Teji stood up with a wobble, blood trickling from the side of his head, warm against his skin. His knees were shaking, but his eyes stayed locked on the red dog tag hanging from Agent 1's neck, swaying gently like it had no care in the world.
"Such a powerful creature..." he muttered, breath heavy, voice cracked with pain and disbelief.
He gritted his teeth and wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. Then, with both hands, he drew his weapons—his bayonet and karambit—the steel blades catching the harsh room light, gleaming like fangs in the dark.
No time to think. No fear. Just instinct.
With a burst of energy, Teji dashed forward, his body screaming in protest but his mind locked on one goal—kill.
He slashed at Agent 1's neck with all his might, aiming to end it in one clean strike.
But the blade met only air.
Agent 1 was gone.
In a split second—he was behind Teji.
Before Teji could even process it, a precise, clean strike landed on the side of his neck. It wasn't wild. It wasn't loud. Just cold, perfect timing. Sharp and silent like death itself.
If it were anyone else, they'd be unconscious before they even hit the ground.
But Teji—he staggered, head spinning, breath shallow—but still conscious. Still moving.
With everything he had left, he twisted his body and slashed back, trying to catch Agent 1 behind him. Desperate. Wild. Pure survival.
But Agent 1 didn't flinch. He ducked under it like he saw it coming ten seconds ago.
Then—he hit back.
A brutal punch—straight to Teji's stomach.
It wasn't just hard. It was deep.
Like it reached into his body and ripped something out.
Teji's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came. Just a burst of spit flying out. His eyes widened. His lungs froze.
His fingers went numb. The blades slipped from his hands and clattered onto the concrete with a metallic echo.
Then his knees gave out.
Teji dropped to the ground, both knees down, breath gone, pain blooming through every part of his body.
He knew he shouldn't fall. He knew he couldn't.
But the pain was too real. Too sharp. Like knives grinding against his bones from the inside.
It had been a long, long time since Teji felt pain like this.
But even now—he refused to stay down.
Blood rolled down his chin. His arms trembled. His vision blurred around the edges. The whole world felt far away.
But still… he stood.
One foot. Then the other.
Wobbling. Gritting his teeth. Fighting every signal in his body that begged him to give up.
And then—he moved.
He spun around in a wide arc, throwing a roundhouse kick with his right leg, aiming straight for Agent 1's head.
A move powered by pain. By will. By desperation.
But it was useless.
Agent 1 caught the leg mid-spin. Effortless. Like catching a falling branch in the wind.
With one hand, he held Teji's leg, freezing him mid-air like a suspended statue. His grip was firm—unyielding. Cold.
Then, Agent 1 pulled back his free arm. And began punching.
One hit. Two. Three. Then faster. Harder.
His fist became a blur.
Every blow landed with brutal precision—ribs, chest, stomach. Over and over. Each hit sounded like a hammer slamming flesh and bone.
Teji couldn't fight back. Couldn't block. Couldn't breathe.
His body jerked with every impact, spasming like a broken puppet. But he stayed upright—not from strength, but because Agent 1 was still holding him.
Then—Agent 1 let go.
No support. No mercy.
But Teji didn't fall.
He just stood there.
Somehow.
Barely.
His head hung forward. Blood streamed from his mouth, dripping to the ground. His arms dangled useless at his sides. His eyes had rolled back, showing only white.
He didn't move with purpose anymore.
His legs just... walked.
Sideways. Slow. Aimless.
He brushed past Agent 1 like a ghost, body twitching with every step. His brain was shut off—but his body hadn't caught on yet.
Then—
WHAM.
A kick. Direct. Brutal.
Agent 1's foot slammed into Teji's side like a cannon.
The sound echoed—thick and heavy—as Teji's body was launched across the room.
He smashed into a nearby steel pillar.
CLANG.
The metal bent on impact. The shockwave sent dust and loose chunks of concrete falling from above.
Teji collapsed at the base. Limbs sprawled. Eyes dull.
Motionless.
His back arched slightly with each labored breath. Every inhale felt like knives digging through his ribs. But even now, even like this—his lips moved.
Barely audible. Almost nothing.
But Agent 1 heard it.
"...fuck... I'm weak... Tamiki..."
His voice was raw. Barely holding on. But the name—it was clear.
Agent 1 froze.
His expression didn't change. But something in his eyes did. Like he recognized that name. Or maybe just what it meant to say it now, in a moment like this.
He reached slowly into his jacket.
Pulled something out.
A tactical injector—sleek, matte black with yellow warning stripes wrapped around its barrel. Inside, a pressurized vial pulsed faintly with a glowing chemical—unnatural. Alive.
He tossed it.
Clack.
It landed on the ground, rolling once before stopping right in front of Teji's face.
Agent 1 stared at him.
"Take that," he said. Calm. Flat. Like he was giving an order, not advice.
Teji blinked. His head rose slightly, like lifting a mountain.
Blood still ran down the side of his face. His eyes were foggy. But he stared at the injector like it was both salvation—and a trap.
"What... is this?" he asked, breath thin and shaky.
Agent 1's eyes stayed locked on his.
Cold. Still. Unreadable.
"A drug," Agent 1 said. "Created by Prof. Toga. Enhances physical ability for a short time. He gave it to me to test."
A pause. Quiet.
"But I don't think I'm the one who needs it."
Teji's heart skipped.
Toga…?
That name.
No—it couldn't be. It had to be coincidence. Just a name.
But deep inside, something shook.
Toga was his father's name.
But he's dead… right?
Teji's hand twitched toward the injector.
He didn't touch it yet.
"Why should I trust you?" he hissed. His voice was dry. Cracked. Suspicious. "This could be poison. Kill me the second I take it."
Agent 1 didn't flinch. Didn't blink.
"If I wanted you dead, I would've done it at the start."
He stepped back slightly, arms loose at his sides.
"Now you choose."
"Don't take it—you'll die."
"Take it—and if it's poison, you'll die."
"But if it's the real drug…"
He paused. A small smirk touched the corner of his lips. Cold. Confident.
"That's your only chance to live."
Silence.
Heavy.
Teji stared at the injector. The glow from the vial pulsed—like it was alive. Like it was calling to him.
His hand hovered above it. Shaking.
And then… in that stillness…
He saw her.
Tamiki.
Her smile—soft, full of warmth. Her voice echoing in his head like sunlight through clouds. Gentle. Bright. Real.
Her eyes. The way she looked at him.
Like she believed in him—when no one else did.
"I can't die here…" Teji whispered. His voice barely audible.
"Not yet."
With a sharp breath, he snatched the injector from the ground.
And jammed it into his neck.
HSSSST.
The pressurized hiss as the drug fired into his bloodstream.
The pain was immediate.
A burning rush surged through every vein—like liquid fire under his skin. His body convulsed. Muscles tensed. Vision pulsed red.
He dropped to one knee. Grit his teeth.
It was like his blood was boiling.
But then—something shifted.
The fire didn't kill him.
It became power.
The pain vanished.
All of it.
Like someone flipped a switch and shut it off.
Teji's breaths steadied.
His arms felt lighter. Stronger. Solid. Like the weight of his injuries had been peeled off.
He stood.
Not with effort. Not with struggle.
Just… stood.
"What… what is this?" he muttered, staring at his hands. His voice full of disbelief. Awe.
"The pain… is gone."
But before he could take another step—
AGONY.
A violent surge of pain tore through him from the inside.
His organs twisted like they were being crushed.
His veins burned like fire.
His brain lit up—white-hot, blinding.
Teji collapsed, screaming.
His body writhed on the ground, twitching and choking, muscles locking up. His back arched from the pain, mouth open in a silent scream as his voice gave out.
Then—
Silence.
Everything stopped.
No more screaming.
No more movement.
Just stillness.
Teji's limbs dropped.
His body went limp.
Agent 1 didn't move for a while. He stood, eyes narrowing, staring at Teji's body.
"…Tch," he muttered under his breath.
"Your drug failed this time, Prof. T. The subject died."
He turned away, footsteps echoing on the cold pavement.
For a moment, he paused—glanced back, considering.
Then he started walking again.
But then—
He froze.
The air shifted.
Something changed.
A pressure filled the room.
Heavy. Hot. Unnatural.
He turned. Slowly.
And saw it.
Teji.
Standing.
His fists clenched.
His breath steady.
His eyes—clear, focused.
Energy shimmered around him like heat off metal. His body pulsed with power, veins glowing faintly under torn skin.
Teji looked up, voice low and steady.
"My body… feels light. And fast."
He glanced down at his hands.
"And all the pain…"
A pause.
"…It's gone this time."
Agent 1 stared at him.
Then, slowly, a grin crept across his face—not warm, not friendly.
Just excitement.
He dropped into his stance, legs wide, arms ready.
"The real game starts now."
He shot forward like a bullet—fist drawn, moving faster than sound.
Teji didn't flinch.
He moved.
Lightning-fast.
He met Agent 1 head-on, their fists colliding in mid-air with a sound like thunder.
The force of their clash sent shockwaves down the room—lifting dust, cracking the floor beneath their feet.
"I will save Tamiki," Teji shouted, voice burning with fire.
"Even if I have to take that drug again!"
His eyes didn't burn with rage—
They burned with resolve.
Unshakable. Unbreakable.
Agent 1's grin widened.
He leaned in.
"Let's see."
Two monsters locked in war.
And the night trembled around them.
[End of Chapter 14]