Welcome to the Innocent World-Chapter 274: The Battle Continues

The night sky sprawled vast above the island, a glittering expanse of stars shimmering under the moon's pale glow, casting a silver sheen across the restless ocean below. The air vibrated with raw energy, the ground trembling faintly as Alaric lay in the small crater I'd smashed him into, his red eyes glowing like twin embers in the settling dust.

Alaric's red aura flared brighter, tendrils curling around his prone form—etched with a cold, defiant smirk.

I tilted my head, my smirk faltering slightly as I peered into the crater.

"Hmm!?" I said, my voice tinged with confusion. I'd expected Alaric to leap up and counterattack, but instead, he stayed down, his red aura surging stronger, charging like a gathering storm. The air grew heavier, the pressure building as his energy pulsed outward, making the ground tremble.

The crowd on the beach below, their cheers "Zero! Zero! Zero!" faltering, fell silent, their faces tense as they felt the shift in the air. A woman in a sundress clutched her friend's arm, her voice low. "What's happening?" she whispered, her eyes wide. "That alien's doing something weird."

Her friend, a guy with a beer, nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, it's like the air's getting thick," he said, squinting at the glowing red eyes in the crater. "Zero better watch out."

Before I could respond, Alaric's smirk widened, and he moved in a *dash* of blinding speed.

*THUD!* His fist slammed into my stomach, the impact like a sledgehammer, forcing a choked "Phwaa!" from my lips as spit flew from my mouth.

The force sent me hurtling backward, his fist still pressed against my stomach. *THUD* *THUD!* My back crashed through the walls of a nearby building, concrete shattering, debris exploding outward as we tore through the structure. The island trembled, palm trees swaying, waves churning against the shore.

Pain radiated through my core, but I gritted my teeth, my mind racing.

He's not stopping, I realized, my back smashing through another wall. I have to stop him.

"Haaaa!" I yelled, my lungs burning as I raised my right fist, my black aura surging around it like a dark flame.

I swung hard at his face, but Alaric ducked, his red eyes glinting as he drove another punch into my stomach, sending us veering in a new direction, crashing through the night.

"Fuck you!" I roared, my voice raw with defiance as we hurtled through the air. "You're the first enemy who's actually using his brain in a fight," I said, my smirk returning despite the pain. "The rest were just overconfident idiots." My hands shot out, grabbing his fist still pressed against my stomach, my fingers locking tight around his wrist.

"Hmm?" Alaric's eyes widened, confusion flickering across his face as he felt my grip tighten.

"Lock!" I shouted, my black aura surging to my feet, anchoring me to the ground with a screech of concrete. My boots dug in, stopping our momentum cold.

"Arghhhhh!" I yelled, my muscles straining as I yanked his arm, spinning my body and hurling him upward by his wrist with all my strength. He shot into the sky like a rocket, his red aura trailing behind him, a crimson streak against the stars.

I stood firm on the ground, my black aura pulsing around me, my chest heaving as I watched Alaric's form hurtling up in the sky.

I planted my boots firmly, my chest heaving from our last exchange. Alaric hovered above, his body still reeling from my throw, his red eyes glinting with fury.

I grinned, my dark aura surging as I bent my knees, muscles tensing. "Now my turn, fucker!" I shouted, my voice raw with defiance as I launched myself into the air, my fist aimed straight for his stomach.

*THUD!* My punch connected with a bone-rattling impact, forcing a choked spit from Alaric's mouth as his body doubled over. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The force sent us rocketing upward like a launched missile, the air hissing around us, my black aura trailing like a dark comet. The crowd below gasped, their cheers swelling as they watched us streak across the sky.

"Not done yet!" I roared, twisting my body mid-air, my black boot swinging in a perfect arc toward his face. The kick landed like a hammer, sending Alaric's body spinning through the air like a football, tumbling wildly against the starry backdrop.

I didn't let up, bending my knees again and launching myself toward him, my fist driving downward with a *THUD* that sent him plummeting toward the ground.

I chased him down, my aura surging, and delivered a 45-degree kick that connected with another *THUD*, sending him spiraling. Three more punches and kicks followed in a relentless flurry, each one punctuated by a *BOOM* that shook the island, debris flying as we crashed through the air.

But as I launched another kick, Alaric's hand shot out, catching my boot with a grip like iron.

"What the—" I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. After all those punches and kicks, he shouldn't have reacted so fast. His red eyes glinted with a cold, calculating fury, his aura flaring brighter.

Before I could pull back, *THUD!* His fist slammed into my face, the impact like a thunderclap. *BOOM!* The force sent me crashing downward, my body smashing into the ground with a deafening *THUD*.

A crater formed around me, concrete splintering, dust exploding into the air as I lay there, pain radiating through my skull. That was too fast, I thought, my vision swimming. I didn't even see it coming.

The crowd gasped, their cheers cutting off into a tense silence, murmurs of worry rippling through them. A woman in a sundress clutched her friend's arm, her voice shaky. "Oh no, Zero's down!" she said, her eyes wide with fear.

Her friend, the guy with the beer, frowned, his brow furrowed. "That alien's stronger than he looks," he said, his voice low. "Come on, Zero, get up!"

An older man, grizzled and leaning on a cane, shook his head, his voice calm but firm. "He's not done," he said, crossing his arms. "Zero's taken worse hits. He'll come back swinging."

Alaric landed softly on the ground a few feet away, his red aura flaring as he stood straight, his red eyes glinting with cold triumph. Dust settled around him, his boots crunching lightly on the broken concrete as he cracked his knuckles, his smirk sharp and menacing.