Nadya was done.

Knees in the dirt. Shoulders slumped. Tears streaked down her bruised, soot-covered face.

She didn't care anymore.

The town was gone. Flattened. Burned. Crushed.

Everyone she fought for… everyone she tried to protect… all gone.

Amina, Isaac, all the townsfolk - they were either killed by monsters, or turned into monsters that had to be put down by their own hands.

'What is there left to fight for?'

And while Nadya crumbled, the giant monster roared with triumph. Takeshi burst forth to draw its attention. He darted around its massive body like a mosquito with a blade, slicing across its hide, opening minor wounds that were barely registered by the juggernaut.

To the monster, it was like being jabbed with a sewing needle - nothing but an irritating pinch.

With a guttural bellow, the monster finally managed to swat Takeshi mid-air. The blindfolded swordsman crashed into a pile of rubble with a grunt, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.

The monster turned next to Nadya.

She didn't flinch.

Didn't move.

Didn't even look up.

It raised both colossal fists over its head, and for a second, time froze again.

Kai's eyes widened. He sprinted forward, blood surging beneath his skin as he pushed his body to its absolute limit.

But he was too far.

Even Takeshi, shaking off the debris, was still just climbing back to his feet.

Boom!

Both fists came crashing down like meteors, striking the ground like a giant sledgehammer.

The ground split.

Cracks spider-webbed outward.

And then… silence.

A heavy cloud of dust and dirt engulfed the impact zone. The crater was massive, scorched and trembling. Kai and Takeshi instinctively flinched, bracing for the worst.

They expected blood. Bone. A flattened corpse.

But there was… nothing.

No body. No Nadya.

"Wow," came a familiar, cocky voice. "I really do know how to make an entrance."

As the dust cleared, Sven stood there, holding Nadya in his arms with a smug grin on his face. He was already behind Kai.

Kai turned, eyes narrowing.

'How the hell did he move that fast? He was definitely holding back when we fought...'

Sven gently set Nadya down beside Kai. "What's up with her?" he asked, genuinely surprised to see the fierce, no-nonsense woman now crumpled like a broken doll.

Kai didn't sugarcoat it. "Look around."

Sven blinked.

Took in the scene - craters, smoke, the skeletal remains of the town.

"Yeah… town's fucked," he muttered. "What the hell happened?"

The air shifted violently as another sonic scream erupted from the monster. In an instant, Sven vanished, reappearing a few metres away, dodging it effortlessly with Nadya in tow.

He sighed and turned to the woman he'd just saved for the second time, arms crossed.

"You trying to get yourself killed?" he asked, voice calmer this time.

She didn't even look at him.

"What's the point…?" she whispered, voice breaking. "Everyone's gone. Even Amina… Isaac…"

Sven frowned, scratching the back of his head. "That can't be right. I just saw them on the outskirts of town."

Nadya's head shot up. "What?!"

"Yeah, Isaac, the healer girl, and some random extras," he replied casually. "Saw them while I was racing over here."

The shift was instant.

Like a light had flickered back on inside Nadya's chest.

'Isaac succeeded…'

They survived.

Maybe not everyone, but some. Enough to matter. Enough to still fight for.

She wiped her face, breathing shakily, but determination started to burn again.

"What are you even doing here?" she asked hoarsely.

Sven threw his arms up. "You're welcome?"

He let out a sigh and stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Saw the smoke from way back in Moscow. Figured something big was going down. So I jumped on the bike and came straight here. Took care of a few freaks that were near your friends just now and rushed over."

His sleek black motorcycle had skidded a few metres away, half-buried in rubble but still somewhat intact.

Not that it mattered when there was such a massive monster to deal with.

He wouldn't bother with small towns like this if it weren't for Nadya's occasional events in her fight club. Central Moscow had more money. More women. More chaos. More rogue mutants. And more people to hire his services.

But this?

This was different.

"I usually charge for this kind of thing," he added, pulling his gloves tighter. "Especially for something that freakishly huge. But I'll help out for free this time. You all owe me one, though."

Before Nadya could respond, the ground trembled again.

The monster shrieked, slamming its fists down once more in frustration. It spun wildly, thrashing its enormous limbs like a berserk beast.

Kai, Nadya, Takeshi, and now Sven - four against one.

But even with Sven's speed and skill, it was clear:

This thing wouldn't go down easily.

Not without blood.

Not without pain.

But now, at least, Nadya was back on her feet. Takeshi's breathing had steadied. Kai's eyes glowed with resolve. And Sven?

Sven was grinning, rolling his shoulders like he was warming up for a good time.

The battle with the monster was just getting started.

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