape, even as Ares had him dragged closer till they were just a meter apart. Ares squinted in wariness. "What little trick do you have now, you snake?"

"Your nose is bleeding."

Ares's eyes widened, reaching his hands up to wipe at his upper lip. He glanced down at his fingers, finding no blood. "Trying to distract me, huh?"

Arcia Disruption! 

The central conflux of arcia energy in Ares's neck suddenly inverted, Ares instantly doubling over in pain. The unnatural flow of the energy caused his veins to convulse, his body raging in confusion while he clutched his head in pain. He roared as the invisible hand dissipated into the wind, Kyle landing onto the ground with both feet firmly planted.

Gritting his teeth, Kyle spun his body as hard as he could, sending a roundhouse kick straight into Ares's jaw. The base of his sole slammed and sent ripples through Ares's pained expression, his jaw shifting violently. Kyle followed through, his calf clenching as he sent Ares sprawling into the ground, Ares's nose now bleeding after hitting the rubble. "Check again." Kyle spat out a glob of blood and saliva, his hands raised into a boxing pose as he charged forward.

But suddenly, the invisible hand came back with a vengenance, the debris on the ground separating apart as it shot out towards Kyle from Ares. Kyle was forced to step to the side, his counterattack stalled while Ares stood back up. What? How did he recover so fast? 

"Cute trick. Can't say I've seen it before. But you're going to need more than that." Ares's low voice sent tremors into the debris, the rocks levitating, the two invisible hands now flanking him on both sides. The two leaders faced off against each other, watching like hunters waiting for the prey to make the first mistake. Kyle was content to buy time, checking internally for the cooldown of Penchant for Violence.

10 seconds. 

Ares snorted as he wiped the blood streaming out from his nose, his energized eyes now staring straight into Kyle's soul with primal anger. Anyone else watching around would have sworn that Ares's body was growing larger by the second. But Kyle was hardly fazed, ready to face down the titan of the South Sector on his own terms.

5 seconds. 

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Kneel or die." Ares spat with simmering rage.

Kyle scoffed, his hands protecting his face, ready to fight. "Make me."

Penchant for Violence! The very second Ares kicked off the dust, Kyle launched himself forward, too. He propelled himself with the resurgence of the Penchant of Violence running into his veins, his muscles brimming with energy once more. The same cold wave flooded his brain, his eyes taking even more light as he suddenly spotted the hand's outline. It was a ghastly purple smog-forming a disembodied arm that stemmed from Ares's shoulder blades, and it was heading straight for him.

Kyle dodged and weaved between the deadly strikes of the purple fists, snaking his way even closer to Ares. Ares didn't back down, accepting the challenge head-on as he raised his own physical arm to fight back. They exchanged blows and kicks, Kyle's nimble body leaping through and avoiding hits.

A smile burst on Kyle's face as he began to revel in the battle, reminiscing about his former life's training sessions. Just like the old days. Four arms were nothing to him, arcia or not - he had fought enough aliens to know just how to deal with them. His footwork was as light as wind, his shoes barely touching the ground as he danced around Ares, continuously standing at a specific angle.

Ares clenched his teeth as he realized what Kyle was trying to do. With Kyle's current stance, Ares could only ever hit him with two hooks, not all four. "You think I'm dumb?!" Ares roared as he performed a sweep with his hands, forcing Kyle to leap backward. Kyle could see the arcia arms lunged forward to hit him, already ready to activate the acceleration engraving. Instead of his body thrusting out of the way, the Advanced Arcia crystal shuddered, its brilliance dimming greatly. Out of juice? 

Kyle could have used his own internal energy, but the momentary realization was the split-second Ares needed to hit Kyle head-on. The arcia fist smacked him right in the guts, sending him flying and crashing into a half-collapsed building fifty meters away. Kyle immediately pried himself out of the crater he had formed, rolling out of the way as Ares's foot decimated that very same spot.

Kyle spun his legs, flipping himself back upright and continuing to fight. His eyes observed and learned, analyzing each of Ares's arm movements and body stances. Kyle had long given up on Ares's telekinesis expiring anytime soon, and his arms were already proof enough that Ares could go on for as long as he needed. Even though Kyle could parry and fend off the arms, it was still impossible to land a hit on Ares, not when he could pull the arms back into a defensive forcefield. I need something that can break it, and Arcia Disruption already failed. I only got one more use. 

<KYLE!> Sasha's voice rang out, Kyle's eyes glancing to the corner of his vision. A single blue beam shot towards Ares, Ares instantly reaching out with his disembodied arcia arms to block the attack. Instead, the Thunder Blade easily pierced through the arcia arms, bursting out a hole from the purple smog. The blade narrowly missed Ares's ear, the edge slicing a little off before it lodged itself into the rubble between Ares and Kyle.

In the blink of an eye, the two leaders lunged towards the embedded blade. Acceleration! Kyle used his own internal arcia energy into what was left of the thrusters, allowing him to get there first. As soon as his right hand gripped the handle of the Thunder Blade, he swung it outwards in a wide arc. The air crackled with arcia energy, the arcia arms unable to maintain their form as Ares immediately shrunk back. Kyle didn't need any more signs, knowing he had the upper hand now.

The duel devolved into a blitz of arcia circles and slices. Large walls and chunks of rubble were cleaved apart as Kyle sliced and dashed, attempting to catch Ares. The effect of the Thunder Blade restricted the movement of the arcia arms, Kyle now able to feel the flow all around him. His range of perception of arcia was limited to merely one meter around his body, but it was enough to battle for control. His arcia arms are not his own arcia energy - he's molding the ambient energy into the arms. 

With that understanding, Kyle fought tooth and nail to trap Ares. Each swing of the Thunder Blade caused the ambient arcia energy to become a turbulent flow that engulfed both of them. Ares's energized eyes flickered as he tried to retain control, but Kyle took advantage of the chaotic scenario, lunging forward in a devastating downward slash. The blade struck through the blocking arcia arms, its tip slicing cleanly through Ares's shirt and ripping it apart. The skin beneath was ruptured into a gruesome wound as Ares was sent flying back through another building, the floors above collapsing onto him.

Before Kyle could follow up, two large pieces of rubble were flung right at Kyle, threatening to crush him. Kyle sliced them apart with ease, only to see an enraged Ares right behind one of the rubble as Kyle's sword hand was still out of position. Ares stretched out his physical hand, grabbing Kyle's head directly and slamming it into the ground. Ares dragged him along the rubble, drawing a line before flinging his body into another nearby wall.

Kyle's vision was bloodied, but his grip on the Thunder Blade remained firm. As Ares threw another punch, Kyle ducked at the last moment and weaved beneath Ares's outstretched hand. Now! Kyle swung the Thunder Blade upwards in a lethal uppercut aimed right at Ares's neck.

However, instead of slicing Ares's head cleanly off, the Thunder Blade came to a stop, blocked by the forcefield. Kyle strained his arm, trying to push it further, but suddenly, another arcia hand grabbed his feet. The resulting tug threw Kyle off balance while another hand wrenched the Thunder Blade from his possession. Kyle tried to back off, but it was far too late. He watched as a total of six arcia hands clasped all around him, forming a cube that sealed Kyle off in all directions.

Kyle immediately threw a punch at the hands, but it was useless, the hands' density stronger than ever. "Thought I could only use two?" Ares yanked his ruptured shirt off, revealing his muscular half-giant body. He towered over the trapped Kyle, the gruesome wound from the Thunder Blade slice healing rapidly and naturally. "I am Ares Ulras, strongest in the South Sector, and you shall kneel!" Ares bellowed.

The hands tightened, blocking off the flow of air into the space within as Kyle began to feel breathless, oxygen failing to reach his lungs. He summoned his internal arcia energy, channeling it into his fist in a bid to break free. However, the arcia hands were solid as steel, Ares's eyes blazing white hot with energy like a god had descended. Kyle could feel his vision swirling, his muscles fatigued. As his brain cried for oxygen, his sight began to change, as if he was hallucinating. For just a brief moment, he could see the entire disembodied arcia energy of Ares, like a nervous system coursing through his whole body. The conflux of arcia energy in Ares's neck was stronger than ever, prompting Kyle to raise his hand forward to Ares's face. Arcia Disruption! 

The flow suddenly reversed, the hands immediately distorting and phasing out. Fresh air rushed into Kyle's lungs as he inhaled, ignoring the stench of burning flesh. Ares let out an ear-piercing scream, the damage by the unnatural flow now wreaking havoc in his muscles. Ares tried to summon the hands again, but he was out of time. As he looked up in pain, he saw Kyle's blistered palm shooting towards his face.

Kyle grabbed Ares's face with a tight grip and threw him to the ground in an earth-shattering slam that shook the entire district. Ares tried to defend himself, but his limbs convulsed with pain as he struggled to control the flow. Kyle was already on top of him, his amber eyes glowing with a fury unlike anything Ares had ever seen. For the first time in Ares's life, he felt something new.

Defeat.

Ares's world turned into a bloody mess as Kyle rained a rage-filled combo of punches, his body pushing to the limit. He repeatedly smacked Ares's face in, but despite his best efforts, the damage was not good enough to knock Ares out just yet. Power, I need more power! Kyle reached behind into his exosuit spine, prying out the Advanced Arcia Crystal with a tug. He clenched his fist around it, summoning whatever latent energy the depleted crystal still had in it. His veins glowed hot yellow, arcing down his forearms as his hand shined with a blinding brilliance.

The fighters around on both sides were stunned as they watched a single hand of divine power crash right down into Ares's face. The arcia-infused punch caved Ares's nose right in, his entire upper row of teeth snapping off. His skull cracked apart, the resounding crack loud enough even for soldiers fifty meters to hear it over the pellet fire. Even with the critical injury, Ares still threw punches back at Kyle, but they were too weak to stop Kyle. Kyle wrenched a piece of armor from his shoulder, using it to beat Ares's face into a pulp. He swung again and again, Ares's movements becoming more and more sluggish. As Kyle hit Ares's face for the tenth time, Ares's hands could only cling onto Kyle's sleeves before falling limp to the side.

Kyle heaved and panted as he stood back to his full height, towering over Ares who he had pummeled into the ground. A conspicuous crater had now formed from the impact, Ares now fully unconscious. Kyle took a deep breath, his furious eyes meeting the gazes of horrified Cretins. With a single victorious fist, he pumped it into the air, earning a resounding cheer from the Seven Snakes around.

The tide of the battle immediately shifted, the news of Kyle's victory over Ares spreading like wildfire across the frontlines. Even though the Cretins had a numerical advantage, none of them could stop their legs from shivering. Not when they saw the blood-covered Kyle walking towards them, dragging the unconscious Ares with him by the collar. "Form up! Form up!" A Cretin officer screamed in despair, getting the Cretins to create a defensive blockade, rifles trained on the approaching Kyle.

"I am Kyle Hawthorn," Kyle spoke with each step, his voice sending fear deep into the hearts of those who heard.

"Leader of the Seven Snakes." Kyle took another step.

"Conqueror of the Culdao Peaks." The Cretins clenched their rifles tighter.

"Strongest of the South Sector." Kyle took another step. He tossed Ares in front of the Cretins, the bloodied face of their once-great leader sending a wave of gasps.

"And he is just another step to my empire." Kyle raised his metal boots, ready to stomp on Ares's face and finish him off. The Cretins were all rooted to the spot, stunned beyond belief at the sight of their leader about to be killed. Not a single one of them could lift a finger or budge. None of them dared to fight the man who was undoubtedly now the strongest. Before the sole fell, a loudspeaker carrying Sebastian’s voice suddenly blurted out from the defensive blockade, reaching Kyle's ears.

[The Ardent Cretins surrender.]