Volker sighed, rising to his feet once more, brushing the dirt from his clothes. His face bore a mixture of annoyance and resignation as he looked toward the trio that now stood united against him.
"What now?" he muttered, eyeing them with a disdainful glance. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of his opponents.
Two boxers and a wrestler. He exhaled slowly, almost frustrated. "This could get annoying."
Without wasting another second, Volker bolted toward them, his muscles tense, his mind focused. As he neared them, Troy and Udo scattered, leaving Trevor standing firm, ready to counter.
Trevor wound up a punch, muscles bulging as he smashed the ground with enough force to send tremors through the battlefield, a massive cloud of dust rising in its wake. The dust enveloped the area, but as soon as it began to clear, Troy appeared at Volker's side.
Bam! A snappy gut punch landed cleanly, Troy's fists dancing around with his signature speed. Before Volker could fully react, he was hit by a rapid barrage of Troy's sharp punches, each one biting deeper than the last.
Finally, Volker managed to grab hold of Troy's arm, stopping his quick assault in its tracks. But before Volker could retaliate, he felt two arms wrap tightly around his waist from behind.
"What the—" Volker growled, but it was too late.
Udo was behind him, gripping tightly as he lifted Volker off his feet and slammed him backward into the ground. Once, twice, six times, in rapid succession, the ground shuddered with each suplex. The pure technique and precision of Udo's throws left Volker disoriented, his head spinning as his body crashed again and again. Udo quickly released him, flipping away to safety as Volker groggily scrambled to his feet.
Dazed and confused, his vision blurred, Volker's eyes caught the blurry outline of a massive figure charging at him—Trevor. Before he could properly defend himself, Trevor closed the distance and delivered a thunderous punch straight to Volker's cheek, the raw power sending him tumbling through the air like a ragdoll.
Volker hit the ground hard but forced himself back to his feet in one swift motion, a smirk forming despite the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, shaking his head.
"Mix of styles, huh?" he muttered, right before a quick right hook struck his face out of nowhere. The hit came with a stinging precision, and he turned just in time to see Troy grinning at him, his face filled with mischief. Before Volker could react, Troy disappeared, flickering away from his line of sight, only to reappear behind him, landing a swift strike to the right side of his abdomen.
Volker swung a kick in frustration, trying to catch the elusive boxer, but his leg was stopped cold as he felt a hand wrap firmly around his ankle. He looked down to see Udo gripping him with a single hand.
Before Volker could react, Udo heaved him off the ground, rag-dolling him over his shoulder and slamming him into the earth with a devastating impact. Then, with a quick twist of his grip, Udo hurled Volker across the battlefield, sending him flying in Trevor's direction.
As Volker hurtled through the air, Trevor took a strong stance, fist wound back and ready. The moment Volker came within range, Trevor unleashed a powerful punch to Volker's midsection, redirecting his flight path and crashing him across the battlefield.
Volker barely managed to catch his balance, staggering to his feet mid-tumble.
But just as he did, Troy reappeared, flickering into view above him, his fist swinging down like a hammer.
The punch struck Volker square across the face, sending his head snapping downwards. But before Volker could even process it, Troy flickered again, now behind him, ready to follow up with another hit.
This time, Volker was ready; he caught Troy's fist without even looking, his grip unyielding, but it was short-lived as he noticed Udo rushing toward him. Thinking quickly, Volker used Troy as a weapon, hurling him directly at Udo.
But Udo, unfazed, slid smoothly underneath Troy's airborne form, his eyes still locked on Volker.
In the distance, Trevor was already prepared, his fist pulled back and ready. With a smirk, Troy landed both feet squarely on Trevor's outstretched fist.
"Here we go!" Troy shouted with excitement.
Trevor's massive swing propelled Troy back toward Volker at an insane speed, a bullet-like streak heading straight for his target. Volker had only a moment to react, delivering a sweeping leg to knock Udo down just in time. But as Udo dropped to the ground, Troy came zipping through the air, his fist colliding with Volker's forehead in a perfectly timed flying punch. Volker's head jerked back with the sheer force of the hit.
As Volker struggled to his knees, still bloodied but refusing to back down, the trio stood together, unwavering. They watched him rise, determination and readiness in their stance, prepared for whatever came next. Volker's eyes held no smirk, no satisfaction—just a deep, unrelenting intensity as he prepared to face them once more.
But as his fist made contact, his eyes went wide in shock and confusion. It was like punching solid steel—unyielding, cold, and immovable.
"Huh?"
A smirk crept across Volker's face, amusement and menace mixing in his gaze. He swung his fist in retaliation, and though Troy shifted his head to dodge, the movement wasn't quite fast enough.
Blood splattered onto the forest floor as a sliver of Troy's ear was left embedded in Volker's weaponized glove, held between the gnashing metal teeth like a grotesque trophy.
Troy's gaze lingered on the glove, horror settling in as he registered the torn flesh caught within its jaws. "Is that… my…?"
He didn't have time to finish the thought. Volker's leg swung around in a brutal arc, his spinning kick catching Troy square in the chest. The force of the blow sent him hurtling backward, tumbling across the forest floor until he finally came to a stop at the feet of Trevor and Udo.
The two looked down at him, their faces etched with a mixture of shock and determination.
Their shock was cut short by a soft, unsettling sizzle that filled the air. Udo and Trevor glanced up, their eyes narrowing as they watched faint wisps of steam rise from Volker's skin, dissipating into the cold night.
"W-why is he… increasing his temperature that much?" Udo muttered, feeling the hairs on his arms stand as he watched the steam rise like an ominous fog.
Trevor's jaw tightened. "I saw him activate his Benedi right before Troy took that punch. If he's comfortable enough to heat himself up like that… it could only mean one thing."
Udo's mind clicked, piecing it together. "So, his Benedi… it must enhance his durability…"
"Exactly." Trevor's gaze remained locked on Volker, his face grave as he readied himself for what lay ahead.
Blood trailing down the side of his face, Troy staggered back to his feet, clutching his torn ear, fury mixed with disbelief in his eyes. "Ayo, what the hell is going on here?"
Trevor's tone was urgent. "The tide's shifted. We're on the defensive now—we need to counterattack strategically."
As Volker readied himself, dropping into a stance, Trevor's voice rang out in haste, "Quick! Reduce your temp—"
Before Trevor could finish, Volker vanished from sight, reappearing with ruthless precision right in front of him. In a single, devastating motion, Volker drove a fist deep into Trevor's midsection, sending him skidding backward across the ground, his boots digging into the earth in an attempt to brace against the impact.
Volker's gaze lit with satisfaction as he noticed Trevor still standing, albeit with a slight tremble. Udo and Troy looked on in disbelief, but Volker merely sneered.
"Impressive," he taunted, his voice a cold murmur. "You lowered your vibration temperature in that split second before impact."
Trevor dropped to one knee, his breathing labored. Blood dripped from a deep gash in his stomach, the fabric of his muscle vest shredded around it. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay steady. "Even with my temperature reduced… those damn teeth still managed to cut through."
He looked up at Volker, a flicker of defiance in his gaze despite the pain wracking his body. "Long day…"
Udo and Troy exchanged a quick glance. Without a word, they both charged at Volker from opposite sides, determined to overwhelm him with a coordinated assault.
But Volker's reflexes were unnervingly sharp. In a single, brutal motion, he caught Troy by the legs and swung him like a weapon, slamming him into Udo with bone-crushing force. Udo's body went flying, colliding with the ground in a painful heap.
Not done yet, Volker lifted Troy again, slamming him into the ground with relentless strength before hurling him at Trevor. The two brothers crashed into each other, collapsing onto the ground in a tangle of limbs and bruises.
Standing tall, Volker looked down at the three of them, his expression dark, a thin smile creeping onto his face.
"The real fight's just begun."