The air trembled as Rudra flickered into existence directly in front of Android 17, his instantaneous technique bending space like rippling glass.
Android 17 didn't hesitate. His hand shot forward, summoning a massive sphere of artificial ki, and hurled it at Rudra without warning.
The world erupted in light. The blast was large enough to swallow a city block whole, its burning pressure surging toward Rudra like an expanding sun.
But Rudra stood his ground. His glowing blade flared brilliantly as he raised it into the path of the oncoming inferno. With a single sweep, the sword drank in the artificial energy, pulling it into its core until the blast vanished without even an echo.
Android 17 narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with irritation.
"Tch. That damned sword again."
He blurred forward, his movements a streak of speed, his fists hammering like meteors. A whirlwind of kicks and punches rained down, each strike enough to shatter mountains. Yet every impact dissolved harmlessly against the sword, absorbed into its crystalline glow.
"Annoying," 17 muttered through clenched teeth. "You think you can hide behind that toy forever?"
Rudra's smirk widened. "This 'toy' has already ended one of you."
Android 17 snarled. But before he could retort, Rudra vanished.
A ripple in the air—and suddenly Rudra was behind him. His voice rang out, sharp and final.
"Your game ends here, Seventeen!"
Before 17 could react, Rudra clasped his shoulder. The air folded in upon itself. Space warped violently.
In the blink of an eye, both of them vanished from Earth.
---
The next moment, Android 17 stumbled forward, the red sands of Mars crunching beneath his boots. He froze, his gaze sweeping across the barren wasteland, the black sky above stretching endlessly. Rust-colored dunes rolled into the distance. The silence was deafening.
"W–what? Where… am I?" he muttered, his voice breaking the void.
Behind him, Rudra's voice cut like a blade.
"Welcome to your graveyard."
Before 17 could turn, a sharp kick slammed into his back, sending him skidding across the Martian sand. Dust plumed into the air, settling slowly in the low gravity.
Rudra descended after him, his aura flickering ominously. "This is where your story ends."
Android 17 sprang back to his feet, fury igniting in his eyes. Rudra's blade carved through the air, glowing bright blue as he slashed down toward him. But 17, sharp and adaptive, twisted at the last second, the blade cleaving only through the air.
A smirk tugged at 17's lips. "So that's your trump card, huh? As long as I dodge that blade, you can't touch me."
He darted backward, circling. His confidence returned. "You may have tricked 18, but me? I've figured you out."
Rudra didn't respond immediately. Instead, his hand glowed as he summoned raw ki, condensing it into a massive ball of energy larger than anything he'd conjured before. The sphere hovered above his palm, humming with devastating power.
Android 17 barked a laugh. "Hah! Is that it? That's your ace? You think throwing energy at me will change anything?" He thrust out his arms, his confidence absolute. "Come on! Hit me with it!"
Rudra hurled the glowing mass forward. It tore through the thin Martian atmosphere, screeching with compressed energy. The moment it neared, Android 17 braced himself, his smirk widening.
The explosion lit up the Martian surface like a second sun. The shockwave blasted across the wasteland, carving deep trenches into the red rock.
When the light faded, Android 17 stood amidst the dust, unscathed. His body shimmered faintly—his energy barrier had absorbed the blast completely. He chuckled darkly.
"Pathetic," he spat. "That's all you've got? Did you really think something like that would work on me? I can stand here all day and take whatever you throw at me. You can't break through my barrier."
Rudra's smirk faded into something colder, sharper. He lowered his blade, his voice low and steady.
"I knew it."
17 blinked. "…What?"
"I knew you'd rely on that shield. I knew the sword alone wouldn't be enough."
His eyes closed briefly. The air around him shifted. Then, in a whisper that carried across the barren wasteland, he spoke:
"Root Chakra… open."
---
The ground trembled. Energy erupted from Rudra's body, surging like a tidal wave. His hair grew longer in an instant, whipping wildly in the storm of power that engulfed him. His aura exploded outward, a swirling blaze of gold interwoven with streaks of crimson.
"Muladhara!" Rudra roared, his voice echoing through the Martian void.
The energy crackled violently, distorting the air. The sands beneath him turned molten from the sheer intensity of his aura.
Android 17 staggered back a step, his eyes wide, his smirk finally faltering.
"What… what the hell is this?!"
His scanners whirred, analyzing the transformation. The readings made no sense—human energy signatures didn't behave like this.
"You… you're human," 17 stammered, disbelief flooding his tone. "How can you—how can you transform like that?"
Rudra opened his eyes, the glow within them like burning embers. His voice was calm, but beneath it raged a primal force.
"I am human. But unlike you, Seventeen, I draw from something you'll never understand. The power of life itself… the chakras that flow through all existence. This is my foundation. My root."
The golden-red aura surged again, tearing through the thin Martian winds. Rudra raised his blade, now infused with the energy of his awakened chakra.
"This is Muladhara," he declared. "The strength to anchor, the will to endure, and the power to destroy."
Android 17's jaw tightened. For the first time in years, he felt it—fear.
"You're bluffing," he spat, forcing confidence back into his voice. "Whatever trick this is, it won't save you."
But deep down, he knew. The rules had changed.
The predator had become the prey.
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