The streets were quiet in the aftermath of the storm. The air was still thick with the scent of rain and ozone, and the puddles that had formed reflected the dull, gray sky. Josh, Lauri, and William walked cautiously through the city, their senses heightened after the intense battle with Justin Jupiter.

  Josh tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, his eyes scanning their surroundings. The memory of Justin's defeat still played vividly in his mind. They had barely made it out alive, and the thought of encountering another adversary so soon was unsettling.

  Lauri, always perceptive, could sense her brother's unease. She gently nudged him with her elbow, offering a small, reassuring smile. "We'll be okay," she said quietly, her voice calm despite the tension in the air. "We've faced worse."

  William, leading the way with an air of practiced confidence, didn't say anything, but the way his eyes flickered over every shadow showed he was just as wary. The three of them had fought together long enough to know when something wasn't right.

  They rounded a corner, and Josh's heart skipped a beat. Standing in the middle of the street, silhouetted against the dim light, was a figure. The man was tall, with a casual, almost relaxed posture. As they approached, he turned to face them, revealing a broad grin that seemed out of place in the current situation.

  "Now, this is what I call a welcoming committee," the man said, his voice dripping with amusement. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous light, as if he found the entire scenario hilarious.

  William immediately stepped forward, his hand twitching as he prepared to manipulate the metal in his surroundings. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

  The man laughed, a light, carefree sound that only served to unsettle the group further. "Name's Lojan Mackimee," he said, giving them a mock salute. "And you three must be the famous troublemakers I've heard so much about. Josh, Lauri, and the legendary William Dangerfield. Quite the lineup."

  Josh exchanged a confused glance with Lauri. Lojan's tone was friendly, even playful, but there was something in his eyes that made Josh's skin crawl.

  "What do you want?" Lauri asked, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up her spine.

  Lojan's grin widened. "Oh, nothing much. Just thought I'd drop by and say hello." His eyes flicked to Josh's sword. "Nice blade, by the way. Bet it's seen its fair share of action."

  Before Josh could respond, Lojan moved—faster than any of them could react. In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them and lashed out, his fist connecting with Josh's gut. The impact sent Josh sprawling to the ground, gasping for air.

  "Josh!" Lauri cried out, electricity sparking at her fingertips as she prepared to retaliate.

  But Lojan was already moving, ducking under her strike with an almost lazy grace. He grabbed her wrist and twisted, forcing her to drop to her knees with a sharp gasp of pain.

  William didn't waste a second. With a flick of his hand, he sent a wave of metal shards hurtling toward Lojan, the sharp edges gleaming menacingly. But Lojan simply laughed, a wild, joyous sound, and let the shards slam into him.

  The force of the impact sent Lojan stumbling back, and for a moment, it looked as though William's attack had done its job. But then, to their horror, they watched as Lojan's wounds began to heal almost instantly, the metal shards being pushed out of his flesh as the skin knitted itself back together.

  "Nice try," Lojan said, brushing off the blood as if it were nothing more than dust. "But you're going to have to do better than that."

  Josh struggled to his feet, his vision still swimming from the blow. "What... what are you?" he panted, disbelief coloring his voice.

  Lojan tilted his head, his grin turning wicked. "Me? I'm just a guy who can't stay down. Regeneration's a hell of a trick, don't you think?"

  William's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "So, you can't die?"

  Lojan chuckled. "Not by conventional means, no. I've been shot, stabbed, blown up, you name it. But here I am, still in one piece. Kinda makes me wonder what it would take to actually put me down for good."

  Lauri gritted her teeth, her mind frantically searching for a way out of this. They had faced powerful enemies before, but someone who could just shrug off any injury? This was a whole new level of danger.

  Lojan seemed to sense her anxiety, and his grin softened into something almost kind. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not here to kill you. Not yet, anyway."

  With a sudden, brutal motion, Lojan drove his fist into William's gut, doubling him over. "I'm just here to have a little fun," he said, almost as if it were an afterthought.

  William coughed, struggling to stay upright, but Lojan's strength was overwhelming. As he hit the ground, Lojan took a step back and surveyed his work, a satisfied look on his face.

  "Man, you guys are more fun than I thought," he said, laughing once more. He raised a hand in mock surrender, as if he were about to walk away. "Tell you what, I'll give you a little break. Catch your breath, lick your wounds, and then we'll see what you're really made of."

  Josh, Lauri, and William stared at him, still reeling from the unexpected attack. But before any of them could respond, Lojan turned on his heel and started to walk away, whistling a cheerful tune.

  He paused, just for a moment, and looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't worry," he said, his grin widening. "I'll be back. You can count on it."

  And with that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving the three of them battered, confused, and more than a little terrified.

  Josh finally managed to catch his breath, his mind racing as he tried to process what had just happened. "What... what the hell do we do now?"

  William slowly got to his feet, wincing as he did. "We figure out a way to stop him," he said, his voice grim. "Because if we don't, I don't think we're going to survive the next round."

  Lauri nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "We'll figure it out. We have to."

  But as they stood there, the weight of Lojan's promise hanging over them, one thing was clear—they were facing an enemy unlike any they had encountered before. And the fight was far from over.

  The city blurred by in a whirl of neon lights and rain-slicked streets as Josh, Lauri, and William sped away from the scene of their encounter with Lojan Mackimee. The car's tires screeched against the wet pavement, and Josh's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. His mind was a chaotic storm of thoughts, none of which he could fully grasp.

  "Did that guy just...walk it off like nothing happened?" Josh finally broke the silence, his voice tinged with disbelief.

  Lauri, sitting beside him, nodded, her brows furrowed in concern. "I don't get it. We hit him with everything we had, and he just—laughed it off."

  William, who was leaning back in the passenger seat, his eyes narrowed in thought, finally spoke up. "Regeneration like that... it's on another level. The guy's practically immortal."

  Josh shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "But why? What does he want with us? We're not even in the Power Royale; this is just supposed to be about the lottery."

  William sighed, rubbing his temple. "It doesn't matter what it's supposed to be about. Guys like Lojan... they don't care about the rules. They just want to stir things up, cause chaos. And if he's after the lottery ticket, that means he's going to keep coming after us until he gets it."

  Josh's heart sank at the realization. The Power Lottery was supposed to be their chance to change their lives, to finally get out of the shadows of the Power Royale. But now, it seemed like they were in deeper than ever.

  As they drove through the city, the rain began to let up, leaving the streets glistening under the streetlights. The silence in the car was heavy, each of them lost in their thoughts, trying to figure out their next move.

  Suddenly, there was a loud crash above them, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the roof of the car. The impact was so sudden that Josh nearly lost control of the vehicle, swerving wildly before he managed to bring it to a screeching halt.

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  "What the hell was that?!" Lauri exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

  Before anyone could answer, a familiar voice rang out, muffled by the metal roof above them. "Oops! My bad! Forgot I was up here!"

  Josh and Lauri exchanged a bewildered look before they both slowly turned their gazes upward. A loud thump echoed through the car as the figure on the roof shifted, and then, with a sharp screech of metal, Lojan Mackimee's grinning face appeared upside down in the windshield, peering in at them.

  "Hey there!" Lojan said cheerfully, as if he were greeting old friends. "Hope I didn't startle ya!"

  Josh's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Lojan?! How the hell—"

  "Fell off a building!" Lojan interrupted, as if that explained everything. He flashed them a bright, toothy smile. "Forgot where I was for a second. Happens a lot. But hey, here we are!"

  Lauri's eyes narrowed as she glared at Lojan through the windshield. "What do you want, Lojan? Why are you following us?"

  Lojan's smile never wavered as he tilted his head, his gaze zeroing in on Josh. "Oh, that's easy! I'm here for the lottery ticket, of course!"

  Josh blinked, taken aback. "The lottery ticket? But... why?"

  Lojan grinned even wider, as if the answer was obvious. "Because I wanna be rich, duh! Think about it—500 million dollars? That's a lot of zeroes! And with that kind of money, I can finally live my dream!"

  "And what dream is that?" William asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Lojan's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "Big-breasted goth girls! Like, all the time! Just imagine—being surrounded by hot, big-breasted goth girls 24/7, eating whatever I want, doing whatever I want. It's paradise!"

  Josh, Lauri, and William stared at him in stunned silence, their brains struggling to process what they had just heard.

  "That's... your dream?" Josh finally managed to ask, his voice incredulous.

  Lojan nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! It's all I've ever wanted. And now that I'm so close to the prize, I'm not gonna let anyone get in my way. So, how about you just hand over the ticket, and we'll call it a day, yeah?"

  Lauri clenched her fists, electricity crackling at her fingertips. "You're insane if you think we're just going to give it to you."

  Lojan's expression turned almost childlike in its innocence. "Aw, come on, don't be like that. We could share it! I mean, you guys seem pretty cool. We could all be rich and have big-breasted goth girls together!"

  William snorted. "Not interested."

  Josh's mind was racing. This guy was completely off his rocker, but he was also dangerously powerful. They couldn't just hand over the ticket, but fighting Lojan again, especially in their current state, didn't seem like a winning strategy either.

  Before Josh could figure out what to do, Lojan's grin faded slightly, and a more serious expression crossed his face. "Look, I get it. You guys have been through a lot. But I'm not gonna stop until I get what I want. So, why don't you make this easy on yourselves?"

  Josh exchanged a glance with Lauri and William, both of whom were ready for a fight. But then, an idea flickered in Josh's mind—an idea so crazy it might just work.

  "Alright, Lojan," Josh said slowly, lowering his hands from the steering wheel. "We'll give you the ticket..."

  Lauri and William both turned to him, shock and confusion on their faces, but Josh gave them a slight, almost imperceptible nod.

  Lojan's eyes lit up. "Really? Just like that?"

  "Sure," Josh continued, his voice calm and steady. "But first, you've gotta come down here and get it from me. Fair enough?"

  Lojan blinked, as if considering it. "Alright," he said finally, hopping off the roof and landing lightly on the ground beside the car. "Let's see that ticket, then."

  Josh reached into his jacket, his fingers brushing against the old, worn paper of the lottery ticket. But even as he did, his mind was focused on something else entirely—on the sword in its sheath beside him.

  As Lojan stepped closer, Josh's hand tightened around the hilt of the blade, his heart pounding in his chest. This was it—their only chance to catch Lojan off guard.

  The moment Lojan leaned in, Josh moved. In a flash, he unsheathed the sword and slashed at Lojan's midsection. The blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle, slicing into Lojan's flesh.

  For a split second, Lojan looked down at the wound, his expression one of surprise. But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the cut began to close, the flesh knitting itself back together with terrifying speed.

  Lojan's surprised expression melted back into his trademark grin. "Oh man, that was a good one! You almost had me there!"

  Josh's heart sank as he realized that his plan had failed. There was no stopping this guy—not with brute force, anyway.

  But then, something unexpected happened. Lojan doubled over, clutching his stomach as if in pain. His grin turned into a grimace, and he stumbled backward, falling to his knees.

  "What... what did you do to me?" Lojan gasped, his voice strained.

  Josh stared at him, confusion and hope warring within him. "I... I don't know. I just..."

  And then it hit him. The sword. The sword his father had left him. It wasn't just any sword—it had some kind of power, something that could affect even someone like Lojan.

  Lojan, still kneeling on the ground, let out a pained laugh. "Well... looks like I underestimated you guys. But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

  With a final, pained grunt, Lojan pushed himself to his feet, his grin returning despite the obvious pain he was in. "I'll be back. And next time, I won't be so easy to beat."

  With that, he turned and staggered away into the night, leaving Josh, Lauri, and William standing there, bewildered but relieved.

  "Did we... did we actually win?" Lauri asked, her voice tentative.

  Josh slowly lowered the sword, still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. "I... I think so."

  William, ever the realist, shook his head. "This isn't over. Lojan's not the kind of guy to give up that easily. We need to be ready for when he comes back."

  Josh nodded, his grip tightening on the sword once more. "Yeah. But at least now, we know we've got a fighting chance."

  As the three of them climbed back into the car, their minds racing with the implications of what had just happened, one thing was certain: the fight for the Power Lottery was far from over. And with enemies like Lojan Mackimee on their trail, they were going to need every advantage they could get.

  The night was eerily quiet as Josh, Lauri, and William continued their journey, their car cutting through the dark, empty streets. The tension inside the vehicle was palpable, each of them on edge after their last encounter with Lojan Mackimee. They had managed to fend him off, but the lingering fear that he would return haunted them.

  Lauri, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Josh. "You think he's really gone this time?"

  Josh, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, shook his head. "No. Guys like Lojan don't just disappear. He's still out there. We just don't know when he's going to show up again."

  William, in the backseat, leaned forward, his tone grim. "When he does, we need to be ready. That sword of yours is the only thing that seems to work on him, but even that's not enough to put him down for good."

  Lauri clenched her fists. "He's like a cockroach—no matter what we do, he keeps coming back."

  Josh sighed, trying to suppress the anxiety gnawing at him. "Let's just focus on getting to the next safe spot. The longer we stay on the move, the harder it'll be for him to find us."

  But as if on cue, there was a sudden loud bang on the roof of the car, the same sound they had heard before. Josh's heart skipped a beat, and he slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt.

  "No way..." Lauri whispered, her eyes wide with dread.

  The three of them quickly exited the car, weapons at the ready. They didn't have to wait long to find out what—or rather, who—had hit them. With a grin plastered on his face, Lojan Mackimee dropped from the roof, landing in front of them with a casual, almost bored demeanor.

  "Miss me?" Lojan asked, flashing his usual cocky smile.

  Josh stepped forward, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. "You're like a bad penny, Lojan. Why can't you just leave us alone?"

  Lojan chuckled, shaking his head. "Leave you alone? Nah, you guys are too much fun! Besides, you've got something I want."

  "We're not giving you the ticket!" Lauri snapped, her fingers crackling with electricity.

  Lojan's grin widened. "That's what I thought you'd say. Guess we'll have to do this the hard way again."

  In the blink of an eye, Lojan charged at them, his speed catching them off guard. But this time, they were ready. Josh unsheathed his sword and slashed at Lojan, cutting deep into his torso. Lojan barely flinched, even as the wound started to heal almost immediately.

  "Nice try, but you're going to have to do better than that," Lojan taunted, lunging at Josh.

  Before he could reach him, William raised his hand, and the metal from a nearby streetlamp twisted and shot toward Lojan, wrapping around his limbs and binding him in place. Lojan struggled against the restraints, but the metal only tightened around him.

  "Gotcha!" William said with a smirk. But the victory was short-lived.

  With a roar of defiance, Lojan flexed his muscles, snapping the metal restraints like they were made of paper. In the same motion, he swung at William, who barely managed to throw up a shield of metal to protect himself.

  Lauri seized the opportunity, sending a surge of electricity into Lojan's body. The energy crackled and danced around him, forcing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably. For a moment, it seemed like they had him. But then, with an almost maniacal laugh, Lojan broke free, his body smoking from the attack but still standing.

  "You guys don't know when to quit, do you?" Lojan said, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip as the wound healed instantly.

  Josh knew they were running out of options. He couldn't keep up with Lojan's relentless regeneration, and neither could Lauri or William. They needed to end this, and fast.

  "Lauri, William!" Josh called out. "We need to take him down—completely!"

  Understanding flashed in their eyes, and the three of them moved in sync. Josh slashed at Lojan's legs, severing them at the knees. William followed up with a metal spike, driving it through Lojan's chest and pinning him to the ground. Lauri's electricity crackled through the air, frying what was left of Lojan's nerves.

  Lojan let out a howl of pain but didn't stop smiling. "Wow... you guys really went all out this time."

  Josh's sword flashed again, severing Lojan's arms at the shoulders, leaving him as little more than a limbless torso on the ground. Even then, Lojan laughed, blood staining his teeth as he grinned up at them.

  "You... you really did it," Lojan wheezed, his chest heaving as he tried to regenerate, but the damage was too extensive for even his body to keep up with. "I'm a... nugget now!"

  Josh took a step back, breathing heavily, as he looked down at the pitiful sight before them. "Lojan... just give up. It's over."

  But Lojan, ever the jokester, chuckled weakly. "Nah... not yet... How about we make a deal?"

  "A deal?" Lauri asked incredulously, sparks still crackling at her fingertips. "You're in no position to negotiate."

  Lojan winced, the pain evident in his voice, but he didn't lose that infuriating grin. "Look... you guys are strong, I'll give you that. But you're also smart. You know I'm just going to keep coming back, no matter what you do. So why not save yourselves the trouble?"

  Josh exchanged a look with Lauri and William, uncertain of where Lojan was going with this.

  "Here's the deal," Lojan continued. "You give me 10 million out of that sweet 500 million jackpot, and I'll join you guys. I mean, let's face it—500 million is a lot of dough, more than enough to go around. Plus, having someone like me on your side? That's got to be worth something, right?"

  Josh frowned, considering the offer. He had to admit, the thought of never having to fight Lojan again was tempting. And having him as an ally, especially with his regeneration, could be useful. But could they really trust him?

  "How do we know you won't just stab us in the back?" William asked, voicing the concern they all shared.

  Lojan's grin softened into something almost sincere. "Look, man... I'm all about having a good time, but I'm not a total idiot. If I'm on your team, I'm on your team. Besides, there's plenty of other people out there who'll want that ticket. You're gonna need all the help you can get."

  Josh hesitated, weighing their options. They could refuse, but then they'd just have to keep dealing with Lojan's constant attacks. Or they could take the risk and accept his offer, hoping he'd stay true to his word.

  Finally, Josh lowered his sword and nodded. "Alright, Lojan. You've got a deal. But if you double-cross us, we'll make sure you won't regenerate next time."

  Lojan's grin returned in full force. "You've got yourself a nugget, then! Just patch me up, and we'll get this show on the road!"

  As Lauri and William exchanged wary looks, Josh crouched down beside Lojan, his hand resting on the stump of what used to be his arm. With a sigh, he watched as Lojan's flesh slowly began to regenerate, his limbs growing back inch by inch.

  They had made a deal with the devil, but with Lojan now on their side, their chances of surviving the Power Lottery had just gone up. But as Josh stood up and looked at his new, bizarre ally, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here on out.