At 7 a.m., under the faint glow of the rising sun, Yaxoc and Yaxocara walked side by side, the soft crunch of their footsteps breaking the morning silence.
"I still don't get why you insisted on swapping glasses," Yaxoc said, adjusting the oversized pair perched awkwardly on his face.
"It's fun, isn't it?" Yaxocara teased, grinning. "And besides, I might just borrow your jacket next."
"We literally have the same jacket," Yaxoc replied, shrugging. "It won't make a difference."
Before Yaxocara could respond, a distant rumble echoed through the air, followed by a faint roar.
"Hm. That's gotta be one of the variants again," Yaxocara muttered, turning to Yaxoc. "Think we should check it out?"
"Yeah," Yaxoc agreed, already breaking into a sprint.
The duo dashed toward the source of the destruction, their pace quickening as the acrid scent of smoke filled the air. The scene that greeted them was one of devastation—charred buildings, collapsing streets, and the unmistakable glow of purple flames dancing across the ruins.
"Purple flames…" Yaxocara murmured, stepping closer. "What is going on?"
"Unusual is right," Yaxoc said, scanning the area. His device beeped, detecting the source. "Yaxocara, I think I found them."
"For real?" she asked, leaning in. "Read it out loud."
Yaxoc cleared his throat. "According to this, the variant is from Universe HJDHUQ87, and their codename is… Yaxoc Katas."
"'Katastrofí' in Greek? That means 'destruction,' right?" Yaxocara asked with a knowing smirk.
Yaxoc blinked in surprise. "How'd you figure that out so fast?"
"Lucky guess," Yaxocara shrugged nonchalantly.
Both turned as the figure emerged from the shadows. The variant's appearance was striking—white hair that flowed like smoke, piercing purple eyes, a dragon tail swaying menacingly, and a destruction symbol glowing on his chest. His red scarf, stained as if dipped in blood, whipped in the heat of the flames.
"Damn," Yaxoc muttered, taking in the sight. "He looks badass."
Yaxocara tilted her head, unimpressed. "He looks like an emo phase with accessories."
At her remark, the variant's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Emo? How cute. You won't be mocking me for long."
"And how would you know?" Yaxocara shot back. "You look like a recolored Sonic OC someone slapped details onto and called original."
"Yeah," Yaxoc added, smirking. "Join an anime club. You'd be the king of stinkers."
Yaxoc Katas chuckled darkly. "You're bold, I'll give you that." His expression hardened. "But boldness won't save you. I'll destroy you both!"
With a roar, Katas launched himself at the duo.
"NOW!" Yaxocara shouted, charging headfirst.
"Maybe not so loud next time," Yaxoc quipped, following her lead.
Yaxocara struck first, landing a series of blows, but Katas barely flinched. With two swift strikes, he sent her flying into a crumbling wall.
Yaxoc followed up with a relentless barrage of punches, but Katas met each strike with precision before landing a powerful punch square on Yaxoc's face.
"Agh!" Yaxoc groaned, stumbling.
Before he could recover, Katas grabbed him by the collar, his destruction symbol glowing ominously. "You're a mistake," Katas hissed. "DESTRUCTION!"
The explosion hurled Yaxoc through the air, leaving a smoking crater in his wake.
Yaxocara, bloodied but determined, rose with her blade. She muttered an incantation, her voice resonating with power. "Artificial Magic: Whirlwind Pool!"
Water spiraled around Katas, forming a vortex that engulfed him. The wind howled as the whirlpool constricted, detonating in a deafening explosion. Katas staggered, momentarily dazed.
Seizing the opportunity, Yaxocara leapt behind him, her blade aimed for his neck. But Katas caught the blade effortlessly between his fingers, smirking before flinging her across the battlefield.
"CRAP!" Yaxocara screamed as she slammed into the ground.
Katas teleported above her, his dragon tail poised like a spear. "Feeling good yet?" he taunted, striking her hard and sending her crashing deeper into the earth.
Suddenly, Marcus arrived at the scene, his eyes widening at the chaos. "Holy… not another variant."
Katas turned his gaze to Marcus, his smirk returning. "Ah, you must be another one of their little friends."
Without warning, he teleported in front of Marcus, aiming a deadly strike. Marcus blocked with his arm and retaliated with a thunderous punch, sending Katas skidding back.
"Not bad… not bad at all," Katas said, cracking his neck as he stood.
Marcus glared. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Problem?" Katas charged again, faster this time. Marcus prepared a spell, but Katas interrupted with a gut-wrenching kick, sending Marcus crashing through a building.
"GAH!" Marcus cried out.
Seeing Marcus fall, Yaxoc stood shakily, gathering energy. "A dragon like you deserves to burn!" he roared. "Imaginary Magic: PURPLE!"
A colossal purple blast shot toward Katas, who raised his arm to block it.
"Grrhh…!" Katas struggled as the energy engulfed him.
Yaxocara, using the distraction, delivered a powerful kick from behind, forcing Katas into the center of the blast. The energy erupted in a brilliant explosion, the shockwave shaking continents themselves.
As the smoke cleared, the battlefield fell silent.
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A Few Hours Later…
Xavy strolled through the wreckage, surveying the aftermath with casual curiosity.
"Well, isn't this a sight to behold," he mused, his voice tinged with mockery. His gaze landed on Katas, struggling to his feet, his body battered and bruised.
"I'm... not done yet..." Katas growled, swaying unsteadily but refusing to fall.
Xavy smirked, folding his arms. "Oh, really? Can't handle a loss and just call it quits?"
Katas shot him a glare. "And who are you to say that?"
The smirk widened. "Did I strike a nerve? Come on, surely you've got more in you than some pitiful fire tricks."
Katas clenched his fists, his injuries evident in his labored breathing. "I didn't get the chance to unleash my Destruction Blast. Those fools got lucky..."
"Ah, the classic villain excuse," Xavy said with a shrug. "You're starting to sound like a bad anime antagonist. Take Frieza, for example—he hated Goku because he kept losing. What did he do? He trained, came back stronger, and... well, still lost."
"Training, huh?" Katas muttered, a sinister glint in his eyes. "That's not a bad idea. Once I grow stronger, I'll destroy those two... and you!"
"Sure, buddy," Xavy replied, turning to leave. "Good luck with that. Not that it'll make a difference."
Katas glared after him, his voice low but filled with determination. "You'll see... all of you will see."
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3:00 PM
Yaxoc and Luna sat in a quiet corner, reflecting on the earlier battle.
"And that's how I took him down," Yaxoc said, finishing his story with a smug grin.
Luna tilted her head. "You used magic, right? But isn't magic something you're born with? You can't just say Imagination Magic came out of nowhere."
Yaxoc shrugged. "Maybe Imagination Magic works differently. Kind of like how Artificial Magic operates."
Luna nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that makes sense..."
Suddenly, Yaxoc's senses sharpened, and his expression darkened. "Luna... behind me. Now."
"Huh? What's going on?" she asked, startled, as Yaxoc grabbed her arm and began running.
"Just don't look back!" he shouted, urgency in his voice.
Behind them, Katas emerged from the shadows, his energy radiating malice. "You won't escape this time!" he roared, conjuring a massive sphere of destruction.
"Destructo-Ball!"
The glowing orb hurtled toward Yaxoc and Luna. Yaxoc turned mid-run, gripping Luna tightly as he leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"What the hell is that?!" Luna yelled, her voice shaking.
Yaxoc landed, setting Luna down carefully. His eyes locked onto Katas, who approached with a twisted grin.
"You should be dead!" Yaxoc shouted, frustration lacing his words.
Katas smirked, brushing dust from his scarf. "Your so-called purple blast only erases one thing at a time. And thanks to my scarf, I countered it. You're weaker than you think!"
"Luna, call Yaxocara now!" Yaxoc ordered.
Luna nodded and turned to run, but Katas teleported in front of her, delivering a brutal blow. She crashed through multiple buildings, her cry echoing through the rubble.
"WHY YOU!" Yaxoc yelled, drawing his blade. "You'll regret that!"
Katas chuckled darkly. "Then show me what you've got!"
Yaxoc charged, his blade slicing through the air. Their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the city. Katas countered each strike effortlessly, landing a devastating punch to Yaxoc's gut.
The force sent Yaxoc flying, but he recovered mid-air, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
"Not bad," Katas sneered, teleporting beside him to continue the assault.
Yaxoc anticipated the move, deflecting the incoming kick with his blade and countering with a powerful strike that slammed Katas into the ground.
At that moment, Yaxocara arrived, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I got your call—what's happening?"
"Katas is back!" Yaxoc shouted.
"WHAT?!" Yaxocara's eyes widened in disbelief. "I thought the blast erased him!"
"It only erases one thing, apparently!"
"Ugh! Why are you so underdeveloped sometimes? Fine, I'll help!" she snapped, drawing her weapon.
The duo attacked in unison, their movements synchronized. Yaxocara unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes, her blows leaving Katas stunned.
"You're strong," Katas admitted, blood dripping from his lips.
"Artificial Magic: Pebble Rifle!" Yaxocara shouted, her blade glowing as rubble floated into the air before launching toward Katas at light speed.
Though he dodged some, many struck his limbs, leaving him bloodied and vulnerable.
"It's over," Yaxocara declared, her voice cold as she approached. With a swift slash, she severed his essence, his soul dissipating into nothingness.
Yaxoc walked toward Yaxocara, breathing heavily. "Is it... over?"
"Yeah," she replied, sheathing her blade. "For now." Without another word, she turned and walked away.
Yaxoc approached Luna, who was struggling to stand. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone soft.
"My tail... it's injured," Luna muttered, wincing.
"Let me help—" Yaxoc started, but before he could finish, Luna teleported away.
He sighed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Silly Moonlight."
With a quiet chuckle, he turned and walked away, leaving the battlefield behind.
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Xavy stood amidst the darkness, his sharp gaze fixed on Katas' discarded scarf.
"Well, isn't that poetic," he muttered. "Even training wasn't enough for him. Comes back a second time, and still loses. Predictable." His voice dripped with mockery as he turned his attention to Luchis, who lingered nearby.
"I wonder," he said casually, "how many slaps it'd take for you to stop stalking me like a crazed yandere."
Luchis narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me? I'm just doing my job!"
Xavy chuckled, his tone laced with sarcasm. "No one would hire a 'nasty ahh' yandere like you. Especially one who's cozying up with demons. That's not exactly holy behavior, now is it, madam?"
"Why you little—!" Luchis snarled, lunging at him in a fit of rage.
But before she could land a blow, Xavy calmly muttered, "Domain Expansion."
Luchis froze mid-air, her body locked in place. Panic flashed across her face. "What... What did you do? I can't move! It's like... I'm frozen alive!"
Xavy smirked, his demeanor eerily calm. "Welcome to Remembrance of Events."
The world around Luchis twisted and inverted, transforming into a surreal landscape. Colors drained and flipped, forming a warped version of reality. The first thing she saw was a hauntingly empty park, its eerie stillness magnified by the distorted atmosphere.
"Where... Where am I?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"This," Xavy began, his tone condescending, "is the Semi-Reality. A dimension that mirrors the real world, but one where you can't interact with anything. Everything here is crafted from imagination—a world shaped by the creativity of a writer capable of transcending realms with a single thought."
Luchis' eyes widened as she tried to make sense of his words.
"In this world," Xavy continued, "your powers mean nothing. You can't use them, nor can you lay a finger on me. I control everything here. And this world changes constantly—every shift driven by my imagination." He leaned closer, his smirk deepening. "Overpowered? Perhaps."
He took a slow step toward her, his presence overwhelming. "The real power of a Memory Fragment is infinite. We transcend the cosmos, breaking boundaries even the gods can't comprehend. Ogamak and Lucius—those fools—won't ever grasp it. And if they keep interfering... I might just erase their physical forms myself."
Luchis began to tremble, her fear palpable.
Xavy's voice dropped, becoming dangerously calm. "Do you know what happens when someone is erased from history? Let me enlighten you." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Nothing. No afterlife, no resurrection—just nothingness. Death is mercy compared to being erased. You cease to exist entirely. That's the truth you can't outrun."
The world around them snapped back to normal in an instant, leaving Luchis disoriented and paralyzed with fear.
Xavy glanced at her one last time, his eyes cold. "Well, goodbye," he said nonchalantly, disappearing in a flash.
Luchis remained rooted to the spot, her body trembling as she processed what had just happened.
"I... I need to tell Lucius and Ogamak about this," she muttered, her voice unsteady. "He's not just dangerous... he's a serious threat."
With that, she turned and walked away, her mind racing with the weight of what she had witnessed.