Adopted Soldier

Alex who was being held by Rika used his new powers to summon a ball of flame and fired it at Rika. The strongest SS rank merc didn't even bother to dodge, after the change, not only did she gain new abilities, but her past abilities became even stronger. If she was already viewed as inhuman before, she was now practically a demi-God. 

She took the ball of flame without even flinching, her armor was also sturdy enough that it didn't melt from the heat. Her grip didn't loosen as she tried to speak to Alex. "I-" She wasn't even able to get one word out as Alex screamed at her. 

"Don't you dare say anything! You just go ahead and die!" This was the first time Alex felt this much rage, not even his sh*tty grandfather could elicit such rage from him. The others who knew what really happened between Rika and Lyner wanted to tell Alex, but their voices couldn't reach the enraged Alex.

Rika sighed as she let go of Alex's hands, and open her arms wide. This action of hers was asking Alex to come and hit her and she was willing to take it. 

"Are you mocking me?..." Alex's voice was low and gravely as his bloodlust was on the rise. This woman was challenging him. So without using any of his new abilities Alex charged forward and started to attack Rika. Punches and Kicks, Alex delivered each one with precision and speed. Even if Rika decided to dodge it would be pretty hard to do so.

Even though Alex could no longer enter the RELEASE state, he was able to use the new energy flowing within him to boost his physical abilities. Though this wasn't as good as full RELEASE, it was still able to be as good as normal RELEASE without any of the side effects.  

Alex's attacks were so strong that they were able to break Rika's armor, which revealed that she was wearing a simple blue shirt underneath said armor. Yet no matter how strong his attack was Rika didn't even flinch, and she didn't even move an inch from her spot. Her feet were planted steadily onto the ground like she was part of it. 

Alex then changed his attacks from pounding into slicing. He used his knife hand to attack Rika. Alex's knife hand was just as sharp as any bladed weapon, so as he attacked Rika's neck he was sure that it would be sliced open, but the moment his hand came into contact with Rika's neck he couldn't even make a shallow wound. 

This made Alex angrier as he started concentrating on attacking Rika's head. Yet even as her head kept bouncing around Rika's expression remained full of resolve. Alex who was slowly calming down noticed that Rika wasn't mocking him and was actually being serious. 

Rika who was being hit relentlessly by Alex looked like Alex's attacks were doing nothing to her, but in truth, she was really hurting. Aside from Lyner, this was the only other time someone was able to hurt her. Still, she stood tall and unmoving as she understood Alex's anger as a student of Lyner's.

In fact, she appreciated this anger and hatred. Ever since she killed Lyner everyone of his friends and acquaintances treated her kindly. They kept on saying thank you instead of showering her with insults. Even Lyner's wife who should hate her the most, instead of treating her as an enemy she was treated as a friend, in fact right now she was her best friend. 

Rika fully welcomed this amount of pain and suffering, as long as she doesn't die she would allow Alex to hurt her as much as possible.

Alex was now a bit calmer as he distanced himself from Rika, he then took the same stance he used when he killed his grandfather. Yet this time his fist was coated with earth, wind, and fire, this was currently Alex's strongest attack. Even Rika who had an extreme level of toughness, won't be able to withstand this move. 

Rika noticing that this one attack wasn't something she could handle without doing anything, gathered electricity and allowed it to flow through her body. In that form, as an electric current surrounded her Rika looked like a divine Goddess. 

Alex who was done preparing dashed forward his fist containing everything he had. Rika lifted both her arms to block the incoming attack. The moment the two clashed, Rika felt that she was on the losing end. The power of this attack was beyond anything she has ever experienced before. 

She could feel death so close, in fact as she was blocking the attack she had a thought, maybe this was her fate, to die in the hands of one of Lyner's students. When she was about to allow Alex's attack to hit her, Rika remembered Hina. Didn't she promise not to make that girl sad? Wasn't she waiting for her to come back home?

'I'm sorry Sir Lyner I won't be able to join you in Vallhalla just yet.' Rika with renewed vigor was able to divert Alex's attack. After his attack failed Alex was able to fully calm down as he looked at Rika and said one word. 

"Why?"