Livio's fist shot forward in an instant, a powerful hook aimed straight at Ethan's face. Ethan barely managed to roll back, dodging the attack just in time.
"Calm down, Livio...…" Ethan's voice was strained, his plea desperate, trying to reach the heart of his old friend.
But Livio wasn't listening. He wasn't blinded by power or grief...only by revenge.
Lightning split the sky as the storm raged on, mirroring the chaos between them. Ethan weaved through Livio's relentless blows, his every step splashing through the rain-soaked ground.
Livio had lost the ability to hear the beautiful melody of his friends' laughter. His eyes saw nothing but vengeance, and his body had become a puppet to his own destruction.
"I said, snap out of it…!" Ethan's voice broke through the downpour, but Livio's fury remained unchecked.
Without hesitation, Ethan turned and leaped through the open window, sprinting towards the waterfall.
"Who the hell told you to run from me, you bastard?!" Livio's voice cut through the storm. He pulled out his katana and launched himself after Ethan.
As he landed, the raindrops struck the earth beside him like the delicate notes of a flute, a message from the heavens to the distant world below. But no matter how close Ethan and Livio stood now, the distance between them had never felt greater.
"Don't you dare call me a friend," Livio spat, his voice raw with anger. "We were never friends to begin with. You're just another worthless bastard."
"Who decided that...you or the demon controlling you?" Ethan's voice was steady as he dodged the deadly swings of Livio's katana.
Both of their PBVs flared to life, the air between them charged with tension. Livio attacked with everything he had, desperate to end this fight.
"Friends, wives, good and evil...… None of it matters." Livio's frustration mounted with every passing second. "The only thing that matters in this world is achieving your goal. Everything else....everyone else.....is just a pawn. And you…..." His grip on the hilt tightened. "You'll be my first sacrifice."
Ethan sidestepped another slash, his movements fluid and effortless.
"Fight me!" Livio roared. "Fight me, you coward! Or are you that afraid of dying?!"
Ethan exhaled sharply, his eyes locking onto Livio's. "You think I'm scared?" His voice wavered, not with fear, but with something deeper. "I am scared. Do you know why?" He took a step forward, PBV surging through his veins. "Because I refuse to lose to a lifeless puppet like you."
With that, Ethan lunged, and Livio did the same.
Their PBVs crackled in the air as they charged toward each other. A single ray of light broke through the storm clouds, casting a glow over them. Beneath the falling rain, a rainbow formed—a fleeting beauty overshadowed by the impending clash.
Livio's fist cut through the air like a bullet. Ethan twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow. The storm raged around them, thunder roaring as Livio's attacks grew fiercer.
"Calm down, Livio....…!" Ethan tried again, but his voice was lost in the storm's fury. He sidestepped another strike, water splashing under his feet. Livio's movements had become wild, erratic...his PBV amplifying his speed and strength beyond control.
This wasn't a warrior's fight anymore. It was the rampage of a man consumed by madness.
Ethan ducked under a reckless swing, his back hitting the soaked ground. Livio's katana whistled through the rain, slicing droplets midair. Ethan rolled just as the blade stabbed into the mud where his head had been moments ago.
"Who told you to lift a finger against me, you bastard?" Livio's voice was barely human. He wrenched his sword free, standing tall against the backdrop of a flashing sky.
Ethan panted, his breath ragged. "You're not thinking straight….... You're letting it control you." Rain streamed down his face as he adjusted his stance, PBV coursing through his muscles.
Livio lunged again. Ethan shot backward, sliding across the slick ground. Using the rain to his advantage, he pushed off a rock and spun midair, barely dodging the katana's deadly arc. The blade sliced through his soaked shirt, missing flesh by a hair's breadth.
Ethan countered in an instant, his fist colliding with Livio's forearm. The impact sent the katana flying, spinning through the storm before embedding itself into the earth.
But Livio didn't hesitate. With a guttural roar, he closed the distance, abandoning the sword for raw, unfiltered brutality.
His punches came like a storm.....fast, unrelenting, lethal. Ethan dodged and deflected, his movements precise. He stepped into Livio's guard, driving an elbow into his ribs before twisting to sweep his leg.
Livio staggered but recovered instantly, a knee flying toward Ethan's gut.
Ethan caught it mid-motion, twisting just enough to throw Livio off balance. He drove a strike into his opponent's sternum, knocking the breath from his lungs. As Livio stumbled, Ethan pressed the attack, ducking under a wild swing and delivering a crushing uppercut to his jaw.
The impact sent Livio sprawling.
The storm howled around them, the wind whipping through their drenched clothes.
Ethan stood still, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Slowly, he turned and walked toward the fallen katana, gripping its hilt firmly.
Silence.
Only the soft patter of rain remained, whispering against the steel.
Ethan's voice was steady. "It's over."
Livio lay there, breathless, his body trembling. His fists loosened.
Above them, the storm clouds began to part. A single rainbow stretched across the battlefield...a fleeting, fragile beauty in the wake of their violent clash.
And yet, even as the sky cleared, the distance between them remained.
The rain continued to fall, a quiet lament for what had been lost.