The arrow never reached its target.
The mont it entered the sea of crimson flas surrounding the battlefield, Senrix's armored hand shot upward with terrifying speed and precision. His fingers closed around the shaft before anyone could even properly register what had happened.
The arrow trembled violently between his fingers.
Then—
Crack.
The wooden shaft shattered into splinters.
Fragnts scattered through the air like dying leaves.
For a brief mont, silence descended upon the battlefield.
Crimson flas swayed beneath the scarlet canopy of the great tree while the six chanical wings slowly unfolded behind Senrix's back. Hundreds of tallic feather-like blades shifted and realigned themselves with sharp chanical clicks, each movent releasing waves of unbearable heat into the surrounding air.
Far away, standing atop the unfinished boat that rested near the roots of the Soul Tree, Elysia slowly lowered her bow.
The Soul Lantern floated beside her shoulder.
Its warm golden radiance illuminated her long pink hair and calm expression, standing in complete opposition to the monstrous inferno consuming Senrix.
One represented comfort.
The other represented destruction.
For a few heartbeats, neither moved.
Then—
The glowing crimson visor slowly turned toward her.
The chanical wings spread wider.
"Angel."
The single word echoed across the battlefield.
Then the world exploded.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The enormous root beneath Senrix shattered into countless pieces as the armored Sleeper launched himself forward with enough force to create a crater where he had been standing only a fraction of a second before.
His six wings roared.
Crimson thrusters erupted.
The air itself scread.
Elysia imdiately reacted.
Her bowstring vibrated.
TWANG!
One arrow beca three.
Three beca six.
Six beca nine.
A storm of projectiles shot toward Senrix from every direction, each aid not at where he currently was but where she predicted he would appear.
It was an incredibly difficult technique.
One that required instinct, timing, and frightening levels of concentration.
Unfortunately—
Her opponent was no longer fighting like a human.
Senrix punched straight through the barrage.
The first arrow exploded into splinters.
The second shattered against his gauntlet.
The third disintegrated from the sheer force of the shockwave generated by his fist.
Then the remaining arrows vanished beneath a tide of crimson fire.
A mont later—
He appeared directly in front of her.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Only violence.
His fist descended like a falling teor.
Elysia's eyes widened.
She abandoned any thoughts of counterattacking and imdiately threw herself sideways.
The punch missed.
Barely.
Then it connected with the unfinished boat.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The vessel exploded.
Wooden planks, rope, shattered branches, and fragnts of carefully assembled materials were launched into the air like confetti.
Nearly half of their work disappeared in an instant.
The shockwave alone almost threw Elysia off her feet.
A heartbeat later—
Sunny's outraged scream echoed across the battlefield.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
His voice cracked from sheer disbelief.
"WE SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY BUILDING THAT THING!"
Senrix ignored him completely.
The crimson visor never left Elysia.
For so reason, the crazed Sleeper seed fixated on her.
Perhaps her presence irritated him.
Perhaps the calmness in her expression challenged whatever madness currently ruled his mind.
Or perhaps so lingering instinct buried beneath the chaos recognized her as soone important.
Nobody knew.
Not even Senrix himself.
TWANG!
Another arrow flew.
Then another.
Then another.
Elysia retreated continuously while firing.
Every shot forced Senrix to react.
Every reaction delayed him.
Every second she bought created an opportunity.
And opportunities were exactly what the others needed.
A shadow suddenly stretched unnaturally beneath Senrix.
The next mont—
Sunny erupted from it.
Midnight Shard flashed through the air.
The dark tachi sliced toward the back of Senrix's leg.
CLANG!
The blade connected.
The impact echoed loudly.
It wasn't enough to injure him.
But it succeeded in distracting him.
Which was exactly what Sunny intended.
Because Nephis was already moving.
White flas erupted around her body.
The silver-haired girl transford into a streak of radiant light as she dashed forward with Dream Blade aid directly toward Senrix's chest.
BOOOOOOM!
The punch t the sword.
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
The roots beneath them shattered.
Scarlet leaves were ripped from nearby branches.
Nephis slid backward dozens of ters.
Senrix didn't move an inch.
Then his second fist ca.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Nephis barely raised Dream Blade in ti.
CRAAAAASH!
The impact launched her through several giant roots before she finally regained her footing.
The silver-haired girl exhaled sharply.
Her arms trembled.
"Still ridiculous."
Sunny appeared beside her.
His expression wasn't much better.
"Any brilliant ideas?"
"No."
"Fantastic."
Then they charged again.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Crimson flas illuminated the scarlet forest.
White flas pushed back against the inferno.
Shadows twisted and stretched between shattered roots.
Arrows streaked through the air like golden cots.
The four Sleepers collided again and again beneath the great tree.
And through it all—
Senrix fought like a calamity given human form.
There were no techniques.
No strategy.
No discipline.
No restraint.
Only instinct.
Only overwhelming violence.
Every punch carried enough force to shatter stone.
Every kick generated shockwaves powerful enough to uproot ancient roots.
Every movent threatened to tear apart the battlefield itself.
Yet despite all of that—
He still wasn't truly trying to kill them.
The signs were subtle.
A punch that shifted away at the last possible mont.
A kick that landed slightly off-center.
An opening left where there should have been none.
Even consud by madness, so instinct buried deep within his soul still recognized them.
Still rembered them.
Still refused to cross that final line.
Unfortunately—
That didn't make fighting him any easier.
BOOOOOOM!
Sunny narrowly avoided another punch.
The shockwave alone launched him backward.
He rolled across the roots before desperately regaining his footing.
"What kind of monster are you?!"
No answer ca.
Only another explosion.
This ti Senrix charged directly toward Elysia.
The pink-haired girl remained perfectly still.
The Soul Lantern brightened.
Golden light expanded outward.
Warm radiance washed across the battlefield.
It touched Sunny.
It touched Nephis.
It touched Senrix.
For the briefest mont—
The crimson flas weakened.
The charge slowed.
Only slightly.
Barely noticeable.
Yet Elysia saw it.
Nephis saw it.
Sunny saw it.
A weakness.
A tiny weakness.
But a weakness nonetheless.
"Again!"
Nephis shouted.
Instantly, their strategy changed.
Instead of attacking separately—
They began fighting together.
Sunny struck from the shadows.
Nephis attacked directly.
Elysia supported from afar.
The pressure increased dramatically.
For the first ti since the battle began—
Senrix was forced backward.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
The chanical wings imdiately reacted.
Crimson thrusters ignited.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A pillar of scarlet fire erupted into the sky.
The battlefield vanished beneath the explosion.
Roots disintegrated.
Leaves burned.
The air beca molten.
Sunny escaped into shadows.
Nephis shielded herself with white flas.
Elysia rolled away from the blast radius.
When the inferno finally settled—
Senrix still stood in the center.
Completely unhard.
The crimson visor glowed brighter than ever.
Then—
He laughed.
A broken laugh.
A wild laugh.
A laugh that didn't belong to the Senrix they knew.
"GOOD!"
The chanical wings spread wider.
"AGAIN!"
The ground exploded beneath him.
This ti—
Elysia charged.
Not away.
Toward him.
Sunny froze.
Nephis blinked.
Even Senrix seed surprised.
The pink-haired girl sprinted directly into the inferno.
Her bow disappeared.
She gripped it like a staff.
Then swung.
CLANG!
The impact echoed throughout the battlefield.
Elysia was imdiately thrown backward.
But she stood up.
And charged again.
CLANG!
Again.
CLANG!
Again.
CLANG!
Again.
She wasn't winning.
She wasn't even close.
Every collision sent pain through her arms.
Every block threatened to break her stance.
Yet she refused to retreat.
Because she understood sothing.
Soone had to reach him.
Soone had to remind him.
Soone had to hold him in place long enough for the others to act.
The Soul Lantern brightened.
Golden radiance expanded further.
The battlefield beca illuminated by two opposing lights.
Crimson and gold.
Destruction and healing.
Madness and hope.
Senrix raised his gauntlet.
Elysia raised her weapon.
The collision sent both flying apart.
BOOOOOOOOM!
But this ti—
Nephis and Sunny were already moving.
Dream Blade struck first.
Midnight Shard followed imdiately after.
Silver.
Black.
Light.
Shadow.
CLANG!
CLANG!
For the first ti in the entire battle—
The attacks landed cleanly.
Senrix staggered.
Only a single step.
Yet he staggered.
Everyone noticed.
Including him.
Then—
Everything changed.
The six chanical wings expanded to their maximum size.
Crimson flas erupted uncontrollably.
The entire Ashen Barrow began trembling.
Roots cracked.
Leaves scattered.
The air itself seed to shake.
A terrible feeling crawled down Sunny's spine.
Sothing was wrong.
Very wrong.
The madness was growing stronger.
Senrix slowly raised both fists.
The inferno surrounding him intensified.
The chanical wings unfolded completely.
The entire island glowed crimson.
Even Nephis looked alard.
Even Elysia stopped moving.
Then—
A voice rang out.
"ANVIL!"
Everything froze.
Cassie stood near the roots.
Her blonde hair danced in the wind.
Her sightless blue eyes stared toward the battlefield.
Her voice trembled.
Yet she continued.
"ASTER!"
The flas flickered.
"NERO!"
The chanical wings trembled.
"FILIAN!"
The visor dimd.
"KI SONG!"
The inferno weakened.
"DETER!"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The madness paused.
The flas wavered.
Sothing awakened behind the glowing visor.
Recognition, mory, Humanity.
A single mont.
Only one mont.
But it was enough.
"NOW!"
Nephis moved first.
White flas erupted violently.
Sunny followed imdiately afterward.
Shadows surged.
Elysia drew one final arrow.
Three attacks.
One opening.
One chance.
And for the first ti since the battle began—
Senrix did not raise his fists to defend himself.
A/N: now soul lanterns light is gold, lol
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