The shockwave was felt for miles.
Kenji, Tony, and Jorbo were in the middle of preparing for battle when the surge of energy hit them like a freight train. The force knocked Kenji off balance, and he steadied himself, wide-eyed.
"What the hell was that?" Kenji gasped, his heart racing as he sensed the sheer power behind the shockwave.
Tony grinned, his muscles flexing in anticipation. "That's Hunk for you. Always full of surprises."
Jorbo frowned, his gaze fixed on the distant battlefield. "We need to be careful. That kind of power can tear this whole city apart."
Kuri and Charlie were further away, but the immense energy still washed over them like a tidal wave. Kuri could feel it deep in his bones, his own energy paling in comparison to the raw might he had just felt.
"This is... beyond anything I've ever seen," Kuri said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Charlie remained calm, though even he was feeling the pressure of the surge. "We need to stay focused. If Hunk's pushing himself this hard, something serious is going down."
Elsewhere, Eleo lifted his right hand, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Ink, First Form!" he shouted, his right side becoming enveloped in dark ink as his body transformed.
Tleo groaned, clearly frustrated by the interruption. "Really? Right now?"
Before they could react, the Abyssal Surge swept over them too, knocking them both off their feet as its immense power spread through the area.
Even Lucian and Koshkin were caught in the aftermath. Lucian was charging up his light-based attack when the surge hit, causing his energy to falter momentarily. Koshkin, undeterred, laughed maniacally.
"You fool!" Koshkin spat. "I'll blow myself up and take you with me! My venom will—"
"Shut up," Lucian interrupted, glaring at his opponent. "If I hit you first, you won't even get the chance."
But before their fight could continue, they too were hit by the Abyssal Surge, their battle abruptly halted as they were forced to brace against the overwhelming power.
Back at the ocean, Hunk stood amidst the boiling water, his fists still crackling with the last remnants of the Abyssal Surge. The Morphian Sovereign disintegrated by Atoms, embedded deep within the ocean's surface, barely moving.
Hunk wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, his grin never fading.
The rain continued to pour, thunder rumbling in the background as Hunk's aura began to dim, his energy spent. The battle wasn't over, but for now, Hunk had made his mark. The Morphian Sovereign would remember this moment.
And so would everyone else who felt the weight of his power. And wonder did it even adapt to his punch
Hunk moved with blinding speed, suddenly appearing in front of Lucian. With a vice-like grip, he grabbed Lucian's face and lifted him off the ground. His voice, low and commanding, rumbled as he said, "What the fuck did I say about the Supreme Council lackeys?"
Lucian, eyes wide in panic, stammered, "P-Please, Mr. Mayor, we were just looking for the people who signed up to fight the strongest!"
Hunk gave him a cold smile, letting him drop back to the ground. "Oh, is that right?" he mocked, his tone dangerously calm. As Lucian straightened up, relief flooding his face, Hunk suddenly flicked his pinky into Lucian's stomach. The sheer force knocked Lucian out cold, leaving him crumpled on the ground.
Hunk turned his gaze to Koshkin, who had already reverted back to his normal form, standing nervously. "And you, cat-boy. You working for them too?"
Koshkin shook his head quickly. "No, sir! I'm on my way to becoming the strongest."
Hunk grinned, his sharp teeth glinting. "I like your spirit, kid. I like people who want to be the strongest." He clapped Koshkin on the shoulder with surprising gentleness. "You have a good day now."
With that, Hunk vanished, reappearing in front of Eleo and Tleo. He patted them both on the head like they were children, his tone now almost fatherly. "You kids shouldn't be fighting. If you keep at it, I'll have to gut-punch both of you."
Eleo quickly de-transformed, his wide eyes filled with awe. "Wow, are you the guy who did all this?"
Hunk's grin returned, this time more playful. "Yes, I did. And you know what I used? Ever heard of Aura?"
Eleo's eyes lit up in recognition. "I remember hearing about it!"
Hunk nodded. "Good. But what about Abyssal Surge?"
Eleo shook his head. "Nope."
"Well," Hunk said, cracking his knuckles, "Abyssal Surge is something else entirely. It's an incredibly rare and legendary power. Only one in ten thousand people ever have the chance to be born with it. The odds are about 0.1%, making anyone who wields it a force to be reckoned with. It's almost mythical."
Eleo's eyes widened. "That sounds amazing!"
Hunk's gaze shifted, suddenly sharp. "Hey, where'd that bunny kid go?"
Eleo blinked, looking around. "I don't know… he was here when I was fighting him."
Then, almost shyly, Eleo lifted his shirt collar to reveal the small 'R' marked on the back of his neck. "Hey, Mister, do you know what this means?"
Hunk's face turned serious for the first time. He stared at the mark, his voice low. "You… you have that mark? Damn, kid, one day you're going to be powerful."
"What does it mean?" Eleo pressed.
Hunk hesitated, then patted him on the head again. "You'll find out one day, kid."
Without another word, Hunk shot off again, landing gracefully in front of Kenji, Tony, and Jorbo. The three were about to start a fight when Hunk interrupted. "If you fight, you'll get the same treatment as that monster," he warned.
Jorbo quickly backed off. "Yeah, I think I'm done."
Kenji gave him a sideways glance. "Just like that?"
Jorbo shrugged, smiling nervously. "With that sword of yours, I wouldn't stand a chance anyway."
As Jorbo walked away, Hunk looked up at the dark, stormy sky. With a massive leap, he soared into the air, clapping his hands. Instantly, the dark clouds cleared, and the rain ceased. He landed back on the ground without a sound.
Tony cursed under his breath. "Oh shit! We forgot about Olorun!"
Kenji's eyes widened. "Ah, shit."
They rushed to find Olorun, who was sitting calmly by himself, looking perfectly fine. "Oh, hey guys," Olorun said with a relaxed smile.
"You okay, man?" Tony asked.
Olorun nodded. "Yeah, but can we leave this place now?"
Kenji sighed in relief. "Yeah, man. But first, I need some new clothes."
Tony nodded in agreement. "Same."
As they began to move, Eleo caught up with them, grinning from ear to ear. "Oi! Did you guys see all that?"
Kenji chuckled. "Yeah, kid, we did. We're leaving, but we gotta get some new clothes first."
Eleo beamed. "Sounds good!"
Meanwhile, Koshkin was on his communicator, contacting Mikage and Randel. "Yo, guys. How're things going with the skeletons and goblins?"
Randel's voice crackled through, excitement in his tone. "A fucking blast, man!"
Mikage chimed in, "Did you get me a new sword?"
Koshkin smirked. "Yeah, and it's badass as hell. You're gonna love it."
Mikage's grin could practically be heard through the comms. "Thanks, sir!"
Koshkin nodded. "Alright. Now we head to World 2."