It was 5 PM, and Yaxoc strolled through the bustling streets with Yaxocara at his side.
"Man, I still can't wrap my head around that Malifexi guy," Yaxocara said, her gaze wandering.
"Yeah, the dude just shows up, stabs someone, and bounces. Classic anime villain energy," Yaxoc replied, shaking his head.
As they walked, a thief darted past them, clutching a bag tightly.
"Huh. Guess someone's in a rush," Yaxocara quipped, her eyes narrowing.
"Think we should stop him?" Yaxoc asked, already cracking his knuckles.
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation, the duo sprinted after the thief. The man glanced back, panic flashing in his eyes as he picked up speed.
"Not today, buddy," Yaxoc muttered, lunging forward and tackling him to the ground with precision.
"Quick work, as always," Yaxocara said, catching up and patting him on the back.
"Let's see what this guy was so desperate to steal," Yaxoc said, pulling the bag free.
Inside, a strange shard glimmered faintly, its edges pulsing with an otherworldly energy.
"A fragment shard?" Yaxocara tilted her head, examining it closely. "But it's not the Rebooted Chromatic Shard… So what is it?"
"Maybe something linked to Lucius?" Yaxoc speculated, noting the thief's uniform.
Before they could investigate further, the shard began to vibrate violently, tearing itself free from Yaxocara's grasp and zipping off into the sky.
"Well, there it goes," Yaxocara said with a shrug. "Guess it's not our problem anymore."
Yaxoc stood, dusting himself off. "Back to wandering, then."
Hours Later
The two leaned against a corner wall, chatting idly.
"So, wait. You're into both guys and girls?" Yaxoc asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, genius. That's what 'bisexual' means," Yaxocara replied with a flat stare.
"Sounds like jokes to me—"
SMACK!
"OW!" Yaxoc groaned, clutching his cheek.
"If you're gonna joke, keep it to yourself," Yaxocara snapped, crossing her arms.
"Fine, fine. No more jokes," Yaxoc muttered, still rubbing his face.
Before he could say more, a blur of movement caught his eye. Another Yaxoc variant, wielding unrestrained malice, lunged toward him.
"Incoming!" Yaxoc shouted, narrowly dodging the attack.
"Brace yourself!" Yaxocara called out, assuming a defensive stance.
The assailant landed and revealed his face—a distorted version of Yaxoc, with no glasses, no tin pot, and an aura of hostility.
Yaxocara frowned. "Another you? This one screams 'betrayal.'"
Checking his device, Yaxoc read aloud, "Universe KSDJ1238… Codename: Betrayal Yaxoc."
"Wow. Subtle," Yaxocara muttered before dodging a sudden strike from Betrayal Yaxoc.
"Not bad," she said, retaliating with a swift kick to his jaw, sending him reeling.
Betrayal Yaxoc snarled and grabbed Yaxocara's hair, yanking hard.
"Ow! Damn it, Yaxoc, stop standing there like an idiot and HELP!"
Yaxoc didn't hesitate, rushing forward and kicking Betrayal Yaxoc like a soccer ball.
"GOAL!" Yaxoc shouted triumphantly, only to earn another slap from Yaxocara.
"Focus, idiot!" she yelled.
The fight escalated, with Betrayal Yaxoc unleashing a surge of red energy that sent shockwaves through the air.
"Is this guy seriously going full Kaioken on us?" Yaxoc said, pulling out his blade.
Betrayal Yaxoc smirked, raising his own sword.
Their blades clashed in a flurry of sparks and steel, each strike echoing through the battlefield.
"Artificial Magic: Whirlwind Tornado!" Betrayal Yaxoc roared, summoning swirling winds that encased Yaxoc.
"You think that's clever?" Yaxoc sneered. "Artificial Magic: Vacuum Wind Cleaner!" With a mighty swing, the tornadoes were sucked into his blade, leaving Betrayal Yaxoc momentarily stunned.
"Impressive," Betrayal Yaxoc said, recovering quickly. But before he could retaliate, Yaxoc delivered a crushing punch, launching him skyward.
Yaxoc teleported behind him mid-air. "This ends now!"
Channeling all his energy, Yaxoc unleashed a devastating blow. "Artificial Magic: Skybreaker!"
The attack shattered the skies with its force, sending Betrayal Yaxoc plummeting to the ground, defeated.
As Yaxoc landed beside his fallen counterpart, Yaxocara jogged over, brushing her hair out of her face.
"Nice work. Didn't know you had that in you."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope the next variant is a little less… dramatic," Yaxoc said, sheathing his blade.
He glanced at the sky, exhaling deeply. "This day just keeps getting weirder."
Xavy strolled onto the scene, his confident smirk almost daring the chaos to challenge him. Before him stood Betrayal Yaxoc, battered but still burning with rage, the red aura flickering like a dying flame.
"Well, well, well," Xavy said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Look who decided to cosplay as a discount villain. Let me guess—you took a detour down Hight's path of betrayal? Brilliant choice. It's almost as clever as those girls who bullied me in seventh grade. Spoiler: not very."
Betrayal Yaxoc snarled, his fists tightening around his blade. "And who the hell do you think you are? I'll end you!"
Xavy yawned theatrically, waving a dismissive hand. "Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots. Go on, big guy. Show me your worst."
With a roar, Betrayal Yaxoc lunged forward, swinging his blade with ferocity. But Xavy moved like a shadow, effortlessly blocking the attack before driving a precise punch into Betrayal Yaxoc's gut.
The blow was so powerful that Betrayal Yaxoc stumbled, nearly collapsing.
"Careful now," Xavy teased, dusting off his hands. "You've barely started, and you're already falling apart. Where's that spine you were bragging about?"
"Stop mocking me!" Betrayal Yaxoc roared, his voice trembling with fury.
"Sure, sure," Xavy said with a lazy shrug. "But if you can't dodge a simple energy blast, then what's the point?"
"Try me!" Betrayal Yaxoc snapped, his anger blinding him.
Xavy fired a casual energy blast that hit its mark with ease, sending Betrayal Yaxoc skidding across the rubble.
"Wow," Xavy said, shaking his head. "That was embarrassing. Seriously, you're about as effective as my teammates in ranked matches."
Betrayal Yaxoc's body trembled with rage. "You're going to regret that!" he snarled, his aura surging violently.
The ground beneath them shook as Betrayal Yaxoc unleashed his full power. The red aura darkened into a malevolent shade, tendrils of energy whipping through the air. His blade twisted and expanded, reshaping into a menacing black Excalibur.
Xavy arched a brow, unimpressed. "Oh, wow. A shiny new toy. Guess that makes up for the lack of actual skill."
Betrayal Yaxoc charged, swinging the massive blade with ferocity. Xavy evaded every strike with ease, moving with a grace that made his opponent seem clumsy.
"You're slower than I thought," Xavy muttered, sidestepping a particularly wild swing.
Enraged, Betrayal Yaxoc unleashed a devastating slash that sent a wave of dark energy ripping through nearby buildings. The crumbling debris hurtled toward Xavy, but with a flick of his finger, the rubble disintegrated into harmless dust.
"Really? You're trying to bury me in rocks?" Xavy asked, his tone dripping with amusement. "That's adorable. But here's the thing—you can't beat me, no matter how much you scream and shout."
Betrayal Yaxoc gritted his teeth, his blade trembling in his hands. "What makes you so damn sure?"
Xavy didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head, smirking as Betrayal Yaxoc's movements abruptly stopped.
"What... What's happening?!" Betrayal Yaxoc stammered, his body frozen mid-swing.
"The concept of memory fragments is simple," Xavy said, pacing leisurely around his immobilized foe. "These fragments hold power beyond comprehension. Strong or weak, it doesn't matter. They exist on a level you can't even begin to fathom. And me? I'm their master."
He stopped directly in front of Betrayal Yaxoc, his expression cold. "You're nothing but a pale imitation. And now, it's time to erase that mistake."
Xavy raised his fist and lightly tapped Betrayal Yaxoc's chest.
"Time resumes," he said softly.
In an instant, Betrayal Yaxoc's body disintegrated into fragments of light, the overwhelming force of Xavy's power wiping him from existence.
Xavy sighed, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. "Well, that was anticlimactic. Guess I'll find someone more interesting next time."
Xavy turned to see Luchis approaching him, her arms crossed, a mix of irritation and curiosity on her face.
"Well? What now?" Xavy asked, his cold gaze locking onto her.
"Ugh, yeah... They didn't get what you said earlier," Luchis muttered, shaking her head.
Xavy smirked faintly. "Demons are always stubborn. Can't say I'm surprised. Ignorant freaks." His voice lowered as he mumbled the last part.
Luchis let out a sigh, her frustration evident. "And what's your plan now? Are you gonna slap me like you joked about earlier?"
"Why would I?" Xavy replied, his tone flat. "It was just a joke. I don't care enough to follow through."
"So… you're not going to slap me?" Luchis asked, raising a brow.
Xavy gave her a sharp look that clearly said, "No shit, Sherlock."
"Yeah… got it," Luchis mumbled, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
For a moment, Xavy's gaze shifted to the sky, his expression unreadable. "So… what made you choose this path, woman?"
"Wo—woman? I have a name, you know," Luchis snapped before exhaling deeply. "Anyway… I needed the money."
"Just for money, huh?" Xavy said, his voice tinged with mockery. "Sounds like a desperate woman's risky gamble."
Luchis ignored the jab, her tone softening. "I used to live in poor conditions. My family always pushed me to get a job, said it was the only way to help them." Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "But then they kicked me out. Turns out, they weren't poor—they were rich, hiding their wealth. They didn't want me around because I didn't 'fit' their perfect image."
Xavy's expression remained neutral as he listened. After a pause, he spoke, his voice steady but sharp. "I know what it feels like to be betrayed. They built you up, made you believe you had a place in their world, only to burn it all to ashes. But why this path? Why risk your life as a hunter? If it's not about money, why not find a decent job, create a peaceful life for yourself? You could've started over."
Luchis looked away, her voice barely above a whisper. "No one wants me. It's… easier to be alone. Safer, even. Besides, why are you asking me this? What's it to you?"
Xavy turned his gaze back to her, his expression unreadable. "Because I'm here to help someone. And if you don't know me, what's stopping me from helping you? Or you from accepting it?"
Luchis blinked, caught off guard.
"Sometimes," Xavy continued, his tone calm but firm, "a stranger's help can be more genuine than a friend's. Life is a balance, a yin-yang. Happiness and despair coexist. You just need to find the right side to lean on."
Luchis stared at him, his words lingering in her mind. "Maybe… I should retire after thi—"
Before she could finish, a blade pierced through her side.
"AGH!" Luchis cried out, collapsing to the ground as blood pooled beneath her.
From the shadows, Yurgion emerged, his face twisted into a malicious grin. "I heard that, traitor. Thinking of leaving? Convincing her to abandon her path, Xavy? Pathetic."
Xavy's gaze darkened as he stepped forward, his tone icy. "All you care about is power, Yurgion. Admit it—it's stupid."
"You dare lecture me?" Yurgion growled, though a flicker of fear glimmered in his eyes.
"Executing an innocent woman because you think she betrayed you? You're nothing more than a coward." Xavy took another step, his presence suffocating. "Now, who's starting this fight?"
Yurgion clenched his fists, masking his fear with a smirk. "You don't scare me."
Xavy tilted his head, his voice dropping an octave. "Of course you'd say that. Tough words, like a keyboard warrior pretending to be something they're not. But deep down? You're soft. A scared little nobody."
Yurgion lunged, but Xavy was faster. In a blur, he slammed his fist into Yurgion's gut. The sheer force shattered a fragment of reality itself, sending Yurgion hurtling into the sky, a fading scream marking his defeat.
"Hmph. Moron," Xavy muttered, brushing off his hands.
Turning back to Luchis, he knelt by her side, inspecting the wound. "That's gotta hurt," he said softly before placing a glowing palm over her injury.
Within moments, the wound closed, leaving no trace of the attack.
"You'll wake up tomorrow," Xavy said, his tone softer now. "Kindness is the key to real strength."
And with that, he vanished, leaving the quiet battlefield behind.