Eleo grinned, hands on his hips. "Because I'm super duper strong."
Penelope's face turned red with rage. "Shadow Creeps, get him! Get him now!"
The Shadow Creeps surged forward, claws slicing through the air. Eleo leapt backward, flipping over their swipes with ease.
Three of them formed dark orbs in their hands, launching them toward Eleo in unison.
"INK BUBBLE SHIELD!" Eleo shouted, forming a glossy, swirling bubble of ink around himself. The shadow balls smashed against the shield, splattering harmlessly.
Penelope clenched her fists. "Ugh, seriously?! Shadow Creeps, stop messing around!"
Eleo peeked through his shield with a smirk. "You're gonna have to do better than that!" Eleo popped out of his shield, shaking off the impact. "Man, alright, I'll stop playing around," he said, cracking his knuckles.
The shadow creeps snarled and lunged at him all at once, their razor-sharp claws gleaming. Eleo grinned, thrusting both hands forward. "INK BARRAGE!" he yelled, launching a flurry of ink-coated punches. The blows landed with explosive force, tearing through the shadow creeps one by one. The last shadow disintegrated into dark mist.
Eleo dusted his hands off. "Alright, now it's your turn."
Penelope dropped to her knees, her head bowed. Eleo blinked in confusion and cautiously walked toward her. "Uh… hey, you okay? Did I hit you too hard or something?"
Penelope clasped her hands together, her voice low but unwavering. "God, I am yours. You are my Savior. Please, protect me from all danger."
Eleo raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Tony and Hork. "What's she doing now? Some kind of last-ditch move?"
Hork whispered, "Maybe she's giving up?"
Tony shook his head. "No, this feels different."
Before Eleo could respond, a blinding beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping Penelope in its brilliance. The ground trembled, cracks spreading outward from where she knelt.
"Whoa! What the—" Eleo shielded his eyes as the light intensified, its warmth radiating outward. Penelope slowly rose into the air, her body glowing with divine energy.
The brilliance grew blinding, and a soft hum filled the air, followed by a series of sharp, rhythmic chimes. The light around Penelope flared, and from within her, a pure white energy burst forth, reshaping her form.
Her simple clothing dissolved into an ethereal, flowing white robe adorned with intricate golden patterns. A gleaming white cape unfurled behind her, fluttering as though caught in a divine wind. Her once dark eyes now glowed a piercing gold, radiating an unearthly serenity. Her entire skin turned an alabaster white, her hair flowing like strands of molten light. White chaps wrapped her legs, seamlessly blending with her radiant attire.
She landed softly, the light around her dimming but never fading completely. Penelope opened her now-holy eyes, staring directly at Eleo. Her voice, calm yet commanding, echoed as if carried by a thousand whispers. "Alright, boy. Come at me."
Eleo tilted his head, still confused but undeniably intrigued. "Uh, what just happened? Did you, like, power up or something?"
Penelope smirked, extending a glowing hand toward him. "You wanted a fight, didn't you? Well, let's see if you can handle me now."
Eleo grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, I can handle it. Let's go, Miss Holy Glow." Eleo darted forward, closing the gap in a flash. He swung a lightning-fast punch, aiming for Penelope's glowing face, but she barely tilted her head, dodging effortlessly. Her movements were fluid, almost dismissive.
"Too slow," she said, her voice calm.
Eleo gritted his teeth, spinning into a roundhouse kick. She caught his leg with one hand and shoved him back, sending him skidding across the ground.
"Alright, alright!" Eleo muttered, cracking his neck. "Let's kick it up a notch!"
He charged again, throwing a flurry of rapid punches. Left, right, uppercut, jab—each strike whistled through the air with speed and power. Penelope deflected them all with ease, her hands moving in a blur, each block precise and minimal.
Eleo pivoted, aiming a sweeping kick at her legs. She leaped over it effortlessly, spinning mid-air. As she landed, Eleo lunged, turning his arms into massive ink hammers and slamming them down with a roar.
"Ink Hammer!"
The ground cracked under the impact, dust and debris flying everywhere. But Penelope had already sidestepped, her movements so smooth it seemed as if she were gliding. She tapped Eleo's shoulder as he stood in the crater, her smirk widening.
"Missed me."
Eleo whirled around, only to meet a swift palm strike to his chest that sent him flying back. He hit the ground hard but rolled to his feet, coughing.
"Alright," Eleo said, wiping his mouth. "I'll admit, you're tough. But I'm just getting started!"
He lunged again, feinting a punch before turning his hand into an ink blade. "Ink Blade Slash!"
Penelope raised her arm, effortlessly catching the blade with two fingers. Her eyes glowed brighter as she flicked her wrist, snapping the blade like it was nothing.
"Try harder," she said, her tone almost bored.
Eleo growled, spinning into another attack, but Penelope grabbed his wrist mid-swing, twisting it and flipping him over her shoulder. He crashed onto his back, gasping for air as she stood over him.
"You're strong," she said, her voice still calm, "but strength without control is useless."
Eleo's eyes narrowed, and with a sudden burst of energy, he twisted his body, sweeping her legs. She fell but caught herself mid-air with a graceful backflip, landing as light as a feather.
"You're persistent. I'll give you that," Penelope said, brushing off her cape.
Eleo clenched his fists, his ink powers surging wildly around him. "I'm not done yet!"
Penelope sighed, stretching her arms. "Good. Let's see how long you can last."
Penelope sighed, sidestepping Eleo's next punch with ease. As she turned, she delivered a precise palm strike to his back, sending him stumbling forward.
"Ugh, this isn't fair," Penelope muttered under her breath, glancing at her glowing hands. God's grief, she thought. This form enhances my strength and speed, but where are the flashy powers? It's all brute force. No fun at all.
Eleo spun around, dusting himself off with a smirk. "Alright, Miss Penelope, this fight's dragging on. Should I hold back more, or… go even further beyond?"
Penelope froze, her brow twitching. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Eleo raised a hand, gesturing dramatically as if addressing an audience. "For my entire life," he began, "I've been forced to suppress my power by at least 20 percent."
Penelope blinked. "...20 percent?"
"Yes!" Eleo nodded solemnly. "You see, my master, Kuma—a wise and gentle bear—once told me that my full strength could cause unimaginable destruction."
Penelope crossed her arms, her expression unimpressed. "A bear?"
"A bear!" Eleo repeated, his voice filled with reverence. "Kuma taught me the art of restraint. He'd always say, 'Eleo, my boy, your strength is both a gift and a curse. Never go all out unless you want to break the world around you.'"
Penelope groaned, rubbing her temples. "Are you seriously telling me you've been fighting at 20 percent this whole time?"
Eleo grinned. "Exactly! I've been saving my true power for a worthy opponent. And you, Miss Holy Glowstick Lady, might just be the one!"
Penelope's eyes narrowed, her lips twitching in annoyance. "First of all, stop calling me that. Second, do you expect me to be impressed by this melodramatic nonsense?"
Eleo pointed a finger at her. "Dramatic? Maybe. Nonsense? Definitely not. I'll show you what happens when I unleash my true potential!"
Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Alright, fine. Show me. But if this turns out to be another one of your half-baked tricks, I'm throwing you off this bridge myself."
Eleo chuckled, clenching his fists as ink began to swirl around him. "Prepare yourself, Penelope! You're about to witness the true strength of Eleo the Bunny Kid!"
Penelope sighed, muttering under her breath, "This is going to be such a headache."
Penelope stood motionless, her glowing eyes locked on Eleo as he began to charge up. Ink swirled around him like a storm, thickening with each second. "Alright, kid," she said, her tone firm but calm. "Now strike me."
Eleo paused mid-charge, turning his head left and right, genuinely puzzled. "Huh?"
"I said strike me!" Penelope repeated, planting her feet and bracing herself.
Eleo shrugged. "Okay, you asked for it. Don't go crying when you lose!"
In her mind, Penelope smirked. He's bluffing. No way he was holding back this much power.
Before her thought could finish, Eleo vanished from sight. A gust of wind slammed into Penelope, and her eyes widened in shock. "What—"
Eleo's fist was already buried deep in her gut, and the impact reverberated through her entire body. "Oh, he wasn't bluffing…" she groaned, her voice faint as her holy glow dimmed. She fell to her knees, gasping, before collapsing onto her back, her normal form restored.
Eleo jumped up, punching the air in triumph. "Yahoo! I beat her! I beat her! Woohoo!"
Tony, who had been watching silently, adjusted his tie and said, "Yes, very impressive, but could we move on now? We've got to catch up with Kenji."
Hork, still cheering, said, "Yeah! That was awesome, Eleo!"
Eleo ran over to them, beaming. "Of course! But first…" He grabbed the rusty sword, holding it up like a trophy. "I can't wait to give Kenji his sword back!"
Tony rolled his eyes, muttering, "He's going to love that rust bucket."
Hork added, "Yeah, that thing looks like it's ready to fall apart."
Eleo ignored them, already sprinting forward. "Let's go! Kenji's probably waiting for us!"
Tony sighed, jogging to keep up. "If he hasn't gotten himself into trouble by now, it'll be a miracle."