Chapter 21: The Ultimate Showdown
The wind slowed, and silence fell as Feroz saw his wife, Sera, standing at gunpoint. His entire world narrowed to this horrific moment.
Feroz: "You bastard! How dare you touch my wife!"
The President of Stareon simply laughed. "You had the option to live a peaceful life with your family, but you chose to interfere where people like you don't belong."
Feroz: "Kill me if you want, but leave my wife out of this."
President: "That's the point you don't understand. You think you're the only one who stood against my brilliant plan to make the world better?"
Feroz: "By experimenting on humans, you monster?"
President: "I am doing this for the sake of the country! This is not murder; it's a sacrifice to make our country, Stareon, a superpower."
Feroz: "And what about the people?"
President: "Many like you tried to save those humans, but they were killed on sight. Why would the President of the World Order personally meet a low-life like you? Because I see potential in you."
Feroz: "I will never work for you."
President: "That's fair. But you will make that decision based on the options I give you."
President: "Option 1: Work with us, and your daughter will live. Option 2: Refuse, and watch your five-year-old daughter die by my hands. Do you like those options?"
Feroz trembled. "Then why did you bring my wife here?"
President: "You sneaked into our base, killed many of my soldiers, and almost brought us down. There has to be compensation."
Feroz realized what was coming. "No... please don't!"
President: "And that compensation... is your wife!"
Sera's eyes, wide with love, silently pleaded with Feroz to protect their daughter at all costs. The President pulled the trigger, and Sera died on the spot.
The memories of their life together their vows, their dreams, their daughter's laugh screamed in Feroz's head.
"From that day on, everything changed. I became the pawn..."
The Price of Courage
Feroz was pulled back to the present. He yelled at the Unknown Entity. "But I will not let you win!" He grabbed the tentacles that were tearing him apart and severed them, creating a desperate distance.
In the forest, Kai tried to stop Peter. "Peter, where are you going? Feroz will not survive! We need to focus on getting rid of that Unknown Entity!"
Peter: "It's not his fault he's here. He doesn't deserve to die right now."
Ethan: "Peter, you must concentrate on opening the portal first!"
Peter: "I can't. I am not like my father, Goldex. I am not Zimbraya-sensei. But what I can do right now is save that man, Feroz, who came as Zimbraya."
The Split Decision
The conversation was also heard by Aqua's team as they rushed toward Shinobu. Fiery regained consciousness and listened to the chaos.
Fiery (in a low voice): "Aqua, I need to go."
Aqua: "Hold on, Fiery! You've done everything you can!"
Fiery: "We need to take down that Unknown Entity. Zimbraya is fighting him alone."
Aqua: "I know, but the people in Shinobu are in danger. They'll be crushed if we don't get there in time."
Fiery smiled, his voice weak but firm. "Aqua, I believe in you. The battlefield isn't far. Leave me here, and you go to Shinobu."
Aqua's eyes welled up. "I don't want to lose anyone else..."
Fiery: "Go. Save Scarlet and our people."
Aqua's Desperate Defense
In Shinobu, citizens were panicking. Elemental fluctuations prevented them from using their powers.
"If we can't use elemental powers, how can we fight them?" cried one citizen.
Meanwhile, Aqua and the ten soldiers were racing toward the city.
Soldier: "Sir, the army is 200 strong, and we are only eleven. What is the strategy?"
Aqua: "We will use mud walls to buy time. We'll reach the city first and raise those walls on the way."
Soldier: "But 200 soldiers will pass through mud walls in seconds!"
Aqua: "Then we use those seconds. We do what we can with what we have."
"Roger!" the soldiers roared. Aqua and his team charged forward, the first colossal Mud Wall already rising in the distance.
The Dark Dimension and The Last Will
In the dark dimension, the air was heavy and red, the trees twisted like claws. Reynolds was still running, sweating as something unseen chased him.
Back on the main battlefield, the Unknown Entity cornered Feroz. "I know you can't control the 200-man army if you die. I don't want them to stop."
Feroz was seeing Fiery's courage in his mind. "That Fire Boy fought to the very end... he protected that girl. This world needs more people like them."
Unknown Entity: "Now you're with them? Then I'll crush all of you!"
He charged again, kicking Feroz across the field. In a second, the Entity was there, grabbing Feroz's throat.
Unknown Entity: "Now I want to see you dead!" He charged his tentacles for the final blow.
Feroz had one last flashback to his father. "If your intentions are pure, you will stand against the evil... people will see light from you."
"I failed, Dad..." Feroz whispered.
"It's over!" the Entity screamed.
The Ultimate Showdown
Suddenly, a voice cut through the air: "Lightning Slash!"
Peter arrived with blinding speed, slashing his sword across the Unknown Entity's neck.
Unknown Entity: "You bastards, again!"
Another voice followed: "Wind Tornado!" Goldie struck with a powerful slash, sending the Entity reeling.
As the Entity aggressively charged his tentacles toward them, Kai appeared in the middle, cutting all the tentacles cleanly in half.
Feroz: "You guys..."
Alyssa watched from behind. "They are so cool!"
Then, a voice from far away. They saw a chain of huge 400-meter tall mud walls.
Alyssa: "What's happening there?"
Peter smiled. "It's Aqua. He created a wall to hold those 200 armies."
Kai: "You guys are seriously crazy."
The Unknown Entity roared, his form growing aggressive. "You are all getting in my way! How dare you challenge my plans!"
Peter became serious, raising his sword. "Guys, let's get this chicken!"
End of chapter 21