Chapter 9 - Brother's Keeper

The tension in the courtyard snapped like a frayed wire.

John lunged.

The guard barely had time to blink before John’s hands were inches from his throat, bloodshot eyes wide, face twisted in fury.

A streak of blue light cracked the air.

Axl appeared out of nowhere, slamming into John with bone-crushing force. The impact blasted John off his feet, hurling him through a stone wall that collapsed in on him. Rubble poured over his body until he vanished beneath it.

The stunned crowd stood frozen.

Axl turned sharply toward them, his voice booming with an authority that shook the square.

“Everyone—inside! Now!”

The courtyard erupted in panic. Civilians scattered like startled birds. Scarlet and Raymond moved in a blur, shepherding people into the capital building. Within seconds, the once-crowded square fell silent—empty save for the jagged ruins and the low rumble of shifting stone.

And then—

John clawed his way out.

Blood smeared his forehead, dust clinging to his hair. He dragged himself upright, shoulders heaving, eyes glowing faintly red beneath the haze. His lips curled back in a feral snarl.

Axl stepped forward, his hand crackling with faint blue light.
“John. You’ve got to fight it—”

But John’s laugh cut him off. Not his usual, weary chuckle. This laugh was jagged, broken—something unhinged.

“Heh… hehahahaha! It feels good… to break things…” John rasped, voice trembling with unhinged energy. His grin was hollow.

Chunks of stone around him quivered—then shot forward like bullets.

Axl dashed left, twisting midair as the stones exploded against the ground where he had stood. The glow of Divine Form surged brighter around him, a faint aura of blue fire trailing his movements.

He landed lightly on his feet.

“Fast…” A grin tugged at his lips. For the first time since Fallen Form, his body felt alive. Responsive. Powerful.

That single flicker of pride was his mistake.

John was already in front of him.

Axl’s world blurred as John’s hand closed around his face. In the next instant, he was driven into the wall with earth-shattering force. Stone cracked and split around them. Before Axl could recover, fists rained down like cannon fire.

Boom.
Boom.
Boom.

Each strike pounded his skull deeper into the crater. Blood splattered. His vision swam.

He’s… stronger. Stronger than before.

The laughter above him was deafening, hysterical. John’s fists blurred, each blow vibrating through Axl’s bones.

I can’t keep up—

Another punch sent his teeth rattling.

No… if I die here… I’ll lose him.

But his body wouldn’t move. His arms hung limp. His vision blurred at the edges.

Then—

Axl… get up.

The voice resonated inside him. Calm. Steady. His father’s voice.

Trust yourself. Trust in your power.

His body responded. The blue glow surged, brighter than before. Energy roared through his veins like lightning.

Axl’s arm shot up from the rubble, seizing John’s collar in a steel grip.

John’s wild grin faltered.

“Well,” Axl rasped, blood dripping from his lip, “game on.”

He surged upward, driving a brutal uppercut into John’s gut. The impact launched his friend into the air. Dust and stone scattered in every direction.

Axl blurred. In the blink of an eye, he appeared above John, twisting his body with impossible grace. His elbow came crashing down between John’s shoulder blades, slamming him into the pavement with a thunderous shockwave.

The square trembled.

John rolled with the impact, growling low, blood trailing from his mouth. His hand flashed—dagger drawn. He slashed wildly, each strike carrying unnatural weight.

But Axl was faster. He moved like water, swaying between the arcs of steel. His aura shimmered, each dodge a streak of blue.

“You’re getting sloppy,” Axl taunted, his voice steadier now.

John’s eyes widened with rage. He roared, pouring every ounce of madness into a final swing.

Axl stepped aside. His hand caught John’s wrist, twisting hard. He spun, dragging John’s momentum forward, and drove him headfirst into the stone with a brutal crash.

The ground cratered beneath them. Dust billowed.

Before John could rise, Axl’s arms locked around his throat from behind. His legs coiled, pinning John’s arms in a chokehold. He tightened, his voice cutting through the chaos.

“John,” he hissed into his ear. “Listen to me.”

John thrashed violently. Spittle flew from his lips as he roared in blind fury.

“Remember who you are.”

The resistance only grew. His muscles bulged, nearly breaking Axl’s hold.

“You’ve survived everything life’s thrown at you.”

John snarled, slamming his head backward into Axl’s nose. Pain shot through him, but Axl refused to let go.

“You’re my brother.”

For the first time, John froze. His muscles trembled. His breath hitched.

“You’re not alone anymore.”

The struggle weakened. The fury dimmed. John’s head slumped forward as tears spilled down his cheeks.

“I… I’m sorry,” John gasped. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…”

“I know.”

“I’m broken, Axl. I can’t be fixed. Just end it. Please…”

Axl’s grip loosened. He pulled John into his chest, holding him steady as his friend’s body trembled.

“You’re not broken,” Axl whispered. “You’re healing. And I’ll be here… every step of the way.”

John’s body shook, sobs wracking his chest. Slowly, his strength gave out. His arms went slack. Exhaustion dragged him under.

Axl held him there until his breathing evened, until the fury vanished entirely.

When Scarlet emerged from the capital doors, she froze. Axl stood in the ruins, his face bruised and bloodied, carrying John’s unconscious body in his arms.

Her lips parted. “Is it… over?”

Axl’s eyes softened, but his voice was heavy.

“For now.”

She slipped to John’s side, helping to balance his weight. Axl’s body ached with every step, but something inside him felt different.

No rage. No chaos. No haze.

Only clarity.

Every thought was his own. Every breath steady. This… this was what Divine form was meant to be.

As they approached the entrance, the people who had once jeered stood in silence. Even the council had stepped outside, eyes wide, their judgment frozen in their throats.

The guards watched silently as Axl passed. Their mocking words from earlier hung heavy in the air. He stopped before them, his gaze like steel.

“Your punishment will be decided by the council,” he said, voice low, deadly calm. “But if I ever see you prey on another soul…you will answer to me. And when you do, that will be where your story ends.”

They said nothing.

He turned away, walking back into the capital with John in his arms, Scarlet by his side, and the weight of a brother’s pain etched deep into his heart.