The sun began to set, casting an orange glow over the battlefield that was once a bustling city. Rubble lined the streets, and the distant sounds of collapsing buildings echoed through the air. Blood still stained the ground where Moxie had fallen, but he wasn’t out yet.
Insanity, standing with his bloodied grin, turned his attention to Liza, who had just shot an arrow through his chest. His eyes gleamed with twisted amusement as he pulled the arrow out, revealing charred skin beneath.
"That’s all you’ve got?" Insanity chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with mockery. "Did you really think you could kill me that easily?"
Liza narrowed her eyes, refusing to show fear, but her heart pounded in her chest. She had seen Moxie in bad situations before, but nothing like this. Insanity wasn’t just a brutal opponent—he was a force of nature, a whirlwind of chaos. And now, he was heading straight for her.
In an instant, Insanity vanished from his spot and reappeared directly beside Liza. His grin widened as he tilted his head toward her. "If you thought that arrow was going to work," he said, leaning in closer, "you clearly don’t understand what you’re dealing with." He pointed to his chest, where the charred skin of the Forest Lords he had slain remained, acting as a shield.
Liza’s breath caught as she saw the scorched skin. It was true—her arrow hadn’t pierced Insanity’s chest; it had merely burned through the skin of his earlier kills, a grotesque armor he had taken from the Lords of the forest.
"Nice try, though," Insanity mocked, raising his fist to strike her. The air around him crackled with his chaotic energy, the force of his attack strong enough to destroy buildings, let alone a single person.
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Just as Insanity swung his fist, a blur of motion interrupted him. Before the punch could land, Moxie appeared, his remaining hand grabbing Insanity by the head. With a surge of desperation and rage, Moxie yanked Insanity away from Liza, dragging him through the debris of a nearby building.
The two figures tore through the structure, smashing through concrete and steel as Moxie hurled Insanity across the ground. Dust filled the air as walls collapsed under the sheer force of their struggle.
For a moment, Moxie gained the upper hand. He slammed Insanity into the ground with a thunderous crash, the impact shaking the surrounding area. With every bit of strength he had left, Moxie drove Insanity further into the rubble, hoping to buy Liza enough time to escape.
But Insanity, ever the twisted fighter, only laughed as his body absorbed the blows. "Is that it?" he taunted, his voice echoing through the destruction. "You’re getting desperate, Moxie!"
Before Moxie could react, Insanity reached for his axe—a massive weapon stained with the blood of countless foes. With a quick, fluid motion, he swung the axe upward, catching Moxie square in the chest.
Moxie gasped as the sharp edge of the axe tore into him, the force sending him flying backward. Blood splattered across the ground as he landed hard, struggling to catch his breath. The pain was unbearable, but Moxie couldn’t stop now. Not when everything was on the line.
Insanity stood, wiping the dust from his bloodied face. He approached Moxie slowly, his grin never fading. "You’re fun to break, you know that?" he said, casually swinging his axe over his shoulder. "But you’re still weak. You’re nothing compared to what’s out there."
Moxie, clutching his chest, forced himself to his feet. He wouldn’t let Insanity win, not like this. But as he looked into Insanity’s eyes, filled with madness and joy, he realized just how dangerous his opponent truly was.