The battlefield was a nightmare of fire and ruin, a chaotic storm where every clash of steel, every roar of gunfire, and every explosion tore through the fabric of an already broken world. Zain, Alric, Yara, Riven, and their gathered allies stood in a loose formation, their faces set with grim determination. Before them towered a being that radiated an oppressive, divine aura. Its form was a shifting amalgamation of light and shadow, its voice a chorus of whispers and screams.
The Narrator's first puppet.
"You. won't. leave. here. alive." It said, its voice shaking the ground with an otherworldly resonance. Tendrils of energy snaked from its body, tearing through the air like living whips.
Zain stood at the front, his blind eyes unseeing but his senses sharper than any other. He raised his blade, worn and chipped, but held with an unyielding grip. "You think you can scare us?" His voice was calm, resolute. "I've faced darkness my whole life. You won't make me fall. Not now. Not ever."
Alric stepped up beside him, the ex-mecha pilot's body brimming with makeshift technological enhancements. His armor hummed faintly, glowing with power siphoned from scavenged energy cores. "Zain.. I'm with you." Alric said, his voice tight. "But if we're doing this.. we're doing it together."
From the backline, Riven barked orders to their scattered allies. "Focus fire on its weak points! It's not a god it's a puppet! Tear it apart!" He unleashed a hail of precise plasma shots, the glowing bolts streaking toward the creature's core.
The creature moved with an inhuman grace, weaving through the attacks. It raised a hand, summoning a massive lance of light that slammed into the ground, scattering the group like leaves in a storm. The shockwave sent Yara tumbling, her rifle flying from her grasp.
"Yara!" Zain shouted, moving instinctively to shield her. A massive tendril lashed toward her, but Zain intercepted it, his blade cutting through the energy. The force of the impact sent him staggering, but he didn't fall.
Riven and the remaining allies charged forward, their combined attacks striking the puppet from every angle. Magic clashed with futuristic weaponry, bullets ricocheted off its shimmering form, and explosions tore through the ground beneath its feet. Yet, the puppet remained unyielding, its body reforming with every blow.
Alric, his armor now sparking and overheating, sprinted to Zain's side. He clapped a hand on the assassin's shoulder, his voice filled with urgency. "Zain. you're the only one who can get close enough to its core. I'm going to boost you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Zain demanded, his blind eyes narrowing.
Alric grinned, his expression strained but determined. "I've got tech for that. Don't argue."
Before Zain could protest, Alric slammed a glowing device into Zain's chest, a surge of energy coursing through his body. His speed and strength amplified tenfold, Zain staggered for a moment, then steadied himself.
"I'll cover you." Alric said, turning back toward the creature. He unleashed a barrage of grenades and plasma fire, drawing its attention away.
Riven and the allies pressed the attack, their shouts ringing out over the chaos. "Now. Zain! Go!"
With a deep breath, Zain dashed forward, his enhanced speed making him a blur. He weaved through the puppet's relentless attacks, each step bringing him closer to its core. A tendril lashed out, striking him in the side, but he didn't falter.
"I was born in darkness, I had nothing." Zain muttered, his voice steady even as blood dripped from his wounds. "Blind since birth. You can't make me fear what I've never seen."
With a final leap, Zain drove his blade into the puppet's core. The creature let out an unholy scream, its form writhing and distorting. But even as it began to crumble, it retaliated, a massive shockwave erupting from its body.
Zain was thrown back, his body broken but his expression calm. He landed near Yara, blood pooling beneath him. Alric, battered and scorched, staggered over to them, collapsing to his knees.
"Yara…" Zain's voice was barely a whisper. "You… have to keep going. You're the only one left. You can't let it win."
Alric nodded, his breathing ragged. "He's right. You've got something we don't. a future.. Don't waste it."
Yara, tears streaming down her face, shook her head. "No… No. I can't do this without you!"
"You don't have a choice.." Alric said, his tone firm despite his weakening state. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip surprisingly strong. "We believe in you."
The puppet's remains began to stir, its shattered form trying to reform. Alric turned to Zain, exchanging a nod.
"Well.. Let's finish this." Alric said.
Zain pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling but his resolve unshaken. "You won't make me fall." he said again, his voice stronger now. "Not while she still has a chance."
With one final surge of strength, Alric boosted Zain forward, the assassin striking the core once more. The puppet let out a final, deafening scream before exploding into a blinding light.
When the dust settled, Yara found herself alone. Her allies, her friends they were gone, their bodies lost in the devastation.
Before she could process the loss, a strange energy enveloped her. In an instant, she was teleported away, the ruined battlefield fading from view.
She reappeared in a dark room, illuminated only by the glow of a massive screen. On it played scenes of destruction, chaos, and death everything she had just endured.
The Narrator stood before her, its arms behind its back, a smug grin plastered across its face. "This is getting interesting… so many deaths at the same time." it mused, its voice dripping with mockery.
Yara clenched her fists, her body trembling with rage and grief.
The Narrator leaned closer, its eyes gleaming with malevolent delight.
"Looks like I finally found..The Main Protagonist." it said, savoring every word.
"Although it's a girl instead of a average main protagonist being male but.. that's fine."
It raised a hand, and with a flick of its wrist, Yara was sent hurtling back into the combined universe.
As she vanished, the Narrator turned toward the screen, addressing the unseen audience.
"Well… how do you think. my Watchers, of this little game? See everything fall into crumbles of dust?"
It leaned closer, its grin widening to an unnatural degree. "They will be nothing more than fictional characters, You know that. right?"
It chuckled softly, the sound growing darker, more sinister. "Nothing will survive. This. Is. Simply. For. Entertainment."
The screen flickered, then shattered, plunging the room into darkness.