"Burn" he whispered. Hurling the attack toward them.
It was too fast. Too powerful.
Then a gunshot rang out.
The bullet pierced the orb mid-air, causing an explosion that sent embers training down. Luka stood firm, gun smoking, "I told you... I don't miss twice. "
Fabio, Artur and Asahi used the opening.
They moved as one. Artur feinted left, distracting Ness for a split second. Fabio swung his bat into Ness's knee, forcing him to drop. And Asahi-silent, dreadly brought both blades down in a final, decisive strike to the head.
Ness's scream was inhuman, a wail of rage and agony. His body convulsed, his dark magic flickering , fading.
His head seperated from his body.
He collapsed to his knees, black ichor spilling from his wounds. His glowing eyes flickered, his form crumbling.
" No " Ness rasped, his voice weaker now. "I... am...immortal! "
Fabio stepped forward, gripping his bat tightly. He stood in front of the fallen head and looked Ness in the eye. "Not anymore."
With one final swing, fabio brought the bat down on Ness's skull.
The monster's body convulsed violently before falling still. The black ichor that had kept him alive began to dissolve, his form disintegrating into nothingness.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then, as the last remnants of the Ness's magic faded into the wind, the weight in the air lifted. The battlefield was still, save for the heavy breath of victors.
Fabio let his bat drop to the ground. Exhaustion washing over him, Artur fell into his back , staring at the sky. "That" he panted, "was insane. I don't know what lies ahead for us. "
Nina sheathed her sword nodding, " But nothing will be more difficult than this right? I mean this is the most difficult enemy i faced in my entire life. That thing also uses magic, is it real? "
Fabio looked down to the ground. " I think he is the boss diguised as Ness. It is over right?"
Asahi looked at Fabio, "For now.", He wiped his blades clean and turned to face the horizon. " Ness is gone. But, something tells me this isn't the end. "
The battle was over. The wind carried away the stench of blood and decay, leaving only the hollow silence of the battlefield. Ness was gone,his body reduced to nothing but fading embers of dark magic. The group stood in the outskirts of the ruined prison, exhaustion weighing heavy on their limbs.The morning Sun raised as the darkness disappeared.
But for Fabio and Artur, the fight wasn't over yet.
Fabio's grip on his bat tightened as he turned, his eyes locking onto Asahi.
Artur, still catching his breath, turned as well. The exhaustion of the fight was nothing compared to the fury now boiling inside them. He glanced at Fabio and saw the same unspoken thought reflected in his friend's eyes.
Without warning, Fabio lunged.
His bat slammed into Asahi's sword with a sharp clang, the force sending a jolt through both of them. Asahi barely had time to react before Artur was on him too, swinging his bat straight for Asahi's ribs.
Asahi twisted his body, the blow grazing him instead of landing fully, but even then, he staggered back a step. His golden eyes flicked between Fabio and Artur, analyzing, calculating.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Nina's voice cut through the morning air, sharp and angry.
Luka had drawn his gun but hadn't aimed it yet. He was watching, waiting.
Fabio ignored them. His grip on his bat tightened. "You knew." His voice was low, dangerous. "You knew Ness was coming. You knew the jail was a trap. And you didn't tell us."
Asahi exhaled through his nose. "I figured it out late." His voice was calm, measured, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. "I didn't have time to explain."
"Bullshit," Artur snapped. He pointed his bat at Asahi's chest. "You weren't even surprised when we found you outside your cell. You were waiting for this."
Asahi's jaw tightened. His silence was answer enough.
Fabio stepped closer, raising his bat slightly. "You better start talking," he growled. "Or I swear, I'll make you talk."
Nina took a step forward, gripping her sword. "Enough," she said, her voice like ice. "We just fought together. We nearly died together. And now you want to turn on each other?"
"This isn't turning on each other," Artur shot back. "This is getting answers."
Luka sighed, rubbing his temple. "As much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. Asahi, if you knew something, you should have said so."
Asahi remained still, his fingers curling slightly around his swords. He wasn't afraid. If anything, he looked… prepared.
"I didn't tell you everything," he admitted.
Fabio took another step forward, his patience snapping. "Then tell us now."
Asahi's gaze flickered between them. He sheathed one of his swords, but he didn't let go of the other. His expression hardened.
"There's something worse than Ness out there," he said quietly.
Silence followed. Even Nina's expression shifted slightly, her grip on her sword loosening.
Luka narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
Asahi exhaled. "Ness wasn't acting alone. There's someone else pulling the strings. Someone stronger. And this?" He gestured toward the battlefield, the broken ground, the bloodstains. "This was just the beginning."
Fabio stared at him, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The rage inside him hadn't faded, but now, something colder crept in.
Fear.
Artur ran a hand through his hair, muttering a curse. "You're saying we're in even deeper shit than we thought."
Asahi nodded. "And if we waste time fighting each other, we won't survive what's coming next."
Fabio's fingers flexed around his bat. He wanted to hit something. But Asahi wasn't wrong.
He let out a slow breath and lowered his bat.
Artur cursed again and did the same.
Nina sighed, shaking her head. "Idiots."
Luka finally holstered his gun. "Well," he muttered, "this just keeps getting better and better."
Artur locked eyes with Asahi. "This isn't over."
"I know," Asahi said.
Artur raised an eyebrow while looking at Asahi. " How did you know our names in the first place? "
- TO BE CONTINUED.