Together, the ten of them enter the final realm—a place shrouded in thick, twisted vines of darkness that seem to pulse with a life of their own. The air is heavy, oppressive, as if the very fabric of the realm is trying to drag them into its depths.
Without hesitation, the group pushes forward, bursting through the tendrils of shadow that try to ensnare them. As they move deeper, Megan's sharp eyes spot a familiar face—Adam's, submerged in a pool of pitch-black darkness. His body floats motionlessly, his form barely visible beneath the surface.
Megan takes the lead, her heart racing as she pushes toward Adam. "We're getting you out of here, Adam!" she calls, her voice filled with determination.
The others follow close behind, the pressure of the darkness mounting as they enter the thick pool. The weight of the realm presses down on them, their bodies straining against the overwhelming force, but their resolve is unbroken. As they reach Adam, Megan feels the crushing pull of the darkness, but she doesn't stop.
The others gather behind her, placing their hands on her back, their combined presence forming a protective shield. Their voices ring out in unison, a powerful chant bubbling from their mouths despite the pressure. The darkness around them shimmers, and their magic flares in a brilliant burst of light.
The light is too much for Adam, who stirs in the darkness, his eyes flickering open, bothered by the intensity of the glow. He reaches out desperately, his hand trembling as he tries to grasp the light, to break free from the dark grasp that holds him.
With all her strength, Megan extends her hand toward him.
Her fingers lock around his, and as their hands touch, a surge of magic envelops them both. Adam's form begins to glow, his body illuminated by the powerful aura of the group.
Together, they form a circle, with Megan, Adam, and Nhia at the center. The light radiates outward, expanding and intensifying. The pressure of the dark pool begins to wane, pushed back by the sheer force of their will.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, they all shoot upward like a wave of shooting stars, breaking free from the pool of darkness. They fly through the many cracks in the dimensions, the realms they've just escaped collapsing behind them.
In Sky City, the battle rages on. Joker stands tall, his cane pressing firmly against the neck of the dobermann, pinning it to the ground. He smirks down at the creature. "Hmm, you're not even at full power. It's like you've lost two-thirds of yourself," he mocks. "How shameful. You don't even deserve to be called a god."
Suddenly, Huey spits out the cracked crystal ball. Magic bursts from it, crackling with energy as the others emerge from its shattered remains as the magic around them fades away.
The dobermann, regaining its strength, slips free from Joker's hold and returns to Nhia's chest, where it merges back inside of him.
Joker watches in surprise, then claps slowly, his amusement clear. "Bravo," he says, his voice laced with mockery. "You all managed to escape the board game. Your group is the very first of the lesser humans to break free. I never thought I'd see the day. You're certainly an interesting bunch in your own way."
His tone shifts. "But I imagine Beta must be furious at this very moment."
Suddenly, Joker pauses, a glint in his eyes. He hears a faint 'ding' in his mind, his eyes narrowing as he listens to the message from Beta. "Ah, it's been approved," he says, his voice turning cold. "Cheaters like you all will be punished with death! Such a shame. I wanted to see you all at the final phase, but Beta has given the order to eliminate you all."
Joker's magic flares up, growing in intensity until it soars into the sky, dark and powerful, filling the very atmosphere with a suffocating pressure. The force of his aura is so overwhelming it shakes the very ground beneath their feet.
Adam steps forward, his bat gripped tightly in his hand, his expression grim but resolute. "To the very end we go," he declares, knowing that they all might not survive this battle.
The others stand firm, their stances ready for battle. The air is electric, the final showdown looming before them.
Without hesitation, Adam leads the charge, his bat swinging as the team follows, determination written across their faces. Each one of them knows the battle ahead could very well be their last, but they'll fight with everything they have, for their lives, their friends, and the future they still hope to protect.
Moments later, Nhia and Megan crash into a broken building, both struggling to catch their breath. Blood stains their lips as they cough weakly. Megan grimaces, glancing at Nhia, her voice hoarse. "We're too exhausted to use our magic at full strength."
Nhia nods, wiping blood from his mouth. "Even at full strength, I think we still lose," he admits, his voice filled with grim realization.
Just then, Simbad crashes through the building's wall, landing heavily beside them, his body battered and bruised. His voice is strained as he groans, "At this rate... everyone is going to die." His words hang in the air, the weight of the situation sinking in.
Outside, the others are engaged in a desperate struggle against Joker. Rune, Jean, Michael, and Adam all attack from different angles, their strikes coordinated with precision, but Joker effortlessly blocks and parries every one of their moves.
Adam swings his bat down with tremendous force, aiming to land a crushing blow on Joker, but the villain simply smirks, effortlessly summoning a box to block Adam's strike. "You are the strongest one here," Joker taunts, his voice dripping with arrogance. "So you have to go first."
The box opens wide, and a demonic clown figure bursts out, its twisted grin spreading across its face. It grabs Adam with unnatural strength and yanks him into the box.
Michael, not wasting a moment, launches a downward lightning kick toward Joker, his body surging with raw energy. But Joker blocks it with a single arm, unfazed, while simultaneously parrying Rune's thrust weapon attack with the tip of his cane.
Joker sneers, evaluating his opponents. "This half-zombie," he says, looking at Michael, "is the 5th strongest, and this swordsman," his gaze shifts to Rune, "is the 3rd strongest."
Without warning, Joker spins, tossing a barrage of magic cards in all directions. They strike Michael and Rune's bodies, causing multiple explosions to ripple through the air, sending the two flying back in agony.
Jean presses forward, sword in hand, delivering rapid strikes with precision. Joker dodges each one with grace, his mocking tone ringing out as he dances around the attacks. "Oh, my champion," he muses. "You have so much potential in you, and you just don't know it."
With a swift movement, Jean lands a thrust attack on Joker's chest, but something strange happens—the spot where his sword makes contact begins to bloom with a flower. The flower bursts open and shoots a powerful water blast, sending Jean crashing across the street, his body skidding painfully along the pavement.
As Joker steps towards him, his voice drips with mockery. "Let me bring out your full potential, champion!" he sneers. But before he can make his move, a sniper bullet suddenly rips through the air and strikes Joker in the face. His head snaps back, and the bullet spins on the forehead part of his mask, embedding itself in the metal.
Joker freezes for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he mutters, "The weak always try their best to fight against the inevitable."
Suddenly, Mai, not missing a beat, slams a series of buttons on her wrist device. A dozen drones emerge from hidden compartments, buzzing into the air with precision. They start firing relentlessly, shooting hundreds of rounds at Joker.
Ezzy, steady in her aim, reloads her sniper rifle and fires another round from a distance. Nakao joins in, firing her rifle in quick succession, while Mai continues to shoot with her own weapon.
The bullets rain down on Joker, hitting him from every angle, but to no avail. The attacks barely leave a mark, and Joker stands there, unfazed, as if the bullets are mere annoyances. He watches the barrage with an air of complete indifference.
Then, with a sudden burst of movement, Kiren swoops in and grabs Jean, lifting him out of the line of fire.
Joker, never missing an opportunity to assert his power, swings his arm violently, and with a snap of his fingers, he obliterates all of Mai's drones in a violent explosion of magic. Sparks and metal fragments rain down, and the buzzing drones fall to the ground, useless.
Ezzy, frustrated but undeterred, continues to fire, sending sniper bullets directly at Joker's head, but the villain walks through the barrage as if it were nothing more than a light breeze.
Nakao, seeing that their combined firepower isn't working, tosses a grenade at Joker, hoping to catch him off guard. The grenade explodes with a deafening blast, but Joker simply raises his hand, his magic effortlessly reducing the explosion to a tiny pop, like a balloon losing air.
Ezzy feels the weight of their failure in the air. Her shots are useless, and every effort feels like it's leading to nothing. But Mai refuses to relent. She grits her teeth, determination flashing in her eyes as she continues to fire at Joker, knowing that if they stop fighting now, everything will be lost.
Joker lifts his finger lazily, a smirk crossing his face as he watches Mai's rifle explode in her hands. The impact sends a shockwave of pain through her body, and blood splatters down the side of her face as she stumbles back. Her hands are bleeding heavily, but she refuses to back down. With gritted teeth, she pushes through the pain and pulls a knife from her side, charging at Joker with every ounce of strength left in her.
She slashes the knife toward him with precision, but as the blade makes contact with his suit, it shatters into pieces, leaving Mai gasping in disbelief. Joker laughs darkly, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.
"Is that all you have?" he mocks.
Without another word, Joker flicks a magic card through the air, and it cuts Mai's stomach with sickening ease. Blood splatters everywhere, soaking her clothes as she gasps for breath and falls to the ground, clutching her wound.
Nakao drops to her knees, powerless to stop the carnage unfolding before her. Her eyes are wide with horror as everyone is being taking out with ease.
Ezzy, rage filling her chest, rushes forward in a blind fury, her fist aimed at Joker's face. Her punch lands with a resounding smack, but Joker doesn't even flinch. Instead, he retaliates by slicing her side with another magic card, causing blood to splatter from the wound.
Despite her pain, she unleashes one a fire blast at Joker. Her flames roar toward him, intense and scorching, yet Joker barely flinches. His burning hand reaches through the fire, effortlessly pushing past the flames like they were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Before she can react, Joker's grip tightens around her throat, his fingers digging deep into her skin. His voice is calm, almost bored, as he speaks, "Your fire can prove to be troublesome, but I don't want to deal with it when you explode."
Ezzy gasps, struggling to breathe as Joker's fingers pierce her neck. His blood, dark and his twisted magic, begins to flow into her body, stopping her flames in an instant.
Joker drops Ezzy to the ground and blood pours from her neck, staining the ground beneath her, and her confusion gives way to the painful realization that her flames—her curse—have been completely silenced.
Nakao, feeling the weight of the situation, clenches her fists and mutters, "Just like what Adam said… to the very end." She charges toward Joker, but before she can land a blow, he quickly throws one of his magic cards, cutting across her body.
Kiren, leaps forward with his hammer raised high. "I'll show you!" he shouts, swinging with all his might. But Joker effortlessly blocks the attack with his cane. Kiren's eyes widen in frustration. "What kind of hero am I, if I just stand and watch this?" he yells, throwing a rapid combination of hammer and shield strikes. Joker, unfazed, counters with a deadly slash, cutting Kiren down in an instant.
Michael, furious, steps forward, a surge of lightning power running through him. "How dare you hurt Mai!" he roars. He unleashes a barrage of lightning punches and kicks, but Joker counters each move with unnerving precision. Each attack Michael throws is swiftly blocked, and Joker retaliates with ruthless force, sending shockwaves through Michael's body. Michael staggers and collapses to his knees, bloodied and bruised, his body full of gaping wounds.
Joker steps forward, his voice cold and taunting. "I can see it in your eyes… though you fought with all your heart, you are afraid of death."
With a roar of defiance, Simbad dashes behind Joker, katana raised. "I won't back down!" he shouts, slashing at Joker with all his strength. But the blade snaps on impact, leaving Simbad stunned. As he stumbles backward, a small rabbit emerges from Joker's hat and shoots a massive energy blast directly at Simbad.
But before the blast can hit, Rune swoops in and blocks the attack. The impact sends a massive explosion rippling through the area, sending everyone flying backward.
Megan, still reeling from exhaustion, attempts to cast Shining Star once more, but her body refuses to cooperate. "I can't... not again," she mutters, her magic flickering weakly before dying out. She has already cast the spell too many times today.
Suddenly, Joker rushes forward, his cane raised high. Before he can strike, Huey, in his tiny slime form, leaps in to block the attack. But Joker steps on him without hesitation, crushing the small creature beneath his foot.
Megan stumbles forward, attempting to fight back despite her weariness. But her strength is drained, and she falters, unable to keep up the fight, she gets cut down by a magic card. Just then, Jean stumbles into the scene, breathing heavily. "I'm going to kill you now," he growls, his eyes burning with determination. "I don't care if I go out of control anymore."
Jean's body begins to morph, his muscles bulging as he transforms into his monstrous, giant monkey form. He lets out a primal roar and charges at Joker. But before Jean can land a blow, Joker casually waves his hand, sending a cloud of magic dust drifting through the air. The powder settles over Jean, and in an instant, the monstrous form shrinks back to Jean's normal state, rendering him unconscious.
Joker chuckles to himself, looking down at Jean's fallen form. "I would go toe to toe with you," he says, "but someone's about to break out and cause big trouble for me."
He turns to the nearby box as it suddenly explodes, sending debris flying as Adam bursts free. His eyes scan the area, landing on the sight of his fallen teammates. Rage floods his chest, his fists clenching. His skin begins to glow, transforming into white scales as his bat twists and reshapes into a deadly, jagged weapon. His whole body radiates fury.