Yuto could barely see through the blood dripping into his eyes. His breaths were shallow, pained. Each exhale felt like fire tearing through his chest. His body ached, bruised and battered beyond recognition, but his spirit—his stubborn, relentless spirit—refused to yield.
Abyss loomed over him like a beast, his dark form rippling with malicious energy. The smirk on his face twisted into something far more sinister, an almost pitiful look in his eyes as he watched Yuto struggle to his feet once more.
"You're really something," Abyss mused, shaking his head. "No matter how many times I crush you, you stand back up. You've got more fight than brains. But do you really think you can stop me?"
Yuto's body screamed at him to stop, to lay down, to accept the inevitable. But his heart—his heart still raged against the darkness. It beat like a war drum, each thud a reminder of why he couldn't quit. He thought of Takeshi, of his friends, and of his brother. He thought of the life he had outside this mindscape, the people relying on him, those who believed in him, even when he couldn't believe in himself.
With trembling legs, Yuto forced himself upright, his fists weakly clenched. His jaw was tight, his expression one of defiance. "You don't… get it…" Yuto rasped, his voice barely a whisper, but laced with determination. "This isn't just about winning…"
Abyss's grin widened, his sharp teeth gleaming in the oppressive darkness. "Oh? Do tell, Yuto. Enlighten me."
Yuto's chest heaved with the effort of drawing breath, but he continued. "It's about… protecting what matters. No matter how broken I am… I'll never stop fighting for them."
Abyss's eyes flickered with amusement. "Such noble words. Too bad they won't save you."
In an instant, Abyss rushed forward again. Yuto barely had time to react as Abyss's fist slammed into his chest, the impact knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying backward. Yuto skidded across the shadowy void, his body tumbling before he crashed into the ground, leaving him coughing and gasping for air.
Abyss was on him before Yuto could recover, kicking him savagely in the ribs. Yuto's body crumpled, the pain unbearable, but still, he didn't scream. He clenched his teeth, enduring the torment.
"Look at you!" Abyss laughed, stomping down on Yuto's already broken body, his heel grinding into Yuto's ribs. "You can barely move! Do you really think you're in any shape to protect anyone?!"
Yuto spat blood, his vision fading in and out, but he refused to let Abyss's words break him. "You don't… understand," Yuto muttered through the pain, trying to push Abyss's foot off him, though his strength was rapidly failing.
Abyss clicked his tongue. "I think I understand perfectly." He bent down, grabbing Yuto by the hair and lifting him up, forcing Yuto's battered face to meet his gaze. "You're nothing without me. You'd never have been able to fight the Voidspawn, to survive as long as you did, if it weren't for my power. Admit it, Yuto. You need me."
Yuto grimaced, blood dripping down his chin. His eyes burned with defiance, even as he was held inches from Abyss's face. "I don't need you. I never did. You're… you're just another Voidspawn. Just another monster that I'll beat."
Abyss's expression darkened. "Still so proud. Still so defiant." His grip tightened on Yuto's hair, and with a snarl, he slammed Yuto into the ground again, hard enough to leave a crater beneath them.
Yuto coughed, blood spurting from his mouth, but still, he tried to stand. His body screamed in protest, every movement sending waves of agony through him. Abyss loomed over him, watching Yuto's pathetic attempts to rise with cold indifference.
"This is sad," Abyss muttered. "You're really going to die here, Yuto. And for what? For people who don't even know how broken you really are? For a world that will keep turning without you?"
Yuto groaned, pushing himself up on trembling arms. "Shut up…"
"What's that?" Abyss sneered, crouching down to get closer to Yuto's face. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of your body giving up."
"I said… shut up!" Yuto roared, using the last of his strength to launch himself at Abyss, swinging his fist with everything he had. The punch landed squarely against Abyss's cheek, surprising the dark entity and causing him to stagger back for the first time in the entire fight.
But Yuto's strength was spent. He collapsed to his knees, panting heavily as the adrenaline faded. His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to spin. He had nothing left to give. He was done.
Abyss straightened, touching his cheek where Yuto had struck him. He chuckled darkly. "That's it? That's all you've got left?" Abyss wiped a speck of blood from his lip, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You really should've stayed down, Yuto."
In a flash, Abyss closed the distance between them, his fist slamming into Yuto's face with a sickening crunch. Yuto's head snapped back, and he fell to the ground, his body limp.
Abyss stood over him, panting lightly from the exertion. He shook his head, his expression a mix of frustration and disappointment. "I told you, Yuto. You're nothing without me. All this talk about protecting people, but in the end, you couldn't even protect yourself."
Yuto's vision was fading. The pain was overwhelming, his body unresponsive. Darkness crept in at the edges of his sight. But even as the void beckoned him, something stirred deep within him. A voice, faint but familiar, whispered in the depths of his mind.
Don't give in…
It was his brother's voice. The one he had lost so long ago. The one he had looked up to his entire life.
You're stronger than this, Yuto.
Yuto's eyes fluttered open, barely conscious. He could feel Abyss standing over him, ready to end the fight. But that voice—his brother's voice—echoed in his soul, giving him one last spark of hope. One last surge of strength.
"I'm… not done," Yuto whispered, his voice barely audible.
Abyss raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Yuto's fingers twitched. His body was broken, his spirit on the verge of collapse, but he forced himself to move. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Blood dripped from his face, pooling beneath him, but he didn't stop.
"I said… I'm not done," Yuto growled, his voice growing stronger with every word.
Abyss's eyes narrowed. "Impossible…"
With a roar of defiance, Yuto surged to his feet, his entire body shaking with the effort. He glared at Abyss, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.
"I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how many times you knock me down," Yuto snarled, his fists clenched. "I'm not letting you take over."
Abyss's smirk faltered. For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. "You… you can't possibly—"
"I'll keep fighting," Yuto interrupted, stepping forward despite the pain. "Even if it kills me, I'll fight you every step of the way. You might be strong, but you'll never break my will."
Abyss's eyes darkened, his amusement fading as Yuto's words hit home. "You're a fool."
"Maybe," Yuto replied, his voice steady now. "But I'm a fool who's not giving up."
Abyss clenched his fists, his anger flaring. "Then I'll crush you into the ground!"
The two charged at each other once more, fists swinging, energy crackling through the air as they collided in a furious exchange of blows. Yuto's every move was fueled by sheer willpower, each punch a defiance of the pain coursing through him. Abyss fought back with all the raw power at his disposal, but Yuto wasn't backing down.
The fight raged on, neither willing to relent, neither willing to surrender.
But as the battle dragged on, Abyss slowly began to overpower Yuto. Blow after blow rained down on him, and Yuto's strength waned with each passing second. His body gave out, his fists losing their power.
Abyss slammed Yuto into the ground, pinning him with a knee pressed against his chest. Bloodied, broken, Yuto looked up at the entity with defiance in his eyes.
"You'll never win," Abyss growled, his voice low and menacing. "You're mine, Yuto. You always have been."