The canyon inside the virtual world was drenched in twilight, its jagged cliffs carved by invisible rivers of time. But that dim calm shattered when Alstar's aura flared to life. A blinding orange-yellow light burst from his body, flooding the battlefield and overpowering even the digital sun overhead. The great python hissed violently, its massive coils thrashing against the rocky ground as its lidless eyes shrank in pain from the radiance. Around the serpent, a squad of sneak attack players staggered back, cursing and shielding their faces with their forearms. Their ambush had relied on darkness, on surprise, they succeeded but Alstar turned everything upside down.
For Alstar, that light wasn't merely power. As it blazed outward, old memories welled up unbidden, surging through his mind like a swift river breaking through a dam. He remembered the days of the old world—of shared skies and countless battles. He remembered quarrels with the other fragments, sometimes fierce enough to shake entire cities; he remembered their cooperation, moments of perfect synchronization when their powers resonated as one through Boboiboy. The laughter, the tension, the heat of combat, the final farewell when they were forced to be seperated—it all played before him in flashes.
That flood of memory did not weaken him. It steadied him.
He moved. One step and then another, his boots striking the canyon floor with sharp, decisive echoes. His glowing figure sliced through the haze like a comet descending to earth. In moments, he reached Alexandrite, who was struggling to stay conscious after taking the brunt of the scavenger's strike. Her breaths were shallow, and the protective clothes around her full of knife cuts and bullet holes.
Without hesitation, Alstar bent down and scooped her into his arms in a princess carry. Alexandrite let out a startled gasp, instinctively clutching at his chest for support. He didn't say anything; he didn't need to. His steps were swift and sure as he carried her toward a wide rock niche carved naturally into the canyon wall. He gently set her down upon the flat surface, ensuring she was positioned safely away from the immediate line of attack.
"Stay here. Heal," he said simply, his voice firm yet unexpectedly warm.
Alexandrite opened her mouth to protest—she hated feeling useless—but when she saw the resolve burning in his eyes, the fiery determination as if that had once belonged to a powerful individual, the words caught in her throat. She gave a weak nod and began channeling her energy inward, focusing on restoring her strength.
Alstar turned back toward the battlefield. His cloak whipped in the canyon wind as he stepped forward, placing himself between Alexandrite and the encroaching enemies.
Ahead, the great python had recovered from the brilliance flash. Its massive head lowered, tongue flicking, as it began slithering toward them again with terrifying speed. The sneak attack players spread out on either side of the beast, their weapons drawn, moving like vultures circling a wounded animal. Their plan was simple—force Alstar pay his attention to the serpent and attack him by coordinated deadly assault.
Alstar's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't let them have the initiative.
For a brief instant, the glow around his body intensified. Two sharp streaks of orange-yellow light burst from his eyes, burning like miniature suns. His voice rang out, echoing through the canyon walls.
"I summon you! Brightsparrow!"
The world seemed to hold its breath.
The surrounding light was pulled inward as if by a vortex. Beams from the virtual sun, glimmers reflected from the canyon walls, even the residual light particles in the air—all of it spiraled toward Alstar's outstretched hands. The brightness condensed rapidly, taking form with brilliant intensity.
And then it appeared.
[Brightsparrow].
A bow unlike any ordinary weapon. Its body was forged from pure condensed light, shaped into a structure that combined elegance and lethality. Two long, curved blades formed the limbs of the bow, their edges gleaming sharp enough to split air. Mysterious patterns flowed across the weapon's surface, rearranging themselves like flowing script, each line glowing with golden brilliance. The string was a thread of light so taut it emitted a faint hum, resonating with his aura. The entire weapon radiated a dazzling light that forced the sneak attack players to squint and step back.
For Alstar, Brightsparrow was more than a weapon. It was his memory made tangible—the burning emotions he had carried since leaving Boboiboy, crystallized into something sharp, bright, and unbreakable.
He grasped the bow firmly and spun it fluidly in his hands, blades flashing. With two swift, sweeping motions, he slashed through the air, carving a giant glowing "X" shape that lingered in the sky like a pair of crossing stars. The glowing trails pulsed, waiting. Alstar created and nocked a light arrow of pure radiance onto Brightsparrow's string, aimed directly at the center of the X, and pulled back the string.
The air grew dense. Even the python hesitated for a fraction of a second as the power gathered.
Then Alstar released the arrow.
The arrow shot forward with explosive force, slamming into the center of the glowing X. The moment it struck, the entire construct ignited like a supernova, and Alstar shouted with fierce conviction:
"Aurora Shower!"
The X and the arrow fused into a single mass of energy and rocketed upward at supersonic speed, trailing golden light like a shooting star reversing gravity. As it soared into the sky above the canyon, the sneak attack players instinctively raised their shields, sensing what was coming. Even the python paused, its instincts screaming danger.
High above, the X reached its apex and detonated.
The explosion didn't produce fire or shockwaves. Instead, it blossomed outward into a radiant burst, releasing a shower of countless light arrows that filled the sky. Each streak of light was precise, deadly, and blindingly fast. They rained down like divine judgment upon the canyon floor, targeting the python and every sneak attack player within range.
The first impacts struck like hammer blows. Light arrows pierced the ground, shattered boulders, and struck enemy shields with explosive bursts. The canyon lit up in pulses of orange and gold, as if the stars themselves had descended. The sneak attack players scrambled, some diving for cover, others erecting magical barriers that cracked under the relentless barrage. The python coiled violently, thrashing as dozens of light arrows struck its armored scales, searing glowing scars across its body.
The canyon became a storm of light.