Sequel of Enhanced (An Avenger's FanFiction).
After her supposed "death", Andromeda Johnson awakens to a new world not far from the one she was used to. She is in a whole new, dangerous world. A world on the brink of collapse. An enemy endangers thi...
In the Alpha-9 training grounds, Meda finishes an intense battle against the Samsara unit, displaying overwhelming strength and tactical mastery. As the dust settles, the team's attention shifts—not to her, but to Ji-Hu Chae and Hoya Chae, standing across from each other, ready to fight. Clementine, caught between them, pleads for them to stop, but her words fall on deaf ears. Ji-Hu, desperate for redemption, remains composed, while Hoya seethes with barely restrained fury. Meda reassures Clementine that sometimes, conflict is necessary for resolution, even among family. Claire, equally conflicted, echoes this sentiment, recognizing that some battles can't be avoided. Clementine, though reluctant, remains to witness the inevitable confrontation, hoping her family won't destroy itself. And then—Ji-Hu and Hoya move, their long-awaited clash finally beginning.
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I had expected rage.
I had expected the instant, brutal way Hoya closed the distance, her claws lashing out with a speed that spoke of centuries of pent-up fury. But knowing didn't mean I could avoid it—not entirely. Her first strike burned, foxfire tracing along my ribs as I twisted just in time to avoid her claws ripping through my side. Another step, a sharp pivot—I barely dodged the second, but the third scraped across my shoulder, leaving a deep, sizzling cut. I didn't cry out. Pain was nothing new. Instead, I breathed, steady and controlled, already shaping an illusion. The scent of burning fur, the distortion of heat, the flicker of movement—I layered them into her senses. Confuse her. Misdirect her. Give myself an opening.
But Hoya was fast. Too fast. She didn't hesitate. She cut through the illusion the way one would swipe away a cobweb, her golden eyes gleaming with disgust and raw intent. "You think that'll work on me?" she spat, stepping forward with a brutal knee aimed for my ribs. I twisted, blocking with my forearm, but the force sent me sliding back across the training bay's floor. Damn. Hoya's raw strength and ferocity outmatched me in close combat. But power without discipline meant openings—and I knew how to use them.
She lunged again, claws gleaming with foxfire. This time, I let her think she had me, stepping into her range at the last second. At the very moment she committed to her attack, I shifted my weight and sidestepped, letting her own force carry her forward. My hand snapped out—fingers brushing against her shoulder—before I vanished. Not literally. But to Hoya? I had disappeared. I heard the sharp growl of frustration as she spun, her claws slashing through empty space. "Enough with your tricks!" she roared, tails lashing as her foxfire exploded outward in an arc of golden flames. The heat licked at my skin, forcing me to pull back, but I had already moved. Already planted the next illusion.
She thought I was behind her. She swung her claws toward nothing—and I struck from her blind spot, my palm slamming into the base of her ribs, sending her staggering forward. Hoya coughed, but caught herself, spinning around with a furious snarl. "Coward." I exhaled. "Strategist." Her eyes burned. "That's what you call it?" Her voice was a snarl, but there was something deeper in it. "You've always run, haven't you? Always hiding behind pretty words, illusions, manipulations. Even now, you won't face me head-on."
