6 PM, the Streets of the City
Yaxoc and Yaxocara strolled side by side, the evening air cool against their faces. The city was quieter than usual, the remnants of their recent battles still evident in the cracked buildings and flickering streetlights.
"Phew…" Yaxocara exhaled deeply, stretching her arms above her head. "I guess everything is finally under control now. It feels like we can actually relax for once."
Yaxoc gave a faint smirk but kept his gaze ahead, scanning the streets. "Relax? Maybe for now. But we still need to stay vigilant. Ogamak and Lucius's influence is spreading like wildfire. It's been weeks, and the surge in these entities is unprecedented."
Yaxocara glanced at him. "Do you think they're that desperate? I mean, Ogamak and Lucius were always strategic, not reckless."
"They've reached a point where desperation is their only strategy," Yaxoc replied grimly. "It's like they're trying to force the world into chaos just to see who survives."
Yaxocara chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, thanks to your imagination magic, everything has been restored after that big explosion. You saved the day again, Mr. Hero."
Yaxoc shrugged. "It's not about being a hero. It's about keeping this world intact. And with the way things are going, who knows what kinds of entities might crawl into this world next?"
As if on cue, a strange hum echoed through the sky, making the ground vibrate faintly. Both Yaxoc and Yaxocara stopped in their tracks, looking up.
A swirling portal, glowing dark red with ominous black edges, began to form in the sky. Its eerie energy sent chills down their spines.
"That… doesn't look like where the variants come from," Yaxoc muttered, his brow furrowed. "It's darker. More malicious."
"A demon!" Yaxocara yelled, pointing at the portal as a hulking figure emerged.
The creature stepped out with a thunderous roar, its body towering and menacing. It had dark red skin, glowing crimson horns, massive demonic wings, and claws sharp enough to slice through steel. Its most disturbing feature, however, was its eyeless face, save for the countless glowing eyes embedded in its chest.
Yaxoc's eyes narrowed. "That's not your run-of-the-mill demon. That's a Type 3 Demon."
Yaxocara's face twisted in shock. "Are you kidding me? That thing could easily be a Type 4 with the way it looks!"
The demon stood still for a moment, seemingly scanning the area. Its lips curled into a sinister grin.
"Are these the victims Ogamak mentioned?" it thought to itself before descending slowly to the ground, its claws digging into the pavement.
Yaxoc stepped forward slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. "It's observing us," he murmured. "Trying to figure out how to catch us off guard."
Yaxocara clenched her fists, her wings spreading slightly. "Yeah, and it's getting into a stance. We have to stay sharp."
The demon, realizing it had been caught, roared in frustration and lunged at them.
The Battle Begins
Yaxoc reacted instantly, unsheathing his sword and countering the demon's attack with a powerful swing. Their weapons clashed, sending a shockwave through the air.
"Aha!" Yaxoc smirked. "That's a nice claw you've got there!"
The demon dodged his follow-up swing with alarming speed, retreating a few steps.
"They're fast…" the demon thought to itself. "I must power up to deal with these mortals. I, Jegromaun, will not fail my mission!"
Jegromaun raised its claws to the sky, dark energy swirling around it. The ground beneath them trembled as its aura grew stronger.
Yaxocara's eyes widened. "It's… powering up?"
Yaxoc's grip tightened on his sword. "If it fully powers up, it might actually become a Type 4. We can't let that happen."
Jegromaun let out a deafening roar as its transformation completed. Its wings grew larger and sharper, its claws lengthened, and its chest-eyes glowed brighter. A massive mouth tore open across its torso, filled with jagged teeth.
"Finally, my true form!" Jegromaun bellowed, its voice deep and distorted. "You mortals didn't see that coming, did you?"
Yaxocara and Yaxoc exchanged a glance before stepping into their fighting stances.
"Okay," Yaxoc said dryly, "now it's a Type 4 demon. And we're finishing this, right?"
Yaxocara smirked. "Lucky for me, I gained angelic essence after the explosion. Let's teach this thing a lesson."
Jegromaun lunged again, this time targeting Yaxoc. Its claws slashed rapidly, but Yaxoc parried most of the attacks, their movements a blur.
"Angelic Essence!" Yaxoc yelled as his body glowed faintly with divine energy. With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, landing a solid blow that sent Jegromaun skidding across the ground.
Jegromaun quickly recovered, scanning the battlefield for Yaxoc.
"I'm sure you forgot about me," Yaxocara said from behind it.
Jegromaun spun around, but it was too late. Yaxocara slammed it with her angelic essence-infused sledgehammer, sending it crashing into the pavement.
"Yeah, let's beat this thing up," Yaxoc said, teleporting in front of Jegromaun.
But Jegromaun vanished in a flash of dark energy and reappeared behind them, slashing with its claws. The attack sent both Yaxoc and Yaxocara crashing into several buildings, debris scattering everywhere.
Jegromaun laughed menacingly, striding toward Yaxocara, who was struggling to stand.
"All of you mortals are nothing but scum that get in my way," it sneered. "Once I capture you, my boss will be pleased."
It loomed over Yaxocara, raising its claw. "It's over, female. Surrender now."
Yaxocara's body began to glow faintly, the aura around her flickering between light and dark. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself upright. "Like… hell… I will!" she yelled, her voice echoing with newfound power.
Her angelic essence combined with a dark, demonic energy, creating a swirling black-and-white aura around her. Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of light and shadow as her transformation completed.
Jegromaun stepped back, visibly shocked. "What… is this?"
Yaxocara smirked. "If you're trying to capture me, you'd better bring everything you've got!"
She charged at Jegromaun, her duality-essence-infused punch landing squarely on its chest, sending it hurtling into the sky. Jegromaun barely had time to react before Yaxocara appeared above it, delivering a devastating energy blast punch.
"DUALITY FLASH!" she shouted as the impact created a blinding light shaped like yin and yang. The force sent Jegromaun flying into space.
Jegromaun roared in frustration, stabilizing itself in the void. "You think you're powerful? I'll show you what the Demon of Power is capable of!"
It conjured a massive orb of destruction energy, its dark aura pulsating with malevolence. "This orb can erase the very causality of this universe!"
Yaxocara laughed, unimpressed. "That thing? It might destroy a couple of galaxies, but I destroy layers."
Jegromaun growled, throwing the orb toward her. Yaxocara caught it effortlessly, crushing it in her hand.
"You don't understand," she said mockingly. "You may be strong enough to destroy planets, but compared to me, you're just… weak."
Jegromaun's eyes widened in terror. "Did she just… analyze my power level?!"
"Level 8 enemy danger," Yaxocara mused. "Impressive, but nothing I can't handle."
Without hesitation, she grabbed Jegromaun by the head. "You're just another fool who underestimated a real fighter." Her hand glowed with destructive energy as she crushed Jegromaun into oblivion.
Yaxocara descended back to Earth, her duality essence fading. She landed gracefully in front of Yaxoc, who was brushing off debris from his jacket.
"Whoa! What was that power?!" Yaxoc asked, his eyes wide with amazement.
"Uh… it's called duality essence," Yaxocara replied nonchalantly.
Yaxoc's jaw dropped. "So the rumors are true! Duality essence is real… And it's capable of destroying multiverses and hyperverses?!"
Yaxocara nodded. "Yep. But don't worry. Jegromaun's gone for good. Let's head back."
The two walked away