Arknights Chronicles One

TG - 15 Cage Fight

Year 1096, December 23, 20 : 07 PM
Location : Unknown Street



The screech of twisting metal and the shattering of glass echoed through the street as Hoederer slammed into the side of a car. Gritting his teeth, he pressed a hand to his throbbing head while the other gripped his sword tightly. He barely had a moment to gather himself before the sound of rapid footsteps reached his ears.

His eye widened in alarm as the stranger closed the distance in a blur, leaping into the air with a raised leg poised to strike. Hoederer sprang to his feet, diving out of the way just as the stranger's foot crashed down on the car. The impact was devastating—the vehicle crumpled under the force, its metal frame warped, and glass exploded outward.

The stranger stepped back from the wreckage, his movements slow and deliberate. His head turned, locking his glowing crimson eye on Hoederer. The Sarkaz warrior froze, his breath hitching as an icy dread gripped him, rooting him in place. His gaze flickered to the mangled car, a vivid reminder of the sheer power behind that strike.

"Such strength," Hoederer thought, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady himself.

The stranger began to stride toward Hoederer, his calm yet intimidating demeanour unwavering. However, just as he closed the distance, he abruptly stepped back, narrowly avoiding a sharp slash from Ines's sword.

"Damn it!" Ines cursed silently, her mind racing. She had launched herself at him from the side, her blade aiming straight for his chest. Yet, her strike missed its mark. Not one to hesitate, she pivoted on her heel, spinning to face him again. Her sword became a blur as she unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes.

Each swing came faster than the last, her blade cutting through the air with precision and desperation. The stranger moved like water, his movements fluid and measured as he dodged each attack, weaving around her strikes with unsettling ease.

Ines grits her teeth, her resolve hardening as she presses on. She couldn't afford to let up—not even for a moment. She knew the price of giving this man time to counter. One mistake, one pause, and it would cost not only her life but also Hoederer's.

Despite her efforts, a part of her couldn't help but notice—he wasn't fighting back. He was only evading, his crimson eye watching her every move like a predator studying its prey.

With a final, powerful swing, Ines brought her sword down on the stranger, determined to land a decisive blow. To her shock, the stranger shifted just enough to evade the strike, leaning back with almost casual precision. Before she could react, he ducked low and swept his leg out, knocking her clean off her feet.

Ines felt the air rush past her as she was launched backwards. In a blur of motion, the stranger delivered a sharp kick mid-air, sending her flying toward Hoederer. Hoederer reacted quickly, dropping his sword to the ground and catching her before she could hit it. A small grunt escaped from Ines as she looked up at Hoederer

"Thanks for the catch," Ines muttered, one hand braced on his shoulder for support as she steadied herself.

Hoederer gave a curt nod, setting her gently down before retrieving his sword. He straightened up, turning his focus back to the stranger.

The man stood still, his presence as unnerving as ever. He hadn't moved to press his advantage, nor had he uttered a word. It was as if he existed in an eerie calm, his crimson eye fixed on them like a hawk observing its prey.

Hoederer exchanged a glance with Ines, his grip on his sword tightening. None of them said anything as the only thing that could be heard was the fire around them.

"What do you think?" Hoederer asked, his eye locked on the stranger's unsettlingly calm posture. He received no immediate response; Ines was lost in thought, her mind racing to make sense of what they were dealing with.

"I have no idea," she said finally, her tone measured but uncertain. "He's not wearing anything that ties him to Rhodes Island. And that Reunion mask? I doubt he's one of them. If he were, there's no way he would've helped that Sankta operator and Scout escape."

Her sharp eyes scanned the figure again, taking in every detail she could. "But his speed... it's beyond anything I've seen. And that kick—" Her gaze shifted to the crumpled remains of the car. "If he can do that, we do not want to take a direct hit from him. It'd be over in an instant."

Hoederer nodded, adjusting his grip on his sword. Ines's assessment had put him further on edge, but it wasn't anything he hadn't already sensed.

"Agreed," he muttered, his voice low and steady. "We'll have to approach this carefully. He's not someone we can afford to underestimate."

As Hoederer spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the stranger, unease growing with every passing second. The stranger's crimson gaze bore into him, making it impossible to shake the feeling that he was being judged, his every move and intention weighed by an unseen force.

A gentle breeze swept through the street, stirred by the looming catastrophe in the distance. The wind tugged at the stranger's cloak, lifting his empty right sleeve slightly. Hoederer's eye narrowed as confusion crossed his face. Something clicked in his mind.

"Say, Ines," he murmured, his tone cautious yet curious. "During the entire fight... did you notice him using his right arm at all?"

Ines glanced at him, puzzled by the sudden question, before turning her attention back to the stranger. "I didn't pay much attention to that," she admitted. "Why? What are you thinking?"

Hoederer's gaze didn't waver. "That sleeve... it's empty. Either his arm is tucked away, or..." He paused, letting the thought hang heavy in the air. "It's not there at all."

Ines followed his line of sight, her eyes narrowing as she studied the way the stranger's right sleeve moved, fluttering weightlessly in the breeze. The realization unsettled her, raising even more questions about the enigmatic figure standing before them.

"If it's true, we can use that to our advantage," Ines said, Hoederer nodding with a determined hum.

"Ready when you are."

At Hoederer's signal, Ines launched herself toward the stranger with precision and speed. Her sword swung in a wide horizontal arc, unleashing a crimson slash aimed directly at him. The stranger reacted swiftly, leaping into the air to evade the attack.

Seizing the opportunity, Ines hurled a dagger at him with deadly accuracy. The stranger spotted it midair and effortlessly caught it before it could pierce his shoulder. However, the dagger began to glow ominously with a red hue. Recognizing the danger, the stranger immediately threw it away, the glowing blade spiralling harmlessly into the distance.

As the stranger landed back on the ground, his sharp gaze followed the trajectory of the dagger. His eye widened slightly as he spotted Ines appearing midair at the dagger's location, her sword already poised to attack. With a graceful descent, she unleashed two glowing slash projectiles toward him.

The stranger nimbly retreated, executing two quick backward jumps to avoid the incoming slashes. The projectiles exploded on impact, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

Hidden within the haze, Hoederer emerged without warning, his massive sword raised high and poised to cleave the stranger in half. The element of surprise was on his side as he lunged through the smoke, aiming for the decisive blow.

The stranger's hand erupted in flames as he caught Hoederer's blade mere inches from his side. Despite his fiery grip, the sheer force behind Hoederer's strike sent the stranger flying backwards. He crashed into the side of a parked car, the impact bending the door inward with a metallic groan.

As the dust settled, the stranger rose to his feet, gripping the car door where the window used to be. His fiery gaze locked onto Hoederer, and with a single, swift motion, he ripped the door from its hinges and hurled it toward him like a missile.

Hoederer reacted instantly, raising his massive sword and bringing it down with a powerful slash. The car door split cleanly in two, the halves clattering to the ground on either side of him.

Unfazed, the stranger once again ignited his hand in flames. Without hesitation, he charged toward Hoederer in a blazing dash, his movements precise and unrelenting, the intensity of his fiery aura growing with every step.

The stranger leapt high into the air, descending toward Hoederer like a blazing comet. Hoederer tightened his grip on his sword, steadying himself to block the impending strike. His focus was sharp, his body ready—but as he stared at the figure hurtling toward him, an inexplicable sensation began to stir deep within.

It wasn't fear, nor was it concern for his safety. No, this feeling was different—an uneasy familiarity that gnawed at the edges of his mind.

"Why does this feel so... familiar?" the thought whispered through Hoederer's mind as he held his ground. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The roaring flames that trailed the stranger dimmed, and for a fleeting moment, his image wavered like a mirage.

In that single instant, Hoederer's eye widened in disbelief as the stranger's form shifted. It was no longer the hooded figure descending upon him—it was someone else entirely. A face from his past, a memory he had buried deep, now resurfacing like a ghost.

"What?!" Hoederer's voice trembled in his thoughts, his composure shaken as the figure closed in, leaving no time for questions or certainty.

As the stranger descended rapidly, Hoederer instinctively retreated, stepping back just in time to evade the devastating blow. The moment the stranger's fiery fist connected with the ground, the earth beneath him cracked violently, sending fissures racing outward. Flames burst forth in a searing eruption, engulfing the area in a blazing radius and leaving the ground scorched and shattered.

The debris clouded the battlefield, blinding the two Sarkaz mercenaries. Hoederer squinted, one eye closed as he coughed through the suffocating smoke lingering in the air.

"I don't understand... why did my mind make me remember him just n—" His thoughts were abruptly cut short, his eye widening in alarm.

Through the haze, the stranger emerged with blistering speed, a streak of flame trailing his fiery fist. The attack was aimed directly at Hoederer's stomach, giving him barely a moment to react.

"Damn it!" Hoederer cursed, realizing he couldn't deflect or block the attack in time. Gritting his teeth, he braced himself for the impact.

The fiery punch connected with his stomach, detonating in a thunderous eruption. The sheer force sent Hoederer hurtling backwards, his body smashing through the window of a nearby storefront. Glass shattered in every direction as he crashed into the store, tumbling over debris and furniture before coming to a stop.