Justin and Liza shot into the air as the twin snakes snapped upward, jaws clashing inches from where they'd been. Wind tore past Liza's wings as she banked hard, firing a flash charge to pull their focus.
"Eyes on me, ugly," she shouts towards the beast.
Both snakes turned, hissing as they chased her through a tight spiral. Below, Braxton was locked in with his own monster, straining as he blocked a crushing tail whip and answered with a hammering punch.
Justin dipped low, then rocketed back down like a missile. He slammed into one of Liza's pursuers, driving it into the street with a shockwave that rattled storefront windows. He was already on the second, fists blurring as he tore into it midair.
The Cleaner slammed his hands down again. More magic circles flared.
Snakes poured out. Winged ones. Ones with legs. Twisted, mutated things that barely resembled reptiles at all. A dozen in seconds, spreading fast.
They split their attention, swarming toward all three heroes as streets erupted into chaos around them.
The Cleaner yawned loudly, hands in his pockets as chaos unfolded around him. "Don't know what you did to piss off the higher-ups," he said, bored. "But it don't really matter. You're a dead man walkin', no matter how hard you swing."
Liza and Braxton ignored the man's words towards Justin as they moved in sync, cutting through the smaller snakes as they split off. Braxton tore one apart with brute force, while Liza clipped wings and skulls with precise strikes, never letting herself slow down.
Justin hovered opposite the largest summon, its scales thicker, eyes glowing with a dull intelligence. The Cleaner glanced at it. "That one's King Basilisk. Don't disappoint him."
The creature lunged. Justin met it head-on, fists driving into its skull, forcing it back inch by inch. The ground cratered beneath them as they traded blows, raw strength against raw power.
Justin didn't look away from the beast. "I'm going to be the strongest hero in the world," he said calmly but impassioned. "And the strongest hero doesn't run scared of some underground crime group hiding in the dark."
King Basilisk reared back, jaws opening wide, committing fully to the kill. Justin, however, moved.
He twisted, hooked the creature's body mid-strike, and used its own momentum to knot it tight. The massive snake slammed into the pavement, thrashing once before going still.
Justin straightened and locked eyes with the Cleaner.
"If war's what The Decay Group wants," he said, voice steady and cold, "then war's what they'll get."
There was no hesitation or fear in his voice, only confidence.
The Cleaner shook his head slowly, tongue clicking against his teeth. "Gotta admit," he said, eyeing Justin, "you're better than I figured. A lot of confidence for a rookie."
His expression hardened. "But I've been takin' it easy."
Glowing magic circles flared around his arms and legs, etched symbols pulsing as power poured into him. The air warped slightly as his posture shifted, lighter on his feet, coiled with intent. "Before I kill you," he continued, "I'll show you what real power feels like."
He launched himself upward in a blur, abandoning his summons entirely.
Justin braced, tracking the angle and the timing. He moved to counter, convinced he'd read the attack clean. At the last second, the Cleaner vanished from his line of approach, reappearing just off-angle. He kicked him, and it landed hard.
Justin was sent flying backward, tearing through the air before he could stabilize. He recovered fast, forcing himself skyward again before The Cleaner could follow through and press the advantage. The Cleaner smirked up at him.
Justin didn't hesitate. He dove, accelerating hard, aiming to end it in one decisive hit. The Cleaner caught him mid-charge, twisting with the impact and redirecting Justin's momentum. Fists followed, sharp and brutal, each strike landing with practiced precision.
Justin broke free only by force, crashing down the street and skidding to a stop near the wreckage of the earlier fight. He pushed himself up as Braxton rushed past him.
Braxton had just finished tearing apart the last of the remaining summons. He didn't slow.
"Got him," Braxton growled.
He slammed into the Cleaner, the two trading heavy blows in the middle of the street. Each impact echoed as concrete cracked beneath their feet. The Cleaner laughed once, sharp and impressed.
"Damn," he said, blocking a clawed strike. "Not bad at all. It isn't just anyone who chews through my summons like that."
Braxton answered with another furious assault, forcing the Cleaner back a step. For a moment, it looked like he had him.
Then the Cleaner shifted, exploiting an opening. One precise strike sent Braxton stumbling backward, boots scraping as he fought to stay upright.
Liza didn't hesitate. As the Cleaner stepped toward Braxton and Justin, she dropped from above, wings folding tight to silence her descent. Her blade was already drawn, strike lined up clean.
The Cleaner turned anyway.
He caught her mid-dive, one hand snapping out to seize her by the arm. The impact sent a shock through her shoulder before he spun and hurled her like dead weight. Liza barely had time to brace before she crashed into the pavement near the others, rolling hard before snapping her wings open to stop herself.
All three of them regrouped instinctively.
No one said it out loud, but the truth was clear. This wasn't a street villain. This wasn't a summoner hiding behind monsters. The Cleaner was dangerous on his own.
Justin steadied himself beside them, eyes locked forward. Braxton lowered his stance, muscles tight, ready to spring. Liza pushed past the sting in her arm and lifted off just enough to keep mobile.
Before the Cleaner could close the distance, the sound of engines cut through the street. A sharp wind followed as multiple figures dropped in from above and street level alike, forming a loose perimeter around the fight.
Agency heroes. Captain Fantastica landed first, cape snapping as he straightened, power humming beneath the surface. Sentariya followed close behind, blades already drawn, eyes assessing in seconds. Both were B-rank veterans, their presence alone shifting the balance.
Then the air shifted even more as Evermend arrived with flair, touching down like gravity itself had decided she belonged there. Her suit gleamed as she stood her ground calmly. Her gaze fixed on the Cleaner, equal parts protective and furious.
"Nobody messes with my rookies," she said.
The Cleaner laughed, slow and delighted. Magic circles flared around his body in layers, symbols stacking as power surged outward. The street groaned under the pressure, loose debris lifting as the air thickened and pushed back against everyone present.
"Well," he said, rolling his shoulders, "now this is more like it."
The tension snapped tight, and the fight was far from over.