"Ready!!!"

The monkey adjusted his stance, expression primed for battle..

Me? I was just...there...

A barrier had been raised automatically the moment our intent to fight was detected..

"FIGHT!!!"

Boooom!!!!

Following Cara’s signal, a dull explosion sounded as the monkey that had been standing in front of me suddenly vanished, at least to the untrained observer...

Thud!!

I caught a hairy fist flying straight at my beautiful face..

"I thought I told you not to hold back?" I asked as my grip tightened on his fist, an audible crunch sounding out as I crushed his hand bones..

"Ughhh...." He tried to pull back, fat chance..

"It seems I need to show you why you need to start being serious huh?" I muttered softly, a wild grin splitting my face as I balled my hands, the air giving out dull explosions, sounds I enjoyed alot..

"Wai..."

Booooommmmm!!!!!

My fist connected with his midsection as he folded in two before being sent crashing backwards, his back slamming into the barrier that had been raised around us, his mouth opening wide as a mouthful of blood was coughed up..

Blerghhhh!!!!!

The coughing fit continued for a few more seconds before the monkey finally regained his composure..

"Well, that should have been a well enough greeting, ready to get serious now?" I asked, my smile sharpening..

I may not have been feeling threatened by the monkey, but I’ll be damned if I gave up the chance to enjoy the fight, after all, even if I was unwilling, so long as I’ve already started, I might as well enjoy it..

"Haha..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!!!!!" True to his character, Malachi didn’t cower or retreat, he merely laughed, loud, happy..

"Yes!!! Finally!! This is it, just the type of stimulation I had been missing." He looked back at me, his face sporting a twisted manic expression, my own grin widened even further..

"Hey.. hey.. hey.. my friend, you’ve done it now, you’ve gotten me excited! I hope you’re ready!!!" The monkey exclaimed in wild excitement..

"You talk to much!" I’d appeared before him, not letting him get another word in..

If he wasn’t coming to me, I’d gladly go to him..

Craaackkkkkk!!!!!

The satisfying sound of cracking bones rang out as my blow connected with his jaw, successfully shattering it, I’d like to see how he was going to laugh now..

Zing!

Well, he didn’t disappoint.

A golden halo of light flashed behind his flying figure, his shattered jaw being healed rapidly as he righted himself mid air..

The moment he landed, he shot towards me with the force of a rocket..

Thud!!!

Once again, the attack was caught effortlessly..

"I thought I told you—-"

Boooommmmm!!!!!

My words were cut unceremoniously short as a vicious uppercut sent my figure flying..

Before I could right myself,

Boooommm!!!

An axe kick had made contact with my flying figure, my trajectory being changed forcefully as I shot back down, only to find myself getting intimately familiar with a very hairy fist..

Booooooommmmmm!!!!

The shockwave from that blow shook the arena we were using for our spar, the barrier flicking on and off from the force of the blast..

As for me?

Bang!!!

I’d slammed back first into the furthest end of the barrier, more than a hundred meters from Malachi...

Now, this would be the point where I would be expected to have difficulty standing up, after all, I’d just received a devastating combo move..

Yea..

"How about no? Heh.." I stood up, no shaking, no quivering, no visible injury, it was almost as if I’d never received any damage whatsoever and with Chaotic Denial, that might as well have been the truth of the matter..

I looked up, the monkey was smiling at me, "truly, not a single scratch."

"Even after all that?"

"Hahahah.. and they called me a monster back at home?"

"I’m going to enjoy this alot.."

It wasn’t only one Malachi speaking, there were exactly four copies of the monkey staring at me, the same manic smile painting their faces..

He’d finally used the ability I’d been anticipating..

[Chaotic comprehension activating...]

My grin widened the moment I saw that notification..

It was exactly as I thought, I could get that ability from him, now, all I needed to do was drag this out a few moments more..

"Alright buddy, let’s see if four of you can be a worthy match for one of me." My battle hungry grin returned.

I took a single step and appeared before the four figures, my fist already swinging, the air exploded from the sheer velocity and force the punch carried..

BOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!

The arena floor imploded as my blow tore through two of the figures instantly, sending the other two flying..

""Shit..""

Malachi’s figures cussed simultaneously..I Didn’t give the monkey any room to think, my figure blurred as I appeared before the closest flying figure, punch already swinging, ready to turn this one into mush as well.

At least that was the plan until..

SWOOOOOSHHHHHH!!!!!

The sound of the air tearing apart reached my ears, I turned slightly, only to catch sight of an impossibly large golden staff filling the entirety of my vision..

"Shit..."

BOOOOOOMMMMM....

I could feel more than a few bones being turned into powder from that one hit, luckily chaotic denial put me back together before the damage could even fully register..

I flipped mid air, landing a few meters from the the two figures that were currently looking at me with teasing grins..

"Hey.. Hey... hey.. friend, don’t look at me like that.."

"After all, you did say I should take this seriously.."

""HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...." Both figures laughed uproariously..

"Hey... hey.. hey.. me.."

"Yes, me?"

"Why don’t we take it up a notch, our friend here is quite troublesome."

"Alright me, what do you have in mind.."

"Well, you know what they say.."

Both figures grinned manically as they used their hands to pull out handfuls of their golden fur..

""Strenght in numbers!!!""

"""HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...."""

More than ten figures of Malachi appeared before me instantly, all cackling like mental patients..

Each one wielded that nefarious golden staff, each one radiating an aura no less powerful than what the original Malachi did..

"Oh.. oh...oh.. but it doesn’t stop here.."

"No.. no.. no.."

"Hey friend... you said we couldn’t beat you didn’t ya???"

"So... so.. so.."

"How about..."

""Fighting yourself??""

The moment the monkey finished saying those words, all twelve figures shone with a blinding golden light..

I had to shield my eyes, but the moment the glow faded, even my own eyes widened at the ridiculousness before me..

Twelve identical figures stood before me..

They were all 7ft5, impossibly handsome, an arrogant and condescending look in their gaze, the presence around each and everyone one of them exuded an aura so heavy it twisted the atmosphere around them..

But what made the whole thing even more jarring was the lazy stance they held, their staffs had been planted into the ground as they regarded me with open disdain..

This was the first time I was getting a proper look at myself, barring the numerous mirrors at my place of course and I had to say..

""Damn, I look good""

...

...

A heavy silence settled between me and the twelve figures as we just stared at each other blankly..

We’d spoken the same words at the same time..

"Am I really that much of a narcissist?" The reality check was a bit off putting, but then again, another look at the twelve figures, the drooling expression Cara was wearing as she switched gazes between all thirteen of me, made it clear, "it’s not narcissistic if I’m that good looking, it’s merely inevitable" I nodded, satisfied..

"Heh... ready to get your ass beat?" One of the figures taunted..

"I admit, you may look like me, talk like me, even act like me, but, one thing will be made clear very, very soon." I smirked as I finally took a fighting stance, my entire demeanor changing as the air around me got impossibly heavy..

The expressions on the faces of the twelve figures changed just as well, their faces turning solemn..

"And what exactly is that?" One of the figures asked as the air between us stretched thin..

"That, there can only ever be one DANTE MOTHERFUCKING DRAVEN!" At that, we moved, all thirteen figures....

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

The entire arena exploded in wake of our movement as the next events promised carnage on a whole other level..

[DING!]

***********

A/N: I see the monkey is employing the "fight fire with fire" method, though I wonder how effective that’ll be..

************

Thanks for reading...