"Just what is up with his side effect?" Layla asked, taking a few steps back in the dark hallway.
What she didn't know was that while she was in prison, a certain scientist had found a way to stop and amplify side effects from the crystal bugs.
However, Clark Stark wasn't going to say anything about it now.
"Kukuku! Why are you making such a long face, little hero? Are you afraid? Know that I am not going to make this easy," the bald man stated as he slowly moved forward.
Layla wiped the blood off her face and glared at the man in front of her. Her chances of defeating him were slim, yet her bones still echoed for her win.
Throwing away the now blunt black dagger, Layla took out the last weapons in her arsenal - twin daggers with a curved sharp silver surface.
Without giving the young girl any chance to make a comeback, Clark turned his left fist into steel and charged at her.
Thwack—!
The punch connected nicely, sending her flying a few meters back to hit the wall at the end of the hallway.
"Khuaak! Huaaah! Haaa!!"
Layla felt air gushing out of her, and for a moment she saw black in her eyes, feeling the impact of crashing against the wall.
Her body flailed up and down like a yoyo on a hard surface before coming to a sudden stop as she grabbed her weapons.
Layla's eyes started to see the light again. However, she coughed up a mouthful of blood before finally gathering enough strength to stand up.
"Fuck this shit!" Layla cursed as she used the back of her hand to wipe the blood off her lips.
Stretching out her body, Layla's silver eyes glared at Clark, who had a haughty smirk dancing around his mediocre face.
She might really lose her life to this bald prison guard, but Layla couldn't help but feel irked about the whole situation.
She wanted to defeat this guy and then beat the shit out of Tito. Just thinking about his stupid face made her feel bitter.
"Tsk." Clicking her tongue to clear away the useless thoughts, Layla took an offensive stance with her right foot leaning forward.
In response, Clark turned his upper body into steel again, making the spike-like scales on his upper body look even deadlier.
Despite having nothing to sharpen her twin daggers with, Layla was the first to charge at the man of steel, who seemed to have no opening.
Clang—!
Sparks flew in the air as Layla's twin daggers clashed against Clark's steel body. Even though her movements were as good as nothing, she kept on attacking relentlessly.
Her determination fueled by her desire to defeat him and her hatred of the good-for-nothing beings in Verdienst who always watched her suffer while she sacrificed a lot for them.
However, Layla kept attacking the same spot, which was difficult for her, as she was reaching for Clark's left collarbone.
But the man of steel wasn't going to let her be, as he put his martial arts into action - a beautiful combo of kicks and punches.
Swish—! Swish—! Swish—!
The silver-haired girl dodged the attacks, making it even more difficult for her. Making an effort to rethink her plan, Layla jumped backwards to take a breather.
"His movements are easy to read, but finding a gap to counter-attack is something the word 'difficult' can't describe."
Rolling her pupils around, Layla saw no hope in beating the man of steel. That being said, she charged straight at him.
Clark had a haughty smirk as he watched the stupid girl coming at him. He tensed up his legs and performed a high kick, aiming to smash the alien's head.
However, his round eyes soon began to shake. Layla had just passed in between his legs and didn't dare to turn back and fight.
With veins covering his face, Clark shouted, "Stop there, you little thief!!"
As the chief's voice echoed in the hallway, Layla kept running towards the inmates and prison officers fighting in the distance.
"I have to find Tito. Knowing him, he must have chosen the weakest opponent among the chiefs. My gut tells me so."
...
Near the middle of the chaos stood two individuals that no one dared to come close to.
Steam covered the place as if there was a thermal power station nearby.
In the middle of all this stood two figures who didn't even have a single scratch on their bodies, as they still had yet to engage in physical contact.
On the right stood a pale-skinned, human-looking alien who dared to come to such a grand fight without a battle suit.
She had her hands hidden in the pockets of her green prison guard uniform as she used hands made from her ears to tie her brown hair.
On the left side stood a man of black and white, who had a thoughtful expression covering his face as he clenched his fist.
The girl of water and the man of fire were at a standoff.
Both took a deep breath, and to ordinary eyes, it would look like they were feeding on something. However, they were both preparing for an attack.
"Water ball!"
"Fire spike!"
The two elemental attacks rushed out of the mouths of the two and quickly collided due to the force they came with.
Boom—!
More steam covered the area, and Tito used his enhanced hearing to locate Taylor. Turning his left into flames, he launched a side kick at her.
"First burning kick: Mawashi Geri!!"
Feeling the intense heat coming towards her pale skin, Taylor swiftly moved her athletic body to perform a back kick with a leg of water.
"Seas and Oceans: Dui-chagi!!"
Bam—! The attacks collided, and they both simultaneously deactivated their zodiac abilities, as both would end up losing a leg.