Nate groaned as he pushed himself up from the rubble, his vision blurred from the impact. His body screamed in protest, still aching from his battle with Steel Phantom. But he didn't have time to recover.
The Hunter was here.
Dressed in dark armor with glowing crimson markings, The Hunter radiated raw, terrifying power. His stance was relaxed, yet menacing, as if he knew the fight was already his.
"This is bad," Antrasite murmured.
Nate spat out blood and wiped his mouth. "Yeah, no kidding."
Steel Phantom, still dazed, tried to get up—but The Hunter barely spared him a glance before blasting him with an energy wave, sending him skidding across the pavement.
"This fight isn't yours," The Hunter muttered.
Steel Phantom didn't try again.
Now it was just Nate and The Hunter.
---
A Battle of Strength and Will
The Hunter struck first. A blur of movement—then a fist colliding with Nate's gut.
The impact sent Nate flying through the air, slamming into a parked car. The metal crumpled under his weight.
"Get up!" Antrasite urged.
Nate barely had time to breathe before The Hunter was already in front of him, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him effortlessly.
"You're getting sloppy," The Hunter mused. "Maybe I overestimated you."
Nate gritted his teeth, darkness flaring around his arms. He grabbed The Hunter's wrist and unleashed a blast of raw energy, forcing him to release his grip.
The moment his feet hit the ground, Nate retaliated—a powerful spinning kick aimed at The Hunter's head.
But The Hunter blocked it like it was nothing.
Then he countered.
A devastating punch to Nate's ribs, followed by an elbow to his face. Blow after blow rained down, each one sending pain surging through his body.
"We're losing this fight!" Antrasite warned.
Nate refused to accept that.
Summoning every ounce of strength left in him, he channeled Antrasite's power into one last, desperate attack.
Dark energy crackled around his fist as he swung—a direct hit to The Hunter's chest.
But The Hunter didn't even flinch.
Instead, he smirked.
Then he drove his fist into Nate's stomach with bone-shattering force.
Nate gasped.
Pain. So much pain.
He collapsed onto the pavement, his vision swimming. His limbs wouldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
The Hunter crouched beside him. "You've got potential," he admitted. "But you're not ready yet."
Then he stood up and walked away.
Nate lay there, helpless.
Bleeding.
Fading.
Until strong hands lifted him.
"Hang in there, kid," Henry's voice said. "I got you."
Then everything went dark.