The Voidspawn lunged with terrifying speed, its grotesque claw gleaming in the faint moonlight. Yuto saw it coming, but it was too fast. Too powerful. His reflexes weren't enough.
"No—!" Yuto's shout was cut short by the sickening sound of flesh tearing. His eyes widened in shock, and time seemed to slow as the realization hit him. The Voidspawn's massive claw had sliced clean through his leg just below the knee. For a brief second, Yuto felt no pain—just the icy cold of disbelief.
He crumpled to the ground, his severed leg landing a few feet away with a sickening thud. Blood sprayed across the ruined street, painting the rubble in dark crimson.
"Aghhh!!" Yuto screamed, the pain suddenly catching up to him like a wave of fire. His vision blurred as agony surged through his body. He clutched at the stump where his leg had been, trying in vain to stop the bleeding. The Abyss roared within him, surging with chaotic energy, feeding off his pain and despair.
The Voidspawn loomed over him, its monstrous face twisted in satisfaction. "So fragile," it hissed, its voice grating like broken glass. "You thought you could fight me, Soulbound? You are nothing."
Yuto gritted his teeth, barely managing to focus through the haze of agony. He felt his strength waning, the world around him growing dimmer. But the Abyss—its presence was stronger than ever, a dark whisper in the back of his mind, urging him to let go. To give in. To surrender his humanity for power.
"No," he muttered through clenched teeth, blood trickling down his face. "I'm not done yet."
The Voidspawn laughed, its deep voice echoing through the empty street. "Oh, but you are. You just don't know it yet." It raised its clawed hand, preparing to strike the final blow.
Yuto's mind raced. He had to act. He had to survive.
"Abyss..." he whispered, his voice trembling with both fear and desperation. "Lend me your power."
The darkness inside him swirled, hungry, eager. He felt the cold energy spreading through his veins like wildfire, numbing the pain. His vision sharpened, and the world around him seemed to pulse with unnatural clarity. The Abyss answered his call, and with it came a surge of overwhelming power.
"Very well, child," the voice of the Abyss whispered, cold and sinister. "But remember—this power comes with a cost."
Yuto's eyes glowed with a dark, otherworldly light as the Abyss coursed through him. The flames of the Abyss erupted around him, black and crimson, swirling like a vortex of chaos. He felt his strength returning, though his leg was gone, the pain now distant, as though it belonged to someone else.
The Voidspawn hesitated, its grotesque face twisting in confusion. "What... is this?"
Yuto grinned, a feral smile, his voice low and menacing. "You think you've won?" He staggered to his feet, his balance unstable without his leg, but the dark flames seemed to support him, wrapping around his body like a cloak. "You haven't seen anything yet."
The Voidspawn snarled and lashed out, its claws moving to tear him apart. But Yuto was faster now, his movements fluid and precise, fueled by the Abyss. He dodged the strike with a quick burst of speed, countering with a wave of dark flames that exploded against the creature's chest, sending it skidding back.
"You're not the only one who can hurt people," Yuto growled, raising his hand. The flames crackled around him, responding to his command, lashing out like wild serpents.
The Voidspawn let out an enraged roar and charged at him again, its grotesque body twisted with fury. It swung its clawed arm, aiming for Yuto's throat, but Yuto was ready this time. With a burst of energy, he leapt to the side, avoiding the attack by inches.
"Too slow!" Yuto shouted, hurling a ball of dark energy at the creature. It hit with a thunderous explosion, engulfing the Voidspawn in a cloud of smoke and fire.
But when the smoke cleared, the Voidspawn was still standing, charred but alive. It bared its fangs, its glowing eyes narrowing in hatred. "You cannot defeat me, Soulbound. Your power is nothing compared to the void!"
Yuto panted, sweat dripping down his face. He could feel the toll the Abyss was taking on his body. Every second he used its power, the more it consumed him. His muscles ached, his vision wavered, but he couldn't stop now.
"You talk too much," Yuto spat, summoning more of the Abyss's power. "Let's finish this."
The Voidspawn snarled and launched itself at him again, its claws slashing through the air. Yuto barely managed to block with a wall of dark flames, but the force of the attack sent him staggering back. His balance wavered, his missing leg making it harder to maintain his stance.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, realizing that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. The Voidspawn was stronger, faster, and more relentless than anything he had faced before.
But Yuto had one thing left—one last trick up his sleeve.
"Abyss," he whispered, feeling the dark presence stir within him. "Give me everything you've got."
The Abyss hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the consequences. Then, it whispered back, "Very well, but be warned—you may not survive this."
Yuto clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together as he felt the Abyss's full power surge through him. His body burned with cold fire, the dark flames consuming him from the inside out. He screamed as the power overwhelmed him, but he held on, refusing to let go.
"Come on!" Yuto roared, the flames erupting around him in a massive explosion of energy. The street trembled, cracks forming in the ground as the raw power of the Abyss spilled forth. His entire body glowed with an eerie light, his remaining leg barely holding him upright.
The Voidspawn hesitated for the first time, its glowing eyes narrowing in suspicion. It could sense the shift in power, the overwhelming darkness that now surrounded Yuto.
"This ends now!" Yuto shouted, charging forward with all the strength he had left. His fist, wreathed in dark fire, slammed into the Voidspawn's chest with a deafening crack. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the air, the ground shattering beneath their feet.
The Voidspawn let out a guttural roar of pain as Yuto's attack tore through its armor, black flames searing its flesh. But even as it reeled from the blow, it refused to fall.
"You… think this… will stop me?" it snarled, staggering but still standing. Its clawed hand reached out, grabbing Yuto by the throat, lifting him into the air.
Yuto gasped, his vision blurring as the Voidspawn's grip tightened. He could feel the life being squeezed out of him, his lungs burning for air. But he wasn't done yet. He couldn't be.
"Not… yet…" Yuto croaked, his hand glowing with the last remnants of the Abyss's power. He reached out and placed his hand against the Voidspawn's chest, unleashing one final surge of dark energy.
The Voidspawn howled in agony, its grip faltering as the flames consumed it. But even as it burned, it refused to let Yuto go.
For a moment, they stood locked in battle, both refusing to yield. Yuto could feel his strength fading, his body barely holding together under the strain of the Abyss's power.
And then, everything went black.