Chapter 749: This Is My Vow

The moment Stephen fell to the ground and the exoskeleton attached itself to Aaron’s arms, Monk charged forward.

He had no idea what had just happened or what Stephen had given Aaron, but the interruption clearly annoyed him.

"And now these losers all around us are getting involved in our damned fight!" Monk screamed. "What the heck is the point of them even being here?"

Monk raised his fist and swung it down.

However, he wasn’t aiming at Aaron.

His target was Stephen, who was already lying helplessly on the ground.

Before the fist could strike him, an electrified baton moved into its path. Aaron had reacted in time, placing himself between Stephen and the attack. The electrical power surrounding the baton intensified as Monk’s fist collided with it.

The two forces pushed against each other, stopping Monk’s punch in place.

Aaron immediately swung his second baton.

For the first time since their fight had begun, one of his attacks landed cleanly across Monk’s face.

Monk’s head tilted to the side, but the rest of his body barely moved from its position. If anything, he appeared more surprised than hurt by what had just happened.

"That was strong," Monk said as he turned his head back towards Aaron. "And the speed as well. You’re faster than before."

His attention shifted to Aaron’s arms.

"Is it that stupid device that person put on you?"

Aaron was still surprised by what Stephen had done.

Someone had protected his back. More than that, someone was supporting him in the only way they could, trusting Aaron to finish the fight in their place.

It was something Aaron had never truly experienced before.

Even when he had been part of the Black Hand, Aaron had always been alone. He had worked within the group, but he had never felt as though he could rely on the people around him.

Things had felt different after he became involved with the Stern family. He had felt warmth from its members, but at the same time, he had always believed there was a distance between them that he couldn’t cross.

Aaron had convinced himself that he was carrying out a solo mission. It was his responsibility to protect Max and everyone around him. He was supposed to be the one supporting others, never the person who needed their support.

Yet now, when he had nearly reached his limit, Stephen had come to help him.

The other Rangers had continued fighting as well, pushing themselves until they no longer had the strength to stand. They hadn’t left everything for Aaron to deal with by himself.

"These people are putting their faith in me!" Aaron declared. "I need to return the favour. It’s because of them that I can keep fighting!"

Aaron thrust both batons straight ahead.

The exoskeleton powered his arms and propelled him forward. Both batons struck Monk directly in the chest, releasing their electrical power on impact.

Monk was pushed backwards, but only slightly.

His body truly was like an iron wall.

Aaron didn’t allow that to shake his confidence. With renewed determination, he continued pressing forward.

He swung one baton down from above. Monk raised his forearm and blocked the strike before attempting to respond with a punch of his own.

Aaron swung his other baton at the perfect moment.

The weapon collided directly with Monk’s knuckles, stopping his fist before it could reach him. For a moment, the two of them remained locked in place, neither able to overpower the other.

Then the exchange continued.

Aaron’s batons swung repeatedly while Monk answered with his fists. Strike after strike collided between them, yet neither fighter gave up any ground.

The sight was solid proof that Monk, the current Rank One of the Black Hand, had become more than an ordinary human.

Aaron had already reached the peak of what a human body was capable of achieving. With the exoskeleton increasing his strength and speed, he had become far more powerful than before.

Despite that, he and Monk were only on equal footing.

If he’s superhuman, then he must have a special trait like the others, Aaron thought. But from what I can gather, his trait might be similar to Max’s.

Monk hadn’t displayed a strange or specialised ability. Instead, every aspect of his body appeared to have been improved beyond normal human limits.

He’s an all-rounder. Strength, speed—everything about him is superior to an ordinary person. And because of how skilled he already is, that type of ability is perfect for him.

Monk had trained his body and fighting skills relentlessly. An ability that improved all of his physical attributes only made his existing strengths more dangerous.

Aaron had enough experience to understand how evenly matched the fight had become. It didn’t feel as though either of them would suddenly gain the advantage through strength alone.

The outcome would be decided by the first person to make a mistake.

Unfortunately, Aaron felt that person would be him.

His current strength came from borrowed power. The exoskeleton was allowing him to match Monk, but it wasn’t truly part of his body.

There was a good chance Monk would eventually figure that out. Once he did, he might try to target the exoskeleton directly. If even one part of the device was damaged during the fight, the difference between them would immediately become clear.

Without its support, Aaron already knew who would win.

An obsession—is that why he’s managed to push beyond his own human limits? Aaron wondered. If that’s true, does it mean my own will isn’t strong enough?

Their weapons and fists continued to clash as Aaron searched for the answer.

With every swing of his batons, memories began returning to him.

He thought about attending the Stern family’s funeral. He remembered watching over Max and seeing how his family treated him at every event.

He remembered Max waking up in the hospital after nearly dying and how everything had changed from that moment onward.

Aaron remembered the party and how Max had stood up for him. He remembered Max making the decision to change and fight against everything waiting ahead of him.

Most importantly, Aaron remembered the moment he had chosen to become a part of it all.

He hadn’t remained beside Max because of an order or because he had nowhere else to go. He had made a promise.

I promised to protect Max.

That promise had guided every decision Aaron made. It was the reason he had trained, fought and placed himself in danger again and again.

That is my Vow. That is my promise. And to fulfil it, I need to get rid of the person standing in front of me!

A strange static charge began spreading across Aaron’s body.

His hair slowly rose as energy gathered inside him. It continued to build, growing stronger as it travelled through every part of his body.

Aaron could feel the power increasing, but this energy wasn’t coming from the exoskeleton. It was something that belonged to him.

The charge rushed into both of his batons.

Aaron tightened his grip and swung one down towards Monk. As expected, Monk raised his forearm to block the attack.

The instant the baton made contact, a powerful surge erupted from the weapon.

There was a deafening bang, like an explosion of lightning.

The electrical force blasted Monk’s arm away, breaking through his defence for the first time.

"What the heck was that?" Monk asked.

He looked down at his arm. The clothing covering it had been torn apart, and the skin underneath appeared almost scorched black from the attack.

The batons in Aaron’s hands continued surging with power. Electricity constantly flowed around them as though they were permanently active, no longer needing to build up between strikes.

Aaron held both weapons tightly and stared directly at Monk.

"This is my Vow."