Kalpas was seething with rage. His hands gripped the iron spikes of the fence with crushing force, and with a brutal wrench, he snapped the hardened metal bar clean off.
Immediately after, he slammed his fist into the iron barrier.
Boom! Boom! The sound was like thunderclaps, shaking the entire fence violently as if this force alone would reduce it to rubble. Countless burning spectral shadows, drawn by this outburst, swarmed toward Kalpas. They clung to his body, instantly scorching patches of skin with searing burns. Yet Kalpas seemed utterly unaware, continuing to pound the fence with blow after blow, each strike unleashing the full might of his body. This wasn't blind stubbornness; it was a deep, fundamental belief in his own fists, a conviction that they could smash through the predicament before him.
CRASH!
With a sound like shattering thunder, the iron fortification finally yielded to Kalpas's onslaught, a breach torn open by raw force. The edges of the gap were razor-sharp, looking for all the world like the jagged, sinister blade of some monstrous weapon. Simultaneously, countless flames gushed from the opening as if eager to devour everything.
Amidst a swirling host of flames, Kalpas slowly stepped through. Yet, the very next second, he plunged into a vast, boundless ocean.
Silence enveloped him instantly. The long-lost tranquility gradually soothed the restless agitation in his heart. Anger had been merely a means of venting. Now, immersed in this calm, gazing into the ocean within himself, he seemed to glimpse many truths usually overlooked in the noise of everyday life.
…
He didn't know how much time had passed. Consciousness slowly returned, and Kalpas opened his eyes. Instinctively, his hand flew to his face. The first thing he realized was that his mask was gone.
His heart sank with a 'thud,' a flicker of panic seizing him. He scrambled upright from the bed, eyes darting urgently around the room.
Only then did he see he was lying on a bed. On the small nightstand beside it sat the mask he had crafted himself, though it now looked somewhat charred…
Kalpas examined the mask carefully. It seemed wearable enough. He was never a picky man, nor would he scorn his own handiwork. He reached out and took it…
Once the mask was securely back in place, he took a deep breath, steadying himself, and finally began to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. He found himself in a simple room. Aside from the bed and the nightstand, there was little else.
Damn that foolish woman! What is this place?
He couldn't help but curse Aponia viciously in his mind.
Just then, he noticed a man standing quietly not far away. The man shared his hair color, and behind him appeared to be a door.
Kalpas got off the bed and walked toward the man.
The white-haired man in the distance heard the movement. He glanced over indifferently before turning his head back, as if Kalpas was of no particular concern.
As he walked, Kalpas studied the man with the same hair color. He had blue eyes. On anyone else, such eyes might have left a deep impression. Furthermore, two oddly-shaped pistols were holstered at his waist, marking him as no ordinary individual.
But Kalpas paid little mind to such details.
Looking at Kevin's cold, aloof face, Kalpas, for some reason, found this pretty-boy's demeanor irritatingly cocky. An inexplicable wave of displeasure rose within him.
Kalpas considered himself to have a reasonably good temper on ordinary days, but the sight of Kevin inexplicably rubbed him the wrong way.
Kalpas took a few steps forward. Kevin still showed no reaction.
He moved closer still. Only then did Kevin shift his attention to Kalpas.
Kalpas stopped short. He could clearly sense an intense feeling of danger emanating from the man before him. This feeling was even stronger than what he had felt from that pink-haired woman he had fought not long ago.
Kalpas: "..."
Kevin: "..."
The two men stood there, motionless, like a pair of statues. The atmosphere grew abruptly awkward.
"Hey! What the hell is this place?"
After a long while, Kalpas finally couldn't stand the silence and broke it with a loud demand.
Kevin looked at Kalpas, his gaze that of someone regarding a troublesome idiot. "I am under no obligation to answer that," he stated flatly.
He had been specifically assigned by Mei to keep an eye on Kalpas. Having seen the footage of Kalpas's fight with Sakura, he had no doubt the man before him was a dangerous element. If Kalpas were to make any move causing significant harm, Kevin had the absolute duty to eliminate him.
Seeing Kevin's attitude, Kalpas saw no need for further courtesy. If Kevin didn't want to talk, he'd go out and see for himself.
With that thought, Kalpas made to move toward the door.
Just as he was about to reach it, Kevin finally moved. In a swift stride, he crossed the distance and blocked Kalpas's path.
"What do you think you're doing, punk? Get out of the way!" Kalpas said impatiently, his voice thick with anger.
"You cannot leave now," Kevin replied, his tone still icy.
"And who are you to say that?"
Kalpas was never one for following rules. He had grown thoroughly sick of restrictions and regulations, especially back when Aponia would drone on in his ear all day about morality and virtue.
As he spoke, Kalpas reached out to shove Kevin aside.
But Kevin stood firm as a mountain, unyielding and immovable.
Kalpas frowned, applying more force. Kevin, in turn, raised his hand and smack! batted Kalpas's arm away.
The resentment Kalpas had felt since first laying eyes on Kevin had been simmering in his gut. Faced with this, he could hold back no longer. He decided to teach Kevin a lesson.
Kalpas's hand shot out with lightning speed, aiming to grab Kevin's shoulder. Kevin reacted with equal swiftness, his left arm rising to block the strike. Unexpectedly, Kalpas's other hand followed in a seamless assault. Kevin's right arm instantly shifted into an elbow block, parrying the attack. Simultaneously, his left hand shot toward several vulnerable points on Kalpas's body.
Thus, within the confines of the small room, the two men engaged in a fierce, rapid exchange of blows. Kalpas, unwilling to be outdone, deftly blocked Kevin's strikes, and they began a test of strength. Both seemingly aware the other was no ordinary opponent, they started to exert their hidden power…
The temperature in the room seemed to drop a little…
…
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