Sam slowly pushed himself off the ground, shaking off the daze from the impact. Rock stood before him, his stance relaxed, but the air around him thick with energy.
“I’ll admit, I was wrong about the whole ‘no audience’ thing. Looks like we got one after all,” Rock said, his tone almost amused. His muscles tensed, veins pulsing beneath his skin. His shirt suddenly tore apart from the sheer expansion of his physique, leaving him bare-chested. His pants ripped at the knees, morphing into shorts. He casually kicked off his shoes, rolling his shoulders.
Sam clenched his fist, preparing to strike—but the moment he moved, a sharp pain shot through his arm. His shoulder was dislocated.
Rock tilted his head. “Oh? Looks like you—”
CRACK!
Sam twisted his arm at an unnatural angle, forcing it back into its socket with a swift jerk. The sickening pop echoed in the room.
Rock grinned. “Ah, I see. You rotated your arm 180 degrees to snap it back in place. Clever.” He raised his fists. “Finally, nothing’s holding us back.”
Eislyn, still in the room, was horrified. “Are you both insane?! This isn’t the place for this—”
“Shut up!” Sam and Rock barked in unison, their eyes flashing dangerously.
Eislyn froze, swallowing hard. She quickly scooted into the corner of the room, hugging her blanket around herself. “Y-Yes, sir,” she muttered.
Sam refocused on Rock. His eyes flicked to the man’s exposed abs—an opening. Without hesitation, Sam shot forward, driving a devastating punch toward Rock’s stomach.
But Rock’s reflexes were sharper.
SMACK!
He caught Sam’s fist mid-strike.
“Nice try,” Rock said, barely budging. His fingers clamped down like a vice around Sam’s knuckles.
Sam gritted his teeth, pressing his free hand against the nearby wall for leverage, trying to wrench himself free.
“That was a solid hit, even in these conditions,” Rock mused, tightening his grip. “But tell me… how’s this?”
Before Sam could react, Rock twisted his wrist, applying bone-crushing pressure. A burning pain shot through Sam’s arm as he struggled against it.
“Shit,” Sam thought, sweat forming on his brow.
“You know how this is gonna end?” Rock asked, his grin widening.
Then, without warning, Rock yanked Sam forward and slammed him into the wall. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across it before Rock pulled Sam back—only to drive him into the wall again, this time breaking through the structure entirely. Debris exploded outward, chunks of the room collapsing in a cloud of dust.
Rock wasn’t done.
He grabbed Sam by the arm and leg, lifting him effortlessly like a ragdoll.
Sam barely had time to register what was happening before Rock started swinging him in the air like a towel.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Eislyn watched in sheer horror. She couldn’t even count how many times Rock spun and slammed Sam into the floor, walls, and furniture.
Then, with one final spin, Rock launched Sam into the air.
Sam’s body flipped wildly, disoriented from the relentless assault. But before he could regain control, Rock vanished from his spot.
A fraction of a second later—
BOOM!
Rock blasted forward, his body tearing through multiple walls as he collided with Sam mid-air, driving him straight through the rest of the apartment with brutal force. The building trembled from the sheer impact, dust and shattered stone cascading around them.
Eislyn coughed through the debris, eyes wide as she watched the destruction unfold.
“This… this isn’t a fight,” she whispered. “This is a war.”
The night air was thick with dust and tension as Sam groaned, lying sprawled on the cracked ground. His body ached from the relentless beating, but he barely had time to register the pain.
Rock loomed over him, his eyes sharp with battle-hardened excitement. Without hesitation, he grabbed Sam by the arm and hurled him toward the nearest wall.
BOOM!
Sam slammed into the concrete, his back digging into the stone. His vision blurred for a second before Rock’s shadow covered him. A punch was already coming.
THOOM!
Sam barely managed to raise his arms in time, blocking the devastating blow. The force alone sent shockwaves through the structure, causing the entire wall to crack behind him.
Rock grinned. “Still holding on? Good.”
Before Sam could react, Rock threw another punch, this one even faster. The impact sent Sam flying through the already-damaged wall, crashing through the building’s exterior and soaring into the open air.
He was falling.
From five stories up.
Shit.
Sam braced himself. He twisted midair, trying to control his descent, but the moment he hit the ground—
WHAM!
His body bounced off the dirt, rolling violently across the street, leaving a deep trench in his wake.
The town was awake now. Lights flickered on, and startled voices murmured from inside homes. Then—
CRASH!
Rock landed right in front of Sam, the sheer force of his descent shattering the ground beneath him. Dust and debris scattered as he stood tall, completely unfazed.
Meanwhile, back in the apartment, Leona burst into Eislyn’s room, her eyes frantic.
“What the hell is going on?!” she demanded.
Eislyn, still shaken, clutched her blanket tightly. “Dad and Sam… they’re fighting outside.”
Leona’s eyes widened as she saw the destruction beyond the shattered walls. Without another word, she turned and sprinted toward the chaos. Eislyn hurriedly threw on a shirt and ran after her.
By the time they arrived, the streets were lined with people—some watching in awe, others in terror. Leona and Eislyn pushed through the growing crowd, eyes locking onto the two figures at the center of the destruction.
Rock stood over Sam’s battered form.
“Is it over?” Leona muttered under her breath.
Then, out of nowhere—
SWOOSH!
Sam’s leg whipped around in a counterattack, his foot aiming straight for Rock’s calf.
Leona’s eyes widened. He can still fight?!
But Rock was faster.
He caught Sam’s leg mid-swing, effortlessly lifting him into the air like he weighed nothing.
Sam didn’t hesitate—he twisted, using his free leg to rapidly kick Rock in the face multiple times, each impact sending out sharp echoes through the street.
But Rock didn’t even flinch.
Not a single hit fazed him.
Rock exhaled through his nose, almost disappointed. Then, with a casual motion, he slammed Sam into the ground.
BOOM!
The impact left a crater with Sam’s body imprinted in the center. He groaned, rolling onto his side, coughing up dust.
The crowd gasped, some thrilled by the fight, others horrified at the sheer brutality of it.
The town had never seen anything like this.
Sam lay on the ground, staring up at the sky, his breaths steadying. His body ached, but beneath the pain, there was exhilaration. So this is the power of a Theon… he thought. His punches carry the weight of an entire universe. No wonder I’ve only ever felt something like this when sparring with my master—except back then, I never landed a single blow on her.
A slow grin spread across his face. The thrill of battle surged through him. He reached down, fingers brushing against the metallic bands around his wrists—his inhibitors. Not anymore.
With a sharp exhale, Sam unlatched them. Instantly, a violent surge of flux energy erupted from his body, distorting the air with its intensity. The ground beneath him cracked slightly as the weight of his unrestrained power settled into the world.
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Gasps rippled through the gathered crowd. People staggered backward, instinctively reacting to the shift in energy. Eislyn felt her stomach tighten—this wasn’t the same Sam who had been struggling moments ago. He was something else now.
Sam placed his palms on the ground, tensing his back muscles before launching himself upright in one seamless motion. He landed effortlessly on his feet, rolling his shoulders as he adjusted to the full weight of his power.
Rock, who had been dusting himself off, gave an amused smirk. “You shouldn’t have kept me waiting this long, kid,” he said, stepping forward. “Don’t disrespect your elders like that—now then, here I co—”
Before he could finish, his body jerked unnaturally. His momentum halted, and a moment later, he was airborne—flipping backward through the air before crashing onto the ground.
A stunned silence filled the streets.
Eislyn blinked. What just happened? She replayed the moment in her mind. Rock had been advancing—but now, he was on the ground. I didn’t even see him move…
Leona, standing beside her, smirked and held up her holo-camera. “I got it on video.”
The others crowded around as she replayed the footage in slow motion. The image showed Rock stepping forward—then in the very next frame, Sam’s fist was already buried in his gut. There was no build-up, no transition. One moment Rock was fine, the next he was airborne.
Eislyn felt her breath hitch. “He didn’t even see him move…”
Slowly, everyone turned their eyes back toward the fight. Sam stood in a completely different stance, his gaze locked on Rock, who was rising to his feet with a newfound look of respect in his eyes.
Rock remained on the ground for a moment, staring up at the night sky, a slow smirk creeping onto his face. He wiped a bit of dust from his cheek before pushing himself up to his feet, rolling his shoulders as if testing his body’s response.
“Just as I thought,” he mused, his golden eyes locking onto Sam with newfound intrigue. “Your sister is Nyssa, isn’t she?”
Sam’s expression didn’t change, but a flicker of something passed through his eyes.
Rock chuckled. “That means you’re amazing.”
He dusted off his torn shirt, taking his time as he continued. “Zaman told me about you. Said you pulled this trick on a student during a fight before your midterms. Sending something to the body before the mind even registers danger. It takes 0.5 seconds for the brain to process a threat and respond.” Rock clenched his fists, flexing his muscles. “You took advantage of that window… hit me before I even knew I was in trouble.”
Sam remained silent, his stance unwavering.
“But,” Rock said, his smirk widening, “I know how to beat that.”
He suddenly raised his arms high before curling his entire body inward, wrapping himself up tightly like a ball. His skin hardened, his muscles compacting unnaturally.
Sam’s brows furrowed. What the hell is that?
The crowd watching the fight gasped as Rock’s form shifted, his entire frame condensing, his body becoming more dense. The air around him grew heavy, as if gravity itself was bending toward him.
Leona’s eyes widened. “Oh no… he’s using that technique?”
“What is he doing?” Eislyn asked, clutching her arms.
Leona frowned. “It’s Rock’s way of countering speed-based attacks. If Sam thought dodging him was easy before… he’s about to learn the hard way why Rock was once called the Unmovable Titan.”
Sam clenched his fists, his flux energy still surging. He took a deep breath. “Alright then… let’s see what you got.”
Sam lunged forward, his body moving on instinct, but the moment his foot connected with Rock’s compacted form, his smirk faded. His strike hadn’t even made contact—Rock had already rebounded, his entire body ricocheting through the air like a living cannonball. Sam barely had time to react before Rock was gone, bouncing off the walls, the ground, even the air itself.
Sam’s eyes widened as he planted his hand into the dirt, stopping himself from falling over. His breath came in short bursts as he processed what just happened.
“The whole technique,” Leona explained, watching intently, “is Rock controlling his muscles and his will in a way where his body ricochets off of anything. Once he’s moving, it’s nearly impossible to land a clean hit.”
Eislyn swallowed hard, watching the fight unfold with a mix of awe and concern.
Sam’s mind raced. This technique… my master used it once. She said she learned it from an idiot. So I guess that idiot was you, Rock. Sam exhaled sharply, steadying himself. I didn’t recognize it before because of your sheer muscle mass, but… I know how to beat it.
“Then show me,” Rock challenged, his voice booming.
Sam didn’t hesitate. He swung a punch straight at Rock’s head, but the moment his knuckles made contact, something was off. Nothing happened.
Silence.
The gathered onlookers tensed.
Sam’s mind reeled. Damn it… I forgot. His fingers twitched as realization struck him. His weight. He’s as heavy as an entire universe. A single strike won’t do anything.
Then, in an instant, Rock’s compacted form uncoiled.
Before Sam could react, he felt himself being pulled inward—Rock’s massive form enveloped him, his muscles compressing like an unbreakable prison. It was as if he had been swallowed whole.
The world became pressure.
Sam’s bones felt like they were being crushed under an impossible weight, his breath nearly stolen from his lungs. Every inch of his body screamed in protest as Rock’s sheer density threatened to collapse him.
Eislyn’s hands clenched into fists as she watched in horror. When Sam was in there… he must have felt the weight of an entire universe pressing down on him.
Then, in a sudden burst of force, Sam exploded out of Rock’s grip, landing hard on the ground with a roll. He gasped for breath, his limbs shaking.
Rock slowly turned to face him, towering over him like an unshakable titan.
“I could stomp you into the ground,” Rock said, his voice calm but absolute. “Or I could tear you apart. Kill you in any way I choose.”
Sam wiped the sweat from his brow, turning his body to up to the sky , his breathing ragged but his eyes burning with determination.
“Is that so?” he said, cracking his neck. “Then I guess I can’t let that happen.” His fists clenched, his body radiating sheer willpower. “We’re too deep into this now. Not even a referee could stop us. That means the only way this ends is by one of us dying… or admitting defeat.”
Rock stared at him, unmoving.
Sam smirked, blood dripping from his lip.
“And even though I’m on the losing side,” he said, his voice unwavering, “there’s no way in hell I’m admitting defeat.”
Rock smirked, lifting his massive foot and bringing it down with devastating force. Sam barely managed to dodge, rolling out of the way just in time as the ground beneath him cracked like shattered glass. Rock wasted no time, swinging his leg forward, catching Sam in the ribs and launching him into the air like a ragdoll.
Before Sam could regain control, Rock curled his body into a ball once more, rebounding off the walls at blinding speeds.
“The ball is even smaller this time!” Eislyn shouted, watching in horror as Rock compressed himself into an even denser form, aiming to trap Sam within his unbreakable grasp.
But suddenly, Rock’s body tensed. His movement stuttered. His eyes widened as pain shot through his nose. Blood began to drip from his nostrils.
Sam hung in the air, a smirk plastered across his face, his fingers still lodged deep in Rock’s nose.
“You really shouldn’t underestimate me,” Sam said. “You can’t use the same move twice on me.”
Rock snarled, swinging his fist with full force. It connected squarely with Sam’s chest, sending him rocketing backward into a solid wall. The impact left a deep crater, dust and debris filling the air.
A thick stream of blood dripped from Rock’s nose. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, his expression darkening.
“You little shit,” Rock growled.
Sam coughed, pushing himself off the wall, still grinning despite the pain. “What?” he taunted. “Am I gonna pay for that?”
Rock’s eyes burned. “You are.”
Sam rolled his shoulders, shaking off the pain. “At this point, what are we even doing?” he asked. “We can’t just keep playing this game of secret weapons. This isn’t even a fight—just a contest of tricks.”
“Speak for yourself,” Rock scoffed. “I don’t need tricks to beat you.”
Sam exhaled, his expression shifting into something more serious. “This doesn’t feel right. This isn’t how I want to defeat Rock Friod, the former Theon of Will.” His fists clenched, muscles tightening. “Let’s trade punches.”
Rock raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“No secrets,” Sam said. “We plant our feet and throw punches. No dodging. No tricks. Just power versus power.”
Rock blinked. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he laughed. A deep, guttural chuckle that sent shivers down the spines of those watching.
Leona’s eyes widened in horror as she finally realized what Sam was suggesting.
“No! Nooooo! You can’t do that, Sam!” she screamed. “You don’t understand what the weight difference means! Rock weighs as much as the universe! Someone who doesn’t even come up to one percent of that weight—” her voice cracked, panic setting in, “—that’s suicide! Most Theons wouldn’t even do it!”
Sam turned to her, grinning. “Oh, I get it. I get it loud and clear.” He wiped some blood from his mouth and took a deep breath.
“So you’re saying I should absolutely do it!”
Leona’s heart dropped.
Sam pushed off the wall, stepping forward with unwavering confidence, his entire body screaming in defiance of logic, of reality itself.
He walked right up to Rock, meeting his unbreakable gaze with an unshaken will.
Rock’s smirk widened.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Both Sam and Rock threw their punches at the same time, the impact causing a shockwave of energy that reverberated through the air. Sam’s fist collided with Rock’s, both men grinning as they stood firm, their faces bloodied but their wills unbroken. The crowd around them gasped, certain that Sam’s head would shatter under the sheer force of the blow, but to their astonishment, he remained standing, his body still brimming with energy. They continued to throw punches, over and over again, each hit sounding like thunder. But no one dared to look directly; the tension was too much to bear.
The battle between them raged on, punches thrown with brutal precision. Eislyn stood frozen, watching with wide eyes as blood poured from both Sam and Rock’s bodies. The sight was enough to make her stomach churn, but what really caught her attention was how Sam was managing to force Rock back, his fists landing with enough power to push the giant backwards.
“How is he doing it?” Eislyn thought, her heart racing. “Sam… he’s not even a Theon. He doesn’t have the weight, the mass, the power…”
Sam’s thoughts mirrored her confusion, but they were also filled with determination. “Rock won’t be defeated with technique or knowledge. No, neither of those will win. It’s not about outsmarting him. It’s about sheer will. He’s got the weight of the universe behind him, but I don’t even have one percent of it. Still…” Sam thought, throwing another punch. “That’s why straight punches, no tricks, no moves. Just hit him. Keep hitting him.”
Each blow Sam landed on Rock sent the massive man stumbling back, but Rock’s resilience remained. Yet, there was a noticeable shift in his stance. His body was beginning to give way, pushing backward, inch by inch, until his massive frame collided with the wall behind him. Sam didn’t let up; he kept throwing punches with all the force he had, his blood dripping down his face, mixing with the sweat that stung his eyes.
“This kid… this kid who’s not even a Theon, who doesn’t even have my weight, is pushing me back…” Rock thought in disbelief, his heart pounding faster now as he realized what was happening. Sam’s strength wasn’t from his physical weight—it was his spirit, his unyielding determination. He was pushing a Theon back. The very thought sent a surge of panic through Rock.
But Sam wasn’t done. His fists continued to hammer into Rock’s body with relentless force, each strike chipping away at the man’s defenses. Rock’s back was pressed up against the wall now, his body cracking under the weight of Sam’s blows. Then, with a bellowing roar, Rock swung his arm in a desperate arc, connecting his fist with Sam’s face.
The force of the punch sent Sam reeling, his vision momentarily blurred as he stumbled backward. He hit the ground hard, but his smile didn’t fade. He wasn’t finished.
He grabbed Rock’s arms, pulling himself up to his feet, and before Rock could react, Sam drove his forehead into Rock’s skull with a brutal headbutt. The force of the impact sent both Sam and Rock crashing into the wall, leaving a massive dent in it. For a moment, everything was still.
Rock slowly slumped to the ground, groaning in pain. Sam, though exhausted and battered, rose slowly to his feet, blood dripping down his face and his body trembling.
“No one is in front of me anymore,” Sam thought, his chest heaving with each breath. He had pushed past the limits he thought he had, standing as a true force against a Theon. For the first time in this fight, Sam had proven he could stand toe-to-toe with the legendary Rock Friod.
“It’s my defeat,” Rock said, his voice barely a whisper. His massive frame was slumped against the wall, blood dripping from his nose, his body bruised and battered from the relentless assault Sam had unleashed on him. His once imposing stature now seemed diminished, almost vulnerable.
Eislyn rushed toward Sam and Rock, her heart racing in her chest. She saw Sam swaying unsteadily on his feet, his face bloodied but his eyes still burning with determination. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice full of concern as she reached him just in time.
Sam attempted to speak, his voice strained and weak. “I wo—” but before he could finish his sentence, his legs gave way beneath him. His body, exhausted and battered, finally gave in to the toll the fight had taken on him.
Eislyn quickly caught him, her arms wrapping around him to prevent him from collapsing. “Just rest now,” she said softly, her voice filled with relief as she eased him to the ground. She knelt beside him, her fingers gently brushing the hair from his forehead, her heart still racing from the chaos that had just unfolded.
Sam’s breathing was labored, but he managed a small smile as he looked up at her. “I did it… I actually did it…” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Eislyn nodded, her eyes filled with admiration and a mix of exhaustion. “You did, Sam. You did.” She stayed by his side, watching as the weight of the battle finally settled on him. Sam, the unlikeliest of warriors, had pushed past every limit and defied expectations. Now, all he needed was rest.