Stella pressed her back against the rough bark of a twisted, half-scorched tree, her breaths coming in short, ragged bursts. The plasma rifle in her hands hummed violently, its internal mechanisms whirring as the emergency full-charge sequence neared completion.
Her arms ached, her vision swam slightly from the strain of overcharging the weapon, but she forced herself to stay focused. Almost there… just a few more seconds.
Then, with a sharp, high-pitched beep—it was ready.
A surge of relief mixed with adrenaline as she gripped the rifle tighter, pushing herself up against the tree for support. She scanned the battlefield, locking onto Keon's distant figure. He was still within his Rift Barrier, the mutated Bloodwick thrashing against the Abyssalflame Serpent's relentless grip.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and shouted—
"KEON! THE FULL CHARGE IS READY!"
Her voice cut through the chaotic battlefield, raw and urgent.
She could see him turn his head slightly in her direction, acknowledging her call. Stella exhaled, adjusting her stance, positioning the rifle's barrel toward the target—slowly but surely lining up her shot.
She wasn't sure what Keon's exact plan was, but she didn't have time to question it. The plasma blast was primed, and once she fired, there was no taking it back.
Whatever you're thinking, Keon… you better make it work.
Keon stood amidst the chaos, the battlefield a storm of shadows and fire around him. His long navy-blue hair, streaked with dust and embers, swayed with the eerie currents of the Rift Barrier. The dim light of the burning wreckage cast a faint glow over his features, accentuating the sharp lines of his face.
Yet, what stood out the most were his eyes—deep violet, gleaming like distant stars against the abyss. They held no fear, only certainty.
His dark cloak billowed behind him, the fabric torn at the edges yet carrying an undeniable presence, as if it, too, defied the madness of the battlefield. His boots pressed against the shifting ground, unfazed by the crumbling earth beneath.
Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, Keon spread his arms wide. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his confidence unwavering. His gaze locked onto Stella's, an unspoken command flashing through the battlefield.
Shoot.
No hesitation, no doubt—only trust.
The plasma rifle hummed louder in the distance, ready to unleash its full power. Stella, still braced against the tree, hesitated for just a split second, her mind racing.
"Wait… He's telling me to fire at him?!
But Keon remained still, his stance unwavering, his violet eyes gleaming with a brilliance that rivaled the storm itself.
Stella gritted her teeth, her grip tightening around the plasma rifle as she steadied herself against the tree. Her breathing was still uneven from exhaustion, but her mind was racing even faster than her heartbeat.
Is he insane?
She had seen powerful Espers pull off unbelievable feats, but standing in the direct path of an emergency full-charge plasma blast? That was suicide. No matter how many tricks Keon had up his sleeve, no human could take that kind of energy head-on.
Yet, there he stood.
Keon's arms were spread wide, his violet eyes gleaming like distant stars in the darkened battlefield. His navy-blue hair swayed with the wind, the edges of his dark cloak fluttering like a shadow refusing to be claimed by the night. There was no fear in his gaze, no uncertainty—only confidence, as if he already knew the outcome before the shot was even fired.
"Keon…" Stella's voice wavered.
She hesitated.
Her finger hovered over the trigger, her instincts screaming at her to stop. If she fired and he failed to block it, she would be the one to burn him alive. She would be the one responsible.
But he's not afraid.
Keon tilted his head, his smirk unwavering, as if he could hear the battle waging in her mind.
"Stella," he called out, his voice steady. "Do it."
Her heart pounded.
She had fought countless battles, trusted teammates with her life, but this was different. This wasn't just about believing in an ally—it was about placing trust in the impossible.
Her hands steadied.
Her doubt melted away.
Keon had made his choice. Now, she had to make hers.
Gritting her teeth, Stella finally exhaled.
"...Fine. Don't die on me."
With a sharp click, her finger squeezed the trigger—sending a searing bolt of plasma straight at Keon.
The moment Stella pulled the trigger, the world seemed to slow.
A blinding plasma beam erupted from her rifle, a concentrated stream of pure destruction roaring toward Keon. The sheer intensity of the energy distorted the air around it, turning the battlefield into a haze of white-hot light.
Yet Keon stood firm.
Just before impact, his Rift Barrier shimmered into existence—a rippling distortion in space itself. The plasma beam blurred the moment it touched the barrier's surface, twisting and stretching as if reality itself was swallowing it whole. Then—just like that—it vanished.
Gone.
No explosion. No impact. Just silence.
Stella's breath hitched. Did it… work?
Before she could process it, another eruption of flames filled the battlefield. Behind Keon, the Abyssalflame Serpent had sunk its fangs into Bloodwick's ever-mutating flesh, its skeletal body coiling around the writhing monstrosity. Fire spewed from its maw, engulfing Bloodwick in a torrent of Abyssalflames—ethereal black fire that clung like a curse, burning through even its regenerative abilities.
Bloodwick screeched, its body thrashing violently, desperate to shake off the undead serpent.
And in that moment of chaos—Keon smiled.
His barrier was ready to return fire.
Keon exhaled slowly, his violet eyes gleaming like stars against the battlefield's darkened chaos. The air around him crackled with residual energy, remnants of Stella's devastating plasma shot now absorbed into his Rift Barrier.
His cloak billowed from the force of the previous attacks, its deep fabric blending into the swirling distortions of his power. He lowered his arm slightly, steadying himself—then, with a casual, almost mocking smirk, he raised it again.
His fingers curled into the shape of a gun.
Keon pointed directly at the writhing, abominable form of the mutated Bloodwick. The grotesque creature twitched and pulsed with unnatural life, its flesh constantly shifting, desperate to adapt to the relentless onslaught.
But now, it stood alone.
The Abyssalflame Serpent—once coiled around Bloodwick—had been pulled into Keon's Rift Barrier, disappearing entirely into the void. Only the seething, scorched remains of the monstrous beast remained, smoldering under the weight of Abyssalflames.
Keon's lips parted, voice carrying a cold finality.
"Bang."
The Rift Barrier trembled—then fired.