Chapter 127: Another Leap "Part Two!"
A series of soundless explosions rippled through the void, each shockwave reverberating across the barren moon's surface like distant thunder. The air was still, but the energy between the two combatants crackled, as if the very fabric of space itself could not contain the intensity of their battle.
William and Mark were no longer just testing the waters; their training had escalated to a new level.
For the first time, William was no longer simply defending. He began to strike, though he did so with measured restraint, ensuring each blow was controlled enough to avoid seriously hurting Mark, at least, for the moment. Every so often, a casual punch or a swift kick would send Mark hurtling across the surface of the moon. The young Viltrumite would skid across the dust-covered terrain, leaving trails of destruction in his wake, before digging his heels into the moon's surface and charging back again, blood leaking from his nose and mouth. The metallic taste of it barely fazed him.
Mark's eyes burned with a fierce determination as he wiped the blood away. He wouldn't back down. He couldn't.
Spinning in mid-air, Mark launched his foot at William's head from the side. The move was fast, fluid, a calculated strike meant to exploit any opening.
The kick made contact, and William's neck shifted slightly from the impact, the force sending a ripple through his posture. But before his hands could grab Mark and retaliate, the young Viltrumite was already on the move again, retreating with a swift, practiced maneuver. His direction shifted, a blur of motion as he sought a new angle of attack.
William watched, his lips curling into a small, approving smile.
He's learning.
The thought passed through his mind, his eyes following Mark's every movement. Knowing when to pull back, to not fight head-on, that's critical.
But just as the realization settled, the moment of calm was shattered.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
A rapid series of blows rained down on William, coming from every angle. Mark was relentless, trying to break through William's defenses with a furious barrage of attacks, each one coming faster than the last, each one coming with more force.
William's body remained still, like a monolith in the storm. He blocked, parried, and deflected with precision, each movement deliberate, controlled. He couldn't afford to let Mark get too close, not yet, not when the young fighter still had so much to learn.
Then, in the midst of the chaos, it happened.
"WHOOSH!"
William's aura erupted.
A wave of raw, unrestrained power exploded outward, rolling through the empty space like a tempest breaking loose from the chains of its creator. The force of it pushed against the very fabric of reality itself, sending a rippling shockwave across the surface of the moon.
Mark's final punch, a fast, desperate strike aimed at William's face, paused mid-air, its forward momentum suddenly arrested by the overwhelming pressure of William's energy. Time seemed to freeze for an instant, and then the punch veered violently off course, deflected entirely by the raw power William had unleashed.
Mark's eyes widened as his fist was thrown off target, his body jolting with the unexpected recoil. He was forced to take several quick steps back to avoid being engulfed by the force, his chest heaving from exertion. Blood continued to trickle from the corner of his mouth, but there was a fire in his gaze, undeterred, unwavering.
William's smile remained, though it was edged with something deeper now, a quiet pride. He lowered his aura, but only slightly, letting it settle into a controlled hum around him.
"Good," William said, his voice calm, yet carrying the weight of a quiet approval. "You're getting faster. You're learning how to adapt. But remember, there are times when you'll need more than just speed and strength. You'll need control."
Mark, wiping the blood from his face once again, nodded, though the look in his eyes was fierce. Every word William spoke fueled the fire inside him, pushing him to train harder, to become more than what he was.
He wasn't there yet. Not even close. But with every blow, every lesson, he was inching toward it. Towards the power that would one day rival even the greatest of warriors.
And William? He was watching with both pride and patience, knowing that Mark had only scratched the surface of his potential.
William's casual demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp focus as he stepped forward.
"Alright, Mark," William's voice was low, carrying an edge of seriousness, "this time, I won't hold back."
Mark's pulse quickened, his senses tingling with the anticipation of the challenge ahead. He had been holding his own, but he knew that when William said he wouldn't hold back, it meant he was about to experience something far more intense than he had ever faced.
Without another word, William lunged.
His speed was a blur, a flash of movement that Mark barely had time to process before William's fist was upon him. The punch was fast, so fast that Mark only managed to twist his body at the last second to avoid a direct hit to his chest. The impact grazed his side instead, but it was enough to send him flying backward, his body spinning through the air as the shockwave of the blow reverberated through his core.
"BOOM!"
Mark hit the surface of the moon hard, the force sending a cloud of dust into the vacuum of space. He gritted his teeth as he quickly pushed himself back onto his feet. His body stung from the impact, the burn of his muscles protesting against the assault. But he didn't back down.
"No more holding back, huh?" Mark muttered, his breath coming in quick gasps.
William appeared before him in an instant, his presence overwhelming, his energy suffocating the space around them. Without warning, he sent a rapid series of punches toward Mark, each one carrying the weight of the storm behind it.
"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!"
Mark raised his arms to block, but each strike that landed pushed him back, the force of William's blows cutting through his defenses like a knife through butter. His body buckled under the weight, his feet leaving deep imprints in the moon's surface as he struggled to stay grounded.
With a roar, Mark pushed forward, slamming his fist into William's abdomen, hoping to land a decisive blow. But William, with the ease of someone who had fought battles beyond reckoning, twisted his body out of the way, countering with an open palm to Mark's chest.
"CRACK!"
The impact sent Mark hurtling back again, his body skimming across the moon like a stone thrown across a pond. He came to a stop, his limbs aching, his chest heaving. Blood dripped from his nose, staining the lunar dust below.
As Mark steadied himself, William vanished once more, his body moving so fast that he appeared to be in multiple places at once. Mark's instincts screamed at him, but before he could react, William reappeared right behind him, delivering a powerful palm strike to the small of his back.
"WHAM!"
Mark's body was launched forward, his head spinning. He tried to regain his balance, but his limbs felt heavy, like lead. He was struggling to keep up. This isn't enough, he thought. I need more. I need to—
Before Mark could even finish processing the chaos of his recent movements, a flash of green light filled his vision. In the blink of an eye, William was standing directly in his path, an orb of vibrant, crackling green energy pulsing in his hand.
"Catch!" William's voice rang out, laced with a playful intensity. Without warning, he hurled the small but lethal ball of ki straight toward Mark, who was still speeding toward him, too committed to his forward momentum to change direction in time.
Mark's eyes widened in surprise. His instincts kicked in, and his body responded almost reflexively. His flight abilities surged, slowing his descent, but the sheer force of the incoming green ball was far more than he anticipated. He focused, drawing on every ounce of his energy, trying to halt his speed before the collision.
"Come on… come on!" Mark gritted his teeth, pushing with everything he had. The wind in his face rushed past in a blur, but just as the orb of energy closed in, Mark extended his arms, palms facing the threat.
"KCHCHHCHCH!"
The moment the ball made contact, a surge of unimaginable power shot through Mark's body. His arms trembled under the strain, every muscle in his body bulging as he struggled to deflect the overwhelming energy. His entire frame shook with the effort, and his teeth gritted so hard that his jaw ached. The pressure was immense, his flight powers barely making a dent against the onslaught of green ki.
His veins bulged, his skin flushed as the energy continued to push against him, inching him closer to the moon's surface. His body was slowly, agonizingly, being forced downward. He could feel the heat of the energy searing through the air, pressing down on him with a weight he could barely comprehend.
With a final, desperate surge of willpower, Mark threw his strength into one last effort. His muscles locked, his veins coursing with blood as he pushed with everything he had. Sweat dripped from his brow, mixing with the foam that filled his mouth. He couldn't hold it much longer, but just before it crushed him, he deflected the orb, sending it spiraling upward into the cold vacuum of space.
The energy ball flickered for a brief moment, as if resisting its fate, before it erupted into an explosion of blinding green light.
"BOOOM!"
The explosion of energy reverberated through the cosmos. The force of it was so powerful that it seemed to freeze time for a moment. The impact of the explosion was felt not just on the moon, but it could be seen from Earth itself, an immense burst of green light illuminating the dark expanse of space.
Back on Earth, people stared up at the sudden flash, confusion and fear rippling through the crowds. What was that? Was it a sign of danger? Were they under attack?
Meanwhile, in the distance, Allen the Alien was on high alert. He had been watching the training session from afar, his mind racing as the shockwave of energy hit him full force.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Allen shouted, his voice full of alarm as the shockwaves of the explosion reached him. His feet slipped in the dust, and he staggered backward, his eyes wide with disbelief. The force sent him stumbling a few feet, barely able to keep his balance as the energy continued to pulse outward.
The green light that cascaded across the surface of the moon was like nothing he had ever witnessed. It was as if the very fabric of reality had shifted, warped by the sheer power of the explosion. The waves of energy flowed out in all directions, displacing the dust, rattling the ground beneath Allen's feet, and causing him to stumble backward, narrowly avoiding being knocked off his feet entirely.
"What... what kind of power was that?!" Allen muttered to himself, his heart racing. The blast was enough to send tremors through him, and the intensity of the ki still lingered in the air, even as the wave finally began to dissipate. It was like standing in the aftermath of a storm that could destroy planets.
Back on the moon, Mark was still floating, barely able to maintain his balance as he took in deep, ragged breaths. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his body covered in a sheen of sweat as he tried to shake off the intense exertion. He had done it. He had deflected William's attack, but barely.
William, standing a few yards away with a bemused grin on his face, gave Mark a nod of approval. "Well, well. You're learning quickly." His voice was light, though there was an edge of pride in his words.
Mark's hands were still trembling from the energy he had just withstood, but his gaze was sharp. "That was insane," he said, his voice hoarse from the effort. "What the hell was that thing?"
William's lips curled into a knowing smile, his gaze locked onto Mark with an almost predatory intensity. With a swift motion, he summoned another orb, nearly identical in size to the previous one. This time, its surface was a deep, pulsing green, crackling with an electric energy that hummed in the air. The very atmosphere seemed to tense as the orb began to shimmer, a flicker of raw, untamed power emanating from its core.
Mark, caught up in the rush of excitement, felt a sudden prickle of unease. His breath hitched as he instinctively took a step back, the raw force radiating from the orb like a silent warning.
"This," William's voice boomed, rich with authority, "is Ki. A force that is both weapon and shield, bound to the will of those who wield it."
With a graceful yet deliberate motion, he hurled the orb into the sky. It soared effortlessly, higher and higher, until it vanished into the expanse of space. Mark blinked, his heart racing as he followed its path. The orb collided with the thin veil between Earth and the moon, igniting a cataclysmic burst of energy that tore the heavens open. A second sun, bright and fierce, blazed into existence between the two worlds, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the darkened sky.
The brilliance of it was blinding, yet Mark couldn't tear his eyes away. The power that William commanded was unlike anything he'd ever encountered.
William turned to Mark, his voice a low, resonant echo. "In the hands of a true warrior, it is more than a mere weapon or shield. It is a force of nature."