The punch missed entirely.
Kai's eyes widened.
Fast.
Too fast.
Fais immediately retaliated.
A simple jab.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing special.
Kai barely raised his arms in time.
BOOM.
The impact launched him backward.
His boots scraped against the floor.
Pain shot through both arms.
Kai stared.
One punch.
Just one.
And his arms already hurt.
Fais looked unimpressed.
"Weak."
The word struck harder than the punch.
For a brief moment—
Kai remembered the crimson imp.
Weak.
The same word.
The same feeling.
Fais stepped forward.
Kai forced the thought away.
Then attacked again.
A punch.
A kick.
Another punch.
A combination he'd practiced countless times.
This time—
One hit connected.
Fais took the punch directly to the chest.
Kai smiled.
For approximately half a second.
Then Fais looked down.
At the fist.
Then back at Kai.
"...Done?"
Kai immediately realized the problem.
Fais grabbed his arm.
"Oh."
Then threw him.
The world spun.
Kai crashed into a support pillar.
The metal groaned.
Eric looked over.
Then immediately looked away.