Chapter 16: The Execution
The air in Shinobu was thick with fear.
Across the city, people huddled in their homes, unsure of what tomorrow would bring. Elemental fluctuations were spiking unnaturally. Lights flickered. Walls cracked. The ground trembled every few minutes like something ancient was stirring beneath it.
In a modest home, a middle-aged man stood by the window, eyes wide with panic.
Man (fearfully): "Everyone's missing… the soldiers, the guards Sir Peter… even Aqua. No one's here! And those shockwaves... those blasts in the distance…" (His voice quivered) "I I think it's over. Shinobu is falling apart. Zimbraya-sensei… he was the only one who could hold this city together. But now that he's gone…"
His words, sharp with despair, echoed through the thin walls and into the neighboring houses.
Random man (angrily shouting from another window): "Can you shut up already?! We're all scared too!"
People from every corner of the colony began shouting in agreement, urging the first man to stop talking. But tension was high, and unity was fragile.
Then, suddenly, a defiant young voice rose above the noise.
Morgan (shouting from a rooftop): "HEY! You guys!"
Everyone turned to look. It was Morgan, the boy who had spoken up during the earlier chaos. He stood tall on a terrace, his small frame backlit by the dusky sky.
Morgan (passionately): "Do you all forget so easily? When Goldex brought Zimbraya sensei to his knees… who was it that stood up and saved us?" (He paused, letting the silence force them to remember.) "Peter! And when those fire brothers attacked Shinobu, Peter was still a rookie but he stood against them alone and won! Even when Aqua went rogue, Peter didn't give up. He trained harder and brought him back. He wasn't born talented like others but he worked for it. He earned his strength!" (His voice shook with conviction.) "After Zimbraya-sensei, no one… NO ONE is more capable than Sir Peter. So don't you dare give up now!"
Then, in a whisper that struck everyone's hearts:
Morgan: "When all hope ends… that's when Peter begins."
His words pierced the silence like lightning through storm clouds. Whispers turned into murmurs of agreement. Something in their hearts ignited again hope.
Scene Change: The Battlefield
The camera cut to the heart of chaos an apocalyptic battlefield where Goldie faced the Unknown Entity.
Tentacles shot toward him from all directions sharp, fast, and venomous but Goldie twisted and weaved between them with near-inhuman speed, blades flashing with every dodge.
Through a radio clipped to his armor, a voice buzzed in his ear.
Aqua (calmly): "Phase two. We're ready."
Goldie (while slashing): "This isn't a plan. This is insanity!"
Aqua: "Maybe. But trust us."
Goldie: "What do I even do?!"
Peter (over the radio, voice steady): "You're not alone."
Suddenly, Peter and Aqua leapt into the fray, landing beside Goldie.
Peter: "Let's finish this. Together."
Unknown Entity (growling): "So… all three of you want to die at once?"
Peter (smirking): "We'd rather die fighting than live hiding."
Peter ignited twin fireballs in his palms, the flames roaring louder with his heartbeat. Aqua and Goldie drew their swords, the three of them locking eyes in silent coordination.
Then they charged.
Their movements were a blur swords slicing in perfect sync, Peter flanking them with spiraling flame strikes. The Unknown Entity tried to parry, but their speed overwhelmed him.
Peter delivered a burning uppercut that launched the entity skyward.
Aqua: "Mine."
He jumped high, slicing a deep wound into the entity's chest mid-air and kicking him back to the earth like a comet.
Goldie (smirking): "My turn."
As the entity hit the ground, Goldie landed beside him with a brutal spinning kick to his face, rattling the terrain.
Peter surged forward, fire crackling from his fists.
Peter (yelling): "Let's do this TOGETHER!"
They struck as one Goldie and Aqua drove their swords deep into the creature's chest while Peter delivered a direct flaming punch that exploded through the entity's abdomen, cratering the earth beneath them.
The entity lay still.
Goldie (laughing breathlessly): "That… was the coolest thing I've ever done! We need a name for that!"
Peter: "Ultra Rage Trio Combination Attack?"
Aqua (flatly): "…No."
They chuckled, catching their breath.
Then, they dropped into the next phase of the plan.
They began talking loudly and carelessly beside the wounded but still alive Unknown Entity, knowing full well he was listening.
Aqua: "This guy? He's nothing compared to the one fighting Fiery."
Goldie: "Yeah, that guy's a monster. If we run into him, Peter's finished."
Peter: "He said he'll be the one to kill me. We can't let that happen."
Goldie: "So what do we do? Go after him?"
Aqua (mockingly): "Guess that means the Unknown Entity's mission will stay… incomplete! Ha!"
Peter (grinning): "Let's go deal with that 'duplicate Zimbraya.'"
They ran off, knowing the real execution was in motion.
The Unknown Entity, still alive, scowled. Their words stirred doubt in his mind. Another enemy? One stronger than him? He couldn't allow that. He had to eliminate this "duplicate Zimbraya" before he became a threat.
Meanwhile…
Scarlet stood face-to-face with the duplicate Zimbraya, his body crackling with raw, unstable elemental energy.
Scarlet (gritting her teeth): "You're nothing compared to the one fighting Peter's team."
Duplicate Zimbraya (chuckling coldly): "I don't care. You talk too much, girl."
She used that arrogance. Quietly, she summoned layers of mud walls around him, gradually restraining him with her earth techniques. Every second counted.
Fiery, catching on, joined her efforts sending false elemental pulses to manipulate the clone's awareness. They weren't trying to defeat him. They were redirecting him.
Then, the radio crackled.
Scarlet (urgently): "What are you doing?! We can't hold him forever!"
Peter (over the radio, running): "Just a bit more! Our little chicken is roasted and flying your way!"
Goldie (snickering): "'Little chicken'? That's your name for a monster?"
Their objective was clear force the confrontation between the two titans: the Unknown Entity and the Duplicate Zimbraya.
Let monsters fight monsters.
Back to the Entity…
The Unknown Entity slowly rose, regenerating.
Unknown Entity (muttering): "Fools… you think you can outsmart me? I'll kill every last one of you… and anyone who gets in my way!"
He laughed a deep, cruel laugh that echoed across the battlefield. Peter's team heard it in the distance and kept running.
Because now… The execution had begun.
And one wrong move… could mean the end for all of them.
End of Chapter 16