Hisense smirked as he stopped abruptly, turning to face Malo. "You've been persistent, but this is where it ends," he said, his voice filled with cold confidence.
Malo narrowed his eyes but didn't respond. He adjusted his stance, his hands beginning to shift into deliberate signals.
"My name is Hisense," the mage continued, flexing his fingers as streaks of shimmering silver and bronze began crawling up his arms like living veins. "I draw my power from the Metal God. Your confidence is admirable, but it's misplaced. Let me show you why."
Malo's hands stilled as a swirl of brilliant blue energy erupted from his gestures. It twisted and formed into the shape of a majestic eagle, glowing with raw inner energy. The eagle let out a piercing cry, its sharp, glowing eyes fixed on Hisense as it soared above Malo.
The mage raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So, that's your game. Interesting. Let's see how far it takes you."
Without another word, Hisense slammed his fists into the ground. Metallic spikes exploded outward in a deadly ring, shredding the earth as they surged toward Malo.
Malo leapt into the air, twisting his body with precision as the spikes narrowly missed him. Above, the eagle dove with blinding speed, its energy-talons extended to strike Hisense's head.
The mage reacted swiftly, summoning a gleaming silver shield from the metal on his forearm. The eagle's talons screeched against the shield, sparks flying. The force of the strike pushed Hisense back a step, and he grimaced.
Malo landed lightly on his feet, his hands forming another sharp signal. A surge of energy crackled beside him, and a tiger materialized, its glowing blue form rippling with feral power. With a low growl, the tiger lunged forward.
Hisense clenched his fists, and a massive mace erupted from the ground into his hands, its spiked head shimmering with lethal intent. He swung it in a wide arc, aiming for the tiger, but the creature darted aside with feline grace, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.
Malo followed behind his tiger, closing the distance with frightening speed. He delivered a swift series of punches, each strike precise and deliberate. Hisense blocked with his mace, the metallic clang echoing with each impact. Sparks flew as the two clashed, but Malo's relentless assault pushed Hisense onto the defensive.
The tiger leapt again, forcing Hisense to split his attention. He swung his mace toward the creature, but Malo seized the opening, slamming his elbow into Hisense's side with bone-crunching force. The mage staggered, his expression twisting into a mix of frustration and disbelief.
"You should've kept running," Malo said coolly, signaling for his tiger to prepare its next strike.
Hisense staggered back, but his expression quickly shifted to a wicked grin. "Oh, so you draw power from the Animal God," he said, his voice tinged with both curiosity and malice. "What a rare and fascinating gift. But it won't be enough to stop me."
Malo's tiger snarled, circling Hisense with glowing blue energy radiating off its body. The eagle still hovered above, its sharp eyes locked on the mage. Malo himself remained poised, his fists clenched as he readied himself for Hisense's next move.
"Let's see how you fare when I stop holding back," Hisense sneered. With a sweeping motion, he slammed his hands together, and the metallic veins crawling up his arms surged outward, forming shimmering silver armor around his entire body. The ground beneath him rippled, and shards of metal began to rise into the air, hovering ominously around him like floating daggers.
Before Malo could react, Hisense launched the shards forward with a flick of his hand. The tiger darted to intercept them, leaping with a ferocious growl. Its glowing claws deflected some of the shards, but a few slipped past, slicing into Malo's shoulder. He grunted in pain and leapt back, signaling with his hands to summon another ally.
This time, a kangaroo materialized beside him, its glowing blue fists crackling with energy. It immediately jumped forward, launching a series of rapid, powerful punches at Hisense.
The mage laughed, stepping forward with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. He swung his mace with devastating force, meeting the kangaroo's strikes head-on. Each collision sent shockwaves rippling through the room, the sheer power of their exchange forcing Malo to stay on the defensive.
"You think your tricks can overwhelm me?" Hisense taunted, twisting his mace and catching the kangaroo in its midsection. The creature was flung backward, dissipating into blue energy as it hit the wall.
Malo's eyes narrowed. "Tricks? I'm just getting started."
He gestured sharply, summoning the tiger again. The beast roared as it charged forward, but Hisense was ready. He drove his fist into the ground, summoning a massive wave of metal spikes that erupted in all directions. The tiger dodged skillfully, but Malo was forced to leap away, narrowly avoiding a spike aimed for his leg.
"You're on the back foot now," Hisense said, raising his hand and gathering the floating shards of metal around him once more. "Let's see how long you can keep up."
He hurled the shards again, this time faster and more relentless. Malo deflected them with sharp, controlled strikes, but it was clear Hisense had gained the upper hand.
The eagle dove from above, aiming to distract Hisense, but the mage anticipated the attack. He formed a spear out of his metal reserves and threw it with deadly precision, piercing the eagle and causing it to dissolve into energy.
Malo clenched his fists, sweat dripping from his brow. He could feel the tide turning against him, but he wasn't ready to give up. With a sharp breath, he focused, summoning both the tiger and the kangaroo simultaneously.
"Let's see if you can handle them together," Malo said, his voice steady despite the pressure.
Hisense grinned. "Oh, I can handle them—and you too. Bring it on."
Malo, with a determined expression, swiftly signaled with his hands, the blue energy around him intensifying. The tiger, kangaroo, and eagle reappeared at his side, each glowing with an even fiercer aura than before. Hisense sneered, but a flicker of caution crossed his face.
"More animals?" Hisense mocked, though his voice was less confident.
But Malo wasn't done. With a final, intricate series of hand movements, a surge of blue energy rippled across the ground. The floor began to shimmer and distort as four ethereal sharks emerged, their glowing forms gliding effortlessly through the surface as if it were water. Their presence was menacing, and even Hisense's cocky demeanor faltered.
"You didn't expect this, did you?" Malo said coldly, stepping forward as his summoned animals surrounded him.
Hisense gritted his teeth. "I underestimated you," he admitted, slamming his mace against the ground to send a wave of metallic spikes toward the oncoming sharks. The spikes shot forward, but the sharks weaved effortlessly between them, their forms darting with predatory precision.
The tiger lunged at Hisense from the front, its claws aiming for his chest. Hisense countered with his mace, striking it with a powerful swing that sent sparks flying, but the tiger twisted mid-air, swiping at his exposed leg and forcing him to stumble.
The eagle dove next, aiming for Hisense's head. He quickly formed a metal shield to deflect it, but this opened him up to an attack from the kangaroo, which leapt forward and delivered a crushing blow to his side. Hisense grunted in pain, the force of the punch denting his metallic armor.
"You're relentless," Hisense snarled, but Malo didn't respond. His focus was razor-sharp, his movements calculated.
The sharks circled closer, one of them lunging and snapping at Hisense's leg. He managed to dodge, slamming his mace down to force the shark back, but this left him exposed to the others. A second shark surged forward, its glowing jaws clamping down on his other leg. Hisense screamed as the energy burned through his armor and drew blood.
"You're outmatched," Malo said, stepping forward as the tiger pounced again, knocking Hisense backward. The mage raised his mace in desperation, swinging wildly, but his strikes were uncoordinated now, his confidence shattered.
One of the sharks seized the moment, leaping out of the ground and clamping its jaws onto Hisense's arm. There was a sickening crunch as the glowing energy severed the limb clean off. Hisense howled in agony, clutching the stump where his arm used to be.
"You…you'll regret this," he hissed through gritted teeth, staggering backward. His blood stained the floor as he began retreating toward the hallway.
Malo took a step forward, his animals prowling beside him. "You came here thinking you were invincible. Now, you're running with your tail between your legs. Don't ever come back."
Hisense glared at Malo, his face twisted in pain and rage. With one last burst of energy, he summoned a barrier of metallic shards to block Malo's path and staggered out of the HQ, disappearing.
Malo exhaled deeply, his animals dissolving into streams of glowing blue energy around him. The fight was over, and he had won. But he knew it wasn't over.