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The plan was simple—on paper, at least. Kane would do his best to stall Martial while Liam and Leo searched for a way out. Sure, they'd tried this exact tactic before, and sure, Martial had seen right through it last time, but hey, maybe the third time was the charm? Or was it the fourth? Kane had lost count of how many times the sergeant had humiliated them.
"Remember," Kane said, his voice tense but determined, "he hasn't seen our faces. If you two can get out of here…" He took a deep breath. "Then that's it. He'll never track you down."
Kane braced himself for the inevitable protests—the tearful declarations of brotherhood, the noble insistence that they couldn't leave him behind.
Instead, Liam and Leo were already on the move, scurrying toward the door like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
'Wow,' Kane thought, half-amused, half-betrayed. 'After this, I should really reconsider my friends.' He let out a soft chuckle. Then again, if the roles were reversed, Kane knew exactly what he'd do:
He'd run so fast, even his shadow wouldn't catch up.
Martial watched the trio with a mix of amusement and bemusement. His sharp eyes flicked to where Liam and Leo were "sneaking." He didn't bother hiding his grin. 'Stupid kids,' he thought. 'Didn't we just do this earlier?'
But Martial wasn't in a hurry to stop them. Oh no, this was his favorite part. Letting them think they had a chance, then yanking the rug out from under their feet. Nothing crushed the human spirit like hope, served cold and then dashed to pieces.
Kane squared his shoulders, activating his martial arts skill. His stance was solid—well, as solid as someone who had no intention of actually landing a hit could manage. The plan was clear: one blow, and they'd win their freedom. Easy enough, right?
Kane cracked his knuckles, glancing at the glowing stat points hovering in his system menu. He had 19 to allocate but decided to hold off for now.
Martial, noticing the flicker of confidence in Kane's posture, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Finally decided to give me a real challenge?" he asked, his grin widening.
Kane didn't answer. His brain was already running a hundred miles a minute. 'He said he won't use his abilities. One punch is all it takes. How hard can that be?'
Boom!
Kane launched himself forward, sprinting toward Martial like a man possessed—or like someone who thought he was about to be handed his freedom on a silver platter.
Martial just stood there, hands in his pockets, casually observing Kane's approach. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes sparkled with the kind of joy usually reserved for Christmas morning or finding money in your old jeans.
Kane closed the distance in seconds, his fists cocked, ready to strike. And then—woosh!
Martial sidestepped, so casually it was almost insulting. Kane's momentum carried him forward, and he stumbled, barely managing to stop himself before faceplanting into the ground.
"Nice try," Martial said, clapping slowly. "Really gave it your all there."
Meanwhile, Liam and Leo had almost reached the door. Almost.
"We're almost there leo" Liam whispered, his fingers brushing against the handle.
"Less talking, more running" Leo hissed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Martial wasn't watching.
The handle turned.
Boom!
Another shockwave ripped through the ground, sending both boys flying. Martial didn't even look their way as he stomped his foot down, his grin never fading. "And where do you two think you're going?"
"Was that raw strength!" Kane shuddered, half impressed and half terrified "how can someone be so strong"
Liam groaned as he pushed himself up, his face scrunched up into a frown "This guy's impossible!"
Leo, clutching his ribs, glared at Martial. "i think it's best, we surrendered Liam"
Kane mins was brewing, they had no chance, even if he put all his his status points in his speed, agility or speed, Martial would still be in a whole lot different league than they were.
'System, I think now would be the perfect time to help'
[Host and allies are now in perfect sync, all restrictions to abilities will now be removed]
Kane frowned, trying to understand what the system was saying.
Then it hit him like a truck, this was what he had been hoping for.
Ever Since the incident with the prism, no amount of practice had brought his friends any closer to understanding their abilities.
'So it was the system's doing?' kane thought deeply, noticing this, he frown became even deeper 'How is the system able to control their abilities?'
Does this mean they were all tied to the system?...
Thinking about this, he recalled the certain area of his status he never seemed to pay attention to.
[Allies: 2]
This must be it…
Kane didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he felt like shouting Eureka but in their current situation, that would be stupid.
"10 minutes remaining boys" Martial said casually, he was so bored he felt like just rapping them up and submitting them to authority.
But in the end…a deal was a deal.
Kane ran over to where the other two where and they huddled up.
"Do you feel any different?" Kane asked inquisitively, his eyes scanning them like he was looking for something.
"What do mea…" before Leo could complete his statement, his eyes lit up with a golden hue and so did Liam's.
"My guess was right" kane said in a mutter.
"Yes!, I feel different" Liam said happily, immediately green like barrier formed around him.
Electric sparks erupted from Leo's body lighting up half of the field.
"It's your ability, I think they've been fully unlocked" kane said happily.
"But how?, and also I feel very familiar with it, almost like I've had it for months" Liam was astonished.
"Likewise" Leo added, flexing his arms.
"I'll explain everything later, for now…" Kane smiled.
[Speed: 10(+12)--> 22]
[Strength: 10(+7)--> 17]
"We fight…"
Martial raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Finally showing some backbone, are we?" he noticed how happy they were but didn't quite understand why.
'why are they acting like they just got their abilities?'
"Alright, guys," Kane called out, his voice steady. "If I give the signal…"
He struck a dramatic pose, flexing his muscles like he was auditioning for a superhero movie.
"…we move."
"Now!" Kane barked.
Leo darted forward, his speed astonishing even to himself. In mere seconds, he closed the distance and aimed a lightning-fast punch at Martial's head.
Martial ducked, but Kane was already there, swinging a kick toward his midsection. Martial blocked it with his forearm, only to be met with Liam's barrier slamming into him from the side.
Martial staggered but recovered quickly, deflecting a flurry of punches from Leo while Kane circled him, looking for an opening.
"Not bad," Martial said, smirking.
Kane lunged, feinting a punch before sliding low to sweep Martial's legs. At the same time, Leo sped behind Martial, unleashing a burst of electricity.
Martial spun just in time, raising an arm to block the electricity with sheer precision. Liam capitalized on the moment, slamming his barrier into Martial's chest.
The sergeant stumbled slightly but remained unshaken.
"Nice teamwork," Martial said, his tone almost approving. "But not enough."
He spun on his heel, landing a punch aimed at Kane, but Liam's barrier intercepted it, absorbing the blow.
Leo dashed in, his fist crackling with energy, but Martial caught it mid-air and flipped him over effortlessly.
"You're getting predictable," Martial said, his grin widening.
Kane growled in frustration, signaling to Liam. Liam formed a protective shield around Kane while Leo sped forward again, this time aiming for Martial's legs. Martial jumped, landing gracefully a few feet away.
The boys regrouped, breathing heavily.
"Five minutes left," Martial said, resuming his stance. "Let's see what else you've got."
Kane wiped the sweat off his brow, his heart pounding in his chest. Martial was relentless—a fortress in human form.
"We're not giving up," he growled, determination hardening his voice.
Liam and Leo exchanged glances, both exhausted but unwilling to quit. They nodded silently, ready to fight again.
"Stick to the plan. We just need one clean hit," Kane whispered, formulating their next move.
Martial chuckled, shaking his head. "Planning won't save you. It's execution that counts."
Kane ignored him. "Leo, use your speed to distract him. Liam, shield me when I move in. I'll aim for his blind spot."
Leo smirked. "You got it."
Without hesitation, he dashed forward, zigzagging across the field, his movements a blur of gold and lightning. Martial's eyes narrowed, tracking him with almost inhuman precision.
"Fast," Martial muttered, sidestepping as Leo lunged with a series of rapid punches. The sergeant dodged each one effortlessly, but Leo wasn't aiming to connect—he was keeping Martial occupied.
Kane watched carefully, waiting for his opening. Liam stayed close, his shimmering barrier ready to intercept any counterattack.
Martial ducked under a punch and spun, aiming a kick at Leo's ribs.
"Now!" Kane yelled.
Liam's barrier expanded, absorbing the impact of Martial's kick and forcing him to retreat a step. Kane bolted forward, using every ounce of his enhanced speed to circle behind the sergeant.
Martial, however, was one step ahead. He twisted mid-pivot, catching Kane's fist in his iron grip.
"Predictable," he said smugly.
Kane's eyes widened, but he didn't falter. "Not yet."
Leo appeared beside him in a flash, his electrified fist aimed for Martial's chest. Martial blocked it with his free hand, the electricity fizzling against his forearm.
"Nice try," Martial said, his grin widening.
But that's when Liam struck.
Using his barrier like a battering ram, he slammed into Martial from the side with all his strength. The sergeant staggered, momentarily thrown off balance.
"Now!" Kane roared, pouring all his energy into a single, devastating uppercut.
For the first time, Martial's expression changed. His smirk faltered as the punch connected, driving into his jaw with a resounding crack. The force sent him skidding backward, his boots scraping against the ground.
The arena went silent.
Martial raised a hand to his jaw, flexing it experimentally. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He chuckled, low and dangerous, before breaking into full laughter.
"Well, well. Congratulations, boys," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "You actually landed one."
Kane, Leo, and Liam stood frozen, adrenaline coursing through their veins.
"Now get out of my sight before I change my mind" Martial said with a smile.
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