Thank you Josh Roark (Mass release 3/8)
Axel stood his ground, eyes locked onto the monstrous figure before him—Imperfect Cell, who grinned maniacally as he straightened his stance.
"This is more like it!" Cell's voice dripped with excitement, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent. "I've been searching for strong opponents like you to kill! Don't make this boring for me!"
Axel remained silent, his hand stretched out. Slowly, his sword formed in his grasp, a weapon born from the same eerie red mana that pulsed through his body. The energy surrounding him intensified, giving off a dominant aura that made Cell hesitate for a brief moment.
Cell's grin widened, almost as if the sight of Axel's power fueled his excitement. "That looks fun! Hahaha!"
In an instant, Cell lunged forward, launching a powerful fist aimed at Axel's face. The speed was terrifying, but Axel reacted just in time, raising his sword and effortlessly blocking the blow. The impact sent a shockwave of wind across the battlefield, nearly knocking nearby hunters off their feet.
'He's faster than I expected,' Axel thought, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed Cell's movements. He could sense the difference in power from when Cell fought Carlos—he was taking Axel seriously, unleashing his full strength.
Without warning, Axel leapt into the air, his leg swinging toward Cell's head in a blur. Cell ducked, his instincts kicking in just in time to avoid the strike. But Axel was relentless.
**Slash!**
Cell weaved to the left, narrowly avoiding the blade aimed for his skull. The sword cut through the air with lethal precision, missing by mere inches.
'Damn, he's fast,' Cell thought, backing away to put some distance between them. His eyes narrowed in frustration as he realized Axel wasn't like his previous opponents.
Cell's lips curled into a snarl. In one fluid motion, he opened his mouth wide, a sickly green energy surging inside him before he unleashed a powerful energy beam straight at Axel.
Axel didn't flinch. With both hands gripping his sword tightly, he swung it in a wide arc, effortlessly cutting through the beam. The attack shattered into a thousand flickering lights, illuminating the battlefield in a shower of sparks.
'Compared to the Kaiju King, this guy isn't as fast... But there's something strange about his abilities,' Axel thought, eyes narrowing as he studied Cell. 'He can evolve?'
As the dust and sparks cleared, Axel saw something that made his eyes widen in disbelief. Cell's fingers had elongated into grotesque, tentacle-like appendages, sharp and shimmering. They shot toward him with deadly speed, aiming for vital points.
'There's ten of them!'
Axel counted them in his head, instinctively jumping back as the tentacles came at him from every angle. One whipped toward his face, but he blocked it with his sword, sending out another wave of light.
But two more tentacles sped around, aiming for his back.
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Cell had been pretending all along, feigning paralysis under Axel's spell. His tentacles, still frozen in the air, surged forward in a last-ditch effort, aiming directly at Axel's unprotected back.
'What a fool!' Cell thought triumphantly. 'He figured out I was evolving, but it's too late—'
As the tentacles connected with Axel's back, they dissolved into nothing. The sharp, lethal blades turned to dust, leaving no mark, no wound.
"What the fu—"
Before Cell could react, Axel dismissed his sword, his right hand shooting out and gripping Cell's face in a vice-like hold. The force was so strong that Cell's eyes widened in terror, his body trembling in Axel's grasp.
"I told you," Axel said, his voice cold and unwavering. "You can't lay a finger on me. No matter how strong you think you are. No matter how much you evolve, you'll always be nothing more than a rat beneath my feet."
The pressure on Cell's face intensified, a loud cracking sound echoing through the battlefield. Cell's expression twisted in pain, his body convulsing under the immense force.
"Those who know weakness..." Axel tightened his grip. e out strongest."
With a final, brutal squeeze, Cell's skull shattered, blood and bone splattering across the ground as his body crumpled. Before it could hit the floor, Cell's form began to decay, turning into dust that blew away in the wind.
**[Deceased Touch Active.]**
**[You have leveled up.]**
**[Level Up.]**
**[Level Up.]**
Axel glanced at the timer, a small smirk forming on his lips. 'Just enough time...'
"Summon... Army of Shadows."
From the bloodstained ground, three soldiers rose—accompanied by a newly resurrected Cell, now a mindless soldier clad in red armor, his former self long gone.
**[You have leveled up this skill: 4/50.]**
Axel looked at his new creation, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "Go. Kill as many Fatek as you can in the next twenty seconds."
Without hesitation, the soldiers surged forward, cutting through the Fatek ranks with terrifying precision. Axel turned, his eyes locking onto the towering Fatek Commander across the battlefield.
"Now, without distractions..." Axel's voice dropped, his bloodlust palpable. "I can kill you."