Baluka and Destiny faced each other, the tension crackling like static in the air. Both stood unmoving, analyzing, waiting.

“I don’t know his full Yeager ability,” Baluka thought, her grip tightening on her bow. “From what I’ve seen, he can create illusions, but is that all? Or is there more I haven’t noticed?”

Destiny smirked, his gaze trailing to the sand swirling around her feet. “That sand of hers… it’s sharp enough to slice through the strongest substances on Earth. One grain aimed at my neck, and I’m done. I can’t afford any mistakes.”

Baluka fired an arrow, her reflexes sharp as lightning. The arrow streaked through the air like a silver streak, but in a blink, Destiny snapped his fingers. The arrow disintegrated into harmless bubbles.

“What?!” Baluka’s mind raced. “He turned it into bubbles? How?!”

Before she could fully process, Destiny tilted his head, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. Baluka’s instincts screamed at her to move, and she spun around, dashing into a narrow alleyway.

“If he can turn an arrow into bubbles, does that mean… he can rewrite reality itself?” she thought, adrenaline flooding her veins.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Destiny appeared in front of her, out of nowhere, his fist already swinging toward her face. She barely had time to react. Instinctively, she scattered a pinch of sand into the air.

Destiny’s fist stopped mid-swing, splitting in half. Blood and metal hissed as they hit the ground, and Baluka slid back, firing another arrow in retaliation.

“Sand Style: Sand Whip!” she thought, commanding the sand to coil around the arrow. But before it reached Destiny, the arrow dissolved into dust mid-flight.

She staggered back, her mind racing. Swords materialized out of thin air, shooting toward her from every direction. Baluka rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly blades. She got to her feet and sprinted again, her breathing ragged.

“That confirms it,” she thought. “He’s not just creating illusions—he’s rewriting reality. Anything he imagines, he can make happen.”

Destiny watched her, his smirk growing as his severed hand began to regenerate. “When I punched her, she used sand—salted sand—to disrupt my body’s molecular structure. Clever, but not clever enough.”

He snapped his fingers again. This time, spikes erupted from the walls of the alley, closing in on Baluka from every angle.

“I hope this works!” Baluka thought, leaping high into the air. The spikes missed her by a hair’s breadth, scraping against her armor. But Destiny appeared again, this time above her, grabbing her neck mid-air with brutal force. The impact caused her to drop her bow.

“What is he doing to my body?!” she thought, struggling against his grip. Her limbs felt weak, and she realized with a surge of panic: “He’s draining my flux energy!”

With her last ounce of focus, she summoned her Mambele, her fingers twitching in a practiced command. The spinning blade responded instantly, slicing through half of Destiny’s head. He released her, staggering back as blood and metallic fragments spilled from his wound.

Baluka hit the ground hard, gasping for air. Her vision blurred, and every muscle in her body screamed in protest. “When he was choking me, I barely have any flux energy left. But I can’t stop now.”

She forced herself to her feet and looked up. Destiny’s head was already regenerating, his mutilated face reforming into a twisted grin.

“This girl,” Destiny growled, his voice dripping with malice. “You’re annoying. I’m going to kill you.” He floated mid-air, his body radiating dark energy.

Baluka’s heart pounded. Fear clawed at her chest, but she pushed it down, remembering something Emi had told her long ago. A soft smile spread across her lips.

“Why are you smiling?!” Destiny roared, his frustration boiling over. Flames erupted from his hands as he launched a massive fireball at her.

Baluka didn’t hesitate. She charged forward, her mulungu spinning in front of her. “Sand Style: Sand Shield!” she thought, the weapon spinning faster and faster until it formed a shimmering barrier of sand.

The explosion obliterated everything in a 50-mile radius. Buildings collapsed, and smoke filled the air. Yet, as the dust cleared, Baluka emerged, still running, her smile unbroken.

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“Baluka, get out of there!” Leon’s voice crackled through her comms. “You won’t survive another attack like that—you’ll die!”

She glanced up and saw a news drone hovering above the battlefield, broadcasting the fight to the world. “Fine by me!” she yelled back, defiant.

In America, Baluka’s family huddled together in front of the television, watching the broadcast in horror. Tears streamed down their faces.

“Baluka…” her father whispered, his voice breaking. “I’m so sorry we put you through this. It’s all my fault.”

Baluka pushed forward, her body aching with every step. Destiny’s fire had destroyed his arm completely, but she noticed he was preparing to regenerate again.

“Oh no, you don’t!” she screamed, summoning sand arrows that pierced his body before he could heal.

“What?!” Destiny thought, his movements faltering. “These arrows—they’re disrupting my regeneration!”

Baluka seized the moment, leaping toward him. She punched him square in the jaw, then swung her mulungu toward his neck. Destiny dodged, laughing maniacally.

“Hahahaha! Let’s go, Yeager!” Baluka yelled, her voice raw with fury. “To think, a girl with almost no flux energy left is about to beat a Yeager rank! How does it feel?”

She unleashed a flurry of punches, her attacks relentless.

Destiny smirked through the pain. “Good. Keep going. I’ll distract her long enough to charge another attack.”

He gathered energy in his hand, launching an explosive blast at point-blank range. The force sent Baluka hurtling into a building. The arrows lodged in Destiny’s body disintegrated, allowing him to regenerate fully.

Baluka struggled to her feet, her body scorched and bleeding. Her armor was cracked, and her vision wavered. “This is good,” she thought, wiping blood from her mouth. “Make him angry. The angrier he gets, the more careless he’ll become.”

Destiny floated above her, his face contorted with rage. “You think you can win, you little nobody? You’re trash! A waste of my time!”

Baluka smiled again, defiance burning in her eyes. “I agree!” she yelled, launching herself toward him.

She grabbed his shirt with both hands, locking eyes with him.

Destiny’s grin widened. “Oh, there it is! That fire in your eyes! I take it back—you’re not a waste of time. You’re just trash that needs to be thrown out!”

“Stop making excuses!” Baluka shouted, driving her fist into his face.

Baluka’s foot connected with Destiny’s stomach, sending him hurtling to the ground like a meteor. He crashed with a deafening impact, rubble flying in every direction.

“Who’s worthless now?!” she screamed, her voice echoing over the battlefield.

She leaped onto a nearby building, her sharp eyes tracking Destiny as he emerged from the debris. He hovered mid-air, his appearance strikingly different. His face was smoother, younger, and his movements were faster and more fluid.

“He looks younger,” Baluka thought, narrowing her eyes. “Of course—he changed his appearance to shorten his regeneration process. What a cheat!”

Destiny smiled mockingly. With a flick of his fingers, spikes erupted from the ground, ripping through the building Baluka was perched on. She leaped away, but the attack caught her left arm. It was severed cleanly, the blood spraying into the air.

Baluka tumbled to the ground, cradling the stump where her arm used to be. But instead of crying out, she laughed—a sharp, wild sound that echoed in the chaos.

Destiny hesitated, his confusion evident. “Why the hell are you laughing?”

Baluka grinned through the pain, blood dripping from her lips. “This… this excitement… it dulls the pain! I don’t have time to focus on what I’ve lost—this thrill keeps me alive!”

She struggled to her feet, her right arm trembling as she began to gather flux energy. “Sand Style: Sand Storm,” she whispered, her voice fierce with determination.

Her remaining energy surged into her hand, creating a vortex of sand that spun with lethal intent. She hurled it at Destiny, the storm tearing through the air like a hurricane.

Destiny’s eyes widened. He barely managed to shield himself as the attack slammed into him, sending him spiraling backward. His armor cracked, and blood seeped from wounds that refused to close.

Baluka collapsed to the ground, her vision swimming. She turned her head skyward, staring at the expanse of clouds as she gasped for air. “I’m still alive. I can still fight!” she thought, determination flaring despite her body’s limits.

Destiny, hovering above her, watched as she crawled weakly across the rubble. His face twisted in disgust.

“You’re pathetic,” he spat, descending to the ground. He grabbed her by the leg, lifting her limp body into the air like a broken doll. “You humans… so stubborn, so disgusting. You don’t know when to quit.”

Baluka smiled faintly, blood staining her teeth. “At least I fought… at least I didn’t back down.”

Destiny tightened his grip, preparing to deliver the final blow, but before he could strike, a blinding beam of light cut through the air, knocking him back. Baluka’s body vanished from his grip, reappearing on a nearby building.

She looked up sluggishly, her vision swimming as a familiar figure stood before her. Nur, his metallic arms glinting in the light, stared down at her with a mix of sadness and anger.

“Nur…” she whispered weakly. “Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that, you idiot!” Nur snapped, his voice tinged with concern.

Baluka chuckled faintly. “Did Leon… help him break free from his anxiety attack?” she thought. Her hand trembled as she extended her right arm, brushing her fingers against Nur’s metallic one.

“Here, Nur. Take this,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve infused my sand into your arms. It’s now the sharpest thing in the world… I’m sorry it’s all I can give you right now.”

Her body went limp as she passed out, collapsing at his feet.

Nur’s expression softened into a smile. “Thanks, Baluka,” he said quietly.

Destiny hovered above the battlefield, rage and frustration clouding his thoughts. “Too many eyes are on me. This is getting out of hand—I need to get out of here.”

But before he could retreat, Nur appeared above him in a flash, his metal arms raised high.

“I’m your next challenger!” Nur roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. “Prepare yourself, bastard!”

He swung his fist down with earth-shattering force. The impact created a massive explosion, shaking the ground and shattering nearby structures.

As the smoke cleared, Nur stood tall, his metallic arm glowing with power.

“I step in when Rex can’t be here,” he said, his voice unwavering.