Rad’s chest heaved as he straightened himself, his body trembling with exhaustion. “We did it…” Aelith whispered, her voice weak and unsteady, barely audible between gasps for air.
Erydon managed a faint smile, but it wasn’t one of relief or triumph, it was hollow, heavy with the losses of the battle. Rad’s body began to relax for the first time in weeks, his heart slowing as the tension melted away. But the fragile calm shattered as a cold, raspy voice pierced the silence like a dagger.
“Spiritual Projection…” The trio’s eyes widened in unison, their hearts plummeting into despair. Rad spun around to look skyward, dread gripping him like a vice.
There, high above them, stood Ray, his dark figure hovering effortlessly in the sky. His black exosuit was completely unscathed, the tattered cape flowing behind him like a shadow. He clasped his hands together tightly, his presence oppressive and unyielding.
“Sovereign Sanctuary,” Ray intoned. Rad opened his mouth to scream, to warn the others, but no sound came. Darkness erupted outward, engulfing everything in its path. The trio was swallowed whole by the void, their surroundings replaced by an endless expanse of pitch-black space dotted with faint, distant stars.
This was Ray’s ultimate ability, his sanctuary. By projecting the cosmic Qi within his body, Ray extended his will, his soul, across the fabric of the universe and time itself. Within this void, the stars seemed like memories of a forgotten past, and any being trapped within was utterly powerless against Ray’s judgment.
No… Rad thought desperately, his body suspended in the infinite abyss. Panic surged through him as he struggled in vain against the overwhelming force.
Aelith’s wide, terrified eyes met Rad’s, pleading for a hope that didn’t exist. While Erydon, for the first time in his life, looked utterly defeated. His shoulders sagged as if he had already resigned to their fate.
And then, without warning, Aelith and Erydon began to disintegrate. Their bodies crumbled into dust in seconds, swept away by the void as if they had never existed. Rad’s breath caught in his throat as he watched, helpless and horrified, the image of his comrades vanishing burned into his mind.
No… no, no, no! Rad’s thoughts screamed, but his voice never found its way out.
Ray’s voice echoed through the sanctuary, calm and cold, yet laced with an undertone of quiet finality. “I once admired you, Rad…”
Before Rad could react, Ray materialized beside him, his presence suffocating and inescapable. Rad’s crimson eyes burned with fury as he struggled against the void, but Ray remained unmoved.
“So I will grant you an honorable death.” With that, Ray disappeared into the darkness, leaving Rad alone. The sanctuary began to crack and splinter around him, fragments of the void collapsing as cosmic energy surged outward.
Rad’s hatred boiled over, his anger and despair reaching a fever pitch as Aelith and Erydon’s final moments played over and over in his mind. Their expressions of helplessness and fear were seared into his memory, a relentless reminder of his failure.
The sanctuary shattered completely, and Rad fell, his feet finding solid ground once more. As he slowly lifted his gaze, he saw Ray standing in the distance, waiting silently. Ray’s posture was casual, almost dismissive, like a predator toying with its prey.
To Rad, it seemed Ray had saw him as nothing more than a tool, a plaything to manipulate and discard. That realization gnawed at Rad’s very soul, tearing at his psyche. His fists clenched, his crimson aura flaring wildly as his grief and fury fused into an unrelenting resolve.
Rad let out a thunderous roar of fury, the ground fracturing beneath his feet as he launched himself at Ray. The air rippled with raw power as the two clashed, Rad unleashing a relentless flurry of attacks. Ray, however, moved with a chilling precision, effortlessly weaving through the onslaught and countering with swift, calculated strikes.
Rad, blinded by rage and grief, seemed unfazed by the blows Ray landed, his focus consumed by the need to destroy the one who had taken everything from him. His anguished roars reverberated across the barren, lifeless planet, each bellow carrying the weight of his hatred.
Ray ducked beneath a devastating punch from Rad that sent shockwaves tearing through the landscape, the force obliterating nearby debris. In one fluid motion, Ray flipped backward, creating a safe distance. For a moment, the battlefield fell silent, an oppressive calm before the storm.
Then, as if in perfect synchronicity, Rad and Ray lunged at each other, their fists colliding in a cataclysmic impact. The sheer force of their clash unleashed a cosmic blow, fracturing the very fabric of the universe around them. A massive crack radiated from the point of contact, its jagged edges glowing with raw cosmic energy, as an intense white flash consumed them both, obliterating the darkness momentarily.
The clash between Rad and Ray left cracks in the barren ground of the desolate planet, but for a moment, the scene dissolved into a haze of white, replaced by the warm, golden sunlight of the past. At the sprawling courtyard of the ancient magical academy, a playful sparring match was underway. A ten-year-old Ray, clad in his white exosuit, stood across from Rad, who wore a training Gi. Ray’s pale skin glowed faintly under the sun, the freckles on his nose and cheeks accentuated by the light.
His wild, curly brown hair bounced as he shifted his stance, emerald green eyes alight with excitement. Rad grinned, his stance firm and confident as he lunged forward. His footwork was precise, and his punches came in quick, calculated bursts. “You’ve got to keep up, Ray!” he teased as their fists clashed with bursts of magical energy.
Ray smirked as his helmet formed over his face. “Oh, I’m just getting started!” He ducked under one of Rad’s strikes and countered with a spinning kick, which Rad blocked with ease.
On the sidelines, their friends watched eagerly. A younger Connor stood with his arms crossed, a fake look of disinterest plastered on his face, though his sharp blue eyes betrayed his interest. “He’s going to lose again,” he muttered with an exaggerated sigh.
Elara and Lucio, however, were far from composed. “Come on, Rad! You’ve got this!” Elara shouted, her voice brimming with excitement.
Lucio cheered even louder, nearly bouncing on his heels. “Rad! Finish him!”
Nova, meanwhile, had her fists clenched, her cosmic-patterned sneakers tapping with nervous energy. “No way! Ray’s got this! Show him what you’ve got, Ray!” Her curly afro seemed to bounce with her enthusiasm, her bright smile radiating confidence in her friend.
The sparring continued, the clash of fists and boots growing fiercer. Despite Ray’s agile movements and attempts to counter, Rad was clearly in control. His strikes were sharper, his movements more precise, forcing Ray on the defensive.
With a sudden feint, Rad ducked low and swept Ray’s legs out from under him. Ray crashed to the ground with a grunt as his helmet retracted into his suit, revealing his flushed and freckled face.
Lucio and Elara erupted into cheers. “Rad wins again!” Lucio laughed, pumping a fist in the air.
Connor scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Predictable,” he muttered, though a hint of amusement tugged at his lips.
Nova’s cheers faltered as concern crossed her face. She hurried over to Ray, crouching down beside him. “Ray, are you okay?” she asked softly, her bright smile replaced with worry.
Ray blinked up at her and managed a sheepish grin. “I’m fine, Nova. Just a little dirt on my pride.”
Rad walked over, towering over Ray as he chuckled. “Oh, come on, Ray. You’ve taken harder hits than that!”
Nova shot Rad a playful glare, crossing her arms. “That doesn’t mean you have to hit him so hard, Rad!” she quipped, her mock anger making the group chuckle.
Before anyone could say more, Mary Mayweather walked onto the scene. Her fiery red hair glowed in the sunlight, and her pale, freckled face turned serious as her gaze landed on Ray’s bruised cheek. “What’s going on here?” she asked, her tone both motherly and stern.
She rushed over, kneeling beside Ray. Concern flickered in her amber eyes as she gently touched his cheek. “Ray, you’re bruised! And you-” she turned to Rad, her voice sharp. “You know better than to go all out during sparring!”
Rad scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry, Miss Mayweather. I didn’t mean to hit him that hard.”
Mary sighed, shaking her head. She conjured a soft, golden light in her palm and pressed it gently against Ray’s cheek. The bruise faded almost instantly as a soothing warmth spread through his skin. “You boys need to learn to be careful. Sparring is about practice, not breaking each other!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ray and Rad said in unison, their voices tinged with guilt. As Mary stood and gave them one last look of admonishment, Rad extended a hand to Ray. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Good match, Ray. You’re getting better.”
Ray looked at the hand for a moment, his green eyes narrowing as if weighing the gesture. Then, a smirk spread across his face. “You got lucky.” He clasped Rad’s hand and let himself be pulled up.
As they stood side by side, the golden sunlight seemed to freeze the moment in time, their young faces brimming with potential and camaraderie. Slowly, the children and their surroundings began to fade to white, the laughter and cheers of their friends echoing into the void.
Rad and Ray’s battle was a storm of pure destruction, their movements a blur as they struck with raw power that shook the planet to its core. Each clash of their fists sent shockwaves rippling through the desolate landscape, tearing apart the ground beneath them. Rad lunged forward with a guttural roar, his vampiric claws slashing through the air in a deadly arc, but Ray’s reflexes were faster.
In a precise motion, Ray dodged and retaliated, slashing Rad’s hand clean off with a flick of his chain. Rad didn’t even flinch as his severed hand regrew almost instantly, his crimson aura blazing brighter than ever. “Is that all you’ve got, Ray?!” Rad bellowed, his voice dripping with anger and a deep-seated pain.
They collided again, their fists meeting with such force that the fabric of reality itself cracked, creating fractures in the sky that radiated outward like a shattered mirror. The two of them were swallowed by a flash of brilliant white light, their silhouettes barely visible as the echoes of their battle faded into silence.
The light gave way to a peaceful memory, a fragment of a time long before they were consumed by hatred and tragedy. The bright white light dissolved into a warm, golden glow that bathed a small, bustling restaurant in the heart of Horizon Heights two years ago. The scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling food lingered in the air, mingling with the soft hum of conversation.
Seated at a long wooden table by the window, a group of five friends shared laughter and companionship. Ray, his younger freckled face alight with a rare, carefree smile, sat between Nova and Connor on one side of the table. His curly brown hair was slightly messy, a few strands falling over his bright emerald eyes as he wore a grey shirt and black jeans.
He tapped idly on the surface of the table with the black cybernetic ring on his finger, the rhythmic sound punctuating the animated chatter around him. Nova leaned forward, her cosmic-patterned hoodie catching the light. Her vibrant afro framed her glowing face as she spoke with excitement, her hands gesturing wildly. ”No way, Ray! You really fought Apollo by yourself!?”
Ray chuckled, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “In my defense, you went missing. What else was I supposed to do?”
Connor, sitting beside Ray with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face, rolled his piercing blue eyes. “You’ve always been reckless. Honestly, it’s a miracle you’ve made it this far in one piece.” His tone was teasing but carried a hint of affection, the kind that only close friends could decipher.
Across from them, Lucio was doubled over with laughter, his curly hair bouncing as he struggled to catch his breath. “Man, Ray’s always going in by himself! The hero of the week reward isn’t that important ya know!” His laughter was infectious, prompting even Elara, who usually maintained a more reserved demeanor, to crack a smile.
Elara, her sharp green eyes observing the group with quiet fondness, adjusted the silver bracelet on her wrist before speaking. “Honestly, its no wonder Nova got caught.” She says as she turns her gaze to Nova with a smirk. “You’re just as impulsive, you know.”
Nova gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. “Excuse me, Elara, I am not impulsive. I’m… adventurous!”
“Sure, sure,” Lucio teased, popping a fry into his mouth. “Adventurous is just a nicer word for ‘troublemaker.’”
The group burst into laughter, the sound drawing a few curious glances from other patrons. It was the kind of laughter that felt endless, filling the space with warmth and a sense of belonging.
As the moments passed, the conversation softened, and the group found themselves reminiscing. “Do you guys remember the first time we all met?” Lucio asked, leaning back in his chair with a wistful smile.
“Of course,” Ray said, his voice quieter now. “It was at the academy. We were all just kids, trying to figure out who we were.”
Connor smirked. “And you were the kid who thought he could fight a training dummy with his bare hands.”
Ray laughed, shaking his head. “Hey, I learned my lesson… eventually.”
Nova nudged Ray’s shoulder playfully, her eyes softening. “You’ve come a long way since then, Ray. We all have.”
Elara nodded, her gaze distant. “Back then, everything seemed so simple. We were just little kids, dreaming about becoming heroes.”
The table fell Into a brief silence, not out of sadness, but in shared acknowledgment of how precious those memories were. Ray looked around at his friends, his emerald eyes glistening with something unspoken. For a moment, he allowed himself to simply be, no cosmic powers, no battles, no weight of the universe, just a boy surrounded by the people who made him feel whole.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Nova broke the silence, her voice light and teasing. “Alright, enough of this sappy stuff. Who’s ready for dessert? My treat!”
“Wait, your treat?” Lucio exclaimed, feigning shock. “What’s the catch?”
Nova stuck out her tongue. “No catch! Just a little thank you for putting up with me.”
The group erupted into laughter once more, their voices weaving together like a melody that filled the room. The golden light of the restaurant seemed to shine brighter, as if the universe itself was cherishing this fleeting moment of joy.
And then, slowly, the memory began to fade. The warm light of the restaurant blurred into a soft white glow, the laughter echoing faintly as it was carried away by the passage of time.
The friends, the table, the restaurant, all dissolved into white, leaving behind only the echoes of their bond, a bittersweet reminder of what once was. Rad roared in anguish, his voice a raw symphony of pain and fury as tears poured down his face, tracing lines of grief across his bloodied cheeks. Each drop carried the weight of countless battles, of dreams shattered and bonds broken, of the unbearable truth of what his once close friend had become. His crimson aura burned like wildfire, flickering erratically with his surging emotions.
With a guttural cry, Rad launched himself forward, his fist tearing through the air with such force that the ground beneath him splintered. The punch carried all the agony, the betrayal, and the rage within him, but Ray sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid and calculated. The missed strike sent a shockwave rippling outward, bending the air and uprooting the already shattered landscape.
Ray countered instantly, his starry eyes narrowing beneath the visor as his black exosuit glimmered with cosmic energy. His aura flared to life, a brilliant storm of cosmic fire that seemed to consume him, illuminating the battlefield like a star. For a fleeting moment, his glowing form mirrored Nova’s radiance, a haunting echo of what once was.
With precision and speed, Ray unleashed a devastating flurry of kicks and punches, each strike accompanied by bursts of blinding light and searing heat. The sheer intensity of his attacks painted streaks of light across the darkened horizon. Rad gritted his teeth, his body absorbing blow after blow as his crimson energy surged outward in a desperate attempt to keep him standing.
Then, with a spinning kick that connected with a bone-cracking impact, Ray struck Rad squarely on the jaw, sending him hurtling backward. The force of the blow created a shockwave that scattered debris across the battlefield, carving scars into the ground. Rad crashed into the dirt but rose almost instantly, crimson energy erupting from his form like a feral beast unleashed. His fury was unrelenting, his eyes glowing with a deep, vengeful crimson.
Ray hovered several dozen feet away, his aura flickering with an otherworldly brilliance as he steadied himself in the air. The two locked eyes, their gazes charged with years of history and pain. Neither spoke, but their silence screamed louder than words ever could.
With a deafening roar, Rad launched himself upward, the ground beneath him cratering from the force of his leap. Ray mirrored the motion, his chains trailing behind him as he lunged forward. The two titans collided in midair, their fists meeting in a thunderous impact that cracked the very fabric of reality.
The sky itself fractured like glass, the edges of the cracks glowing with a chaotic energy that pulsed outward. Time seemed to hold its breath as the sheer force of their clash swallowed the battlefield in a brilliant white light, engulfing the combatants in its radiant, all-consuming glow.
The blinding white glow gradually dissipated, revealing Ray one month ago in his black exosuit, the onyx chains around his wrists dragging along the shattered ground with a grating scrape. He moved forward silently, his shadow looming over the desolate ruins of the academy. The once vibrant grounds were now a graveyard of broken dreams, littered with lifeless bodies, students and teachers alike.
Smoke curled off some of the corpses, their charred remains a haunting reminder of the destruction he had unleashed. Ray’s gaze beneath the visor was cold, distant, as he stepped past the lifeless forms of Charlie and Matthew, their faces frozen in shock. His movements were mechanical, like a boy weighed down by invisible chains of his own making. Each step echoed with finality, breaking the deafening silence of the ruined battlefield.
Then, cutting through the stillness, her voice pierced the air like a cry from the heavens. “Ray!” Mary Mayweather’s voice rang out, laced with desperation and anguish. It was the kind of plea that could shatter even the hardest of hearts.
Ray stopped. Slowly, he turned to face her.
Mary stood in the distance, her red hair tangled and windswept, her green robe flapping against her body. Her white shirt and black jeans were stained with soot and ash, but it was her face that told the true story, eyes red and swollen from tears, a deep sorrow etched into her features. Her hands instinctively rested over her swollen belly, cradling the unborn child, a symbol of her love with Sui, the goddess who Ray had banished to another universe.
Beside Mary, Rad and Lucio stood frozen in disbelief. Rad’s body trembled with fury, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned bone white. Lucio’s glowing pupils flickered as his eyes darted between the lifeless forms of Charlie and Matthew and Ray’s motionless figure.
“…Ray…” Lucio whispered, his voice barely audible, shaking with emotion.
Mary stepped forward, her movements shaky but resolute. “Ray, please!” she cried, her voice breaking as she ran toward him. “Whatever this is, whatever happened to you! we can help you!”
Ray tilted his head downward, his helmet hiding the turmoil beneath. “…You can’t,” he replied, his voice quiet yet heavy with pain, muffled by his visor.
Mary’s breath hitched, and tears spilled down her cheeks as her legs buckled beneath the weight of his words. “Ray…” she said softly, her voice trembling as she closed the gap between them. Ignoring the danger, ignoring the destruction, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, her body shaking against his. “Please, Ray. It’s not too late. Stop this, come back to us.”
Rad and Lucio watched tensely from a distance, their bodies poised to act. Mary had warned them not to interfere, trusting her maternal love to reach him.
For a moment, Ray hesitated. Slowly, his arms lifted and encircled Mary, holding her tightly. It was almost tender, almost human.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Mayweather,” he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his words. Beneath his visor, a single tear slid down his freckled cheek, shimmering in the dim light.
“Mary!” Rad screamed, his voice breaking as he lunged forward, his eyes wide with desperation. Lucio surged forward in a blur of lightning, streaking across the ruins with everything he had, but it wasn’t fast enough.
Ray’s palms ignited with a blinding violet hue, cosmic fire swirling around them. Time seemed to slow as the beams of cosmic energy erupted from his hands and pierced through Mary’s back. Her body jolted, her eyes widening in shock as the breath was stolen from her lungs.
Her trembling hands brushed against Ray’s visor, as if trying to find the boy she once knew beneath the armor. Her lips quivered as she struggled to speak, but no words came. The betrayal and pain in her gaze were unbearable, as if her own son had taken her life.
“No!” Lucio’s anguished scream tore through the ruins as he collided with Ray, lightning erupting in a violent flash.
Mary’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, her hands falling away as her presence faded. Her expression lingered in the air, a haunting image of love and grief etched forever into Ray’s memory. The flash of light swallowed them all, erasing the moment in an explosion of sorrow and rage.
The desolate planet quaked violently as Ray’s body was hurled through the air like a meteor, crashing into the jagged terrain with a thunderous impact. The ground beneath him splintered and cracked, evidence of the immense power Rad had unleashed. Standing amidst the chaos, Rad’s form was a tempest of fury and grief. Tears streaked his face, but they evaporated almost instantly against the searing heat of his crimson aura.
Each droplet carried the weight of his memories, of friends lost and a bond broken beyond repair. His heart, heavy with the pain of betrayal, fueled the volcanic energy surging within him.
Rad roared, the sound reverberating across the cosmos, a chilling symphony of anguish and rage. His hair flickered like a dying flame, shifting rapidly between its natural brown and an ethereal ghostly white. His pupils narrowed into predatory slits, a vampiric transformation that mirrored the primal storm raging inside him. The very planet trembled beneath the raw power he emanated, mountains crumbling and rivers boiling under the oppressive force of his ghastly aura.
“You’re going to pay!” Rad bellowed, his voice cracking with the weight of emotions that had simmered for far too long. His aura erupted in a blinding surge of white energy, his grief and rage transcending mortal limits. The ground beneath him shattered as he lunged forward, his speed bending reality itself. Shockwaves rippled through the air as Rad’s form became a streak of molten white fury, a comet aimed directly at Ray.
Ray, still reeling from the force of Rad’s devastating blow, rolled to his feet just in time to see the towering behemoth barreling toward him. His starry eyes widened behind the black visor, and for a fleeting moment, the facade of his unshakable confidence crumbled. His heart sank, a cold dread washing over him as his thoughts spiraled back to the sole sorcerer who had bested him, the boy who defied fate itself. Connor Namikaze.
Rad’s fist tore through the air with devastating force, distorting space itself. Ray narrowly evaded the blow, but the shockwave alone shattered the surrounding mountains, sending debris raining down like meteors. The sheer force of the missed punch cracked Ray’s visor, the fractures splintering outward like a spider web.
Rad gave him no time to recover. With relentless speed, he closed the distance, kicking Ray with enough power to send him hurtling across the planet like a bullet. The impact ruptured the surface, leaving a fiery crater in its wake. Rad chased after him, his glowing white hair blazing like a star at its zenith, his form now fully immersed in the flow state. His every movement was a masterstroke of precision and ferocity, bending the environment to his will.
Ray barely managed to regain his footing, countering Rad’s onslaught with a flurry of his own cosmic infused strikes. Their auras clashed violently, shimmering like colliding galaxies as they traded cosmic blow after cosmic blow. Each strike sent tremors through the atmosphere, their combat fracturing the very fabric of reality.
The two of them rocketed through the sky, moving in a blur faster than the speed of light itself. Their sheer velocity bent time, propelling them backward into the past.
As they streaked across the desolate planet, its barren surface began to flourish, regenerating in mere seconds. In the distance, alien structures and entire kingdoms rose to their former glory, towering majestically for a fleeting moment before crumbling back into oblivion as Ray and Rad streaked past them.
The two foes then crashed back to the ground, their feet carving trenches into the scorched earth. Their voices echoed in unison, a chilling harmony of battle cries. “Spiritual Projection!” they roared, their hands moving in a blur as they each formed their signature hand sign.
The world around them erupted in chaotic energy, splitting in two as their sanctuaries manifested. “Infernal Crucible of Wrath!” Rad’s voice thundered, his aura flaring with unrelenting rage.
The battlefield was engulfed in a hellish landscape, rivers of molten lava snaked across the ground, jagged obsidian spikes jutted upward like the teeth of a beast, and the sky burned crimson, illuminated by constant volcanic eruptions. The oppressive heat distorted the air, suffocating and disorienting Ray.
“Sovereign Sanctuary!” Ray’s voice came a moment later, and half of the infernal realm was overtaken by the cold, vast emptiness of space. Stars twinkled in the distance, and icy winds carried the whispers of the cosmos.
The clash of the two sanctuaries was cataclysmic, their opposing energies tearing at each other as the two combatants dove toward each other. Fighting within the deadly fusion of their lethal sanctuaries.
Ray dodged a massive wave of magma, his movements precise and calculated, while Rad used his own sanctuary to shield himself from an immediate death by Ray’s. The two of them collided repeatedly, each cosmic blow fracturing their sanctuaries further. The environment itself seemed to rebel against their presence, cracking and breaking apart under the sheer force of their power.
With a final clash of their fists, the sanctuaries shattered like glass, the fragments dissolving into the void. But neither combatant slowed. They clashed again and again, their determination unyielding.
Rad’s strikes grew heavier, more brutal, his body now covered in glowing white cracks that pulsed with raw energy. His aura burned so intensely that the ground beneath him melted into molten pools with every step.
From a distance, Rad appeared more monster than man. His hulking form radiated pure malice, his glowing aura distorting the air around him like a mirage. But for all his monstrous appearance, the countless souls of the dead that flickered behind him spoke of his purpose: justice, vengeance, and the unbearable pain of loss.
Rad roared, charging at Ray once more with unimaginable speed. Ray barely managed to backflip over a slash of Rad’s claws, retaliating with a chain ignited in cosmic fire that slashed across Rad’s torso. The strike left a glowing violet scar, but Rad didn’t falter as he healed in milliseconds. He roared in defiance, his aura flaring brighter like a dying star, his strength seeming to grow endlessly as the glowing cracks along his body seared into his flesh.
But even star’s fade. And then, with a final, devastating punch, Ray struck Rad’s chest with a cosmic blow. Reality itself cracked and warped, the force of the strike ripping through the battlefield like a tidal wave. Rad stumbled back, the glow in his hair and eyes dimming as he fell to one knee, his breaths ragged and labored.
He groaned in agony, his body trembling as the flow state abandoned him. Ray didn’t waste a moment. He kicked Rad hard in the face, sending him sprawling onto his back with a bloody nose.
Standing over his fallen foe, Ray extended his hand upwards, opening a small portal above his palm. From the portal, a katana descended into his grip. The Spirit Slasher Katana.
Fully reformed after Ray’s Fateful battle against Connor Namikaze. Its cursed blade is capable of slaughtering all lifeforms. For the Spirit Slasher Katana does not slice through only the body, but the soul within it, rendering all demons, yōkai, gods, and immortals alike, susceptible to the bite of its accursed blade.
Rad’s trembling hand shot up in a desperate attempt to shield himself from the incoming blade, but it was futile. The Spirit Slasher Katana pierced clean through his palm with an unforgiving force, pinning his hand to the shattered ground. A guttural scream tore from Rad’s throat, raw with pain and anguish, as blood pooled beneath him.
Ray, unmoved, pressed his boot down hard on Rad’s other arm, trapping him completely. The weight was suffocating, and Rad, now too broken to fight back, could only writhe beneath his captor.
Ray’s gloved palm hovered ominously over Rad’s face, glowing with the fiery intensity of a cosmic inferno. In an instant, a torrent of blazing energy erupted from Ray’s hand, engulfing Rad’s head in searing light. The beam’s heat was unbearable, distorting the air around it as Rad’s agonized screams filled the battlefield, reverberating off the fractured earth. It was a sound that could shake the soul, a harrowing symphony of pain that dragged on for what felt like an eternity.
Rad’s flesh sizzled and melted, his bones cracking under the unrelenting heat. What little embers remained of his glowing white aura flickered faintly before fading entirely, consumed by the overwhelming power of Ray’s cosmic onslaught. The screams grew weaker, softer, until finally, they ceased.
Silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the distant rumble of collapsing mountains. Ray stepped back, his katana still in hand, staring down at Rad’s charred corpse. The lifeless body lay twisted and broken, the once-mighty warrior now reduced to ashes and remnants.
Ray’s gaze lingered, his expression hidden behind the fractured visor of his helmet. The silence was suffocating, heavy with the weight of what had just transpired. But then, a weak, raspy voice broke through the stillness.
“…Why… Ray…” Erydon’s voice trembled as he crawled toward Ray, his immortal body still struggling to recover from the devastation of Ray’s sanctuary. Yet his curse still forced him to live beyond his comrades deaths. His clothing was scorched, and his flesh was riddled with burns that refused to heal completely. “…H-how many lives… m-must you destroy? When will it be enough?”
Erydon’s words hung in the air, his tone carrying the weight of centuries of sorrow. The curse of his immortality forced him to endure what no one else could, a life of endless loss, watching his comrades fall one by one. His single remaining eye, filled with both despair and defiance, locked onto Ray as a tear streamed down his face.
Ray’s helmet tilted slightly as he glanced down at Rad’s lifeless form one last time before turning his cold, emotionless gaze to Erydon. His voice, heavy and distant, cut through the tension. “You never should have come after me, Erydon…” he muttered, each word laced with finality as he began to stalk toward the fallen immortal.
Erydon’s one good eye widened slightly, a second tear trailing down his scarred cheek. “Answer me…” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
But Ray offered no reply. Instead, he raised his heavy black boot and pressed it down on Erydon’s slowly regenerating skull, the pressure forcing the immortal warrior to the ground. The weight of Ray’s presence was suffocating, his shadow stretching across the battlefield like death itself.
“This is the end for you,” Ray declared, his voice cold and unyielding as he preyed on the man’s inescapable fear of death. The Spirit Slasher Katana gleamed in the dim light as he raised it high, its cursed blade humming with the power to sever not just flesh but the very essence of a soul.
With a swift, merciless strike, the blade plunged into Erydon’s chest, piercing through his heart and soul in one devastating motion. The immortal’s body convulsed briefly, his final, desperate gasp escaping into the hollow air. The katana’s curse worked instantly, purging his spirit from existence.
Erydon’s life, his pain, his memories, his very essence, was erased entirely, leaving behind only a lifeless husk. The battlefield was now silent, utterly devoid of life. The rumbling of distant crumbling mountains was the only sound that remained, a haunting echo in a world torn apart by violence.
The air hung heavy with the stench of ash and the weight of countless souls, their presence lingering like shadows over the desolation. The Cosmic Child stood victorious amidst the carnage. The faint glow of his katana dimmed as he lowered it, the cursed blade dripping with the residue of annihilated souls.
For a moment, he stood still, a solitary figure surrounded by ruin, his tattered black cape billowing in the scorched winds. His breathing was steady, his posture calm, but his silence spoke louder than any words ever could.
Without looking back, Ray turned and began to walk away, his form fading into the ash-filled horizon. The battlefield, now a graveyard, stood as a testament to his wrath, a hollow reminder of the destruction he had wrought across countless worlds.