Rex's fist slammed forward with everything he had.
Noir tilted his head.
The punch missed by an inch.
Viper came from the side at the same time, swinging a compact blade at Noir's ribs. The angle was clean. The timing was perfect.
Noir stepped back once.
The blade sliced through air.
Then he moved.
A blur.
A strike.
CRACK.
Rex's head snapped sideways as Noir's fist connected with his jaw. Before Rex could recover, Noir spun and drove a kick into Viper's chest, sending him skidding across the rubble.
The ocean around them was calm, but the battlefield wasn't.
Floating slabs of metal shifted under their feet. Broken pieces from the fortress littered the land in front of them. The sunlight reflected off the water, slightly mocking the unrest above them.
Rex spat blood and charged again.
And again he didn't hesitate.
Punch.
Punch.
Hook.
Uppercut.
Every strike had power.
Every strike missed.
Noir moved as though he wasn't even trying.
He slipped the first punch, ducked the second, leaned away from the hook, then stepped inside the uppercut and drove his elbow into Rex's ribs.
CRACK.
Rex staggered.
Noir followed with a knee to the stomach and sent him stumbling backward.
Viper rushed in again, faster this time, aimed low. He slid over rubble and tried to sweep Noir's legs out from under him.
Noir jumped.
Viper passed beneath him.
Noir landed a heel kick straight to Viper's back.
BOOM.
Viper hit the ground hard and rolled.
Rex came back in, roaring now.
He snatched a piece of broken metal and swung it like a bat.
Noir stepped forward.
Inside the swing.
He grabbed Rex's wrist.
Twisted.
CRACK.
Rex dropped the metal instantly.
Noir slammed a punch into his stomach, then another, then another.
Each was a bit heavier than the last.
Rex dropped to one knee.
Viper got himself up and charged again.
This time both of them attacked together.
Rex from the front.
Viper from the side.
Punch.
Kick.
Strike.
Swing.
Every move timed together.
Every move missed.
Noir weaved between them, slipping each attack with minimal movement. He ducked under Rex's fist, stepped around Viper's strike, then used Rex's arm to pull him into Viper.
The two collided.
Hard.
They hit the ground together.
Noir stood over them.
Unbothered.
"Pathetic," he muttered.
Rex pushed himself up again, breathing heavily.
"Not done."
Viper wiped blood from his mouth.
"Yeah… not even close."
They rushed him again.
This time faster.
Desperate.
Rex threw a straight punch.
Viper followed with a spinning strike.
And Noir didn't dodge.
He blocked.
Then countered.
CRACK.
Rex flew backward.
CRACK.
Viper followed.
Both of them hit the rubble at the same time.
Noir exhaled slowly.
"…This is getting boring."
Then—
Shadows passed over the whole battlefield.
Noir looked up.
And a blur of blue dropped from the sky and landed between them.
BOOM.
The impact cracked the floating slab.
Rex's eyes widened.
"…No way…"
Viper froze.
"…That's bad."
Super Metal Nico stood there.
Blue aura roaring around his body.
The Phantom Rubies hovered behind him, glowing faintly.
Noir smirked.
"…Hmph."
He rolled his shoulders.
"I could've beaten those two. But oh well…"
He glanced at Rex and Viper.
"I guess you can have the win this time."
Super Metal Nico didn't respond.
He turned his head slightly.
Then raised one arm.
Palm aimed directly at Noir.
Energy gathered instantly.
Green.
Dense.
Violent.
Noir's expression shifted.
"…What?"
He stepped back slightly.
"W-what the hell are you doing, metal?!"
He raised his arms into a defensive stance.
The energy grew larger.
Louder.
Dr. E stepped into view behind Metal Nico, smiling wider than ever.
"We have no more use for you, Noir."
Noir's eyes snapped toward him.
"…What?"
Dr. E adjusted his scanner.
"Super Metal Nico has reached a power output level of ninety-five thousand."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And you…"
A pause.
"…only have eight hundred and fifty."
Silence.
Then—
"What?!" Noir shouted.
"That's bullshit! You can't do this, sir!"
His fists clenched.
"I've been one of your highest-ranking servants for years!"
Dr. E's smile didn't change.
"Well, you see, Noir…"
He gestured toward Metal Nico.
"…we simply do not need you."
A pause.
Then—
"Go on, Metal. Carry out the execution."
Noir's expression twisted.
Rage.
Betrayal.
Disbelief.
"…You're serious."
Metal Nico moved.
No warning.
No hesitation.
CRACK.
The first punch slammed into Noir's face and launched him across the battlefield.
He hit the rubble and bounced.
Rolled.
Then forced himself up.
"…Tch."
He wiped blood from his mouth.
"Fine."
He lunged.
Fast.
Faster than before.
His fist shot toward Metal Nico's head.
Metal Nico didn't move.
The punch landed.
Nothing happened.
No reaction.
No damage.
Noir's eyes widened.
"…What?"
Metal Nico grabbed his arm.
Twisted.
Then drove a punch into his stomach.
BOOM.
Noir's body folded.
Another punch.
CRACK.
Another.
CRACK.
Each hit heavier than anything before.
Noir tried to fight back.
A kick.
Blocked.
A punch.
Caught.
A strike.
Interrupted.
Metal Nico grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM.
The slab cracked.
Noir coughed.
Tried to stand.
Metal Nico didn't let him.
A kick sent him rolling.
Another hit followed.
Then another.
Then another.
Noir was getting destroyed.
Completely.
Every time he tried to move, another strike came.
Every time he tried to attack, it failed.
Metal Nico stayed silent.
Efficient.
Precise.
Unstoppable.
Rex watched in shock.
"…He's getting folded…"
Viper didn't respond.
He couldn't.
Noir forced himself up again.
Barely.
Blood ran down his face.
His breathing was uneven.
But his eyes still burned.
"…I'm not done…"
He charged again.
Metal Nico met him halfway.
CRACK.
One punch.
Noir froze.
Then dropped.
Flat.
Metal Nico stepped forward.
Raised his fist again.
CRACK.
Another hit.
Noir's body twitched.
Then went still.
Silence.
The ocean moved gently around them.
The sky stayed bright.
Noir didn't move.
Dr. E nodded.
"Good."
He turned toward Rex and Viper.
"Now exterminate these two fools."
Viper's hand moved.
"…Spheres out…"
Three small metal spheres shot from his pocket.
They hovered.
Glowed faintly.
"…bring us to safety…"
The spheres shot forward.
One attached to Nico.
One to Rex.
One to Viper.
A high-pitched whine filled the air.
Then—
FWOOOOM.
They launched upward.
Faster than sound.
Rex barely had time to react before the battlefield vanished beneath them.
The ocean shrank.
The wreckage disappeared.
Within seconds, they were gone.
Miles away.
Dr. E watched them leave.
"…Damn it, Metal."
He sighed.
"I would say go chase them…"
A pause.
"…but it's fine."
He turned.
"If they start a rebellion against me…"
He smirked.
"…I'll just make sure you finish them later."
A flying scooter descended behind him.
He stepped onto it.
Metal Nico followed.
The two lifted into the air.
And left.
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the sound of water remained.
Noir's body lay motionless among the rubble.
Unmoving.
Broken.
Still.
Seconds passed.
Nothing.
Then
A finger twitched.