The pain from Zephyr's electric strike still lingered, but in Rune's crimson eyes, there was no fear, only a brutal fire burning more fiercely than ever. He had sensed the essence of his foe's Electromagnetic Manipulation – speed, destructive energy, and deadly agility. Rune wouldn't back down; he would crush everything in his path.
"You want to see if I can assimilate lightning?" Rune growled, his voice distorted, deep as thunder rumbling from the depths of hell. "Then watch this!"
Instead of defending, Rune lunged forward with terrifying speed, his body instantly transforming. The dark, obsidian-like crystal armor on him exploded, not shattering, but extending, forming sharp crystal spikes that glowed faintly with an ominous energy. His bone-and-flesh tentacles lashed down onto the floor, propelling him forward like a bullet. Simultaneously, from Rune's fist, an invisible kinetic shockwave erupted, pushing the air towards Zephyr.
Zephyr sneered, his deep blue eyes flashing with disdain. "Fool! Your speed isn't enough!" He transformed into a blue lightning bolt, dodging the shockwave and circling Rune with incredible velocity. He raised both hands, and dozens of dazzling lightning javelins launched towards Rune, each carrying enough power to pierce steel.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The lightning javelins slammed into Rune, creating a series of small electromagnetic explosions, causing his body to convulse continuously, smoke billowing from his crystal armor. Rune roared in pain, but he didn't stop. He was learning. He sensed the current, the pressure, and the frequency of the electromagnetic energy. The chaotic fever surged again, urging him to assimilate.
As Zephyr continued his barrage, Rune, whose speed was already enhanced by his kinetic abilities, suddenly became even faster. He didn't fully dodge, but instead altered his armor. The dark crystal plates on his body vibrated, not absorbing, but redirecting the electromagnetic energy. Lightning bolts struck him and were deflected, blasting the surrounding experimental tanks, causing loud explosions and sending grotesque liquids splattering.
"What?!" Zephyr roared, his smugness replaced by fury. He had never seen anyone capable of such a feat.
Rune didn't reply. He unleashed a combined counterattack. He stomped his foot, generating a powerful ground-shaking tremor from his kinetic ability, rocking the entire laboratory. Simultaneously, his bone-and-flesh tentacles whipped out, not just as physical lashes but enveloped in a sharp crystal aura, slicing through the air.
Zephyr lost his balance from the tremor. He tried to teleport, but Rune had anticipated it. With a brutal thought, Rune pushed out energy, creating a localized electromagnetic field around Zephyr's area, disrupting his teleportation ability. Zephyr couldn't fully transform into a lightning bolt, stalling for a split second.
That was all Rune needed. A bone-and-flesh tentacle, covered in obsidian-like crystals, swung out, slamming directly into Zephyr's chest.
BOOM!
Zephyr's uniform armor cracked open, and he was flung violently into a wall, creating a deep indentation. Black blood spilled from his mouth, and he collapsed, his body twitching faintly from lingering electric currents.
Rune slowly advanced, his eyes blazing. He was about to finish Zephyr and absorb his electromagnetic abilities.
But just then, something unexpected happened. A blaring red alarm shrieked throughout the Dark Spire. It wasn't a normal alarm; this was an urgent distress call, a full-blown chaotic outbreak.
And then, from the shattered glass cages, broken by the deflected lightning bolts, the mutated "experiments" inside escaped.
Pulpy monsters with jagged bones, grotesque figures with deformed limbs, and beings mutated beyond human recognition, snarled as they burst from their enclosures. They had no reason, only primal instinct. They didn't attack Rune or Zephyr; they attacked everything in sight, including the experimental equipment and the surrounding corpses.
A colossal four-legged creature, its flesh gelatinous but with sharp jaws, lunged directly at Rune. It wasn't a threat, but it was a distraction.
Zephyr, despite his severe injuries, managed to lift his head, looking at the chaotic scene. A cruel and insane smile spread across his face. "Vorn... he won't spare you, monster! You've shattered... his vessel!"
Amidst the roars of the mutated creatures, the explosions from destroyed experimental equipment, and the blaring alarm, Rune realized he had unleashed a storm far greater than anticipated. His rage now had a new target: Vorn.
Rune would not let these experiments get in his way. He would crush them, and then, he would find Vorn.