Familiar images played in Khan's vision. He found himself among flames, screams, and thick smoke, which carried details he had long since committed to memory. His recurring nightmare had started.
'I must have fainted,' Khan realized when he recalled what had happened during the disaster.
Khan had activated the [Blood Shield] right before the impact, but the lightning bolt had probably been stronger than his technique. Also, he had suffered multiple injuries, so fainting didn't come as a surprise.
An azure halo came out of the crater and pierced the smoke. The Nak climbed the deep hole and turned its mana into branches that ravaged the remains of its spaceship.
Khan had seen that scene countless times, but his meeting with the hand made him realize that something was off. The Nak from his nightmare had smooth control over its mana, which didn't involve violent outbursts, even when used to destroy its broken vehicle.
'I can't compare a severed hand to a complete Nak, can I?' Khan half-joked, even if the scene continued to claim his attention.
The lightning-like flares and the Nak's technique were too different to belong to the same species. Khan didn't know everything about those aliens, so he could accept his ignorance, but the hunch in the back of his mind grew stronger anyway.
'Maybe Raymond has something to do with it,' Khan wondered.
That conclusion sounded reasonable. The hand wasn't only a severed chunk of a Nak. The reconstruction through the reinforced fabric might have been the last alteration, but Raymond had probably experimented far more with it. It made sense for that body part to display different abilities.
Finding reasonable answers didn't change Khan's situation. He was stuck in the nightmare, and he had long since learnt that nothing could make him escape it. He would need an external source to help him, but his condition made that outcome unlikely.
Still, Khan soon realized to have underestimated his companions. A dampened voice began to resound inside the nightmare, and it grew louder until it became a clear word.
"[Khan]!" Jenna shouted before breaking into a smile when Khan opened his eyes.
Khan coughed, and his breath grew ragged. Countless sensations assaulted his sensitivity and made it impossible for him to concentrate. He was starting to panic, but Jenna promptly reached for his cheeks and forced him to focus on her.
A familiar warmth invaded Khan and brought peace to his panicked state. Sensations still flew toward his mind, but they felt slower while he kept his eyes on Jenna's face. He could even notice a few details there. She had cried.
The pain soon returned. Khan's legs and his whole left side hurt, and his back joined the party. He was a mess, and his check-up technique only confirmed that conclusion. Still, he was alive, and the disaster wasn't over.
Noises and bursts of mana managed to reach Khan's senses once he grew used to his pain. Powerful presences and explosions occupied his surroundings, and he recognized some of them.
Everything was still confusing, so Khan relied on his eyes. He saw the wreckage caused by the soundwave, and some injured people occupied the corner of his vision. Yet, when he tried to lift his head, Jenna pushed it back down.
"[You are done with this fight]," Jenna stated, and her tone expressed far more than concern. She was angry and scared.
"[Let me see]," Khan whispered.
"[No]!" Jenna sobbed. "[You won't stop if you do]."
"[Jenna, I'm not sorry for protecting you]," Khan smiled.
Jenna lowered her head as her voice turned into a whisper. "[I thought I lost you]."
"[I'm not going anywhere]," Khan reassured as he mustered the entirety of his strength to immerse his right hand in Jenna's hair.
"[Don't move]," Jenna scolded. "[You are a mess]."
"[Help me move then]," Khan replied. "[I need to do this]."
Jenna sniffed before diverting her gaze. She couldn't look at Khan when he was so straightforward. She would decide to help him get back into the battle otherwise.
"[Hey]," Khan called while caressing Jenna's hair. "[I can't do this without you]."
A tremor ran through Jenna. Her eyes went on Khan on their own, and a sense of defeat invaded her mind. She knew she couldn't refuse him, but she still expressed her annoyance.
"[You are so unfair]," Jenna complained.
"[I guess we are both impossible]," Khan chuckled.
"[I jump in front of you the next time]," Jenna warned before moving herself away and carefully lifting Khan's head.
The state of the disaster quickly became clear. Khan saw what remained of the audience hiding behind the small hills created by the debris. Some even helped the injured, but everyone always shot glances at an area near the central hole.
Khan's vision also fell prey to the scene. A relatively large area near the huge central hole had turned into a battlefield that only featured powerful players. The Nak's hand was one of them, but Khan recognized a few others too.
Caja, Raymond, a powerful Fuveall, and a small group of Orlats had surrounded the Nak's hand. The latter sent lightning bolts every few seconds, but its opponents fended them away while launching their own attacks.
The scene was mesmerizing. Caja danced among the incoming lightning bolts while touching them to change their trajectory. She also stole some of their mana during those interactions before sending it toward her companions.
The Orlats ducked and threw themselves on the debris whenever attacks flew in their direction, but they always stood up to fire their weapons. The group only had a couple of third-level warriors and a few second-level warriors, but their guns launched bullets that could match attacks from third-level mages.
The Fuveall was a fourth-level warrior completely covered in silver plates. His clothes had disappeared, so Khan could witness him facing the lightning bolts head-on. Those attacks were unable to pierce his protective metal and allowed him to accumulate mana that he spewed back in the form of a dark beam.
Those players were expressing the best qualities of their species, but Raymond managed to outshine all of them. He crushed every incoming lightning bolt with his bare hands and even found the time to launch dark needles. Still, that wasn't the reason behind his apparent superiority.
Caja was holding her ground, but it was clear that she was struggling. The area didn't have much mana, so she mostly focused on defending the members of her species.
The Orlats were simply too weak. They could dodge the lightning bolts and fire back, but their weapons couldn't pierce the sizzling shield. Their efforts only showed their incredible teamwork.
The Fuveall's performance was spectacular, but he appeared as powerless as his companions. His silver plates had also started to darken, showing how he was heading toward his limits.
Instead, Raymond appeared perfectly calm, bored even. He moved elegantly among the barrage of attacks without breaking a sweat. He also kept his suit intact, which sounded impossible after everything that had happened.
It almost seemed that Raymond was holding back, and Khan confirmed that when the incredible happened. The hand launched lightning bolts non-stop, but Raymond still managed to shoot a glance in Khan's direction. He even smiled after seeing that he had regained consciousness.
Khan didn't have the time to think about the event since another important detail claimed his attention. The Nak's hand wasn't absorbing mana from the environment anymore, but its attacks never stopped, and the reason behind that oddity became clear once Khan managed to focus.
'It's producing mana on its own,' Khan thought.
As impossible as it sounded, the Nak's hand could generate its own mana now. Moreover, it could refill its reserves quickly enough to keep up with its relentless assault. The alien body part had grown, and everything witnessed before told Khan that the process wasn't over.
The Nak's hand had started as a damaged body part, but it had now turned into a terrifying threat. It grew with each exchange, and it wasn't hard to figure out what it wanted to become. Its ability to produce mana was only one of the pieces it needed to turn into a fully-fledged Nak.
Khan could see that the offensive wasn't going anywhere. The hand was probably buying time, and it wouldn't take long before the situation became impossible to contain. He had to do something, but he couldn't do it alone.
Jenna was already looking at Khan when he glanced back at her. She had no interest in the fight when he was in that condition, and she also knew what he had in mind.
"[No]," Jenna uttered.
"[I need to stand up]," Khan said.
"[You can barely breathe]," Jenna pointed out.
"[I only need a clear mind]," Khan explained.
"[I won't let you kill yourself]," Jenna stated. "[I don't care how angry you get]."
"[Lend me your strength then]," Khan responded. "[I know you can]."
Jenna went silent. She wanted to lie, but that was impossible before Khan. Leaving him wasn't an option either, so she stopped thinking and let her emotions take over.
"[This should make up for something]," Jenna teased as she lowered her head again.
"[Wait]," Khan called when Jenna's mouth grew dangerously close to his.
"[You can't stop me today]," Jenna whispered before planting her lips on Khan's.
Khan wanted to escape the kiss, but he didn't have the strength to reject Jenna. Moreover, a blissful sensation invaded his mouth before filling his mind and spreading through the rest of his body.
Jenna and Khan had been on the verge of exploding many times, and their kiss made them experience all those emotions in that single instant. The two could almost hear each other's thoughts and understand the mad love they could share.
Khan was no stranger to those emotions. He had actually predicted them when thinking about a possible relationship with Jenna. He knew she could fill Liiza's spot quite well, but that was the issue.
Jenna experienced the same emotions, so the kiss made her realize Khan's mindset. The two had already talked about it many times, but feeling it added a new perspective to the matter, which inevitably brought some sadness.
The kiss didn't only make Khan and Jenna share the same mental and emotional space. That had actually been an unexpected reaction caused by the movement of Jenna's mana. The two could experience each other's feelings when that energy entered Khan.
Khan would lie if he said that he hated that moment. The kiss and the emotions it brought were incredible and reminded him of the type of love he sought. Yet, Jenna couldn't be the one giving it to him, and she understood that.
Jenna revealed a sad smile when she lifted her head, and Khan wore a similar expression. They had almost experienced the entirety of their potential relationship during those seconds, so they didn't need words to comment on it.
"[I hope Monica can give you more than this]," Jenna whispered.
"[If she ever forgives me for kissing you]," Khan joked.
"[She will]," Jenna reassured. "[She would be crazy not to]."
"[Hey]," Khan called. "[Our love would have been wonderful]."
"[It was wonderful]," Jenna giggled. "[I wish we could have experienced it during sex]."
"[Don't get naughty already]," Khan laughed.
"[Though, I'm glad]," Jenna said while caressing Khan's hair. "[You became mine for a bit]."
"[You need someone to be yours forever]," Khan pointed out.
"[And you need someone who can surpass Liiza]," Jenna continued. "[Monica will hear from me if she doesn't try]."
"[Monica needs to hear from you to justify this kiss]," Khan stated.
"[I'll tell her that you couldn't contain your emotions in the middle of the battle]," Jenna teased, "[And that she needs to take care of your urges if she hopes to stick around]."
"[You are impossible]," Khan sighed.
"[And you are unfair]," Jenna replied before both of them exploded into a laugh.
A lightning bolt hit some rubble nearby, causing an explosion and forcing Khan and Jenna to snap out of their intimate moment. The two recalled where they were and realized what they had to do.
Khan wasn't fine, but Jenna's mana was keeping his condition stable. That didn't make him battle-ready, but it brought him out of his powerless state.
Jenna put her hands under Khan's shoulders before helping him stand. Getting back on his feet made his poor condition even clearer, but he couldn't let that stop him.
Khan felt off. His footing was unstable, and his left side didn't move as well as he had hoped. His back also hurt, and his missing shirt told him that the lightning bolt had burnt far more than his skin.
Nevertheless, Khan's attention remained on the fight. The hand was growing stronger, while its opponents were in the opposite situation. Only Raymond continued to hold his ground, and another faint smile appeared on his face when he noticed Khan.
Caja was doing her best to keep her companions safe, but her stamina was about to run out. Holding back from using the mana in the environment tired her faster too, but her species was counting on her, and she couldn't let it down.
Still, the situation was taking a bad turn. Caja's understanding of mana told her that the hand was growing stronger, and it wouldn't take long before her superior techniques became unable to keep up with the lightning bolts. She would eventually have to rely on the mana in the environment, but that wouldn't ensure victory either.
Anyone would give in to desperation in that situation, but Caja was different. Jenna's prediction brought some comfort to her mind. Even if everyone on the fourth asteroid was to die, her species had stashed enough resources in that period. The Nele were bound to do better than ever.
The presence of the Nak's hand remained the only problem. Goods would be useless if the threat reached the other asteroids, so Caja was ready for the ultimate sacrifice. If everything failed, she would make sure that her opponent ended up in space.
Caja was completely immersed in those thoughts when an abrupt mass of mana appeared behind her. She turned in time to see a purple-red spear fly past her and explode on a few incoming lightning bolts, which granted her some breathing room.
The fact that a spell from a second-level mage could fend off the lightning bolts was surprising, but Caja found her answers when she noticed Jenna supporting Khan. The chaos element was obviously more effective against the hand.
That answer didn't clear Caja of her surprise. Actually, she couldn't believe her eyes, and her disbelief only intensified when Khan joined his palms to summon another spell.
Caja knew how much Khan had fought. He had spent the time on the staircases defending the Nele, but that wasn't the end. His violent fall and the direct hit from the lightning bolt should have put him out of combat for good, but there he was.
Jenna's presence could explain Khan's resilience. Caja knew how powerful emotions could be. Still, Khan's mana reserves were simply unreal. They actually resembled her opponent's.
The scene from the lake appeared in Caja's vision. She finally understood why she had felt strange when she saw Khan covered in the [Blood Vortex]'s marks. She had never treated Khan as a human, but his uniqueness went beyond mere mutations. His diverse arts had turned him into a proper hybrid.
Caja continued to look at Khan while he summoned another chaos spear and threw it with his right arm. The spell flew past Caja and exploded again, creating a shield the lightning bolts couldn't pierce.
Khan wasn't done. He quickly prepared another spell, and Caja couldn't help but acknowledge his resolve at that point. She glanced at one of her companions before nodding in Khan's direction and turning to face the hand again.
The third chaos spear took shape between Khan's palms, but a familiar presence approached him before he could launch it. Maban stepped in front of him and hindered his path toward the hand.
"[Don't burn yourself]," Maban ordered. "[Come on. We need to get out of here]."
"[We can't leave Caja here]!" Jenna complained.
"[That's what Caja wants]," Maban revealed. "[Hurry. We don't have much time]."
Khan wanted to complain, but the Nak's hand acted before he could speak. The alien body part had remained stuck in that stalemate long enough to study its opponents, and its following offensive showed its countermeasures.
Two lightning bolts flew toward Caja, and she swiftly side-stepped them before stretching her arms to alter their trajectory. However, the attacks exploded when she touched them, flinging her away.
A dozen lightning bolts flew toward the Orlats, who promptly dived behind their cover. Yet, the hand's attacks split into multiple flares that exploded everywhere, even hitting the aliens' hideouts.
A thick, azure beam flew toward the armored Fuveall. The latter faced it head-on, and its metal plates managed to endure the attack for a few seconds, but they eventually cracked, and the azure mana overwhelmed him.
Raymond simply faced a higher number of attacks and found no problem dodging them. Still, once the offensive ended, he remained alone near the hand. The alien body part had wiped out everyone else.
"[Maban]," Khan called among the silence and disbelief that had fallen on the destroyed intermediate floor, "[I need a favor]."
The Nak's hand focused on Raymond, but he showed no fear. A barrage of lightning bolts flew in his direction, but he sprinted ahead to duck under them and deliver a punch to the alien body part.
The hand didn't like that, and a chaotic mass of flares promptly left its skin, but Raymond swung his arm to cut a passage through that mana. He even jumped into it, and another punch fell on the alien body part.
To everyone's surprise, Raymond was dealing with the hand on his own. His precise movements, sharp attacks, and incredible reflexes allowed him to remain one step ahead of his opponent. He even retreated when explosions threatened to overwhelm him.
The experienced warriors in the audience were even more surprised than their peers. Raymond wasn't using any specific spell or technique during the fight. He was only dodging, punching, and throwing needles without ever suffering any injury.
Raymond's calm face only added awe to his incredible performance. His battle sense was spectacular, but that alone couldn't make him win.
Understanding what was going on in Raymond's mind was impossible, but his calm expression eventually broke to reveal a frown. Something in the area claimed his attention, but his eyes darted left and right, unable to find that.
A smile broadened on Raymond's face when he understood what was happening. He swiftly dodged the incoming lightning bolts while making his way toward the hand, and he threw a violent punch once it reached it.
The Nak's hand had withstood the previous punches easily. None of them had pierced the sizzling barrier, but Raymond's latest attack flung it on the floor and made it crash among the rubble. Its shield even flickered, leaving a big chunk of its flesh unprotected.
Raymond retreated at that point, and his smile only broadened when Khan materialized next to the hand. Synthetic mana even appeared in the environment before returning to the source of the spell. Maban had created one of his illusions to help Khan reach his opponent.
Khan's legs gave in. He had run to get there, but that had turned out to be too much in his state. Yet, he had reached the alien body part and didn't hesitate to throw his hands at it when his knees hit the floor.
The sizzling barrier tried to stretch toward Khan's palms, but he released his mana before the impact could happen. His energy created a connection between him and that body part, and a series of foreign urges invaded his mind.
Khan felt on the verge of losing control of his energy, but he retained enough mental clarity to abandon himself to his emotions. He let go of everything while sending even more mana into the Nak's hand.
That process would typically give birth to the cloud spell, but it caused a new reaction with the hand. Those foreign urges suddenly found themselves at home and stopped belonging to two different beings.
As for Khan, he struggled to keep track of what was happening. His vision eventually went dark, and familiar scenes appeared. The nightmare showed itself again.
