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"Cough, cough…"
Clark held his chest and coughed as he stood up. His strong defense left him almost unscathed, though he felt a slight pressure in his chest. However, Azu's attack had ignited his anger.
Clark leaped out of the barn and charged toward Azu.
Boom!
Clark's punch struck Azu's right cheek, sending him spinning like a top through the air before he crashed heavily onto the ground. Mud splattered, and a dull thud echoed.
A stunned Azu looked at the panting Clark in shock. Was this the same Clark who never fought back and always needed his help in fights?
"You liar! You could fight all along, Clark!"
Feeling deceived, Azu clenched his fists, stood up, and glared at Clark.
"I'm not a liar," Clark replied, wiping the rain from his forehead and breathing heavily. "I was just controlling myself, as my godfather taught me."
"That's—lying!"
An enraged Azu's eyes glowed with a fierce red light.
Zzz!
In an instant, a searing red laser tore through the air and hurtled toward Clark. Clark dodged, but his shoulder was grazed, sending him tumbling into the living room. The laser continued through the room, blasting a hole in the wall behind it.
Crash! The dining table and sofa in the living room splintered into pieces from the impact.
Clark rolled across the room, crashing into the TV stand, which shattered on impact. Broken furniture and electronic debris scattered across the floor, leaving the once-tidy living room in ruins.
Thud!
Azu jumped into the living room. Before he could find Clark, he felt a rush of air. An infuriated Clark struck Azu with a heavy punch. Azu tried to block, but in the next moment, he was sent flying uncontrollably.
With a loud bang, Azu was slammed deep into the wooden staircase, shattering it to pieces. Wincing in pain, he quickly rolled to his feet.
Though it was his first real fight, Azu and Clark had watched many boxing matches with their father, so he knew how to strike effectively. Moving swiftly, Azu's punch aimed for Clark's jaw.
Clark instinctively raised his arm to block.
Boom!
The room shook with a loud explosion, and the force shattered the windows. Although Clark blocked the punch, he was knocked to the ground, creating cracks in the floor. He immediately stood up unharmed and lunged at Azu.
With both hands locked together in a struggle, Azu, having developed faster than Clark, held a slight advantage in strength.
"You can't beat me, Clark; I've always been stronger!" Azu taunted, pressing Clark down.
"No, you're not!" Clark gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and seized Azu's arm to leap upward.
Using his super jump, Clark launched them both to the second floor, creating a large hole in the hallway floor. With a sudden burst of strength, he tossed Azu like a sack.
Boom!
The floor cracked beneath Azu, who felt a searing pain in his back. But the pain was secondary to the humiliation—the shame of being knocked down right after boasting made his face flush.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned factory, Peter, unaware his two sons were already fighting and close to destroying his home, continued his conversation with Horace.
Taking a step closer to Horace, he asked, "Who exactly are you? I don't recall anyone like you in Smallville."
"Who knows? Maybe—I'm not meant to exist in this era," Horry replied with a measured tone, jumping down from the platform. "Fate brought me back here to exact revenge on this era."
"Fate?" Peter frowned. "What fate?"
Could this man wield dark magic like Father Norma?
"Fate has many interpretations, Mr. Podrick," Horace said, his voice low. "I believe that everything in life is predetermined. The heavens set our fate, even our conversation now. Nothing can alter it."
With a somber tone, he continued, "Just as I wandered by the Smallville River and was attacked by those glowing green fish, I thought I'd die. But somehow, I regained my youth."
Peter listened quietly, his gaze sharpening when he heard "regain youth."
Horace paused, then continued, "Clark and John are also chosen by fate, like me. I know because I've seen Clark react to that green meteorite."
Before he could finish, Peter interrupted, "You're Old Horace, right? The guard from Smallville Elementary?"
Peter had already deduced his identity. Apart from Martha McDonald, only Old Horace had witnessed both the bus incident and Clark's reaction to kryptonite.
Seeing Peter reveal his identity, Old Horace hesitated briefly before looking at him with a complex expression. "Yes, I'm Old Horace. I didn't intend to hide it since you're all going to die here. But why aren't you afraid?"
"Alright, Mr. Horace." Peter sighed and said, "Since you're being open, I'll tell you two secrets."
"First, I hate liars."
With a flash, Peter instantly appeared in front of Horace and punched him in the chest.
Horace felt the air sucked out of his lungs, the pain too intense to even bend over and catch his breath, forcing him to cough violently.
"It feels like an animal is trapped in your chest, doesn't it?" Peter taunted. "Second, I'm not just a normal man either."