The battlefield was eerily silent. The Wind Hawk circled above, its screeches echoing through the air, while the Vine Wraith's glowing core pulsed mockingly in the distance.
Yuno, Hugo, and Shine were quiet... not from fear or strategy, but from a simmering, collective rage. They weren't just angry.
They were beyond it.
The three stood, dusting themselves off, their expressions grim.
Yuno rolled his shoulders, his muscles visibly flexing as his frustration boiled beneath the surface.
Shine adjusted his rifle, the normally bubbly light in his cyan eyes replaced by sharp focus.
Hugo pulled his gauntlets tighter, his gaze locked on the enemy with an intensity that promised no mercy.
Without a word, they moved..
Yuno took the lead, slamming his fists together as his body began to expand.
His ability, muscle expansion, activated, his frame bulking up dramatically as he readied himself to shield his team. "Let's end this.." he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
Shine didn't hesitate.
He leapt onto Yuno's broad shoulders with practiced ease, rifle already drawn and aimed at the Wind Hawk. His breathing slowed as he steadied his shot, his finger brushing the trigger.
Then Hugo dashed forward, signaling to Yuno. "Launch me." he commanded.
Yuno didn't hesitate, cupping his hands to give Hugo a boost.
With perfect timing, Hugo vaulted into the air, soaring straight toward the glowing core of the Vine Wraith.
As Hugo approached, its vines snapping into motion.
Two thick roots shot upward, aiming to intercept Hugo mid-air, while smaller vines twisted defensively around the core in a protective barrier.
Seeing Shine's rifle aimed directly at it, the Wind Hawk flapped its wings, sending a concentrated burst of wind to throw off his aim.
It screeched, diving toward Shine with its talons outstretched, aiming to knock him off balance before he could fire.
As Hugo soared toward the Vine Wraith's core, two massive roots lashed out at him. He barely managed to block them with his gauntlets, the force of the impact sending him hurtling backward.
Crashing onto the ground but he was able to playdug his fingers into the ground, skidding to a stop before he was flung any farther.
Shine reacted quickly to the Wind Hawk's gust of wind, leaping off Yuno's shoulder at the last second.
The wind missed him entirely, ruffling his silver hair as he adjusted his aim mid-air.
Yuno, now alone on the ground, faced the oncoming gale head-on.
With a thunderous clap of his hands, amplified by his brute strength, he created a shockwave that negated both the Wind Hawk's attack and its forward momentum, momentarily halting the monster in its dive.
Stunned for a moment by Yuno's counter, the Wind Hawk screeched angrily and twisted in mid-air, flapping its wings to recover.
With renewed aggression, it darted toward Shine, its talons glowing with mana, aiming for a decisive strike.
The core of the Vine Wraith pulsed brighter, and more vines erupted from the ground, creating a web-like barrier between Hugo and itself.
The roots lashed out again, this time in rapid succession, aiming to overwhelm him before he could advance further.
Yuno and Hugo turn to each other and locked eyes in that fleeting moment, a silent understanding passing between them. Without hesitation, they sprinted toward each other.
"Switch!" Hugo called out.
"Got it!" Yuno replied with a smirk.
As they passed, their hands met in a thunderous high-five, the sound reverberating like a signal of their coordinated attack.
Hugo pivoted sharply, redirecting his momentum toward the Wind Hawk. As the creature focused on Shine, it didn't see Hugo closing in from behind.
With precision, Hugo leaped, slamming his gauntlet into its back in a powerful strike, forcing the bird to let out a screech of pain and stagger mid-flight.
Meanwhile, Yuno barreled straight into the storm of vines from the Vine Wraith. The roots lashed at him relentlessly, each blow met with a defiant roar and a powerful punch.
His bulked-up frame absorbed the impact as he pushed forward, breaking through the tangled assault.
With every step, he drove closer to the glowing core, his fists smashing through the Vine Wraith's defenses one after another.
High above, Shine adjusted his position mid-air, watching as his team executed their coordinated attack.
He aimed his rifle carefully, his eyes narrowing. With the Wind Hawk stunned and the Vine Wraith's defenses momentarily distracted by Yuno's assault, he found his opening.
Shine steadied his aim, his cyan eyes locked onto the Wind Hawk's head.
The bird squawked in fury, thrashing in an attempt to shake off Hugo by flapping its wings wildly and summoned another gust of wind to dislodge him, trying to regain control but Shine's focus was unshaken.
"Stay still…" Shine whispered, pulling the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet struck true, piercing the Wind Hawk's head with a precise shot. Its body went limp mid-flight, and it began to plummet.
"Hugo!" Shine called out as gravity took hold of him too.
Hugo, already anticipating the fall, sprinted into position.
With a well-timed leap, he caught Shine mid-air, stumbling slightly but recovering his footing.
"Gotcha!" Hugo grinned as he set Shine down.
"Nice catch." Shine replied, giving a thumbs up.
Meanwhile, Yuno roared as he bulldozed through the wall of writhing vines. His fists swung in relentless arcs, smashing through every barrier the Vine Wraith threw at him.
The massive root of twisted vines descended, aiming to crush him, but Yuno met it head-on with both fists.
"Not today!" he bellowed, his muscles expanding further as he forced the thick vine back with sheer strength.
Step by step, Yuno powered forward, the glowing core of the Vine Wraith now within reach. With one final surge, he clenched his massive hand into a fist and drove it straight into the core.
The core cracked under Yuno's strike, the light within it dimming rapidly.
The Vine Wraith let out a screeching groan as its body began to wither, the vines falling lifelessly to the ground.
The battlefield fell silent as the Wind Hawk's body hit the ground with a heavy thud, and the Vine Wraith's remains disintegrated into nothing but scattered leaves and dust.
Hugo and Shine ran over to Yuno, who stood panting in the middle of the fading carnage.
"Damn." Yuno huffed, cracking his knuckles. "That was one tough plant."
Hugo smirked, wiping some dirt off his gauntlet. "Guess arguing in the middle of a fight isn't always the worst idea. It worked out in the end."
Shine shook his head with a chuckle. "Next time, though, let's try not to make it a habit."
The trio shared a brief laugh, their exhaustion forgotten as they took in their victory, ready to face whatever came next.
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