(Intermission) Destined Lovers or Enemies - Chapter 4: The Death Battle Escalates

Chapter 4: The Death Battle Escalates

Sasha stands in her True Demonic Release form, her Hell Serpent and Hell Rex towering over Zeth as they eye him hungrily.

"You're going to be a nice snack for my cute pets," Sasha says with a sadistic grin.

Zeth glances between the hissing Hell Serpent and the salivating Hell Rex.

"Sorry, but I probably taste too much like vegetables for your carnivorous creatures here,” Zeth replies.

"Ha. Funny," Sasha says with slight amusement.

The two beasts charge straight toward Zeth. The Hell Serpent attacks first by lunging, but Zeth leaps upward to dodge. As he ascends, he kicks the Hell Rex in the jaw as it attempts to chomp him. But before Zeth can make another move, the Hell Serpent’s tail wraps around his body.

With a whip-like motion, it slams Zeth into the ground. Still restrained, he’s held up high enough for the Hell Rex to bite down on the lower half of his body.

"Gahhh!!" Zeth screams in pain. "This is like that one movie I saw one time!! I’m not becoming dinosaur food! Shining Kick!"

Powerful magic blasts from his upward kick, striking the roof of the Hell Rex’s mouth. The monster roars in pain and releases him. Simultaneously, his raging aura forces the Hell Serpent to have to release him as well. He drops back to the ground and stares forward with a serious expression.

However, Sasha is already rushing in, her fingers pointed forward and ready to pierce Zeth. Zeth tries to evade her thrust, but her fingers slightly pierce his chest. He retaliates with a strong kick, knocking her back. He then rushes forward, arms crossed over his chest like a mummy.

Zeth thinks to himself. “Thankfully, my raging aura made piercing me a lot harder for her! She may have fully pierced my heart otherwise! But now I need to take her down!”

"Saykomera!!" Zeth yells aloud.

Zeth’s body glows gold as he sprints toward Sasha. The Hell Rex and Hell Serpent give chase behind him.

Zeth reaches Sasha first. Golden energy blows out in a powerful wave that damages Sasha.

Zeth shouts, "Twenty Auto Punch Combo!" He unleashes a flurry of twenty rapid punches.

"Ascending Kick Combo!" he shouts next. His foot hits Sasha’s chin from below, sending her airborne.

He then immediately turns around as the Hell Rex and Hell Serpent are closing in on him.

"Red Torment Combo!!" he shouts next.

He presses his left hand to his right. His palm aims at the approaching monsters. Dozens of red spikes burst out from his palm, piercing the Hell Serpent and Hell Rex continuously. Both collapse from the damage and are now incapacitated.

Zeth spins around just as Sasha begins falling from his earlier kick.

He yells, "And now you!" as he launches himself upward with his arms still crossed.

He yells, "Feather Slash Combo!" as he begins his next attack in an attempt to slash Sasha with his arms.

Before his slashes land, Sasha creates a black orb in her hand. She throws it down toward the ground. The orb begins to pull Zeth toward it, throwing off his trajectory.

Sasha grins. "Hell’s Gravity Bomb."

The orb detonates, catching Zeth in a powerful explosion.

With more wounds on his body, Zeth falls back to the ground. However, Sasha meets him mid-fall, slamming her foot into his gut. Zeth opens his eyes and mouth wide open as some blood flies out of his mouth while he crashes into the ground hard enough to form a crater.

Sasha lands on the ground and stands at the crater’s edge, her hands engulfed in flames.

"You will burn in the flames of Hell now," she states. "Hell Flames!"

Two jets of fire erupt from her palms, blowing into the crater until it’s fully engulfed in fire.

With a sadistic smile, Sasha mutters, "I suppose not the inside carving I planned for, but being charred to a crisp can be just as satisfying."

Suddenly, sharp pain slices through her as three Star Shards burst out from the ground beneath her feet, cutting into her legs. Her eyes widen in pain.

From the crater’s raging fire, Zeth charges out, no longer in Raging Star Mode.

He slams his left fist into her gut before she can react, causing her to cough up blood. She throws a retaliatory punch with her left hand, but Zeth catches it with his right hand, then punches her directly in the face with his left hand.

Sasha is launched across open grounds, then crashes through several trees, destroying them. Finally, her body hits a hill, and the force causes her to roll up the slope. Zeth follows in pursuit.

At the top, she slowly stands on her feet, rubbing her face. She barely spots Zeth charging before he fires a Star Shine Blast. She ducks, but that gives him just enough time to reach her.

They punch each other in the face simultaneously, each wincing their faces from the force of their punches.

Both of them attempt follow-up punches, but they both successfully block them. Zeth grabs Sasha’s shoulders and tries to slam her down, but Sasha grips his shoulders too. They roll down the hill together, each still grabbing onto the other.

At the bottom, Sasha ends up on top. Trees surround them now.

Sasha shouts, "Gotcha!"

"Not a chance!" Zeth shouts back as he kicks her off.

He rises to his feet, determination still in his eyes.

"I need to use it... Soul Power." Zeth says, knowing that he must win this fight.

He activates it, a glowing angelic-shaped aura erupting around him before condensing it to his body. His aura comes off his body like a smoky substance.

"Two can play that game," Sasha states, activating her own Soul Power.

A monstrous demonic aura explodes around her before she condenses it to her body. Her aura comes off her body like a smoky substance.

Zeth’s eyes narrow in surprise. "You have Soul Power too..."

"Yes," Sasha replies. "You’ve driven me to this point. You will not leave here without your insides being carved out."

They stare each other down, their combined Soul Power radiating incredibly strong energy.

Narrator: Zeth and Sasha activate Soul Power! Their battle to the death enters its final phase!

Chapter 4 END

To be Continued in DLoE – Chapter 5: Colliding Soul Powers