Blood Night spun his sword in the air, testing the weight of the blade as he prepared to advance against Nolan. But before he could even take a second step, the air around vibrated with evil energy and the dense dust that covered the battlefield dissipated instantaneously.
Nolan was mere centimeters from A00, having moved with such absurd speed that even the trained eye couldn't follow the movement. His entire body emitted pulsing red brilliance, but now two distinct black marks were visible on his neck - dark bars that contrasted with his skin like sinister tattoos.
Blood Night couldn't process the supernatural speed. Only his voice managed to escape in a desperate whisper: "This is gonna hurt—"
He barely finished speaking when Nolan's punch connected with his jaw. The impact was devastating - a dry sound of breaking bone echoed through the devastated area. Blood Night was hurled like a human projectile, flying in a parabolic trajectory before violently colliding with the rubble of a collapsed house.
Bricks and concrete chunks rained down on him as his body created an impression in human shape in the debris. Blood dripped from his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath.
Shine reacted instantaneously. Her fists clenched with lethal determination, rainbow energy beginning to radiate from her entire body. She launched herself in full flight against Nolan, cutting through the air like a multicolored missile.
Simultaneously, A02 drew two metal discs, holding them firmly in each hand while beginning to run toward the target. Her movements were fluid and calculated, each step positioning her for the perfect angle of attack.
Meanwhile, Blood Night breathed gasping among the debris: "What the hell, where's my new power?", he muttered, freeing himself from the pieces of masonry that had fallen on him.
At high speed, Shine reached Nolan and held him with both arms, wrapping his torso in an iron embrace. With full momentum, accumulating all her remaining rainbow energy, she hurled him violently backward.
Nolan's body flew through the air, but before he could hit the ground, A02 executed her plan. She squeezed her fingers tightly on the discs and launched one directly at Nolan's chest. The device instantly adhered to his organic energy armor.
The second disc was hurled to the ground at a calculated distance. When both devices lit up in bright neon green, the disc on the ground created a powerful magnetic field that pulled Nolan with tremendous pressure.
The impact against the ground was catastrophic. The earth trembled in concentric waves from the point of contact, cracks spreading like spider webs across the asphalt. Dust and debris were launched into the air like an explosion in slow motion.
A02 took advantage of the moment of vulnerability. In an agile movement, she drew her pistol and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger.
BANG.
The shot cut through the air with surgical precision, directed straight at Nolan's head. But Shine threw herself into the bullet's trajectory, which hit her shoulder with enough force to pierce through muscle and bone.
The impact caused her to lose complete flight control, spinning uncontrollably in the air before crashing to the ground in a sequence of painful rolls.
"Don't shoot him!", Shine screamed, standing up shakily and holding her wounded shoulder.
"Get down!", A02 screamed back, but it was too late.
Nolan had risen with renewed fury. His red eyes glowed with an intensity that made the air around distort. He unleashed a devastating blow that caught Shine off guard, hurling her against the nearest building.
The impact created an impression in the shape of her body in the concrete wall, cracks spreading in all directions. She slid to the ground, leaving a trail of blood on the wall.
A02 tried to regain the initiative, pulling the first disc back to strike Nolan's body. But before the device could reach him, Nolan fired a concentrated burst of red energy that completely disintegrated the metal disc.
Melted fragments rained down on the ground like metal rain.
Nolan's next move was as fast as lightning. He launched himself against A02 and grabbed her by the neck, his fingers closing like a vise around her throat. She breathed with increasing difficulty, her hands desperately trying to loosen the grip that threatened to crush her windpipe.
At that critical moment, night arrived.
Being in the air, Nolan felt something metallic and cold penetrate between his ribs in absolute darkness. It was the blade of Blood Night's sword, which had managed to approach silently during the eight seconds of darkness.
When the sun returned, the impact was devastating. Nolan was hurled against nearby walls with enough force to create another human impression in the already cracked concrete.
A02 fell to the ground gasping, massaging her bruised throat as she fought to catch her breath.
"It's cool, guys! I'll handle him!", declared A00 with renewed confidence.
But Nolan rose immediately, coming with even greater speed. Blood Night spun his sword and squeezed his fist tight, invoking darkness once more.
In the darkness, Nolan felt a powerful kick strike his face, breaking his nose with a nauseating sound. When the sun returned, the impact sent Nolan crawling across the ground like a rag doll, leaving a trail of blood on the cracked asphalt.
A00 spun his sword theatrically, holding it by his arm as he faced Nolan: "I am a huge success in M.L.P!"
A02 stood up shakily and reached Blood Night, while Shine also landed nearby, holding her wounded arm that bled abundantly.
Nolan on the ground rose even more furious than before. His red energy radiated completely, making the air around boil with intense heat.
"You took him from me! You will pay for it with your blood!", he roared with a voice distorted by pain and rage.
Blood Night advanced forward without hesitation, squeezing his sword tight to invoke the saving darkness. But nothing happened. No matter how much force he applied - his power simply wasn't working.
He stopped advancing, confusion taking hold of his features. Before he could verbalize his frustration:
BOOM.
His body was hurled by the red energy streaming from Nolan's hands, this time more intense than any previous attack. A00's suit burned through the chest, the fabric disintegrating under extreme heat.
Nolan launched himself against Shine and A02 simultaneously, grabbing both and throwing them with such brutal pressure that they didn't even touch the ground - he reappeared in the air, unleashing consecutive blows that directed them straight into a pile of sharp debris.
When they fell, an iron bar pierced A02's abdomen. She felt sharp pain traverse her entire body: "What the hell!", she groaned, watching blood flow around the metal that had penetrated her belly.
Blood Night came from behind Nolan to unleash a sword cut, but was noticed instantly.
Nolan began raining blows on A00 with systematic brutality. Each punch broke ribs, each kick cracked bones. Blood Night tried to defend himself, but it was like trying to stop a war machine with bare hands.
A02 managed to free herself from the iron bar, blood gushing from the open wound. She and Shine joined the battle, but even united, they continued to take devastating beating.
No matter how many blows they managed to land on Nolan, he distributed physical punishment that left them all progressively more debilitated.
A02's wounds no longer allowed her to fight effectively. She was completely incapacitated, holding her pierced belly while blood dripped between her fingers.
Shine was in the same critical state - multiple fractures, blurred vision, movement limited by extreme pain.
A00 was also on the ground, coughing blood while pathetically crawling, trying to reach his sword that had been knocked several meters away.
Nolan approached him slowly, picking up a pointed iron bar from the debris. It was time to finish Blood Night once and for all.
He raised the iron like an executioner's axe, preparing for the killing blow.
But a voice cut through the air: "Dad."
Shine had risen from the ground, completely broken but still conscious. Her voice was clear even through the pain, and tears streamed freely down her blood-stained face.
Nolan stopped instantly, watching her with growing confusion.
"Cátia Jackson", Shine said crying.
Nolan was visibly shocked upon hearing the name.
"That's the name you gave me. Marta Jackson - she was your wife, wasn't she? You abandoned her with your four-year-old daughter."
Nolan held his head, those words bringing intense headache that competed with his fury: "Why... why are you citing those names?"
"Because I am your daughter", Shine said crying even more intensely. "I am the child you left behind, Dad."
Nolan looked at all of this holding his head with both hands, trying not to believe. But the names were too obvious to be coincidence.
Images of Marta returned to his mind - her smile, her laughter, the happy moments they had shared. And then the voice of a memory of his daughter Cátia echoed in his head:
"Dad, when I grow up, will you promise to be here for me? I want to learn mathematics with you, like my teacher."
Returning to reality, he shed tears. But images of Meisy also invaded his mind - his second love, dead by Blood Night in prison.
All that confusion and psychological pressure made his eyes glow even more intensely in red. His body began to tremble with uncontrolled energy.
Shine tried to approach him, even though her body was completely broken and her vision blurred by pain and tears.
The red energy continued radiating from Nolan's body in increasingly intense waves.
But at that critical moment, night arrived once more.
A sharp sound of blade piercing flesh echoed through the place.
When day returned, the smell of fresh blood and dust permeated the air. Nolan's throat was cut clean, blood spurting in pulsing jets. He tried to say a word to Shine, his lips moving desperately.
But his voice wouldn't come - only gurgles as blood filled his throat.
Blood Night's sword dripped dark red blood. Blood Night stood for a few seconds before also collapsing unconscious, completely broken by the final effort.
Shine, seeing everything through blurred vision, screamed with tears streaming: "No! No! Dad, don't die!"
But her voice was exhausted from the brutal confrontation. She lost consciousness a few seconds later.
In that devastated place were four bodies:
Nolan, dead, with blood pouring in pools around his cut throat.
A02, unconscious, holding her pierced abdomen while blood leaked between her fingers.
Shine, unconscious, her small body broken in multiple places.
Blood Night, in the same critical state, breathing weakly as dried blood covered his face.
**[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]**