Meanwhile, in the blood-slick centre of the arena, Kai stood frozen in place.

It had been less than a minute since he'd finished his beatdown on Zeke, but in that short period, everything around him had gone to hell.

A series of thunderous explosions echoed around him. Screams ripped through the air. A body flew past his peripheral vision, crashing into the arena with a sickening crack.

Kai didn't move, but his crimson eyes narrowed. He slowly turned his head.

Nadya and Dominique were tearing through the crowds and underground structures like enraged bulls. One danced in fire. The other was destruction incarnate.

"…Tch."

Blood was everywhere. On the floor. In the air. Coating the very atmosphere like a second skin. Kai could feel it. Taste it even.

And it made his heart race.

His pupils widened slightly. Blood pulsed beneath his skin, calling to him, whispering for release.

'So much blood… It's beautiful.'

He drew a shaky breath.

Then another.

Then one more, deeper this time, sharper - until the hunger settled into the pit of his stomach like a swallowed blade.

'Not now. Breathe. Just breathe.'

It was like holding back vomit when your throat already burned with bile. He clenched his jaw and forced the bloodlust down. Barely.

A fireball burst somewhere off to the right. More screams. Something shattered.

Kai blinked and exhaled through his nose.

"Nadya," he muttered, eyes tracking her briefly.

She was weaving through the chaos like a controlled blaze. He wasn't worried about her; he was sure she'd be fine. It was Nadya, after all. He didn't know if anything could kill that woman short of divine intervention.

Still, it looked like things were escalating faster than he'd expected.

"Looks like we're done here, kid," he muttered, glancing down at Zeke's bruised and battered face. "Now I gotta see what the hell's going on and get out of here before this whole place comes down."

But the second he turned around...

Bzzz-krak!

A pulse of power surged through the air behind him.

Kai's senses screamed in warning. Wind shifted. His instincts flared.

Too late.

He twisted just enough to throw his arms up as a shockwave slammed into his torso, a wall of pressure that hurled him through the air like a toy.

"Ghhn-"

Smash!

His body crunched into the arena wall with brutal force. The whole structure trembled.

The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, and he slid down the stone, leaving a blood smear behind him. His arms were snapped, bones bent wrong. His spine shifted unnaturally, a sharp jolt of pain radiating down his back.

And yet…

Kai didn't even wince and casually looked up.

He coughed once before laughing softly.

"…Seriously?" he groaned, his voice low and amused. "What is it with my opponents always swallowing or injecting something after they've already lost?"

His bones had already begun snapping back into place. Muscle tissue regrew in seconds. His arms twisted and straightened with sickening efficiency.

Veins bulged, glowing faintly under his skin as his blood surged into motion, accelerating his healing at an unnatural pace.

'Creepy as hell… but this power's worth it,' he thought, cracking his neck.

In front of him, Zeke was transforming.

Whatever he'd taken, Kai could feel it was strong. Not natural. Not stable.

The Black Fang staggered forward, veins like black wires crawling across his skin, throbbing and pulsing. His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving with every inhale. His eyes were glassy, pupils dilated. His muscles twitched as if they were spasming beneath the surface.

The air around him warped faintly.

"You really couldn't accept the L, huh?" Kai said, brushing dust off his jacket. "That desperation… is it pride? Or are you that thirsty for your boss's approval?"

Zeke's hands crackled with unstable energy. His body looked like it was moments away from breaking apart.

"I won't… lose again," he snarled, spitting blood from cracked lips. "I'll show her I'm not useless! I'm not-!"

"You're high off your own delusion," Kai interrupted. 'That has to be a Mutant Enhancer, right? Like TEMP Z, it's one of the three drugs we came here to sniff out.'

Kai's eyes narrowed, seeing the powerful shockwaves surging from the man's body, incomparable to those he had been wielding in their fight moments prior.

"Well… that confirms it."

Zeke didn't even seem to hear. His fists clenched. He charged.

"Raaaaahhhhh!!"

'Of course.'

Kai sighed and rolled his shoulders. His blood was heating up again and his body had already healed up. The air grew heavier around him, vibrating faintly with pressure.

He flexed his fingers.

"Listen. I'm warning you - I'm already barely holding it together. Ever since we stepped foot in this damned city, my bloodlust's been acting up. Now, with all this blood, it's even harder not to let loose."

His voice dropped, sharp and final.

"If you don't stand down and tell me what I need to know right now, I can't promise I'll hold back again."

Zeke screamed incoherently, losing himself in the rush of unstable power and artificial rage, surging forward with murder in his eyes.

Kai stared at him, unamused and calm.

And then he muttered with a resigned sigh, "Guess I gotta beat you up a second time."

This time… Kai wasn't holding back.

Up until now, he hadn't needed to use his blood manipulation. The Black Fang had been just another over-hyped mutant with a flair for flash and a jaw made of glass. But now? Now the bastard was surging with unstable power, skin twitching with black veins and glowing lines, eyes bloodshot with desperation and drug-fuelled madness.

It was impressive just how much of an effect the drug had on Zeke, but it still wouldn't be enough. Especially after Kai, standing amidst a field of bodies, blood, and chaos, finally let himself breathe in the carnage.

"Alright," he said, voice low, almost relaxed. "No more going easy on you or pulling my punches."

His eyes glinted red.

"I'll show you what real power looks like."

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