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He'd almost forgotten what it was like, this feeling just before a big fight--the kind of fight that he wasn't a hundred percent sure he could win.

There was a time when he hated this feeling. That was only normal, after all. The fear alone tended to overwhelm the inexperienced. The unenlightened.

Fear was the catalyst. The focal point. The most beautiful and fleeting feeling of all.

Even at his age, the effects of fear on the body were remarkable. The fight-or-flight response. Such a marvelous achievement of evolution. It deserved so much more appreciation than it ever received.

In many ways, that was Morgunov's greatest philosophical motivation for everything that he did. Every goal he chose to pursue in the world, every change he tried to bring out.

The spreading of fear. There was no greater teacher than fear. Everyone seemed to loathe it, but the more people who came to appreciate it, the better off this world would be. On that point, he held absolute conviction.

Perhaps one day, the world would come to understand that and commend his efforts.

Eheh. Okay, yeah, probably not. But it would definitely remember his efforts, at least. Maybe that would be enough.

At the moment, however, as he watched the Mk. III dwindling into the distance, the only thing on Morgunov's mind was who would appear next. Who would it be? Who had come to challenge him? Iceheart was the most likely candidate, of course, but he was hoping--

His head twitched as he sensed a surge of power in the distance. Something bolted across the sky. Not a person. Just a pocket of power moving at lightning speed.

It struck the Robert Mk. III with Asad in it.

Morgunov saw the distant explosion, then the Robert tumbling down into the sand.

And the Mad Demon's smile, the expression that normally came so easily to him, disappeared. His brow lowered, and he squinted.

This was another thing that had not happened in a very long time.

He felt irritated.

Genuine, unmitigated annoyance.

Whoever had just done that... they were about to have a bad day, Morgunov decided.