Josuke stared down Chaos, the twisted figure standing with an air of casual arrogance. The katana that had appeared in front of him pulsed with a dark energy, as though alive. Chaos sneered, its chains rattling ominously as it shifted its stance.
"I might be a devil," Chaos said, its tone mocking, "but I prefer a somewhat fair fight. Pick it up."
Josuke reached out, gripping the katana. The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, a surge of energy coursed through him, almost overwhelming. He steadied himself, taking a deep breath. His eyes locked on Chaos, his resolve hardening.
Without another word, Chaos lunged. Josuke barely raised his sword in time to block, the force of the blow sending him skidding backward. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, each strike ringing out like thunder in the warped dimension.
"Not bad," Chaos said, smirking. "But you're still too slow."
Josuke didn't respond, focusing instead on reading Chaos's movements. The air around them seemed to distort with every exchange, as if the world itself recoiled from their battle.
Chaos laughed, its chains snapping toward Josuke like serpents. He dodged, countering with a swift slash that Chaos parried with ease. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that," Chaos said. "But spirit won't save you."
The fight continued, but the strain on Josuke was evident. Chaos's attacks were relentless, its movements fluid and unpredictable. Josuke knew he couldn't keep up like this for long.
Meanwhile, in the Real World
The battlefield was a chaotic mess of blood and destruction. Arthur and Ace stood at the forefront, their weapons dripping with the devil's dark ichor. The creature loomed before them, its grotesque form regenerating with sickening ease.
Arthur's sword gleamed with light as he thrust it into the devil's chest, aiming for the core. Ace followed up with a powerful swing of his axe, decapitating the beast in one clean strike.
Both men stepped back, breathing heavily. "That should do it," Ace muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
But their relief was short-lived. The devil's headless body convulsed, and its black blood stretched out like tendrils, pulling the severed head back onto its shoulders. With a sickening crack, the head reattached, and the devil's eyes opened once more, glinting with malevolent amusement.
Arthur's grip tightened on his sword. "I thought we hit its core," he said, his voice filled with frustration.
"So did I," Ace replied, his eyes narrowing.
The devil laughed, its voice a deep, guttural growl. "You fools," it said, its voice dripping with malice. "You think you've figured me out? My cores aren't fixed. I can move them wherever I please."
In the distance, Lily and Hinata leaned against a crumbling wall, bloodied and battered. Hinata steadied her shaking hands, raising her gun. "I'll try to pin it down," she said, her voice strained.
She fired, the bullets striking true, but none hit the core. The devil barely flinched, its wounds healing almost instantly.
Lily, clutching her Fullbringer, scanned the creature once more. Her device beeped erratically, struggling to keep up with the devil's shifting anatomy. "It's no use," she said through gritted teeth. "It keeps moving its cores. But…" Her eyes narrowed as the scanner locked onto a pattern. "I've got it. For now, the core is in its chest."
Arthur nodded, determination flaring in his eyes. "Then we'll aim for the chest again."
Ace gripped his axe tightly. "Let's finish this."
The devil, realizing their intent, let out a deafening roar and charged. Its claws extended, swiping at Arthur and Ace with deadly precision. They dodged, countering with their own attacks. Arthur's sword pierced the devil's chest once more, while Ace's axe came down with a thunderous crash.
But again, the devil's body convulsed, its blood forming protective barriers around its cores. It laughed, its voice filled with mockery. "You'll have to do better than that."
In the corner, Hinata fired another round, her bullets chipping away at the devil's defenses. Lily continued to scan, her mind racing as she tried to predict the core's next move.
"We can do this," Arthur said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "We just need to work together."
The group nodded, their resolve unshaken. They knew the fight would be long and brutal, but they couldn't afford to fail.
Back in the Twisted Dimension
Chaos launched another attack, its chains whipping toward Josuke like vipers. He dodged, countering with a swift strike of his katana. The blade connected, forcing Chaos to step back.
Chaos smirked. "Not bad, but this is far from over."
Josuke panted, sweat dripping down his face. His grip on the katana tightened. He couldn't let Chaos win. Not when his friends were counting on him.