"Ohh? I really wanted to end this quickly, but that bitch got in the way."
The voice was feminine, mocking, echoing through the ruins with no clear source.
"Show yourself, you coward!!" Mike roared, his glare darting from rooftop to rooftop, fists clenched, back turned protectively against his comrades.
Behind him, Chloe writhed.
"It hurts... it hurts so bad!" she gasped, her voice hoarse, trembling.
"Chloe, hold on! Please, just—stay with me," Mio pleaded, pressing a torn strip of cloth against the gushing wound. But the blood wouldn't stop. It poured hot between her fingers, no matter how hard she pressed.
"The bleeding... it's not stopping," she whispered, panic cracking her voice.
"We have to cauterize it—Chloe, c-can you… use your fire?" Mio asked desperately.
Chloe's eyes glazed, her lips trembling.
"Ahh!! Please... help, I can't—"
ARGHHHH!!! The scream ripped from her throat, strangled by unbearable agony.
(...This is bad. At this rate, she'll—) Mio's breath shook. Her mind went to the one thing she had sworn never to use.
(…No. I can't. Not that. But… If I only use a little—just a spark—it won't matter, right? It's the only way…)
Her hands trembled, soaked crimson. Her eyes began to glow faint blue, the crackle of electricity whispering at her fingertips.
"Chloe… this is going to hurt."
She shoved a wad of cloth into Chloe's mouth, her own voice breaking. "B-but it'll be over in a minute. Please, just bear it."
Her hand hovered above the wound. Sparks leapt from her fingertips, chaotic and unstable, like a storm breaking free. Then, they converged—coiling into a sharp, steady bolt.
The lightning struck.
ZZZZZHHHHHHHT!
The stench of burning flesh filled the air. Chloe's body convulsed violently, her muffled screams tearing through the cloth as she bit down hard enough to draw blood.
Mio squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back her own tears.
(I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…)
The acrid scent of scorched flesh lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating. Chloe's body sagged, her convulsions easing into shallow, ragged breaths. Her skin was pale, drenched in sweat, but the bleeding had finally stopped.
Mio pulled her trembling hand away, her fingers blackened with soot and blood. She couldn't bring herself to look at the wound she had sealed.
Her heart hammered against her ribs.
(What have I done? Did I save her… or just destroy her?)
"Chloe!" Mike was at her side in an instant, dropping to one knee. His normally sharp, unshakable expression was cracked by panic. He brushed hair from Chloe's damp face. "Stay with us. Don't you dare close your eyes now."
"She'll live," Mio whispered, her voice quivering as if to convince herself. "I—I had no choice."
That mocking feminine voice cut through the silence again, smooth and venomous:
"Aww… how touching. The mighty little heroes patching each other up. But tell me… how long before the next one bleeds out?"
Mike's head snapped up, eyes blazing. The faint aura of blue kinetic energy around him surged, warping the air. His teeth ground together until his jaw ached.
"Enough of your games! COME OUT!" His voice shook the broken walls.
A soft chuckle echoed, bouncing from shadow to shadow, impossible to pin down.
"Oh, you wanna see me that badly? Aww! I can't believe my beloved is so anxious to see me."
Mike rose slowly, fists clenched, every muscle coiled tight like a predator about to strike. His aura flared brighter, lifting small debris into the air around him.
Inside, something snapped.
He glanced down at Chloe—her blood still slick on his hands, her body limp in Mio's trembling arms—and a surge of fury unlike anything he'd ever felt ignited in his chest.
(You dared to touch her. To hurt her. I'll make you regret existing.)
The ground trembled, cracks spiderwebbing beneath his feet. The kinetic energy he usually commanded with precision now poured out raw and violent, warping the air around him. Pebbles lifted, twisting midair like they were caught in an invisible tide.
"Mikey—wait! Don't lose yourself—!" Mio's voice wavered, but it was too late.
His gaze sharpened. Not a glare anymore—this was a death sentence.
"You wanted a fight?" he said, his voice low, thrumming with power. "Fine. I'll tear this place apart until there's nothing left of you."
The shadows answered with a figure.
A girl stepped forward—red hair tumbling like blood, a scarlet dress clinging to her pale frame. Her eyes, once ocean-blue, now burned with a corrupted crimson glow. A suffocating aura rolled off her in waves, thick and metallic, like the scent of fresh blood.
Yet Mike didn't flinch. His blood only boiled hotter.
"Not even a twitch," the girl sneered, tilting her head. "As expected of my beloved."
Mio's breath caught. "Y-you're… Linda!?"
Linda's twisted smile cracked into a grin of recognition. Then it sharpened, her killing intent pouring forth like a blade against Mio's throat. "Good. You remember me. That'll make killing you all the sweeter—"
Voom!
Mike blurred. One heartbeat, and he was already a breath away, his fist cocked, kinetic force screaming around it.
Whoosh! BAAM!
The punch detonated against empty air. Linda vanished, hurled aside as if yanked by unseen hands. Mike's fist slammed into the building behind her, the wall exploding into a web of craters.
"Teleportation, too?" A new voice rang out, calm but edged with steel. "Tch. This guy's trouble."
The dust cleared. Linda dangled in the arms of a tall, black-haired young man. His frame was lean but corded with muscle, his stance steady as a fortress. Unlike Linda's manic energy, his presence was cold, measured—dangerous.
Linda scowled, writhing in his grasp. "Put me down! I had it under control!"
The man's eyes stayed fixed on Mike, unwavering. "Control? If I hadn't pulled you out, you'd be a smear on the pavement."
"Shut up, Simon!" Linda snapped, her voice cracking with frustration.
But Simon only adjusted his grip and sighed, exuding disdain. "Honestly… reckless as always."
Mike wrenched his fist free of the broken wall, dust and rubble falling away. His glare cut straight through them both, voice low and sharp as a blade.
"I don't care if she's a god or a demon. Touch them again—say one word against them—and I'll kill you where you stand."
A shiver ran down Linda's spine, but her lips curled into a psychotic laugh. "So… if I just become yours, I'm untouchable? Interesting."
Mike's silence was louder than any threat.
Simon finally stepped forward, setting Linda down. His expression was calm, but the air around him seemed to tighten, heavy with quiet menace.
"Enough. Linda—you handle the white-haired girl. I'll deal with the raging bull."
"But I can—"
"Just do as I say. You can't handle him," Simon cut her off, his tone sharp and absolute.
"I won't let you—" Mike's growl was severed mid-sentence. A violent gust ripped across his face—too fast to track. A thin, hot line burned across his cheek. Blood rolled down his skin before he even realized what had happened.
He froze. Simon was already behind him. Two short blades gleamed in his hands, their edges humming with lethal intent.
"Your opponent… is me," Simon said coolly, his voice steady as stone. He flicked Mike's blood from his blade. "Let the girls have their fun."
Mio's heart skipped. That speed—she hadn't even seen him move.
Mike dragged his hand across his cheek, smearing the blood, then turned his gaze toward Mio. "Hold her off for a few minutes. That's all I need."
Mio nodded, forcing steel into her trembling voice. "Don't worry. I might be shaken, but I can handle a psycho."
Mike exhaled once, grounding himself, then turned fully to Simon. "I admit it. I underestimated you. But from now on…" His aura flared, shards of debris lifting from the ground. "…I'll get serious."
SHUUM! FWOOM! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Steel rods launched like bullets from Mike's side, splitting the air. But Simon was already gone, weaving through them with impossible precision. Dust plumes burst in his wake, walls shattering where the rods struck.
Mike's eyes tracked the blur. "Super speed, huh? Interesting."
Simon appeared at the edge of his vision, smirking faintly. "Close. But not quite."
Mike tightened his stance, muttering under his breath, "Kinetic armor."
The blue glow around his body intensified, wrapping him in a shimmering layer of force. The ground quaked beneath his feet, as if the earth itself braced for the clash to come.
The air around Mike rippled as the kinetic armor sealed over him, a second skin of raw force shimmering faintly blue. Dust spiraled at his feet, pulled into the gravity of his aura.
Simon's eyes narrowed. Then he moved.
SHRRRIP—SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
A storm of blades rained down in blinding arcs, each strike carrying the weight of a killing blow. Sparks screamed across Mike's glowing shell, streaks of blue light flashing with every impact.
Mike gritted his teeth, feeling the pressure of each strike vibrate through his bones. Simon wasn't just fast—he was relentless. Each movement came faster than thought, weaving in and out like a phantom.
CLANG! CLANG! CRASH!
The ground cratered with every miss, walls shredded into ribbons as the blades carved through concrete.
Simon blurred past Mike's flank, his voice sharp as his steel.
"Armor or not—you can't defend forever."
Mike swung his fist, detonating a shockwave. The blast tore through the air, scattering rubble like paper, but Simon was already gone, his afterimage shredded by the force.
"Don't need forever," Mike growled, eyes locking on the blur of movement. "I just need one hit."
Before Simon could answer, the battlefield shifted.
Linda's lips curved into a vicious smile as her eyes gleamed crimson.
"You remember, don't you? Back then, when you cornered me… when you threatened me like I was nothing."
Mio froze, her fingers twitching as sparks of lightning threatened to escape.
"I swore, Mio," Linda's voice cracked with hatred, "that one day, I'd make you choke on that arrogance. And today—"
Her skin split at the wrists with a sickening hiss. Blood poured out—not falling, but twisting upward, reshaping, hardening into vast, jagged wings that unfurled with a wet snap. Each feather glistened like sharpened glass, dripping crimson onto the rubble below.
"—today you face the Blood Queen!"
With a powerful beat of her wings, Linda soared into the sky, her aura smothering like the stench of iron. She spread her hand, and from the tips of her fingers, streams of blood crystallized into dozens of crimson blades.
"Let's see if you still have that same pride while I tear you apart!"
The blades rained down like a storm.
Mio reacted instantly, wind whipping into a cyclone around her. The crimson weapons shattered against the barrier, shards scattering harmlessly to the side. She didn't hesitate—her other hand flicked, and shards of ice burst forth, jagged spears streaking upward to pierce Linda out of the sky.
Linda snarled, forming a shield from her own blood. The spears struck, embedding deep, frost creeping across the crimson surface. With a hiss, she shattered it before the ice spread further, the shards exploding around her in a spray of red and white.
Their eyes locked—Mio's steady and burning with resolve, Linda's wild with vengeance.
"You humiliated me that day," Linda spat, her voice dripping with venom. "But now, I'll take away everything you care about."
Mio raised her hands, storm energy crackling at her fingertips, her voice sharp but trembling with controlled fury.
"I won't run from my mistake. So let's see you try.
The battle raged on, the battlefield split between two duels—Mio and Linda clashing in a storm of blood and frost, while Mike and Simon fought like titans, each exchange threatening to tear the ruins apart.
Steel flashed, whistling past Mike's kinetic armor in ruthless arcs, each strike leaving trails of sparks and light. Mike countered with raw telekinetic force, rubble and steel rods launching like bullets, but Simon's speed made him a phantom, weaving through every attack with frightening precision.
The clash was chaos—beast against falcon. Every blow from Mike shook the ground, while every dodge from Simon carved lines of death through the air.
Mike's breaths grew sharper, his muscles tensing. His gaze darkened as fury consumed him.
"That's it…" His fist clenched, aura spiking violently. "I'm going all out!"
He warped forward, vanishing in a burst of kinetic speed, fist cocked and screaming with power. Simon twisted to evade as always, his smirk confident—until Mike's lips curled into a grin.
"Accelerate!!"
ZOOM!! BOOM!!!
Mike's body spiked beyond its limits, his speed multiplying in an instant. Simon's eyes widened too late—Mike's fist connected, slamming him headfirst through a wall with an earth-shaking crash.
Dust rained. Silence followed.
Mike staggered, standing over Simon's crumpled form. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his face.
"I guess… using multiple abilities at once… takes a toll on stamina…"
Plop!
His knees buckled, crashing to the ground. He forced a shaky grin.
"It's over… Mio can finish the girl…"
Across the battlefield, Mio's eyes darted toward him. Relief flickered—then dread.
(…Wait. No. Something's wrong.)
The system's chime pierced her mind.
[ Ding!—Warning! ]
[ The Host's Comrade Is in Danger! ]
[ Ability: 'Absolute Protection' Activated ]
Her blood ran cold. (…My new ability?! If it activated… that means… Mikey—)
[ Description: This ability instantly transfers the user to intercept fatal damage directed at a loved one. ]
[ Note: If the incoming attack exceeds defensive limits, user will sustain the damage in their stead. ]
[ Ding!—Initiate Effect? ]
[ Yes ] [ No ]
"YES!!" Mio screamed, without hesitation.
And then—reality bent.
Time, space, and even causality seemed to shatter as Mio vanished from where she stood and reappeared instantly at Mike's side. No movement, no sound—she was simply there.
And she took the hit meant for him.
CRACK!
Blood erupted. A hole tore clean through her chest, ripping her apart from the inside out.
"URGH!!" Her scream drowned in a cough of blood, scarlet pouring down her lips.
Mike's eyes went wide. His throat locked.
"M-M-MIO?! MIOOO!!!"
She collapsed forward, falling into his arms, her lifeblood staining him red.
"Why… why did you—" His words trembled, broken.
Mio's trembling hand brushed his cheek, her voice faint, each word carved out with agony.
"It's… my new ability… I could finally… protect you…"
Even as her lungs filled with blood, she forced a weak, fleeting smile. Then her hand fell limp, and her eyes dimmed into silence.
The battlefield froze.
Mike clutched her body, shaking her desperately.
"No… no, no, no… Mio, wake up… answer me!! This isn't funny!!" His cries cracked into raw pain. "That's all you wanted, right? To stay by my side?! Then why—WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME?!"
The silence was unbearable.
Simon lay crumpled in the rubble, unmoving. Linda staggered in a daze, too shaken to act. Yet within the ruins, something else stirred—a presence faint and formless, like a shadow breathing where no shadow should exist.
Then a mocking voice slithered across the ruins, echoing without a body.
"Tch. That bitch died too fast. I wanted to play with her first before cutting her open."
Mike's body shook. His vision blurred red.
"Fuck this. Let's just finish it already," the voice sneered, closer now.
Mike pressed his forehead to Mio's, tears mixing with her blood. His voice broke, soft and shattered.
"That's it… I don't care anymore. Mio… let's just be together… like we promised."
But no answer came. Only silence.
The air shifted. The earth trembled. Pebbles rose, frozen in place. Space twisted, folding in on itself.
With an insurmountable rage, Mike screamed.
"MIOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Purple-black energy erupted, exploding outward in chaotic waves. Terrifying. Unstoppable.
Reality cracked. The battlefield tore apart. Space collapsed in a tidal wave of destruction.
From the epicenter—where Mike clutched Mio's lifeless body—existence itself was erased, consumed by the void.
Until nothing remained.