The Veilwalker

Ross couldn't remember the last time he received that much damage from a simple blow. And as if that was not enough, the asteroids he crashed into did a number on his body; much more than he anticipated.

'Fucking hell…' Ross inwardly cursed as he finally managed to dispel the force and came to a stop on an asteroid. 'He wasn't joking about holding back!'

His arms stung from the pain of having his bones broken, and blood leaked from his torn flesh. It was a gruesome injury, but one that he would walk away from in no time.

While his healing kicked in to repair the damage, the one-horned redhead raised his head to look at Alex floating in the distance, calmly observing him. The burnt marks on his body suggested his explosion did a number on him as well.

The wounds were mostly superficial and already healing, but they were still proof of Alex holding his end of the deal. He also didn't miss the smirk that tugged at the corner of Alex's lips.

'The fucker is definitely enjoying this.' Ross quietly mused. 'Payback is indeed a bitch.' He spat out a mouthful of blood before turning back to Alex.

"I thought we were friends." Ross said with a pained expression. "How could you let loose like that?"

"Yeah, right." Alex sneered. "Tell that to the one who detonated those fireballs like they were firecrackers. That's a real mad lad."

Ross looked away like he wasn't the one Alex was referring to.

"Yeah, a madman." Ross rubbed his now-healed arms. "Since neither of us is willing to back down, why don't we see who hits the hardest?" Long and mid-range battle wasn't all that fun.

The one-horned wanted to feel his feet and hands digging into someone's flesh. Of course, the flames won't be completely eliminated either. Ross would instead use it as a power boost to inflict greater damage on his foe.

"Hohoho…" Alex grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "This is going to be one hell of a beating."

A moment of silence passed between the two friends, their sharp eyes glued to each other. Suddenly, the two disappeared from their spot in a burst of speed that dispelled the surrounding energy.

BOOM…!!!

A fiery fist met plain ones in the thunderous eruption, generating a shockwave that disintegrated the surrounding asteroids into dust.

Ross came out as the winner in this clash of titans while Alex was hurled across space and into the sea of asteroids in the distance, adding more damage to what he already received.

The redhead didn't hesitate and chased after Alex, intending to keep hammering till Alex was out for the count.

Before Alex could extricate himself from the hole he found himself in, Ross appeared before him with another fiery fist that blazed through the void towards his face. The redhead had a savage grin on his face as he drove his punch in.

BOOM!

The moon-sized asteroid shattered in an instant while Alex was blown back once more. But that was not the end. His backwards momentum was broken when Ross appeared from behind to deliver a crunching kick to his back.

"Kekeke." Ross laughed menacingly. "This is my kind of welcome!" Letting loose was a great stress reliever.

Another blow to his abdomen followed the kick when Ross appeared in a fiery blaze ahead of him. Like a ping pong game, Ross knocked Alex around the debris-filled space at staggering speeds, shattering the numerous asteroids like sand castles.

With power and speed boosted by flames, Alex stood no chance with his current limits. It would be a sorry sight if anyone saw this happening.

Despite the predicament Alex found himself in, the smile on his face couldn't be erased. He bled from his nose, lips and even ears. However, that was but a simple matter he could fix at any point.

BOOM!

'Huh?' Ross' eyes widened as his next blow was caught with ease. 'What's happening?' He furrowed his brows, struggling to yank his fist free from the iron grip.

Alex didn't answer. Instead, he spat out the blood in his mouth and slowly turned to meet Ross' shocked expression. A bloody smile stretched across his face.

"You've had your fun, buddy. Now it's my turn."

Before Ross could react, Alex slammed his forehead into him with a bone-cracking boom. Ross' head snapped backwards, his senses reeling as a killer headache pounded through his skull. Yet, he didn't fly back—Alex wasn't letting him.

With Ross' fist locked in a vice grip, Alex had him exactly where he wanted. He drove a fist into Ross' gut before the redhead could recover from the headbutt.

'The hell…?' Ross saw stars, confusion flickering in his dazed eyes. 'He wouldn't go back on the deal…' He knew Alex too well—his friend never broke his word.

'So how…?! This doesn't make any sense!'

He doubled over from the gut punch—then another blow struck his face. A left hook to the cheek, a right hook, followed by another left. Alex unleashed a barrage of strikes, pummelling Ross's face and upper body, holding back just enough to prevent him from being sent flying.

A final strike to the chin almost sent Ross flying, but Alex was not done. He caught the redhead's ankle in a crushing grip, spun him around several times, and hurled him through the void and into the asteroids.

BOOM…!!!

Ross came to a brutal stop, his body embedded in an asteroid. His face was bloody and swollen, but Alex knew it wouldn't last. He had played a little trick on his friend without him noticing.

Alex knew this could get out of hand, so he skewed Ross' perception of his healing factor. The redhead would instantly heal from any injury--no matter how gruesome--within mere moments.

That way, he could go all out with his beatdown. After all, it was totally Ross' fault for making such a crazy proposal.

"Ugh…" Ross groaned in pain as he slowly dug himself out. "That was brutal as hell…" His eyes screamed injustice, glaring at Alex for an explanation.

"How the hell did you do that? We were supposed to be evenly matched."

"It's not my fault you forgot about the Manastorm form." Alex shrugged in reply, flying close to Ross. "Your flames made you very explosive in your outputs, and with how well you were going at me, it's no wonder you forgot."

Ross furrowed his brows in confusion. He admitted that state skipped his mind, but he didn't recall seeing mana flaring around Alex either.

"It was internal." Alex answered the silent question with a smile. "You've been lost in cultivation for a while, buddy. Things have changed and I'm not the same person I was. We've got a lot of catching up to do."