Floating above the raging ocean, Keiko faced Fin, his heart heavy with both determination and sorrow. The sky above mirrored their emotions—dark clouds swirling, thunder rumbling in the distance. Keiko's voice cracked as he called out to his friend, "You don't have to do this, Fin. You're like a brother to me. Ever since I joined the academy, you've been there, helping me through everything."
Fin's back was turned, his aura a blood-red glow that flickered with deadly intensity. His face was hidden, but the turmoil inside him was clear in the tension of his stance. "You don't understand, Keiko," Fin muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I stay, you'll die. I can't let that happen."
Keiko's eyes narrowed. His orange aura flared brighter, and a thousand glowing weapons appeared in front of him, suspended in the air by his will. Each weapon pointed toward Fin, ready to strike at any moment. His voice hardened as he readied his sword, "Then I'll break every bone in your body if I have to stop you."
Fin turned to face Keiko, his expression now twisted with resolve. His red aura pulsed, and from the energy around him, a massive head made of pure magic began to form above him—a dragon-like visage with fangs that dripped with fiery wind. Around his neck, a snake made of energy coiled tightly, its eyes gleaming with the same menacing power. "You think you can stop me?" Fin sneered. "I won't let you."
In an instant, Keiko launched his assault. The thousand weapons hurled themselves toward Fin, each one aimed with deadly precision. But Fin was ready. His red aura surged as he raised his hand, and with a roar, the wind dragon's head opened its jaws, unleashing a violent gust of wind that shattered the first wave of weapons into glowing fragments. Keiko pressed on, his sword glowing with a fierce orange light as he closed the distance between them.
Their swords clashed mid-air, sparks flying as Keiko pushed forward with all his strength. "Why are you doing this? We can fight whatever this is together!"
Fin gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing crimson as he deflected Keiko's blows. "You don't understand! If I don't leave, I'll lose control. Typhon will take over, and when he does, you'll die!" He thrust his sword forward, the snake around his neck hissing as it lashed out, trying to strike at Keiko.
Keiko dodged the snake's bite, spinning away to avoid its fangs. His mind raced. Typhon—the monster inside Fin—was growing stronger. But even so, Keiko wasn't about to back down.
"You don't have to do this!" Keiko shouted, spinning around to land a swift strike on Fin's side. The hit connected, but it barely seemed to faze Fin, whose red aura flared even brighter in response. "We're supposed to be brothers!"
With a snarl, Fin summoned the full force of his magic. The dragon's head above him roared, the wind swirling into a tornado around them. "I am doing this because we're brothers!"
Fin slashed his sword down, unleashing a violent gust of wind that knocked Keiko back through the air. He barely managed to stabilize himself, his orange aura flickering with the strain of the fight. His breathing was heavy, but he wasn't done yet. He couldn't be.
"I won't let you!" Keiko yelled, raising his hand. In an instant, a brilliant green light formed in front of him. His spirit had awakened. The bow he summoned, formed of green energy and wind symbols, gleamed with an otherworldly light. Drawing back the string, Keiko notched an arrow made of pure spirit energy, the wind swirling around it.
Fin's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate. The red snake around his neck hissed violently, and the dragon's head above him solidified into a full form, a massive red wind dragon coiling in the sky. "Fine, Keiko. If this is how it has to be… then let's end this!"
Keiko pulled the spirit arrow back, his eyes locking with Fin's. "Spirit Arrow…" he whispered.
Fin raised his sword, the dragon roaring in response. "Wind Dragon's Wrath!"
In the blink of an eye, both attacks launched. Keiko's arrow shot forward, leaving a trail of green light in its wake, while Fin's wind dragon surged toward him, roaring with all the fury of a storm. The two attacks collided mid-air, the shockwave tearing through the forest and ocean beneath them.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The energy from both attacks crackled in the air, neither side giving way. But then, slowly, the red energy of the wind dragon began to overpower Keiko's spirit arrow. With a final roar, the dragon broke through the arrow's light, slamming into Keiko with a force that sent him crashing to the ground below.
Keiko's vision blurred as he hit the earth, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. He struggled to stand, but his body refused to obey. His aura flickered, then faded as the last of his strength left him. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was Fin, his expression torn between anguish and resolve, as he hovered above, victorious.
Keiko was unconscious, his body beaten and bruised. Fin, floating above the battlefield, looked down at his friend, his chest heaving from the intensity of the battle. His red aura flickered, and for a moment, the snake around his neck loosened its grip.
"I'm sorry, Keiko," Fin whispered, his voice barely audible as he turned and began to walk away, disappearing into the dark forest.
The hunt was over. But the consequences of this fight would ripple far beyond what either of them could have imagined.