I feel it. I feel hope. For the first time in years… I finally feel a scent of determination and a scent of protection, intertwined together in bonds and friendships. This will be the duo that rescues me from this nightmare! Years and years of resentment towards the woman who did this… come to an end here!"
One month ago, Mountains of Umue, Nahata
"We cannot let Pyron roam free any longer!" a slender, brown haired woman exclaimed. "That beast has been roaming free across Nahata since its breakout, and it has to be stopped to prevent further deaths!"
Across the table sat a short man with rectangle-framed glasses, stroking his blonde hair with a low chuckle as his eyes fearlessly pierced the woman's trembling gaze. "A portion of Nahata's leaders sit in this room as we speak, and none have proposed to assemble a team strong enough to take down Pyron."
That same moment, Raja, wearing a tuxedo with a striped, red tie, shot up from the wooden chair. "That's wrong!" his voice projected through the room. "I, King Raja of Death Desert, vow to assemble a team!"
The room plummeted into silence, followed by a wave of scattered laughs. "You really think you can assemble a team to take down one of the four pristine entities!?" a belligerent voice antagonized Raja's proposal. "By the time you can possibly do something like that, the NFEHH will be on its 700th capt-"
"Shut your mouth!" Raja snapped back, clenching his hands over the handles of his chair. "The team I assemble will take down Pyron without a doubt. They are pillars of hope, the very epitome of it!"
"And what makes you so confident?" another voice called out.
Raja's head lifted proudly towards the ceiling. "I won't just dispatch any of Death Desert's professional hunters. It'll be a team of individuals so fierce, determined, and persistent, they'll stop the slaughters!"
—
"Pyron's shell is beginning to crack."
Kevin's eyes shot open at the sudden voice, struck by anticipation as his eyes trailed the vast domain of glowing white stretching beyond. His head snapped to the side in a quick motion, flinching upon the sudden notice of Gerald, standing perfectly upright beside him. "We're in a proximity transmission link?"
"Correct." An intensifying whir grew in the distance, luring Kevin's attention as his eyes trembled. "You…"
The jagged edges of crackling flames rose from Pyron's shoulders, blanketing his surroundings in a coat of chilling warmth. "Despite your current circumstances, there is something I have to tell you two."
Before Kevin could mutter a response, a low mumble rose from Gerald's throat as his eyelids eased open. "Huh… Kevin, where the hell are we?" A few seconds passed, and his blurring eyesight concentrated into a single, crystal-clear image. "That guy over there is emitting Pyron's energy… why can't we just take him down?" Pyron's flames seemed to rupture as a sharp, hissing exhale escaped his mouth. "On our first encounter, the connection between us was extremely weak. Conveying my entire life story to you in a link like that would cause great stress to my power, already plagued by the shell of despair that engulfed me."
"The shell of despair you're talking about has taken hundreds, if not thousands of lives." Gerald's brown, curly hair lifted as his stance widened. "Talk. But don't expect me to forget the destruction you've caused."
"Everything that's happened within this shell is nothing but a large blur in my mind," Pyron replied, clenching his fists in a fit of deep-seated rage. "In what seems like ages ago, I met a woman."
Kevin's head tilted in confusion. "A woman? What does she have to do with anything?"
Short, ragged breaths rose from Pyron's throat as his voice trembled. "She… was the one who trapped me in here. She stole everything from me, my childhood, my happiness, my courage, and left me with nothing but this wretched shell. She's the embodiment of deceit, the very embodiment of evil! She… caused this."
Gerald's fists eased at Pyron's vent, empathy washing over him like a calm wave. "The woman you talk about… who is she?"
"As much as I want to, I can't disclose her identity."
Kevin and Gerald's eyes bulged at Pyron's sharp reply. "What do you mean, you can't disclose her identity!?"
"Shortly after I ended up like this, her name faded from thought - all I can really remember is that woman. She's the one who started all of this - the very epitome of evil. Once you see her, you'll immediately know the overwhelming power she carries."
Kevin's expression hardened. "The woman who caused all of this… you're saying she's still out there?"
The boy's shoulders tensed, lifting higher alongside the cracking embers. "I don't know if she's still alive. She made me believe I meant something to her. Then, when I trusted her fully, she took control of me."
A heavy silence settled over the white domain. "The reason her shell is beginning to crack is because of your continuous efforts. Determination and protection weaving into one, merging with your unwavering bond. It conveys happiness within the darkest times. Hold onto that happiness and… use it to grow stronger!" The domain began to shudder as Pyron's gaze flickered. Kevin examined the crumbling skies, meeting Pyron with a final nod. "We'll destroy the shell. Your period of suffering is over - leave it to us to set you free." A distorted smile rose across Pyron's face, carving into Kevin and Gerald's memories as his body began to fade. "You two truly are… pillars of hope."
Volume 13, Chapter 85 - Pillars of Hope
The faint outline of Rufala slowly surfaced on the horizon, its tallest structures emerging like distant shadows against the fading sky. Pyron detected the city with his dry, crimson eye, approaching the quiet coast with a deafening roar. The ground trembled under his movements - one step closer to Rufala, and another step closer to Rufala's destruction. Small, toothless mouths bloomed across Pyron's arms, each glowing an intense, orange light that grew stronger with each of his unsettling, ragged breaths. A gooey, orange substance spewed from the depths of Pyron's mouths, flooding a portion of the remaining forest in its unusual scent. As the spreading goo started to bubble, the puddle's temperature dropped tremendously, hardening into a display of sparkling, orange ice. A roaring blast erupted from the freezing puddle, trapping the surrounding trees in nothing but a cataclysmic scene as stray flares ignited across his arms. His flesh coated the mouths' rims with an intensifying crackle, leaving nothing but several, dark holes patched across his bone-dry arms. This time, a round of branching hands rose from the holes, lowering downward towards the forest like a group of preying animals. Each limb wrapped through the maze of withering trees, carrying Pyron's malice as it extended outward in all directions. The hands ran through the forest like ruthless bulldozers, setting the trembling bark ablaze with each and every touch.
From the wake of Pyron's path emerged a weary Kevin, immediately detecting Gerald's body slouched against a lone boulder. "Gerald," Kevin's voice carried his fear, "come on, you've got to wake up!"
His eyes darted towards the approaching noise of Pyron's arms, scanning the forest like a pack of scavenging beasts. "His body… is it beginning to reproduce limbs in order to sniff us out?"
Frantic, Kevin hoisted Gerald onto his trembling back, securing his swaying legs under his elbows as he cautiously evaded the branching limbs. "Getting caught by those arms will spell out instant death for the both of us," he muttered, narrowly removing himself from the path of another branching hand.
Kevin tilted his body forward as he moved through the endless maze, feeling the heartbeat of Gerald's chest hammering against his spine. The seconds of continuous dodging became minutes, and the minutes grew, until a flare of consciousness emerged from Gerald's body with a low mumble. "Where… are we?"
Kevin set Gerald's body down onto the rustling leaves, panting uncontrollably as his partner emerged. "It seems as if Pyron's body is mutating," he replied, pointing towards the branching limbs. "Launching a counterattack with you unconscious would've been far too dangerous." The fading tremors of Pyron's footsteps eased their way into Kevin and Gerald's attention, their urgency growing further as the faint, salty smell of Nahata's seas filled their nostrils. "We're running out of time," Gerald reminded, leaning against the tree's scorching-hot bark. "If we're going to take Pyron down at all, it's now or never."
Kevin reinforced his spirit with a deep exhale. "Time is valuable in situations like these." He extended his hand towards Gerald, a formal frown following his gaze into the darkening skies. "Therefore, we'll use what we have left to our advantage!"
—
An office in Rufala
A tall, brown-haired man wearing a baggy, leather coat rushed through the empty halls. His boots hammered against the polished floor, halting with an abrupt screech as he slid towards one of the many wooden doors throughout the narrow hall. Without a moment to spare, he swung the door open, scanning the room as his eyelids trembled. "Noah!" his frantic expression intensified. "Pyron's approaching us fast!"
"Hm?" Noah replied calmly, lowering his cigarette as his gaze shifted towards the trembling door. "Oh, yeah. Even though Pyron is extremely dangerous, I don't think there's a reason to w-"
"How could you say that with a straight face!?" The man bolted deeper into the room, grabbing the collar of Noah's light-blue shirt and yanking him closer with a sharp pull. "One man already fell unconscious on the dock, so it's obvious we have to do something! You're always so laid-back, no matter the situation!" Noah broke free of his coworker's grip with a fierce push, refocusing his gaze on the sunlit window. "That isn't the case this time," he replied, retrieving his cigarette from the wooden table. His pupils dilated with a hazel-colored ring, examining the distant rampage. "There are people out there. You may not notice it from all the way up here, but there is a marvelous final battle unfolding on Rufala's outskirts. And because of that," he continued with a blooming smile, " I doubt we'll have to interfere."
—
An accumulating sphere of light emerged from the depths of Pyron's mouth, shining in the distance like a twinkling star. Pyron's feet dragged back as the sphere's mass intensified, capturing Rufala's attention with his overwhelming scent. Fearful screams of residents could be heard in the distance, growing louder and more frantic with each passing second. "Pyron's here!" "This is it, everyone!" "Not even Noah could take something like that down…" The air seemed to grow heavy as Pyron released a muffled exhale.
Then, the whirring sphere rocketed towards the lively coast.
That same moment, two figures sprang from the rustling trees, confronting the sphere directly as their hands joined together. Their bodies were cloaked by a purple and light-blue glow, barely swallowing Pyron's sphere as it dispersed into small, twinkling flurries.
The entirety of Rufala fell into silence, broken by a curious voice just moments after. Curiosity plagued their minds like a contagious virus, freezing them with anticipation as they watched two shadows within the expanding smoke. From the blinding cloud emerged Kevin and Gerald, landing on separate branches as they landed onto the dense wood. Kevin turned around, the faint screams of Rufala's people catching his attention for a quick second. In a flash, Gerald's voice intervened. "Kevin, focus on the task at hand!"
A shade of glowing magenta pulsed in Kevin's arms. Pyron's thunderous steps seemed to cause a flicker within his stability - stuttering for a heartbeat, then returning to full strength like an undying ember. "Gerald, we're going to need to strategize our movements! One wrong decision, and we'll fall to our deaths!"
"I know that," Gerald shot back, the flames wrapping across his legs sharpening. "Let's do this, Kevin."
The leaves rustled at the building anticipation as Kevin and Gerald stared deeply into Pyron's bulging, red eye. In the distance watched Rufala's villagers, the overwhelming pull of stress freezing their movements.
Slowly but steadily, the wind's gusts weakened, leaving the forest in a heavy silence. Kevin and Gerald sprang from their positions. Their formation was met by Pyron's ferocious roar, growing stronger as a vortex of swirling fire erupted from his mouth. "Kevin!" Gerald shouted, his flames sputtering. "Leave it to me to counter this!" Small strands of white rose from Gerald's flames as he pushed forward, carving a pathway through Pyron's attack in what seemed to be an instant.
They emerged at opposite sides of Pyron's face - Kevin on the left, Gerald on the right. Gerald's flames pulsed violently as his leg drew forward with a fierce shout. "Emberatalia…"
Kevin followed shortly after, planting his fists against the surface of Pyron's skin. "Gravitational…"
"COLLOSAL FLAME OF DARKNESS!"
"DUAL PUSHING PUNCH!"
The weight of their attacks rattled Pyron's skull as he jerked backward. A series of crackling arms erupted from his shoulders, tracking Kevin and Gerald through the sky like an army of fighter jets. Kevin's leg scratched against Pyron's rock-solid flesh as he slid downward, forming a stream of blood rushing up his leg as his soles dragged against Pyron's skin. Unlike last time, his arms are beginning to generate rapidly!
Pyron's crackling limbs pursued Gerald, extending faster than the flames across his legs could ignite. Each arm forced him into a sequence of tight dodges, snapping towards him with ruthless precision. "Gerald," Kevin's voice called from the distance, "whatever you do, don't let the arms lure you into a trap!"
Another fleet of limbs approached Gerald from below, surging upward like a group of flaming serpents. The arms multiplied, trapping Gerald in their swirling vortex as the embers across his legs pulsed. Not only can arms erupt from his body, but his arms can also create arms!? The arms multiplied again, trapping Gerald in a swirling cyclone. From the palms of each of their hands emerged a frenzy of flaming spheres, darting towards the epicenter and drowning out Gerald's scream as a ferocious blast swallowed him alive. Controlling himself from the horrifying sight, blood streamed down Kevin's elbows as he weaved past the erecting arms, regaining his momentum with a sudden burst of gravity. "Gerald, I know you're okay!"
"Damn right I am!" The cloud of expanding smoke dispersed with a sudden whir as Gerald moved into Pyron's eyesight. "You try to land a direct attack on Pyron's main body; no matter what, I'll back you up!"
A streak of dark fire guarded Kevin as he rushed forward, travelling along Pyron's wavy limbs. Every time a new fleet of arms approached him, Gerald followed the same path, soaring along the very arm his partner sprinted across. "We're almost there!" he wheezed, ripping through another arm that lunged toward them. "Be sure… to hit Pyron's head with a direct punch, no matter the cost!"
Kevin leaped beyond the safety of Gerald's protection, weaving past the crackling arms and fixing his gaze on the roaring beast. A sphere of fire began accumulating in Pyron's mouth, its glow shining in the distance as Kevin passed through another group of generating limbs. The molten energy raced through the unraveling labyrinth, clashing against the force of Kevin's building punch. As the whirling sphere darted through the waving maze, Kevin extended his fist with a furious shout. "GRAVITATIONAL… BOMB!"
An unfathomable compression of gravitational force poured out of Kevin's fists, unleashing a magenta spiral towards Pyron's head like a roaring meteor. In a matter of seconds, the enormous compression widened the cracks within Pyron's skull, trapping the forest below in a glowing explosion.
Gerald's flames sputtered in shock. When the hell did Kevin learn an attack like that…?
His gaze shifted downward towards Pyron's staggering body, relieving himself against the explosive pain with an explosive roar. A crescent of fire spewed from his mouth as the limbs burst into flames, their remnants withering into the firepower-rich skies. Gerald let out a sigh of relief. That was extremely close..
—
Kevin rose from the breezing shreds of grass, blanketed by large, solid fragments of Pyron's skin. "My hands are unbelievably sore," he complained. "That Gravitational Bomb wasn't the best attack to u-"
"KEVIN, LOOK OUT!" Gerald called from above. Kevin shoved himself backward, his shoes dragging through the dehydrated soil. Pyron's claw reached through the leaning trees, engraving his talons deep into the ground. With a violent jerk, the beast ripped an entire chunk of ground upward, shattering it into a frenzy of smaller, flying slabs. "Close call," he reacted with a sharp whisper, raising his gaze upward towards Gerald. "In a predicament like this, there's no telling what'll possibly happen nex-"
A malicious coat of warmth heated the ground under Kevin. For a moment, a digging scent thrived from within the dirt, advancing towards his position like a burrowing gopher. The scent intensified as it grew closer, expanding through the forest in small, rumbling patches. Then, without warning, a fleet of hissing snakes erupted from the ground's face, each glowing with fragments of Pyron's crimson-orange energy.
"So this is what Pyron's raw energy feels like," Kevin muttered, planting both his fists against the ground. A sudden tremor ruptured the ground as his body flew upward, out the rustling trees and back into the unfolding chaos. "Gerald, we've gotta launch another formation! Pyron can't fight us forever, can he?!"
Gerald narrowed his eyes to the bulging gap within Pyron's head, studying the distorted formation of Pyron's flesh. It was as if the Gravitational Bomb's damage had been erased from Pyron's flesh, but also leaving a mark on his dislocated skull - a crooked reminder of the force Kevin had unleashed moments before. "He isn't just a one-trick pony, you know… No matter what, we have to keep our heads up…"
Each of Pyron's snakes came to an abrupt halt, snapping their heads upward in a sudden motion. From their transparent bodies awakened swelling cores of fire, each one expanding like a newborn star brought into existence. The dangerously beautiful phenomenon caught Gerald's eye, the rows of developing Cataclysmic Fireballs sending a fearful tremor through his body. "All those Cataclysmic Fireballs, illuminating the forest with their gut-wrenching aroma. Kevin, we have to figure out a way to counter them!"
Kevin's pupils shrank. "Believe it or not, but I'm starting to doubt our chances…"
The snakes' fixed their focus onto Rufala's panic-struck streets, each fireball threatening Rufala with its invasive, radiating energy. For a moment, everything went quiet in Kevin's mind - Team Pyron's mission was to stop Pyron from destroying Rufala, but there he was, preparing to unleash a cataclysmic onslaught on the location they vowed to protect. His thoughts suppressing into a sea of dread, Kevin's fists bulged, his unwavering determination bleeding through his razor-sharp eyes. "We're going to launch an attack!"