The abyss yawned open beneath them, swallowing what was left of the courtyard floor. The god's limbs writhed like serpents, black smoke pouring from its joints. The villain's voice merged with its whispers, each word vibrating in their skulls.
"Bleed for me, and I will let you live."
Kyle spat blood onto the stone, summoning his blade with a defiant hiss. "Not happening."
The First Clash
One massive hand came down like a meteor. Kyle met it head-on, his sword blazing crimson. The impact rang like a bell through the ruins, the sheer force pushing him back several meters before he shoved the arm away.
"Felix! Right flank!" Kyle barked.
Felix didn't need to be told twice. He darted left, twin blades flashing, carving into the god's other limb. Each strike made the shadow hiss and recoil, but the wounds sealed almost instantly.
Gia was already in motion, opening a wide horizontal portal above the god's head. Through it, a storm raged—a world where razor-sharp ice spears fell like rain. The shards poured through, peppering the god's body in a silver hailstorm.
It barely flinched.
The Counterattack
Tendrils erupted from the ground, curling around Felix's legs. He slashed himself free, but not before one tendril whipped around his torso, hurling him across the courtyard and into a wall with a sickening crunch.
"Felix!" Gia cried.
Kyle saw the god's other arm coming for her and launched himself forward, his blood weapon extending into a long crimson whip. It lashed around the limb and yanked it aside, the force pulling Kyle into the air. He landed hard, knees bending to absorb the shock.
"We're not making a dent," Felix groaned, staggering back to his feet.
The Merge Deepens
The villain's form was now barely visible—his body stretched into the god's chest, shadow threads weaving through him like veins. His voice echoed from everywhere at once:
"You can't stop what has already begun. Every strike you make feeds me."
Kyle froze for half a second. Every hit…
He realized with a jolt—if the god was feeding off their attacks, brute force wouldn't end this.
"Gia!" he yelled. "Don't aim at the god—hit the throne!"
Shifting the Target
Gia instantly opened two portals, both angled toward the obsidian throne at the back of the courtyard. Through one, molten lava from some distant volcanic world began to pour. Through the other came gale-force winds that fanned the lava across the seal.
The stone hissed and cracked.
The villain roared—not from pain, but from fury. The god's tendrils lashed wildly, one catching Kyle across the ribs and sending him sprawling.
"Kyle!" Gia's voice was panicked now.
"I'm fine!" he gritted out, forcing himself to stand, blood dripping from his mouth.
Breaking the Seal
Felix, limping but determined, dashed toward the throne. Tendrils tried to intercept him, but Kyle intercepted them first, his weapon splitting into twin crimson scythes that carved a path.
Felix leaped onto the throne's base and drove both blades into its center. The crack widened—lava spilling deeper, eating at the runes.
The villain's form convulsed, his voice breaking into a raw, inhuman shriek.
The Collapse
The god's limbs began to thrash uncontrollably. The courtyard floor gave way in massive chunks, each falling into the void. One chunk took half the outer wall with it.
"Portal—now!" Kyle shouted.
Gia opened the largest rift she'd ever made, the shimmering blue tear widening just as a tendril lashed toward them. Kyle grabbed Felix by the collar, shoving him through, then pushed Gia in after him.
The last thing Kyle saw before diving in himself was the god's massive face turning toward him, the void in its eyes locking on his own.
"You will still be mine."
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