Yaxoc groggily woke up and shuffled into the living room, his mind still hazy. His eyes scanned the room, quickly narrowing in on one glaring detail.
"Wait... where's my box?" he muttered, his voice dripping with suspicion.
He glanced around, his expression hardening. "It couldn't have been Marcus, Luna, or Moonlight... right?"
A sudden crash of glass shattered the quiet, snapping him to attention.
"That came from the kitchen," Yaxoc assumed, bolting towards the noise. He skidded to a stop in the kitchen, his eyes landing on a strange sight: a floating tin pot.
"What the—? A floating tin pot? Really?" he said, rubbing his temples as if trying to make sense of the absurdity.
His gaze shifted to the open window, the cool breeze rustling the curtains.
"Huh, so they escaped already?" he said, cracking his knuckles with a smirk. "Not on my watch."
Yaxoc dove out the window, hitting the ground running. His target wasn't far ahead, darting through the streets with a frantic energy. Despite their best efforts, the chase ended abruptly when Yaxoc tackled them to the ground.
"Gotcha—" he started, only to freeze as he got a clear look at the culprit.
A woman lay before him, her long white hair disheveled, a pair of black glasses slightly askew on her face. A spare tin pot rested atop her head like some bizarre crown. She wore a grey jacket and shorts, her pale skin glinting faintly in the moonlight.
"What the hell?" Yaxoc yelled, taking a startled step back.
The woman groaned, pushing herself up to her feet. "Ugh! Could you not tackle me like some barbarian, you idiot?"
Yaxoc crossed his arms, his glare unwavering. "Who the hell are you? And why do you look like... me?"
The woman adjusted her glasses, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I am Yaxocara."
"Yaxo-what?" Yaxoc asked, his brow furrowing.
"Are you deaf?" she snapped. "Yaxocara. That's my name."
Yaxoc's arms remained crossed as he gave her a skeptical look. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"
She shot him a glare, her voice rising in frustration. "Because I'm from another universe, genius! And you know it!"
The tension between them hung in the air, leaving Yaxoc more confused—and intrigued—than ever.
Marcus sprinted to the scene, panting slightly as he arrived.
"Yaxoc, what's going on—" His eyes locked onto the shard in Yaxocara's hand, and his expression shifted from confusion to concern. "Wait... who are you?"
Yaxocara rolled her eyes, her tone oozing impatience. "The name's Yaxocara. I'm here to get the last Chromatic Shard."
"The last Chromatic Shard? You mean the one I secured earlier?" Marcus asked, his tone sharpening.
"Yep," Yaxocara said nonchalantly as the shard in her hand began to glow, radiating power. "And now that I've got it, it's game on. So... what are you morons up to?"
Yaxoc clenched his fists. "Morons? You better take that back!"
"Cool it," Marcus intervened, his voice steady. "We're working on stopping Lucius and Ogamak's plans. That's what."
Yaxocara tilted her head, mildly intrigued. "Oh yeah, I've heard about that. The guy plans to use his demonic essence to travel across universes, doesn't he?" She unsheathed a sleek sword glowing faintly with power. "So where's the fight?"
Marcus eyed her weapon, intrigued. "That's an Artificial Magic blade, isn't it?"
"Obviously. Why do you care?" Yaxocara replied curtly.
"Just confirming. Anyway, Lucius and Ogamak have been growing stronger with each passing day. If you think you can take them on alone, you're delusional."
Yaxocara shrugged, sliding her sword back into place. "We'll see. But for now... let's get this over with."
Yaxoc crossed his arms, eyeing her. "So, are you joining us or not?"
Yaxocara sighed dramatically. "Do I have a choice? Of course I'm joining. Let's move." She walked past them into Yaxoc's house without a second glance.
Marcus leaned closer to Yaxoc, his voice low. "So... that's the female version of you, huh?"
Yaxoc scratched his head. "I think so. She looks the part."
Marcus snorted. "Except she's way sassier."
The two followed her inside, but peace didn't last long. Hours later, a deafening explosion rocked the ground.
Yaxoc and Yaxocara rushed outside to find Hight wreaking havoc, destroying saviors with blasts of soul magic. He turned to face them, an evil smirk spreading across his face.
"Ah, Yaxoc. You're back... and you brought a new friend," Hight sneered.
"You again?" Yaxoc said, glaring at him.
Yaxocara snapped, "We are NOT friends!"
Hight scoffed, clearly amused. "Tsk. Someone needs to teach you some respect for your elders."
Yaxoc smirked, stepping into a fighting stance. "Shut it, Vegan Teacher. The fight starts now!"
Yaxocara mirrored his stance, her expression fierce. "Hope you brought water and soil, because I'm about to bury you alive!"
"Big words for such small fry. Let's see if you can back them up!" Hight bellowed, launching himself at the pair.
The fight erupted into chaos as Yaxocara delivered a powerful punch to Hight's face.
Hight stumbled slightly but smirked. "Oh, you sweet girl. Your punches are like feathers."
Yaxocara glared, her frustration boiling over. "What the hell?!"
Yaxoc sighed, glancing at her. "Do you even have Angelic Essence?"
Yaxocara huffed. "I only have Demonic Essence, you moron! Now stop standing there like a statue and help me out!"
"Fine, fine," Yaxoc said, cracking his knuckles. He charged at Hight, a radiant yellow aura flaring around him. "Angelic Essence, activate!"
Hight smirked darkly, his confidence unwavering. "Oh, a two-on-one? Not that surprising. Let's see what you've got."
With a burst of speed, Hight lunged at the duo, his fists glowing ominously.
Yaxoc engaged him head-on, deflecting blow after blow while Yaxocara circled, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"You filthy little children!" Hight bellowed. He raised his hands and chanted ominously. "Soul Magic: STEAL!"
Yaxoc's eyes widened in alarm as a dark mist swirled around Hight's hands, heading straight for Yaxocara.
"Get out of the way!" Yaxoc yelled, shoving Yaxocara aside. He raised his sword just in time, its blade absorbing the magic.
Yaxocara stumbled to the ground and quickly stood, glaring daggers at Yaxoc. "You crazy lunatic! You almost got me killed!"
"You're welcome," Yaxoc replied nonchalantly, keeping his focus on Hight.
Seething, Yaxocara raised her blade, its edge glowing with dark energy. "Enough of this! Artificial Magic: Hollow Soul!" she chanted, swinging the weapon with precision.
From the arc of her swing, ethereal figures emerged—Soul Stealers, spectral beings with a chilling presence. They darted toward Hight, circling him in an unrelenting storm.
"What the—?!" Hight exclaimed, his smirk fading into genuine alarm as the Soul Stealers latched onto him, draining his essence and weakening his aura.
For the first time in the fight, Hight staggered, his power visibly diminishing. "You little pests!" he shouted, his voice tinged with desperation.
Yaxoc smirked, his confidence surging. "Looks like you're not as invincible as you thought, huh?"
Yaxocara, standing tall beside him, raised her blade again. "Time to finish this."
Hight glared at Yaxoc and Yaxocara, his twisted smirk returning. "You think you've won? How naïve." He laughed maniacally before yelling, "Yurgion!"
A deep voice responded. "On it."
From the shadows, Yurgion stepped into the battlefield, his dark aura radiating malice. With a wave of his hand, his Demonic Essence enveloped Hight, teleporting him out of harm's way.
Yaxoc and Yaxocara instantly readied themselves, their blades drawn and eyes focused.
Yurgion's piercing gaze locked onto Yaxocara. "So, you're the anomaly I've been searching for."
Yaxocara raised an eyebrow. "Hah? And what do you want with me?"
"My leader desires your power," Yurgion said with a cold grin. "Your Demonic Essence is the key to ending the Saviors. You're no match for me, so say your goodbyes and come willingly."
Yaxocara scoffed, lifting her blade. "You think I'd betray my allies for your pathetic cause? Guess again. I'm staying with Yaxoc. So back off."
Yurgion's grin widened. "Very well. If it's a fight you want, I'll grant you one. But don't expect mercy."
"Enough talk!" Yaxoc yelled, charging forward with his blade glowing.
"I'm with you!" Yaxocara shouted, following his lead.
Yurgion stood firm, effortlessly countering their combined strikes with inhuman speed and precision. "Pathetic! You're nothing but insects!" he roared, grabbing both Yaxoc and Yaxocara mid-attack and hurling them through several buildings with terrifying force.
The two crashed into the rubble, coughing as they struggled to their feet.
"We have to figure out a strategy," Yaxoc said, clutching his side.
"Ugh, got any bright ideas, genius?" Yaxocara snapped, shaking the dust from her hair.
A smirk spread across Yaxoc's face. "Actually, I do."
He pointed toward Yurgion. "His magic is pure darkness. Powerful, yes, but it has one critical weakness."
Yaxocara raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
"Light," Yaxoc said confidently. "It's his greatest vulnerability. When I've used light spells against him in the past, it inflicted major damage."
Yaxocara facepalmed. "You expect me to believe that? Sounds like complete bull—"
Before she could finish, the ground trembled violently.
Yurgion had leaped into the air and landed with a deafening crash, forcing Yaxoc and Yaxocara to dive out of the way.
"Holy hell!" Yaxocara shouted, steadying herself.
"Did he just get stronger?!" Yaxoc yelled, staring at the massive crater Yurgion had created.
The sheer force of his landing sent shockwaves that crumbled nearby continents, leaving destruction in its wake.
"This guy's strength is off the charts!" Yaxoc exclaimed.
The two hit the ground, quickly regrouping.
"Use light attacks!" Yaxoc shouted. "It's the only way to hurt him!"
Yaxocara hesitated, then nodded. She gripped her sword tightly, her blade starting to glow as she infused it with energy.
The two synchronized their magic, their blades radiating a brilliant light.
"Artificial Magic: Light Slash!" they chanted in unison, swinging their weapons together.
A massive beam of radiant energy, larger than five buildings combined, erupted from their swords and surged toward Yurgion.
Yurgion's eyes widened in genuine fear. "What the—?! No!"
The colossal Light Slash struck Yurgion with devastating force, sending him flying hundreds of meters away, his dark aura flickering weakly as he crashed into the distance.
The battlefield grew quiet for a moment as the dust settled, Yaxoc and Yaxocara standing tall, their weapons still glowing faintly.
"Now that's how you deal with a problem," Yaxocara said with a sly grin.
"Not bad, huh?" Yaxoc added, smirking back.
A few hours later, Yaxoc was summoned to Jared's office, but Yaxocara tagged along, uninvited but determined.
Inside the dimly lit office, Jared sat behind his desk, the faint hum of his computer filling the room.
Yaxoc tilted his head. "What's this about, Mr. Jared?"
Yaxocara casually slouched in a chair, tapping her fingers on the armrest.
Jared's expression was grim. "This concerns the portals that have been appearing lately. Lucius and Ogamak have been capturing anomalies... and they all resemble you, Yaxoc."
Yaxoc's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean?"
"Yeah, how is that even possible?" Yaxocara chimed in, leaning forward.
With a heavy sigh, Jared turned his monitor to face them. The screen displayed a series of inter-universal logs, complex data streams, and video feeds of strange, distorted figures.
"According to these logs, nine anomalies have been sent into our universe. Ogamak has fully mastered portal technology, and he's been capturing these anomalies to further his plans," Jared explained, his tone grave. "The worst part is that these anomalies look like you, Yaxoc. And if the intelligence is correct, most of them have been tasked with capturing you and Yaxocara."
The room fell silent as the weight of Jared's words settled over them.
Yaxoc clenched his fists. "Got it. We'll stay alert and watch our backs."
Yaxocara huffed, her gaze hardening. "Nine versions of you and they're all after us? That's just insane. And honestly, creepy."
Jared leaned back in his chair. "Be vigilant. Ogamak isn't just targeting you; he's trying to destabilize everything. If those anomalies succeed, it'll be catastrophic."
After the discussion, Yaxoc and Yaxocara left the office, the tension palpable as they headed back home.
When they arrived, Marcus, Luna, and Moonlight were already there, waiting in the living room.
Marcus waved. "Hey, Yaxoc. Yaxocara. Where've you been?"
Yaxoc dropped onto the couch with a groan. "We had to fight Yurgion, and then Jared called us in."
"What for?" Marcus asked, leaning forward.
Yaxoc glanced at Yaxocara, then back at the group. "Ogamak has mastered portals. He's already captured nine anomalies that look like me. And apparently, most of them have orders to capture us."
The room erupted in shock.
"Wait, seriously?!" Moonlight exclaimed. "There's no way that idiot mastered portals so quickly!"
"Ogamak is now officially a Level 10 threat, despite being classified as a Type 4 demon!" Luna added, her voice rising.
Marcus raised his hands to calm them. "Alright, let's not panic. We'll figure this out. If these variants come after Yaxoc and Yaxocara, we'll deal with them."
Moonlight crossed her arms. "Yeah, but they're still in danger. Maybe we should protect them somewhere safer."
"Safer than here?" Yaxocara smirked, clearly unimpressed. "Good luck with that."
Marcus sighed. "We'll figure out a plan. For now, everyone just stay alert. If Ogamak's making moves, we have to be ready for anything."