Yaxoc strolled casually down the city streets, flanked by Marcus and Yaxocara. The sun's rays gleamed through patches of smog as the trio exchanged banter, seemingly unfazed by the unusual tension in the air.
"So, that doppelganger really thought they could pull off looking like me?" Marcus said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow, I didn't expect someone to be this stupid."
Yaxocara smirked, adjusting her stance as they walked. "Hey, it's not a bad idea if the person you're trying to mess with has soft feelings, y'know? Too bad Yaxoc is the complete opposite."
Yaxoc scoffed and shot her a sideways glance. "Yeah, and that's coming from someone who's somehow more annoying than me."
Yaxocara stopped in her tracks, her amber eyes narrowing dangerously. "HAH?! Wanna say that to my face, you punk?" she said, leaning in close, her voice daring.
Yaxoc leaned in too, his expression just as challenging. "Oh yeah? You wanna—" His sentence cut off abruptly as his nose crinkled. "What the hell is that smell?"
The three of them froze. The pungent odor was unlike anything they'd ever experienced before, sharp and sour, almost palpable in the air.
"What is this awful smell?" Marcus said, gagging as he covered his nose with his arm.
Yaxocara groaned, waving her hand in front of her face. "Ugh, this stench is killing my nostrils! What is it? Rotten eggs, a corpse, or both?"
Before they could speculate further, a figure sprinted toward them from down the street. His fiery orange hair bobbed with each step, and his bright armor seemed to glint even through the haze.
"Hey!" the figure yelled, waving his hand frantically.
Yaxocara turned her head toward the approaching figure and tilted her head. "Who's this freak?"
The figure finally reached them, stopping to catch his breath. He looked up at Yaxocara with a mix of confusion and irritation. "What the…? Is that the tin pot dude? Wait… Are you a femboy?"
Yaxocara's glare could have melted steel. "What was that? I'm a girl, you idiot!" she snapped, her voice dripping with venom.
Yaxoc sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's my friend Yaxocara," he said flatly, as if used to the confusion.
Marcus couldn't resist chiming in. "Actually, Yaxoc has a twin sister. That's why he brought her with him," he said with a smirk.
The fiery-haired figure, Theodore Flamy, blinked in confusion before shaking his head. "Right. Moving on! Have you guys noticed the contamination in the city? It's insane! This smell came out of nowhere!"
Marcus furrowed his brows. "Out of nowhere? That doesn't make any sense. How does a city just… get contaminated overnight?"
Yaxoc rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, unless someone dumped an industrial dumpster's worth of trash on every street corner, this doesn't add up."
Suddenly, the ground trembled. A low hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. Before they could react, a figure descended from the sky, landing with enough force to crack the pavement beneath its feet. A sickly green aura radiated from the being, mixing with the already unbearable stench.
Yaxoc took one look at the figure and burst out laughing. "Holy shit! It's the average *The Strongest Battlegrounds* kid!" he exclaimed.
Marcus turned to Yaxoc, unimpressed. "Really?" he said, giving him a pointed glare. Yaxocara, meanwhile, was doubled over, struggling to contain her laughter.
Theodore looked between them, his confusion evident. "Wait… That's a demon?" he asked, pointing at the creature.
The demon's appearance was grotesque. Its dark, almost obsidian-like body was etched with glowing green lines that pulsated rhythmically. It had large, jagged wings that seemed to drip with a toxic substance, sharp horns curled like a ram's, and piercing green eyes that gleamed with malevolence. Its claws, long and razor-sharp, flexed menacingly as it took a step forward, releasing another wave of the putrid odor.
Marcus nodded grimly. "Yeah, apparently Ogamak sent all his students to try and stop us. This one looks like he crawled out of a radioactive dumpster."
Yaxoc stared at the demon, squinting as if to get a better look. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. "That thing's called Trusho!"
"T-Trusho?" Marcus repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of name is that?"
Yaxoc shrugged. "Weird name, but it kinda fits, don't you think?"
Theodore stepped forward, his fists clenched. "Alright, I've got this. Leave it to me—"
"Oh, shut up, Theodore," Yaxoc interrupted. "You're nothing without your angelic essence."
"Yeah, dude," Yaxocara added mockingly. "Go suck your balls or something."
Theodore rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Fine. Have it your own way, then." He stepped back, muttering under his breath as he crossed his arms.
Trusho growled, its wings unfurling as it prepared to attack. The green lines across its body flared brightly, and the stench intensified. The air around the group grew heavy, almost suffocating.
Yaxoc cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. "Alright, radioactive trash bag. Let's see what you've got."
Trusho roared and lunged forward, its claws slashing through the air with blinding speed. Yaxoc dodged effortlessly, sidestepping with a cocky smirk. "Too slow! You'll have to try harder than that!"
Marcus joined the fray, summoning a burst of light from his palm to blind the demon temporarily. "Yaxoc, don't get cocky! This thing might look stupid, but it's still a demon."
"Relax, Marcus. I've fought worse," Yaxoc replied, charging at Trusho with a burst of speed.
Yaxocara stayed back momentarily, assessing the situation. "Hey, Theodore," she said, glancing at him. "You gonna keep sulking, or are you actually gonna help?"
Theodore groaned but stepped forward reluctantly. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."
The fight raged on, the city streets shaking with every blow exchanged. Trusho's claws scraped against the pavement, leaving deep gouges, while Yaxoc, Marcus, and Theodore worked in tandem to keep it contained. Yaxocara watched from the sidelines, her fingers twitching with anticipation.
"This is gonna be a long day," she muttered to herself.
Yaxoc darted in, striking Trusho with powerful blows to both sides, forcing the demon off balance.
"Now's your chance, Marcus! He's not using demonic essence!" Yaxoc shouted, his voice sharp with urgency.
"On it!" Marcus replied, focusing his energy. "Ice Magic: Ice Spikes!"
Five razor-sharp ice spikes shot forth at incredible speed, shimmering in the air as they homed in on Trusho. The demon twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding each one. With a sudden burst of energy, he retaliated, firing a blazing green laser. Marcus barely managed to sidestep it, the heat grazing his arm.
"Damn! He can shoot lasers now?!" Marcus exclaimed, clutching his arm. "And this one's way faster than before!"
"Leave this to me!" Theodore interjected, stepping forward. Summoning his magic, he unleashed a flurry of flame arrows aimed directly at Trusho.
Trusho snarled, swiping the projectiles out of the air with a casual swing of his claws. "Is this all you've got?!" he roared. "You'll need more than this to even scratch me!"
Without warning, Trusho unleashed a barrage of lasers in all directions. The chaotic beams sliced through the air like serpents, deadly and swift. Yaxoc twisted and turned, dodging each one with precision, while Marcus quickly formed an ice shield to protect himself. Theodore, caught in the storm, wasn't as fortunate.
"Theodore!" Yaxoc called out as the savior stumbled backward, clutching his side where a laser had struck.
Marcus grimaced. "Damn it! He can't react fast enough!"
Theodore fell to one knee, groaning in pain as Trusho approached him with a sinister grin.
"You're pathetic," Trusho sneered, his glowing green eyes narrowing. "A Z+ savior unable to dodge a simple laser? Worthless." With a brutal swing, Trusho struck Theodore, sending him crashing into a nearby building, unconscious.
Yaxoc's expression darkened, his usual smug demeanor replaced by a cold fury. "YOU!" he bellowed.
Trusho turned, only to find Yaxoc gone. Confused, he looked around. "Wait... Where—"
A thunderous impact cut him off as Yaxoc's fist slammed into his torso, launching him through several buildings. The demon crashed into the rubble, debris scattering like leaves in the wind. Before Trusho could recover, Yaxoc appeared behind him, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
"If you move to that specific spot," Yaxoc said, pointing to an area to his right, "I'll punch you so hard your balls will drop off your demonic ass."
Trusho snarled and fired another laser directly at Yaxoc's face. The attack dissipated harmlessly against Yaxoc's aura, leaving the demon stunned.
"What… WHAT?!" Trusho exclaimed, stepping instinctively to the spot Yaxoc had pointed to earlier.
"Predictable!" Yaxoc shouted, launching a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. Each blow landed with bone-crushing force, reverberating through the air like thunderclaps.
From a safe distance, Marcus and Yaxocara watched in awe.
"How the hell is he predicting Trusho's moves like that?!" Yaxocara yelled, wide-eyed.
Marcus chuckled. "This isn't new. He used this technique back in the day to deal with bullies. Sometimes, the old tricks work best."
Yaxoc ended the barrage with a devastating uppercut, sending Trusho hurtling into the sky. Energy gathered in Yaxoc's hand as he prepared his next move.
"ANGELIC FLASH!" he roared, releasing a radiant blast that enveloped Trusho midair, forcing him to crash back to the ground in a fiery explosion.
But Trusho rose again, his green aura intensifying. "You filthy brat... I'll kill you!" he snarled, his voice echoing with newfound power.
"What's happening?!" Yaxocara asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"He's powering up!" Marcus shouted, his tone grim.
"Then we'll power up too!" Yaxoc declared. "ANGELIC ESSENCE!"
Yaxocara joined in, her voice ringing with determination. "DEMONIC ESSENCE!"
Marcus, however, remained still. "Don't look at me. I don't have any flashy transformations," he said bluntly.
"Then stay out of the way!" Yaxocara snapped.
As the ground quaked, Trusho's aura grew brighter and fiercer. The sheer pressure forced the trio to shield their eyes. The demon's body transformed, his horns elongating and his wings expanding. His voice boomed like a thunderclap.
"Prepare yourselves for annihilation!" Trusho roared, charging at them with blinding speed. His first strike landed with enough force to shake galaxies, sending Yaxoc and Yaxocara flying. Marcus, witnessing the scene from afar, paled.
"Shit!" Marcus cursed, retreating to safety.
Trusho smirked. "Cowards."
But just as he turned away, Yaxoc appeared behind him, battered but standing tall. Blood trickled down his face, but his eyes burned with defiance.
"Did you really think that could knock me out?" Yaxoc said, his voice low and steady.
Trusho glared at him. "You…!"
Before the demon could act, his body froze in place. He struggled to move, but it was futile.
"What… What have you done to me?!" Trusho demanded.
Yaxoc smirked. "I used Imagination Magic to freeze you in place. This gives me ten seconds to explain something before I land an attack greater than infinity itself."
Trusho's eyes widened. "You…"
"Imaginary Magic: Purple," Yaxoc chanted, forming a glowing orb of purple energy on his fingertips. He launched the blast toward Trusho, but the demon deflected it effortlessly with his claws.
"Did you forget that I can deflect projectiles?" Trusho mocked. "You'll have to do better than that."
The blast struck Yaxoc instead, erasing his glasses.
Yaxoc grinned. "Better than that? My blast only erases one object."
"What...?" Trusho muttered, confused.
"And I know your claws can only deflect projectiles. That's why ranged saviors struggle against you. But…" Yaxoc leaned in, his smirk widening. "I don't consider myself a ranged savior."
Before Trusho could react, Yaxoc's kick connected with his jaw, launching him into orbit. Yaxoc teleported after him, grabbing his head mid-flight.
"Did you really think you could stop me?" Yaxoc taunted, slamming Trusho back to Earth. The impact created a massive crater on a distant island.
Rising from the debris, Trusho began to laugh. "You're strong, but this is far from over."
Trusho's body underwent another transformation. His horns sharpened further, his aura darkened, and his speed increased exponentially.
"What the hell?!" Yaxoc exclaimed as Trusho began moving faster than even his enhanced senses could follow.
The battle escalated, with each clash shaking the heavens. Trusho's speed and power seemed limitless, but Yaxoc refused to back down. Summoning every ounce of his strength, he unleashed an explosion of angelic energy, forcing Trusho back.
"Enough games," Yaxoc growled. "I'll finish this now!"
With a blinding flash, Yaxoc lunged at Trusho, landing a punch infused with his full power. The sheer force of the blow created tsunamis, earthquakes, and gravitational anomalies.
"THIS IS THE POWER OF THE LAMB OF GOD!" Yaxoc roared, pouring all his faith into the attack. Trusho's body began to disintegrate under the relentless pressure until he was completely vaporized.
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Meanwhile, in the outer dimensions, Xavy observed the shockwaves rippling through reality. He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.
"Great. That's twice now he's nearly destroyed the multiverse," Xavy muttered. "Just what the hell is going on? It's not like they encountered someone capable of tearing reality apart…"
He turned his gaze toward the distant dimensions. "I need to investigate this myself," he said, vanishing into the ether.