As the Troll's massive frame stepped out from the flickering light of the portal, the very air in the park grew heavy. Sard had his fingers leveled like barrels toward the beast. Each shot created small explosions upon impact with the creature's thick hide, releasing the acrid stench of burnt flesh. The Troll shuddered with pain at every hit but continued its advance like an unstoppable machine of destruction.
"Focus, Lena. Don't let the barrier drop!" Sard said, his gaze never wavering from the target. Realizing his attacks were ineffective, Sard grit his teeth. He knew he needed to deliver a heavier blow, but under the beast's pressure, there wasn't even a moment to focus.
The Troll, however, had no intention of waiting. Its massive, rock-hard fist descended from the air with a speed that defied gravity. Lena channeled all her brilliant light into her staff, thrusting the barrier forward. But the force of the impact was so immense that the light barrier shattered into pieces within seconds. Sent flying like a ragdoll by the shockwave, Lena slammed violently against the concrete wall of the canal and collapsed. The concrete wall cracked. As the young girl lost consciousness, her staff skidded across the ground with a piercing metallic ring.
For Fast, the world fell into a hushed stillness in those seconds. Only the thin, metallic echo of Lena's staff hitting the concrete resonated in his ears. His eyes locked onto her motionless hand. In that moment, Sard's earlier words—calling him an "obstacle"—began to explode in his mind like bullets.
I'm an obstacle... Fast thought. As his eyes slowly filled, the slight ache in his heart turned into a searing fire. Her blood might not have been on his hands, but his helplessness was staining his soul. The shame of watching the destruction as a mere spectator while possessing power hit his chest harder than any blow from the Troll.
There was a silence. Even the wind in the park died down. Fast's head dropped, his shoulders began to tremble. But this wasn't a crying fit; it was the breaking point of a massive pressure building at the bottom of the ocean.
"Enough..." Fast whispered. His voice was so low it was lost beneath the Troll's growls. Then, from his throat rose a sound resembling the roar of a predatory beast: "ENOUGH!!!"
A blue energy began to erupt from every pore of Fast's body. This was nothing like Sard's controlled, clean energy; it was erratic, wild, and scattering in every direction like lightning. The pure blue light in his eyes had incinerated all logic in his mind. As he stood, the concrete ground beneath his feet cracked. Fast took that "present" power sealed deep within his mind and, merging it with Sard's technique, transformed it into raw fury.
As he copied the energy flow at his fingertips, he pumped his own hatred and desperation into it. When he aimed both hands at the beast, what rose from his fingertips were not bullets, but pillars of energy that tore through the sky.
"DIE, YOU FILTHY BEAST!" he screamed, as Relentless, uncontrolled explosions began to drive the creature back. Blue beams of light punched deep, cauterized holes into the Troll's massive torso, effectively incinerating its flesh. Sard was forced to throw himself aside to escape the wild friendly fire radiating from Fast.
The Troll howled in agony under this massive rain of energy. The energy Fast emitted was so intense that the monster's skin began to peel off in layers, and the concrete ground started to melt. Dark blood oozed from the horrific holes torn into the creature's chest and shoulders. Fast continued to scream in a state of lost consciousness; at that moment, he was not just a weapon, but a living catastrophe.
Sard, looking at Fast through the chaos of dust and light, muttered: "This is impossible... He isn't just copying... He's redefining this power with his own rage."