Nhia smiles weakly at Jasee, feeling warmth in his chest despite the pain. "I'm glad you heard me," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. The weight of everything between them, all the moments of fear, confusion, and longing, seems to hang in the air.
Jasee looks at him with wide, worried eyes. "How did you survive the last time I saw you?" she asks, her voice trembling.
Nhia's gaze flickers to the ground, "I don't know much. But... the dober inside me can heal my wounds but he's heavily wounded too. I don't know if he can save me this time…"
Jasee's face softens with determination. Without hesitation, she reaches out, channeling her magic into him. "I'll give you a bit of my magic, so the dober can reawaken and heal your wounds."
Nhia feels a warmth spread through him as Jasee's magic flows into him, the sensation comforting but fleeting. He can feel the dober stirring inside, responding to the magic. However, before he can say anything, a sharp, sudden movement catches Jasee's eye.
She quickly turns around, just in time to see a magic spike hurled at them. Without hesitation, she teleports it away.
From Nhia's chest, a smaller dober emerges, its form much weaker than the previous incarnation but still loyal and intent on helping. The little dober licks at Nhia's wounds, its presence slowly healing him despite its own fragility.
Jasee steps protectively toward Nhia, her eyes narrowing with fierce determination. "Stop trying to hurt my love!" she declares, her voice full of defiance.
She teleports Loris away in a blur of light, and in an instant, Loris is sent crashing into a nearby building, his body slamming into the structure with a resounding thud.
Jasee falls to her knees, her energy drained. She looks at Nhia, her breathing heavy. "I... I don't have much magic left... I used a lot of it just to get here..."
Meanwhile in the middle of the city, Grimar staggers, his body battered and bloodied from the fierce battle. The odds have been stacked against him, and each side is heavily wounded, but he knows he can't afford to lose. He stares at the remnants of his weapons, his short sword and crossbow now discarded on the ground. He grasps the hilt of his final weapon — the magic gun.
"This was a last resort," he mutters to himself, the weight of his decision settling heavily in his chest. "And now, it all ends here."
As Baso charges at him, his eyes burning with fury and power, Grimar raises the gun. He pulls the trigger, unleashing the final silver bullet with precision. The bullet strikes Baso square in the chest, and in that moment, the world seems to freeze.
A brilliant flash of white light erupts from Baso's body, an explosion of pure energy that ripples through the battlefield. The force of the blast is so intense that it obliterates everything in its path. The other leaders, caught in the explosion, are reduced to nothingness, their forms disintegrating in the overwhelming light.
The shockwave sends Grimar flying backward. He crashes into a nearby car, the impact knocking the wind out of him. His body crumples against the vehicle, blood dripping from the wounds that have yet to fully heal. His vision blurs, the world spinning around him as he struggles to stay conscious.
As Nhia's wounds heal enough for him to stand, Jasee gently supports him, helping him navigate through the city. The distant growls of zombies grow louder, their presence quickly becoming overwhelming. They continue walking, side by side, when suddenly, they hear a loud crash behind them. Turning around, they see Loris, bloodied and furious, rising from the wreckage.
"I'm going to kill you both!" Loris yells, his eyes filled with rage. He summons a massive magic spike, ready to launch it at them. But before he can act, a zombie lunges at him, biting into his arm. Loris roars in pain but quickly turns to kill the creature, his attention now fully on the swarm of zombies around him. More rush towards him, and with each strike, he cleaves through the undead with ruthless precision.
"Don't you run, coward!" he shouts as he continues to fight.
Nhia and Jasee exchange a glance, knowing they have no choice but to keep moving. With a final look at the chaos, they turn away, leaving Loris to deal with the relentless zombies behind them.
As they reach the center of Sharpoon City, the streets grow darker, and the number of zombies increases. But amid the chaos, Nhia spots Grimar nearby. His heart races as he and Jasee make their way to him. The little dober, still nestled inside Nhia's chest, emerges and begins to lick Grimar's wounds, trying to heal him.
Grimar weakly raises his hand, stopping the dober. "Save your energy, kid... or else you won't get out of here alive."
The zombies are closing in around them. Grimar's condition is dire, but he presses on. "Take this," he says, his voice raspy. With great effort, he hands Nhia the magic gun, his fingers trembling. "I'm sorry for making you a pearl source. You must've gone through a tough endevour... but take this so you can live the life Charlie deserved..."
Nhia's eyes fill with tears as he accepts the weapon. Grimar's sacrifice is heavy on his heart. Grimar struggles to stand, his voice growing weaker, but his resolve is clear. "Get out of here. Live on... for Charlie. I'll distract them."
Tears fall from Nhia's eyes as he flips through the pages of his magic book. Grimar walks out into the middle of the street, yelling to draw the zombies' attention. His defiance is a final stand as the creatures swarm around him, biting into his flesh.
Nhia's hands shake as he tries to channel Jasee's spell, but his magic falters. Seeing his struggle, Jasee steps forward, her hand glowing with power. "Let me help you," she says. She channels her magic, combining it with Nhia's. Together, their combined strength forms the spark of the spell.
With a flash of light, they successfully cast the teleportation spell. In an instant, the streets of Sharpoon City fade away, replaced by a new, safer place. The sounds of the zombies and the chaos of the city vanish, leaving a heavy silence in its place.
Nhia breathes deeply, his body still trembling from the intensity of the battle and the emotional toll of the events. He glances back toward the city they left behind, knowing that Grimar's sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Later that night, under the starry sky, Nhia and Jasee sit close by a warm campfire. The flames crackle softly, casting flickering light over their tired faces. Nhia leans into Jasee, their exhaustion giving way to a rare moment of peace. As they cuddle, Nhia breaks the silence.
"When can we go back to your place?" he asks, his voice soft yet hopeful.
Jasee tilts her head in thought before answering, "My place? Oh, you mean that magic realm of mine..." She smiles faintly but then sighs. "Not for a while. Like I told you before, I spent my teenage years in that realm. But when I came out, I couldn't go back until I'd restored enough magic and that took a long time. At the airport..." Her voice falters for a moment. "I was scared, barely surviving each day. When my magic finally recovered enough, it reacted on its own. I panicked... and I ran, leaving all those innocent lives behind."
Nhia pulls her closer, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "You're not to be fully blamed," he says gently. "If I had been stronger, maybe I could've saved them too... from Copycat and her gang."
Jasee looks at him, her expression softening. "I knew there was something strange about your magic, but I didn't expect this kind of power inside you."
"Yeah," Nhia replies, glancing at the glowing marks on his hand. "Maybe we should study my magic together. Figure out what it really is and how it works."
She nods, a small smile returning to her face. "That sounds like a good idea."
As they sit by the fire, the flickering light reflects off Grimar's magic gun resting between them. Jasee picks it up, her expression turning curious as she studies it. "Why is it," she begins, "when I touch this gun, my magic feels drained for a while, but when you touch it, you can still use yours? What makes you different?"
Nhia takes a moment to think, his eyes fixed on the weapon. "Yeah, this is an anti-magic user weapon," he says, his voice laced with wonder. "But when Grimar gave it to me... I felt something else, like the presence of Charlie, and... his approval."
Jasee raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Approval?"
Nhia nods, looking back at the memory. "When Grimar handed it to me, as soon as it touched my hand, I saw something—a vision, I guess. I saw Grimar walking down a path surrounded by farmlands. At the end of the road, Charlie was waiting for him, standing there like... he was at peace."
Jasee's eyes widen slightly as she listens. "Do you think that was... their way of passing something on to you?"
"Maybe," Nhia says softly, his gaze distant. "Grimar said this gun was meant for me to live the life Charlie never got to have. I think there's more to it than just being a weapon—it feels like a reminder, or maybe a promise."
The two sit in comfortable silence for a while longer, the warmth of the fire and each other lulling them into relaxation. As the night deepens, they lie down together under the stars, Jasee resting her head on Nhia's chest. Slowly, their breathing steadies, and they fall asleep in each other's arms, finding a brief respite in the midst of their perilous journey.
Under the pale moonlight, the city of Sharpoon is eerily silent, until a piercing scream echoes through the desolate streets. The sound reverberates, drawing the attention of nearby zombies, their guttural groans growing louder as they converge toward its source.
One zombie shuffles forward, passing piles of decimated corpses that litter the broken streets. It comes to a halt when it spots something unusual—a severed arm lying in the middle of the road, fingers limp and lifeless. The zombie tilts its head, then looks up to see a figure slumped against a building, breathing heavily, surrounded by faint wisps of magic.
Loris glares at the approaching zombie, his face pale and drenched in sweat as he channels heat magic to cauterize the wound where his left arm used to be. His teeth clench, holding back another scream as the searing pain courses through his body. The magic barely does the job, leaving the charred stump trembling in the cold night air.
As he finishes, he notices the zombie drawing nearer. His eyes narrow, recognizing its movements and more deliberate. It takes him a moment to fully comprehend that the zombie in front of him is Grimar.
"So, you've become one of them," Loris mutters, his voice sharp with disdain and pain. "Even in death, you're still a thorn in my side."
Grimar, now a zombie, stands motionless for a moment before letting out a guttural growl. Loris summons a magic spike with his remaining hand, his eyes alight with determination and rage. "Fine. Let's end this," he growls, his voice trembling with both fury and exhaustion. With a roar, Loris charges forward, magic spike in hand.
A Month passes by, meanwhile on the other side of the world, Rune and Simbad walk along the desolate roads, their frames noticeably thinner from the lack of food. Simbad glances at Rune and says, "Every time we get closer to them, they always seem to get further ahead of us."
Rune sighs and replies, "It's because we're too distracted. We keep stopping to find food and water, and that gives them enough time to travel somewhere else."
Simbad shakes his head. "Aren't they just kids? How do they have so much energy to keep traveling like this?"
Rune smirks faintly. "Well, this time, we're prepared. We haven't stopped to gather food or water for days, and that's helped us close the gap. Eventually, we'll meet them. I can sense us getting closer to my sword."
Suddenly, they spot a group of zombies shambling slowly in a specific direction. Both of them immediately take cover behind some nearby bushes, watching as the undead ascend a hill.
Rune narrows his eyes and whispers, "Wherever they're headed, that's where my sword is."
They follow the zombies cautiously up the hill. At the summit, they find three teenagers surrounded by a horde of L-Star zombies. One of the teens is notably skinny, and the other two encourage him enthusiastically.
"Alright, they're here. This is what you wanted, right? Time for sword practice!" one of the teens says.
The skinny teen's hands begin to glow with a magic aura as he summons Rune's platinum butcher blade into his grasp. The massive sword slams heavily into the ground, causing the other two teens to cheer.
"Come on, you got this! Do it like last time!" the other teen urges.
The skinny teenager closes his eyes, his body suddenly engulfed in a powerful aura. With surprising ease, he lifts Rune's sword, the blade radiating an intense magical glow.
Both Rune and Simbad watch in stunned silence, their disbelief growing as the scene unfolds before them.
The skinny teen swings the sword in a wide 360-degree arc, unleashing an energy wave that forms a glowing circle. The energy shoots outward, obliterating all the incoming zombies in its path. Rune and Simbad instinctively duck as the powerful wave flies overhead.
The skinny teen drops the butcher blade to the ground with a heavy thud and falls to one knee, breathing hard. The two other teens cheer loudly.
"That was amazing!" one of them exclaims.
Suddenly, they spot a lone zombie approaching. Its body begins to morph, muscles swelling and skin turning a mottled gray. Within moments, it towers over the others, nearly completing its transformation into an A-Star zombie.
The tall grey zombie charges at the group with terrifying speed. The two teens raise their palms toward it, shouting, "We got this!"
Before they can act, Rune darts forward with lightning speed. He grabs his butcher blade from the ground and plunges it into the grey zombie's heart. With a powerful kick, he forces the blade deeper into the zombie's chest, dodging a swipe from its massive arm.
In one swift motion, Rune summons the butcher blade back to his hand. The sword gleams with magic as he spins and severs the zombie's head cleanly from its body.
The A-Star zombie collapses with a resounding crash.
The teenagers watch Rune's expert swordplay with wide eyes, their amazement clear.
"Whoa," one of them whispers. "Did you see that?"