With a flash of green and red, they both transformed.
Then—
BOOM!
Their auras collided head-on. Green against red.
The air flared violently under the pressure, warping as invisible shockwaves rippled outward. The floor beneath their feet cracked and split, fractures spreading like spiderwebs across the battlefield. The Rangers and Spider-Heroes watching from the sidelines couldn't help but swallow, their throats dry with palpable tension.
Zayne, clad in his Phase 1 Omni-Suit, stood opposite the legendary Green Mighty Morphin Ranger.
And then—Zayne moved first.
His feet exploded off the ground with raw momentum, the force behind the launch shattering stone beneath him. In the next instant, he was already in front of Tommy, his right fist driving straight toward Tommy's ribs.
Bang!
Tommy crossed his arms over his chest just in time, blocking the blow—but even so, he was forced two full steps backward, boots scraping harshly against the ground.
Heavy, Tommy thought, feeling the sheer weight behind Zayne's punch reverberate through his arms and into his bones.
He didn't hesitate.
Tommy surged forward, his hands shaping into claw-like forms as he struck toward Zayne's face.
Swish!
Cold light gleamed sharply along his fingers, slicing through the air with deadly intent.
Zayne raised his left hand and caught the incoming attack cleanly, his grip firm and unyielding. In the same motion, he twisted his body and drove a powerful kick straight into Tommy's liver.
The impact echoed sharply.
As they continued to exchange blows, their movements escalated to supersonic speed, each step and strike detonating with thunderous booms.
Bang!
Boom!!
Boom!!!
Clouds of dust erupted again and again, deep pits forming in the ground wherever their techniques landed. Tommy's movements were brutal and ferocious, each strike carrying the weight of experience. Zayne's attacks, on the other hand, were heavy yet incredibly swift—precise, efficient, and merciless.
Zzing!
In the next second, Tommy summoned his Dragon Dagger, the emerald blade flashing into existence as he slashed toward Zayne's neck without hesitation.
Zayne felt the chill of the incoming strike and instinctively flipped backward, twisting through the air to create distance from the relentless assault that followed.
Slash after slash came crashing down.
Seeing Tommy's unending pressure, Zayne knew continuing with bare fists would only limit him. He adjusted immediately.
With a flash of red light, he equipped his Omni-Saber, bringing it up just in time to intercept the next attack.
"Omni-Slash."
Zayne swung his blade in a clean, powerful arc, countering Tommy's offense head-on.
But Tommy didn't falter.
He was relentless.
A true veteran Ranger.
He had more experience than even Zayne—how much more, no one could truly say.
His movements became erratic yet terrifyingly effective, shifting unpredictably as he pressed the assault. Fighting him felt less like battling a man and more like clashing with a raging dragon.
"Damn," Zayne murmured inwardly as he parried another heavy strike. "Truly worthy of being a legendary Ranger. He's already this strong at his age."
Excitement surged through him.
It had been a long time since anyone had forced him this close to going all out—not since Koragg.
This was a battle he would savor.
After all—
They still had one hour.
Zayne became fully serious, almost slipping into a flow state. He dashed at Tommy from all sides, pushing him back repeatedly.
Clang! Clang!! Clang!!!
Sparks flew from the violent contact between their weapons. The fight fell into a stalemate, neither gaining a clear advantage. The audience couldn't make out most of their movements—they were simply too fast. If not for the fact that the battlefield was a flat, open expanse, it would have been nearly impossible to track them at all.
Tommy parried Zayne and created some distance between them. He looked at him and spoke calmly.
"You're really strong. It seems I'll have to use everything I've got if I want to win."
Zayne smiled beneath his helmet and replied,
"So will I."
Without further hesitation, Tommy pulled out his Master Morpher, twirled it, and commanded,
"Tigerzord, White Ranger Power."
With a flash of white, his suit changed. White and gold armor gleamed under the natural light of the base.
He stood gallantly, savoring his long-lost power. Tommy couldn't help but think inwardly,
"Nice… I really missed being this powerful".
Facing Zayne once more, he spoke in a confident tone.
"Kid, be careful—and try not to get too hurt when I attack."
"Tch, show-off," Zayne mumbled. Then he replied,
"No need to advise me, old man. I can take you on anytime, anywhere, any day."
"Good."
Tommy uttered only that single word before his figure blurred and vanished, reappearing instantly behind Zayne.
Zayne felt the presence and thought, "Shit, so fast. His speed is approaching C-tier. I really have to get serious".
Tommy struck from behind, but a scythe manifested behind Zayne at the same moment, blocking the incoming blow. The shockwave from their clash blasted both of them backward. Even the Rangers and Spider-Heroes watching were forced to retreat several steps.
"Damn… so Dr. O is this strong," Connor muttered.
"Yeah. We knew he could transform, but we never knew he was this strong," Ethan said, nodding in disbelief.
The others nodded as well. They realized their teacher had kept many secrets from them. While they didn't like being kept in the dark, they trusted that he had his reasons—and that he would tell them when the time was right.
The battle resumed. The White Mighty Morphin Ranger, possessing both speed and strength at C-tier, began to slightly overpower Zayne. The advantage lay entirely in speed. In warfare, speed was king, so it was only natural for Zayne to feel suppressed.
"I need to change strategies", Zayne thought as he twirled his scythe, blocking a flurry of energy-based attacks from Tommy.
He suddenly closed the distance, pushing his speed to its limit. His hands spun, switching the scythe into the V-Blade—a weapon he rarely used.
He chose it for one simple reason: versatility. It excelled at both close-quarters and mid-range combat. It suited the situation perfectly.
"Hm, another weapon. Looks familiar," Tommy remarked, genuinely surprised by Zayne's arsenal. He truly was a man—no, a teen—of many talents.
"But that won't be enough," Tommy added, startling Zayne.
Zayne snorted. "Hmph. Talk to my weapons then."
Then Zayne did something insane. He slashed with the V-Blade, swapped it in the next second for the Omni-Blaster, and fired at Tommy in rapid intervals, giving him no room to retaliate. His intent was clear—he meant to wear down Tommy's energy reserves through relentless offense.
"Hey kid, calm do—" Tommy tried to speak, but his words were buried beneath dozens of attacks. Before he could finish, Zayne struck again.
This time, with the Quantum Defender.
A beam of energy erupted from the weapon, slamming directly into Tommy's chest armor.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the battlefield as Tommy was blasted backward, tumbling across the ground.
Perfect shot, Zayne thought, completely satisfied with his decision. His belief was simple: if the fight got hard, attack without restraint. If you couldn't win—run.
Tommy pushed himself up, coughing beneath his mask. His tone was heavy, yet amused.
"Damn, kid… must you be this ruthless?"
The Rangers and Spider-Heroes watching from afar couldn't help but shiver. They realized Zayne had held back significantly during their own sparring sessions. They felt nothing but relief—if even one of those attacks had landed on them, hospitalization would have been guaranteed.
Tommy finally stood upright and pointed at Zayne.
"Since you've given it everything you've got, it's time for me to kick it up a notch."
"Up a notch?" Zayne thought, confused. Then it clicked seconds later.
"Oh no…" he murmured.
"Zeo Ranger Red—Ready!"
The command rang out, and in a flash, Tommy transformed once more.
A red, gleaming suit enveloped him, the visor shaped like a star. His shoulders were unarmored, yet lean and muscular. Power filled his legs. His entire body radiated stellar energy. His strength now hovered infinitely close to C+.
Zayne barely had time to react before a fist came flying straight toward his face.
Bang!
He was sent flying back, his head snapping as he skidded across the ground. But Tommy didn't give him a second to recover. He followed up with a flying kick, his leg imbued with the power of a red star.
Boom!!
A massive explosion erupted on impact, carving a deep crater into the battlefield. Zayne was blasted back once more, truly feeling oppression for the first time. If it had been faint before, now it was crushing.
"You should give up soon, kid," Tommy said, his lips curling into a smile beneath his helmet. Zayne was strong—undeniably so—but when it came to experience, Tommy still reigned supreme.
"You wish," Zayne shot back instantly. Why would he give up now? The fight had only just begun.
"Let's make this fair," Zayne said, his tone mysterious, drawing the attention of both Tommy and the onlookers.
He raised his Morpher to his chest, tapped it with the fingers of his right hand, and commanded—
"Omni-Morpher, lock on. Activate Phase Two."
[Activating Phase Two]
Time came to a halt as Zayne entered the Omni-Grid. Five dragons of different colors—each representing a different element—appeared before him. The fire dragon blazed fiercely and charged straight toward Zayne, completely merging with his body as his new suit formed. The dragon's head separated from its body, shaping itself into Zayne's helmet. The armor looked domineering, powerful, and utterly striking.
Time resumed.
Zayne now stood in his full majesty. Tommy couldn't help but swallow hard at the pressure radiating from him. After all, Zayne's strength had stabilized firmly at C+ tier—while his own was only just approaching it.
Zayne looked at Tommy and spoke seriously.
"Are you ready, Dr. O? Remember—don't blink. Because if you do, you lose."
The words were arrogant, but Tommy knew they were true. He dared not make a single mistake, or he'd be waking up in the medical bay.
Without waiting for a response, Zayne moved. He appeared directly in front of Tommy in an instant, nearly giving him the scare of his life. Tommy tried to retreat, but Zayne's fist had other plans as it slammed into his stomach.
"Ugh!"
Tommy groaned in pain as he crashed into the ground, forming a small crater. Even with the power of the stars protecting him, his defense was shattered with ease.
"Holy shit… this is like watching a million-dollar movie—but it's real," Peter blurted out.
The others smiled, finding his comment both funny and painfully accurate. They yearned for that kind of power. With strength like that, protecting Earth would become far easier.
Zayne continued to bash Tommy around relentlessly, giving him no space to retaliate. The beating was so intense that Tommy began unconsciously shifting Ranger forms mid-battle. It was like watching a disco ball getting knocked around the battlefield.
This went on for five full minutes. Zayne was already starting to get bored. If he had known it would end like this, he wouldn't have transformed at all—he could have just struggled evenly with Tommy until the time limit ran out.
But as the fight dragged on, Tommy made a desperate decision. He switched to Green Ranger mode, drew his Dragon Saber, and played a tune.
"Dragonzord, rise!"
"Shit."
That was Zayne's only thought.
But before the summoning could finish, Tommy suddenly demorphed.
"Eh?" he muttered unconsciously.
Zayne: Eh!
Dino Rangers: Eh!
Spider-Heroes: Eh!
Before anyone could process what had just happened, Tommy collapsed, completely unconscious.
Zayne immediately understood—the one-hour time limit had ended. He felt both satisfied and disappointed. After all, he had wanted to fight Tommy's Zord.
"I should've dragged it out longer," he murmured, his tone filled with regret.
"Oh well. Next time," Zayne thought. "Let's get him to headquarters. He should wake up in a few minutes—he's just exhausted."
He called over the Rangers and Spider-Heroes, signaling that it was time to leave. They nodded, helped their teacher up, and followed Zayne away.
For them, today had been a truly fulfilling day.
--- ✦ ---
How was the chapter, guys? I hope you all understood and enjoyed it. I'm open to any review, comments, and help from the readers to improve my writing.
Power Stones, guys!!!!