Shimisu found himself darting through the dense foliage of the forest, his heart racing with adrenaline as he sought to evade his pursuers.
"This might have been a bad idea!!!" he exclaimed breathlessly, his voice echoing through the trees as he pushed himself to go faster.
In a flash of memory, Shimisu recalled the harrowing encounter with the Tin Man and the Lion, the intensity of their pursuit still fresh in his mind.
After the Tin Man had thrown him through the trees and pinned him down, Shimisu had managed to escape using a clever smoke bomb diversion.
"Shiiit..." he muttered as he landed next to the Tin Man's axe, his mind racing with thoughts of survival.
But before he could formulate a plan, the Tin Man was upon him again, lifting him effortlessly by the neck with his formidable strength.
"Hey there!" Shimisu quipped nervously, his eyes darting around for any possible escape route.
As the Tin Man's axe magnetized into his hand, Shimisu's heart pounded in his chest, his breaths coming in rapid succession as he struggled to think of a way out.
"D-Do you have eyes?" Shimisu stammered, his voice tinged with desperation as he sought to distract his captor.
"Yes," the Tin Man replied simply, his metallic voice devoid of emotion as he tightened his grip on Shimisu's neck.
"Good! Smoke bomb!" Shimisu exclaimed, his fingers fumbling for the small explosive device in his pocket.
With a deft motion, Shimisu ignited the smoke bomb, creating a thick cloud of smoke that enveloped them both in a veil of obscurity.
"Ambush?!" the Tin Man exclaimed, his confusion evident as he released Shimisu, who wasted no time in making his escape.
"Later, sucker!" Shimisu called out triumphantly as he fled into the dense undergrowth, his heart pounding with exhilaration.
As he ran, Shimisu couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at having evaded his pursuers, if only momentarily.
"I made it far away from that damn kingdom! But I do need to find a way to loop around back to help Pyta," Shimisu thought to himself, his mind already formulating a plan of action.
But his moment of respite was short-lived as he felt a sudden tug at his collar, pulling him back with surprising force.
"What the- HECK!!!" Shimisu exclaimed, his words cut short as he found himself ensnared in the iron grip of the Tin Man once again.
"You can't run!" the Tin Man declared ominously, his eyes gleaming with determination as he raised his axe high above his head.
Shimisu, however, refused to go down without a fight, his mind racing with possibilities as he searched for a way out of his predicament.
"I heard stories about you! You're that homicidal robot thing... what are you exactly? You don't seem like a robot..." Shimisu remarked, his voice laced with curiosity despite the gravity of the situation.
"I'm a tin man!" the Tin Man replied bluntly, his grip tightening around Shimisu's neck as he prepared to deliver the final blow.
But Shimisu was not one to go down without a fight, his determination shining through as he unleashed his explosive magic with a single touch.
"Explosion Magic: Loose Canon!" Shimisu declared, his voice echoing through the forest as a massive explosion engulfed them both in a blinding flash of light.
As the smoke cleared, revealing the devastation wrought by the explosion, Shimisu found himself still in the clutches of the Tin Man, his axe poised to strike.
"He's still holding me?" Shimisu thought incredulously, his mind racing with possibilities as he braced himself for the inevitable confrontation that lay ahead.
Shimisu quickly scrambled to his feet, his mind racing as he assessed the situation.
"Why didn't you hit me?" Shimisu demanded, his voice tinged with curiosity as he eyed the Tin Man warily.
A tear of blood streamed down the Tin Man's left eye, his metallic frame trembling slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure.
"That's one of the side effects of me having a heart," the Tin Man explained, his voice strained with emotion as he struggled to articulate his thoughts.
"You cry? I don't think that's what hearts do..." Shimisu remarked incredulously, his brow furrowing with confusion as he tried to make sense of the Tin Man's words.
"Hearts are meant to represent emotion. I have a heart!" the Tin Man declared defiantly, his words echoing through the clearing as he sought to assert his humanity.
"Ooooook-" Shimisu began, but before he could finish his thought, the Lion suddenly leaped out of a nearby bush, pinning him to the ground with surprising force.
"Did you forget about me?" the Lion growled menacingly, his eyes flashing with fury as he gazed down at Shimisu.
"Totally!" Shimisu admitted with a nervous laugh, his heart pounding in his chest as he struggled to break free from the Lion's grip.
But before he could devise a plan of escape, the Lion suddenly grew in size, his formidable form casting a shadow over Shimisu as he loomed menacingly overhead.
"So you're scared of me?" the Lion taunted, his voice dripping with malice as he tightened his grip on Shimisu's shoulders.
But before Shimisu could respond, an explosion erupted between them, sending the Lion flying through the air and crashing into the ground next to the Tin Man with a resounding thud.
Shimisu wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to escape, scrambling to his feet and darting away from his fallen adversaries with renewed determination.
As he disappeared into the dense foliage of the forest, Shimisu couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins, his mind racing with thoughts of the battles that lay ahead.
Tin Man's metal fingers closed around his quarry.
Shimisu staggered upright, confusion etching lines on his face.
"What happened to me? I feel weaker!" Shimisu's voice trembled with uncertainty.
The Lion's amber eyes gleamed with triumph. "I've honed my mana into a passive ability! The more fear you harbor for me, the more formidable I become, and the more feeble you grow."
"Marvelous. A mere gimmick!" Shimisu's disdain dripped from his words.
The Lion's fangs bared in a predatory grin. "You shan't reclaim your power until I lie vanquished!"
"Seems it's not just the M.A.G.I.C. folk who resort to such tactics," Shimisu retorted.
With a swift motion, Shimisu hurled a viscous, green sphere at the Tin Man. As it struck, the sphere detonated, ensnaring the metallic figure in a sticky cocoon.
"A sticky bomb. It'll hold you in place for a while," Shimisu declared triumphantly.
"I'll rend you limb from limb!" The Lion's roar reverberated through the air.
Launching himself at Shimisu, the Lion's massive form bore down upon him.
"Whoa-" Shimisu's protest was cut short as the Lion's jaws clamped around his arm.
"Agh-" Shimisu winced in pain.
Beside the immobilized Tin Man, Denshin began to weave a frenetic melody on his guitar.
"Get off me!" Shimisu's voice rose in desperation.
Summoning his dwindling strength, Shimisu triggered an explosion from his arm. Yet, instead of harming the Lion, it merely caused him to recoil, relinquishing his grip.
"Seriously? Now my explosions are weaker?" Shimisu lamented.
With renewed fury, the Lion resumed his assault, each swipe sapping Shimisu's strength as he evaded the onslaught with increasingly labored movements.
"This... Isn't good..." Shimisu's voice wavered as he danced on the edge of exhaustion.
Collapsing to the ground, Shimisu resembled nothing more than a frail wisp of a man.
"I have no choice but to yield to these assaults. If I weren't afraid, I'd confront them head-on..." Shimisu's thoughts echoed in the silence.
The Lion, now towering over Shimisu, advanced with ominous intent.
"I know you're capable of more, but alas, you're shackled by your own fear. Prepare to be devoured!" The Lion's voice dripped with malice.
Suddenly, a look of bewilderment crossed the Lion's face, his gaze drawn to a new presence.
"Who the—" The Lion's words caught in his throat as he beheld Denshin and his vibrant yellow scarf.
"Denshin Mottosaku!" Denshin's voice rang out confidently.
"D-D-D-D-DENSHIN!?" The Lion's stammer betrayed his shock.
With a final flourish, Denshin's guitar erupted into flames, casting a brilliant blaze against the night sky.
"Denshin? The demon lord?... What the hell..." Shimisu's disbelief hung heavy in the air.
"I was watching you for a while, Lion! I even came down and played my guitar!!! But my guitar broke..." Denshin's words carried an eerie weight as his scarf shifted to a foreboding shade of purple.
"You can't be the real Denshin..." The Lion's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"But yes, I am, and as my scarf now bears witness, I am brimming with malice," Denshin affirmed, his tone laced with a chilling resolve.
"Wait—No... Please..." The Lion's plea fell on deaf ears as Denshin advanced, his aura pulsating with dark energy.
Being such a seasoned practitioner of magic myself, I can perfectly replicate any magic technique I witness. Meaning... This isn't going to end well for you," Denshin declared ominously.
"No—PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!!!" The Lion's desperation filled the air as he began to diminish in size.
"What—HOW!?" The Lion's disbelief mirrored Shimisu's as he withered into a mere shadow of his former self, while Shimisu felt a surge of strength course through him.
"He's down, but not dead! Eh, I don't feel like killing him. Kid, you wanna see something cool?" Denshin's offer hung in the tense atmosphere.
"I'm kinda in a—" Shimisu's protest was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a black hole.
"WHAT THE HELL!!!" Shimisu's exclamation echoed through the void before the black hole vanished as abruptly as it appeared.
"I'm strong enough to flick black holes in and out of existence! I literally did NOT know I could do that until now!" Denshin's revelation left Shimisu dumbfounded.
"If that was a black hole, shouldn't I have been sucked in?" Shimisu's confusion was palpable.
"After a few years with my buddy Speed Demon, I learned how to move faster than Planck seconds, which isn't that fast because in this world most fights last a Planck second, and Speed Demon being the fastest thing in existence, he got the short end of the stick and his perception of time is..." Denshin's explanation trailed off into the realms of the incomprehensible.
"I—" Shimisu struggled to process the information.
"Alright, here's an example, a Planck second is about twenty years for him," Denshin elucidated.
"What's a... Planck second?" Shimisu's inquiry revealed his ignorance.
"It's the smallest measurement of time! In a Planck second, I held back everything in this radius without you noticing!" Denshin's explanation shed light on the unfathomable.
"You're Denshin... Denshin Mottosaku," Shimisu breathed, realization dawning upon him.
"Yes! I assume you're with the Negative Point!" Denshin's tone turned curt as he turned his back on Shimisu.
"They better be taking good care of him," Denshin's parting words dripped with icy resolve before he vanished into the darkness.
"What—Thanks?" Shimisu's gratitude hung in the air, overshadowed by the impending danger.
"Lion!" The Tin Man's metallic voice shattered the silence as he plummeted towards Shimisu, poised to strike.
"You!" Shimisu's voice crackled with defiance as he leaped out of harm's way, narrowly evading the Tin Man's wrath.
"I cared very deeply for him. He might not be dead, but I'll avenge his loss!!!" The Tin Man's declaration reverberated through the air, a testament to his unwavering determination.
"Explosion Magic: Boom Pellet!!!" Shimisu unleashed a torrent of explosive energy at the Tin Man, only to watch in dismay as the metallic figure remained unscathed.
"Oh yeah, right! He's explosion-proof! I don't know if I'm doomed or on the verge of creating stronger bombs..." Shimisu's frustration simmered beneath the surface as he grappled with the reality of his adversary's resilience.
"Tin Tornado!" The Tin Man's metallic form began to whirl with dizzying speed as he charged towards Shimisu with lethal intent.
"Ah!" Shimisu's desperate cry echoed through the forest as he darted and weaved through the trees, the Tin Man's relentless pursuit leaving destruction in its wake.
"Explosion Magic: Boom Pellet!!!" With a swift motion, Shimisu propelled himself backward, narrowly escaping the Tin Man's grasp.
"Escaped!" Relief flooded Shimisu's senses as he put some distance between himself and his relentless foe.
In the blink of an eye, the forest erupted into chaos as trees were uprooted and tossed aside, revealing the Tin Man's unyielding advance.
"What the—" Shimisu's words trailed off as he beheld the Tin Man, his imposing figure poised for the final blow.
"Try this on for size! Explosion Magic: Nuke!!!" With a surge of energy, Shimisu unleashed a devastating blast of orange magic, obliterating everything in its path.
"Take that, monster." Shimisu's satisfaction was short-lived as the smoke cleared, revealing the Tin Man unscathed amidst the devastation.
"The hell are you, invincible!?" Shimisu's frustration boiled over as he struggled to comprehend the Tin Man's indomitable nature.
"You called me a monster? Yes, I've killed people in the past, but I was given a second chance to be good! Now I... kill people... for money... Have I... really changed for the better?" The Tin Man's introspection hung heavy in the air, a poignant reminder of the complexities of redemption.
"Are you seriously having a moment of self-reflection right now!?" Shimisu's incredulity mingled with disbelief as he found himself drawn towards the Tin Man against his will.
"I forgot that bastard could do that!" Shimisu's realization came too late as the Tin Man's metallic fist collided with his body, sending him crashing to the ground in a whirlwind of pain and confusion.
"I might be a monster, but I love being myself!" The Tin Man's declaration echoed through the clearing, his metallic form gleaming in the dappled sunlight.
"What— Cough Good for you dude..." Shimisu's response was choked with pain as he struggled to regain his footing amidst the chaos.
Spotting the hatch on the Tin Man's chest, Shimisu's mind raced with possibilities. "What is this? A plan!? Oh boy, that hatch looks like it's holding something very fragile in there. From the stories I heard, there's a magical heart in there! That hatch might also hide a weak spot. I just gotta reach—"
Before he could finish his thought, the Tin Man's boot connected with his face, sending him tumbling several feet away.
"Dammit..." Shimisu's curse was barely a whisper as he picked himself up, his gaze fixed warily on his relentless adversary.
As the Tin Man retrieved his axe and prepared to strike, Shimisu's heart pounded with anticipation. "What now..." he muttered under his breath.
Detaching his hand to reveal a mini-gun barrel, the Tin Man's words cut through the tension. "The me that I am, is the me that people love! My creator loves me, his family loves me, my friends love me!"
"Didn't you... kill your creator AND his family?" Shimisu's skepticism hung heavy in the air, but the Tin Man remained resolute in his conviction.
"He appreciates what I did, I freed him and his family!" The Tin Man's words were met with a mixture of disbelief and dread from Shimisu.
As the Tin Man inserted his axe into his mouth, Shimisu's stomach churned with apprehension. "I can see where this is going..."
Ducking and weaving through the onslaught of axe fragments, Shimisu's mind raced with desperate calculations. "I gotta open the hatch somehow... I've got a plan!"
Launching himself at the Tin Man, Shimisu's punch landed with a sickening thud. But instead of sending the Tin Man reeling, Shimisu recoiled in agony as his hand vibrated with the impact.
"OOOOW!!!" Shimisu's cry of pain echoed through the forest, drowned out by the sound of the Tin Man's revelation.
"I'm built to make it look like I'm made out of tin, but I'm actually made out of Slarbinite, an extremely hard material with a soft inside. That also goes for my axe, but I'll need a new one of those made." The Tin Man's admission left Shimisu reeling with disbelief.
"I don't know if I'm more concerned about that, or the fact that you were able to wood chip your axe," Shimisu muttered incredulously.
Suddenly drawn towards the Tin Man, Shimisu found himself at the mercy of his adversary's relentless assault. With a swift uppercut followed by a punishing blow to the back of the head, Shimisu was sent hurtling towards the ground, the impact rattling him to the core.
"Dammit, have to... push harder," Shimisu gritted his teeth, determination flashing in his eyes as he reached for the hatch with trembling hands.
Instantly, pink electricity surged through his body, sending searing pain rippling through every nerve.
"You can't attack my hatch, it's being protected by the power of love," the Tin Man's metallic voice rang out with an eerie conviction.
"I-I still don't believe that he loves you," Shimisu's retort was laced with skepticism as he struggled to regain his composure.
Magnetized up to his neck, Shimisu found himself at the mercy of the Tin Man's relentless assault, each blow driving him further into the ground.
"And the hatch is bolted close," the Tin Man's words reverberated through the smoke-filled air, shrouding the battlefield in uncertainty.
"Time for another plan," Shimisu's resolve hardened as he flipped back onto his feet, his mind racing with desperate calculations.
Dropping a smoke bomb, Shimisu shrouded the field in a thick haze, obscuring his movements from view.
"You can't hide," the Tin Man's voice echoed through the smoke, but Shimisu paid it no heed, his focus solely on the task at hand.
"Why would I hide!?" Shimisu's defiance rang out as five glowing dots materialized amidst the smoke, marking the path to his adversary.
With swift precision, Shimisu closed the distance between himself and the Tin Man, his fingers grazing the surface of the hatch.
"This should be enough to blow that hatch off!!!" Shimisu's determination burned bright as he unleashed a torrent of explosive energy, tearing through the hatch with reckless abandon.
As the smoke cleared, revealing the contents within, Shimisu's horror was palpable.
"Is that?!" Disgust contorted Shimisu's features as he fought back the urge to retch.
Puke spilled from Shimisu's mouth as he recoiled in revulsion, his gaze fixed on the putrid mass of slime glowing ominously within the hatch.
"Explosion Magic: War Nuke!!!" Shimisu's voice trembled with determination as he summoned a tiny ball of explosive energy in his hand.
With a gut-wrenching sensation, Shimisu plunged his hand into the hatch, the violent surge of magic burning through his arm with agonizing intensity.
"GAAAH! It'll all be over soon," Shimisu's voice reverberated through the clearing, a mixture of pain and determination.
As he dropped the magic into the hatch and rolled back, a sense of grim resolve settled over him. "This new nuke I've developed is the strongest nuke I've made yet," he declared, his eyes fixed on the glowing hatch.
"What is going on?..." The Tin Man's confusion hung heavy in the air, his metallic form trembling with uncertainty.
"My explosion turned pi—" Shimisu's words were cut short as a colossal pink explosion erupted from the hatch, engulfing everything in its path.
"I'm being... destroyed..." The Tin Man's voice wavered with fear as he found himself consumed by the blast.
The ghost of the Tin Man's creator materialized behind him, his spectral form brimming with resentment.
"You've done nothing but ruin my life," the Creator's Ghost's voice echoed with bitterness.
"Creator... Is that you?" The Tin Man's voice quivered with a mixture of fear and longing.
"After you took our hearts, me and my family were denied an afterlife. We forever followed you in the form of that magic in your hatch. We could see, breathe, or talk," the Creator's Ghost's words dripped with scorn.
"Thank you... for sticking along," the Tin Man's gratitude was met with a harsh reality check.
"No, fuck you. You are single-handedly the worst decision I've ever made in my life. But now that we're free, we can live peacefully in the afterlife. I would say that monsters like you go to hell, but you were never alive to begin with. You will just forever lose consciousness," the Creator's Ghost's condemnation left no room for reconciliation.
"I see," the Tin Man's voice was resigned as he accepted his fate.
In a blinding flash of light, the Tin Man was incinerated into nothingness, the force of the explosion radiating outwards for miles, leaving destruction in its wake.
After the chaos subsided, Shimisu stood alone amidst the devastation, his arm raised in defiance, a lone figure against the backdrop of destruction.
"I'm glad most of that magic was just my own! If it wasn't, I probably would have died!" Shimisu's voice carried a mixture of relief and exhaustion as he surveyed the aftermath of the explosion.
As he looked down at the arm he had used to reach into the Tin Man's hatch, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. The arm was completely charred, black, and limp, a stark reminder of the toll the battle had taken on him.
"That's a problem. I won't be useful for any more fights," Shimisu's admission was tinged with resignation as he sank to the ground, his strength spent.
"Eh, I'll be healed," Shimisu's voice held a note of optimism amidst the chaos, a reminder that even in the face of adversity, there was hope for a brighter tomorrow.