"Where did Zeus go?" Marwan thought as he looked around.
(The old man, head of the Village of Nebula): Everyone is here.
The old man directed his words at Marwan, and Marwan understood that the meeting should begin now that all six village leaders were present.
(Marwan): May I have your attention, please.
The side conversations ceased, and everyone silently observed Marwan.
(Marwan): You all know that our gathering here is not only to celebrate victory. In my village, we have agreed to work together to elevate it to a new level. I am talking about economic and military development, and I want to propose the same to you. I want to establish a solid alliance between the villages, to become as one. Only this way can we protect ourselves from outside gangs, even if they are as powerful as the previous one.
(Head of the Village of Nebula): A wise decision.
(Head of the Village of Sahba): I support you too, but I have certain reservations. I will not accept you as the leader of the alliance until you prove your worth and your ability to handle the responsibilities that come with the position.
(Marwan): I'm ready. How do you want to go about it? If you want proof through strength, I'm more than capable. But I don't want you to accept me just because I have some strength. I want you to trust that I have the mind and the qualifications to lead our tribes and villages forward together.
(Head of the Yellow Stone Village): We can give you some time. If within two months you show signs of success or achieve progress, then we will continue down this path with you. Those who agree, raise your hand.
Among the six leaders, four agreed, one refused, and the last — the Head of the Sahba Village — remained silent.
(Head of the Village of Sahba): I still want to fight you. I want to see your ability to protect yourself, at least.
Marwan stood and nodded in agreement.
(Marwan): Let's do it outside now. Let's finish this directly.
The Head of Sahba Village was a man over two meters tall with massive, bulging muscles. His weapon: a giant sword.
As for Marwan, he was a level-three gene fighter. He had no specific weapon — he fought with his fists and basic martial arts. His combat suit granted momentary accelerations for punches and strikes and had other abilities.
Marwan activated his suit, and the opposing man did the same.
Marwan observed the suit's analysis and realized his opponent had energy corresponding to a level-two gene fighter.
Still, Marwan didn't dare to underestimate him — his opponent was much older, and thus more experienced in combat. Despite the lower energy level, the man's physical strength was a notable advantage that could allow him to rival level-three gene fighters.
(Marwan): Let's begin.
Guards, soldiers, some villagers, and especially children gathered to watch this sudden duel.
This was a battle between village leaders — not some random fight.
More and more people gathered, but Marwan and his opponent paid them no mind — both were focused on the confrontation.
Marwan launched a preemptive attack and threw a punch toward his opponent's chest...
(Head of Sahba Village): Is that all you've got?
The two faced each other directly. Marwan spoke, his gaze now sharper and colder.
– It seems I shouldn't hold back with you.
– Please don't, or the fight will be boring.
In a sudden, brief moment, Marwan launched a spinning kick toward his opponent's neck, which the other barely managed to block in time.
"His speed has reached a new level," the giant thought.
He threw a punch, but Marwan dodged it in an instant. His speed seemed to spike dramatically, bending backward in a blur.
Marwan's eyes gleamed. He quickly adjusted his stance and unleashed a barrage of rapid strikes, pushing the Sahba leader into full defense mode, receiving attacks from every direction.
Despite the number and speed of the strikes, the massive man's stability and defense were top-notch.
His armor broke. At that moment, Marwan's attacks weakened slightly. The giant swung his enormous sword in a wide arc around him.
Marwan leaped back in shock when he didn't see his opponent in front of him upon landing. In that split-second, he realized — too late — the attack was coming from above.
"When?!" Marwan was stunned and couldn't even think before throwing himself sideways. When he regained vision, the dust cloud obscured his opponent. He looked up, then left...
When he looked left, the man was to his right. When he looked right, he was behind him, launching a forward stab with the massive sword — yet it moved as lightly as air.
Marwan reacted late again, feeling the blow hit from behind. He activated his suit's accelerators to launch himself forward, reducing the damage.
But perhaps the damage reduction wasn't enough — his energy dropped to 30%, and his suit automatically deactivated the energy shield to preserve what remained for using acceleration abilities.
This was a pre-programmed system by Marwan.
The suit's metal was slightly pierced, and Marwan knew he couldn't take his eyes off his opponent again.
The man wasn't a ghost or faster than him, but on the battlefield, Marwan was like an open book to his opponent — every move read and predicted. Marwan feared defeat, even though, in theory, he was stronger.
(Head of Sahba Village): So far, you've proven you're not experienced enough. Your strength is fine, but it's not enough. You need to show me you can adapt at least. How about one final challenge?
(Marwan): What are you thinking?
– It's simple. You'll close your eyes for one second. I won't attack for two seconds after that. If you get hit, you lose. If you land a hit on me, you win.
Marwan's breath was fast and shaky. He replied calmly:
– I accept.
(Head of Sahba Village): You may begin anytime.
Marwan closed his eyes. When he opened them, he immediately executed a fast spin using his suit's acceleration. He caught sight of his opponent behind him, preparing to leap for an overhead attack.
When the man realized Marwan saw him, he stopped his jump, standing frozen and focused.
He placed his sword to the side and crouched, placing his left hand on the ground, fully poised to launch at Marwan.
Marwan understood the challenge, and both lunged at the same time.
The massive man didn't run — instead, he spun his body in a partially dancing motion, ending with a powerful heel strike to the ground just before Marwan.
Marwan jumped, and the giant's strike shattered the ground, sending rocks and dust flying as if a 200 kg object had fallen from the thirtieth floor.
When Marwan landed behind him, he used the last of his energy, reaching a speed he hadn't achieved until that very moment.
He aimed a kick at the giant's face, who hadn't stood fully yet, and barely managed to block with his arms.
This time, the giant slid back three meters, though largely unharmed.
Marwan was panting hard. His energy and stamina were completely drained.
The massive man, however, still looked fresh, though his suit's energy had been depleted for some time.
(Head of Sahba Village): Looks like you've won.
(Marwan, gloomily): I don't feel like a winner. If we continued now, I'd definitely lose.
(Head of Sahba Village): No, you've still won. The goal isn't who beats whom. The idea is whether you're better than me — better than us — to lead us into the future. And you've proven that, by showing you can adapt under combat pressure and that you have the talent. All at your young age… I agree to the two-month condition. I hope you don't disappoint me.
Marwan bowed respectfully to the man in front of him. The latter accepted the polite gesture with a warm smile and a return bow.
Elsewhere among the crowd, Zeus watched the duo with a wicked, crazed smile.
"Thank you both… finally, I know how to drain the blood of these people," Zeus thought, while Khaled watched him from afar with annoyance at his greedy expression.
…
(Khaled): I don't like that guy. He seems like just another sleazy gang member — money-hungry and woman-chasing.
(Zahra, Khaled's sister): He does seem that way to some extent. You can't really feel at ease looking at him. But we can't forget what he did for the Village of Eternity and the captives — from our village and others… Maybe we shouldn't judge him too early. Let's give him a chance.