Chapter 22: The Price of a Soul
Kai and Neros leaped towards each other simultaneously. Neros was faster. "Ash Chains!" he roared. Three chains shot towards Kai with lethal speed.
Kai didn't hesitate. He thrust his fist forward. "Soul Fist!" A blast of white energy shattered the ash chains in mid-air, turning them to dust.
Neros's eyes widened slightly. In shock, he muttered, "Don't tell me this one is... like the other power users? Damn my luck."
Kai, seeing Neros's stunned expression, asked mockingly, "What's wrong? You look surprised."
"I fought Arkaşın too," Neros admitted, his voice weary. "Running into two power users... I feel unlucky."
And without finishing his words, he moved into action. "Ash Step!" He dispersed like a cloud of smoke and rematerialized instantly beside Kai. He threw a punch straight at Kai's face.
But Kai was prepared. "Soul Guard!" he shouted. A shield of bright white energy shimmered into existence around his body. Neros's fist slammed into this energetic wall and was rendered useless, as if he had struck solid rock.
Neros immediately jumped back, a new respect and caution in his eyes. "So," he murmured, "you can use it quite skillfully too."
"Do you have any idea what kind of harsh training I've been through?" Kai retorted, his voice filled with pride.
Neros smirked coldly. "I don't give a damn about that training you received. At the end of the day, I will be the winner."
Kai's response was short and firm: "We'll see about that."
Then Kai shouted, "Soul Leap!" He vanished at near-light speed and reappeared right next to Neros. "Soul Fist!" His fist was about to connect with Neros's chest when Neros escaped again using "Ash Step!", the punch only dispersing a part of his ash form.
"Good speed," Neros conceded, rematerializing a few meters away. "But it makes no difference to me."
Kai maintained his battle stance. "The battle has just begun. It's too early to tell what will happen."
This time, Neros attacked. "Mirage!" Instantly, two perfect copies materialized. Three Neros surrounded Kai from three different directions simultaneously. All three shouted in unison: "Ash Chains!" Nine ash chains targeted Kai from every conceivable angle, leaving no room for escape.
Kai didn't panic. He merely whispered, "Soul Veil!" A dome woven from white energy instantly formed around him like a protective shell. The nine ash chains crashed against this spiritual wall and shattered into sparkling fragments without leaving even a single crack.
Neros's astonishment was now complete. "So," he growled, "even after using that much power, you can stop my attacks so easily." Then, with forced respect, he added, "Impressive. But at the end of this fight, there is a power that even you won't be able to stop—"
"SHUT UP!" Kai's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Did you come here to talk or to fight?"
Insulted and enraged, Neros decided the games were over. "I was having fun with you," he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "But it seems I was mistaken. This... this battle ends here! Ultimate Technique: Funeral of Ashes!"
At Fort Leviathan: The Bounty
Meanwhile, Fleet Admiral Kaizen had returned to the main base. His face was like a storm cloud. He immediately summoned Commodore Zix to his office. Zix ran in. "Your orders, sir!"
Kaizen, seated behind his desk, spoke in a sharp voice. "Is Morde's bounty poster ready?"
"It's about to be, sir."
"Release it immediately. And also, find a photo of that 'friend' of his and print it. I don't want to hear any excuses."
Zix understood the seriousness of the situation but felt compelled to ask one last question. "What should the bounties be, sir? Did you learn the friend's name from the Ksaba people?"
"Yes," Kaizen replied, his voice icy. "His name is Kai."
"Understood. Kai's bounty will be 30 Million Bel. Morde's will be 100 Million Bel."
Zix flinched in surprise. "Sir, he's still a rookie! Such a high bounty... isn't it too much?"
Kaizen slowly raised his head, his eyes piercing through Zix. He asked only one question: "Zix. Could you have destroyed Fevay all by yourself?"
Zix swallowed. He understood the implication in the Admiral's gaze. He bowed his head. "Understood, sir." Without another word, he left the room.
The Ruins of Fevay: Ultimate Techniques
Commander Amper and his squad had reached the ruins of Fevay. Just as they were about to advance, Amper signaled his men to halt with a hand gesture. They had seen Kai and Neros fighting.
"Take cover," Amper whispered. "Surround them the moment the battle ends."
"As you command, sir," the soldiers whispered back and began watching intently.
Just then, Neros was making his final move. "Ultimate Technique: Funeral of Ashes!" The sky instantly darkened with a deadly shower of ash. Neros shouted triumphantly, "THIS IS THE END!"
From his hiding spot, Amper muttered in astonishment, "That's Neros! What's he doing here?"
A soldier beside him whispered, "Sir, who's the other one?"
"I don't know," Amper answered, not taking his eyes off the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Kai smiled faintly. "Shall I show you a real Ultimate Technique?" He first shouted, "Soul Veil!" but this time shaped it into a perfect dome, a fortress surrounding him from all sides. Kai had immediately understood the situation; Neros had once again entered his "Ash Body."
"So this technique has a disadvantage," Kai observed calmly.
Neros yelled in fury, "How is my Ultimate Technique not piercing that defense?!"
Kai's smile widened. "This defense is woven from spiritual energy. Physical attacks don't work on it."
And time was running out for Neros. He had used his Ultimate Technique for too long and had reached his limit. Reluctantly, he stopped the ash rain and was forced to deactivate the technique. He immediately activated another power. "Flaming Shell!" A suit of armor, glowing red-hot and made of molten ash, formed around his entire body.
"Now," Neros roared, emboldened by his new armor's confidence, "you can't hurt me!"
Kai only smiled. "Let me show you real power." He deactivated the Soul Veil and gathered all his strength. "Ultimate Technique: Soul Bind!"
Four Spirit Arrows shot forward. At lightning speed, they aimed directly at Neros's four vital points: his heart, his brain, his leg, and his arm. Neros's skin crawled. For the first time in his life, a cold, sharp feeling of death stabbed him in the heart.
"Huh? What's this feeling?" he muttered in surprise. "Am I going to die?"
Just as he said this, Neros unleashed his final technique: Hellpulse. It sent a compressed blast of heat and ash from his chest, a concussive wave scorching the battlefield. And the two techniques collided, tearing the already shattered kingdom apart. One was the Ultimate technique, the other Neros's final strength. A massive crater formed, but the Ultimate technique prevailed.
The four Spirit Arrows pierced him. But instead of leaving physical wounds, they passed through his body, draining his life force, his very soul. Neros screamed in indescribable pain. His eyes grew dim, and as he collapsed to the ground, he managed to whisper with his last breath: "I take back... what I said... This is the most powerful technique... I have ever seen..."
And then he was still.
Amper and his soldiers were frozen in place. Amper's jaw hung open. "He killed Neros... just like that? Who is this man?"
On the battlefield, Kai knelt on one knee. His breathing was heavy. He had used more than half of his power. His face showed fatigue, but also satisfaction. "It was a good fight," he murmured to himself. "But I'm the winner." Then, looking up at the sky, he silently added, "Master... thank you again."
At that very moment, Amper's sharp order rang out: "ATTACK!"