A suffocating silence filled the battlefield. The crumbling remains of Helios lay in a shattered heap, his petrified body destroyed. Dune exhaled sharply, his muscles still tense, his grip on his sword tightening as he scanned the ruins.
"How dare you kill my brother?"
Its voice wasn't just one. It was many, layered upon each other, a chorus of fury and pain that rattled the air. The ground beneath it cracked as waves of Neba pulsed outward.
Nely instinctively gripped her scythe tighter. "Dune… this thing is nothing like Helios."
She was right. Everything about this creature was screaming dangerous.
Dune barely had time to think before the monster moved. A blur of black and green shot forward.
Dune raised his sword just in time to block the first strike, but the force behind it sent him skidding backward, boots carving into the stone. His arms screamed in pain, the sheer impact rattling through his bones.
Nely was already moving, her scythe slicing through the air in a deadly arc. The creature twisted unnaturally, dodging her scythe by mere inches before lunging forward, its claws aimed straight for her throat. She barely managed to throw herself back in time.
Her scythe then flashed, striking deep into its thick hide. A sharp, pained snarl ripped from the beast's throat. For a moment, it staggered.
Then its massive claw shot out and caught her by the arm.
Her scream cut through the chaos as the creature's grip tightened. Bone cracked like splintering wood. Her scythe slipped from her hand.
The beast hurled her away. She slammed into the crumbling remains of the building with a sickening thud. Dust and debris rained down as she collapsed motionless among the ruins.
"We can't win… there's no chance we can win this…" Leon said as he glanced his wounded brother behind. Escape… go away!
Leon dashed forward without hesitation, his hands glowing green, straight toward the towering beast.
"Dune, take my brother and run! Get Lucas out of here! …don't let him die… i will distract the beast" he shouted over his shoulder.
Before the creature could follow up, Leon transformed, his body morphing into a silver arrow and launching himself forward with blinding speed.
Dune understood it too… there was a big chance they would lose. Dune hesitated, gripping Lucas's wrist. "Come on, we have to go!"
But Lucas pulled free, shaking his head. "No. I won't run."
Dune's grip tightened around Lucas's arm. "Don't be an idiot, we have to go!" His voice was sharp, desperate.
The air reeked of blood and burning stone, the ground beneath them trembling like it could collapse at any second. They didn't have time for this. "If we stay, we will die!"
Lucas wrenched his arm free, staggering back but refusing to back down. "Then let me die."His voice didn't waver. "I'd rather die here than abandon my own brother. He came here and risked his life to save me, i want to do same thing for him!"
Dune's breath hitched. He stared at Lucas, his chest tightening as those words sank in. He knew those eyes. The same unshakable love that bound him to Ned now burned in Lucas's eyes, blazing, unrelenting.
Dune clenched his jaw. "Damn it, Lucas! Your brother is risking his life to save you, let's go so his sacrifice won't be in vain! Your brother would want you to live!" His voice cracked with frustration, with something dangerously close to pleading. "What do you think dying here will accomplish? Your life is most precious thing in the world, don't lose it"
"You don't know that! For me the most precious thing in the world is my brother. I don't have anyone else but him. Lucas's eyes were wild, desperate. "You're asking me to run away while he's still breathing, while there's still a chance! I can't do that, Dune! I won't!"
Dune's hands curled into fists. He wanted to shake sense into him, force him to move, to survive. But then Lucas whispered, voice raw, broken, "You have a brother too don't you?
…Dune… would you run too?"
Dune froze.
The words hit him like a blade to the gut. He opened his mouth, but no sound came. His thoughts reeled, his breath shallow. Would he? Would he run? Would he leave Ned behind, knowing there was even the slightest chance he could save him?
No.
His shoulders slumped, fists trembling at his sides. He already knew the answer. His grip loosened. His hand fell away.
Dune let out a slow, shuddering breath. "…Alright." The word felt heavy, raw. His eyes met Lucas's, something unspoken passing between them.
Then, his fingers curled again, not in frustration, but in determination.
"Let's fight."
Dune rushed forward, gripping his weapon as Leon struggled against the towering beast. Its claws tore through the air, barely missing as Leon ducked and slashed at its side.
Leon's eyes burned with fury as he saw Dune joining the fight. "Damn it, Dune! I told you to run!" He struck the monster hard, blade cutting deep, but monster quickly regenerated.
Dune wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing hard. "He was never going to leave you."
Dune didn't hesitate. He leaped in, his blade carving across the creature's arm, forcing it to recoil. "Focus on the fight, we can win this."
As they fought, Lucas was standing far away from them, eyes locked on the monster's movements. His hands trembled, not with fear, but with focus. He needed the perfect opening. His ability was powerful, but mistiming it could cost them everything.
The monster roared, lunging. Dune and Leon moved in sync, one blocking, the other striking. Every attack chipped away at the beast, but it wasn't enough. It was too fast, too strong.
Then, Dune made a mistake.
A split-second too slow, he barely registered the beast's leg swinging toward him before it struck his side like a battering ram. A sickening crack echoed as he was hurled through the air.
He crashed hard against the jagged rocks, pain exploding through his body. His shoulder burned, blood soaking through his clothes. For a moment, the world spun, his ears ringing.
"Damn it, Just run away, Lucas just leave!" Leon's voice was desperate.
Gritting his teeth, Dune tried to push himself up. His vision blurred. "Ah what the hell…"
Leon struck the creature's chest again as he turned into an arrow, neba bursting from the impact. For a moment, it looked like the attack had worked, until the monster caught him midair.
Dune's stomach dropped. Leon reverted back into his human form, landing in front of the creature. Before he could react, before he could even blink, The monster grabbed his jaw. A sickening crack echoed through the battlefield.
Dune tried too stand up, but he could barely walk few steps. "Damn it, these wounds… why isn't my Neba working?"
Leon's body seized as the creature's fingers squeezed, its claws digging into his flesh. Blood poured down his neck, soaking his armor. His silver eyes, once sharp with focus, were wide with pure horror.
With a single, brutal motion, the creature ripped Leon's lower jaw clean off. Blood sprayed across the stone.
Leon collapsed, his body writhing in agony, gurgling on his own blood as his hands clutched at the torn flesh where his jaw used to be. His eyes pleaded for help, Dune's eyes widened from shock as he charged but there was nothing they could do.
The monster wasn't done.
It descended upon him, claws flashing in the
dimming light. Tearing. Ripping. Shredding.
"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!
Dune lunged forward with a roar, his blade slashing in desperation, but he was too late.
By the time he reached Leon, there was nothing left. Just a pile of blood soaked remains.
The sky had darkened, thick clouds, slowly swallowing the last traces of light. The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the scent of blood and rain.
Leon lay motionless on the ground, his chest torn open, his body still. The fire that once burned in his eyes was gone, leaving only a hollow, empty stare.
Silence.
Then—
"BROTHER!!"
Lucas' scream tore through the battlefield, filled with pure, uncontrollable grief. The boy ran forward, tears streaming down his face, his hands glowing with raw, unstable energy.
"Wait, Lucas no!" Nely, who just woke up shouted from behind.
A green barrier erupted around Lucas and Dune, shimmering with power, a desperate attempt to protect what little he had left.
The monster grinned. With a single, devastating strike, it shattered the shield.
The neba cracked apart like glass and Lucas was stabbed by the creatures claws. The backlash threw Lucas backward, his small body slamming into a broken column with a sickening thud.
Blood dripped from his forehead as he trembled, his entire body convulsing in pain.
Dune's breath caught in his throat. His wounds weren't healing… glancing at Nely and Lucas.. it was same.
The monster's ability. Its attacks couldn't be healed with Neba or Zeten. His pulse spiked in panic.
Dune barely had time to react before the creature came for him next.
It moved like a phantom, vanishing and reappearing in the blink of an eye. Dune barely dodged the first swipe, twisting his body, but the second strike came too fast. Claws tore into his shoulder.
Pain exploded through him as blood gushed from the wound. He staggered back, gasping, gripping his shoulder, but no glow. No regeneration.
He was bleeding out. *shit, if he gets me again i might actually die!"
Nely saw it too. Her now red eyes darkened, anger twisting her features. "Dune… you're not healing."
"I know."
"Protect Lucas, Dune" She clenched her teeth. Without hesitation, she charged.
Her scythe gleamed under the dim light as she swung in a perfect, deadly arc. The creature dodged, moving with inhuman speed, but she was ready. She twisted midair, using the momentum to bring the scythe down again, And it connected. The sharp edge grazed its arm, black ichor spilling from the wound.
It hissed. But before it could counter, Dune was already there.
He dashed in, slashing at its side. The blade met flesh, cutting deep, but the creature barely reacted. It brought its claws down in a savage counterstrike.
Dune barely managed to block using nebastep, but the sheer force sent him crashing into a broken pillar. His vision blurred. His breath came in ragged gasps. They weren't winning.
Then, something changed.
A cold breeze swept across the battlefield. The shadows stretched longer, swallowing the ruins in a creeping darkness. It was getting dark. The moon was rising.
Silver light pierced through the ruins, casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. The moment the moonlight touched the monster's skin, it froze. Its glowing green eyes widened in horror.
Dune watched, barely able to comprehend what he was seeing. The creature twitched, struggling against something unseen, its movements becoming slower, stiff.
Then, all at once, its body locked in place.
The blackened flesh turned to stone. Its raised claw, inches from Dune's throat, was now nothing more than lifeless petrified rock.
Dune, bleeding and breathless, stared in shock.
It was over.
Nely knelt in front of Lucas, her hands trembling as she pressed them against his chest, pouring every ounce of her Neba into his broken body. Warm light pulsed from her palms, but nothing happened. The wounds remained. The blood kept flowing.
"Come on," she whispered desperately, her voice shaking. "Come on, Lucas, please…"
The boy lay sprawled against the cold stone, his small body convulsing from the pain. His breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps, his skin ghostly pale, slick with sweat and blood.
Nely gritted her teeth, tears stinging her eyes. She pressed harder, forcing more energy into him.
Nothing.
No glow. No healing.
His wounds weren't closing.
"Damn it… damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" she screamed, her voice breaking.
Dune approached from behind, his steps slow, hesitant. He stared at the dying boy. His jaw clenched, his own wounds forgotten in the face of something far worse. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Nely's body was shaking, her energy draining fast, but she refused to stop.
Dune exhaled sharply, stepping closer. "Nely..."
She ignored him.
He tried again. "Nely, don't waste your Neba."
Her eyes snapped up at him, red and furious.
"Shut up!" she spat, her voice raw with grief. "I have to do something!"
Dune opened his mouth, then stopped himself. He didn't have an answer, because he knew the truth. There was nothing they could do.
Lucas was dying.
Nely turned back to the boy, her hands still glowing faintly over his wounds. "Please, Lucas, stay with me… just a little longer. I can fix this, I just—"
She felt a weak tug on her sleeve. Lucas.
His small, trembling fingers barely had the strength to grasp her arm, but he did. His other hand slowly reached up, shaky, covered in his own blood.
"Teacher…" he whispered.
His voice was barely more than air.
Her heart twisted. "I'm here. I'm right here."
He struggled, his body barely responding. "Can you… hold my hand…"
Nely let out a broken breath and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.
Lucas gave her the smallest, weakest smile. His fingers curled around hers, but his grip was so soft, so fragile.
"…I don't… wanna die…" he whispered.
His tiny body shuddered, a pained gasp escaping his lips as his breath hitched in his throat. A cough wracked through him, his chest rising and falling unevenly, then blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Nely sobbed. "You're not going to die! You're not! I won't let you!"*
Lucas blinked up at her, his lips parting as if to say something— But no sound came out.
His fingers twitched against hers. His chest, which had struggled so desperately to breathe, stilled.
Nely froze.
His hand in hers, so warm just seconds ago—was cold.Her breath caught in her throat.
"Lucas…?"
No answer.
Her fingers trembled. No… No, no, no, please…"
A strangled sound escaped her, something between a sob and a scream. Dune stood behind her, silent.
His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms so hard they drew blood. He stared at the lifeless boy, his throat tight, his body stiff. His chest burned with something he couldn't even name.
Nely didn't stop crying.
She held Lucas' hand for a long time, even though he would never squeeze back.