Kai charged at Nyxveyra with everything he had.
His fist, wrapped in black and gray energy, slammed into the fused god's chest.
The impact sent shockwaves through the camp. Stones cracked. The ground shook.
Nyxveyra slid back but did not fall. She smiled with two voices at once.
"Not bad, little thief. You are learning to use us. But you are still borrowing. We are the owners."
She countered with a palm strike. Black shadows mixed with silver mist hit Kai like a truck. He flew backward and crashed into a broken wall.
Pain exploded in his ribs.
He coughed blood but stood up again.
Mira threw another card she had just made from the smoke.
"Strength Boost Card!"
The card exploded near Kai and gave him a burst of energy. His muscles felt stronger for a moment.
"Thanks, Mira," he said, breathing hard. "Keep them coming."
Lira's silver threads wrapped around Kai's arms and legs, giving him extra support and healing a little of the damage.
"You are not fighting alone. We are here."
Elder Voss kept chanting from the edge of the broken circle. Blue light tried to push against the fused god, but it was weak now.
Nyxveyra laughed.
"How touching. A boy, a card girl, and a fate reader against two gods. This story will be short."
She raised both hands.
The giant eye in the sky blinked again.
More black and gray energy poured down into her body. She grew taller. Her power swelled.
Kai felt the Dual God Whisper starting to burn him from the inside.
His status screen appeared on its own.
Status Update
Fractured Echo Weaver Level 7
Active Echoes: 12/10
Overlap Risk: 82 percent
God Fragment Status: Nyxar and Veyra combined at 62 percent
Warning: Continued use of Dual God Whisper is damaging your soul. You have only a few minutes left before permanent loss.
Kai ignored the warning.
He dashed forward again, faster than before.
He mixed Shadow King Roar with Whispering Wind and punched with all his strength.
The attack hit Nyxveyra hard. She blocked, but the force pushed her back several steps.
For a moment, the fused god looked surprised.
"You are getting stronger. Interesting."
Kai did not waste time. He kept attacking.
Punch after punch, each hit carried the power of all his Echoes.
Mira kept making new cards and throwing them.
"Fire Punch Card! Shadow Chain Card! Healing Card!"
Every card helped. Some boosted Kai. Some slowed Nyxveyra. Some healed small wounds.
Lira's threads danced around the battlefield, tying Nyxveyra's legs when she tried to move fast and healing Kai when he got hit.
The fight was fierce. Nyxveyra sent waves of mixed energy.
Kai dodged some and took others, using the pain to fuel his attacks.
At one point, he got close enough to land a clean hit on her face. The fused god staggered.
Kai's real voice came out loud.
"That was for making me hurt my friends!"
Nyxveyra wiped the energy from her cheek and smiled wider.
"You still have fire. Good. The stronger your will, the better the vessel."
She counterattacked with full power.
A giant hand made of shadows and mist formed above the camp and slammed down toward Kai.
Kai crossed his arms and used Dual God Whisper to block.
The impact pushed him into the ground. His knees buckled. Cracks spread under his feet.
He screamed in pain but held the block.
Mira shouted, "Kai!"
Lira sent all her remaining threads to help hold the giant hand up.
Elder Voss poured his last energy into the broken runes.
For a few seconds, they held.
Then the giant hand pressed harder.
Kai's arms shook.His vision started to blur and the two gods inside him laughed.
Nyxar: "Give up, boy."
Veyra: "Join us. It will be easier."
Kai's voice came out weak but determined.
"I will not… give up… I am Kai Voss… and this body is mine!"
With a final roar, he pushed the giant hand back.
The hand shattered into black and gray pieces that rained down on the camp.
Nyxveyra looked impressed for the first time.
"You have spirit. But spirit alone is not enough."
She stepped forward.
The sky cracked even wider. The giant eye stared down directly at Kai.
A new beam of light shot down and entered Nyxveyra.
Her power grew again.
She raised one hand and pointed at Kai.
"Enough playing."
A thin beam of mixed energy shot toward his chest.
Kai tried to dodge, but he was too tired.
The beam hit him directly.
Pain worse than anything before exploded inside him.He fell to his knees.
The Dual God Whisper ability ended.
His armor disappeared.
He coughed blood and looked up at the fused god.
Nyxveyra walked closer.
"Now," she said, "it is time to take what is ours."
Mira and Lira ran toward him, but Nyxveyra waved her hand and created a wall of shadows that blocked them.
Kai looked at his friends one last time.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"I am sorry… I tried…"
His eyes started to close.
The fused god reached out her hand toward his head.
The camp was silent except for the roar of the Veil Quake above.
Was this the end?
Or would something still save Kai at the last second?