Chereads / SPECIAL STAR / Chapter 99 - SCATTERED

Chapter 99 - SCATTERED

Joker grins wickedly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Finally, you're going all out without these weaklings holding you back! Show me your power, you abomination!"

Adam, filled with rage, roars and swings his bat with all his might. Joker blocks the strike, but the sheer force of the blow sends him crashing through several buildings and across the other side of the city. He groans as he picks himself up, brushing dust off his suit.

"You better hurry and defeat me," Joker taunts, his voice dripping with malice. "Before all of your friends bleed out to their deaths."

As he speaks, energy balls flies through the city, crashing through the broken buildings around him. Joker laughs maniacally and dashes across the city, deflecting the incoming blasts with quick movements, causing massive explosions to ripple through the ruins.

The two clash weapons fiercely, each strike reverberating through the city and causing the ground to shake with each impact, as though an earthquake had been triggered by their battle. Adam swings his bat again, but this time, it turns into bubbles, popping in the air. Joker laughs mockingly, "What are you without your weapon?"

Adam's eyes burn with fury as he growls, "Don't you ever shut up?!" Without hesitation, he throws a powerful uppercut that knocks Joker's hat off. The hat flies through the air, and out jumps the massive, monstrous rabbit. The rabbit lands with a heavy thud, snarling as it charges at Adam.

The two wrestle through the city, tearing through buildings and sending debris flying in all directions. Meanwhile, Joker watches the chaos from the street, his expression amused yet calm. He speaks to himself, almost as if in a trance. "Don't you know how long I've lived and battled? All fights eventually get boring if you take them too seriously and quietly… It's all mind games, you know."

Suddenly, Adam tackles the giant rabbit through the side of a building, causing it to collapse. With relentless strength, Adam rips the monster into pieces in front of Joker, his fury evident as he throws the remains aside, breathing heavily. Joker, unphased by the sight, merely smirks.

A sudden, overwhelming surge of magic bursts from Adam, filling the air with a powerful aura. Joker looks around, his eyes narrowing as four massive magic walls rise up from the ground, encircling the entire city. The walls glow ominously, sealing off their surroundings.

Adam, standing at the center of it all, raises his hand toward the sky, his energy crackling in the air. With a roar of determination, he summons a colossal energy ball that engulfs the heavens. The sky darkens as the orb pulses with raw power. Adam grits his teeth, compressing the energy until the ball shrinks to a manageable size, one he can hold in his hand.

Suddenly, the four corners of the city light up, and Joker's expression shifts to one of excitement. A grin stretches across his face as he recognizes the familiar game. "Baseball, isn't it?!" Joker exclaims, his voice filled with a thrill. "Batter ready, pitcher ready, let's go!!!"

With incredible speed, Adam hurls the energy ball like a pitch, sending it hurtling toward Joker. The ball rips through the air with immense force, but Joker is ready. He swings his cane powerfully to intercept it, but it's clear he's struggling to redirect the ball. The energy ball spins on the cane, pushing Joker back with every ounce of strength he puts into it.

 He continues to press against the energy ball with all his might, but it begins to expand uncontrollably, growing in size and force. With a loud crack, the ball overpowers Joker's cane, expanding further and flying off, carrying him inside, it crashes against each of the magic walls that surround the city.

Adam doesn't stop. He moves with speed and precision, running around the four bases(corners), passing home plate multiple times. With every pass, the magic walls grow taller and taller, rising higher into the sky. The energy ball bounces off each wall, swelling with every impact, the ball growing ever larger as it builds up energy.

Adam's determination is unshakable. With a roar, he grabs an entire skyscraper, lifting it effortlessly as he flies upward, his strength surging with every beat of his heart. The magic walls begin to collapse inward as Adam absorbs their power, each burst of energy making him grow stronger. With one final surge, he swings the skyscraper like a bat, smashing it into the energy ball with all his might.

The collision sends the ball flying upwards into the atmosphere. Adam watches it soar, the ball vanishing into the sky, past the clouds, and into the vastness of space.

Adam crashes back into the city, the ground cracking beneath him. As he lies there, exhausted, he watches the massive energy ball explode high above in space, the brilliant light illuminating the dark sky. Slowly, he forces himself to his feet, staggering as he surveys the aftermath.

Walking toward the others, Adam's heart sinks as he sees the state of his team. Nhia is on his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Adam," Nhia says, his voice trembling, "everyone is dying. What am I supposed to do?"

Adam's eyes dart around, seeing the others bleeding out, their breaths shallow. Panic rises in his chest as he clenches his fists, feeling powerless. Suddenly, Huey slides over to Nhia, his small slime form shimmering faintly.

Nhia notices him and wipes his tears, sniffing. "Huey, are you saying we should combine magic again?" Nhia asks, his voice filled with doubt. "Would it even work?"

Huey looks at him with determined eyes, a silent answer. Without hesitation, he begins channeling his magic into Nhia, who winces and coughs up blood from the strain. Nhia grips his chest but nods. "Fine… I'll try."

Summoning his magic book, Nhia flips through its glowing pages until he stops at a drawing of Shawn, the figure still greyed out and lifeless. Nhia's breathing grows rapid. "No, no, no!" he panics. "I don't have enough magic to even cast this spell!"

Adam steps forward, placing a reassuring hand on Nhia's back. "Take mine," he says firmly, though his voice wavers with exhaustion. "Take whatever's left."

As Adam's remaining energy flows into Nhia, the drawing in the book begins to glow with radiant light. Nhia's body is enveloped in a vibrant aura as he focuses, his thoughts racing. Just imagine… we can heal everyone. But his body falters, and he coughs more blood, the aura flickering.

A large red X suddenly appears in front of him, halting the spell. Nhia grits his teeth in frustration. "We need to push it more!" he shouts.

Huey and Adam pour every last ounce of their magic into Nhia. The X mark flickers and vanishes, replaced by a warm, steady glow. Nhia's magic flows outward, spreading like a gentle wave over their fallen allies. Cuts begin to close, and blood ceases to flow as their wounds slowly heal.

Huey collapses first, out of magic, and Adam falls to one knee, breathing heavily. The spell fades, and Nhia's body gives out as the glow dissipates. "No!" Nhia cries weakly. "I only managed to heal them a little… I've only bought us a bit of time. They're still going to bleed out."

Tears stream down Nhia's face as despair overtakes him. He slams his fists into the ground. "What more can I do?!"

Before anyone can respond, a loud crash echoes through the city. The sound is followed by an all-too-familiar, maniacal laugh. Joker's voice rings out from nearby, his tone mocking and gleeful.

Adam forces himself to stand, his body trembling but his resolve unbroken. Without a word, he begins walking toward the sound of Joker's voice. Behind him, Nhia breaks down completely, screaming in frustration and slamming the ground again and again as tears soak the dirt.

Adam reaches the crash site, his breaths ragged as his gaze locks onto Joker, who is slowly getting to his feet. Joker's suit is torn, his upper body now exposed, and his mask is gone, revealing a twisted grin beneath his bloodied face. He points a finger at Adam, his voice filled with both amusement and disdain.

"No wonder they call you an abomination…" Joker says, chuckling darkly. "It's been a thousand years since anyone pushed me this far."

With a wave of his hand, hundreds of glowing magic cards materialize around him, spinning ominously in the air. Adam, undeterred, picks up a broken stop sign from the wreckage, his hands trembling with rage and pain. Tears stream down his face as he charges forward without hesitation.

The magic cards shoot toward Adam, one after another, exploding violently as they collide with him. Smoke and debris fill the air, but Adam emerges from the chaos, his body battered and bleeding. With a roar, he swings the stop sign, slashing Joker across the shoulder. Blood sprays as the cut bites deep, but Joker catches the pole before it can cut further.

"Impressive," Joker mutters, his grin widening. With a swift motion, he flicks a coin with his thumb into Adam's stomach. The force of the strike sends the coin tearing through Adam, shattering a building behind him. The structure groans and collapses, its debris raining down on both of them.

From beneath the rubble, Joker digs Adam out, his movements deliberate and merciless. Without hesitation, he punches Adam repeatedly, each strike echoing with sickening force. Gripping Adam's throat, Joker lifts him, choking the life out of him as Adam's struggles weaken.

"Pathetic," Joker sneers, tossing Adam's limp body to the ground. He raises his hand, summoning hundreds of magic cards. They swirl above Adam's unmoving form before descending, detonating in a massive explosion that rocks the entire area. Joker walks away, the flames and smoke rising behind him as though the city itself mourns.

Joker approaches Jean's unconscious body, summoning a single glowing card in his hand. "Time to take you away," he murmurs. As he's about to bring the card down, Nhia suddenly grabs his wrist, his grip weak but desperate.

"Please," Nhia begs, his voice trembling. "I don't want to see any more of this. If you're going to do it… do it to me first. At least… at least I won't have to see what comes next."

Joker pauses, his eyes narrowing with mild curiosity. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he slashes Nhia across the chest with the magic card. Nhia stumbles back, collapsing into a pool of his own blood. His breathing grows shallow as he whispers, "I'm sorry, Jasee… but at least I got to be with you before I go…"

His vision fades, the world around him becoming a blur. Before the darkness overtakes him, Huey slithers in front of Jean, positioning himself between the boy and Joker.

Joker smirks. "You stubborn little slime…" he says, raising his magic card for a killing blow.

Suddenly, the sky above them splits open as a massive portal tears through reality. Joker freezes, his eyes narrowing as he looks upward. From the portal, a figure descends—an emotional woman . Jasee lands gracefully beside Nhia, her eyes wide with emotion as she sees his battered state.

"No…" she whispers, tears forming in her eyes. "Not like this."

Raising her hands, Jasee casts a powerful spell. Magic surges outward, enveloping everyone in its radiant light. In that fleeting moment, the scene begins to dissolve. One by one, their forms vanish, teleported away to unknown locations through out Terra.

Joker is teleported into a deep forest, he chuckles at first, the sound low and ominous, but it quickly builds into a maniacal laugh that echoes through the woods. "How quaint. I guess I'll see you all at the end phase…" He then walks deep into the forest, disappearing into the darkness. 

Ezzy's unconscious body drifts through the depths of a serene, moonlit lake. The water around her is dark, almost endless, as she sinks deeper and deeper into the cold abyss. Suddenly, faint glimmers of firelight ignite around her, flickering softly against her wounds. The flames seem almost alive, their warmth pushing back the chill of the water as her injuries slowly begin to close.

Her eyes snap open, and a sharp gasp escapes her lips as she realizes where she is. Bubbles rise rapidly around her as she kicks her legs, swimming desperately toward the surface. Breaking through the water, she gasps for air, her breaths ragged and panicked. Spotting the nearby shore, she paddles toward it, collapsing onto the soft, wet sand.

Ezzy lies there for a moment, staring up at the night sky, her body trembling. "How did I end up here?" she mutters weakly. "What… what happened?"

She sits up slowly, her hand brushing against the scarred remnants of her injuries. Looking around, she sees nothing but the calm lake behind her and the shadowy outlines of trees beyond the shore. The silence feels suffocating, and a pang of loneliness grips her chest.

Forcing herself to her feet, Ezzy scans the area. There's no sign of anyone—none of her teammates, no familiar voices. The emptiness is overwhelming.

As darkness falls, Ezzy gathers a small pile of dry sticks and branches. Kneeling by the makeshift fire pit, she pulls out a small knife, its blade catching the faint glimmer of moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she presses the blade against her palm and makes a shallow cut.

A single drop of blood falls, as her flames comes out. She watches in awe as the fire spreads from her palm to the gathered wood, kindling the campfire with an ethereal glow.

Ezzy stares at her hand, expecting the familiar sting of pain, but instead, she feels… nothing. A strange warmth radiates from her palm. Her flames dance lightly across her skin before fading, leaving no marks or burns behind.

Curious, she inspects the cut she made just moments ago. To her astonishment, the wound is already closing, the skin knitting itself together as if the flames had triggered the healing process.

"What is this…?" she whispers, flexing her fingers. The realization sends a wave of confusion and awe through her. "Why doesn't it hurt anymore?"

Then, a memory surfaces. She recalls a past conversation with Mai.

"If we ever get separated," Mai had said with determination in her eyes, "and there's no way to find each other… we'll meet at Nemura City. No matter what."

Ezzy clenches her fists, drawing strength from the memory. "Nemura City," she whispers to herself.

With newfound resolve, she begins walking in what feels like the right direction. The forest looms ahead, dark and foreboding, but Ezzy doesn't hesitate. Step by step, she presses forward, determined to reunite with everyone.