đ° THE FORTRESS OF STEEL
Ryder and Rain stood before the massive gates. Bloodied. Burned. Bruised.
The doors hissed open.
Inside: red lights, metal walls, command screens, and an army of armored guards with rifles and shock-batons.
At the top balcony: RAZOR in a throne of steel, his face cold, eyes filled with the past.
Beside him: KRYPTON, grinning like a devil.
Razor: "You brought her back, Ryder. Your ghost. Your guilt."
Ryder: "I brought justice."
⥠THE ONSLAUGHT
Guards charged.
Rain threw smoke bombs. Ryder rushed in like a beast â cracking skulls, snapping arms, tossing guards like rag dolls.
Rain used the walls, dropped knives, disarmed three men in seconds.
Tommy's voice came through their earpieces.
"Get to the core room. That's where Razor powers this whole system."
"We're going through him," Ryder growled.
đ„ RYDER VS. KRYPTON
Krypton jumped down, dual-blades in hand.
"I've been waiting, champ."
He lunged â fast, twisted, insane. His blades danced like lightning.
Ryder blocked with metal bars, fists, and pure rage.
But Krypton was enhanced.
Cut across Ryder's ribs. Another slash to his leg.
Ryder screamed. Caught Krypton's arm. Headbutted him. Then again.
Rain kicked Krypton's back â Ryder lifted him â
SLAM.
Through the railing. Krypton crashed into a control panel.
"Stay down," Ryder muttered.
đ©ž FACE-TO-FACE WITH RAZOR
Ryder climbed the stairs, step by bloody step.
Rain followed.
Razor stood, calm, unmoved. Wearing a custom suit â armored like a king of machines.
"You lost everything, Ryder. I gave you purpose."
"You made me a weapon. Now I'm pointed at your head."
"She died for your weakness. Rain belonged to me."
Rain stepped forward.
"No. I chose to return. Not for you. For revenge."
đŁ THE FINAL BATTLE
Razor activated his exo-suit.
Blades from arms.
Shockwaves in fists.
Rockets in shoulders.
He was a walking war.
Rain attacked fast â hit him with shock-knives. Razor grabbed her, slammed her through a wall.
Ryder leapt. Landed punches that shook the floor.
Razor countered. Broke Ryder's nose. Cracked his ribs.
Ryder fell.
Razor lifted him by the throat.
"I made you. And now I end you."
Rain crawled â found Krypton's fallen blade.
Threw it.
Ryder caught it mid-air â jammed it into Razor's chest.
Razor stumbled â but didn't fall.
Ryder, gasping, remembered his father's words:
"A true fighter doesn't win for glory.He wins because others need him to."
With a scream, Ryder ripped the blade sideways.
Blood sprayed. Sparks flew.
RAZOR FELL.
đ SHUTDOWN
Tommy activated the shutdown from the remote panel.
The fortress lights dimmed.
The arena's system â the whole vendetta circuit â went dark.
đŻïž FINAL MOMENTS
Ryder sat in the rubble.
Rain beside him.
Krypton dead. Razor gone.
"What now?" she asked.
"Now⊠we rebuild. No circuits. No blood games."
Tommy appeared, bruised, but smiling.
"You guys always leave me the boring part."
They all laughed â the first real laugh in years.
đ ïž EPILOGUE
Months later.
The old arena â now rebuilt into a community training center.
Kids sparring. Music blasting. Peace.
On the wall: A mural of three warriors.
Ryder.
Rain.
Tommy.
đ END OF VENDETTA CIRCUIT đ