Mark’s eyes narrowed as he faced Ariel, a mixture of curiosity and challenge burning within him. “So… can you beat me?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying an unspoken dare.

Ariel smirked, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Let’s find out.” Before he could react, she launched forward, her punch striking with precision and force that sent him skidding back.

“You’ll see true speed,” she added, a rapid flurry of punches raining down like a storm, each movement almost too fast for the eye to follow. Sparks of electricity crackled along her fists as she aimed to overwhelm him.

Mark’s lips curled into a determined smile. “You think I can’t handle lightning?” In an instant, he returned the strike with his own surge of electricity, the energy crackling between them as the air hummed with power.

Not letting her escape, Mark conjured a shimmering cube of force, locking Ariel within its bounds. The fight had truly begun. They clashed with a violent rhythm, exchanging strikes, blows, and parries that tested every limit.

Mark’s hand shot out, grabbing a lock of Ariel’s hair and pulling her off balance. A sharp knee to her head followed, and then his fingers pressed against precise pressure points, sending jolts of stunning pain through her. Before she could even react, his fist drove upward, lifting her off the ground.

Ariel’s fall seemed inevitable, but Mark caught her effortlessly. He held her there for a moment, the tension between them electric, before gently returning her contact lenses.

“You truly are the prodigy of Iris,” she admitted, her voice a mix of respect and nostalgia.

Mark’s expression softened, just slightly. “I won’t hurt you any further… because you’re important to me.”

A small, wry smile curved Ariel’s lips. “If this were four to six years ago, I might have fallen for that.” And with that, she zipped away in a blur, leaving Mark alone.

He watched her go, his mind silent for a moment, before he muttered to himself, almost as if sealing a secret promise, “You are important… to my plan.”