New York never slept.
The city was alive with neon signs, taxi horns, and the constant buzz of life. Tonight, that buzz turned to screams.
The sky above Manhattan tore open. A crimson rift widened over Times Square, vomiting fire and shadow. Billboards flickered, skyscrapers trembled, and the world's brightest city plunged into darkness.
---
The Demons of New York
Three demons emerged, their forms towering over the neon haze:
Korrath, the Molten Bull (Low-Rank). A beast of cracked stone, lava glowing between his horns.
Skill: Inferno Charge — a blazing rampage that ignited everything in its path.
Sethra, the Widow Flame (Low-Rank). A spider-bodied demon wreathed in fire, her webbing molten strands.
Skill: Ember Snare — trapping enemies in burning silk.
Malruk, the War Titan (Mid-Rank). A giant clad in armor of obsidian, his greatsword larger than a subway car.
Skill: Crimson Cleave — splitting the ground in waves of fire.
Flames swallowed Times Square. The "Welcome to New York" billboard melted as shadows stretched down Broadway.
---
Ethan Blake – The weapon Wielders
At the heart of the chaos, a lone man stood, sabers gleaming in his hands. His coat fluttered in the hot wind, sweat glistening against the glow of fire.
Ethan Blake.
He twirled the sabers once, their edges humming with aura. His voice was steady, though his jaw was set tight.
"You picked the wrong city."
The sabers crossed before him, sparks flying. His aura ignited, twin blades burning brighter than the flames around him.
---
Clash in Times Square
Korrath bellowed, lava spilling from his jaws.
"Inferno Charge!"
He charged, the asphalt melting under his hooves.
Ethan spun forward, meeting him head-on. His sabers flashed—
"Cross Divide!"
The blades sliced in an X across the bull's chest. Lava exploded outward, scorching the street. Korrath staggered, then collapsed into a heap of molten rock, ash rising from the cracks.
"Too slow," Ethan muttered, sabers humming.
But Sethra screeched from above, webs of molten silk descending.
"Ember Snare!"
The webs wrapped around his arms, burning into his aura. Ethan gritted his teeth, the flames searing his skin.
He tightened his grip, sabers glowing brighter.
"Blazing Spin!"
He twisted, sabers slicing in a full circle. The burning webbing snapped, sparks scattering. Sethra shrieked as one saber cleaved through her leg, sending her sprawling across a taxi.
Ethan raised both blades, aura surging.
"Twin Fang Strike!"
Two slashes of pure light ripped across her body. Sethra screeched one last time before bursting into flame and ash.
---
The Titan Rises
That left Malruk.
The War Titan strode forward, each step shaking the street. His obsidian blade glowed red, heat warping the air.
"Crimson Cleave!"
He swung downward. The ground split open, a wave of fire roaring down the street. Buildings collapsed, cars melted in rivers of molten steel.
Ethan barely rolled aside, sabers flashing as the firestorm passed. He looked up, sweat dripping down his brow, his breath sharp.
"Big one, huh?"
Malruk's hollow eyes glowed. "You will break."
---
Duel in the Flames
They clashed in the center of Times Square.
Ethan's sabers moved like lightning, striking in furious arcs. Malruk's massive blade swung with earth-shattering force, each impact sending shockwaves through the city.
"Twin Fang Barrage!" Ethan roared, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Sparks flew as metal clashed against obsidian.
Malruk swung, the greatsword slamming into the ground.
"Crimson Cleave!"
A wall of fire erupted between them. Ethan leapt through it, sabers burning with aura. He struck the Titan's arm, sparks flying, cracks forming along the obsidian armor.
Malruk snarled and backhanded him, sending Ethan crashing into a billboard. The neon "BROADWAY" sign collapsed, burying him in sparks and glass.
---
Breaking Point
Ethan staggered out, blood dripping from his lip. His sabers shook faintly in his grip. The Titan loomed, sword raised for the killing blow.
For a moment, fear flickered. And then… memory.
He saw Akira in the martial arts finals years ago, their duel where both awakened aura. He heard the crowd, the roar of the match that had changed his life. He had sworn then: never to lose again.
"Not today."
He planted his feet, aura surging. His sabers glowed white-hot, brighter than ever before.
"Final Cross—Judgment!"
He charged. His blades crossed in an X, striking Malruk's chest in a blazing arc. The Titan roared as his armor cracked, glowing fissures splitting his body apart.
With a final scream, Malruk collapsed, his body shattering into shards of molten obsidian that scattered across the street.
---
Aftermath
New York fell silent. Fires burned, smoke rose, but the demons were gone. Ethan stood in the ruins of Times Square, his sabers dimming as his aura flickered weakly.
He dropped to one knee, exhausted. His vision blurred. The Council's words echoed in his mind.
"They're not fighting to win. They're bleeding us."
He knew it was true. His body trembled, drained of strength. He had won… but at what cost?
Above, the rift pulsed again, stronger, darker.
And somewhere far away, the Upper Demons smiled in their sleep.