Creation Of All Things

Cain wiped the blood from his lip, eyes burning with something dangerous.

He wasn't done.

The air around him started to shift—heavy, suffocating. A deep, vibrating hum echoed through the arena as the ground beneath him cracked.

Joshua tensed. "Yo, what the hell is that?"

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "He's activating his ability."

Cain let out a slow breath, and then—

BOOM.

A shockwave burst from his body, sending dust and debris flying. His skin darkened, glowing with a deep, molten red as cracks of fiery energy ran along his arms. The ground under his feet melted slightly, sizzling with heat.

"Infernal Core." His voice was deeper now, rougher, like he was speaking through a furnace. "You should feel honored, Adam. I don't use this on just anybody."

Adam's smirk didn't fade. "Yeah? And what's it do? Make you slightly less of a punching bag?"

Cain didn't answer. He moved.

One moment, he was standing still. The next—

BANG.

He was in front of Adam.

Too fast.

Adam barely had time to raise his arms before Cain's fist crashed into him.

CRACK.

The impact sent Adam flying, tearing across the arena like a bullet. He slammed into the stone wall—hard enough to leave a crater—and for the first time since the fight started, he felt it.

Joshua jumped to his feet. "Shit—!"

Aurora, arms still crossed, didn't even flinch.

Adam groaned, pulling himself out of the rubble. His body ached. His arms were singed from the heat of that punch.

"Alright," he muttered, shaking out his limbs. "That actually hurt."

Cain cracked his knuckles, steam rising off his body. "That's the point."

Adam rolled his neck, exhaling. "Guess I should stop holding back then."

Cain scoffed. "What, you got some kind of hidden power too?"

Adam smirked. His eyes flickered—just for a second.

Then he vanished.

Cain barely had time to register before—

BOOM!

Adam's fist smashed into his gut, bending him forward. Before he could react—

BOOM!

A knee to the chin. His head snapped back, vision blurring.

BOOM!

A kick to the chest sent him skidding across the arena, his molten energy flickering wildly.

The crowd lost it.

Joshua's jaw dropped. "Bro—he just teleported—"

Aurora finally smiled. "Not teleportation."

Joshua stared at her. "Then what the hell was that?"

Aurora's violet eyes gleamed. "Adam's just that fast."

Cain coughed, struggling to his feet. He growled, flames flaring violently around him. "Don't get cocky—!"

Adam was already in front of him.

Cain's eyes widened. "Wha—"

Adam grinned. "Too slow."

His fist slammed into Cain's face—

And this time, he didn't stop punching.

Cain's head snapped to the side, spit and blood flying from his mouth. But Adam wasn't done.

His fist was already swinging again—

BANG!

Cain barely had time to block before another punch hammered into his ribs.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Adam's fists blurred, slamming into Cain over and over. Each hit sent shockwaves through the arena. The ground cracked beneath them, Cain's molten aura flickering under the relentless assault.

The crowd went insane.

Joshua had both hands on his head. "Holy shit, bro's getting pieced up!"

Aurora exhaled through her nose, amused.

Cain growled, eyes glowing like embers. He clenched his fists, flames bursting around him. "Enough!"

He threw a wild punch, heat distorting the air—

But Adam leaned just slightly, dodging it like it was slow motion.

Cain's eyes widened.

Adam smirked. "Too easy."

Then he vanished again.

Cain spun around, eyes darting everywhere. "Where—?"

BOOM.

Adam reappeared behind him. A brutal axe kick crashed down onto Cain's shoulder, smashing him into the ground like a meteor. The stone beneath them exploded, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the arena floor.

The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the air, knocking over several spectators in the stands.

Even Joshua flinched. "Yo…"

Cain groaned, trying to push himself up, but Adam didn't let him.

He grabbed Cain by the face—fingers digging into his molten skin, completely unfazed by the heat—and lifted him off the ground.

Cain thrashed, flames roaring to life—

Adam slammed him back down.

BOOM!

Then again.

BOOM!

And again.

BOOM!

The arena floor shattered under each impact. Cracks ran all the way to the walls, dust and debris flying everywhere.

The crowd lost their minds.

Cain let out a choked gasp, dazed, eyes flickering. His flames sputtered, flickering wildly. His Infernal Core was breaking.

Adam finally let go, stepping back.

Cain coughed, trying to get up, arms trembling. His vision was spinning.

Adam cracked his neck. "That all you got?"

Cain panted, flames flickering weakly around his body. His mind was racing. He'd never—never—been overwhelmed like this.

His legs shook as he stood, but Adam was already in his face.

Cain's heart stopped.

Adam's grin widened. "Night-night."

His fist drove into Cain's stomach with enough force to fold him in half.

BOOOOOOM!

The shockwave erased the ground beneath them.

Cain's body launched backward like a missile, smashing through the arena walls, then another—then another—before finally coming to a stop in a pile of rubble, completely unconscious.

Silence.

Then—

The crowd exploded into cheers.

Joshua nearly fell over. "Bro just got deleted from the match!"

Aurora, watching Cain's motionless body in the debris, smirked. "Told you."

Adam exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Well… that was fun."

Then he turned to the crowd and raised a fist.

The arena roared.

The stadium was shaking from the sheer volume of the crowd. Cheers, screams, and wild chants filled the air like a thunderstorm.

"NO WAY!" someone in the stands shouted. "HE JUST BODIED CAIN!"

"That wasn't even a fight, bro got bullied!"

Joshua was still clutching his head, his face a mix of shock and secondhand pain. "Cain didn't even get a chance to fight back! That was a public execution!"

A few rows down, a group of students were still frozen in place, jaws hanging open. One of them slowly exhaled. "That speed… that power… who the hell is this guy?"

Aurora, arms still crossed, glanced at them. "That's Adam. Try to keep up."

Meanwhile, in the middle of the destroyed arena, dust was still settling.

The lights in the arena shifted, a massive spotlight beaming down on Adam as the crowd exploded again.

[ADAM TAKES THE VICTORY IN A FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE]

A massive screen above the stadium replayed the final moments—Adam's insane speed, the brutal slams, and that devastating gut punch that sent Cain flying through multiple walls. Each replay made the crowd lose their minds all over again.

"MONSTER!" someone yelled.

"CHEAT CODE!"

"PUT HIM IN A HIGHER BRACKET!"

Adam, still standing in the middle of the ruined arena, rubbed the back of his neck like he wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. His clothes were barely even ruffled.

Joshua shook his head in disbelief. "Dude ain't even sweating. That's illegal."

Aurora's face did not show any expressionas she said. "I told you he was fast."

Joshua exhaled, staring at Adam like he was seeing him for the first time. "Fast? Bro, that wasn't fast. That was straight-up disrespectful."

Meanwhile, medics were already rushing over to where Cain was buried in the rubble. The guy wasn't moving.

A deep, shaky groan echoed from the wreckage as Cain's battered hand twitched. He was still alive—barely.

One of the medics knelt beside him. "Damn… you got wrecked, dude."

Cain barely managed to open one eye. His entire body ached. His flames had died out. His Infernal Core was shattered.

He groaned, voice raspy. "Shut up…"

Adam, watching from the center of the arena, gave a lazy wave in Cain's direction. "Nice fight."

Cain coughed up dust. "Go to hell…"

Adam just grinned. "Already been there."

The crowd erupted again.

"And while I'm here, I would like to go further, I want to challenge the next ranking, and climb that leader board."