8 AM in the City
The streets buzzed with the usual hum of morning activity—civilians walking, vendors setting up their stalls, and chatter filling the air. Yet, the tranquil morning seemed to hold an unusual tension, as though something unseen loomed.
On a bench near the park, Yaxoc and Marcus sat, deep in conversation.
"I'm not sure if I should, you know... confess to Moonlight," Marcus said, his tone uneasy. "I've known her for four years, and I don't know if it's the right time."
Yaxoc smirked slightly. "Oh, don't stress about it, bud. Just calm down, feel the vibes, and wait for the right moment."
Marcus groaned, slumping back against the bench. "You're really not helping, bruh. And man, this heat is killing me! The sun's out like it's summer already, and it's only spring."
Yaxoc nodded, fanning himself lazily. "No kidding. But you know, you should hang out with Moonlight more. You might feel more comfortable around her, make it easier to tell her how you feel."
"Yeah, maybe," Marcus replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Otherwise, I'll never get the guts to confess."
Before the conversation could continue, Luna came sprinting toward them, her breath labored, her face pale with urgency.
"Oh hey, Luna," Yaxoc greeted casually, though he quickly noticed her panic.
"Guys..." Luna gasped, doubling over to catch her breath. "You need to come with me... immediately!" She didn't wait for a reply, darting back the way she came.
Yaxoc and Marcus exchanged a glance, both sensing the gravity of the situation.
"We should go," Yaxoc said, standing up.
"Yeah, no kidding," Marcus agreed, following suit.
The two broke into a sprint after Luna, weaving through the increasingly chaotic streets. Civilians screamed and scattered, their panic palpable.
"What the hell is going on?!" Yaxoc shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.
"I have no clue!" Marcus replied, dodging a frantic pedestrian. "But whatever it is, it's bad—really bad!"
The morning sun seemed harsher now, casting sharp shadows over a city suddenly thrust into turmoil. Whatever lay ahead, Yaxoc and Marcus braced themselves, ready to face it.
8 AM in the City: A Battle of Universes
The once-bustling city streets had turned into a scene of chaos. Civilians ran for safety as buildings trembled from the shockwaves of an ongoing battle. Yaxoc and Marcus arrived at the scene, panting, only to witness Yaxocara locked in combat with a powerful opponent.
"YAXOCARA!" Yaxoc shouted, immediately rushing to her side.
Yaxocara barely glanced at him, her expression a mix of exhaustion and irritation. "What the hell are you doing here?!" she snapped, deflecting a strike from her opponent.
Without a word, Yaxoc charged, landing a devastating punch on the Variant, sending it crashing through several buildings. Dust and debris filled the air as Yaxoc turned to Yaxocara.
"Who the hell is that?!" he demanded.
Yaxocara sighed, catching her breath. "It's a Variant from Universe 928HDJG. Codename: Vessel Yaxoc." Her confusion was evident. "But why 'Vessel'? That name makes no sense."
Yaxoc narrowed his eyes, pointing at the intricate black and blue marks covering the Variant's arms and face. "What's with those tattoos? They look like something straight out of a gangster movie."
Vessel Yaxoc emerged from the rubble, his grey and blue robe billowing in the wind. His corrupted black slippers crunched on shattered glass as his mismatched eyes—one red, one blue—gleamed with malevolence. His white hair framed his cruel smirk.
Yaxocara scoffed. "Doesn't he look like Sukuna? I swear if he pulls out some Malevolent Shrine domain, I'm done."
"Bullshit," Yaxoc muttered, unsheathing his blade and stepping into a fighting stance. "I don't buy it."
The Variant chuckled darkly, observing them both. "Ah, reinforcements. Good. This will be fun."
With a burst of speed, Vessel Yaxoc charged at Yaxoc, aiming a lethal strike at his face. Yaxoc blocked with his blade, grunting under the force. "Not my face!" he growled, counterattacking with a swift slash.
The Variant dodged effortlessly, mocking him. "You're just like the others. Weak." With a snap of his fingers, he called out, "Slash!"
A shimmering, invisible blade streaked toward Yaxoc, but he sidestepped just in time.
Yaxocara teleported behind the Variant, landing a powerful kick to his back. Vessel stumbled forward, only for Yaxoc to deliver a brutal uppercut, launching him skyward.
"Let's end this!" Yaxocara shouted as she and Yaxoc leaped into the air, their combined sledgehammer strike slamming the Variant into the ground.
But Vessel Yaxoc simply stood up, his injuries closing almost instantly. "You'll need to try harder than that, brats."
Yaxoc's jaw tightened. "Regeneration. Great. This just got more complicated."
"Yeah, and he's faster now," Yaxocara added, groaning.
Before they could react, Vessel appeared behind them, smirking. "Ultimate Slash: 100x."
A flurry of invisible strikes hit them both, knocking them to the ground, bloodied and groaning.
"You're no match for me," the Variant sneered, but before he could strike again, a blast of energy narrowly missed him. He turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows.
The newcomer was dressed in sleek black combat attire. His piercing yellow eyes glowed with vengeance, and his black hair was wild from battle.
"You again?" Vessel Yaxoc chuckled. "Didn't I kill you?"
The Variant Marcus, now called Supreme Marcus, smirked. "Someone patched me up. Lucky for you, I'm here to finish the job."
"Interesting," Vessel mused, snapping his robe off to reveal his own combat attire. "Show me what you've got."
The two clashed, their blows so powerful they generated shockwaves that shattered nearby windows. Supreme Marcus delivered a roundhouse kick to Vessel's face, followed by a devastating throw into a wall.
"Colored Element: GREEN!" Marcus chanted, launching a barrage of leaf-shaped energy blasts that exploded against the wall.
Vessel leaped out, smirking. "Slash!" A single invisible blade grazed Supreme Marcus's neck, drawing a thin line of blood.
Marcus touched his neck, unfazed. "You'll need more than that."
Their fight escalated, with Supreme Marcus summoning White Flash, a lightning-infused punch that sent Vessel flying. Vessel retaliated with 10 Consecutive Slashes, but Marcus dodged most and regenerated from the rest.
As the battle raged on, Yaxoc used a magic rope to restrain the Variant. "NOT SO FAST!" he yelled, but Vessel broke free with a swift kick.
Supreme Marcus floated above, his energy surging. "Fate, Reflection." A rainbow aura surrounded him as he chanted. "Pillars of Stars." Multicolored blasts began to orbit him at light speed, condensing into a colossal beam.
Vessel Yaxoc's eyes widened. "Fine. If you want destruction, I'll give it to you." A dark aura engulfed him as he chanted his own attack: "Phase, Endless Void!" An enormous X-shaped slash materialized, crackling with destructive energy.
Yaxoc and Yaxocara watched in horror.
"Wait… is he replicating 200% Hollow Purple with COLORS?!" Yaxoc yelled.
"And the other guy is recreating World-Cutting Slash!" Yaxocara added, panic in her voice.
Civilians and saviors alike stared in awe and terror as the two ultimate attacks collided.
"RAINBOW SUPERNOVA: 200%!" Supreme Marcus roared, firing his blast.
"REALITY SNAPPING SLASH!" Vessel Yaxoc bellowed, releasing his X Slash.
The attacks met in a cataclysmic explosion, the force shaking the planet. Buildings crumbled, and the sky was momentarily blinded by the sheer intensity of light and energy.
As the dust settled, only one thing was certain—this fight was far from over.
The dust had barely settled as Yaxoc and Yaxocara stood amidst the wreckage. Their attention snapped to Supreme Marcus, or what was left of him—snapped in half, motionless.
"Why is it always this guy who bites the dust first?" Yaxoc remarked, unimpressed, brushing debris off his shoulder.
"All according to manga logic," Yaxocara sighed, rolling her eyes. "Predictable."
Before they could reflect further, Vessel Yaxoc lunged at Yaxoc with an enraged cry, but Yaxoc countered effortlessly with a spinning kick.
"This fight isn't over yet," Yaxoc said, locking eyes with the regenerated Vessel Yaxoc, who only smiled cruelly.
Then it happened.
Time froze.
Yaxoc and Yaxocara remained suspended mid-motion as a mysterious figure emerged from a shimmering distortion. The newcomer's steps echoed eerily through the frozen battlefield.
"So this is the place?" the figure muttered, glancing around. "Nitomaa really left this mess? Expected more from him."
He adjusted his white visor and waved a hand. "Time resumes."
Time snapped back into motion, and Vessel Yaxoc resumed his attack, only to be interrupted by a sharp distortion in space. Another figure—Lucius—charged onto the scene, aiming straight for Yaxoc.
"Double-teaming now?" the mysterious entity scoffed. "Amateurs."
With a flash, he appeared in front of Lucius, landing a devastating punch.
Lucius stumbled back, groaning in pain. "Who... who the hell are you?"
The figure smirked. "Mementos. The Time Assassin."
Mementos, now fully visible, exuded a surreal presence. His clock-symbol pupils glowed faintly as he addressed Lucius.
"You wanted to fight the kid? Guess what—you're fighting me now."
Lucius snarled. "Fine by me."
In an instant, the two engaged in battle. Lucius charged forward, but Mementos skipped through time itself, reappearing behind him.
"Too slow." Mementos delivered a series of rapid punches, each one leaving a glowing clock symbol imprinted on Lucius's body.
Lucius struggled to react, groaning as blow after blow landed. "He's... faster than anything I've seen..."
With one final strike, Mementos shattered the flow of time itself. "Shatters of Time: Destruction of Organs."
The blow launched Lucius across the battlefield, leaving him unconscious.
Mementos dusted off his hands. "Well, that's done." He glanced at Yaxoc and smirked. "Good luck, kid. You'll need it." With that, he vanished into thin air.
Meanwhile, Yaxoc and Vessel Yaxoc resumed their chaotic clash.
"I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!" Yaxoc yelled, igniting his blade with magic. "Artificial Magic: Fire Slash!"
The flaming blade slashed across Vessel Yaxoc's torso, leaving a deep, searing wound.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Vessel roared, his aura exploding outward. The shockwave sent both Yaxoc and Yaxocara hurtling backward.
"He's out of control!" Yaxocara shouted as she steadied herself.
"We need to stop him!" Yaxoc agreed.
But before they could act, a massive slash tore through the air, severing Vessel Yaxoc in two.
The pair froze in shock.
"What the...?" Yaxoc whispered.
"Who did that?" Yaxocara asked, scanning the battlefield.
From the shadows emerged yet another figure. This one carried a bloodied katana, its cyan shirt stained crimson. An owl mask obscured most of his face, save for piercing red devil eyes.
"Did I interrupt your fight?" the entity asked nonchalantly. "Weaklings."
Yaxoc's temper flared. "What was that?! Take it back, you creep!"
In a flash, the stranger's blade was aimed at Yaxoc's throat.
"Fast..." Yaxoc muttered, barely managing to block it.
The figure chuckled. "You're quick. I'll give you that."
"Who the hell are you?" Yaxoc demanded.
The stranger lowered his blade slightly. "Malifexi. A variant of Bambon, but let's not get sentimental. I'm here because I felt like it."
"A villain?" Yaxocara interjected. "You're not causing chaos like most villains."
Malifexi shrugged. "Villains don't just destroy things, kid. Manipulation is far more effective." He sheathed his katana. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got better things to do."
Before they could stop him, Malifexi vanished, leaving the battlefield silent once more.
"Let's clean this mess up," Yaxocara said, glancing around at the ruined city.
"On it," Yaxoc replied, using his magic to repair the damage in an instant.
"That fast?!" Yaxocara exclaimed.
"Imagination magic," Yaxoc said with a smirk.
"Well, let's check on the others!" Yaxocara suggested, running ahead.
Yaxoc looked up at the sky, sighing. "Let's hope I don't run into any more weird variants pretending to be anime characters." He chuckled to himself before sprinting after her.