The air vibrated with the clash of battle. Aisha and Tekio stood side by side, facing Kaze, who spun at the center of a furious whirlwind. Wind sliced through the ruins like blades, and the roar of gusts sounded like thunder tearing through a sky on the verge of collapse. Every movement was a test, a deadly dance of power and endurance.
Tekio felt the weight of exhaustion in his muscles, his wounds throbbing, his breath ragged. Yet something inside him burned hotter than pain: the will to fight, to protect those who mattered. He cast a glance at Aisha — even wounded, deep cuts marking her body, her eyes remained sharp, fierce, like a storm held in check.
It was the moment.
With a silent scream trapped in his chest, Tekio closed his eyes for a moment. He gathered all that remained within him. Spiritual energy began to flow like an untamable river. First, a tingling in his fingers; then an electric current surged up his arm, spreading across his chest, condensing into a pulsating sphere of heat at the center of his clenched fist.
Sweat, sacrifice, fear, and courage compressed into a single instant.
His aura ignited in shades of white-gray. His eyes became nearly pure white, veins glowing like strands of living electricity. The energy swirled, grew, and pulsed like a storm on the verge of release.
Tekio surged forward.
With a primal roar, he charged straight at Kaze. Each step shook the ground. Aisha, in perfect sync, moved aside, striking and covering his advance with precise attacks.
And then — the punch.
Tekio focused everything he was into a single blow. It was not merely physical strength: it was his soul thrust forward, weighted with belief, loss, and the desire to protect. The impact erupted in concentric waves, reverberating like thunder striking the heart of the earth.
When his fist collided with Kaze's face, the world seemed to hold its breath.
The shock was devastating. Kaze was flung like a lightning bolt cast down from the sky, surprise mingling with pain. The storm around him shattered, dispersing like fragments of a destroyed dream.
Before Tekio could breathe, Aisha advanced, her ethereal sword in hand, ready for the finishing strike.
But a shadow intervened.
Jouki appeared, grinning cruelly, blocking the attack with ease. Just behind her, Isha emerged, steps cold and firm, surrounded by a dark aura.
— It's time — Isha said, his voice as cold as steel.
Kaze rose, staggered but still standing. He glanced at Aisha and Tekio with disdain.
— Go to the Tree of Life — he muttered. — If you want to stop the end… you'd better get there before it's too late.
At that moment, Tekio saw it. On Isha's shoulder, like a cruel burden, was Dan. Bound. Wounded. But alive.
Something inside him broke.
Tekio's energy exploded in spirals of white and gray light. His eyes burned. Rage fused with pain, forming a storm in his chest.
— I'm coming for all of you — he growled, fists trembling, eyes like incandescent embers.
Jouki, observing this raw fury, murmured to Isha:
— This boy… may become a bigger problem than we imagined.
Without another word, the three crossed the dark portal and vanished.
---
Walking through the shadowed corridors toward the Tree of Life, the villains spoke in low tones.
— You got crushed by that crybaby — Jouki taunted, a venomous smile on her lips.
Kaze snorted, visibly irritated.
— The real problem isn't the boy. It's that woman — he said. — Aisha is different. She adapts. And she carries energy that corrupts, that poisons the spiritual flow of others. That slowed us down.
His eyes shifted to Isha. The sleeve of his shirt was torn, revealing a gruesome black seam binding his missing arm.
— And you're not exactly whole either — Kaze noted. — That stitching… it isn't natural.
— I was interrupted by someone unexpected — Isha replied, dryly. — A man with the power of light. Tenklyn. Without Mei Nuhay in battle, he is probably the strongest among our enemies.
— Then he's coming — Kaze concluded, serious. — And likely not alone.
---
Before them, the majestic Tree of Life appeared — immense, alive, pulsating with sacred light.
At its base, a soldier who had fought bravely for it lay on the ground. Karmore withdrew his blade from the bloodied body.
Even with his chest pierced, the soldier lifted his head and declared in a trembling voice:
— Mei… Mei will come. And when she does… she will kill you all…
Karmore did not answer. But the silence spoke volumes.
Nearby, Tenklyn arrived with Akira and other Sifs, tending to the wounded. Akira's body was covered in blood and dust, but life remained in him.
— That was close, Akira — Tenklyn said, holding him. — If your endurance hadn't been abnormal, and if the curse had lasted just one more minute… I couldn't have saved you.
— It's my fault… I let myself be caught… trapped in his snares… — Akira murmured, voice failing.
Before fainting, he looked upward, whispering with tearful eyes:
— If only… she were here…
Tenklyn squeezed his hand, gazing at the sky.
— Mei… — he repeated, as if calling her with his soul.
---
Elsewhere, among the ruins, Aisha and Tekio paused. Blood trickled from their wounds, and pain made each breath a struggle. But something stronger than fatigue remained.
A presence.
In both their hearts, the feeling was undeniable. As if Mei Nuhay's soul echoed through them, calling, warming, protecting.
Tekio closed his eyes. He felt her fire. The force that never dies.
Aisha drew a deep breath, despite bleeding fingers. Her gaze still shone — but now, with something more: hope.
And together, as if their souls were one, their thoughts rose in unison.
Mei.
We are here.
We are fighting.
Wherever you are.
We are ready.
In that instant, the world seemed to listen. The earth. The wind. The sacred tree. Allies and even enemies.
All felt it.
Mei Nuhay. The world calls for you.
To Be Continued...