The hallway stretched ahead like a gauntlet, its polished marble walls gleaming faintly under flickering lights. I could feel the tension crackling in the air, sharp as the edge of Sia’s Flux-charged dagger. Mika stood at the far end, her crimson eyes narrowing as she studied us. Her posture was loose, almost casual, but I knew better. There was something deadly in the way she tilted her head, her lips curling into a half-smile that promised pain.

“You’re full of surprises,” she said, inspecting the blood trailing from her forearm. It was only a shallow cut, but it was enough to make her pause. “Not many can draw my blood. You should be proud.”

I didn’t feel proud. My heart pounded in my chest, every instinct screaming that we were in over our heads. Mika wasn’t just fast; she was impossibly fast. And that was before she decided to stop holding back.

“Guess it’s time I reminded you who you’re dealing with,” she said, her voice dropping an octave.

Then she moved, and the world exploded.

She came at me first, claws extended, a blur of motion I could barely track. I threw up my arms instinctively, pouring Flux into them just in time. Her claws screeched against the invisible barrier surrounding my body, the sound like nails on a chalkboard mixed with crackling electricity. The impact was monstrous, hurling me backward into the wall. My shoulders slammed into the marble with a sickening crunch, spiderweb cracks spreading outward like frozen lightning.

“Kyon!” Sia’s voice cut through the chaos.

I staggered to my feet, shaking off the disorientation. Mika was already pivoting toward her, her stiletto heel clicking ominously against the floor.

“Your turn,” she purred.

Sia didn’t flinch. Her dagger, glowing with reddish-yellow Flux energy, shimmered as she adjusted her grip. She darted forward, moving with the fluid grace of someone who had trained for years. Mika lashed out with her claws, but Sia was faster, twisting beneath the swipe and slashing upward with her blade.

The dagger met Mika’s nails with a shower of sparks. Sia pressed the attack, her strikes precise and relentless. Every movement was a dance of speed and power, the blade cutting arcs of light through the dim hallway.

But Mika wasn’t just blocking; she was grinning.

“Cute trick,” she said, deflecting another slash with her forearm. “But it’s not enough.”

She lashed out with her other hand, claws aiming for Sia’s chest. Sia barely managed to block with her Flux barrier, the force of the blow sending her skidding back.

That was my opening.

I surged forward, using the explosive footwork of Taekwondo to close the distance. My fists shot out in quick, calculated bursts, blending the close-quarters efficiency of Wing Chun with the raw power of boxing.

A jab to her ribs. A hook to her jaw. A low kick aimed at her knee.

Mika blocked each one with unnerving ease, her claws darting dangerously close to my face. She countered with a spinning kick, her stiletto heel aiming straight for my chest. I twisted away at the last second, her heel grazing the edge of my Flux barrier with a sound like tearing metal.

She was faster than anyone I’d ever fought. Stronger too. But I wasn’t alone.

Sia came at her from the side, her dagger flashing. The blade skimmed Mika’s thigh, leaving a burning gash that hissed and smoked. Mika hissed in pain, her crimson eyes blazing.

“Little pests,” she snarled. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

She flexed her claws, the air crackling around them like a storm. Then she lunged, her movements a blur of speed and power.

The hallway became a battlefield.

Mika’s claws carved through the air in deadly arcs, each swipe leaving trails of crackling energy. Sia and I worked together, our movements synchronized as we dodged, blocked, and counterattacked.

Sia would feint left, drawing Mika’s attention, while I struck from the right. When Mika turned on me, Sia was already there, her dagger slashing at Mika’s exposed flank.

But Mika wasn’t just fast—she was experienced. Every time we thought we had her cornered, she would counter with terrifying precision. Her claws collided with Sia’s dagger in a flash of sparks, her stiletto heels smashing against my Flux-coated arms with bone-rattling force.

“You brats are persistent,” Mika said, her voice dripping with mockery. “But persistence isn’t enough to survive me.”

She lunged at Sia, claws aiming for her throat. Sia ducked and rolled, her dagger slicing upward in a desperate counterattack. The blade grazed Mika’s shoulder, drawing blood, but it wasn’t enough to slow her down.

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Mika kicked out with her heel, the razor-sharp point smashing into Sia’s barrier and sending her flying into the wall.

“Sia!” I shouted.

Before Mika could follow up, I charged, channeling all my Flux into my legs. I launched myself forward with explosive speed, catching Mika mid-air. We tumbled across the floor, my fists hammering into her ribs and shoulders.

She retaliated with a backhanded swipe, her claws tearing through my shirt and grazing the edge of my barrier. The impact sent me sprawling, but I rolled with it, coming to my feet in a defensive stance.

The fight wasn’t going well.

Every hit Mika landed sent shockwaves rippling through my body. Even with my Flux barrier, the force of her attacks was overwhelming. The walls around us were cracked and dented, chunks of marble littering the floor.

But we couldn’t stop. We couldn’t let her win.

Sia staggered to her feet, her dagger still glowing with Flux energy. Her movements were slower now, but her eyes were sharp, focused.

“Kyon,” she said, her voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping in. “We need to take her down. Together.”

I nodded, adjusting my stance. This was it.

We attacked as one.

I drew Mika’s attention with a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike forcing her to block or dodge. I used every technique I knew—Wing Chun’s rapid chain punches, Taekwondo’s high kicks, Shotokan Karate’s precise strikes.

Sia moved like a shadow beside me, her dagger flashing in deadly arcs. She aimed for Mika’s vital points—her throat, her wrists, her knees—each strike forcing the vampire assassin to stay on the defensive.

But Mika wasn’t backing down. She countered with terrifying speed, her claws slashing toward us in blinding arcs. The air buzzed with energy as her attacks collided with our Flux barriers, each impact sending shockwaves through the hallway.

“You’re good,” Mika admitted, her voice grudging. “But not good enough.”

She lunged at me, her claws aiming for my heart. I deflected with my Flux-coated forearm, twisting into a judo throw that sent her crashing to the floor.

Before she could recover, Sia was there, her dagger plunging toward Mika’s chest.

Mika caught the blade with her claws, her crimson eyes blazing with fury.

“Do you really think you can beat me?” she hissed, shoving Sia back.

Her claws slashed out, faster than I could react. They caught the edge of my barrier, the impact sending me flying into the wall. Pain lanced through my body, but I forced myself to stand.

“We don’t need to beat you,” I said, wiping blood from my lip. “We just need to survive.”

Mika laughed, the sound low and menacing. “Survive? That’s cute. But you won’t survive me.”

She lunged again, her claws carving through the air.

This time, we were ready.

Sia and I moved together, our attacks perfectly synchronized. Sia’s dagger flashed, forcing Mika to block, while I aimed a spinning kick at her ribs.

The combined force of our strikes staggered her, and for the first time, I saw doubt flicker in her eyes.

“You brats—” Mika started, but her words were cut off as Sia’s dagger slashed across her side.

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Mika snarled, crimson eyes glowing brighter, the wound on her side closing before my very eyes. Her lips curled into a feral grin, her fangs glinting as she flexed her claws.

“Did you think that was enough to stop me?” she hissed, her voice a chilling mixture of mockery and menace.

Without warning, she lunged. Her claws came so fast that even with the Flux, I barely managed to react. The sheer force of her attack sent both Sia and me flying backward, slamming into opposite walls with a deafening crack. My barrier absorbed most of the impact, but my body still screamed in protest as I slid to the floor.

Mika didn’t stop. She was on Sia before I could move, her claws swiping in vicious arcs. Sia’s dagger flickered in a desperate defense, but it was clear she was struggling to keep up. Mika’s speed wasn’t just inhuman—it was relentless, overwhelming.

“Sia!” I shouted, forcing myself to my feet. My Flux surged as I dashed forward, aiming a high kick toward Mika’s side.

She caught it.

Her iron grip clamped around my ankle like a vice, and she twisted. Pain shot up my leg as she flung me like a ragdoll, my body crashing into a nearby pillar. I gasped for air, struggling to push myself upright.

“You’re not even worth my time,” Mika sneered, barely sparing me a glance. “But you—” She turned her attention back to Sia, her smile widening. “You’ve got some fight in you.”

Sia’s dagger glowed brighter, Flux rippling across the blade as she shifted her stance. She slashed upward, the blade carving through the air with a hum. For a moment, Mika seemed caught off guard, her claws meeting the dagger in a blinding clash of sparks and energy.

“Not bad,” Mika admitted, pushing Sia back with a brutal swipe. “But not nearly good enough.”

Sia stumbled, and Mika pounced, her claws aiming for Sia’s throat.

I didn’t think. I just moved.

With every ounce of Flux I could muster, I threw myself between them, raising my arms in a defensive block. Mika’s claws met my Flux-coated forearms with an ear-splitting screech, the impact rattling my bones.

Her strength was monstrous. Even with the Flux hardening my arms like steel, the force of her attack sent me crashing into Sia, the two of us tumbling to the ground.

Mika loomed over us, her silhouette framed by the flickering hallway lights. Her claws crackled with energy, each swipe leaving faint trails in the air.

“Is this it?” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. “I expected more.”

I struggled to my feet, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. Sia was beside me, her breathing ragged but her grip on the dagger steady.

“We’re not done,” I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

Mika laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “Oh, I know. But it’ll be so much more satisfying when you’re begging for mercy.”

She moved faster than I could react, her claws aimed directly at my chest. At the last second, Sia’s dagger intercepted her strike, the Flux-charged blade deflecting the blow just enough to save me.

But the force of it sent both of us sprawling again.

“We can’t keep this up,” I muttered, pulling myself to my knees.