I charge again.
The ground beneath my feet cracks as I press down on my step.
CRK.
My body shoots forward.
The air around my face pulls backward as the distance between us disappears in a single breath. I no longer use any particular stance. My legs and arms move exactly as I want them to.
I enter striking range.
My right fist shoots straight forward.
WHOOM—
Lucifer tilts his body.
My punch passes through empty air.
I have already rotated my hips before my foot touches the ground again. My left fist follows immediately.
WHAM.
The strike lands on his chest.
The impact is clear against my knuckles.
His body shifts slightly backward.
I do not stop.
My left foot plants firmly.
THUD.
A kick rises from the side.
SWOOSH—THUD.
My foot slams into his ribs.
The impact is clear along my shin. His body only shifts one short step.
I move in again.
My steps are short and fast.
My feet move according to the rhythm of my own body.
Right punch.
BAM.
Left punch.
BAM.
A hook to the abdomen.
THUD.
Lucifer shifts his shoulder slightly. Part of the force still strikes his body.
I increase the pressure.
My feet move faster.
TAP—TAP.
The distance closes again.
A straight punch.
WHAM.
An uppercut.
THUD.
A hook.
BAM.
Impact after impact echoes between us.
Some of my attacks pass through the air because of his small movements. Some still land against him.
None of them stop him.
I rotate my body.
A sweeping kick rises from below.
SWOOSH—CRACK.
My foot strikes his jaw.
His head moves slightly along the direction of the kick.
He steps back half a step.
I am already moving again before my foot descends.
My steps are fast.
Short.
TAP.
My right fist shoots forward.
BOOM.
A heavy impact against his chest.
I add a second strike.
BAM.
A third.
THUD.
A fourth.
WHAM.
Lucifer shifts his body. His shoulder tilts. His head leans slightly to the side.
Some of the blows still strike his body.
He remains standing.
I move in again.
My foot presses harder into the ground.
THUD.
A straight punch.
WHAM.
A hook from the side.
BAM.
An uppercut rises from below.
THUD.
A kick rises from the side of my body.
SWOOSH—CRACK.
My foot slams into the side of his head.
The air trembles around us.
His head moves slightly along the direction of the kick before returning upright.
His eyes remain fixed on me.
I keep moving.
My body feels light. My breathing remains steady. The healing within my body works endlessly, easing the strain in my muscles and joints each time an attack lands.
I step to the left.
TAP.
I enter striking range again.
My right fist.
WHAM.
Lucifer tilts his body. My punch hits his shoulder.
My left fist follows immediately.
BAM.
A hook to the abdomen.
THUD.
He retreats half a step.
I close the distance again.
A kick rises from below.
SWOOSH—THUD.
Impact against his ribs.
A second kick follows.
CRACK.
This time toward his jaw.
His head shifts slightly.
His body returns upright.
I keep moving.
My foot presses into the ground.
BOOM.
The ground cracks beneath my step as I surge forward again.
A straight punch.
WHAM.
A hook.
BAM.
An uppercut.
THUD.
Lucifer moves more now. His body tilts. His steps shift slightly backward.
Some punches still strike his chest.
Heavy impacts echo.
His body remains steady.
I rotate my body.
A spinning kick.
SWOOSH—CRACK.
My foot strikes the side of his head again.
The air trembles around us.
His head only follows the direction of the kick slightly before returning upright.
I am already closing in again before my foot touches the ground.
My step is short.
Fast.
TAP.
My right fist shoots forward.
BOOM.
My left fist follows.
BAM.
My elbow rises from below.
THUD.
Lucifer shifts his shoulder. Part of the force still strikes his body.
He steps back one short step.
I press forward again.
A punch.
WHAM.
A hook.
BAM.
A kick to the ribs.
THUD.
A second kick toward the knee.
CRACK.
His knee only shifts slightly with the direction of the strike.
I spin again.
My body shoots to his side.
WHOOSH.
A punch from the side.
WHAM.
Lucifer tilts his body. The strike lands on his shoulder.
An uppercut rises from below.
THUD.
His head moves slightly.
I continue.
Punch.
Kick.
Strike.
WHAM! BAM! THUD! CRACK!
Relentless attacks fill the air between us.
Some he avoids with small movements.
Some still strike his body.
His body continues shifting slightly each time an impact occurs.
I feel no resistance.
There is no counterattack.
He only moves.
Evading.
Tilting his body.
Stepping back.
I increase my speed again.
My foot presses the ground.
BOOM.
My body surges forward.
A straight punch.
WHAM.
A hook.
BAM.
An uppercut.
THUD.
A rising kick from below.
SWOOSH—CRACK.
A heavy impact against his jaw.
He steps back half a step.
I close the distance again.
Right fist.
BOOM.
Left fist.
BAM.
Elbow.
THUD.
Lucifer tilts his body. Some strikes still land on his chest.
There is no change in his expression.
I stop one step in front of him.
My breathing remains light.
My body is still ready to move again.
Lucifer stands in place, staring at me very deeply once more.
He smiles sincerely at me.
"I am very proud of you, son. Now, you will witness the true battle. Learn from it and adapt after this."