Blood dripped from Jack's eyes and ears, but he remained completely immobile, his foot on the brink of shattering entirely. Suddenly, the force released, and Jack slammed onto the floor, clutching his broken foot.
"You bastard!" he roared, rage filling his eyes.
Jack extended his right hand. The veins in his arm bulged, and his broken leg regenerated instantly. Dropping his center of gravity, he spread his feet shoulder-width apart, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
"Get ready, you freak!" he shouted. Vibrations surged through his body, causing the decaying building to tremble and crack.
Jack lunged forward with his right foot just as the creature raised its left hand. But Jack blew right through the beast—and the building wall—shooting out into the air.
"Damn it! That thing is a phantom!" he gritted out, dropping straight toward the ground floor.
The front door is open now.
"Bastard... it's like he's laughing at me," Jack growled, glaring up at the fourth floor where the faceless monster was staring down at him.
Jack re-entered the building. The doors slammed shut behind him once more, and he instantly collapsed onto the floor, spitting blood, his bones fractured from an unseen force.
I don't get it... when did he attack me?
He tried to push himself up, but collapsed again, gasping for air.
Am I near my limit?... No way, but my body feels heavier by the second.
Jack took slow, controlled breaths until he calmed down. Standing back up, he trudged up the stairs toward the fourth floor. Dust rained down as the walls cracked around him.
By the time he reached the top floor, every step felt like walking through wet cement, and an unbearable pressure weighed on his chest.
"Lenthato: Extenderiz gravirot," the creature echoed, extending its right hand and slowly pulling its fingers inward until they touched its thumb.
…
Levitato: Gravity Extension.
…
Jack was blasted backward out of the building, slamming hard into a billboard across the street that read: "A big smile brings happiness."
Bleeding and nearly unconscious, Jack fell toward the street, but a Gigan burst out from the shadows, opening its hideous maw to swallow him whole. Just before its jaws snapped shut, Jack engulfed himself in flames, bursting through the monster's skull from the inside out.
"Disgusting!" he spat, wiping blood from his face as he marched back toward the building, practically radiating fury.
That's the second time you've kicked me out of the building, you bastard.
Jack entered the building for the third time. As he walked, the first floor collapsed, then the second. Reaching the fourth floor, he snatched four cake mix packets labeled Passion Pour Le Sucré—vanilla, strawberry, and two chocolates—and shoved them into his jacket pocket.
"Sorry, Valentine," he whispered as the structure crumbled at an accelerating rate.
Reaching the VIP penthouse terrace where the creature was waiting, Jack burst through the door. The monster raised its left hand, palm facing the sky.
"Lenthato: Extenderiz gravirot plaz."
…
Levitato: Crushing Gravity Extension
…
Jack's legs sank directly into the concrete floor.
"I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT AGAIN!" he roared.
He took a slow breath, thrust his right leg forward, leaned into his stance, and held both palms out toward the sky. Instantly, the monster's gravitational force bounced off him and redirected back at its source, blasting the creature off the rooftop and burying it deep into the adjacent building.
"I'll finish you with the next strike!" Jack growled, sprinting toward the next roof.
Jack leaped through the air, his body wrapped in fire and high-frequency vibrations. Behind him, the building where he had found the clue about Claire collapsed completely into rubble.
Tears fell silently from his eyes as he slammed a flaming, vibrating fist straight through the building where his target landed.
Jack glared coldly at his prey. Before he could land the finishing blow, the monster raised its left hand, and Jack passed straight through it, crashing two floors down.
"Damn it!" Jack yelled in frustration.
He sat on the floor for a moment, analyzing the situation:
1. Right hand activates offensive abilities.
2. Left hand activates defensive abilities.
3. It can't use both hands at the same time.
In theory, I just need to force it to use option three.
Jack marched toward the stairs, the floor shaking under his vibrations. Three Minions tried to block his way, but two ended up decapitated and the third lost its limbs trying to breach his forcefield.
He climbed the stairs slowly, rage burning in his eyes. Two Runners lunged at him with open jaws; Jack caught them both by the faces, crushing their skulls instantly with his bare hands.
He kept moving until he reached the monster again. The creature was already raising its right palm toward the ceiling.
"Lenthato: Extenderiz gravirot plaz," it chanted, but then noticed something terrifying about its prey.
Jack kept walking through its domain completely unfazed, his eyes rolled back white, blood pouring from his eyes and ears—yet he didn't utter a single sound of pain.
Before the beast could finish its spell, it tried to back away, but a chunk of its shoulder was already gone. Jack was standing with his back turned, chewing and swallowing a piece of the creature's flesh. He wiped his mouth, turned around, and smiled sadistically.
Furious, the creature raised both hands toward the ceiling.
"LENTHATO: CRANITZ GRAVIROT PLAZ!" it roared as the entire building collapsed.
…
Levitato: Rising Crushing Gravity.
…
Jack launched himself forward using vibration and electricity simultaneously, encircling the monster with both hands.
"Levitato: Crushing Gravity!" Jack yelled.
The creature crashed down, smashing through the earth and plunging straight into the sewer system.
Jack regained control of his senses, suddenly realizing what he had just done.
"Ugh, gross... I actually tasted that thing!" he gagged, spitting up blood as nausea hit him.
He took a deep breath, coated himself in vibrations, flipped in mid-air, and smashed down into the sewers, destroying the ground beneath him and forcing his enemy back out into the open.
Except this time, the creature wasn't alone. Another annoying pest was standing beside it.
"I see... it's you, Skull," Jack said, his expression turning cold as his presence made the ground and nearby buildings tremble.
"Are you two brothers or something? Why do you look practically identical?" Jack smirked maliciously.
"Thanko!"
…
Tempo!
…
"Your Tempo is useless against me!" Jack sneered, taking a step forward.
"Panraka zu zuna Direct Than!" the Chronius barked, launching two double air shockwaves directly at Jack.
Jack extended his left hand, palm up, coated in heavy vibration. He deflected both air blasts in a fraction of a second.
"Useless!" Jack barked, glaring at them.
The Chronius responded with everything it had.
"Proriz Arm."
…
Air Barrier.
…
"THORM ARM THAN THANKHO RER!" it roared, breathing heavily.
…
Double Directed Air Storm regenerated with Time.
…
The faceless creature followed up immediately:
"LENTHATO: CRANITZ GRAVIROT PLAZ!" it shrieked as the street cracked open.
Both attacks fused together, creating a massive, towering tornado that consumed everything in its path.
How exciting... Levitato won't be enough for this!
Jack grinned, backing away to create distance. The massive storm surged forward at terrifying speeds.
"Doesn't matter what you do, it won't work!" Jack laughed, standing atop the roof of a nearby building, thriving on the thrill of the fight.
He stepped forward with his right leg, breathing slowly. Levitato wrapped around his body as he floated into the air. Closing his eyes, he raised his right hand like a claw, igniting it with flames and vibration.
Drawing his hand downward through the air, he carved five massive flaming slash marks into reality itself.
"Dragon Claw: Fire Rend!" Jack roared.
The five fiery slashes expanded to massive proportions, tearing straight through the towering tornado, obliterating both the Chronius and the faceless monster in a single instant.
The impact cleared the storm clouds from the sky, letting the sunlight back through.
Time to head home... I'll come back another day.
From that day on, half of Zone A remained in complete ruins—a testament to Jack's clash against two Kings of the sector.
…..
"Valentine, I'm back! And I brought sweets!" Jack called out, pulling the cake mix packets from his jacket.
"Give us a minute, Jack! We're taking a bath!" Valentine called back.
"Got it, I'll wait in the kitchen," he replied, sitting down at the table. Well, they're half-sweets for now. They're not baked yet.
Jack smiled to himself, but exhaustion hit him like a freight train.
"Damn it... I overdid it," he muttered. His eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted off to sleep.
….
"Ah, I fell asleep... Sorry, Valent—" Jack started, rubbing his eyes.
A party horn squeaked, followed by a cheery birthday song that snapped him fully awake.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HEY, HEY, HEY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HEY, HEY, HEY!"
Alicia and Valentine were singing happily, playing a tambourine and a whistle. Jack sat in his chair wearing a cardboard crown, staring at them in shock.
Tears welled up in his eyes as a smile spread across his face. Alicia and Valentine cried a little too, but they didn't stop singing.
"Alright, we've sung, cried, and laughed enough. Time for cake!" Valentine announced, slicing the cake and serving pieces to Alicia and Jack.
She leaned into Jack's ear and whispered:
"Don't worry... you can explain where you found Claire later, okay?" She pulled back with a gentle smile, looking into his eyes.
Jack wiped away another tear. "Deal," he whispered, smiling.
"Look at you, Jack, such a crybaby!"
Alicia was in her own world, happily devouring her slice of cake, completely oblivious to the quiet conversation.
"This cake is amazing, Valentine!" Alicia cheered; her mouth covered in frosting.
"Thank you, Alicia," Valentine laughed.
At least for today... we can live a normal life.