Sahaad’s rifle discharged in an instant, the gravity bullet speeding toward the Praetorian’s chest with lethal precision. But in the blink of an eye, Valen’s hand shot out, smacking the bullet away as if it were a mere inconvenience. A flash of energy surged through the Praetorian’s armor, his eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating focus.

  Without a word, Valen unsheathed his phase-sword, the blade shimmering with deadly intent. He charged at Sahaad, the air crackling with energy as he moved at an incredible speed. Sahaad barely had time to react, but his instincts kicked in, and with a swift motion, he unsheathed his own phase-sword, meeting Valen’s strike head-on.

  The blades collided with a sharp, electrifying sound, and the force of the impact reverberated through the ground beneath them. Valen’s strikes were rapid and precise, each one aimed at vital points in Sahaad’s defense. But Sahaad was faster, his training honed through centuries of warfare giving him the edge. He parried and countered, each movement fluid and calculated.

  The two warriors were a blur of motion, their swords dancing in the air, exchanging deadly blows.

  As the duel wore on, it became increasingly obvious the physical gap between the Imperators and the Praetorians.

  Valen’s strikes were filled with fury, but Sahaad’s calm and discipline allowed him to stay one step ahead. With a swift motion, Sahaad disarmed Valen, his phase-sword knocking the weapon from the Praetorian’s hand, sending it skittering across the rubble-strewn ground.

  Valen staggered back, his chest heaving with exertion, and a flash of frustration flickered in his eyes. Before Sahaad could strike again, the Praetorian leaped backward, retreating into the dust and smoke of the shattered city.

  Sahaad’s chest glowed brightly, a strange symbol appearing on his armor, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly light. It was as if the symbol was alive, shifting and writhing within his chestplate. The air around him seemed to hum with energy, and the other Imperators instinctively took a step back.

  Zara, ever the tactician, eyed the symbol warily. “What the hell is that?” she muttered, her voice laced with uncertainty.

  Sahaad’s hand hovered over the glowing symbol, the energy radiating from it like a deep, powerful current. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice strained, “but I think…it's magic.”

  As Valen stood in the distance, his eyes locked on Sahaad, a deep, ethereal presence began to surround him. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and behind him, a golden scale materialized from the air itself.

  On each side of the scale were blocks, one with an image of Sahaad and the other with an image of Valen. The scale hovered in mid-air, moving ever so slightly as the two blocks shifted against each other. Sahaad felt a strange sensation reverberate throughout his body as the scale adjusted its balance, his block ever so slightly lower than Valen’s.

  Before Sahaad could react, the reality of the situation hit him like a freight train.

  Nate’s voice broke the silence, urgent and commanding. “It’s an Awakened! Everyone, fire!”

  At once, the squad fell into formation, their weapons raised and ready. Sahaad could hear the faint whir of energy charging in the air, the hum of their guns, as they locked onto Valen. His mind was racing, trying to piece together the significance of the symbol, of the scale, of what Valen had done.

  Valen’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. “You do not understand, warrior. This is my technique. This is balance. What must be attained for peace.”

  With a snap of his fingers, the scale behind him began to glow, its ethereal balance flickering as the blocks began to move. The side with Sahaad’s block dipped ever so slightly, causing the weight to shift. Valen’s eyes blazed with a light that seemed to burn with power and purpose.

  Sahaad felt a burden fall on his shoulder, but not enough to stop him from moving.

  Sahaad barked, “Open fire!” and in an instant, the squad unleashed a storm of firepower upon the Praetorian.

  A hail of gunfire, plasma blasts, and explosive rounds erupted from the squad, filling the air with crackling energy and searing light. The weapons of the Imperators were designed to obliterate their enemies, but Valen didn’t flinch.

  In a manner going against the laws of physics, Valen kicked his foot off the ground and traveled several meters away from the scale, dodging the hail of bullets.

  The projectiles slammed against the scale with a ferocious force, but it held firm. Not even a scratch was put on the scale.

  Like a bunny, Valen hopped out of the way of another hail of bullets. He moved around the projectiles in a fluidity that was impossible for someone of his size.

  Valen snapped his finger, and the scale began to lower Sahaad’s block. Sahaad felt the burden on his shoulders increase exponentially. He found himself kneeling to the ground, barely able to move as the ground began to crack and break apart under his weight.

  Valen’s own scale began to rise, and Valen,himself, floated higher and higher into the sky.

  Valen flew around the Imperators, fluidly avoiding the projectiles coming his way. He drew his sword, readying to attack the stationary Sahaad who was still unable to move against the weight.

  Valen's blade slashed downward in a deadly arc, aimed to finish off the immobilized Sahaad. The glow of his phase-sword cut through the smoky air, its hum a promise of finality. But just as the strike was about to land, Nate intervened. With a burst of speed, he stepped between them, his own phase-sword meeting Valen's in a brilliant clash of energy.

  Sparks flew as the blades connected, the impact resounding like a thunderclap. Nate, with a growl of effort, parried the attack, shoving Valen backward. To his surprise, the Praetorian was sent hurtling through the air, spinning uncontrollably as if a great force had struck him. Valen soared upward, his flight erratic and unbalanced, his body struggling to regain control.

  “Impossible…” Nate muttered under his breath, he was sure he did not put enough force to send Valen flying as he did.

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  “It's the scales”, Zara yelled. “His technique manipulates the weight of his target and himself, like an old weighing scale. As he puts more weight on Sahaad the lighter he gets. He can’t really fly, he is just floating around in reduced gravity”.

  “So he can be pushed away by even the weakest punch”, Nate continued, finally beginning to comprehend the technique.

  “Yea, not damaged since his durability isn’t changed, but we can fire on him when he is disoriented.”

  Ji, Nate, and Zara exchanged knowing glances, their battle-hardened instincts already forming a plan. Sahaad, still pinned by the crushing weight, gritted his teeth in frustration. “Don’t let him outmaneuver you!” he barked, his voice strained under the oppressive force. “Finish this!”

  Valen floated back to an upright position, his feet barely skimming the ground as he steadied himself. His ethereal scale shimmered behind him, blocks shifting rhythmically, glowing faintly with an otherworldly energy. His eyes scanned the Imperators, a subtle smirk forming on his lips.

  “You’ve uncovered my secret,” Valen said, his tone calm, almost amused. “Impressive. But knowing the truth changes nothing.” He raised his hand, and the scale began to shift more rapidly, the blocks moving with mechanical precision. “In fact,” he continued, his smile widening, “it means I no longer have to hold back.”

  With a sudden burst of speed, he dashed forward, a blur of green and gold, his phase-sword poised to strike.

  “Not so fast!” Ji roared, firing a volley of plasma bolts directly into Valen’s path. The Praetorian twisted mid-air, his movements fluid and precise, dodging the projectiles with ease. But Ji’s shots weren’t meant to hit—they were meant to distract.

  Nate lunged in, phase-sword ready. He anticipated Valen’s evasive maneuver, adjusting his swing mid-strike. The blade connected with Valen’s own, but with immense force he pushed Valen, sending him tumbling away.

  Nate drew his gun, firing upon the scale. Sparks flew as the ethereal structure absorbed the blow, pulsing with energy but remaining unscathed.

  “Don’t bother with the scale. It's obviously indestructible or he would have made more of an effort to defend it.” Sahaad informed.

  Nate looked back to where Valen was sent to, but found there was nobody there. Suddenly his chestplate glowed with the same symbol as Sahaad. A block was added to Sahaad’s scale, this time showing an image of Nate.

  Immediately a heavy burden pressed on Nate, causing him to falter.

  “When…did…he…”, Nate could barely speak against the sudden gravity that pressed down on him.

  Meanwhile, Sahaad noticed the gravity around him had been reduced. He could now move, albeit it was still difficult. He stared back at the scale, but the blocks were still in the same position and had not adjusted themselves to Nate’s added weight.

  ‘The total weight added must have been split between me and Nate’, Sahaad thought.

  “You’re formidable,” Valen admitted, appearing high up in the sky above the imperators. “But balance is not so easily overturned.”

  The ground trembled as Valen raised both hands, and new blocks appeared, representing each Imperator.

  Sahaad felt his weight return to normal as the other Imperators found their chestplate glowing with the same symbol.

  Suddenly, Valen manipulated the weight of the scale. This time he drastically lowered the weight of the Imperators causing them to slowly float above the ground.

  Valen’s grin widened as he plummeted toward the ground, his body glowing with an ethereal energy that seemed to grow denser with every passing second. His block on the scale descended rapidly, pulling the balance entirely in his favor. The air around him warped, creating a deafening roar as he gained momentum, his figure blazing like a shooting star.

  Sahaad’s eyes widened in realization. “He’s turning himself into a meteor! Scatter, now!” he bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.

  The Imperators, still floating from their reduced weight, struggled to gain control of their movements. They twisted and pushed off debris and the ground, desperately trying to distance themselves from the epicenter of Valen’s impending impact.

  Valen’s descent was a blur of green and gold as he closed the distance. The ground beneath him seemed to bow under the pressure of his increasing mass, the air rippling in a visible shockwave. His smirk didn’t falter, even as the ground rushed to meet him.

  “Witness the balance restored,” Valen declared, his voice resonating like a divine pronouncement.

  He struck the ground with an earth-shattering force. The impact unleashed a cataclysmic explosion, a dome of dust, fire, and rubble erupting outward. The ground quaked violently, shockwaves tearing through the battlefield and beyond. Buildings collapsed, debris launched into the air like missiles, and the surrounding area was reduced to ruins.

  Sahaad braced himself as the shockwave hit him, the sheer force sending him spiraling uncontrollably through the air. He slammed into a crumbled wall, his enhanced armor absorbing most of the damage, though he could still feel the sting in his ribs.

  The dust began to settle, revealing a massive crater at the center of the battlefield. At its heart stood Valen, steam rising from his armor, his chest heaving from exertion. The scale behind him flickered faintly, its glow dimmer but still intact.

  The Imperators groaned as they recovered, pushing themselves to their feet. Despite their superhuman resilience, the blast had shaken even them.

  “Is that all you’ve got?” Nate growled, wiping blood from his lip as he leveled his weapon at Valen.

  Valen looked at them with an air of calm superiority, his movements slower now but no less deliberate. “You endure well, I’ll give you that,” he said. “But how much more can you take?”

  The Imperators surged forward, their enhanced speed propelling them across the rubble-strewn battlefield like living missiles. The reduced weight distributed among them granted them agility far beyond their usual capabilities, though not enough to surpass Valen's mastery of the scale.

  Valen moved like a boulder in a storm, slower but with devastating power. As Zara lunged toward him, her blade gleaming with lethal intent, Valen intercepted her mid-charge. His hand clamped around her forearm, the sheer force of his grip causing her armor to splinter with an audible crack.

  “Too light,” Valen growled, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.

  With a primal roar, he swung Zara downward, slamming her into the cracked ground with such force that the earth itself seemed to recoil. Dust and debris shot into the air as her armored form cratered into the crust.

  “Zara!” Nate shouted, his voice a mix of fury and panic, but he couldn’t reach her in time.

  Valen loomed over Zara like a titan, raising his fist. His weight-enhanced strike came down like a hammer, smashing into her chest plate. The reinforced armor buckled under the relentless assault, pieces of it shattering like brittle glass.

  Zara gasped, blood trickling from her mouth as her helmet finally gave way, revealing her bloodied and battered face. Her defiant eyes glared up at Valen despite the damage, refusing to submit.

  “You fight well,” Valen admitted, his voice carrying a note of respect even as he prepared to deliver another punishing blow. “But your strength alone cannot balance the scales.”

  Before his fist could descend again, Nate and Ji charged in unison, their combined speed turning them into blurs of motion. Nate’s plasma-heater rifle discharged a searing blast, aiming to force Valen away from Zara, while Ji flanked, his blade poised to strike.

  Valen snarled, leaping back with surprising agility despite his increased weight. The ground beneath him cracked further as he landed, the impact rippling outward. His eyes flicked between the advancing Imperators, his mind recalibrating the scale even as his grin widened.

  “Impressive teamwork,” Valen said, his tone unshaken. “But you’ll need more than speed to turn the tide.”

  Zara coughed, struggling to push herself up despite the wreckage of her armor. “Don’t count us out yet,” she spat, her voice trembling but resolute.

  The battle raged on, the Imperators determined to find a way to tip the balance in their favor.