The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

The Unyielding Force

Without hesitation, Xavier raised Excalibur and unleashed a vicious slash that tore through the very air.

Vector Nova.

The air split open, a crackling void of energy trailing behind the blade's arc. The attack was fast, clean, and ruthless.

But Haruki didn't even flinch.

With a lazy motion, he lifted his left hand—and the energy vanished on contact.

The man's face was unmoved, staring at Xavier with a look of pure contempt. "That all you've got?"

Xavier's eyes widened, but deep down, he wasn't entirely shocked. He had expected something like this. Haruki was far stronger—on a whole other level. But that didn't mean he was invincible.

No point tiptoeing now, Xavier thought. I'm going all out.

With a grunt, he lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of ethereal slashes. Blue energy waves shot from Excalibur in sweeping arcs, tearing through trees and earth alike.

Haruki weaved through them with inhuman grace, dancing just out of reach.

But then—

A small, condensed sphere of pressurized air zipped past Haruki's face. He barely caught it in his peripheral vision before it detonated against a tree behind him, vaporizing half its trunk and sending splinters flying.

His eyes narrowed.

"Vortex Sphere," Xavier muttered.

Now two orbs—then four—then six.

They launched from Xavier's outstretched palms, moving like bullets. The spheres were not just air—they were microscale vortex singularities, condensed by vector manipulation. Each orb twisted the air molecules inward with overwhelming pressure, creating miniature shock implosions upon contact.

A fusion of two of Xavier's past attacks: the gravitational pull of his Quantum Blackhole and the slicing force of Vector Nova.

Haruki dodged again, the attacks slamming into the environment and carving gouges in the earth. Each blast created small craters and split stone.

But Haruki didn't run.

He struck forward.

In a blink, he was in front of Xavier, blade raised.

Xavier barely had time to raise Excalibur. The two blades collided—steel meeting steel with explosive force. Xavier gritted his teeth, struggling to hold against the crushing weight behind Haruki's strike.

Then—he released Excalibur.

His body blurred. Vector Acceleration.

He reappeared at Haruki's flank, crouched low.

A punch aimed upward.

Haruki didn't move. He smirked, clearly unimpressed.

But the punch never landed.

Instead, Xavier flicked his wrist.

Two fingers pointed upward. A whisper of air condensed on his fingertips—

Vector Bullet.

A hyper-compressed spike of kinetic energy launched like a railgun. Haruki's eyes widened and he twisted just in time, the blast grazing past his side.

"Tch."

In retaliation, Haruki spun midair and kicked Xavier square in the chest, sending him—and Excalibur—flying. Dirt and rock exploded on impact.