"Joe, what the hell is going on?" Zemaku demanded an answer, but Joe just stared at the ground for a few seconds before looking up at Zemaku. "Grab your gun. You might just need it because I am not afraid to cheat this," Joe said, still speaking cryptically.

Neon War Chapter 12: Zemaku vs. Joe Pt 1

Zemaku was about to attack Joe, but Lea beat him to it. "You bastard!" Lea screamed, holding out her fist and lunging toward Joe. Her fist had become enveloped in flames. "Hmpt, pitiful," Joe said before knocking Lea to the ground.

"The hell was that?" Zemaku said aloud. Lea grunted and got off the ground. Joe attempted to finish her off, but Zemaku stopped him. "Don’t you lay a finger on her, you son of a bitch!" Zemaku said in anger.

"Enough," Lea said. "I’ll handle this."

"No, you can’t," Zemaku replied.

"I can," Lea quipped back. "Every demi in my tribe is at stake. Besides, each one of us has a different ability. Mine is fire magic," she responded.

"Gah... fire magic?" Zemaku asked.

"Yes, fire magic," Lea said. "Each demi-human is born with a mastery of a specific type of magic. For me, it was fire magic," she explained.

"I still can’t let you do this. Besides, we can save your tribe together," Zemaku said.

"There’s no use in that," Joe responded. "I burned the whole village just as Master Thumb had ordered. By now, everyone has probably already burned alive," Joe explained.

"What?" Zemaku said, not just feeling the heat of the flames surrounding him at every turn but also the heat of the moment.

"In fact," Joe continued, "I still have one last demi to get rid of. This is what they get for refusing to reveal the Kyozan’s secret artifact, heard of in Kyozan legends," Joe said, sweat running down his face from the fire around him.

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Joe was shaded in the color red. Lea was shaded in the color red. Hell, even Zemaku was shaded in the color red due to their surroundings and the flames engulfing them.

"Lea, get out of here now! Find Toji and get him to gather his army again. It worked against Goki, and it might work now," Zemaku pleaded.

But Lea said, "Just go."

"Do you really think I’ll let her escape?" Joe said coldly.

"Damn," Zemaku thought to himself. "I forgot that Toji told his army to go into hiding for the time being. We can’t use them."

"Lea," Zemaku spoke aloud.

"Yes?" Lea asked.

"Find Toji and get him to help you find survivors."

"Why did you change your mind?" Lea asked.

"JUST GO!" Zemaku screamed, the desperation clear in his voice.

Lea ran, but Joe tried to stop her. Zemaku, his emotions running high, did the same thing he did when Goki tried to kill Ren, when he tried to get out of there to train with his dad. He moved faster than Joe could see and crushed Joe’s hand.

"Enough," Zemaku said coldly.

"It’s never enough," Joe continued. "You should’ve just let me put that filthy demi-girl to rest. She’s an invasive species. Her race was meant to die over a thousand years ago," Joe said coldly.

"Is that really how you feel?" Zemaku asked.

"And what if it is?" Joe replied. "You could never know the pain I went through. You couldn’t have known just how my dream was pulled away from me—not just once, but twice. You people are all the same. You ask and beg for a savior. Well, I have news for you—Thumb is the savior. He saved me. He saved you all," Joe said, on the verge of tears.

"Joe, I—" Zemaku was stumped. He could see that Joe truly believed in what he was saying, completely. The others he’d faced so far, deep down, were not completely sure of Thumb, but Joe was different. He was the most loyal follower of Thumb he’d met so far.

"You’re wrong, Joe. Thumb is no savior. He is a beast, a bastard—no, a scumbag. And I intend to put an end to this fight. So let me ask you: what do you think brings victory upon a desperate man? Is it the stakes, the rising tension that pushes one to be better? Is it one’s friends or family? Or is it that their power rises with every emotion? I’ll show you today—my power and aura will rise, and you will see just how strong I am."

Chapter 12 End.