"Let's wrap this up," Nara said, eyes glowing red.
Alpha nodded, hands pressed to the glowing golden wall as tenzen coursed through her palms. Sweat glistened on her brow.
"You better be fast," she muttered. "I can only hold this wall for two more minutes."
"Two minutes is plenty," Nara replied coolly, eyes narrowing with anticipation.
He took a step forward, thoughts churning.
'The biggest issue with emission phase is how much physical energy it burns through... Even if someone's got a monstrous amount of tenzen, without stamina, it's useless.'
He glanced at his arms-skinny, bruised, and trembling slightly.
A pause.
He nodded to himself, eyes sharp.
'We will survive.'
A faint, determined smile crept onto his lips as he walked slowly toward the golden wall, focus tightening with every step.
"I need to finish this quick... then go find Hina," he muttered.
"Alpha!" he called, turning his head slightly.
She looked up, gaze meeting his. Serious, silent and supportive.
The air grew heavier, charged with rising tension-until Alpha's voice cut through the silence.
"Leave something behind-an arm and a leg should be enough... so I can remember you." Her tone was flat, grim... maybe even genuine.
Nara gave her the deadest stare he could muster.
"Seriously?"
Alpha just tilted her head and pointed her finger at the wall.
Crsshhhhh...
The golden wall began to part, opening just enough for one person to slip inside. Smoke and debris curled out from the crack like breath from a beast's mouth.
Nara inhaled deeply.
"Here I go."
He stepped into the smoke.
Clank. The wall sealed behind him.
Alpha stood still, both palms pressed firmly against the gold.
"Don't die, Nara..." she whispered, barely audible over the hum of tenzen, worry carved across her face.
...
Nara stepped into the domain, sweeping the smoke aside with a swift wave of his hand.
"This place is wrecked..." he muttered, eyeing the charred ground.
Reflections danced all around him across the polished gold. Dozens of Nara-each from a different angle.
"Perfect," he said, smiling.
Then...
Swoooosh...
A sharp gust of anti-tenzen howled through the air.
Krchk. Krchk.
"Humph," Nara smirked, eyes narrowing.
As the smoke cleared, the demon emerged-arm stretched, and at its fingertip, a gleaming orb of anti-tenzen locked straight on him.
"Here we go," Nara whispered.
Swoosh!
The orb shot forward like lightning, tearing through the air.
But Nara didn't flinch.
As the orb neared, it began to shrink-sizzling, evaporating-and just before impact, it vanished completely.
The demon blinked. Stepped back.
"Surprised?" Nara grinned. "Let's finish this."
Tenzen surged from his core, cracking the floor beneath his feet as he bent low.
Black orbs swirled around the demon in a defensive ring.
"Hehe."
Fwoooooom!
Nara shot forward like a bullet, fire trailing behind his palms.
He weaved through the orbs effortlessly, slipping past each blast with precise, fluid movement.
"I've gotten used to this! Got anything new?!" he shouted mid-dash.
The demon swung an arm towards him-a brutal horizontal strike aimed at Nara's face.
It seemed to connect, but Nara ducked, time slowing.
Shhhh...
He watched the massive arm pass inches above his head, and then-
BOOM!
Tenzen burst from his clenched fist.
"Jaaaackpooot!" he muttered.
Still crouched low, he launched his fist upward in a violent uppercut.
Tick. Tock.
SHWOOM!!
The demon's arm released a wave of anti-tenzen that carved into the wall, but a split-second later-
THWOOOOOMMPH!
Its arm exploded in gore and blood.
Nara landed in front of the wall, smirking.
"Told you-I've gotten used to that."
Screeeeech!!
The demon recoiled, clutching its bleeding shoulder. Nara glanced at the cracked wall it had nearly leveled-and shivered.
"That could've been me."
But just as quickly, the wall healed itself-cracks vanishing.
"Nice one, Alpha," Nara muttered.
...
Outside...
"Ah... ah..." Alpha panted, sweat sliding down her face. Her arms trembled as tenzen continued to flow.
"If only I'd exercised more..." she whispered, barely holding on.
49 seconds left.
...
BOOM! Ratatatata!
Nara zipped through the barrage like a phantom, leaping high into the air.
The demon fired a cluster of orbs to intercept him-but they fizzled out before impact.
"It's pointless!" Nara yelled, arms igniting in blazing fire.
Everything built toward this-his flow phase.
He bent low mid-air, body trembling with contained power.
"Suuu..."
A sharp exhale left his lips.
His flames burned brighter and redder.
The space rumbled, the ground cracked.
The demon aimed its horn to release another shot-
Fwoosh!
The fire around Nara vanished-sucked into his body.
[FLOW PHASE: ENGAGED]
"Fire style..." he whispered.
TWOOF!
He vanished-moving too fast to be seen-leaving behind a shockwave that tore the ceiling apart.
Less than a blink later, he was above the demon's horn.
ZAPP!!
The demon tried to fire, but the orb died on contact.
Its eyes widened in horror.
"Midas..."
Nara descended like a comet.
"TOOOOOUCH!!!"
BOOM!!
His fist connected with the demon's skull in a catastrophic crash, driving it into the floor and caving its face inward.
A massive crater formed where it landed.
...
20 seconds
...
Nara jumped back as dust and rubble surged.
Silence.
The air stilled, thick dust hanging in place.
He waved the smoke aside.
Rumble... BAM!
The demon staggered to its feet, face mangled, breathing erratic.
"Stubborn, huh?" Nara said.
The demon shakily formed a new orb.
"But this battle..." Nara took a step forward, blue light reflecting off his face.
"...was over before it began."
The demon froze.
Nara's hand hovered above a glowing summoning circle-the same one that had brought the demon here.
"It was all to get to this."
A fireball formed in his palm.
...
12 seconds
...
The demon's eyes widened. Its mouth stretched in a desperate cry:
"Noooooooo!!!"
....
5 seconds
...
Twoof!
Nara launched the fireball.
The demon lunged after it, trying to intercept.
...
2 seconds
...
Nara smirked, lips curling like a villain savoring victory.
Poof!
The fireball hit the seal.
The blue glow dimmed...
...and vanished.
...
0.
...
GASP!
Alpha jolted as the wall cracked, splintering around her.
...
GSHAAK!!
The demon's body contorted, twisting unnaturally before rupturing in a violent burst.
BOOM!!
The golden wall collapsed in a rain of shimmering shards.
Nara dropped to a knee, chest rising and falling.
Dust swirled. Silence.
He looked up-and caught Alpha's gaze.
Her eyes were tired. Bags under them. But she smiled.
Nara smiled back.
Then-her knees buckled.
"Alpha!" Nara sprinted forward, catching her as she collapsed into his arms.
"She's completely drained..." he whispered, watching her breathing.
The gold must've oversaturated. That's why it detonated like that...
He turned toward the broken ceiling and demon remains, smiling faintly. He stood up, heaving a sigh of relief.
Swing!
Nara's head tilted towards the sound, and his eyes widened.
"The door!" He whispered aloud, seeing the door to the room open.
'Finally, we're getting out of here,' Nara thought to himself.
"We won-" But before he could take the next step...
WHUUUMMM!!
The chamber trembled. Dust rained down.
A wave of anti-tenzen surged through the space.
"Aaaargh!" Nara screamed, clutching his chest as pain flooded his body.
"What is this power...?" he gasped, sweat pouring.
Then a memory clicked.
...
"Nara...!"
"Whatever happens... she mustn't open it..."
...
"Six."
***
T.B.C.