Welcome to the Innocent World-Chapter 277: The Fight has just Begin

*BOOM!* The ground had shattered moments ago when Alaric’s fist came down, expecting to crush me. As the debris settled and the dust cleared, his red eyes widened in shock.

"Huhh!? Where did he go?" he growled, his voice low and furious, his glowing gaze darting around. He spun on his heel, scanning the crowd on the beach below, but saw nothing but their wide-eyed faces staring back, their cheers momentarily silenced by confusion.

"Up here, weirdo," my voice rang out, sharp and taunting, cutting through the night like a blade.

Every head in the crowd snapped upward, their eyes locking onto me. I hovered high in the air, my black coat billowing, my dark aura pulsing faintly, its purple accents glinting like embers. My smirk was sharp as I looked straight down at Alaric, my arms crossed casually despite the tension.

"There!" a woman in a sundress shouted, pointing at me, her voice bursting with excitement as she clutched her friend’s arm. "Zero’s up there!"

An older man, grizzled and leaning on a cane, chuckled, his voice smug. "Told you Zero’s too slick," he said, crossing his arms. "That alien’s punching air while Zero’s running the show."

Alaric’s head snapped up, his red eyes locking onto me, his scowl deepening as he clenched his fists. *I didn’t see him move past me,* he thought, his mind racing. *Was it the debris? Did I miss him?* His jaw tightened, his red aura flaring brighter, tendrils curling around him like flames.

"Well, doesn’t matter," he growled aloud, his voice low and dangerous. "I’ll shatter you properly this time." He bent his knees, his boots digging into the cracked concrete, ready to launch.

I sighed, my shoulders slumping slightly as I hovered, my dark aura curling lazily around me. "Sighh, I really need some rest," I said, exhaling loudly, my voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and taunt. "But I guess I can’t have that right now, huh?" My smirk returned, sharp and defiant, as I uncrossed my arms, my eyes never leaving his.

*THUD!* Alaric launched himself upward, his red aura trailing like a comet, his body moving at blinding speed as he charged toward me, his fist crackling with crimson energy.

But I vanished in a blur, reappearing to his side, my dark aura flaring. He pivoted mid-air, leaping toward me again, his red eyes blazing with fury. I didn’t back down, leaping toward him in return, my fist cocked back, my black aura surging.

*BOOM!* Our fists collided mid-air, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the sky, the air vibrating with raw energy.

Sparks flew where my dark aura met his red, the night sky pulsing with light and sound, the force shaking palm trees and churning the ocean below. The crowd gasped, their cheers erupting again—"Zero! Zero! Zero!"—their voices a roaring wave of support.

A woman in a sundress clutched her friend’s arm, her voice trembling with excitement. "Zero’s at it again!" she said, her eyes wide with awe. "He’s still fighting!"

Her friend, a man clutching a beer, nodded, his grin wide. "We should be happy he’s alive and kicking," he said, raising his drink. "That alien’s tough, but Zero’s tougher!"

A younger guy nearby, his phone raised to record, pumped his fist. "Come on, Zero!" he shouted, his voice thick with hope. "Show that creep who’s boss!"

*BOOM! BOOM!* Our fists collided mid-air, the shockwaves rippling through the sky, shaking palm trees and churning the ocean below.

After trading two or three blows, I ducked under Alaric’s swinging fist, my dark aura surging to my right hand, charging it with crackling black energy.

"ETHEREAL SMASHHH!" I yelled, my voice raw with power as I drove my fist into his face. The punch connected with a bone-rattling *BOOM*, the force smashing Alaric’s entire body downward, his red aura trailing like a falling comet.

*BOOM!* The impact erupted as he hit the ground, a small tornado of dust and debris swirling around us, the sheer force shaking the island.

Concrete shattered, waves crashed against the shore, and the air vibrated with the raw energy of the blow. The crowd gasped, their cheers faltering as they shielded their eyes from the flying dust, waiting with bated breath for the haze to clear.

As the debris settled, Alaric lay face-down in a fresh crater, his red aura flickering weakly, blood pooling beneath his face as he lay unconscious, his body still. The crowd held its breath, their eyes locked on the scene, anticipation hanging heavy in the air. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

I landed lightly on the ground, my black coat settling around me, my dark aura pulsing faintly.

"Sighhh, yoshhh!" I said, clapping my hands and brushing dust off my sleeves, my smirk sharp but tired. "I guess that should do more than enough of it." I stretched my arms, rolling my shoulders, the ache of the fight settling into my muscles.

"Yoooooo!" The crowd erupted in screams, their voices shattering the silence. "Zero WON!" they shouted, jumping and hugging each other, phones flashing as they recorded the victory. A man in a tank top raised his beer, his face lit with joy. "He did it! Zero took him out!"

The woman in the sundress clapped her hands, tears of relief in her eyes. "I knew he’d win!" she said, her voice trembling with excitement. "Zero never lets us down!"

An older man, grizzled and leaning on a cane, chuckled, his voice smug. "Told you all," he said, coughing proudly. "Zero’s the real deal. That alien never stood a chance."

But just as the crowd’s celebration swelled, the air vibrated again, a low hum that sent a chill through the island.

Alaric’s body twitched, his red aura flaring back to life, tendrils of crimson energy curling around him. Slowly, impossibly, he stood, shaking off the blood and dust as if the blow had been nothing. His red eyes glowed brighter, his smirk returning, colder and more menacing than before.

I stopped in my tracks, my hands frozen mid-clap, my smirk faltering as I turned to face him. "Still not done, huh?" I asked, sighing heavily, my voice tinged with exasperation as I cracked my knuckles, my dark aura pulsing stronger.