THE FURY OF A WOUNDED STAR

The Puppeteer clapped his hands, his laughter a cruel echo in the midst of a burning citadel. In front of him, Luce gasped, her body covered in cuts and bruises. He was no longer just the mythological griffin; Morwen had summoned dozens of his puppets, nightmarish creatures that now flooded the square.

Her only task was to survive. And not only for her. Behind, Asimil lay on the ground, disoriented. The sonic attack of the griffin had not only injured him; it had temporarily deafened him, the world was a terrifying silence filled with images of violence.

Luce fought with the fury of a cornered animal. Every punch, every kick, shattered a puppet, but for every one that fell, two more took its place. She took a claw in the back, a blow from a shadow golem in the side. It was a losing fight. No one would come to their rescue. In this new age of war, it was every man for himself. Tenshi and Kenji were trapped in another part of the city. They were alone.

Why am I so weak?  she thought, as she blocked the blow of a fallen warrior. Why was I born so small? If only I were bigger, stronger.... Her thought flew to Asimil, who was awkwardly trying to stand up. ...maybe I could save what really matters to me.

That brief distraction was her undoing. The griffin pounced, and a swipe of its wing sent her flying, smashing her against the facade of a building. Her body fell into the rubble, face up.With no way of knowing whether she was alive or dead.

Asimil's silent world was shattered by the impact he saw. He saw Luce fall. And that was enough.

Without being fully conscious, he stood up. His hands were shaking, not so much from fear, but from the neurological damage of the sonic attack. The world was a blur, but his target was clear.

— Well, well — Morwen scoffed, watching him get up. — You still feel like playing, congratulations on being so strong! —he said in a venomous joking tone.

Asimil tried to attack him. But his movements were clumsy, his balance was a mess. He lunged, but his feet got tangled and he fell to the ground. He got up again, and fell again. It was a pathetic scene.

In one of many attempts, Asimil could not get up anymore. He was on his knees, completely exhausted. 

— What a disappointment — said the Puppeteer, raising a hand to summon a shadow lance. — I suppose the curtain must fall. —

He was preparing to strike the final blow.

But before he could do so, a pink flash hit him in the side, sending him flying away.

It was Mio. He had returned to battle. She landed softly between Asimil and the place where Morwen crashed. Behind her, Tenshi and Kenji came running in.

— Luce! — Tenshi shouted, running towards the rubble to help her friend.

Mio turned to Morwen, who was rising from the rubble, now without her smile.

— You... — hissed Morwen. — You're still alive. —

— It takes more than a couple of vacuum pets to extinguish a Star — Mio replied, her voice as cold as steel. 

—  Where are Legion and Ignis? — asked Mio, looking for those who had defeated her.

— Probably massacring some familiar village of yours — said Morwen. — But you and I have a score to settle.... That blow, YES IT HURT A LOT! —

They fought. Morwen, true to his style, did not fight directly. He summoned his most powerful puppets, including a shadowy copy of a legendary knight. Mio was fast and strong, but her movements were not perfect. Her wounds had not fully healed, and after a particularly powerful combo, she stumbled slightly, a wince of pain crossing her face.

Morwen saw the opening and threw all her puppets at once. But Mio, gritting her teeth, channeled all her remaining energy into her halberd. — ¡RÉQUIEM FINAL! —

With a final swing, she swung his weapon in a perfect circle, unleashing a 360-degree sonic wave that not only disintegrated all the puppets, but went on to split the Puppet Master in two at the waist.

Morwen looked at her divided body in disbelief. — Impossible... A mere human... — He refused to die in silence, insulting them and the humans as his body slowly faded into Void particles. 

The fall of the citadel had failed. But victory did not feel like victory. The city was devastated. Hundreds of heroes and refugees alike had fallen. Asimil and Luce, now reunited with their rescuers, were no exception. They had grown stronger, yes, they had survived the impossible. But as they gazed at the smoking ruins of what had been the last sanctuary, they understood a bitter truth.

At this point, being stronger was no longer enough.