5 seconds until death."
The system alert burned in red across the sky.
Piper was on her knees, gasping, blood dripping from her mouth. Mortis lay limp beside her, twitching, his white mane soaked in crimson. Kuina, Kylie, Mira, and Lika were still mid-run when a blinding streak of light flashed past them. The world blurred.
2 seconds later, they landed. Somewhere else.
"What... just happened?" Mira's voice cracked.
They were no longer in the battlefield. A thick forest surrounded them, but the ground still smelled of ash and magic. Kuina blinked, her heart racing. Her muscles ached, yet she was standing. And so were the others.
A system chime rang out.
"Emergency teleport detected. Identity of savior unknown."
No one had time to process it.
A roar cracked the sky. The trees exploded outward like splinters.
Namo stood in a crater of death, laughing like a man possessed. Blood covered his hands, still dripping from the massacre.
"I told you sluts," he snarled, "you can't win. This is war. This is purity. This—"
He raised both arms, and the ground beneath Piper and Mortis began to glow with black runes.
"Angel of Death, Final Cleave!"
With a flick of his fingers, a scythe of pure hellfire ripped through the clearing. Kuina screamed.
The world turned red.
Piper's scream was cut off. Her body jolted, eyes wide, and blood exploded from her chest.
Mortis neighed in pain as his body was pierced through, bones cracking. His horn shattered.
They both collapsed.
Dead.
Real. Cold. Dead.
"No... no no no," Kuina's voice trembled. She stepped forward. "You didn't just,"
She dropped to her knees, her fingers trembling above Piper's corpse.
Lika gasped, clenching her fists. Mira froze, lips pale. Kylie's wings vanished in shock.
Kuina's breath became heavy, erratic. She looked at her bloody hands, then at Piper. Then Mortis. Her eyes flared red.
"Why the hell... why do I care this much?!" she snapped to herself, fists shaking. "She was just another piece in this sick game!"
No answer came.
Only another cold system alert.
"Trauma threshold exceeded. Rage catalyst triggered. Unlocking Limit State Protocol. Release emotional reserves."
Kuina stood. The wind stopped.
She didn't cry. Not a single tear.
Her voice was low. Deadly.
"I'll fucking murder every last thing in this world."
Her pink blade burst to life, radiating raw power, vibrating with her pulse.
Namo stepped forward, sneering. "You think that cheap little glow stick scares me? You're next, whore."
Kuina didn't answer.
She charged.
Each swing was death incarnate. She wasn't even aiming. She was erasing.
But then,
Reality bent.
Namo's body twisted, and suddenly... he wasn't Namo anymore.
He was James. The school bully. The monster who'd laughed when she bled. Then he was Toby, her father. Drunk. Grinning. Shirtless. Holding a belt.
"Hey baby girl... miss me?"
Kuina froze. Her sword clattered to the ground.
The illusions circled her. Laughing.
James.
Toby.
James again.
Over and over. Their voices. Their fists. Their laughter.
"No. NO!" she screamed.
Mira ran forward, summoning white fire. She blasted it at the illusion—only for the face of Toby to melt and reform.
Lika tried a psychic reversal. "Kuina, listen to me! This isn't real!"
Kylie knelt beside her and whispered softly, pressing a gentle kiss on Kuina's cheek, lips glowing with faint pink light.
"I'm here. We're all here. You're stronger than this."
But Kuina was trembling. Whispering to herself. "Why did I freeze? Why does it hurt? Why do I give a damn?"
The system didn't wait.
"Emotional overload, permitted. Limit break approved."
Something snapped.
Kuina's eyes turned white. Her aura exploded. Her voice roared into the sky:
"FUCK YOU!"
The illusions charged at her. She charged right back.
What followed wasn't a fight. It was a goddamn massacre.
Kuina slashed, screamed, stabbed, bit, shattered, tore. Each illusion of James and Toby died screaming. Then reformed. Then died again.
Blood.
Limbs.
Teeth.
Kuina's blade never stopped.
Time became meaningless.
The sky turned pink with her aura. The ground broke. Thunder cried her name.
"Level Up: 372... 386... 399..."
"New milestone achieved. Level 400 unlocked. Elite combat tier activated."
Kuina dropped to her knees. Her hands dripping. Her armor cracked.
She stared at the corpses of Piper and Mortis.
"I… failed."
The silence after was deafening.
Then,
"New Ability Unlocked: Revive"
"New Equipment Unlocked: Pro-Class Armor"
A flash of light consumed her.
When it faded, Kuina stood in gleaming battle gear. Thick armored boots, massive shoulder guards, a jet-black chestplate with one aggressive cleavage window, and a glowing sword sheath at her back. She looked... lethal. Beautiful. Monstrous.
She didn't say a word. Just walked over to the bodies.
One hand on Mortis's chest. The other on Piper's forehead.
"Revive," she whispered.
A pink surge of energy flowed into them.
Two heartbeats.
Then breath.
Mortis gasped and lifted his head. Piper blinked, then coughed, and opened her eyes.
Kuina stood over her, eyes blank.
Piper's lips trembled.
"You… saved me," she said.
She sat up slowly, staring at her own blood-soaked body. "And… Mortis? He's alive?!"
Kuina knelt down, brushed a finger across Piper's cheek. "No clue why… but I couldn't let you die."
Piper's eyes filled with tears.
And without warning, she threw her arms around Kuina and kissed her.
Soft.
Warm.
Slow.
Mira smiled faintly.
Lika wiped a tear.
Kylie bit her lip and smirked.
No jealousy. Just awe.
Piper pulled away, cheeks flushed. "You're my goddess now. I swear I'll kiss you every day until I die again."
Then she turned to Mortis and screamed in joy. "YOU'RE ALIVE!" She buried her face in his mane, sobbing.
The system chimed again.
"Mission Complete."
Cut to: Namo.
He sat on a throne of bones, surrounded by his army of men. The fire crackled. Beer mugs raised.
"We did it," he laughed. "That slut Piper is dead. Probably the only real threat to us. Cheers, gentlemen!"
The men roared.
"Cheers!"
The system blinked.
"Warping target: Kuina & Party, Home Base. Rest Period: 6 Hours."
Suddenly, the girls were back in the house. Blankets, warm tea, and stunned silence.
Kuina sat alone by the window, still gripping her sword.
"So… where's Namo?" she muttered.
Piper rolled her eyes. "Dead man walking. Not yet. But soon."
Kylie slinked up to her and kissed her cheek. "Welcome home, babe."
Then she kissed Mortis too. "You too, pretty horn-boy."
Her lipstick left black smudges on both of them.
Piper blinked. "You wear black lipstick too? Oh my god, that's SO HOT."
Kuina exhaled slowly. Closed her eyes. Then whispered:
"System… let me kill Namo."
To be continued.