Akuma's chest heaved with confidence as he stared down the fallen form he believed was the real Riku. The fight, in his eyes, was won.
But before he could savor the moment, a sudden motion caught his attention.
From the shadows behind him, a fist blurred through the air—cold, fierce, unstoppable.
BAM!
Riku's punch slammed into Akuma's jaw like a hammer hitting steel.
The impact reverberated through the bunker's shattered walls.
Akuma's head snapped back, teeth gritting against the force.
But the strike wasn't just brute strength—it was a lightning-fast precision blow, aimed at the nerve clusters Akuma didn't know he had.
Riku followed up immediately.
A spinning elbow crashed into Akuma's ribs, doubling him over.
Before Akuma could react, Riku's knee hammered into his solar plexus, knocking the wind from his lungs.
"Thought you had me?" Riku's voice was low, steady, filled with a calm fury.
Akuma staggered but tried to counter with a wild haymaker.
Riku ducked beneath the blow and launched a barrage—fists and feet moving like a storm unleashed.
Each strike was calculated, precise, wearing down Akuma's defenses.
Akuma's eyes flickered with surprise—and for the first time, doubt.
The advantage had shifted.
Riku was no longer on the defensive.
He was in control.
He moved with the grace of the Celestial Nexus coursing through him, every muscle coiled, every nerve alight.
Akuma stumbled back, clutching his jaw, breath ragged.
Riku pressed forward, fists flashing in a relentless rhythm.
The battlefield was theirs—Riku's will burning brighter than ever.
And the fight was far from over.