Nathaniel leaped backward, boots skidding across the ice as he crouched low to steady himself, creating vital distance between him and the looming Crimson. Rising with deliberate control, he spun his pistol in his hand, the cylinder clicking open to expose the empty chamber. Smoke curled lazily from the barrel, a fading echo of the storm he'd unleashed moments ago.
But before he could reload, his eyes flared crimson—a sudden, vivid glow. The Forbidden Technique of Inspection activated without hesitation, sharpening his senses to unnatural levels. His torso snapped backward just in time, narrowly evading the massive blade that burst out of the thick smoke surrounding Yumiko. The sword's edge cut through the air mere inches above his head, slicing with enough force to leave a visible ripple in the mist.
The attack was so sudden, so vicious, that Nathaniel felt the adrenaline spike in his veins. His breath hitched, but he steadied himself as his glowing eyes tracked the spinning blade. It ricocheted off an icy wall with a deafening clang, carving deep scars into the frozen structure before rebounding like a boomerang.
"Damn it... that attack didn't even slow her down!" he growled, his voice laced with frustration and a tinge of disbelief. His gaze locked onto the monstrous figure hidden within the smoke.
A dark, clawed arm shot out from the mist, extending unnaturally far to snatch the blade mid-spin. The creature gripped the massive weapon with terrifying ease, and then, like a nightmare solidifying, Crimson emerged fully from the clouded veil. Her crimson energy glowed like molten lava, her form towering and unrelenting, her glowing eyes fixed solely on him.
Nathaniel's jaw tightened, his knuckles whitening around his pistol as he reloaded with practiced speed.
From his perch, Yipsiv leaned back against a nearby column of ice, arms crossed, his revolver dangling loosely from one hand. The grin on his face was wide and amused, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Poor Nathaniel... I can't remember the last time I saw you sweat like this. It's downright entertainin'. Hell, it makes my blood boil! Struggle some more, would ya? The show's just gettin' good."
Yipsiv snapped his fingers sharply, the sound echoing through the icy crevice like the crack of a whip. Crimson's growl deepened into a monstrous roar, shaking the frozen walls around them. "Let's up the stakes, baby!" Yipsiv hollered, his voice dripping with chaotic glee. The ground beneath them shuddered violently, chunks of ice breaking free and tumbling into the abyss below. "We're all in now, partners! Let's see if you've got the luck to win this hand. Especially you, Nathaniel."
The entire battlefield felt alive, groaning and crumbling under the pressure. Nathaniel's jaw tightened as he felt the stakes rise even higher. There was no time to think, no chance to plan—this wasn't a battle anymore; it was survival. He steadied his breath, the icy air burning his lungs.
"I gotta end this... now," Nathaniel muttered, his voice low and firm, the words more for himself than anyone else. His eyes flared crimson once more, and with a sudden pulse of power, time around him slowed to a near standstill. The cascading debris, the quaking ice, even Crimson's towering form—it all moved at a snail's pace.
Nathaniel was a blur of motion, sprinting across the fractured battlefield with deadly precision. Each step cracked the ice beneath his feet, each movement deliberate and calculated. He closed the distance between himself and Crimson in the blink of an eye, the monster's glowing eyes locked on him but too slow to react.
Stopping inches from her massive face, Nathaniel raised his pistol, his hand steady despite the weight of the moment. His voice softened, tinged with something almost human, as he addressed the beast before him. "Yumiko... if you're still in there, I hope you can hear me. I'm sorry if this hurts, but I need you to fight. I need you to wake up."
Inside Crimson's fractured mind, the words reverberated like a distant echo. Yumiko's mental form, locked in place like a frozen statue, began to twitch. Her blue eyes, once lifeless and vacant, flickered with a faint light. Her hands, bound tightly by the overwhelming presence of the beast, started to tremble. One wrist jerked violently, the fingers curling slightly as if reaching for something unseen.
The moment was fleeting, but it was enough for Nathaniel to act. He pulled the trigger, the motion smooth and decisive. The silver bullet tore through the air in slow motion, glowing with an intense light as it sped toward its target.
Time snapped back to reality in an instant. The blast echoed through the collapsing crevice like a thunderclap, the force of the shot rippling outward. The bullet struck Crimson squarely in the face, a powerful explosion of silver energy erupting on impact. The sheer force pushed the beast back, its massive feet grinding against the ice as it was forced to step back.
Yumiko's internal struggle intensified. Her eyes flickered again, brighter this time, and her whole body shuddered. Her hands clawed at the mental chains holding her down, her teeth gritting as she fought against the overwhelming tide of the beast's control. Somewhere deep within, the humanity that defined her was fighting to resurface.
Inside the dark recesses of Yumiko's mind, the world was a desolate void. A crimson fog blanketed the endless abyss, swirling with unrelenting malice and weight. At the center of it all, Yumiko stood motionless, bound by chains that gleamed with the same red energy that consumed her. They coiled tightly around her arms and legs, their jagged edges digging into her skin and pulsing with the rhythm of the monster's rage.
Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling under the oppressive force holding her captive. Every inch of her being screamed to fight back, but the chains didn't just bind her—they seemed to feed on her resistance, growing tighter with every struggle.
A low growl echoed from the shadows, a voice that wasn't hers. It slithered through the void like a serpent, cold and mocking.
"You'll never break free," it hissed. "This is who you are now. A beast, a weapon, a tool for destruction."
Yumiko gritted her teeth, her blue eyes glowing faintly as she fought to find her voice. "No... this isn't me. This will never be me." Her words wavered but carried defiance, a spark against the overwhelming darkness.
The voice laughed, low and cruel. "Then fight, Moon Knightess. Show me your strength—if it still exists."
With a guttural roar, Yumiko pulled against the chains, her muscles straining, the edges biting into her flesh. The crimson energy coursing through them burned her arms like fire, searing into her very essence. But she refused to give in, digging her heels into the void beneath her. Slowly, ever so slightly, the chains began to crack, fissures spreading across their blood-red glow.
The fog around her thickened, shifting like a living thing. Spectral hands emerged from the crimson haze, clawing at her, trying to pull her deeper into the void. They whispered doubts, fears, and failures into her ears. "You're nothing without the beast. You need us. Without us, you are weak."
"SHUT UP!" she roared, her voice cutting through the whispers like a blade. Her eyes burned brighter, piercing through the darkness as she planted her feet firmly. With a primal scream, she yanked her arms forward, the chains snapping in a blinding flash of light.
The spectral hands recoiled, hissing as Yumiko surged forward, breaking one shackle after another. Her movements were erratic, almost animalistic, as she fought tooth and nail against the prison that sought to consume her. Blood dripped from her wrists, staining the void beneath her, but she didn't stop.
The Crimson Beast that Yumiko had become started to thrash wildly. Its inhuman growls echoed through the crumbling ice crevice, the sound filled with a rage so intense that it shook the walls. Crimson energy surged uncontrollably from its body, crackling like bolts of blood-red lightning that scorched the icy ground.
Nathaniel barely dodged one of the wild swings of the monster's massive blade. The ground beneath him trembled as the weapon smashed into it, sending shards of ice flying in all directions. "What the hell is happening now?" Nathaniel muttered, his voice sharp with tension as he darted backward, narrowly avoiding another bone-shaking roar.
Crimson's movements became erratic, its monstrous form spasming and twisting unnaturally. The glow in its eyes flickered, and its massive claws gripped at its own head as if trying to claw something out. It stumbled, falling to one knee for a brief moment before slamming its fist into the ground, sending a shockwave that cracked the icy terrain beneath it.
Finally, Yumiko reached the center of the abyss, where a massive, pulsating sword rested, embedded in the ground. Its crimson energy radiated with power, and its jagged blade seemed to breathe, as if alive. The Crimson Sword—the source of the monster's strength and the key to her freedom—stood before her.
Yumiko extended a trembling hand toward the hilt, her breath ragged, her body weak but unyielding. The voice returned, now a deafening roar in her ears. "Take it if you dare. You'll never control it. You'll lose yourself completely."
She hesitated for only a moment before gripping the hilt tightly, her blue eyes blazing with resolve. "Then I'll bend it to my will."
As soon as her fingers wrapped around the sword, a surge of crimson energy exploded outward, the fog recoiling as if struck by a hurricane. Yumiko screamed, not in pain, but in pure, unrelenting fury. The sword ripped free of the ground, its energy howling as if alive.
The chains that had once bound her shattered into a thousand glowing fragments, disintegrating into the void. Yumiko stood tall, the Crimson Sword resting on her shoulder, her figure illuminated by the crimson glow that now bent to her control. Her blue eyes glared into the darkness, unwavering and filled with deadly purpose.
The voice faltered, now laced with fear. "No... this isn't possible."
Yumiko smirked darkly, her voice low and menacing. "Watch me."
The Crimson Beast suddenly stopped, standing unnaturally still, its breathing labored but calm. The energy surrounding it coiled like a serpent, controlled but deadly. The ice cracked beneath it as the monstrous form stood tall, its glowing eyes now sharp and focused, no longer wild.
Nathaniel froze, his pistol aimed at the creature. "Yumiko?" he muttered, unsure if what he was seeing was a good sign or a worse one.
The monster gripped its massive sword tightly, raising it high above its head. With an earsplitting roar, the Crimson energy flared outward, forming a whirlwind of destructive force. The beast turned its gaze to Yipsiv, the glow in its eyes burning with a new, terrifying intensity.
Yumiko's voice, faint but resolute, echoed through the creature's throat. "This is my fight now."
To be continued...