Chapter 12 - BAT KING COLLAPSE!

〘𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓-𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐁𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑〙

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⟦The battlefield: a broken void between universes⟧

Fragments of planets spun in silence. Stars flickered like dying candles. The Monkey King had already darted away toward his own battle with Doomsday Meteorite, but here—this space belonged to two warriors alone.

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚』

⦅So you are the infamous Bat-King. They say your wings once blackened a million suns.⦆

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅And they say you are a blade-child who hides behind speed. Let us see which tale survives tonight.⦆

〔𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅.〕

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⟦First Clash⟧

Their collision detonated the void. Cleaving's twin forearm blades tore arcs of silver across reality, each swing carving fissures into the cosmos. Xorath countered by igniting his signature spell:

𝖇𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖆𝖕𝖊𝖗—𝖒𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖘.

From his arms erupted burning, magma-forged sabers, their edges dripping molten fire that hissed when it met the cold void. His wings blazed open, each flap raining sparks of destruction.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Bissaper shall decide if you live.⦆

Their swords screamed against each other, blade to blade, sparks streaming like rivers of fire.

Cleaving darted left, right, above—his movements impossible, every slash timed to strike between Xorath's swings. But Xorath was no novice. He parried with molten fury, each block unleashing shockwaves that cracked asteroids into dust.

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⟦The Dance of Blades⟧

Cleaving's voice was calm, his strikes relentless.

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜』

⦅Predictable. You swing wide—your rage slows you.⦆

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅My rage burns. And fire always consumes.⦆

Xorath spun mid-air, both molten sabers whirling in a storm. His Bissaper spell extended them into long magma-whips, each slash carving craters into space itself. Cleaving darted between them, body twisting like liquid steel, and countered with sharp precision cuts.

Their fight was more than strength—it was art. Every stroke of Cleaving's silver blades was surgical. Every roar of Xorath's Bissaper was raw destruction.

〔𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒘 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒓.〕

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⟦Xorath presses the assault⟧

Xorath roared, wings igniting brighter.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Bissaper—Cascading Storm!⦆

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖊𝖓, 𝖘𝖜𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖍𝖎𝖒 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖆 𝖍𝖚𝖓𝖌𝖗𝖞 𝖒𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖔𝖗 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒.

Each molten weapon darted independently, slashing from every direction. Cleaving was forced back, blades ringing as he deflected the onslaught. Sparks blinded, magma dripped across his armor, sizzling.

Still, Cleaving grinned.

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜』

⦅Better. Show me why galaxies once screamed your name.⦆

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⟦Cleaving turns the tide⟧

In a blur, Cleaving vanished. His form flickered faster than Xorath's eyes could follow. The molten blades struck empty space.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅What—?⦆

A silver flash. Pain ripped across his side. One of Cleaving's blades had pierced through his armor.

〔𝒙𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅.〕

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜』

⦅Too slow, Bat-King. Rage blinds you. Precision ends you.⦆

Xorath staggered, molten blood dripping into the void, burning holes into passing meteors.

But the Bat-King laughed.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Yes… hurt me more. Only pain sharpens my claws.⦆

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⟦The Battle Heats⟧

Xorath's wings ignited, a blazing inferno flooding the void.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Bissaper—Infernal Collapse!⦆

𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖘 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖉, 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖌𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖑𝖆𝖛𝖆, 𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘.

Cleaving fought hard, but each block rattled his frame. Sparks seared his flesh. His blades moved with liquid perfection, but the storm of molten sabers pressed him harder, faster.

〔𝒙𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔.〕

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⟦But Cleaving adapts⟧

Suddenly—his silver blades began glowing brighter. He locked eyes with Xorath.

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜』

⦅You fight with storms. I fight with silence.⦆

In one movement, his body flickered between molten arcs. His blades struck faster than sound—clean, exact. Each slash cut through a molten saber, shattering the Bissaper constructs one by one.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Impossible—!⦆

Another strike. His wing shredded. Blood spilled, fire dimmed.

〔𝒙𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉'𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.〕

『𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜』

⦅Bat-King… your fire is fading.⦆

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⟦The cliffhanger⟧

Still, Xorath stood tall, battered, wings shredded, molten sabers flickering like dying torches.

『𝙓𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝』

⦅Fade? No. I burn brightest… at the edge of death.⦆

He raised both molten sabers, his Bissaper surging one last time, wings blazing against the void. Cleaving lowered his stance, silver blades humming like pure death.

Their final clash drew near—sword to sword, molten flame against cutting light.

〔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒕-𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍—𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔…〕