CHAPTER 54: The Washington Incident - Part IV

CHAPTER 54: The Washington Incident - Part IV

A sound resonated in the air: the elevator doors opened with a metallic clang, and out stepped Fénix. His figure was silhouetted in the dim light of the hallway, and he advanced with a firm step, his eyes fixed on Adam, defiant and full of the determination that always characterized him.

"Did you really think you are the strongest?" Fénix corrected Adam without hesitation, his tone as biting as ever. "You are not."

Adam's face, which had remained serene until that moment, changed slightly. An eyebrow rose with disdain, but his smile did not disappear.

"Oh, I'm not?" Adam responded with a low, almost mocking laugh. "Well then, tell me, who do you think you are, to correct me?"

Fénix stepped forward more firmly, each word from his mouth a direct provocation.
"The strongest Lycan of the current era."

Adam observed him for a long moment, and his expression, though intrigued, remained just as arrogant.

"Oh, really?" he replied, almost laughing. "And who do you think you are to tell me that? You might be the strongest today, Fénix, but that doesn't change the fact that I am the strongest Lycan in all of history. There is no one who has surpassed what I have achieved."

Fénix said nothing more, but his eyes burned. Even if Adam was sure of his current supremacy, Fénix didn't see it that way. History wasn't over, and he was going to be the one to rewrite it.

Adam and Fénix stared fixedly at each other, the tension between them palpable. At that moment, the world around them disappeared. Only the two of them remained, locked in a duel of will, of power, of history.

Adam broke the silence with a wide smile, full of an almost absurd confidence.

"The last time we met, I left you on the ground, begging for your life," he said, his voice low and mocking, recalling their last battle. A moment he hadn't forgotten, as it had been a reminder of his dominance over Fénix. "Today will be no different. Only this time, you won't get up."

Fénix didn't react immediately, he just let Adam's words sink into his mind, before taking a step forward. The confidence on his face was unshakable.

"Today, Adam... you are going to die. And this time, I will be the one to leave you on the ground. Forever," Fénix responded with an icy calm, his eyes burning with a determination that surpassed any fear.

Adam burst into laughter, a scornful laugh that filled the air. His body tensed in anticipation, but his face never lost its arrogant smile.

"You think you can stop me?" he said, taking a step forward. "You're so pathetic. You have no idea what you're saying, Fénix. No one can defeat me."

Both fell silent for a second that stretched on endlessly, until in unison, in perfect synchronization, they said the same phrase:

"This will be our final battle."

Fénix and Adam knew they would not see each other after this confrontation.

Adam, with a mocking smile, took a step toward Fénix. There was no rush in his movement, only an overflowing confidence that filled the air. Suddenly, he threw a quick, almost casual punch aimed at Fénix's face. But Fénix, with sharp reflexes, blocked it easily, stopping Adam's fist with a firm hand.

"Is that all you've got?" Fénix shot back, returning the defiant look.

Adam didn't respond with words. His smile twisted into something darker as, with devastating speed, he landed a second punch directly to Fénix's abdomen, who didn't see it coming. The impact resonated like a drum, knocking the wind out of Fénix and forcing him to bend over slightly. Before he could react, Adam had already thrown a third punch, this time to Fénix's nose. The impact was brutal, sending him flying into a nearby wall. The wall cracked under the force of the impact, and a dull echo filled the room.

"Nothing has changed since the last time we met, Fénix. You're still that same weakling," Adam said with a low laugh as he watched him from his position, still untouched.

Fénix, leaning against the wall, passed a hand over his face, wiping away the blood now flowing from his nose. His gaze rose, burning and defiant.

"Weakling?" Fénix sketched an ironic smile as he took a step forward, straightening up completely. "I think someone needs a reminder."

In a synchronized movement, Fénix and Adam launched themselves at each other. Each landed a direct punch on the other's cheek, the impact echoing through the room. Both were thrown backward, crashing forcefully to the ground, but neither yielding an inch of their determination.

The air around them seemed to grow even more charged. The battle had only just begun.