Cooler Rising

Salza blocked Mammoth's blade between his hands. Mammoth yanked at the blade, trying to get it free, but it wouldn't budge. So he swerved himself and placed Salza between him and Ja.

Ja lunged forward, shouting "Boom Punch!" as he came. Salza smiled and let go of Mammoth's arm as Da came. Instead of hitting Salza, Da hit Mammoth. There was a loud crack as Mammoth's neck and head twisted from the blow.

"Hey!" Mammoth shouted. "Watch where you're fucking hitting, huh?"

Salza laughed. "Yeah, you should be more careful!" he said. "Here, watch this! Orange Blast!"

Salza's Orange Blast came out and hit Mammoth. The hairy man tried to push the blast away from him, but it wouldn't budge. And then Salza's blast dissipated.

Mammoth's body armour had totally dissolved from the pressure of the blast. The hairy man was still alive, but smoke was all around him from where his armour had been. Ja looked in amazement at his comrade.

"I could have killed you just now," Salza said. "But I didn't."

"Why did you let me live?" Mammoth said, his body shaking.

Salza flew up and struck the hairy man in the stomach, and then grabbed his throat. He formed an energy blade around his hand and laughed again. Fear was flashing across Mammoth's eyes, and his mouth was forming the words that would have been a plea for his life.

"Why, I did it so I could see you die with my own eyes," Salza said. "I suppose you would know what it's like to want to see people die with your own two eyes, wouldn't you?"

Mammoth nodded. And then Salza slit the hairy man's throat, and let go of the body. Salza let Mammoth's dead, limp body fall to the ground unhindered.

Salza flew back around and looked at Ja. "Now, I was dealing with you, wasn't I?" he said. "You're the strong one. Come and fight me harder than your friend did."

Ja smiled and lunged forward.