Creation Of All Things

A gust of wind swept through the warehouse, rustling the scattered debris and broken bodies left in Adam's wake. The slow, deliberate echo of Anya's clap faded into the silence, and the tension between them thickened like an electric storm.

Adam rolled his shoulders, exhaling softly. His body barely showed signs of exertion, while Anya stood in front of him, eyes gleaming with that same dangerous spark.

She didn't rush in.

She didn't speak.

She just moved.

One second, she was standing there. The next, she was right in front of him—no warning, no sound, nothing. A blur of raw speed.

Adam's body reacted before his mind even processed it. He leaned back just in time to avoid the first strike—a straight punch aimed at his face, carrying enough force to shatter bones. Her fist sliced through the air, missing his nose by a hair.

Then came the explosion.

BOOM!

The force behind her punch blasted through the empty space where Adam's head had been, sending a shockwave tearing through the ground behind him. Cracks spiderwebbed across the concrete floor, chunks of debris flying in all directions.

So that's Burst.

Anya wasn't just fast—her ability let her detonate force at the moment of impact, turning every strike into a concussive explosion.

She twisted her hips, following up with a spinning kick. Adam barely had time to shift his weight before—

BOOM!

The sheer force of her kick exploded outward, tearing through the air like a bomb had just gone off. The shockwave blasted Adam back, his feet skidding across the pavement as dust and debris swirled around him.

Anya didn't let up.

She was already moving again, using the momentum of her last attack to propel herself forward. A flurry of strikes—punches, kicks, elbows—all enhanced by Burst.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Every impact sent out a shockwave, shattering crates, denting metal beams, shaking the very foundation of the warehouse.

Adam weaved through the onslaught, dodging by the slimmest margins. His body moved on pure instinct, slipping past each attack with impossible precision.

Then, he struck back.

The moment she overextended on a punch, he twisted around her and slammed a palm against her ribs.

BAM!

The force sent her skidding back, her boots carving trenches into the ground. But instead of flinching, she grinned.

"Not bad," she said, shaking off the hit.

Adam smirked. "You sure? You don't sound too confident."

She launched at him again.

A straight punch to his gut—BOOM!

Adam twisted just enough to let it graze past his ribs, feeling the explosion ripple through his coat.

A low kick aimed at his knee—BOOM!

He hopped over it, countering with a sharp downward punch.

Anya dodged, twisting away as her foot slammed into the ground. The impact created another concussive blast, launching her back like a bullet.

Then—

She vanished.

For a split second, she was gone. No footsteps. No movement. Nothing.

Adam's eyes barely caught the flicker of her presence before—

BOOM!

A fist slammed into his side, detonating on impact. The shockwave sent him flying, his body smashing through wooden crates before tumbling across the ground.

Dust filled the air.

Silence.

Anya exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "Come on, boy. You can do better than that."

A chuckle.

Low. Amused.

Then—

A gust of wind.

The dust cloud around the wreckage cleared instantly.

Adam was already standing.

He dusted off his coat, cracking his neck like he'd just woken up from a nap.

Anya's eyes narrowed.

She knew he was stronger than her, but this—

This was something else.

She clenched her fists. "You're holding back."

Adam grinned. "Of course I am. What, you thought I was struggling?"

Anya growled. Then, she exploded forward.

A barrage of attacks.

Each one enhanced by Burst, each one aimed to end him.

Adam matched her.

She threw a punch—he caught her wrist mid-motion, twisting it just enough to disrupt the explosion.

She swung a kick—he stepped in, blocking it before it could detonate, absorbing the shockwave with a perfectly timed counter.

They moved faster now.

Blow for blow.

Her attacks shattered the ground.

His counters sent ripples through the air.

Every strike was met, every explosion neutralized.

To the outside eye, they were blurs of motion, trading blows at speeds no normal human could perceive.

Then—

Adam shifted.

It was subtle. A small change in his stance.

Anya noticed too late.

In an instant, his speed doubled.

No—tripled.

He ducked under a punch, spun behind her, and—

CRACK!

A precise strike to the back of her knee.

Her balance wavered.

Before she could recover—

BAM!

A palm strike to her stomach.

The force sent her flying.

She smashed into the ground, coughing as the air was ripped from her lungs.

Pain exploded through her body.

She tried to stand, but—

Then—

It hit her.

The weight.

The sheer pressure crashing down on her.

A presence so overwhelming that for a second, she thought she was suffocating.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Her hands trembled.

She knew Adam was stronger than her.

She knew he had been holding back.

But this—

This was something else entirely.

She could barely breathe.

It was like staring at a force of nature.

Like standing in the presence of the family heads.

Her entire body froze.

Adam stood there, eyes glowing faintly in the dim warehouse light.

His aura engulfed the space, swallowing everything whole.

Anya had never felt something like this before.

Raw. Limitless. Absolute.

She tried to move.

Tried to fight.

Tried to do something.

But her body wouldn't respond.

For the first time in a long, long time—

She felt fear.

Adam tilted his head. "I think we're done here."

He stepped forward.

The pressure doubled.

Anya gasped, her legs buckling under the weight of his presence.

She had lost.

Completely.

And Adam…

He was on a whole different level.