Neato stood at the base of the ancient pyramid, his darkened, emaciated form trembling with an unnatural energy. The air around him was thick with a sense of impending doom. His tail flicked behind him as his long, black nails scraped against the stone beneath his feet. With a deep breath, Neato tilted his head back and released a monstrous roar that echoed across the desolate landscape, shaking the very foundation of the earth.
The massive stone doors of the pyramid creaked open, and out stepped the Messiah, adorned in his ancient robes, his face a mask of twisted anticipation. His eyes, or what remained of them, glowed with an eerie light, reflecting his unholy desire.
"Neato, you have made it," the Messiah called out, his voice dripping with sinister glee. "Let us merge and become one!" He raised his hand, dark energy swirling around him like a storm.
Neato remained still, his lifeless eyes locked onto the Messiah. A low, rumbling voice escaped his throat as he said, "I am hope."
The Messiah smirked. "Me and you are the same, Neato."
Before the Messiah could say another word, Neato vanished, reappearing in front of him in an instant. He threw a powerful punch aimed at the Messiah's chest. The Messiah barely managed to block the attack with both arms, but the sheer force of Neato's strike sent him flying back. His body slammed into the pyramid, causing the ancient stones to crack and crumble under the impact.
As dust settled, the Messiah began to laugh, a maniacal sound that reverberated through the air. "I'll kill you, Neato! Then I'll merge with your dead body and achieve immortality!"
In a blur of motion, the Messiah launched himself at Neato, and the two began exchanging rapid punches, each blow sending shockwaves across the landscape. The moon above began to turn a deep, blood-red hue, bathing the battlefield in a crimson light.
Neato's blows were relentless, his strength fueled by the darkness that now consumed him. He landed a brutal punch on the Messiah's face, sending him hurtling into the sky. As the Messiah hovered in the air, he grinned wickedly, his twisted form barely holding together under the barrage.
"Neato, you have amazed me," the Messiah admitted, his voice tinged with something almost like respect. "But this is where it ends!"
He raised both hands to the sky and shouted, "PLANETARY SEAL!"
Immediately, the ground beneath Neato's feet erupted with chains forged from the very essence of the earth itself. They shot up and coiled around Neato's limbs, binding him tightly. The chains began to glow a fiery red, searing Neato's flesh as he struggled against them. His agonized screams filled the night, a chilling sound that carried for miles.
The Messiah, moving with unnatural speed, descended toward Neato. His mouth twisted into a grotesque grin as he reached inside and pulled out a sharp, jagged bone from within his own body. The bone gleamed with a deadly edge as he approached the immobilized Neato.
"Goodbye, Neato," the Messiah whispered as he swung the bone with all his might.
The sharp bone sliced through Neato's torso, cutting him cleanly in half. Blood sprayed into the air as the two halves of Neato's body fell to the ground. The chains around him clattered as they loosened and fell away, their job done.
END OF CHAPTER 39