Larry's hand snapped around Ashley's throat.
He lifted her off the ground with ease.
Ashley struggled, clawing at his wrist, trying to break free. Her feet kicked helplessly in the air as her vision began to blur. She forced herself to look into his eyes-and her chest tightened. She wanted to cry, but no sound came out.
Larry tightened his grip.
"You're not as strong as you thought you are," he said, smiling with pure murderous intent.
Ashley gasped, her voice strained.
"You're not Larry... so who are you?"
Her lungs burned, She coughed weakly and suddenly, everything changed.
She heard a child crying.
The sound echoed inside her head.
Ashley's vision shifted, and in the next moment, she was no longer outside. She was inside Larry's mind.
A small boy sat on the ground, crying uncontrollably.
Ashley stepped closer and gently tapped his shoulder.
"Hey... are you okay?" she asked softly.
The boy looked up.
The moment their eyes met, Ashley knew It was Larry.
"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore," he sobbed. "I'm... I'm sorry."
Ashley sat down besides him.
Suddenly, her body changed-she was young again, An eleven-year-old Ashley sat next to the boy.
"Don't cry, Larry," She said gently, wrapping her arms around him. "You didn't do it on purpose."
Larry clung to her, crying out loud, his small body shaking.
Ashley smiled through the pain and hugged him tighter.
"Besides," she said with a soft giggle, trying to cheer him up, "I'm here to kick that demon's butt."
Larry laughed weakly.
"Yeah," he said wiping his tears. "kick his ass. Send him to hell."
He sniffed and looked at her.
"You were always a crybaby," Ashley teased gently. "You never changed, huh?"
Ashley tightened the hug.
Ashley leaned forward and kissed Larry gently on the forehead. She smiled at him.
"let's beat this guy, okay?" she said softly.
Larry smiled back. "Yeah."
They both stoop up.
The world snapped back into place.
Ashley returned to her normal form, standing tall. Larry looked up at her and she looked down at him, smiling.
"Wanna join the fight?" Ashley Asked.
Larry nodded.
Back to reality, Larry was still choking Ashley, convinced he was about to finish her.
Suddenly, Ashley's eye flew open.
They glowed gold.
Her entire body lit up, radiant, blinding.
A massive shockwave exploded outward, throwing Larry back. He flipped through the air and landed on his feet.
"Huh," he scoffed. "Is that all you got?"
Ashley began to float.
She shot straight toward him.
Yuki's eyes widened slightly.
"No wonder they like her," Yuki muttered, a smirk forming. "She never stop surprising us."
Ashley cocked her fist and thew a punch.
Larry blocked it-but the impact was overwhelming. The force sent him flying through the air like a missile.
Ashley followed instantly, grabbing him by his clothes midair. She yanked him up and drove her fist into his stomach.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
Larry crashed through a house, smashing straight through the walls. He struggled to get back up, coughing.
Then he looked up
Ashley was already flying toward him.
Larry raised his hand. The ground trembled.
Three cars and an oil truck ripped free from the street and hurled toward Ashley.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Larry screamed. "I'll make sure you never see the light of day again, YOU BITCH!"
The vehicles slammed into Ashley.
The truck exploded.
Fire swallowed the street.
Larry stood there, Laughing wildly.
"Yes-yes! Die, you devil spawn!"
His laughter slowly faded.
It was too quiet.
He stepped forward, The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Larry looked down and Ashley erupted upward with a brutal uppercut.
The impact sent Larry shooting into the sky, Ashley followed striking his stomach again and again, driving him higher with every blow.
They tore through the clouds.
Higher and higher.
As they reached the edge of the atmosphere, Larry screamed in rage, "Bitch! How dare you! I'll kill you I'll make you cry for mercy, you devil"
Ashley struck him one last time, Her body began to glow brighter-like a star.
Then she heard it.
A child's voice, Larry's voice "Do it, Ashley!"
Ashley wrapped her arms tightly around Larry's body.
They began to spin, faster, faster.
As they fell, the air ignited around them.
"You'll kill us both, you idiot!" Larry screamed.
Ashley kept spinning, the flames grew hotter.
She looked down, screaming as they burned through the sky. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
They fell like a meteor. In the fire, Ashley saw him one last time.
Kid Larry.
He smiled, waving goodbye, "Thanks, friend," he said softly, turned and running toward the light.
A single tear slipped from Ashley's eyes. They hit the ground.
The impact was catastrophic, A blinding flash, A thunderous roar, A mushroom load rose into the sky.
Yuki stood calmly, protected by an invisible shield. She watched the explosion with a wider smile then before. As the smoke slowly cleared, Yuki walked through the rubble and dust.
Broken concrete crunched beneath her feet.
She spotted Ashley lying motionless on the ground.
Yuki stopped.
"..Kid," she muttered, approaching, "You really gave me a scare there. But-impressive."
She knelt beside Ashley and suddenly covered her mouth, eyes narrowing. Yuki pressed two fingers gently against Ashley's chest feeling for her heartbeat.
"..You've used too much of your power," Yuki said quietly. "It's lucky you're not dead yet."
She exhaled, then smiled faintly.
"I didn't think you'd pull it off... but you did,"
Yuki place her palm over Ashley's heart. Her hand began to glow white, Warm and steady.
"Take some of my energy," she whispered. "I'll give you enough to survive. just... don't die yet, okay?"
The light flowed into Ashley's body.
"I don't know when you'll wake up," Yuki continued softly, "But when you do don't push yourself too hard. You're not a monster, Ashley."
The glow faded.
Yuki stood and looked up, The sky was changing.
The clouds twisted and turned blood-red as enormous bat-like creatures poured out from above, their wings blotting out the light.
Yuki sighed.
"Huh... what a drag."
She glanced back down at Ashley, "I'll take care of this-and Alistair just for us living ones, okay kid?"
She smiled faintly.
"oh... right. You can't hear me."
With a soft shimmer, Yuki revealed her angel wings, radiant and vast. A silver sword formed in her hand, gleaming with divine light.
She launched into the air.
Yuki smirked as she flew straight towards the approaching swarm.
"I love a good challenge," she said. "Make it worth it."
Billy stared straight into shadow's eyes, his vision burning with anger and rage. his mind was fixed on one thing only-killing her. She had taken the person he loved, and nothing else mattered anymore.
"What, kid?" Shadow said, smiling, her glare full of twisted desire. "You want to kill me now?"
She spread her arms slightly, laughing.
"Cone on. Kill me. Burry me alive. Do whatever you want."
Billy clenched his teeth, his hands shaking.
"You think this is a joker?" he shouted. "You think it's funny? You think human lives don't matter?"
Shadow's smile faded for a moment-then twisted into something darker.
"What has a human life ever done for me?" she snapped "I don't remember any of them being there when my mom beat me. When my dad abused me where were you Billy?'
She laughed bitterly.
"Oh right.. you don't know. Because you don't care."
Her eye burned with hatred.
"I don't care about anyone but myself, boy get that straight."
Billy snapped.
He charged at her. "I'll kill you myself!" he screamed.
"Yes," Shadow said calmly "come, boy"
Billy swung at her too slow she dodge. Again and again
Shadow spun and kicked him hard in the chest. Billy was sent flying, crashing across the rooftop. His head struck the concrete, pain exploding through his skull. His body screamed in protest, still exhausted from the previous fight.
He forced himself up clenching his fist, Billy ran at her again.
Shadow smiled wider.
"Good boy," she said mockingly. "Give it your all." She laughedAlright.
The moment Billy tried to strike her with his fist—
Blood exploded into the air.
His eyes widened.
Billy looked down.
His arm was gone.
Cut clean off.
He screamed.
"Come on," Shadow mocked, tilting her head. "Is that all you've got? I thought you were going to kill me."
She stuck out her tongue, laughing.
Billy collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony as blood spread beneath him. His vision blurred. His body shook violently.
He tried to push himself up—
Another flash.
Pain.
His other arm was severed.
Billy fell back hard, crying out as Shadow stood over him, staring with a look of twisted desire. She slowly licked the blade she had used.
"I wanted to use that blade," she said casually.
"You were too slow. You didn't even see the sword slice through you."
She laughed.
Billy lay there bleeding out, tears mixing with blood.
Why… why me? he thought.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
Am I the bad guy?
Why do I have to die like this?
His breathing grew shallow.
One last breath escaped his lips.
I'll kill her.
His chest stopped moving.
"Oh," Shadow sighed dramatically. "What a bummer. I thought you might be fun. Maybe you'd make this worth a while."
She turned to leave.
Then—
She jumped back.
"Damn you… how is this possible?"
Billy's body stood up.
It rose slowly, balancing on its feet.
"So…you're still alive?" Shadow snapped. "That's not possible. You lost too much blood."
She narrowed her eye.
Billy hadn't said a word.
"Oh?" she smirked. "You can't talk now?"
Billy's body began to change.
Wings formed from his back—pure molten lava, dripping fire onto the ground. His arms regenerated, darker, burning, reshaped.
He lifted his head.
His eyes locked onto Shadow.
He spread his wings.
"Now," Billy said calmly, his voice no longer human,
"you die."
Shadow laughed—
But it faded when she saw it.
Billy raised his hand.
A star formed above his palm.
Small at first.
Then growing.
Larger.
Brighter.
In seconds, it became massive.
Shadow turned to run.
For the first time—
She was sweating.
A chain made of lava shot out, wrapping around her neck and arms. She screamed as it burned into her flesh.
Billy hurled the star straight at her.
Her scream tore through the night.
The hospital vanished in fire.
The ground collapsed inward, digging deep into the earth as everything exploded in a massive, blinding blast.
High above—
Billy hovered in the sky, holding Lily's body tightly in his arms.
He drifted down toward a nearby building, landing heavily on the rooftop.
His strength faded.
His wings dissolved.
Billy collapsed
and fell into a deep, silent sleep.