Back Wind vs. Kael Strident

The two masked figures stood between Haruto and Kael. Back, panther mask gleaming in the light of the sunset, tilted his arm to show off the ink curling across his bicep. Haruto, despite himself, muttered a compliment. Back grinned beneath the mask.

Kael tightened his grip on Elenore, drawing her protectively against his chest. "I'm gonna need that strength I loaned you back." He said to his unconscious partner.

Turn finally broke his silence. He raised one hand, and the air behind him rippled, folding into a tall frame of black wood. A brass handle gleamed at its center like a warning bell.

“You,” Turn said evenly, pointing to Haruto cradling Aki. His voice was steady and deliberate. “You are under arrest for the crime of illegal border-jumping and suspected espionage for the Ellwen nation of Artvallen. Turn yourself in.”

Back mirrored the motion toward Kael. “Double Impact of the Career Management Society. You are under arrest for murder, kidnapping, dine-and-dash, and thirty-four counts of terroristic activity. Come quietly.”

Kael smirked, the sound of his laugh bouncing off the mountain stone. “Nah. Think I’ll just walk through both of you.”

Aki’s fingers clutched at Haruto’s sleeve. She leaned close to whisper into his ear. “I made you a potion.” Her hand slipped into his pocket, tucking the vial away before he released her and she stepped away.

“I never crossed any border!” Haruto said, jaw tight.

"Ah!" The System spoke up. "Actually... we may have, technically... when we fell from orbit..."

Haruto turned his head so slowly, you could almost hear stone grinding against itself. His eyes were wide, and the blood began to rush to his face. The System put on an innocent expression, altering its form to make itself cuter.

Haruto looked back to Kael. “I've changed my mind! You can take the System.”

"Harutoooooo!" The System screamed.

The door creaked open behind him. “Do not ignore me.” Before Haruto could answer further, Turn stepped forward and shoved the two of them through the black door, following after him. The door closed and then disappeared.

Back rolled his shoulders, the muscles beneath his tattoo rippling as the sun caught the ink. He looked at Kael the way a wolf sizes up a rival predator. Aki ran to the side, joining up with Lyra and Bolto to hide from the imminent chaos.

“So you won't come quietly?” Back asked, voice muffled through the mask but dripping with amusement.

Kael set Elenore gently against the rocks, brushing a strand of hair from her face before standing to his full height. His grin sharpened. “You gotta kill me, bro. Like that's gonna happen.”

The air between them tightened. All wildlife had evacuated the surrounding area, and a hush fell over the mountaintop. It was as though the world was holding its breath.

Back shifted his weight, and a small, subtle "frrpt" escaped as he lunged forward. Kael blinked, and Back was upon him with a blade drawn. The two locked horns, facing martial mastery against martial mastery.

Kael blinked, then smirked. “Did you just…?”

Back darted again, the sound unmistakable this time. His laugh echoed under the mask.

Back lunged again, blade flashing in a blur as Kael’s fist arced toward him. The “frrpt” echoed midair as Back twisted sideways, letting the punch sail past harmlessly. Throwing stars hissed through the air from Back’s offhand, each one snapping past Kael as he ran in serpentine patterns.

Kael pivoted, following Back like a heat-seeking missile, only to have Back vault over him with another “frrpt.” Each movement was a mix of acrobatics and precision. Back’s blade flashed, and Kael's overwhelming power ripped through the surroundings. Neither combatant showed any indication of besting the other.

Back shifted his weight as he zipped sideways in midair with a "frrpt." His body twisted unnaturally before planting himself on a tree branch. Kael’s missed blow split the rock face behind him, pebbles showering the slope.

Kael swung wide with a haymaker, the arc tearing through the tree. Back jumped into the air with a "frrpt" and vaulted overhead. Mid-spin, he lifted his leg as if to drive a kick into Kael’s skull.

Kael waited for it, ready to take the impact as usual. Back twisted, spreading his legs wide and placing his hand between his thighs. A spark flew from his glove as he snapped, catching on the wind from his back.

Kael realized too late, and a column of fire roared downward. The air ignited in a deafening explosion between Back's thighs. The flames blasted Kael. Trees bent, stones cracked, and even the clouds overhead wavered under the force.

The smell lingered in the air as Back landed, striking a pose. "I am Back Wind, code-named Silent But Deadly. My job... Wind Breaker!"

Kael stood straight, arms out to the side, and Elenore shielded behind him. He was blackened and burnt but stood smiling all the same. Kael's muscles bulged as he felt his strength returning to him. Elenore lay there, a torn piece of paper, a contract, beside her.

"Thanks for that." Kael said cockily. "You just defeated yourself."

Back had realized his mistake immediately. He had hoped that such a large-scale explosion would take Kael out. But here he was, hurt by the flames but not the impact.

Back Wind may seem like a slacker from the outside, but he was very good at his job. The information he had on Kael Strident, otherwise known as Double Impact, was thorough but incomplete.

Back’s eyes narrowed beneath the mask. Kael wasn't just fast and strong; he would seemingly reflect blunt force trauma back at its source. But that wouldn't explain certain applications he's used.

He and Turn had been watching his fights against Haruto and the town guards. Each step he takes is an impact. His choice of martial arts as a fighting style uses impact. He absorbs impact, but nothing else. The stronger the impact he takes, the harder he becomes to defeat.

"I got it!" Back said, having figured it out. "Your job is Impact Duplicator, right?"

Kael didn’t respond. He pivoted, launching the stored impact in a concentrated pulse toward Back. The traveling impact pulled up and splintered the trees of the forest. The ground was carved away like a crashing meteor, tearing away at the earth. Back knew how much power he put into that blast. This eclipsed it to the point of absurdity.

When the dust settled, Back was nowhere to be seen. Kael bellowed a primal roar before transitioning to a hearty laugh. Aki, Lyra, and Bolto had dove away and piled onto each other to survive the blow.

"That's right, ninja man. I'm an Impact Duplicator. I absorb 500% of an impact and duplicate it where I want with my personal magic Projector." Kael continued to laugh. "You'll keep it a secret though, right?!"