AJ and Marcus faced each other across the blood-soaked plaza. Bodies lay scattered around the massive circular space, defenders and Iron Vanguard soldiers alike fallen amongst the gravel and dirt that had been churned into mud by the violence.
Marcus studied AJ's form, his eyes taking in the twin axes and their obsidian steel edges. AJ's human appearance remained steady despite the carnage surrounding them.
"AJ, right?" Marcus said, his voice carrying across the plaza. "I've heard interesting things about you."
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with for much longer," AJ replied.
Richard stepped closer to his brother, his earlier smugness returning as he took in Marcus's confident posture. "Show him what real fighting looks like, Marcus. These people have no idea what they're dealing with."
Marcus's expression remained focused on AJ, but his stance shifted slightly, his feet spreading wider, weight settling lower.
"Last chance to surrender," Marcus offered, though his tone suggested he expected no acceptance. "Walk away now, and you might live through this."
AJ's response was to harden his entire form, scales materialising across his surface in overlapping patterns. "I'm not the one who should be worried about surviving."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Then, both fighters moved simultaneously, dashing across the plaza and colliding in its centre.
---
AJ's opening strike came fast, his right axe aimed at Marcus's ribs whilst the left swept towards his neck.
Marcus twisted his torso, the first axe scraping against his leather armour as he leaned back. The second axe caught his shoulder, the obsidian steel edge biting through the leather and into his flesh. Blood sprayed from the wound as he staggered backwards three steps.
That should have done some damage, AJ thought, however he watched Marcus straighten with disturbing ease. Instead of favouring the wounded shoulder, Marcus rolled it experimentally.
"Interesting," Marcus said, flexing his fingers. "Is that the best you can manage?"
AJ pressed forward, closing the distance with two quick steps. His right axe swept horizontally at chest height whilst his left came down in a vertical chop towards Marcus's collarbone.
Marcus ducked under the horizontal strike, the axe blade whistling over his head. He blocked the descending left axe with his forearm, the obsidian steel cutting him down to the bone. Instead of crying out, Marcus grabbed AJ's wrist and drove his knee upward.
AJ hardened his torso just as the knee connected, the impact sending vibrations through his form but causing no real damage. He twisted his trapped wrist, rotating the axe blade to slice at Marcus's grip.
Marcus released him and stepped back, blood flowing freely from his forearm. But his movements were faster now, more fluid, as if the injuries had enhanced rather than hindered him.
"Something's not right here," AJ muttered, bringing both axes up defensively.
Marcus's counterattack came with startling speed. A straight punch targeted AJ's solar plexus, followed immediately by a hook aimed at his jaw. AJ deflected the first with his left axe handle, but the second punch connected solidly, snapping his head to the side.
AJ's head flowed backwards, momentarily becoming liquid to better absorb the impact. As his head solidified, Marcus was already pressing forward with a combination of strikes—left jab, right cross, left hook to the body.
AJ parried the first two, but the body blow caught him in the chest. The force sending him sliding backwards across the dirt and gravel.
From the sideline, Richard cheered. "That's it, Marcus! He can't handle your strength!"
AJ regained his footing, noting how Marcus's breathing remained steady despite the blood loss. Every wound seemed to be fuelling him somehow, converting damage into enhanced capabilities.
Marcus drew his sword, "You're quick with those axes, I'll give you that. But let's see how you handle this."
The Iron Vanguard leader advanced with measured steps, his sword held in a middle guard position. AJ circled left, keeping both axes ready as he looked for an opening.
Marcus's first sword strike was a diagonal cut from shoulder to hip. AJ intercepted it with his right axe, the weapons ringing as they met. Marcus immediately followed with a thrust aimed at AJ's throat.
AJ tilted his head, the sword point passing mere centimetres from his neck. He countered with his left axe, aiming for Marcus's extended sword arm.
Marcus pulled back, bringing his sword around in a tight arc to deflect AJ's axe. The parry flowed seamlessly into a backhand cut that opened a gash across AJ's chest.
AJ felt a sharp stinging sensation through his hardened form. The wound should have been shallow, but it cut deeper than expected, a dark green ichor seeping from the injury.
"So there is something like blood in there," Marcus said with a grin.
AJ stepped back, examining the wound. It was healing already, his substance flowing to close the gap, but something was wrong. Marcus shouldn't have been able to cut him that deeply.
"Let me guess," AJ said, switching to a more defensive stance. "The damage makes you stronger."
Marcus's smile was answer enough. He lunged forward, his sword aiming for where AJ's heart would be, if he had one.
AJ sidestepped and brought his right axe down towards Marcus's arm. Marcus shifted his arm to the side at the last moment, the axe glancing off leather and drawing a line of blood across his bicep.
But instead of recoiling, Marcus used the momentum to spin into a horizontal slash that caught AJ across his midsection. This cut was deeper than the last.
Each of Marcus's strikes flowed into the next with increasing speed and force. AJ found himself giving ground, his axes working desperately to deflect the onslaught.
A thrust scraped along AJ's left arm. A diagonal cut opened his shoulder. A rising cut caught him under the chin, snapping his head back.
AJ realised he needed a new approach. Instead of trying to avoid damage entirely, he began accepting certain hits deliberately, and shifting damaged sections of his form towards his back whilst bringing fresh material forward.
Marcus's next thrust aimed for AJ's heart. Instead of dodging, AJ allowed the blade to punch through his chest, the sword emerged from his back, but AJ was still moving.
He grabbed Marcus's sword hand with his left hand whilst bringing his right axe around. Marcus's eyes widened in surprise as he realised his hand and blade were trapped.
The axe blade slashed Marcus across his front, opening a deep gash from shoulder to hip that sprayed blood across the plaza's gravel.
But instead of collapsing, Marcus smiled.
"Thank you," he said.
Marcus twisted his trapped sword hand breaking AJ's grip. He followed with a headbutt that caught AJ square in the face, the impact sending him stumbling backwards.
AJ's face reformed immediately, but Marcus was already moving. A powerful kick caught AJ in the chest, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying 20 metres across the plaza.
"Yes!" Richard shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
AJ crashed into a pile of debris, wood and stone scattering around him. He emerged mostly unaffected but wary, his axes reforming in his hands as he studied his opponent.
Marcus stood in the plaza's centre, blood covering his arms and torso from multiple wounds. But his posture was confident, his breathing steady, and his movements were ever increasing in strength and precision.
"You're starting to understand," Marcus called out. "Every cut, every bruise, every drop of blood—it all feeds my strength. You can't win."
AJ's mind raced, analysing the problem. Marcus's ability had limits, it had to. No enhancement could be infinite. The question was how much damage he could absorb before reaching his limit.
"Then I'll have to change things up a little," AJ replied, his form beginning to shift and flow.
His human shape dissolved into something more fluid but still vaguely human shaped. When Marcus's next sword strike came, AJ simply opened a hole in his torso, letting the blade pass harmlessly through empty space.
Marcus's eyes widened as his thrust met no resistance. AJ immediately solidified around the sword, trapping the blade within his substance.
But Marcus was adapting too. Instead of trying to withdraw his sword, he abandoned it entirely, his hands reaching for the twin daggers at his belt.
AJ released the trapped sword and reformed his axes, but Marcus was already inside his guard. The daggers flashed in quick succession—one, two, three cuts across what could be described as AJ's arms and chest.
Each wound was shallow but large. AJ could feel his substance responding to the injuries, working to group the damaged portions together, but Marcus's enhanced speed made it difficult to keep up.
The Iron Vanguard leader's dagger work was surgical in its precision. A cut across AJ's left hand made his grip on that axe falter. Another across his right shoulder interfered with his counterattack.
"You're running out of tricks," Marcus observed. "I can see the strain in your movements."
AJ had to admit Marcus was right. The constant shifting of damaged sections was taking its toll, requiring concentration and energy to maintain.
Marcus's breathing was becoming laboured now, despite his enhanced state. Veins bulged along his neck and arms, whilst his eyes had taken on a bloodshot appearance. The ability that made him stronger was clearly pushing his body beyond what it could actually handle.
"What's wrong, brother?" Richard called out, his voice carried less confidence than before. "You're not slowing down, are you?"
Marcus didn't respond, focused entirely on landing decisive blows against an opponent who seemed capable of absorbing punishment indefinitely. His strikes were becoming more and more desperate.
AJ recognised the opening he'd been waiting for. Marcus had absorbed tremendous amounts of damage, and his body was showing clear signs of strain.
He's reaching his limit, AJ thought.
Instead of trying to fight efficiently, AJ began shifting into a more aggressive form. His axes merged into his hands, becoming part of his structure. Spikes erupted from his arms, shoulders, and back.
Marcus stepped back, his daggers held defensively as he assessed the evolving threat.
AJ launched himself forward with explosive force, his spiked form becoming a living weapon. Marcus tried to dodge, but AJ extended his reach catching him across the chest, with dozens of spikes raking through leather and flesh.
Blood sprayed across the plaza as Marcus staggered backwards, his chest a lattice of wounds. He refused to falling, instead straightening up once again as he absorbed the massive damage and converted it to power.
"More," Marcus breathed, his eyes wild with battle-lust. "Give me more!"
AJ obliged, launching a relentless assault that gave Marcus no opportunity to recover. Spikes became hammers, hammers became blades, blades became crushing fists. Each weapon struck with enough force to shatter bone, and each impact drew more blood from his opponent.
Marcus tried to absorb the onslaught, his body taking in the damage and converting it to strength. But something was changing. His movements were becoming erratic, his thoughts giving way to desperate survival instincts.
A massive hammer caught Marcus in the stomach, the blow sending him skidding across the gravel. He struggled to his feet, blood pouring from his mouth as internal injuries began to manifest.
"No," Richard whispered, his face pale as he watched his brother falter. "Marcus, get up. Get up!"
But Marcus was at his limit. He couldn't absorb any more damage, he couldn't handle the increased strength either and so it began dissipating, leaving him with nothing but the accumulated damage from dozens of wounds.
His legs buckled, sending him to his knees in the plaza's bloodied dirt.
AJ approached slowly, a massive spike forming from his right hand as he prepared to end the fight.
"You fought well," AJ said. "But this ends now."
The spike punched through Marcus's chest with a wet sound that echoed across the plaza. Marcus looked down at the weapon protruding from his torso, surprise flickering across his face.
"Richard..." he whispered, then collapsed backwards as AJ withdrew the spike.
"MARCUS!" Richard screamed, staring at his brother's body.
He was overcome with terror, the strong older brother he was relying on had died. His mind went blank aside from a single thought.
Run.
He made it three steps before a massive armoured hand fell on his shoulder. Ethan had emerged from the smoke and carnage, his metal-clad form looming behind Richard.
"Going somewhere?" Ethan asked.