Loa threw a punch. As if in a silent film, every sound vanished.
Even the air seemed to congeal, pressing down on everyone.
A sudden gale swept through the Testing Room, nearly knocking Ain off her feet.
But the surging air did not spread outward. Currents rushed against each other, forming one tornado-like vortex after another inside the room.
Visible whirlwinds spun through the room, carrying screws, metal scraps, and springs with them.
"What?!" Ain clapped her hands over her ringing ears. She could only stare, dumbfounded, at the test machine Loa had blown apart.
He had truly blown it apart!
All that remained where the machine had stood was a blackened blast mark. The massive, solid machine had disappeared, its pieces scattered across a dozen meters. Fragments studded the sturdy walls.
Loa had already thrown his punch when Zephyr began muttering to himself.
The explosion had taken a second to reach their ears because, at the instant Loa struck, his fist moved so fast that its pressure squeezed all the air away from the machine. It created a pseudo-vacuum through which sound could not travel.
It was nothing like what had happened with the Silverback Great Ape. The force of breaking the sound barrier could not compare to Loa's power to create a vacuum.
The displaced air became a gale, but before it could leave the room, atmospheric pressure drove it back. The two currents collided, creating the spectacular scene before them.
Clatter.
The Cigar fell from Zephyr's hand, but he did not notice. He only stared at Loa, whose sleeve had burst apart. His lips parted and closed, but no words came out.
Only eighty percent of his strength? Nonsense!
That punch alone proved Loa possessed every bit of Zephyr's strength!
The full physical strength of a Marine