Temporal Dominion

A tense silence hung in the training hall as Darren's challenge lingered in the air. His smirk was filled with arrogance, but Lucian could see the underlying resentment beneath it.

Darren Voss wasn't just here to prove a point—he was here to crush Lucian's momentum before it could grow any further.

Lucian took a deep breath. This wasn't just some meaningless brawl. Darren was from one of the Academy's influential families and had connections that could make life difficult if things escalated.

But Lucian wasn't about to back down.

"Fine," he said, stepping forward. "I accept."

Darren's grin widened, and with a snap of his fingers, the training hall's combat simulation mode activated. The surrounding area shifted, barriers forming around them to prevent outside interference.

A duel had begun.

Elara groaned from the sidelines. "Darren, you're really doing this? You lost to Dorian in the last ranking match, and now you're picking a fight with someone who fought him too?"

Darren scoffed. "That wasn't a loss. That was a setup." His eyes locked onto Lucian. "This is different. He's not Dorian. He's a nobody who got lucky. And I'm about to remind him why."

Lucian didn't respond. He simply raised his hands, preparing himself.

Darren cracked his knuckles.

"Let's see what you got, time freak."

---

The Fight Begins

Darren moved first.

With a sudden stomp, the ground cracked beneath him as his body surged forward—a blur of raw kinetic force. His ability allowed him to store momentum in his movements, unleashing devastating strikes with enhanced impact.

Lucian barely had time to react before Darren's fist shot forward like a cannonball.

Too fast.

He activated his Temporal Shift, slowing everything around him for a brief second—just enough time to twist his body out of the way.

WHAM!

Darren's punch smashed into the reinforced floor, leaving a deep crater where Lucian had just been standing. The shockwave rippled outward, sending dust and debris flying.

Lucian narrowed his eyes.

Darren wasn't just using brute force. He was storing kinetic energy from his movements and redirecting it into his attacks, amplifying them beyond normal limits.

If I take a direct hit, I'm done.

Darren grinned. "Not bad. You dodged."

He stomped again, building up more momentum. "Let's see you do it again."

He launched forward. This time, he wasn't aiming for a single strike—he was chaining attacks together, using the recoil of each movement to build even more speed.

Lucian twisted, dodging the first blow. Then the second. Then the third.

But Darren wasn't stopping.

Each missed attack made him faster. The more force he built up, the more devastating his next attack would be.

Lucian clicked his tongue.

He couldn't just dodge forever.

He needed to counter.

---

Unleashing the Temporal Strike

Darren's next attack came from above—a downward axe kick, fueled by the momentum of his previous strikes.

Lucian planted his feet.

Instead of dodging, he focused.

Time slowed—

His fist clenched, energy pulsing through his arm. This time, he didn't just let the force release all at once. He layered it. Delayed it.

Darren's foot came down—

Lucian struck first.

His fist connected with Darren's side—

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then—

BOOM!

A delayed shockwave rippled through Darren's body, sending him hurtling backward across the training hall. He crashed into the far wall, cracks spreading across the reinforced surface.

A stunned silence followed.

Elara's eyes widened. "Holy—"

Darren groaned, coughing as he pulled himself from the rubble. His body trembled from the aftershock. "The hell… was that?"

Lucian exhaled, flexing his fingers. "Temporal Strike."

Darren's expression darkened.

This wasn't over.

He still had more force to release.

And this time, he wasn't holding back.