Ash sprinted across the asteroid's jagged surface. His boots scraped against rough rock, each step uneven under the weak gravity. Still, he didn't slow. The device in his hand blinked, blue light pulsing between his fingers.
[Unknown energy detected.]
He kept moving, eyes scanning ahead.
Then the air shifted.
A sudden force crashed into him. His body lifted, flung sideways. He twisted midair, slammed into the ground, and slid across sharp stone. His suit tore in places. Dust floated around him, caught in the low gravity.
He pushed himself up, jaw tight.
Someone stood ahead.
Hair floated around the stranger's head—blond, messy. A visor covered his eyes, silver light flickering across it. His hands stayed in his pockets. He didn't wobble. Didn't shift. Not even a twitch.
"You're in a rush," the stranger said, voice clear despite the thin air.
Ash rolled his shoulder and gripped his blade.
"So you're the obstacle i will be facing."
The man laughed and tapped his visor.
"Well yeah. Just one of them. Name's Speedy. And before you ask—yeah, that's what they call me."
Ash said nothing.
Then he saw it.
The dust around Speedy's feet floated, curling in slow spirals. It moved like it was being guided—pulled and pushed with purpose. Not drifting. Not random.
'Wind Veinflow.'
Ash shifted his stance. One step forward. Blade ready.
He moved—
His sword sliced through the space ahead—
Nothing.
A burst of air slammed into his back. Ash stumbled. He turned fast—too late.
Speedy stood a few steps away, same as before. Still relaxed. Still watching.
"That all? Thought you'd be more interesting."
Ash lowered his blade just a little. His eyes locked onto the currents. The way Speedy moved.
'Not teleportation. Not raw speed. Short, sharp bursts. Wind blasting him in tight angles.'
His grip tightened.
"You are from the Breeze family."
Speedy's smile twitched for a second.
Ash's breath stayed even, but his side throbbed. That first hit still burned.
Speedy tilted his head and grinned. The visor caught a flicker of light.
"Took you long enough to realize. Yeah, I'm from the Breeze family. One of the finest, if I do say so myself."
Ash's eyes narrowed.
The Breeze family didn't just use wind—they moved like it. They slipped past guards, bent around walls, hit from angles no one could block. Fast opponents weren't rare. But this wasn't speed. This was control.
Speedy rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.
"Now that introductions are out of the way… shall we begin?"
Before Ash could shift his stance, wind exploded behind Speedy. The blast launched him forward like a missile. Ash's gut twisted—he moved to dodge—
WHAM!
A sharp blow cracked into his ribs. The blur barely registered before pain burst through his side. His boots scraped across the ground as he stumbled, breath stuck in his chest.
"Tch." Ash gritted his teeth and spun, blade cutting through space—
Empty air.
Speedy stood behind him now.
"Come on, You really think you can hit me like that?"
Ash didn't reply. His eyes locked on the shifting dust.
'He's fast, but not impossible to beat. He's using bursts—short dashes. There's a rhythm.'
Wind shifted again.
Speedy vanished, reappeared right in front of him, arm already cocked.
THUD!
Ash twisted, but the fist still caught his ribs. The hit dug deep, pain blooming sharp. He staggered, body yelling at him to stop—but he forced his footing solid.
WHAM!
Another hit, this one across his shoulder. His body jerked, forced back a step, but he stayed standing. The sword in his hand trembled from the force, but he didn't loosen his grip.
Speedy tilted his head, disappointed.
"You're tough, I'll give you that. But tough doesn't mean much if you can't touch me."
Wind spun.
Ash caught the blur—barely. Speedy flashed to his right, sweeping low at his legs. Ash jumped back. The strike missed—but only just.
BAM!
A kick smashed into his chest.
His breath left him in a rush as his body skidded backward, boots dragging through grit and dust. His pulse thudded loud in his ears. Speedy wasn't just moving fast—he was thinking fast. Watching. Adjusting. Every blow herded Ash into worse spots, like a trap tightening with every step.
Ash breathed out.
'I had fought strong opponents before, but this is different. This isn't a battle of brute force. This is a battle of timing. I just need to know time where and when his attacks are coming from.'
Something stirred in the back of his mind. A voice—distant, cold.
"[Vein Energy: 75%]"
Ash's eyes twitched.
'What? But I wasn't using any skill.'
He hadn't noticed it. His veins had been active since before the fight even began. Back when he left Max—his body had already shifted into survival mode. His thoughts were scattered, heavy with worry. He forgot.
Storm Vein. Static Surge.
They were never deactivated.
Even now, pain dragging through his muscles, his body still moved faster than normal. His veins pulsed, feeding him strength. Not because he willed it—but because his instincts had done it for him.
Ash clenched his jaw.
'Dammit, even with my skills still active, I was still taking hits.'
Ash drew a slow breath. His hands shifted slightly on the sword's grip. His stance settled. The pain hadn't faded, but his body felt lighter now. His movements—sharper.
'Speedy is faster, but he isn't invincible. I can do this.'
Across from him, Speedy tilted his head.
"Oh? You look a little more confident all of a sudden. Did I wake you up?"
Ash said nothing. His eyes locked onto the ground, then the air, then Speedy's limbs. He waited.
Speedy clicked his tongue.
"Fine, let's see if you can keep up this time."
Wind cracked.
Speedy vanished.
Ash didn't blink. His eyes followed the shift in the air, not just the blur, but the pressure that came with it. The wind wasn't wild anymore. It followed Speedy's movement. It was part of him.
The storm roared. Dust shot up, tearing at Ash's clothes. Speedy's laugh echoed around the space, cutting through the wind.
"Come on, don't tell me that's all you've got!"
Ash didn't flinch. His chest rose and fell once. The blade in his hand stilled for half a second—then tightened. His ribs burned, the pain digging deep, but he didn't wait. If he waited, he'd lose.
Speedy vanished again.
Ash moved.
His blade slashed.
Steel met nothing—
—but then, resistance.
A hiss of cloth tearing.
Speedy reappeared mid-step, his arm pulling back fast. A red line traced down his sleeve, blood blooming against the fabric.
His smirk faltered.
Eyes dropped to the cut, then rose to meet Ash's.
"Not bad."
Ash rolled his shoulder, pain still creeping through it, but he held his ground. A hint of a grin showed.
"Not so untouchable now, huh?"
Speedy gave a short laugh. But it sounded different this time.
"Guess I'll have to stop playing around."
He raised his hand.
The ground vibrated.
Wind coiled around him, no longer loose or wild. It spiraled tight, wrapping around his arm, then spread. Currents twisted into shape, forming circles—then tore outward, snapping into rings of raw force.
The air broke.
The sound of ripping wind filled the space, sharp and high, like blades screaming. The cyclones spun faster, biting into the ground, dust lifting in waves.
Ash narrowed his eyes.
'Here it comes.'