The Fallen War

Episode 17: Josh vs. Maiku - The Rematch

The battlefield had grown still, the air thick with anticipation. Josh and Maiku stood as the last two combatants, their eyes locked in a silent acknowledgment. The ruins of the island test were their stage, the once-lively forest and structures reduced to crumbling wreckage and scattered debris. Smoke curled from distant fires, and the wind whistled through the broken windows of abandoned buildings. Everyone else had been eliminated, including Faye. Maiku had struck the moment Faye let her guard down after defeating Seya. Now, it was just Josh and Maiku.

The tension between them was palpable, their shared history and countless battles leading to this very moment. Maiku stood with her AMW sniper rifle poised, her breath steady, while Josh gripped his FN SCAR, eyes calm and focused. But something about Josh was different this time—there was an intensity in his stance, a raw energy radiating from him.

Josh had never used his magic during a fight like this. Not fully. But now, with only Maiku standing between him and victory, he was ready to unleash it.

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**The Activation of Josh’s Magic**

Maiku narrowed her eyes as she noticed the shift in Josh’s demeanor. She could feel it—a subtle crackle of power in the air around him. “So, you’re finally going to take this seriously?” she called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm, though her heart pounded with anticipation. This wasn’t like their previous fight; something had changed.

Josh didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing inward. A soft, almost imperceptible hum filled the air around him, and then—like a switch flipping—his body surged with power. His muscles tightened, his reflexes sharpened, and his speed increased exponentially.

Maiku barely had time to react before Josh vanished from his spot, a blur of motion racing across the battlefield.

“Damn it!” Maiku cursed under her breath, immediately activating her Wallhack. Her sniper rifle glowed faintly as her wind magic coursed through it, increasing the velocity of her bullets. She aimed at Josh, her enhanced vision allowing her to see through walls and obstacles. But even with her heightened senses, it was nearly impossible to track him.

Josh was moving faster than ever before—faster than Maiku had expected. His body was a blur, darting between cover, never staying in one place for more than a split second. Every time Maiku aimed, he was already gone.

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**The Battle Unfolds**

Maiku took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Alright, Josh. You want to play this game? Fine.”

She fired a shot, the bullet tearing through three walls in quick succession, aimed perfectly at where Josh had been just a fraction of a second earlier. But by the time the bullet passed through the final wall, Josh had already moved. The shot hit nothing but air.

Josh wasn’t just moving fast—he was predicting her shots, reading the trajectory of her bullets even before they were fired. His superhuman hearing picked up the faint click of her rifle’s trigger, the hum of her magic amplifying the bullet’s speed. He knew exactly when and where to move, avoiding each shot with surgical precision.

But Maiku wasn’t about to give up. She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing as she adjusted her strategy. If she couldn’t out-speed him, she would have to force him into a position where speed wouldn’t matter.

She aimed for the ground, firing a series of shots that ricocheted off the rubble, creating a deadly web of trajectories that crisscrossed the battlefield. Bullets whizzed in every direction, forcing Josh to alter his movement patterns. For a split second, Josh hesitated, narrowly dodging one of the ricocheting bullets.