The Decisive Detonation

The ground trembled, as if it intended to split open beneath them. The wind constantly whipped the thick dust into a vortex and rustled the grass, as if trying to rip it all from the earth. Suddenly, a deep, cracking sound split the silence. Cracks appeared in the ground, running like serpents through the dust. The air vibrated, filled with fragments of magic—an ancient magic they had never before experienced. A blood-red light gleamed on the horizon, as if the sun never intended to rise again.

Lily was the source of this devastation. Her irises had not vanished; they glowed with a sinister, immeasurable fury. Her rage pulsated, and with every breath she took, new waves of destruction swept across the landscape. The dry grass ignited where her gaze rested, and rocks exploded into pieces, as if something were bursting from the inside. Midnight-black smoke erupted from the depths, spreading across the sky and slowly obscuring the brightly shining stars.

"Is she out of it again?" Haku tried to scream over the disaster raging around them.

Ren concentrated all his inner magic into his legs, trying to anchor himself so the developing massive storm wouldn't drag him away.

Lily didn't seem to be entirely in control of her power. "I think she's conscious. But she doesn't realize the implications of what she's doing."

Haku pulled her enormous sword from its simple cloth sheath. "If we don't stop her, she's going to kill everyone!"

Ren looked in the direction where Zel had flown. Ren saw Zel stumble to his feet, dizzy. Lily approached the barely conscious "Hero" with elegant steps, tearing up more and more chunks of earth to hurl at Zel.

"Can you hold Lily off?" the blue-haired boy shouted to the oni.

"Who do you think I am?" Although Haku intended the answer to be a funny, arrogant boast, she didn't smile. The sense of responsibility was too great. Her red skin seemed to glow even brighter from the blood rushing into it. She clenched her jaw, and determination burned in her eyes. Her large eyes were already scanning the ground for the shortest path to reach her friend. Then, jumping with her short legs, she covered the ground with incredible speed, appearing in front of the girl.

"Haku, get out of my way!" Lily's right hand pushed Haku to the side in the air. The magic struck Haku on the flank, and as soon as she felt the force on her skin, she parried with her sword.

The red-haired girl pushed back, taking momentum from the air, and spun like a drill, attacking Lily. Haku's heart hammered not with fear, but with the sheer exhilaration of facing a friend's raw, unpredictable power. Lily seemed invulnerable, easily deflecting Haku's strikes with her hands. The oni didn't want to hurt her, but she knew that if she didn't give it everything she had, she wouldn't be able to keep Lily busy for even a few minutes, and then Ren wouldn't stand a chance.

Haku yelled, her voice raw with the exact pain she knew: "I know how much betrayal hurts from someone you grew up with!" But this didn't calm Lily. The mage instead looked down at the oni with contempt, almost pity.

"I didn't grow up with him. I don't know who that person is."

Haku's mouth dropped open in surprise. Taking advantage of this momentary lapse, Lily stomped her foot, and the ground cracked beneath Haku. Afraid of falling, the oni leaped aside, but the high-powered mage had achieved exactly what she wanted. With incredible speed, she lifted a nearby boulder and threw it at Haku. The oni threw away her sword so she could catch the boulder with her bare hands, which still damaged her. The object slammed hard into her chest, cutting it open and damaging her lungs. Her legs trembled, but she managed to stay upright. She threw the heavy stone away and glanced at her sword, which was too far away.

Haku raised her hands, holding them close to her face, palms angled in. She began a rhythmic movement, pressing the balls of her feet into the ground and rocking gently, lifting her heels and shifting her weight from one leg to the other. A way to keep the leg muscles awake, to be ready to execute a sudden burst of speed.

She grinned as she spoke. "Father, I'm finally putting your teachings to use!"

Meanwhile, Ren was running toward Zel, exhausting himself. Lily stopped her attack and focused her power entirely on Haku.

Zel shoved the stones off himself and struggled to his feet. He gripped the hilt of his sword and held it out in front of him, restraining Ren from getting any closer.

Ren extended his hand in a calming gesture. He couldn't even imagine what state Zel was in.

"Zel, put down the sword and let's talk! I know you poisoned Lily for years, and I have no idea why you did it, but maybe if you could explain—"

"Why couldn't you die?" Zel screamed, his face swollen. "Why did you have to come here? Why did the Mage give you my power? Why do you look like Him?"

Zel had definitively lost his mind, and the constant accusations were starting to get on Ren's nerves. Surprise and anger washed over his face as the memory of his friendship with Zel was pushed to the background.

"Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I would have left my family and friends alone?"

"You came to destroy the life I worked so hard for, too!"

Ren was getting more and more confused by Zel's ravings, and every word burned him like a brand. His only thought was to neutralize Zel before Lily silenced him forever.

He sent several shots at him, but Zel was still conscious enough to parry all of them with his sword and to attack Ren. To Ren's surprise, he spun his sword with his right hand. His movements were less collected, and that very unpredictability made him all the more dangerous. His dark eyes thirsted for blood.

Ren tried his best to dodge every slash, but he still took a few cuts whose pain he didn't feel through the adrenaline. Ren was beginning to tire, and with a few stray glances, he realized that Haku was also running out of strength.

He changed his plan. He stood confidently opposite Zel and determinedly waited for the incoming blow, which plunged into his stomach. Déjà vu. This was how he had first met Zel, with a sword in his stomach. He smiled at the memory and yanked Zel closer by the wrist. They might have been in a similar situation as the first day he arrived here, but Ren had changed.

Placing his palm on Zel's chest, he concentrated half his power into his palm and exploded it.