While the battle against the B-Synchro raged on, the rest of the Moblings, along with Sagax and Katya, were in the forest, just a several yards away from the fight.
“Do you think this is enough?” Sagax asked, clearly doubtful about what they had achieved in such a short time.
"It has to be," Katya replied, her tone firm as she secured one of the Moblings’ ropes to the base of a tree, which stood in a beautiful clearing illuminated by moonlight.
“Tell them to get into position,” she ordered, mentally steeling herself for what was coming. Deep down, she hoped it was already over and that Nova and the Alpha had somehow defeated the B-Synchro.
But she knew that if the others failed, she and her group were the last hope.
“Kukuk Uk kuku!” Sagax shouted, and the Moblings scattered, hiding in the thickets surrounding the clearing.
“They’re ready,” he reported.
“Good. Go to your spot,” Katya instructed, immediately darting through the forest back toward the battle.
"Come on, Nova... stay alive," she muttered through clenched teeth, anxiety gnawing at her as she feared she had taken too long.
The distance was short, just 250 yards or so, and she arrived in time to witness Nova, his white hair gleaming, delivering a devastating blow to the B-Synchro.
The force of his attack sent gusts of wind through her hair, extinguishing the beast's fiery aura. It looked like the end was near; perhaps luck had been on their side that night.
"Nova?"
Katya couldn't believe the sheer power displayed by someone who, just two weeks ago, had fought like an inexperienced child. She knew he was strong, but this was beyond anything she could have imagined.
"Brrrrrrrrr..."
The B-Synchro, once ferocious, whimpered pitifully after Nova's last strike. The fearsome lion had become a trembling creature, helpless and afraid. Then something slid off its back, hitting the ground beside it.
The beast opened its blood-red eyes, summoning its remaining strength to rise. Its gaze locked onto the unconscious figure of Nova, the source of its terror just moments before.
Nova’s synchro aura flickered weakly, on the verge of fading completely. Blood dripped from the B-Synchro's jaws, leaving a crimson trail that led straight to Nova's torn clothes. The beast loomed over him, its sharp, feline eyes intent on finishing its prey.
No predator hesitates, and neither would the B-Synchro. With a swift snap of its jaws, it aimed to sink its fangs into the boy’s face.
“No!”
A blinding white flash struck the creature’s eyes, stopping it in its tracks. It let out a howl of pain as its pupils, wide in anticipation of victory, were overwhelmed by the sudden light. The beast recoiled, thrashing its head violently from side to side in agony.
Katya’s footsteps echoed as she raced toward Nova, grabbing his limp body just as the B-Synchro roared in frustration, swiping at the air with its claws.
“This wasn’t part of the plan, but you did well!” Katya muttered, hoisting Nova over her shoulder and sprinting before the beast could recover.
However, carrying Nova slowed her down. She could only hope it was enough to reach safety.
She had only made it a few yards when a deafening roar erupted behind her. The B-Synchro, even with its damaged eyes, was charging after them. Its whiskers twitched, sensing her presence. It was too close.
Katya pushed herself harder, but the beast's jaws were upon her, ready to tear them both apart.
"Nooooooooo!" she screamed, her voice raw with desperation. She couldn’t let them die now, not after everything Nova had sacrificed to buy them this time.
If she wanted to be a true TN agent, if she ever hoped to face her grandfather again, she had to be worthy. Now was the time to prove it.
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"Grandpa, do you really have to go out again tomorrow? Isn't it dangerous?" A six-year-old Katya lay on a comfortable bed in a pastel-colored room filled with stuffed animals and toys.
Sitting at the edge of the bed was her grandfather, a dark-haired man with a kind face and a short beard, looking no older than 45.
"Haha, a little bit, yes," he chuckled softly.
"If it's dangerous, I don't want you to go. Stay with me, Grandpa," she said, quickly sitting up and hugging him. He embraced her warmly, gazing at her with tenderness.
"I love that idea, but you have to forgive me, I still have to leave in the morning," he replied gently.
Katya's expression immediately darkened, and she pulled away, crossing her arms in frustration. "Then I won’t love you anymore..." she pouted, puffing out her cheeks.
"How mean! But if you turn your back on me, you'll be at the mercy of... a tickle attack!" he teased, launching a playful assault of tickles. Katya's frown melted away, and soon she was laughing uncontrollably, forgetting she was upset.
After a while, her grandfather gently laid her back down to sleep. "Grandpa... what if something happens to you one day?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
He stroked her hair lovingly. "That won’t happen, sweetheart. I have companions who look out for me, just like I do for them. One day, when you become an agent, you'll understand..."
..........................................................
"Not here. I'm not going to die here, not now! Damn it!" Katya's voice was raw with desperation as her feet pounded the ground. She could feel herself moving faster, Nova’s weight growing lighter, her senses sharpening. Her eyes locked onto a narrow gap between two trees ahead.
Without hesitation, she vaulted through the space effortlessly, while the B-Synchro smashed through both trees, lagging slightly behind in its relentless chase.
“Hell yeah!” she cried out in exhilaration, unaware that her entire body was now enveloped in the same aura that had surrounded Nova earlier. In her desperation, Katya had unknowingly tapped into her latent power, awakening her own synchrony.
But the beast was still on her tail, its fury unrelenting, determined to end the hunt.
“Get ready guys!” Katya shouted at the top of her lungs as she sprinted toward the clearing, her newly awakened abilities pushing her beyond her limits. Yard by yard, she closed the distance to the trap they had set to stop the B-Synchro once and for all.
“UK KUKUKUK UK UK!” Sagax shouted back as soon as he heard Katya's voice in the distance. He immediately signaled the Moblings to tense their muscles and grab hold of the ropes hidden at their feet among the bushes.
Katya raced down the forest path, dodging the occasional thicket, heading straight for the clearing. The beast, undeterred by the damage it had suffered from its battle with Nova, running faster and closed the gap. Bloodlust burned in its eyes, turning it into an unstoppable force, driven by sheer primal instinct.
The sound of snapping branches filled the air as Katya burst into the clearing. The moment she did, a dozen ropes were drawn tight between two trees, right in the B-Synchro’s path.
A sharp whine escaped the beast as it collided with the ropes. It snarled and bit at them furiously, determined to push forward. More ropes tangled around its legs, but it didn’t care, dragging them along as it fury after Katya, eyes fixed solely on her.
“UK KUK UK!” Sagax called again, and the Moblings, hidden all around the clearing, pulled with all their might on the ropes attached to the B-Synchro.
The lion slowed with each step, burdened by the group of Moblings who were pulling on the ropes that restrained it. But it wasn’t enough to snap the beast out of its rage. With a final, desperate roar, it used all its strength to break free, snapping the ropes and launching itself at Katya with everything it had.
"Now!" Katya shouted, diving forward with Nova still draped over her shoulder. At that moment, another group of Moblings hidden in the forest released the ropes they had been holding, triggering their trap.
The ground beneath Katya, a carefully arranged patch of branches, undergrowth, and bushes, gave way, exposing a massive crater in the middle of the clearing. She had run across a thin tree trunk, which the Moblings had secured to simulate solid ground. As the illusion of safety vanished, she lay at the edge of the precipice, glancing back at the collapsing ground.
The B-Synchro was not so fortunate. Its wild leap carried it directly into the trap, its massive body broked the tree truck plunging into the crater, which was twice its size.
“RWAWWWWWW!”
A furious, mournful roar echoed as the beast's claws scraped desperately at the rim of the crater, struggling to hold on.
The B-Synchro wasn’t going to give up easily after coming this far. Desperately, it tried to climb the rock wall of the crater, but the effort was in vain.
“UK KUKUKUK UK!” Sagax’s voice echoed from the edge of the crater. Moblings peered over the rim, hurling big rocks with all their might at the trapped beast.
One by one, the Moblings took their toll, losing friends and companions in the process of that battle.
"GRRRRRRRRRRR!" The beast roared amid the attacks.
“Shut the hell up...” Katya muttered as she stood, having narrowly escaped death.
She dropped her last light grenade, which exploded in the lion's face, sending it back into the depths with a muffled roar that faded into the distance.
The moblings’ triumphant war cry filled the air, one by one, expressing their relief and anger after the fierce battle.
“UK KUKUK UK!”
“UK KUKUK UK!”
“UK KUKUK UK!”
“UK KUKUK UK!”
“UK KUKUK UK!”
They shouted in unison, honoring their fallen comrades and celebrating those who had survived.
Katya collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the ordeal. She knew there was still work to be done, tending to Nova and the other wounded, but she felt a deep sense of accomplishment. She had fought for her life, proven her strength, and understood the true meaning of friendship.
“Uk uk kuk!” Sagax called out when he saw Katya faint. Several Moblings immediately came to her aid, carrying her, along with Nova, the Alpha, and the other wounded, back to the village.
The battle was over, but a new challenge awaited. Sagax had to care for the wounded, ensuring that casualties were minimized. Even if death came for Nova and the Alpha, he was determined not to let them go.
----------------------------------------
Some days later
Nova's eyes fluttered open slowly. His body felt numb, and he found himself in a much larger teepee than before. He was lying on a wooden bed, covered by cloth sheets, with a soft light filtering through small holes in the leather of walls.
"Uh..." He turned his head to take in his surroundings and noticed Katya sitting in an ornate chair beside him, typing in her notebook.
"So I’m not dead..." he said awkwardly, catching Katya’s attention. Seeing him awake, she immediately put aside her digital notebook and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
"Nova, I knew you'd pull through! The whole village was worried sick!" Her enthusiastic embrace surprised him, leaving him confused about what was happening.
"Ouch, ouch, don’t squeeze so hard, please..." he winced, feeling pain all over his body. He noticed that his right arm and left leg were encased in splints to keep them immobilized.
"Oh, sorry!" Katya quickly released him and settled back beside the bed.
"I’m just glad you’re alright. You owe it to Sagax. He managed to tend to your injuries… We considered taking you back to Etheria, but his surgical skills are astonishing for someone from this village," she explained with a smile.
"How fortunate. I’m glad you’re okay too, but what happened? I just remember..." Nova recalled his attack on the Alpha, fearing it might have made him an enemy.
"The Alpha, is he alright?" he asked anxiously.
Katya smiled and nodded reassuringly. "He sustained many injuries and was near death, but he’s alive," she said joyfully, her response calming Nova.
"In fact, you owe him a great deal. Despite his own severe injuries, he insisted you be treated first and even threatened Sagax that he would come back from the dead to haunt him if you died. He said you saved his life."
Hearing this, and still not fully understanding how the B-Synchro had been defeated, tears streamed down Nova’s cheeks.
"Sorry... something’s in my eye," he said, his voice choked with emotion. He cried with relief, grateful to have protected someone he cherished and thankful he would never have to face the loss of a friend again.