Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 20: Rex vs Ralph

Ralph revealed himself once more, staring at Rex with calculating eyes. He had been ordered by the higher-ups to dispose of a young boy without any abilities. He had carried out several missions similar to this and he always did it without the target even knowing how they died, hence his name "Silent Killer"

But this time, he had encountered something he hadn't expected. The boy he was sent to kill had turned out to have an ability. The only thing was that he didn't know what ability the boy had. He had seen him wrap his hands with a blue type of energy and the next thing, "This boy was telling him things only he would know.

"Should I just go back?" Ralph thought.

He was sent to eliminate the boy who was thought to be a defect but now he had turned out to be someone with an ability so that meant his presence here wasn't needed anymore.

"Don't take your eyes off me!" Rex screamed out as he dashed forward, his movements a blur. He thrust a punch forward, his fist connecting with Ralph's face, sending the latter sprawling backward.

boom!

"Silent killer my ass!" Rex cursed, a wide grin etching on his face.

Arkk!!!

Ralph wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowing as he studied Rex with renewed focus. The boy had power, unpredictable and wild, but power nonetheless. Rex's Aether-infused punches had thrown him off, but Ralph's mind quickly recalibrated, calculating his next move.

"You're fast, I'll give you that," Rex taunted, rolling his shoulders and preparing for another round. "But you're looking pretty beat up there, Ralphie. What happened to that cool assassin composure, huh?"

Ralph didn't respond. Instead, his eyes darted around, scanning the area and quickly analyzing his options. Rex was fast, sure, but Ralph had always relied on more than just raw power. He had intelligence—and agility that he had yet to fully unleash.

Rex charged again, throwing another powerful punch toward Ralph's chest. But this time, Ralph anticipated the move. He sidestepped just in time, avoiding the hit entirely and countered with a lightning-quick jab to Rex's ribs. The strike caught Rex off guard, sending a jolt of pain through his side.

"Oof, okay, nice hit," Rex winced but quickly shook it off. He swung his arm toward Ralph again, but Ralph ducked under the blow with ease, his movements suddenly more fluid, more precise.

Ralph smirked now, his confidence returning. "You've been talking a lot for someone who doesn't know how to control his power properly."

Before Rex could retort, Ralph vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing behind Rex and landing a solid kick to his back. Rex stumbled forward, grimacing in pain.

"Ah, crap!" Rex muttered, spinning around to face Ralph, but Ralph was already gone again. Another hit landed, this time to Rex's leg, causing him to stumble.

Rex growled in frustration, realizing that Ralph was no longer fighting him head-on. He was darting in and out, landing hits from unpredictable angles. Rex's enhanced agility allowed him to keep up for a while, but Ralph's superior intelligence was giving him the edge.

"You're not winning, boy," Ralph sneered, appearing just out of Rex's reach. "You might be fast, but you don't know how to use it strategically."

"Don't feel good," Rex muttered, activating one of his most powerful abilities: Time Rewind.

Everything around him slowed to a halt. The debris in the air froze mid-fall, Ralph's movement became sluggish, and the sounds of the world dimmed into silence. Rex focused, feeling the flow of time bend to his will, reversing back a few seconds. Ralph's smirk, his quick footwork—it all started to rewind, the battle playing in reverse like a reel of film being rewound.

In the blink of an eye, Rex was back to the moment just before Ralph had landed his kick on him. But this time, Rex was ready.

With pinpoint precision, Rex anticipated Ralph's next move, vanishing from his position right before Ralph struck and reappearing behind him, fist charged with Aether. Ralph had no time to react. Rex's punch connected squarely with Ralph's spine, sending a jolt of destructive energy through his body.

"Gah!" Ralph let out a strangled cry, collapsing to his knees. His entire body shook as he gasped for air, the pain too much to bear. His low endurance had finally caught up with him, and Rex's powerful blow had pushed him beyond his limits.

{warning: 8 Aether left}

Suddenly, Ralph's form shimmered. His once solid figure flickered, and Rex's eyes widened in surprise as the assassin's body split into multiple identical versions of himself, all surrounding Rex in a circle. There were six—no, eight—Ralphs now, each one staring at Rex with that same cold, calculating gaze.

Rex took a step back, scanning the illusionary copies. "Oh, great. Clones. Of course."

The Ralphs all moved in unison, their feet shuffling as they circled Rex, each one poised to strike. Rex clenched his fists, feeling the Aether pulse within his veins. He couldn't use Time Rewind again as it cost much Aether.

One of the Ralphs darted forward, throwing a punch aimed straight at Rex's head. Rex blocked it with his forearm, but as soon as he deflected the hit, another Ralph attacked from behind, landing a kick to his shoulder. The hit staggered Rex, but he quickly spun around, delivering a backhand punch to the Ralph behind him, only to feel his fist pass through the clone like air.

"Illusions," Rex muttered through gritted teeth. "Which one of you is real?"

The Ralphs cackled in unison, their voices blending together. "You'll never know, boy. By the time you figure it out, it'll be too late."

Rex ignored the taunt, focusing his mind. He could feel it—the subtle differences between the illusions. Ralph may have been clever, but Rex had God's Eyes. The clones weren't perfect. Small fluctuations in the energy surrounding them gave them away.

One of the Ralphs lunged at him again, but this time Rex was ready. He sidestepped the attack and swung a fist directly into the clone's midsection. The impact caused the illusion to disperse into a puff of shimmering light.

"That's one down," Rex muttered.

The remaining clones all attacked at once, rushing in from different angles. Rex dodged, weaved, and countered, each of his blows connecting with another fake Ralph, dispersing them one by one. His fists moved with precision, his body reacting instinctively as he dismantled the illusions.

With every strike, another clone disappeared, until only one remained.

Rex stood face-to-face with the last Ralph, his breath heavy but controlled. "Looks like you're the last one."

But Ralph only smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Maybe... or maybe not."

Before Rex could react, Ralph's body flickered once again, and the illusion shattered into glowing fragments that dissolved into the air. The real Ralph was gone, his voice echoing in the space left behind.

"My job here isn't needed anymore. We may meet again, boy."

The scattered light faded into the night, leaving Rex alone in the aftermath of the battle. He stood still, fists still clenched, breathing hard as he scanned the area, but Ralph was truly gone. The void was quickly replaced by the beautiful city roads.

Rex finally exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "What a coward," he muttered

{system notification: + 400XP} {+10 xp to Time rewind}

"At least the fight was worth it" Rex muttered softly.

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