"Still holding back, Hajime? Not using those fists of yours? Pathetic. Just like the old days."
Hajime's movements faltered for a brief moment, confusion flickering across his face. "What do you mean, the old days? What are you talking about?"
Streetka smirked, his red and black aura crackling with malicious glee. "Oh, don't tell me you’ve forgotten. Still broken, are we? Those arms of yours—they’re still weak from Doromiko's final strike, aren't they? Did he really leave you in such a pitiful state?"
Hajime's fists tightened, his flames flaring wildly. His voice was a guttural growl. "How do you know about Doromiko? What do you know about me?"
Streetka tilted his head, his smirk widening. "Ah, so the memories are still locked away. Let me help with that.""It wasn’t just Doromiko. Hikari Izumi and Gamashiki Urabaki—they’re the ones who killed you. The ones who tore you apart, piece by piece. Of course, I was there too, adding my little touch."
Hajime froze, his eyes widening as a flicker of something buried deep within him surfaced. "You're lying!"
"Oh, am I?""You were barely clinging to life after their assault. And me? I finished the job. But I didn’t just kill you, Hajime. I added a little... glitch. Something to keep you broken. Something to make sure you’d never truly recover."
Streetka’s taunts triggered a cascade of fragmented memories in Hajime's mind. Flashes of pain, betrayal, and helplessness surged forward like a tidal wave. He saw himself, bloodied and battered, standing against Streetka to save an innocent man. His body was already failing, his strength waning, yet he fought on. He remembered pushing the man to safety, even as Streetka’s chaotic lightning struck him down.
And then, darkness.
The scene shifted in his mind, showing him his lifeless body and the faint flicker of something unnatural—the "glitch"—implanted by Streetka. And from that moment, everything changed. That was the day Hajime's new life began, the day he was found and revived as a God Successor.
The floodgates burst open. Hajime staggered back, clutching his head as his memories came rushing in—a deluge of trauma, depression, bloodlust, and fear. The faces of Hikari, Gamashiki, and Doromiko swirled in his mind, their betrayal cutting into him like daggers. He felt every wound, every tear, every moment of despair he’d buried deep within himself.
Streetka watched with amusement, arms crossed. "There it is. The truth you’ve been running from. How does it feel, Hajime, to know your 'friends' were the ones who destroyed you? To know that even after all that, you still couldn’t save yourself?"
Hajime dropped to his knees, his flames sputtering as he gasped for breath. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat reverberating with the weight of his pain. "Why...?""Why would they do this...?"
Streetka leaned down, his smile cruel. "Because you were never meant to survive, Hajime. You were always just... expendable."
Tears streaked down Hajime's face, his entire body trembling. But amidst the chaos of his emotions, a spark ignited deep within him—a small, flickering light of defiance. "No,""I wasn’t expendable. I’m still here. And I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done."
Streetka laughed, standing tall as his chaotic lightning surged. "You can try, Hajime. But the past always has a way of catching up to you."
The battle was far from over, but Hajime’s heart was heavy with the weight of his rediscovered past. Hajime staggered to his feet, the searing pain from the knife wound almost unbearable, yet his resolve remained unshaken. Igniting his signature blue flames, he lunged at Streetka, striking with a vicious kick. Streetka, grinning maniacally, retaliated by unleashing the monstrous powers coursing through him. His punch connected with devastating force, sending Hajime hurtling backward through the forest like a ragdoll.
The impact against a tree rattled Hajime’s bones, his body screaming in protest. Blood spurted from his mouth as the knife lodged in his chest throbbed with every heartbeat. Before he could regain his bearings, Streetka closed the distance, stepping on the embedded blade.
Hajime howled in agony, his cries echoing through the forest. Daka, Rizra, and Amy paused mid-action, their faces stricken with fear as they heard his scream reverberate through the woods.
Streetka sneered. "Still standing? You're more stubborn than I remember. But don’t worry, I’ll fix that soon enough."
Desperation flashed in Hajime’s eyes. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his body into an unorthodox and almost inhumanly flexible position, his legs whipping upward to deliver a surprise kick. The force drove Streetka back, momentarily loosening his grip on the situation.
Shaking, Hajime reached for the knife in his chest. His fingers curled around the hilt, and he began to pull. The pain was excruciating, tearing through his body like wildfire, but he didn’t stop. The blade slid free with a sickening squelch, blood immediately pouring from the gaping wound.
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Hajime staggered to the side, grabbing a burning branch from a tree ignited by his own flames. With gritted teeth, he pressed the embered stick to his wound. The scent of seared flesh filled the air as he cauterized the injury, barely able to suppress a scream.
He stood, his legs trembling under his weight, his breath ragged but determined. Hajime’s vision blurred slightly, but he advanced toward Streetka again, his flames roaring to life.
Streetka chuckled, tilting his head. "You’ve got fire, I’ll give you that. But tell me, Hajime... are you sure you want to keep fighting me? After all, I am family."
Hajime froze, his flames flickering momentarily. "What... what did you just say?"
Streetka smirked, his red and black aura intensifying. "Didn’t you know? Sockoo... she’s my sister."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis for Hajime. His bloodied hands clenched into fists, and his blue flames surged uncontrollably, but the words stopped him in his tracks. His heart pounded as confusion, rage, and disbelief swirled in his mind.
"You’re lying!"
Streetka’s smirk widened. "Am I? Perhaps you should ask her... if she even remembers you after I’m done."
Hajime’s grip on reality teetered, but his priority remained clear—he had to protect Sockoo and save her from this madness, no matter the cost.
Hajime’s determination blazed through the pain, even as he staggered slightly, his legs igniting in a fierce swirl of blue flames. Streetka’s taunts echoed in his ears, but Hajime refused to let them distract him.
"Enough talking!"
Streetka raised a dark tendril to block, but Hajime twisted mid-air, striking from an unexpected angle. His fiery kick slammed into Streetka’s side, sending him sliding backward. The force left scorch marks on Streetka’s monstrous form, but the smirk never left his face.
"Impressive. I’ll admit you’re faster than I thought,""But speed alone won’t save you."Streetka lunged, his tendrils morphing into serrated whips that lashed out at Hajime. Hajime leaped into the air, his blue flames propelling him higher as the whips tore into the ground where he had stood. From above, Hajime somersaulted and drove a flaming kick downward, aiming for Streetka’s head.
Streetka sidestepped at the last moment, countering with a brutal punch to Hajime’s torso. The impact was so strong that it sent Hajime hurtling into a tree, the force causing him to cry out as the knife wound on his chest flared with pain.
Streetka didn’t let up, closing the distance and driving his foot down on the knife embedded in Hajime’s chest. Hajime screamed in agony, the pain white-hot and unbearable.
"What’s the matter, Hajime?""Still holding back? You’ll never beat me if you can’t even use your full strength."
Through the haze of pain, Hajime’s vision sharpened. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his leg in an impossible angle, igniting his flames again. With a powerful kick, he struck Streetka’s leg, forcing him to stumble back.
Blood poured still from his wound on his chest. He knew pulling it out would hurt more than anything he’d endured, but he didn’t have a choice. With a guttural yell, the pain making his knees buckle.
"You… won’t… break me,"
Hajime’s blue flames burned brighter, wrapping around his legs as he faced Streetka once more. "Let’s finish this."
Streetka grinned, his dark tendrils bristling with energy. "Gladly."
They charged at each other, the forest erupting in chaos as blue flames clashed with monstrous shadows, each blow carrying the weight of their past and the future at stake.
Rizra and Bondo faced each other in the clearing, the ground beneath them scorched and shattered from their intense battle. Both were panting heavily, but their determination remained unwavering.
Rizra clenched her fists, her body crackling with enhanced strength as her magic surged around her. She knew she was at a disadvantage against Bondo's relentless lightning magic, but she refused to back down.
"You’ve put up a good fight,""But it’s over now."
With a roar, Bondo launched himself forward, his fists glowing with electrical energy. Rizra braced herself, dodging the first strike by mere inches. The lightning from his punch shattered a tree behind her, sending splinters flying everywhere.
Rizra countered with a powerful uppercut, her enhanced strength making the ground tremble as her fist collided with Bondo’s jaw. He staggered back but quickly recovered, a smirk on his face.
"You’ve gotten stronger,""But strength alone won’t be enough to beat me."
He raised his arms, summoning a massive surge of electricity. The sky above darkened as a bolt of lightning struck down, engulfing Bondo in a blinding aura. His body seemed to hum with power as he unleashed a devastating wave of electricity toward Rizra.
Rizra’s instincts kicked in. She planted her feet firmly and whispered, "Enhanced Attributes."
Closing the distance, Rizra unleashed a barrage of punches, each strike aiming for Bondo’s vital points. He blocked most of them, but a powerful strike to his ribs sent him stumbling.
"You’re good,""But I’ve had enough."
He gathered all his remaining energy into a final attack, his body glowing with a blinding light. The electricity around him crackled dangerously, and the air grew heavy with power.
Rizra narrowed her eyes, realizing she had one chance to end this. She focused all her strength into her next move, her fists glowing with a faint green light as she prepared her most powerful strike.
As Bondo unleashed his ultimate lightning blast, Rizra charged straight into it, her body enduring the searing pain. Her enhanced attributes pushed her forward, and with a thunderous roar, she delivered a crushing punch to Bondo’s chest.
The impact created a shockwave that rippled through the forest, and Bondo was sent flying, crashing into a boulder with a resounding thud. His body slumped to the ground, unconscious but alive.
Rizra fell to one knee, breathing heavily as the effects of her enhanced attributes began to fade. Her body ached, and she could feel the toll the fight had taken on her.
"That was for my team,"
Sockoo is his sister.
