Rad darted through the forest, his amplified speed carving a desperate path through the underbrush. His mind raced even faster than his legs, each heartbeat pounding louder in his ears. Dammit, Elara, where are you!? He thought, panic gripping him like an iron vice. The trees blurred into dark streaks as his crimson aura faintly flickered around him, feeding on his growing anguish.

The forest suddenly opened into a clearing, and Rad skidded to a stop, his breath catching in his throat. Time seemed to freeze as his wide eyes landed on the gruesome scene before him. Elara lay sprawled on the ground, her once-vivid energy extinguished, blood pooling beneath her lifeless body. Ray stood over her, motionless, his black-gloved hand stained with her blood. The chains around his wrists glimmered faintly, like snakes basking in the aftermath of their strike.

Rad’s vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes. “Elara…” he whispered, his voice trembling, barely audible. Memories flooded his mind, each one hitting him like a dagger to the chest. He saw Elara’s smirk as they teased each other during training, Lucio’s laughter as the three of them raced through the streets of Horizon Heights, Nova’s energetic voice calling out to them at the academy. The warmth of their shared bond seemed so distant now, a cruel echo of a time when they were whole.

His breathing grew ragged, his sorrow bubbling into fury. His trembling hands clenched into fists so tightly that his nails drew blood. His teeth ground together, the veins in his forehead pulsing visibly as his crimson aura erupted like wildfire. The tears streaming down his face only fueled the storm within him.

“RAY!” he roared, his voice cracking with raw anguish. The name tore from his throat like a wounded animal’s cry. His aura exploded outward as he shot into the air, his vampiric fangs bared and his glowing crimson eyes locked onto the silent figure before him.

Ray turned slightly, his helmeted head tilting with an eerie calmness. He sidestepped Rad’s initial claw swipe with effortless precision, his movements almost languid. Rad flew past him, rage blinding his senses.

Before Rad could recover, Ray’s arm flicked out, his black chain snaking around Rad’s ankle like a serpent. Cosmic fire erupted along its length, searing Rad’s flesh. A guttural scream of pain and fury tore from Rad’s throat as the flames bit into him. With a casual tug, Ray hurled Rad through a shimmering portal that tore open behind him, its swirling darkness swallowing him whole.

Rad emerged into a strange, desolate dimension. The air was heavy, oppressive, as if it carried the weight of countless tragedies. The faint light of an unseen source illuminated the vast platform he now stood upon.

Around him, enormous grey stone pillars stretched endlessly upward, their surfaces etched with ancient runes that pulsed faintly with an ominous glow. The platform itself was cracked and scarred, bearing the marks of countless battles fought long before his arrival.

Rad crashed into the ground with devastating force, creating a massive crater. Dust and debris rained down around him as he struggled to his feet, his breaths coming in sharp, shallow gasps. His crimson aura flared wildly, mirroring the chaos inside him.

Ray descended gracefully a few feet away, his tattered cape billowing behind him. He landed with an eerie stillness, his chains clinking softly as they settled. He said nothing, his silence cutting deeper than any insult.

Rad’s rage boiled over. He slammed his fists into the ground, shattering the stone beneath him, and let out a guttural roar that echoed across the empty expanse. He launched himself at Ray with unbridled fury, the platform trembling beneath the force of his charge.

As their blows collided, the air around them rippled with energy. Rad’s fists crackled with raw vampiric power, while Ray’s counters were precise, each strike laced with cosmic energy. The ground beneath them fractured with every exchange, ancient runes flickering in protest.

Between punches, memories clawed at Rad’s mind. He saw Ray as a child, the two of them laughing together at the academy. He remembered their late-night talks, their shared dreams of heroism. And then the darker memories came, the betrayal, the bloodshed, the friends they had lost because of Ray’s descent into madness.

“Don’t you realize how many people you’ve hurt!?” Rad shouted, his voice hoarse with emotion. His fist collided with Ray’s helmet, sending him skidding back.

Ray straightened, silent as ever, his cosmic energy pulsating faintly. The emptiness in his demeanor only enraged Rad further. “Don’t you care!?” Rad roared, launching himself at Ray again.

The two clashed relentlessly, the sound of their battle echoing across the desolate realm. Rad’s blows grew more ferocious, each one fueled by the faces of the friends Ray had taken from him: Lucio’s infectious smile, Elara’s fierce determination, Nova’s radiant hope, and Mary’s sincere smile.

Finally, with a roar that shook the air, Rad’s fist connected with Ray’s helmet in a devastating uppercut. The force of the blow shattered a portion of the helmet, revealing a part of Ray’s scarred face, or what remained of it. A single starry eye burned with furious intensity, its violet glow almost unbearable to look at.

Ray’s body staggered and fell to the ground, the impact sending cracks branching out across the platform. Rad stood over him, his chest heaving, his knuckles bloody. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at Ray, his voice trembling. “You had a family, Ray… we were your family! And you destroyed us!”

For a brief moment, silence hung between them, the weight of their shared history palpable. Then Ray began to stir, the burning eye fixed on Rad, its cosmic fury promising that the fight was far from over. With a surge of cosmic energy from his palm, Ray propelled himself backward, shooting through a portal and sealing it shut before Rad could make a move to follow.

The scene unfolded in an almost surreal moment, as the stars streaked past Erydon and Aelith, the cosmic expanse around them twisting with endless speed. The distant shimmer of galaxies blurred, like distant embers across the dark expanse. Aelith, her aura bright with fury, twisted her face in impatience.

“What’s taking so long, Erydon?!” Aelith’s voice sliced through the quiet chaos of their cosmic flight.

Erydon’s brow furrowed, sweat streaking down his face, his focus stretching thin. “I keep losing track of Rad and Elara!” His voice was sharp, tinged with frustration. He pressed his finger to his temple, trying to stabilize his senses. “I cant locate them!”

The air between them was thick with urgency. Erydon’s telepathic call sliced through the space between them.

“Elara, Seridia, Rad, answer me, where are you?” Erydon sent out the desperate thought. The response that echoed in his mind was from Rad.

“Elara’s dead! Ray killed her and stranded me here!” Rad’s voice was wild, filled with grief and desperation.

Aelith’s face drained of color as the weight of the words hit her. Her heart skipped a beat, a deep ache in her chest. Erydon’s expression hardened, the sharp sting of reality setting in.

Aelith snapped her head back, her eyes widening as a realization struck her with terrifying clarity. “Seridia!” She called out, her voice cracking with sudden fear. “I can’t sense her qi anymore!"

Erydon’s grimace deepened as he clenched his fists. He forced his mind to focus, shutting out the horror that gripped him. His hand moved, forming the ancient hand signs to summon a portal. “Hold on, Rad, I’m-”

But before he could finish his sentence, something erupted through the cosmos at blinding speed, a streak of darkness and cosmic fire. Erydon’s heart skipped a beat as he saw the being of pure malice hurtling toward him, his starry, furious eye gleaming through the cracked helmet. Ray was enveloped in a storm of cosmic energy, his presence radiating pure malice.

Erydon barely had time to react as Ray’s fist shot out, slamming into his chest with such force that it sent Erydon crashing through a portal, his body tumbling onto the surface of an abandoned planet. The world he found himself on was a hollow shell of its former self, vast, empty plains where once vibrant cities stood, their ruins littered with ancient stone pillars. The sky above was muted, a dull gray that hinted at the once-thriving atmosphere. The lifeless ground beneath Erydon’s feet cracked with every movement as he skidded to his feet, and eerie silence prevailed, as though the world itself had been abandoned by the very stars.

Before Erydon could even collect himself, Ray appeared above him, descending with a predatory grace. The air crackled with cosmic energy as Ray’s eyes burned with wrath.

Erydon narrowly managed to block the crushing blow. The punch that Ray threw sent shockwaves through the dead world, the ground trembling beneath them. But Erydon wouldn’t be fast enough to avoid Ray’s fury. The two combatants locked eyes for a split second, Erydon trying to find some kind of opening. But Ray, with his furious gaze fixed on Erydon, moved with terrifying precision and threw a punch.

Erydon weaved and quickly retaliated, throwing his own punch aimed at Ray’s face. Ray weaved around it effortlessly, his movements fluid and calculated, anticipating Erydon’s every move. But Erydon pressed on, launching a flurry of attacks, each one met with Ray’s near-perfect counter.

Then, with a sickening thud, Ray’s fist slammed into Erydon’s gut, sending a wave of shock and agony coursing through his body. Erydon gasped, stumbling backward, the wind knocked out of him. Desperation flooded his thoughts, but Ray was relentless.

Before Erydon could react and form hand signs, Ray backhanded him with brutal force, sending him sprawling across the cracked ground. Erydon’s lips parted in a grunt of pain, a tooth flying from his mouth as he struggled to keep his focus.

Ray’s eye was dark and cruel as he moved in for the kill. Erydon was bleeding, staggering, but he still fought back, his attacks growing more erratic. Ray dodged each blow with ease, stepping aside as if Erydon were nothing more than an annoyance. Ray’s cosmic fire crackled in the air, igniting the very ground underfoot as he side-stepped into Erydon’s blind spot.

I have to- Erydon thought, but before the thought could fully form, the very fabric of reality seemed to fracture around him. Large, jagged cracks tore through the air, followed by a deafening shockwave that rattled the very bones of the planet. Ray’s cosmic blow struck Erydon’s liver with an earth-shattering force. Blood erupted from Erydon’s mouth in torrents, his body sent soaring through the air like a lifeless ragdoll. The impact was so devastating, it felt as though the air itself screamed in pain, trembling with the weight of the destruction.

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Ray was upon him in an instant as Erydon crashed through the air, his fists raining down with relentless cosmic blows, each strike landing with bone-shattering force. The impacts reverberated through the planet, causing the very fabric of reality to tremble under their weight. Erydon’s body grew limp, overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of Ray’s onslaught.

Each cosmic blow twisted the laws of nature itself, tearing him apart, breaking him down piece by piece with an unyielding, otherworldly power. The barren wasteland around them seemed to tremble as Ray’s fury consumed the atmosphere. With a final cosmic blow, Ray sent Erydon crashing into a towering mountain, the earth shaking as if in response to the destruction. A deep rumble echoed as the mountain wall crumbled upon impact.

Erydon struggled to his feet, his body aching, bruised beyond recognition. Blood dripped from his mouth as he gasped for air, but he was not given time to recover. Ray stalked toward him, his chains glowing with an ominous cosmic fire that singed the ground beneath him.

Erydon, his trembling hands now weaving intricate hand signs for a spell, tried to fight back. But Ray was faster. With a swift flick of his wrist, two slashes of cosmic energy shot out, slicing through Erydon’s arms before he could even react. The pain was excruciating as Erydon screamed, his arms falling uselessly to the ground.

Ray’s grip tightened around Erydon’s throat, lifting him off the ground as Erydon’s legs flailed helplessly, gasping for air. With each passing second, Ray’s hold became suffocating, his hand radiating a violent violet hue as he readied the cosmic blast that would obliterate Erydon’s head. The light in Erydon’s eyes flickered and dimmed, his pupils beginning to fade to a ghostly white color, as Ray’s furious gaze pierced deep into his very soul.

But before Ray could finish him off, a sudden burst of speed came from the side. Aelith. Her claws swiped through the air with a feral screech of rage, her aura blazing with fury. But she was quickly frozen in mid-air, caught by Ray’s overwhelming cosmic energy.

Erydon’s heart pounded with desperate resolve, each beat echoing through his veins as his world spun into chaos. His vision blurred, the edges fading into a hollow void. With what little strength remained, he forced his gaze upward, a flicker of determination lingering in his ghostly white eyes. “By the binding of my soul…” His faint voice faltered as the darkness crept in, swallowing him whole.

Erydon now stood within the twisted, malevolent sanctuary of a devil, a space where light and time dared not tread. The very air felt thick, suffocating with an oppressive weight, and the shadows seemed to pulse and breathe, as if alive. Massive, jagged pillars of obsidian stretched high into a pitch-black sky, their tops vanishing into an endless void.

The ground beneath him was cracked and uneven, glowing with faint, sickly veins of yellow light that seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat. Eerie, unnatural whispers echoed from the shadows, an unsettling chorus that seemed to crawl under his skin. The atmosphere was heavy with an ancient, malicious presence, as if this place itself were a living nightmare.

Before him loomed a devil, a massive being cloaked entirely in shadow, its true form hidden in the depths of darkness. Its glowing yellow eyes pierced through the void, seething with malice as it stared down at him. A massive, gaping mouth adorned its form, glowing a bright, hellish yellow, its jagged teeth gleaming with menace. The devil crouched low, its enormous form nearly swallowing the platform upon which Erydon stood.

It cackled maniacally, the sound vibrating through the very air, sending shivers down his spine. Erydon stood trembling, sweat soaking his brow as his body slowly healed, but his fear overshadowed the physical recovery. “Look at you,” the devil’s voice boomed, cruel amusement lacing its words. “Supposed royalty, crawling back for another deal with me, like the pitiful wretch you are.”

“Please!” Erydon gasped, his voice desperate. “I offer you everything I have left! Grant me the strength to kill Ray Cooper!” His eyes were wide with desperation, a man on the edge of ruin.

The devil’s smile faltered as It eyed him, the glowing yellow eyes narrowing in disdain. After a long pause, it slowly raised one clawed, shadowy hand to its chin, tapping it thoughtfully. “Hmm…” The devil murmured, amusement flashing in its eyes.

Erydon watched in growing dread as the devil’s malevolent gaze bore into him. “I reject your offer,” it said at last, its voice laced with mocking delight.

Erydon’s heart sank. “What?” His voice trembled as his hope crumbled away.

“You have nothing left I desire…” The devil’s tone turned cold and condescending. “…and my lord wishes that variant live for a while longer.”

Erydon’s resolve wavered, his knees almost buckling beneath him as fear gripped his chest. But the devil wasn’t finished.

“But!” it snarled, the sudden shift in its voice sharp as a blade. “I offer you an alternative…”

Erydon’s head snapped up, eyes wide with a mix of dread and curiosity. The devil’s grin widened, sickeningly slow, as its voice dropped to a whisper, “So entertain us a bit longer…”

Before Erydon could react, the entire space around him erupted in a blinding white light, engulfing him entirely, blurring the edges of reality as the world seemed to twist and distort around him. Back in the mortal realm, Ray whipped his head to the left, his visible eye widening in disbelief. He dropped Erydon to the ground as the man gasped for air.

“Ray!” Rad’s voice boomed as he lunged through a portal, crashing into Ray and sending both of them hurtling through the air, tumbling into the distance.

Aelith fell to the ground, now free from Ray’s telekinesis, her chest heaving as she too gasped for air. “Aelith!” Erydon called out, his voice strained.

Aelith turned her gaze toward him, visibly shaken. “This is our last chance!” Erydon said, struggling to his feet.

“We need to weaken Ray and combine our sanctuaries!” Erydon declared, urgency in his voice. Aelith wobbled to her feet, nodding. “Right!” she replied, and together they took to the skies, chasing after Ray and Rad.

Rad and Ray’s auras blazed with renewed resolve, an electric surge of power that illuminated the skies around them. Rad’s crimson aura, filled with raw, unbridled fury, crackled like a storm on the verge of explosion. Ray’s violet cosmic aura shimmered with an ethereal, almost otherworldly glow, ripples of dark energy spreading outward with every movement. The air around them thickened with intensity, as though the atmosphere itself trembled at their confrontation.

Rad’s muscular frame surged with power as he propelled himself forward, his fist colliding with Ray’s chest in a brutal strike that echoed across the battlefield. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, the force of the blow causing a trail of turbulence in its wake. Ray twisted midair, his violet aura flaring, and retaliated with a spinning kick that connected sharply with Rad’s side, sending him careening through the sky.

The two warriors, locked in an unstoppable force against an immovable object, continued their relentless exchange, their bodies twisting and turning in perfect synchronicity as they plummeted through the heavens. Each punch and kick reverberated with explosive force, their power threatening to tear the very fabric of the world apart. Rad’s fury-fueled punches were like sledgehammers, while Ray’s strikes were precise, calculated, and deadly, each one imbued with his cosmic essence.

Their auras flickered wildly, flashes of crimson and violet intertwining in a dance of light and shadow. Every time their fists met, the sky shuddered, the force of the blows ripping through the atmosphere like thunderclaps. Rad’s aura burned with violent intensity, matching Ray’s destructive power, while Ray’s aura seemed to pulse with a mysterious, swirling energy that defied the laws of reality itself.

They were unstoppable forces, two warriors locked in a cataclysmic struggle, falling through the skies with unstoppable momentum. The intensity of their battle threatened to tear the very air apart, their auras clashing like titans in the sky.

Ray’s violet cosmic aura collided with Rad’s crimson, wrathful aura, sparks flying with every impact. Ray then unleashed a devastating cosmic blast, sending Rad flying away. Both of them slammed into the ground, their feet skidding across the dirt. But they didn’t pause; they lunged at each other once more, clashing in a deadly dance.

Erydon from above, Weaved hand signs mid-flight, casting a rain of fireballs from above, with Aelith beside him. Ray swiftly kicked Rad away, narrowly dodging Erydon’s incoming spell. He weaved through more blasts, rising into the sky, but the group followed close behind. Before Ray could fly out of earshot, Aelith’s voice rang out: “Psychic Dominion!”

In seconds, Ray shot past a now older Nova, her face frozen in betrayal, shock, and disbelief. Her chest bore a gaping hole, and her wide eyes, so full of hurt and surprise, stared directly at him, just as they had the day she died. The day Ray killed her.

But Ray barely spared the hallucination a thought, his focus on dodging Erydon’s spells. He retaliated with a burst of cosmic energy that Erydon barely managed to avoid, as Aelith, chanting and weaving hand signs, and Rad, sprinting alongside, surged forward.

Ray, underestimating Aelith, was already preparing a volley of cosmic blasts. “Now, Aelith!” Erydon shouted as the group closed in on Ray.

Aelith’s eyes glowed with a fierce light as she completed the chant and formed a final hand sign. “Cerebral Eclipse!” The world around Ray plunged into pitch darkness just as he tried to react.

What!? Ray’s mind raced as the hue of his violet eye dimmed, his gaze darting around in the overwhelming black void. He hovered motionless, completely suspended in the abyss.

Then, through the darkness, a familiar figure emerged, Nova. Her gentle ebony arms wrapped around Ray, pulling him into an embrace. “...I love you, Ray…” she whispered in his ear, causing Ray’s eye to water up and rapidly flicker between green and violet colors.

“Don’t leave me again…” she murmured, a tear slipping down her face.

“Spiritual Projection!” The trio, Rad, Aelith, and Erydon, shouted in unison. Their voices reverberated through the very fabric of reality. As they formed hand seals, their combined power surged and merged into an overwhelming force.

The air crackled with tension as Aelith raised her hands, her voice carrying a dangerous melody. Erydon slammed his fists together, sparks of violent energy spilling from his hands. Rad, on the far left, thrust his arm forward with explosive force.

The ground beneath their feet shattered, and the sky splintered into jagged shards as their sanctuary erupted into existence, an all-encompassing sphere of kaleidoscopic light and shadow. Massive, swirling vortexes materialized, their gaping mouths devouring chunks of reality itself. The vortexes grew larger, their hunger insatiable.

Meanwhile, some sections of the sanctuary froze in eerie stillness, while others accelerated at dizzying speeds. One giant rock was hurled forward, only to be caught mid-motion in a stasis bubble, its form frozen in time.

Golden treasures gleamed, alluring and distracting, as piles of jewels and gold formed intricate, deceptive mazes. Then, the ground erupted in violent energy. Rivers of molten lava surged upward, crashing into torrential rain and roaring winds. Lightning danced across the fractured sky.

The landscape continued to shatter, creating a thousand mirrors that reflected the battlefield and the combatants. At the center of it all, a massive golden throne erupted from the earth, radiating untouchable power. Ray was motionless within the hallucination, staring into the abyss as Nova continued to hold him tightly.

…I can’t move… Ray thought, a sense of helplessness washing over him as his heart twisted with emotions he could no longer suppress. A single tear, born of regret and longing, slipped from his now-green eye, tracing a path down his face as Nova’s warm embrace tightened around him.

“Pandemonium of Sin!” The trio shouted once more, their voices filled with fury and determination. The very air trembled as the seven layers of sin began to collapse inward, fusing into a chaotic maelstrom of destructive energy. The apocalyptic convergence unfolded before them.

The fractured world of the sanctuary spiraled inward, each layer folding into itself, merging into a singular vortex that hovered above the battlefield like a gaping wound in reality. The air turned into a vacuum, pulling Ray’s limp body toward the center of the storm.

Time itself seemed to distort as Seridia’s temporal powers seeped into the vortex, remnants of her lost powers summoned by Erydon’s spell. The vortex exploded into a cataclysmic wave, pulling Ray deep into its depths.

Greed’s hunger devoured his energy. Lust’s illusions drained his will. Wrath’s fury tore through his body. Sloth’s stagnation further slowed him down. Pride’s crushing presence shattered his confidence, leaving him hollow.

The vortex reached its peak, a blinding surge of light and shadow as nearly all seven sins converged into a single, destructive pulse. With a deafening roar, the energy erupted outward, annihilating Ray in an instant.

The sanctuary slowly dissolved, its purpose fulfilled. The fractured landscape returned to its original state, though the scars of destruction remained. Rad, Aelith, and Erydon stood together, breathless and silent, their power still lingering in the air.

Aelith and Erydon collapsed to their knees, while Rad leaned forward, pressing his hands to his knees, exhausted. The sanctuary had taken nearly everything they had to conjure, but it was worth it in the end. After all, They had survived Ray's variant.