NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49: Hard
"Zin, what do I do?" Jace muttered, his voice tense as screams echoed from below.
[What do you mean, what should you do? Fight, or run. Either way, don't just stand there.]
Jace clenched his jaw. He wasn't a saint, and he sure as hell wasn't a superhero, but standing here while people were ripped apart in front of him wasn't an option. Not anymore.
He turned to Serai. She was trembling, her disguise flickering faintly as fear rattled through her. Jace grabbed her shoulders firmly. "Leave. Get out of here now and hide."
Her lips parted, her voice shaky. "But I can help—"
"NO, YOU CAN'T. RUN!" His voice cracked with urgency, sharper than he intended.
She hesitated for half a heartbeat before Jace shoved her toward the exit.
Her eyes lingered on him, full of panic, before she bolted, her white hair streaking behind her as she disappeared into the fleeing crowd.
[ Jace, you've got to protect your identity. There's a balaclava in that shop to your right. Move fast. We don't have time. And—] Zin's tone sharpened. [I also have something I want you to test out.]
Jace didn't wait to argue. He sprinted, weaving through overturned kiosks and panicked civilians.
His speed wasn't superhuman, not yet, but it was more than enough to catch the eye of the wrong crowd.
The green brute's head snapped toward him, nostrils flaring. "NOT HUMAN."
The alien launched forward, its massive body slamming into the ground where Jace had just been. The floor cracked, sparks raining from the shattered lights above.
Jace cursed under his breath, ducking into the side shop. Broken mannequins and scattered clothes littered the floor.
He yanked a balaclava off a rack, ripping the tag free as he shoved it over his head. His breath echoed hot inside the fabric.
He spun, ready to move—
And froze.
The doorway was blocked.
The red brute stood there now, taller than the green one, its crimson skin stretched tight over muscles that seemed to pulse with raw strength. Its black eyes locked onto him, unblinking.
It took one step forward, the ground groaning under its weight.
"YOU," it growled, pointing one massive claw at Jace. "YOU WE KILL."
Perfect — thanks for clarifying. Since you want only one brute fighting Jace, and Zin to speak more with actual technical advice (not just encouragement), I'll rewrite the fight keeping:
One brute (green or red, whichever you want to canonize).
Jace's kinetic burst as his only ability.
Zin giving real tactical guidance: stance, angles, targeting weak points, reminders about overuse, etc.
Jace being inexperienced, making mistakes, but adapting quickly.
A full anime-type fight scene with environment damage, raw force, and close calls.
Jace muttered, "Figured that out."
The brute's roar shook the mall as it stomped toward him. Eight feet tall, its shoulders filled the shop's doorway, every step cracking tile.
Its skin rippled like armor, green and coarse, the bulk of its muscles shifting like steel cables.
Jace set his stance and fired a burst from his palm. The air warped with a sharp pop.
The invisible shock hit the brute square in the chest, throwing it back into a row of kiosks. Plastic and glass shattered across the floor.
The monster rose almost instantly, snarling, saliva dripping from jagged teeth.
[Better. But your stance is wide open,] Zin cut in sharply. [You extend too far with your arms. Shorten the motion, deliver from the elbow, not the shoulder. You're wasting energy.]
Jace adjusted, lowering his arms, but the brute charged before he could settle. The ground quaked with every step. It swung its massive hand like a club.
Jace ducked late, the air rushing as the blow grazed his shoulder. Pain shot down his arm. He burst the ground at his feet, propelling himself sideways just before the alien's follow-up smashed the floor, breaking tiles into craters.
"Shit," Jace hissed, clutching his shoulder.
[Keep your distance. Don't match strength, you'll lose. Use bursts to control space.]
The brute lunged again, this time lower, swiping fast for something so big. Jace reacted on instinct, thrusting both palms forward.
The kinetic blast cracked like thunder, slamming into its head. The alien reeled sideways, smashing into a display of electronics. Sparks flared as TVs toppled.
But Jace's wrists screamed in protest. The recoil burned across his skin.
[You're outputting too much. Moderate the release or you'll shred your joints.]
"Noted," Jace muttered, shaking the sting from his hands.
The brute roared, ripping a metal shelf from the ground and swinging it like a weapon. Jace's eyes widened.
He burst from the floor, leaping back as the shelf carved through air where he'd been.
The impact split the ground, metal bending, walls shaking loose dust from the ceiling.
[He's over-committing with swings. Punish the recovery.]
Jace landed, rolled, and burst forward with a low push. He drove an uppercut blast into the brute's ribs.
The invisible shock forced the alien back, its body arching slightly before it snarled and tried to grab him.
Jace twisted away but too slow. A massive hand clipped him, sending him crashing through a glass wall.
Pain exploded across his side, blood streaking as shards dug in.
[UP. NOW.] Zin barked in his head. [If he stomps, you're paste.]
Jace forced himself upright, chest burning, glass crunching under his boots. He blasted the ground to launch himself forward, shoulder-first into the brute's torso. The invisible impact cracked the tiles beneath both of them.
The alien staggered, grunted, then swung down both fists.
Jace shoved a blast at its knee. The joint buckled with a nasty pop. The brute dropped onto one leg, snarling in frustration.
[Good. Target weak structures, joints, eyes, throat. Don't just throw energy at the chest. He can tank that all day.]
Jace nodded, blood dripping from his lip. His balaclava was torn at the cheek, sweat soaking through. He steadied his breathing, circling as the brute lumbered up again, slower this time.
The sprinkler system finally triggered overhead. Water rained down, soaking both of them.
The brute blinked through it, growling low, but Jace stood taller now, fists clenched.
The brute straightened with a guttural roar, its knee still buckling but its bulk refusing to give in.
Drool and blood dripped from its jagged teeth as it lurched forward, regaining its stance.
Jace tried to circle left, hands up, but the alien's speed betrayed its size. A massive arm swept sideways in a brutal backhand.
He barely saw it.
The blow connected with the side of his mask.
The world rang like a struck bell. His ears screamed as his head snapped sideways, vision flaring white.
His body lifted off the ground from the sheer force, flung across the shop like a ragdoll.
He crashed through a support pillar and slammed into a half-collapsed wall. Plaster exploded, chunks raining down around him.
His body carved a deep dent into the drywall before he slid down to the shattered floor.
Blood streaked from his nose under the mask. His ribs screamed in protest, every breath jagged and shallow.
One leg kicked instinctively, scattering broken glass and twisted rebar, but his arms shook as he tried to push up.
The room around him looked wrecked, two walls cracked, shelves toppled, merchandise burning from sparking wires.
A fire alarm screamed overhead, water still raining from the sprinklers, mixing with the blood dripping onto his shirt.
[On your feet, Jace!] Zin barked. [You take another clean hit like that and you're not getting up. Use the rubble, less space means he can't swing full force.]
Jace coughed hard, spitting blood onto the floor. His hands pressed against the debris for balance as he staggered up, every joint trembling. His pride stung almost worse than the hit itself.
The brute stomped closer, each step making the cracked tiles sink further, the ceiling above them groaning as dust sifted down.
"WEAK," it rumbled, voice low and thunderous.
Jace shook his head to clear the ringing, narrowing his eyes behind the mask. He clenched his fists, setting his stance again.
He wasn't done yet.
"Zin, you said you wanted to try something out."