Solaris moved.
No warning. No signal. No growl.
Just a blur of black and metal—a shadow with purpose.
Before the Rangers could react, the hulking Dark Knight had already slashed them. His movements were so fast, they didn't even see it coming. But they sure felt it.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Three gleaming arcs of pain traced across their chests. Sparks burst from their suits as they were knocked backward, flying several feet before crashing into the hard pavement.
"ARGH—this fucker!" Connor gasped, clutching his chest as sparks flared from his armor. The pain hit deep—Solaris wasn't just fast, he was vicious.
Kira groaned, struggling to her feet. "What was that...?"
Ethan hissed as he rolled over, gripping his side. "Felt like a damn freight train with blades…"
Solaris stood tall amidst the chaos, his gleaming blade-arm humming with residual energy. He took a step forward, his voice dripping with amusement.
"You Rangers are far too weak… Perfect playthings for torture."
His voice was as cold as his steel, and just as sharp.
Ethan gritted his teeth, forcing himself up. "Aren't knights supposed to fight with honor?"
"Honor?" Solaris laughed—full and unhinged. "Honor is for the weak. I abandoned such delusions years ago." His voice darkened. "Enough talk. It's time for you all to die."
Kira and Ethan tensed, panic creeping into their movements. Solaris was different—stronger, smarter, and terrifyingly fast. Their minds raced. How were they going to fight someone this dangerous?
But before Solaris could move again—
CLANG!
Connor appeared in front of him, intercepting his blade with a savage parry using his Thundermax Saber. The impact echoed like a bell through the air.
The knight froze mid-attack, stunned.
"You—?" Solaris couldn't believe it. The Red Ranger had blocked him?
"I won't let you hurt anyone anymore," Connor growled, eyes narrowed behind his visor.
This wasn't the same hot-headed Connor from earlier in the week. Something had changed. There was a fire in him now—a burning rage not just at Solaris, but at himself. That feeling of being outclassed last week by the mysterious Omni-Ranger still gnawed at his pride. It haunted him.
He was the Red Ranger—the Tyranno-Ranger. The one who carried the spirit of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The apex predator. And yet, someone else had stood at the top of the food chain.
Unacceptable.
That humiliation had turned into fuel. Fuel that ignited something deeper in his Grid connection. That rage, that desperate need to reclaim dominance—it amplified his powers, especially his gem-given talent: Superspeed.
Now… Connor's speed was on a whole new level.
Solaris could sense it. He could feel it in Connor's stance, his aura.
And he didn't like it.
"Impossible… You're just a budling ranger!" Solaris snarled. "How dare you match me in speed! That's MY domain!"
They locked eyes—predator vs predator.
Then—
CLANG!!!
Blade met blade again in mid-air. Sparks flew like wildfire.
And then it was chaos.
In an instant, both disappeared—just afterimages left behind, flickering in and out of sight like ghosts. The clanging of their blades echoed around the streets like thunder.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each impact was bone-shaking. Both were moving faster than the human eye could follow. Blades collided in bursts of fury. Each strike had purpose. Each movement was lethal.
Connor twisted mid-air, flipped behind Solaris, and tried a sweep-kick, only for Solaris to vanish in a shimmer of black and reappear in a diving slash from above.
Connor blocked just in time, skidding backward on the street, his boots gouging into concrete.
"You're fast," Solaris spat, "but you're not BETTER."
Connor's grip tightened on his saber. "We'll see about that."
Backed into a corner emotionally and physically, Connor was fighting not just Solaris—but his own doubt. His desire to surpass Omni-Ranger. To prove that he was the one who belonged at the top. This fight wasn't just survival—it was vindication.
He turned his head briefly mid-dash, shouting to his teammates, "Guys! Help the civilians! Handle the rest of the Tyrannodrones! I'll take care of metal face here!"
Kira and Ethan looked at each other, startled by the sudden authority in his voice—but nodded.
"Got it!" Ethan said and took off toward the burning street where civilians screamed for help.
"Be careful, Connor!" Kira called back as she leaped into the fray alongside Ethan.
(Back on the Battlefield…)
"It's you and me now, Solaris," Connor said as he dropped into a fighting stance. "I promise I'll turn you into molten metal."
Solaris howled in fury. "HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ME?!"
"DIE!!!"
They both vanished again, blurs slashing through space like lightning.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The force of each strike sent out shockwaves, shattering windows and throwing debris everywhere. Sparks flew, metal shrieked. The battle was so fast that their fight had turned into a deadly dance of streaks—red and black flashing across the skyline like meteor trails.
Connor ducked, rolled, and uppercut Solaris with a blazing strike, sending the knight spiraling backward into a building.
CRASH!
Solaris burst from the rubble with a roar and launched a spinning blade-dash that would've sliced a building in half—Connor barely ducked beneath it, responding with a kick to Solaris' chest that knocked him skyward.
In the air, they clashed again—kicks, slashes, elbows. The street below was their battleground, and neither of them held back.
(Meanwhile – Across the Street)
Kira ducked under a flying piece of debris and blasted two Tyrannodrones off a flaming car.
"These guys don't quit," she muttered, leaping and spinning mid-air before landing a devastating Ptera Kick that blew three drones backward into a wall.
Ethan activated his shield. "Tyranno Shield!"
He slammed it into the ground, creating a barrier that stopped a wave of incoming drones from overwhelming fleeing civilians.
"We've got to finish this quick!" Kira shouted, firing rapid blasts from her Ptera Grips.
Ethan grunted as he shoulder-checked a drone into a fire hydrant. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more!"
They watched as Connor zipped past the sky above them again, locked in his duel with Solaris.
"Since when was he this strong?" Kira asked, eyes wide behind her visor.
Ethan ducked a swing and replied as he crushed a drone with his elbow. "I have no idea… but as long as it helps us beat the cranky knight, I'm more than fine with it."
Kira smirked beneath her helmet. "Fair enough. Let's deal with the remaining fossils."
She flipped and roundhouse-kicked two drones, calling out—
"PTERA GRIPS—FIRE!"
Ethan raised his shield.
"TYRANNO SHIELD—CHARGE!"
Together, they blasted through the remaining Tyrannodrones in a spectacular eruption of Grid energy.
(Back to Connor's Duel)
The two warriors landed on opposite ends of the street, both breathing heavily now. Their suits sparked. Their blades vibrated with overused energy. But neither relented.
Solaris' armor was cracked in places. One of his blade arms sparked erratically.
"You're… just a child…" Solaris hissed. "This should be… impossible…"
Connor stood tall. "I'm not just any Ranger. I am the Red-ranger. I'm the Tyranno-Ranger. And I don't lose to knock-off knights."
Solaris screamed in fury and charged with one last slash.
He charged, dragging one blade behind him, carving up the street. He leapt high—spinning mid-air—and activated a signature move.
"DARK FANG LACERATION!!!"
Connor activated his full Grid power. Red lightning coursed through his body, his suit glowing wildly.
"THUNDERMAX STRIKE!"
Their final attacks collided in mid-air—
BOOOOOM!!!
The resulting shockwave leveled cars, cracked buildings, and sent shockwaves across the entire block.
When the smoke cleared… only one figure stood.
Connor, panting heavily, lowered his saber. Solaris lay defeated, sparks sputtering from his chest.
"Try forging some honor in your next life…" Connor muttered.
But before he could move further, he heard a chilling voice. "We are not finished yet. Where did you think you were going?!
WHAT?!!!
--- ✦ ---
Meanwhile… On a Rooftop Nearby
Zayne Callahan stood silent; he had just arrived at the scene.
His Omni-Morpher glowed faintly as he watched the battlefield from above. His armor shimmered subtly beneath his coat.
He had seen everything.
Connor's growth. The team's struggle. The chaos of Mesogog's new strategy.
The city was falling into darkness.
His interface flickered.
[Emergency Mission Update: Kaiju-Class Threat Incoming – ETA: 3 Minutes]
Zayne narrowed his eyes.
"Figures," he muttered.
He turned, cape fluttering in the wind.
"Guess it's my turn."
--- ✦ ---
Hey guys, how are you all doing? What do you think about Connor's character development? Is it good or bad? I'm open to opinions.
Power Stones!!!!