10:21 A.M. 7th of December. 2026.
REMNANTS OF ELDITH KINGDOM'S CAPITAL.
[1'] The morning air was rich with the fading aroma of smoke, dust, and sweet flowers. Those that previously clung and flourished from the now-shattered fragments of the beautiful capital walls.]
[2'] Debris, concrete, and metal fell from the sky like meteors, illuminating the surrounding crumbling buildings that had succumbed to the destruction of the previous confrontations. Some of these buildings were still on the brink of collapse. Crushed beneath the rubble, an unfortunate white dove perished.]
[2.1'] Around me, torn bodies of demons and humans-alike lay sprawled across the concrete grounds of the capital's foundation, alongside broken vehicles set ablaze by the terrible confrontation that had seemingly wrecked everything in it's path.]
[3'] The gloomy atmosphere that enveloped the area can be seen tainting the formerly gorgeous and elegant environment with ruins and degradation, quite a cruel sight to behold.]
[3.1'] My gaze flicked around incessantly, seeking for something, someone even, to break me out of this.. Trance state, I saw the aftermath, the destruction the buildings were inflicted with by this deadly clash of fates. The world was crumbling around me. Falling down.. down.. Down.]
[4'] Like the sun rays that are slowly fading around me and giving way to light rain with a hint of petrichor and darker clouds that filled the sky with grey tones, most things don't stay forever. The droplets gently striking my nearly pathetic, clothe-torn state like a staccato of little thuds]
[5'] The only thing that brought me back to my senses was the coppery tang of blood slowly flooding my mouth and lungs. My eyes suddenly widened as an agonizing wave of pain erupted from where my gut was, managing to focus and pry my eyes off of the scene around me, I looked downwards.]
[6'] There it is, a claw, crooked and gleaming with malevolent energy mixed with my blood. It had pierced right through the lower center of my body, I swear, I feel the claw's tip scratching my back as if it had pierced right through.]
[6.1'] "Crackle... Crackle... Crackle..", the faint sound of flames fills my ears, it appears as if though my gauntlets were on fire, and indeed it was.]
[7'] The next thing I knew, my legs bucked indecisively against each other, undeniably from exhaustion, almost sending me tumbling backwards, but I held tight to the claw, my combat boots scraping off the rough texture of the earthy ground as I tried to stabilize my footing and prevent myself from falling over again.]
[7.1] "CRUNCH!", Argh.. Must've pulled a bone there, with this shitty claw in my gut.. Each motion I let out just adds more to the agonizing waves of pain that shook my body one after another.]
[8'] {**"ROSEN!"**} A woman's voice boomed out in the distance, familiar but without the past joy that the name originally conveyed, and instead replaced with a crying whimper of desperation, as beautiful flowers wilt in time.]
[9'] {**"NESSA! WAIT! NO! STOP! YOU'RE GONNA KILL YOURSELF!"**}]
[10'] Another voice, this time from a man of considerably more confident tone. However, his voice now carries an underlying sense of fear, worry, pain, and incredulity.]
[10.1'] Blood trickles down from my slit lips, then my ears painfully rang as an explosion erupted in the distance, as I looked around I saw him..]
[11'] Zatsu, due to unfortunate twists of fate, couldn't do anything at the time, such inconvenient timing. He was pummeled, bruised, flesh-torn, and his Great Golden Dragon was too beaten up to a deadly pulp, to the point even its urge to fight faded. It has already expended all of its energy in the previous clash with Morningstar.]
[12'] ["NOTHING BUILT LASTS FOREVER."] as painful as it is.]
[13'] Yet here I am, in a never-blooming field, surrounded by roses, covered in their color, wilting, crumpling, and weeping.]
[14'] Blood seeps from my head, a large gash that, combined with the imbedded claw in my gut, limits my capability to move, and cuts and bruises litter every part of my body like a terrible mockery of what appears to be tattoo art turned torture tactic. I let out a sigh, then a heavy intake of air as I struggled to breathe, my once-Prototype 7509 Zero Point Energy Field Manipulating Power Gauntlets (ZPEFMPG), now reduced to nothing but shattered and broken remnants of technology, the crackling and burning metal replacements of my already torn off arms had pieces slowly falling towards the ground as gravity pulled them down.]
[15'] I lift my head up, finally catching the terrible shape of his silhouette in my eyes, the core cause of this. Bloodshed, MORNINGSTAR. My gauntlets gripped his left wrist and clothes, a firm tight grip that allowed no escape, and to seal their fate, I briefly let go of his wrist before reaching for the cool, steely handle of my nail-gun, hidden inside one of the many pockets around my waistband, and aiming it directly at my other gauntlet.]
[16'] ["'BANG! BANG! BANG!'"] Three nails shot out, rippled and whipped through the air at high velocities, ripping through the metallic plating of my mechanical arm, imbedding them deep and onto Morningstar's skin as he let out an agonizing cry, trying desperately to rip me off as his hands grabbed, scratched, and pulled on my tight grasping mechanical gauntlet.][1]
[17'] The gauntlet that had gripped Morningstar's cloth begins relentlessly unloading its armor-piercing buckshot shells onto their body, cartridges gradually flooding the ground, and the pellets tearing through their flesh, but they continue to regenerate new flesh and body parts back. However, that was only an act, a diversion, a way for me to start the Azura Prism's self-destruct sequence and possibly take me out with it.][2]
[18'] Although it was a gamble, the opponent offered greater rewards in exchange for high risks.]
[19'] {**"ROSEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"**} {**"FLANDERS! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"**} Words rang out, only to helplessly fall on deaf ears.]
[20'] Then one woman dashed out and grabbed onto my gauntlet nailed onto Morningstar, attempting to rip it off of him {**"PLEASE, ROSE THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER WAY!"**} She cried out, then reached for my face, forcing me to look at her through my bloody-red hazed-gaze.]
[22'] {**"ROSEN PLEASE-"**} she begged, pleading with a face full of tears. That look doesn't fit a gentle face you have..]
[23'] {**"Nessa."**} I sighed, heartbroken. Tears were threatening to spill over my scarred face. {**"You've done great, I'll take it from here."**} Then as she tried speaking out once more, her words are cut short as my other free hand shoots out, landing on her gut before sending a shockwave that sends her flying away from the supposed blast radius, and I aimed precisely, the next moment-- nails shoot out of my nail gun, securing her clothes to the ground.]
[24'] I paused, my gaze looking down before I continued; {**"Lesser people will face death this way."**} {**"Please, understand-"**}.]
[25'] Suddenly, a man's voice cuts me off in the distance. {**"Don't give us that.. "LESSER PEOPLE WILL FACE DEATH THIS WAY" Bullshit ROSE!"** }.]
[26'] {**"WHAT ABOUT THE TIMES WE HAD!? EXPERIENCES WE SHARED!? ALL THE MISTAKES WE DID!?"**} He blurted out, tears falling from his eyes, I felt a fresh wave of tears prickling the corners of mine as well, my heart clenched in emotional distress. Charley..]
[27'] {**"DIDN'T YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM ANY OF THOSE!?"**} No.. I didn't.]
[28'] Morningstar suddenly lunged forward and attacked me directly, giving up on trying to break free from my grip, thus deciding to switch strategy as a last ditch resort. His slashes found their mark on my torso and face, resulting in new cuts and bruises. In retaliation, I delivered a punch to Morningstar's face, thrusters from my gauntlets pushed the fist forward, the blow sent a shockwave that rippled through the area, causing him to stumble and pause his strikes momentarily. My clutching gauntlet then resumed blasting his malevolent body with gauges, keeping him at bay.][3]
[29'] The prior loudness of the environment was muffled by a beep emanating directly from Rosen's frame, notably his back.]
[30'] Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the unmistakable flash of red lights on Rosen's back. This was the gadget, namely the one responsible for stabilizing the Azura Prism, with a rectangular screen that flashed two numbers. "20.."]
[30.1'] [**"Evacuate, please.."**], I warned, weakly.
[31'] Caleb lunged forward and attempted to step in where he had attempted to place a portal in the Azura Prism, but his specialty abruptly backfired on him turning his portal a deep-magenta hue as if corrupting it, causing a miniature shockwave that knocked his hand away as the Azura Prism retaliated with flaming electric shocks of magenta lightning that erupted each time he pushed forward.]
[32'] {**"Rose..! ROSE, ROSE! LISTEN TO ME."**}. "ZZBOOM! BANG! THUD!"The Azura Prism thundered in the background, reminding them of the grave situation.]
[33'] "19.", the timer dinks again.]
[34'] {**"WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING IT'S NOT WORTH IT! ROSE COME ON, MAN!"**} His voice panicked, trying so hard to stop the inevitable self-destruction Rosen was about to execute, and amidst all of this. Morningstar spoke out, snapping at Rosen as he pulled out the claw imbedded in Rosen's gut and grabs him by the hair, forcibly maintaining eye-contact between the two.]
[35'] {**"What are you doing you fool!? Are you trying to take everyone to hell with you!?"**}, he yelled at Rosen, who appeared to be completely unmoved.]
[36'] "18." and again..]
[37'] {**"Better die a martyr than end up as wicked as you."**}, Rosen snapped back at him viciously, his tone carrying the signature underlying venom he had in the past, cruel nostalgia fills Morningstar's nerves.]
[38'] In an attempt to try a different strategy, Charley finally charges forward and uses his flames to set the self-destruct device on fire, destroying the device that is meant to destabilize the Azura Prism through high pressure and to the point of explosion before beginning to beat it to malfunctioning with his longsword.]
[39'] Yet Rosen's devices proven themselves sturdy once more, barely even denting from Charley's efforts.]
[40'] "17. 16. 15. 14." The struggle continues, Charley and Caleb will not give up until they've saved Rosen from death via self-sacrifice; the seconds flew by quickly. Sending a wave of dread and hopelessness with another second that gets subtracted from the ticking bomb.]
[41'] "13." beep.]
[42'] "12." beep.]
[43'] "11." beep.]
[44'] Charley yelled out, full of anger, resentment, guilt, and pain.]
[45'] {**"SCREW YOU!! ROSEN!"**} He slammed his fist onto his torso as he sobbed on his shoulder, whimpering. Caleb on the other hand gritted his teeth as he kept trying to use his portals to disassemble the almost indestructible device Rosen had constructed himself, each time, progress disappears when the Azura Prism shoots out its lightning from the interference, and with time slowly ticking away, Caleb's chances of focusing are at an all time low.]
[46'] "10. 9. 8.", time was running out.]
[47'] Then, Rosen grabbed Charley by the neck and tightened his grasp. {**"AWAY!"**} he grunted with force as suddenly, Rosen's gauntlet shoots out a shockwave that sends Charley flying a couple meters away, followed by nails that also restrain him like what Rosen did to Nessa.. Now Rosen looked at Caleb before grabbing him by the collar and throws him towards the same direction as where Charley got sent flying away, Rosen doing the same restriction to him.]
[48'] "7." Yet either way--]
[49'] "6." {**"Only one of us gets out of this place out alive."**}.]
[50'] Rosen then looked at Morningstar, his left gauntlet managing to block his slash in time as he grabbed onto it and shot out incendiary rounds to melt it into his claw, putting it out of use as Morningstar tries to attack with his other claw, where Rosen weaved backwards and reached for his pockets once more, pulling out a new strap of buckshot gauges and jammed it into his right gauntlet, unloading the bullets once more.]
[51'] In the midst of the struggle, Rosen's gauntlets are starting to fall apart.. And Morningstar thrashed wildly as Rosen started pommeling him down onto the ground with heavy blows from his free left gauntlet. But Morningstar didn't back down, he tried pushing against Rosen but his boots' stabilizers keep them rooted in place. Each blow Morningstar threw at Rosen didn't budge his frame at all.]
[52'] {**"GRRRGHAARGHHH!"**} Morningstar spat out, roaring and refusing to back down without a single spark of defiance, smashing his arm upon the gauntlet repeatedly. For a moment, nothing happens, but as he continues to do it, the gauntlet bends and one nail pops right off...]
[53'] {**"Shit"**} Rosen groaned under his breath, the cold breeze surrounding them whips past Rosen's hair as it swooshes around, the air whirls and intensifies as Morningstar starts focusing a big amount of energy to break free, tainting the surroundings with a malefic red hue, it appears that he's directing it towards Rosen's head..]
[54'] "5." "4."Rosen had to buy time, quickly..]
[56'] Rosen then pulled out his nail gun and tried nailing the backhand of his right gauntlet to reinforce the grip onto Morningstar but he suddenly let out a ear-deafening scream directed towards Rosen, who's eardrums immediately ruptures and the nail gun knocked away.]
[57'] Without the claws, Morningstar continued to forcefully bend the right gauntlet as another nail broke off, sending sparks flying everywhere and intensifying the device's flames as the energy from the Azura Prism began to flow out of its exposed wires, a single spark hit Morningstar's temple momentarily dazing him.]
[58'] "3." Rosen then detached his right boot's stabilizer to front-kick Morningstar and send him on his back, where Rosen had to follow suit because his right gauntlet was nailed to Morningstar's chest, then his left boot's stabilizer retracted, as now, Rosen straddles Morningstar and restrains him down, his stabilizers dig into the concrete ground once more...][4]
[59'] {**"No.. No. NO!!"**} Morningstar suddenly lashed forward as he bit into Rosen's neck and buried his teeth deep inside his flesh, and with a quick flick of motion, ripped a huge chunk of Rosen's neck right off.]
[60'] {**"Morningstar.. "**} Rosen forced out his name, gagging and blood splattering towards Morningstar's frame as he spoke, followed by successive coughs and the menacing unstable lightning roars produced by the Azura Prism on his back.]
[70'] {**"It's over."**} Magenta-hued lightning surges from all sides, smashing the high-durability glass used for containment and stabilization. The smell of charred material and coppery-scented blood was the only thing keeping Rosen awake; it made him want to vomit right then and there.]
[71'] {**"Checkmate."**} Rosen exclaimed gleefully, his eyes shaking with each agonizing motion.
[72'] As the last nail popped out, Morningstar escaped Rosen's iron grip and attempted to scramble away as far as possible. However, unfortunately for him, fate had other plans, Rosen's aim-guided wired claws suddenly shot out from his left gauntlet and pierced both his calves. Stopping him dead on his tracks and making him tumble forward, face-first onto the ground, Morningstar grunted and thrashed wildly trying to break free from the new restraints placed upon his calves.][5]
[73'] {**"2."**} Rosen stated, his voice cracking and he allowed the tears stream from his eyes that he did not know was holding back, mixing with the salty rain-drops falling over his bruised form.]
[74'] The last thing he saw was Morningstar's terrified expression.. He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.]
[75'] He then sighed, sobbing painfully and closed his eyes.]
[76'] "1." He spoke aloud.]
[77'] A dazzling flash and a thunderous boom erupted, followed by.. Darkness.]
!PLAYBACK---END!
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[1] ---The nails that Rosen had shot out to Morningstar have tips the shape of arrowheads, making it really versatile in certain situations---
[2] ---The gauntlets have a retractable compartment for two long barrels that are placed on the backhand of the gauntlets, as well as a cartridge ejector on the outward sides of the gauntlets, for where the gauges go in however, there's a compartment inwards the sides of the gauntlets where Rosen jams straps of gauges in---
[3] ---The thrusters are very small, powered by the Azura Prism and they basically pop out of the gauntlet's sides when they're about to be used. There's 5 mini-thrusters on each gauntlet---
[4] ---The stabilizers have little barbs in them that dig into any surface like those you'd mostly find in a cockroach's legs, they're located at the ankles and have a rotary function that allows Rosen to grip onto the ground regardless how his feet are positioned---
[5] ---Rosen's wire guided claws work similarly like tasers, but instead of zapping the person they attach themselves to, they pull them in with tips that also resemble arrowheads---