Yaxoc and Haven walked along the bustling streets, seemingly unbothered by the world around them.
"Why are you still so cautious?" Haven asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.
"Because Zarzock is still out there," Yaxoc replied without hesitation. His tone was steady, but his eyes darted around the shadows. "I can feel his presence—it's like he's watching us."
Haven rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, Yaxoc. Don't be paranoid. If he were here, we'd know by now."
Before Yaxoc could reply, a sudden force sent him hurtling through the air, crashing into a wall. Haven gasped in shock, spinning around to see their assailant.
"Yaxoc!" she yelled, her voice trembling as she locked eyes with the figure stepping out of the shadows.
It was Zarzock.
"Not you again!" Haven shouted, her fists clenched.
Zarzock smirked as he lunged at her, his energy crackling with malice. Before the blow could connect, Yaxoc appeared in front of her, teleporting just in time to take the hit himself. Zarzock's fist collided with Yaxoc's chest, sending him to the ground as he coughed up blood.
"Ah, how noble," Zarzock sneered, towering over him. "Didn't expect you to play the hero, Yaxoc. What's next? Another self-sacrifice?"
Yaxoc's wounds glowed faintly, regenerating as his faith coursed through his body. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his eyes burning with determination.
"I've had enough of you!" Yaxoc shouted, his voice ringing with conviction. "I'll TAKE YOU DOWN MYSELF!"
Yaxoc lunged at Zarzock, their fists colliding in a powerful clash that sent shockwaves rippling through the streets. Zarzock's body shimmered with red energy as he activated his demonic essence.
"So, you've tapped into that," Yaxoc said, stepping back and narrowing his gaze. "But don't you know? My angelic essence is your undoing."
Zarzock chuckled, his grin sharp as a blade. "Advantage or not, you're a fool if you think that guarantees victory. I'll show you what I can do—even at a disadvantage."
Zarzock lunged again, his fist aiming for Yaxoc's head. Yaxoc raised his arms, blocking the blow with a deafening crack. Before Yaxoc could counter, Zarzock teleported behind him and delivered a powerful kick. Yaxoc leapt into the air, avoiding the strike, and retaliated with a flying punch that sent Zarzock crashing through several buildings.
Yaxoc teleported above the wreckage, his hands glowing with radiant energy. "ANGELIC FLASH!" he chanted, slamming a devastating blow into Zarzock's chest. The impact sent Zarzock plummeting into the ground, leaving a massive crater in his wake.
Zarzock groaned but quickly rolled to the side, dodging Yaxoc's follow-up strike, which shattered the ground where he stood. As Zarzock attempted to regain his footing, he was struck by a series of invisible blows, his body jerking in different directions.
"What the—?!" Zarzock managed to gasp, but the truth became clear: Yaxoc had moved faster than his eyes could follow.
The final strike came in the form of a spinning kick to Zarzock's face, sending him flying skyward. "You're getting sloppy," Yaxoc said, teleporting in front of him.
With a crushing punch to Zarzock's face, Yaxoc launched him back down to the earth. As Zarzock fell, Yaxoc appeared above him, delivering a brutal frontflip kick that sent him crashing into the ground with earth-shaking force.
Yaxoc descended slowly, his fists glowing brighter with each passing second. He raised them high, his voice echoing with power.
"You won't escape this time!" Yaxoc bellowed, his aura blazing like a sun. "GET READY! BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO SEE HEAVEN—OR WORSE, THE UNDERWORLD!"
Yaxoc charged toward Zarzock, the ground trembling beneath him. Zarzock, seeing the overwhelming force barreling toward him, hastily conjured unbreakable barriers of demonic energy.
When Yaxoc's punch connected with the barrier, the resulting explosion was cataclysmic. The shockwave obliterated nearby buildings, shattered the multiverse itself in localized fractures, and sent tremors rippling through the planet. Zarzock's barrier, once thought invincible, cracked and finally shattered under the overwhelming force.
"What?!" Zarzock yelled, his confidence faltering as he looked into Yaxoc's unrelenting gaze.
Zarzock scrambled to his feet, summoning an energy dagger and slashing at Yaxoc's face. The blade left a shallow cut, but Yaxoc didn't even flinch.
"N-no way…" Zarzock stammered, stepping back as dread began to seep into his voice.
Yaxoc took another step forward, his glowing fists radiating unstoppable power. "This ends now, Zarzock."
Yaxoc grabbed Zarzock and hurled him into a nearby wall with immense force, the impact shaking the ground and leaving a deep crater. Zarzock groaned in pain, but Yaxoc wasn't finished. He dashed forward, delivering a flurry of blows before ending the assault with a sharp, devastating kick that sent Zarzock flying across the battlefield.
In a blur, Yaxoc teleported behind Zarzock, grabbing his foot mid-flight and spinning him around with effortless precision. He launched Zarzock high into the air and teleported above him, raising his fists for a crushing sledgehammer strike. Zarzock barely managed to dodge, retaliating with a punch to Yaxoc's face. To his horror, Yaxoc didn't even flinch.
Zarzock's eyes narrowed as he growled, "What's wrong with your strength? Why won't you fall?"
Yaxoc's tone was calm, yet piercing. "Do you want to know what's wrong with yours? Your demonic essence might give you an edge, but brute strength alone won't save you. You'll have to do better than that."
"Are you mocking me?" Zarzock spat, his fists trembling with fury.
"No," Yaxoc said evenly. "I'm stating the truth. You cheated your way into power. You gained your demonic essence by betraying Lucius. That's not strength—it's cowardice. And even though Lucius deserved it, following Ogamak's orders only proves how hollow your strength really is."
Zarzock took an uneasy step back, his confidence wavering under Yaxoc's unyielding gaze. "What are you rambling about?"
Without warning, Yaxoc closed the gap, slamming Zarzock into the ground with enough force to crumble buildings in the distance. As Zarzock tried to recover, Yaxoc continued.
"Power gained through shortcuts doesn't last. You think this is a simple fight? This is no test where you can cheat and copy answers when no one's looking. Strength comes from struggle, not betrayal."
Zarzock sneered, his defiance returning. "You think you're some kind of philosopher now? You're fighting me, not teaching me life lessons!"
He chuckled darkly as his energy began to surge, his aura expanding into a crimson maelstrom. "Enough talk. I'll show you my true power."
Zarzock's energy ignited, crumbling the ground beneath him and sending shockwaves rippling through the air. "At full power, I am invincible! YOU WILL DIE, YAXOC! YOUR ESSENCE IS WEAK! AND ONCE I'M DONE WITH YOU AND THAT GIRL, LUCIUS IS NEXT!"
Yaxoc's expression remained calm. "My goal is to kill Lucius too, along with Ogamak. If that's your mission, why not join me instead?"
"Join you?" Zarzock scoffed, his smirk cruel. "I don't need a nobody like you. I came for revenge, and I'll take it on my terms."
To prove his strength, Zarzock fired a blast toward a distant moon, obliterating it in a single strike. He turned to Yaxoc with a malicious grin. "See that? I'm stronger than you'll ever be."
Yaxoc teleported in front of him and delivered a thunderous punch to Zarzock's face, causing a massive shockwave. Zarzock barely flinched, mocking him with a cold laugh.
"Is that all you've got?" Zarzock sneered before landing a powerful punch to Yaxoc's gut, knocking the breath out of him.
"AGH!" Yaxoc groaned, collapsing to his knees.
"Yaxoc!" Haven's voice cut through the tension as she ran into the scene.
"Haven, GET OUT OF HERE!" Yaxoc shouted, his voice strained. "HE'LL KILL YOU!"
Zarzock didn't hesitate. He fired a deadly blast toward Haven, striking her in the chest. She crumpled to the ground, motionless.
"Well, so much for half-immortality," Zarzock said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Maybe she didn't know how to use it properly."
He turned back to Yaxoc with a cruel grin. "What did I tell you? You can't save everyone. That's the harsh reality, isn't it?"
Yaxoc froze as Zarzock's words echoed in his mind, a bitter reminder of past failures. His expression darkened, and his yellow energy flared like an inferno.
Zarzock raised an eyebrow, stepping back slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yaxoc's voice was low but steady, carrying an ominous weight. "Do you know why mortals like me control our emotions, Zarzock? It's because we are destined to live with them. Our emotions are neither purely positive nor negative—they're balanced, a reflection of our humanity. Angels, on the other hand, embody positivity because they exist to inspire. Mortals don't have that luxury. We endure pain, anger, and loss. That's what makes us strong."
Yaxoc began to walk toward Zarzock, his energy radiating brighter with each step. "You think power is about destruction and control. But true strength comes from enduring the worst and still standing. Mortals might not radiate light like angels, but we carry the burden of balance—and that balance gives us the will to fight."
For the first time, Zarzock felt a chill run through him as Yaxoc's presence grew overwhelming. "You're bluffing," he muttered, his voice uncertain.
Yaxoc's gaze bore into him. "Try me."
Zarzock raised his hand, summoning a massive, crackling energy scythe that radiated malice.
"You've left me no choice, Yaxoc. I'll kill you, just like I did that girl—"
Before he could finish, Haven teleported behind him, delivering a powerful kick to his back. The impact staggered Zarzock, giving Yaxoc an opening to land a brutal kick to his jaw. Acting in sync, Yaxoc and Haven struck together, their combined punches slamming into Zarzock's gut with enough force to send him hurtling through the air.
Haven stood beside Yaxoc, panting slightly. "Looks like we're not done yet… but this is my last chance. My final stock, if you will." She turned to Yaxoc, her gaze firm yet somber. "If I don't make it, tell Heraphiel I'll see him soon."
Yaxoc's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? We've only just met."
"That doesn't matter," Haven replied. "Stopping this bastard is what matters. I can't let him continue, and I won't let you die in my place."
"Are you seriously not afraid of death?!" Yaxoc demanded. "I'm not letting you take this on alone!"
"Yaxoc!" Haven snapped, her voice rising. "I'm not scared, okay?! If I die taking down Zarzock, it'll be worth it. My death would mean something."
Before Yaxoc could respond, a calm yet commanding voice echoed from the distance.
"Not happening."
Yaxoc and Haven turned toward the source, spotting a mysterious figure walking toward them—a young boy, his presence strangely intimidating.
"Who… are you?" Yaxoc asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Not your concern," the boy replied coolly. "Name's Fate. And I'll be handling this."
Yaxoc and Haven exchanged skeptical glances.
"Are you sure about that, kid? You don't exactly look battle-ready," Yaxoc said.
Fate smirked, snapping his fingers. In an instant, Yaxoc and Haven vanished from the battlefield, leaving only Zarzock and Fate.
Zarzock straightened, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. "Who are you? And how do you know my name? Where's that fool, Yaxoc?"
"They're gone," Fate said casually, taking a step closer. "Now it's just you and me. Tell me, Zarzock—did you really think demonic essence would make you invincible?"
Zarzock glared, his fists clenched. "And what makes you so sure it doesn't?"
Fate shrugged. "Demonic essence is nothing more than concentrated negativity. In every story, negativity loses to positivity. Heroes triumph; villains fall. That's the nature of balance. Your essence may give you power, but it's flawed by design. It will never make you truly strong."
"Enough of your nonsense!" Zarzock roared, firing several energy blasts at Fate.
Fate didn't flinch. The blasts disintegrated harmlessly around him.
"You're wasting your time," Fate said, his tone bored. "If that's the best you've got, let me show you what real power looks like."
He raised his hand, his voice resonating with authority as he chanted, "Domain Expansion."
A massive black sphere enveloped the battlefield, warping reality itself. Inside, a grim, desolate world materialized skulls littered the ground, and the air pulsed with a dark, oppressive energy.
"Welcome to Garden of the Forgotten," Fate declared, his glowing green eyes locking onto Zarzock. "Here, the rules are simple: your powers are disabled, and if you're pushed to the brink of death, they'll be permanently erased. I, on the other hand, gain enhanced speed, strength, and control. There's no escape. No teleporting. No breaking the domain. This is a fight to the death."
Zarzock roared in defiance, lunging at Fate with a flurry of punches. Each strike connected, but Fate didn't even flinch.
"You rely too much on your essence," Fate said, catching Zarzock's fist effortlessly. He drove his other hand into Zarzock's stomach with a single, devastating blow.
Zarzock stumbled back, gasping in pain. "What… what did you do to me?!"
"I reset your energy," Fate replied calmly. "You're at zero now. Even without it, your raw strength is impressive—capable of shattering mountains, maybe continents. But your overreliance on power has made you predictable. It's… disappointing."
The domain began to dissolve, the oppressive atmosphere fading. Fate stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"This was only a demonstration," he said. "You live today because I allow it. Don't waste this second chance."
Zarzock staggered to his feet, glaring at Fate with a mix of fear and fury. But he said nothing, choosing instead to turn and run, his steps echoing in the silence.
Fate watched him disappear into the distance, his gaze cold. "Dismissed."