Doing the right thing did not always lead to the expected outcome. Life was more complex than a simple dichotomy of good and bad.
Sometimes, the best intentions yield disappointing results, while questionable actions by others can lead to unforeseen success.
This was a harsh lesson for Nova and Katya as they waited for the B-Synchro's final move.
Was it unfair? Perhaps, but the world's nature is far more intricate.
..........................................................
The beast’s furious claw slashed toward them, threatening to tear them apart. They closed their eyes, bracing for the worst, and everything went black.
When they opened their eyes again after a sharp blow, they discovered they were still intact.
Before them stood the Alpha, his coppery back shielding them from the beast’s claw, supported by three other Moblings.
"You, Moblings are..."
Their astonishment would soon be overshadowed by the roar of the Lion, who was immediately struck on the nose by the steel mace wielded by the Alpha. A violent sound erupted, sending the B-Synchro staggering back a few feet.
The beast growled menacingly, glaring at the six-foot Mobling, who wore the same mask he had confronted Nova with.
"UK KUKUKUK UK!"
At their leader's command, more Moblings emerged from the underbrush, hurling ropes tied to rocks at the beast. They quickly covered the lion, then yanked the ropes hard, trying to halt its advance.
This seemed their standard tactic: ambush from the undergrowth and let their leader deliver the decisive blow.
Initially, the B-Synchro resisted fiercely, but the Moblings, who had been training diligently since Nova's arrival, pulled with all their strength. Gradually, they succeeded in dragging the beast away from the boys while the Alpha continued to strike it, forcing it back.
"Why, why are they doing this?" Katya asked tearfully, bewildered by the Moblings' defense. It seemed the sacrifice they sought had been accepted, signifying that they regarded the boys as part of their own.
"I told them what you were trying to do..." Sagax appeared beside them, carrying a wooden helmet, his staff, and a shield.
"Without hesitation, the Alpha took his weapons and rushed here right after ensuring the safety of the weaker ones..." The Old Mobling’s eyes were filled with regret. "I tried to stop him, knowing it was a suicide mission, but he said he could not live in pride if he survived while others sacrificed themselves. He wanted to fight and die alongside them."
"UK KUKUK!"
One by one, the Alpha’s powerful blows struck the lion’s snout, which struggled against the force of at least two dozen Moblings.
They persisted in their effort, stretching the ropes to their limits and impeding the creature's movements. The B-Synchro endured the blows without being able to defend itself.
"UK KUKUKUK UK!"
"UK KUKUK UK!"
"UK KUKUKUK UK!"
"UK KUKUKUK UK!"
The Moblings shouted in unison, pulling with all their might to prevent the B-Synchro from overpowering them in a test of strength.
Nova, still tearful and shocked, watched the Moblings bravely face the B-Synchro. Yet, he felt an unsettling sense that the danger was far from over.
This feeling was not unique to Nova. As the Alpha's blows failed to cause significant damage, it became clear: it was only a matter of time before the B-Synchro broke free.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrowaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr!"
The lion roared with such intensity that it terrified every living creature around it, yanking the Moblings with frenzied force and violently pushing their front.
At that moment, the ropes, woven from the plants of the synchro fauna, snapped, releasing the full fury of the B-Synchro. The beast charged forward without hesitation, extending both claws toward the Alpha.
The clash between the ruby claws and the steel mace sparked a brief but brilliant shower of sparks. This flash revealed the Alpha’s remarkable strength: though he was dragged from his original position, he managed to hold his ground and counter the B-Synchro’s deadly claws.
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The beast stood upright on its hind legs, desperately trying to knock it down using its weight body.
"Uk..." The Alpha, straining every muscle, felt the pressure overwhelming him. Despite his best efforts, he knew he was on the brink of losing, but he refused to surrender, determined to hold out as long as possible.
The other Moblings, having been knocked down by the monster’s strength, scrambled to assist the Alpha. Several grabbed the lion’s tail, pulling with all their might.
"Grrrrrr!"
The lion was forced back by the combined strength of the Moblings. It then spun 180 degrees, using its powerful body to drag the Moblings clinging to its tail and slam them into their exhausted leader, who was still catching his breath after surviving the previous attack.
The collision produced a loud crash and sent several Moblings, including the Alpha, sprawling to the ground. The Alpha, having lost his steel mace, suffered a heavy blow.
"Rrrraaaarrrr!"
The lion’s roar echoed its immense power, inducing a primal fear in everyone present. The instinct to flee overwhelmed them, making them feel like helpless prey before the apex predator.
Suddenly, a reddish aura began to emanate from the crystals on the beast’s body, making them glow intensely. The creature’s red gaze sharpened, and its body seemed to stiffen, with its claws becoming even more formidable.
"This is... Synchrony," Sagax said, paralyzed with fear. "It's the same force that destroyed my former village..."
As Sagax spoke, a powerful light gathered in the beast’s mouth, forming an incandescent sphere that charged before them.
"That looks like..." Nova recognized the energy buildup from countless anime scenes he’d seen in his previous life.
"Everybody get cover!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed Katya and the old Mobling, hoisting them onto his shoulders and running.
"UK KULUK!" shouted Sagax, warning the other Moblings still on the ground. Several, including the Alpha, quickly got up, trying to escape the impending catastrophe.
The beast released a powerful flare of crimson fire from its snout, creating a cone of flames that swept across an area of 22 feet.
Trees, underbrush, and several Moblings who couldn’t escape were consumed by the inferno, reducing vibrant life to burning wood and ashes in seconds.
Those who escaped the fire watched in horror as the beast walked across the scorched landscape, trampling the bodies charred by the flames.
"KUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK KUUU!" The Alpha’s distant cry, filled with frustration and anger, echoed his grief over the loss of his comrades.
"KUKUK KUUUK KUUUU!" His shouts, though not entirely understood, were unmistakably a curse against the creature that had decimated his kin.
Nova, Katya, and the old Mobling managed to escape the flames, but their resolve to fight vanished, much like the vegetation consumed by the fire.
Despite everything, Nova gently released Katya and the old Mobling, then took a few steps toward the glowing beast.
"Kid, what are you doing? We need to run!" the old Mobling urged.
"Sagax is right! Didn’t you see what that thing just did?" Katya exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.
Nova was terrified, worse than when Angelo had put a dagger to his neck. But beneath that fear, an even greater force surged: pure and unrelenting rage.
"Yes, I saw it. That’s exactly why I can’t run. Those Moblings died because of me—because they opened their village to me, treated me as one of their own." His emotions built up in his chest.
"How the hell am I supposed to run away now!?" he shouted, fists clenched as he stared at the creature responsible.
"Don’t you want to see your grandfather?" he asked Katya, turning to her, tears of rage on his face. "You know as well as I do that we can’t escape as long as that thing is alive. I gave up once, but now... I can’t."
He turned back toward the B-Synchro. "If surviving in this world means exterminating monsters like that, then we fight and we survive."
Suddenly, a white aura began radiating from Nova's body, growing more intense with each second, like light rising under immense pressure.
Katya stood frozen, shocked as she realized what was happening. Nova hadn’t even noticed that his aura now mirrored the beast’s. He had just awakened his Synchrony.
"You're right..." Katya wiped away her tears, pulling out one of the light grenades and fastening them to her belt. "It is a TN agent's duty to exterminate B-Synchros."
Though fear still gripped her heart, she reached into her bag, suddenly remembering something. "Take this," she said, pressing her grandfather’s nexus device into Nova’s hand. "I don’t know if it’ll help, but right now, any advantage could make a difference."
"Katya, but..."
She closed his hand around the device, not giving him a chance to refuse. "If you find anything about my grandfather during the fight, let me know. I can't face that thing yet, but I’ll figure out a way to take it down with the Moblings. Just give us time."
"Okay. We’ll keep it busy as long as we can. I can't promise much, but I’ll do my best."
"We’ll try?" Sagax questioned. "Who else do you mean? If we’re all helping Katya, who’s left?"
"In case you haven’t noticed, there’s someone else here who won’t forgive the B-Synchro even if he kills it a thousand times," Nova said, ending the conversation as he continued toward the lion.
Sagax followed Nova’s gaze. The Alpha, just like Nova, was walking steadily toward the beast.
Their paths converged, both walking through the sea of ash, advancing toward the creature moving toward them.
"Hit… hard," the Alpha growled, making it clear that Nova should aim to finish off their opponent.
"Right!"
In that brief moment, Nova raised the device to his ear. He still didn't fully understand why Katya had given it to him, but maybe it was her way of encouraging him at such a critical juncture.
Once ready, they quickened their pace and broke into a run, charging together toward the beast. The creature mirrored their movements, setting the stage for an inevitable collision.
"Do you think he noticed?" Sagax asked Katya, who was observing the scene.
"No, but it doesn’t matter. Remember that crater you almost fell into? Is there another spot like that around here?"
The violent collision between the lion and the two fighters resulted in a thunderous impact, sending them flying with fresh cuts on their bodies.
"Kug..." Nova grimaced as he hit the ground, but he immediately stood and lunged toward the beast again.
Though his body felt three times faster, stronger, and tougher, the speed with which the beast attacked was far greater.
Even the Alpha, who had slowed for some reason, was knocked back by a brutal strike. Yet, driven by rage, he kept getting up, no matter the damage.
If they wanted any chance of winning, they needed to coordinate better—but against a beast that had grown stronger, finding an opening would be difficult.
"I’ll try to distract it," Nova thought as he charged toward the lion’s left side.
With a powerful blow to its ribs, he managed to provoke a reaction, but the beast barely budged.
In retaliation, the lion whipped its tail, hitting Nova with such force that he crashed into the ground.
"Coff!" The breath was knocked out of him as his body formed a small crater on impact. With no time to recover, he rolled to dodge the lion's ruby claws, which smashed into the ground, sending debris flying with every strike.
“You bastard, why are you so strong!?” Nova shouted, scrambling to escape the deadly blows.
Just then, the Alpha intervened. Using the time to retrieve his steel mace, he struck the lion's paw, deflecting the attack and giving Nova the chance to get back on his feet.
“Again!” they both shouted, charging the beast from opposite sides.
The Alpha’s strikes barely made the creature flinch, while Nova’s, though stronger, couldn’t break through its resilient defenses. Every blow from the lion felt like they were being struck by a giant metal rod.
Nova’s aura had given him a much tougher constitution than before, allowing him to endure the attacks with only minor bruises and cuts. The Alpha, however, was in much worse condition, with several broken ribs and one arm hanging limp while he held the mace with the other.
“This isn’t working... At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before it kills us,” Nova muttered in frustration, unable to land a meaningful hit.
Then he remembered how the moblings had momentarily halted the beast’s advance when they worked together.
“That’s it!” He refocused, glancing at the Alpha.
“Together!” he shouted. The Alpha met his gaze and gave a sharp nod.
At that moment, the tide of battle shifted.
Although the lion could see them and respond to their attacks more effectively, it was unprepared for their simultaneous head-on assault.
In response, the beast opened its jaws to finish them off with a single bite. But it was met with the force of a powerful strike to its snout, forcing it to look skyward and recoil, shaking its head from side to side.
"That's it, it’s time to make him pay!" Nova shouted, exhilarated by their progress. If they struck with all their strength simultaneously, they might match the beast’s new level of power.
Despite their injuries, the Alpha and Nova readied themselves for another attack.
The battle was just beginning as the nexus device in Nova's ear began to emit a faint, intermittent green light.