As the clash between Emerald Atlas and Summoner Solomon intensifies, the storm of floating blades shifts entirely, no longer harassing Braxton or Liza. Every razor-sharp edge redirects toward Justin alone, circling him before striking in rapid succession. Justin weaves through the onslaught, fists colliding with Solomon's summoned sword again and again, each impact sending sparks through the street. Solomon's blade repels his blows with practiced precision, and it's clear he's enjoying the challenge.
Liza clocks the shift immediately and makes a quick call. Justin has the durability and raw power to keep Solomon occupied, and more importantly, he's the only one who can do it without getting torn apart. She signals Braxton, and the two break off, leaving Solomon to Justin. Braxton hesitates for a split second, clearly wanting to help his friend, but he trusts him. If anyone can handle this, it's Emerald Atlas.
Their focus turns to the retreating Alley Cutters. Jozu, battered but still standing, hauls Saraya and Bone Soldier toward their getaway car, carving a path through police barricades and debris. Sirens wail as officers scramble to regroup.
Braxton charges after them in his were-tiger form, claws tearing into the pavement. Liza takes to the air beside him, eyes sharp and calculating. Behind them, the crash of steel and thunderous impacts continues as Justin and Solomon's duel rages on.
Jozu skids to a halt and drops Bone Soldier and Saraya onto the pavement as he notices Braxton and Liza closing in. His body shifts and hardens, metal edges gleaming as he lets out a thunderous roar and charges straight at Braxton. "I'm not going down!" he bellows, voice raw with fury and desperation. Whether it's sheer willpower or a surge of adrenaline, Jozu moves like a different man, swinging with reckless strength as if refusing to accept defeat.
Braxton meets him head-on, claws and fists crashing against Jozu's blade-like body. He lands several heavy hits, each one strong enough to crumple steel, yet Jozu barely stumbles. The pain seems to fuel him, adrenaline pushing him beyond his limits as he keeps fighting, eyes wild and unfocused.
Liza quickly adjusts, darting into the air and circling Bone Soldier and Saraya's downed forms. She moves deliberately, forcing Jozu to split his attention as he turns to track her movements, unable to ignore the threat she poses. The distraction is exactly what Braxton needs.
With a deep growl, Braxton plants his feet and unleashes everything he's got. He surges forward, landing a rapid series of brutal blows, each strike faster and harder than the last. Jozu's form finally buckles under the assault, his metal skin cracking as the last of his strength gives out. He collapses to the ground in a heap, unconscious and unmoving.
The fight is over. Bone Soldier and Saraya remain down, and with Jozu finally defeated, Solomon's underlings are officially taken out of the fight.
Meanwhile, the fight between Justin and Solomon escalates into something far louder and far messier. Solomon finally cuts loose, bringing out his full arsenal as dozens of blades tear free from the air around him. He even mounts two of them beneath his feet, riding them like hovering platforms as he rockets after Justin. What follows is a blistering high-speed chase through the skies above Haven City, the two streaking between towers and over streets as shocked civilians look up from below.
Justin digs deep, pushing himself harder than he has all day. Blades scream past him from every angle, and he meets them head-on, punching and shattering steel mid-flight as sparks rain across the skyline. Solomon keeps pressure on him, slashing with the massive blade still clenched in his hand, each swing close enough to whistle past Justin's head. It's chaotic, dangerous, and turning into a full-on spectacle, one that Justin can feel stretching his limits.
Finally, Justin goes all in. He times it just right and lunges forward, tackling Solomon out of the air. The two crash through the windows of a skyscraper, skidding across a mid-level office floor in a shower of glass and twisted metal. Desks and monitors scatter as they roll apart, both barely missing a line of screaming employees.
Solomon recovers fast. With a frustrated snarl, he grabs a handful of stunned office workers and hurls them out through the shattered windows. It's a dirty move, and he knows it. Justin doesn't hesitate for a second, breaking off the pursuit to dive after the civilians, catching them one by one, and lowering them safely toward the street below. By the time he looks back up, Solomon is already trying to flee again.
He almost makes it.
A sudden blur of blue cuts across the air as Liza rockets in at full speed. Solomon barely has time to react before her boot slams straight into his face, sending him crashing backward through another window of the same building. He tumbles across the floor, dazed and disoriented, his blades clattering uselessly to the ground.
That's all Justin needs. He finishes getting the civilians to safety, then rockets back through the window. A handful of clean, devastating punches later, Summoner Solomon finally goes limp, knocked completely unconscious. As Justin stands over him, catching his breath, he can't help himself.
"Victory tastes good," he says with a grin. "I think I'll savor this moment."
Liza groans and rolls her eyes as she helps him secure Solomon's unconscious body. Together, they leap off the building and descend to the street below, landing just as authorities and cleanup crews flood the area. Sirens blare, medics rush in, and the Alley Cutters are hauled away in restraints.
With the scene finally under control, the trio is relieved of duty and escorted back toward the agency, bruised, cut, and exhausted. It's messy, painful, and far from perfect, but for their first real patrol, it's a clear victory.
As they make their way back to the agency headquarters, Liza wears a worried, distant look that doesn't quite match the victory they just earned. Her wings beat a little stiffer than usual, her eyes unfocused as if she's formulating something in her brain.
Braxton doesn't notice at all, far too caught up in excitedly recounting every punch and near miss from their first real villain encounter. Justin, however, picks up on it immediately. He studies her expression, curiosity stirring, but chooses not to press her just yet.