December 4, 2008, 04:53 a.m. Chichibu Hills, Japan.
Wusshhhh…
The winter wind blows fiercely, carrying drifting snowflakes that slowly blanket the frozen ground of Chichibu.
KREKKKK…
The creaking sound of Diana's crushed car echoes painfully from the depths of the ravine, resonating among the dark trees.
"Gerhhh…" At the edge of the cliff, a three-meter-tall Urqell stands upright. Its massive body is covered in bulging muscle fibers, looking terrifying under the moonlight. The creature remains still, its cold gaze fixed on the wrecked car sinking deeper into the darkness.
The monster raises its wrist, pressing a communicator device to send a confirmation report of the target's death. But just before it can turn its body–
"Oi... Ugly!"
A familiar mocking voice echoes from behind. The Urqell turns calmly, its gaze filled with satisfaction, as if it has been waiting for this clash between predators.
There, Diana floats low across the road. Near her, Rika and Riko remain safe, enclosed within a dense Sunya-Graha barrier. The faces of the two children appear calm, without a single wound or bruise, despite having just plunged into the ravine.
Fushhhhhhh...!
The howling winter wind swept across the frozen hills of Chichibu. Endless snow began to blanket the asphalt roads and tree branches, turning the world into a silent expanse of white.
The icy gust brushed gently against Dianna's hair, its strands dancing wildly with the roaring wind.
Krrruuukkk…
The crisp sound of compressed snow echoed as Dianna's feet touched the ground once more after descending with graceful ease.
Without a single word, she raised her hand. Sunya-Graha, the transparent sphere of energy protecting Riko and Rika, immediately ascended. The sphere floated briefly before shooting away, carrying them out of the battlefield's deadly zone.
"Gerrhhh…" Urqell growled low within its throat. Thick steam burst from its breath and between its sharp fangs, instantly freezing upon contact with the cold air. The monster's glowing eyes locked onto Dianna, preparing for bloodshed.
Dianna returned the gaze with a calm as cold as ice. Yet behind her composed expression, her eyes moved cautiously, ensuring Sunya-Graha had gone far enough, then shifting toward the end of the road, where the ambulance carrying Jōgan had vanished into the snowstorm.
"My strength hasn't fully recovered since the last battle…" Dianna muttered inwardly. Her jaw tightened. The hidden fatigue began to creep in, but she forced it aside.
"I have to find the core of its weakness. I only have enough strength left for one absolute strike." Her focus sharpened. Amid the roaring storm, Dianna's eyes moved sharply, scanning every inch of Urqell's towering body, searching for a single weak point before unleashing the last of her life in one decisive attack.
Brugh!
"Grohhh…" Urqell growled deeply. With a single stomp that shook the surface of the road, it leapt wildly toward Dianna. Its fist, wrapped in glowing Gamma energy, surged forward, ready to crush the girl in a single blow.
"Chi...!" Dianna clenched her teeth. With swift reflexes, she twisted her body, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have shattered her shoulder.
Bruaghh... KRAKKKK~ZTTTT!
The punch tore through the asphalt, shattering it and sending layers of snow exploding into the air. Without mercy, Urqell unleashed a barrage of punches, attempting to lock Dianna within a storm of attacks.
Bruagh... Bruagh... WHUMMM~SHHHH!
The Gamma-coated fists left gaping craters along the road.
Krukk... Krukk…
Dianna continued to evade with precise movements. Her gaze remained calm and focused, tracing every inch of Urqell's body, searching for a weakness within the steel-like mass of its muscles.
KREEEEKK~ZTTTT!
"Grohhh…" Seeing its prey continue to evade, Urqell increased its tempo. It swung both arms at once, forming a massive clamp of Gamma energy.
"Heh… Damn it! Akasabira–" Dianna hissed. She realized her position had been completely locked. But time was not on her side. Before the protective layer could fully envelop her body.
DUMMM~NGINGGG!
Urqell's devastating strike tore through the asphalt and slammed into Dianna's body. The attack left the ground melted from the extreme heat of Gamma energy, sending the girl's body flying violently into the darkness of the trees.
BRUGH~KRAKK!
Dianna's body was thrown back hard, crashing into the trunk of a frozen pine tree until its bark cracked.
"Uhuk… Uhuk… Shhttt…" Dianna coughed, feeling the tight pressure crushing her lungs. She tried to stand with the last of her strength, gripping her left arm, which felt shattered and numb.
Brugh… KRAK~BRAAAKKK!
Without giving her a moment to breathe, Urqell charged into the forest. The creature smashed through the line of trees ahead of it as if they were nothing but brittle twigs.
Brugh! KREEEEKK~ZTTTT!
"Grohh…" With brutal force, Urqell leapt high toward Dianna, once again swinging its massive arms coated in deadly streams of Gamma energy.
"Jwala-Bomb!" She shouted. Dianna reacted faster, opening her right palm toward the approaching predator.
Vuuu~Zinggg!
Blazing spheres of fire burst from her palm, cutting through the cold night air as they shot toward their target.
KAA~BOMMM!
A chain of explosions erupted instantly as the fireballs struck Urqell's body mid-air.
DUMMM~BRAAAKKK!
The force of the blast hurled Urqell's massive body away. It was thrown far back, crashing through trees and dragging violently until it slammed into the roadside barrier with a deafening metallic impact.
"Gerhhh… Grekkk…" Urqell's groan broke the silence of the night. With a growing, feral hunger in its eyes, the creature rose to its feet once more, as if the previous explosion had been nothing more than a scratch.
Krukk… Krukk…
Dianna staggered forward, her right hand pressing tightly against the wound on her left arm that continued to bleed. She stepped out from the darkness of the forest toward the asphalt road, leaving a trail of red stark against the pure white snow.
"Hakss… Hakss…" Dianna's breathing grew heavy and ragged. Her gaze began to tire, yet she forced her eyes to remain locked on Urqell, who now stood firmly before her.
"I only have enough energy left for one more attack. If I collapse after this, that damned creature must die first." Dianna murmured inwardly as her eyes flicked briefly toward Sunya-Graha in the distance. Her gaze sharpened again, filled with determination.
KREEEEKK~ZTTTT!
"Grohhh…" Urqell clenched its fists once more, triggering crackling streams of Gamma energy. Its legs tensed, ready to launch toward Dianna's position at the edge of the pine forest.
Vuuu~Zinggg!
Dianna opened her right palm, summoning the last remnants of energy within her soul.
"If I fall, Sunya-Graha's defense will weaken. This creature will surely target Rika and Riko after finishing me." Her thoughts were filled with concern. Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, drawing a deep breath to steady her heartbeat.
Brugh~Wusshhhh!
Urqell launched forward. Its massive body shot toward Dianna like a bullet tearing through the night air.
"I have to kill it with this attack." Dianna whispered softly as she opened her eyes once more.
Dianna stood tall. She did not flinch, not even a trace of intent to evade. She remained firmly in place, risking everything on a single final move. Slowly, she raised her palm, aiming directly at Urqell's chest as it drew closer.
DUMMM~NGINGGG!
Urqell's double fists, surging with Gamma energy, collided violently with the fading layer of Akasabirawa surrounding Dianna's body.
Pukk!
Amid the thunderous impact, with a movement that was incredibly calm, Dianna's palm touched Urqell's chest, right above the creature's heart.
"Atma-Bindu…" Dianna spoke, her voice nearly swallowed by the roaring force.
Hihihi~Whush!
Neutrino Ghost particles burst forth, forming the shadow of a ghostly woman with a chilling laugh.
Srakkk~Syutthhh!
In an instant, the entity floated forward and entered Urqell's body, binding its soul from within.
DUMMM~NGINGGG!
The Akasabirawa defense finally shattered completely. Dianna's body was thrown back by the remaining physical force of Urqell.
Syuuuuu~Srekkk... Krakk!
Dianna's body was dragged far across the cold surface of the snow before finally coming to a stop after crashing into a large pine tree at the roadside. Her vision blurred, but she had fulfilled her duty as a soldier of the Maja Kingdom.
"Grohhh...!" Urqell's roar pierced the air, filled with indescribable pain. The moment Atma-Bindu seeped into the core of its cells, the giant body froze instantly, as if time itself had stopped for it.
Slowly but surely, Urqell's dark scales began to fade. The red glow in its eyes dimmed, losing its predatory light. Its head tilted stiffly toward the night sky as the Atma-Bindu entity drained the entirety of its life essence from within, leaving nothing behind.
Brughhh!
The massive body collapsed, crashing heavily onto the snow with a lifeless thud.
"Hah… Hahkks…" Dianna's breathing was ragged, each inhale feeling like needles piercing her lungs. Her entire body felt unbearably weak. With her vision fading, she glanced upward, staring at the thinning and increasingly transparent layer of Sunya-Graha.
With the last trace of energy she barely had left, Dianna forced her fingertips to move, if only slightly. Slowly, the Sunya-Graha sphere protecting Rika and Riko descended gently onto the snow before gradually fading away. At the same time, Dianna's fingers fell limp, she could no longer move.
Rika and Riko immediately ran toward Dianna's body. Their small steps struggled through the thick snow, ignoring the biting cold that numbed their feet.
"Sister…!"
The two little girls cried out hysterically, shaking Dianna's body, trying to wake the protector who now lay powerless.
Snow continued to fall softly, beginning to cover them amid the haunting silence of the hills.