Chapter 6: The Small Battle

The air grew tense as the civilians scattered, fear etched on their faces as Yaxoc, Marcus, and Moonlight stood in the middle of the street.

"Why do they keep staring at us like that?" Yaxoc muttered, his gaze sweeping over the fleeing crowd.

Moonlight rubbed the back of her neck. "It's weird. Something's definitely off."

Before anyone could process further, Yaxoc's eyes landed on a familiar figure leaning against a lamppost: a cowboy in a tattered hat, his fingers hovering over his revolver.

"Wait a second..." Yaxoc narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that the Z+ ranged savior? The guy with the laser-shooting revolver?"

Moonlight tensed. "Yeah, but what's he doing here? Shouldn't he be with his group?"

Marcus crossed his arms. "I don't think he's here for a friendly chat. That guy's trouble."

As if on cue, the cowboy drew his revolver in a flash, firing searing laser beams toward the trio.

"Move!" Marcus shouted.

The three dodged just in time, the lasers scorching the pavement where they'd been standing.

"This guy's working with Hight! He's part of the enemy gang!" Moonlight growled, her anger overriding her caution. Without a second thought, she charged at the cowboy.

"Moonlight, wait!" Marcus yelled.

But it was too late. The cowboy fired, the beam striking Moonlight's arm. She cried out in pain, falling to her knees as she clutched her injury.

Yaxoc's fists clenched, his anger boiling over. "Oh, you're gonna regret that!"

With a burst of speed, Yaxoc rushed at the cowboy, weaving through the barrage of laser beams. His movements were precise, deflecting the beams with calculated strikes.

The cowboy's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the—?!"

Before he could react, Yaxoc closed the distance and unleashed a flurry of powerful punches, each strike landing with unrelenting force. The cowboy staggered, unable to fight back as Yaxoc's assault continued.

"This is for Moonlight!" Yaxoc roared, delivering a final, devastating blow that sent the cowboy flying through the air and crashing into a parked car.

The street fell silent except for the faint crackling of energy dissipating from the cowboy's revolver. Yaxoc stood over him, his breathing heavy and his eyes blazing with fury.

Marcus rushed to Moonlight, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

Moonlight winced but managed a weak nod. "I'll live. But that cowboy got what he deserved."

Yaxoc turned back to them, his expression softening. "Let's get out of here before more of Hight's lackeys show up."

The trio quickly retreated, leaving the cowboy unconscious amidst the wreckage. The whispers of the fleeing civilians echoed behind them, but Yaxoc had one thought in his mind: This isn't over.

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In a dimly lit, private chamber filled with an eerie silence, Lucius, Ogamak, and Yurgion sat in contemplation. The tension was palpable, yet Ogamak wore an unsettling grin, his confidence filling the room.

Lucius leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, Ogamak. You're telling us that universes beyond our own truly exist?"

Ogamak's smirk widened as he clasped his hands together. "Oh, they do, Lucius. Vast, uncharted universes with beings unlike anything we've ever encountered. And if I create a way to traverse them... imagine the power we could wield. With the right persuasion—or force—we could dominate the multiverse itself."

Yurgion raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his darkened gaze. "Ogamak, forgive me, but these beings from other universes… what happens if they refuse to join us? Not everyone bends the knee so easily."

Ogamak's eyes flicked toward Yurgion, cold and calculating. "Simple. If they reject our offer..." His voice dropped, laced with malice. "...we eliminate them. Why waste time negotiating when power speaks louder than words?"

Yurgion stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But there's the matter of the memory fragment—the one said to bridge the gaps between universes. That child, the guardian of such power, won't be easy to deal with."

Ogamak chuckled darkly, leaning back in his chair. "That so-called guardian? A child? I'll teach that brat a lesson they'll never forget. Once I regain all my demonic essence, that fragment will be mine. The multiverse will bow to me."

Lucius's voice broke through the conversation, calm but intrigued. "Ambitious, Ogamak. But may I ask… how do you plan to create these portals to other universes? What's your method?"

Ogamak's smirk returned, sharper than before. "My demonic essence. With it, I can tear through the fabric of dimensions, creating doorways to these universes. I just need time to fully restore my essence. Then, no universe will be beyond our reach."

Lucius and Yurgion exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. Slowly, they nodded in silent agreement.

"Very well, Ogamak," Lucius said, his voice smooth. "We'll watch your progress. For now, do what you must. But remember, ambition without results is just a dream."

With that, Lucius and Yurgion disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ogamak alone. He sat there, his grin fading into a thoughtful expression.

"Trust the process, indeed," Ogamak muttered, his crimson eyes glowing in the darkness. "Soon, the multiverse will know my name."

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As the afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows of Yaxoc's home, an uneasy silence filled the air. The absence of Luna's usual voice tugged at his instincts.

"What the...?" Yaxoc mumbled under his breath, scanning the disarray around him. His eyes locked on a splatter of blue blood leading out the door.

"Blue blood..." His breath hitched. "That can only mean—Luna's in trouble!"

Without hesitation, Yaxoc bolted from the house, his heart pounding.

A high-level enemy stood in his path, his presence commanding and his voice laced with mockery. "Well, well, well, the so-called prince rushes to save a princess. A tad poetic for someone as stubborn as you." With a smirk, he unsheathed Curtana, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly glow.

Yaxoc stopped, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the foe's demeanor. "British, huh? I should've known. But you're not the only swordsman here." He drew his own blade, its glow radiating with artificial magic. "What are you waiting for? Make your first move."

The enemy chuckled darkly before surging forward with the speed of a tempest, his blade arcing toward Yaxoc in a deadly strike.

Their swords collided with a deafening clang, each strike resonating with the sheer power behind their blows. The enemy seized an opening, leaping back to cast his first spell.

"Wind Magic: Whirlwind!"

A violent gust erupted around Yaxoc, disorienting him as dust and debris clouded his vision.

"Ah, damn it!" Yaxoc grunted, his grip on his sword tightening as he tried to anticipate the enemy's next move. Before he could react, a sharp kick slammed into his back, sending him staggering forward.

The enemy sneered. "Caught off guard? Pathetic."

But Yaxoc quickly spun around, catching his foe by surprise. "Think fast before you uppercut in front of me!" His fist connected with the enemy's face, sending him stumbling.

Raising his sword, Yaxoc began to chant:

"Artificial Magic: Gravitational Rocks!"

Large stones floated around him, suspended by an intense gravitational force. With a flick of his wrist, the rocks shattered into a hail of sharp pebbles, hurtling toward the enemy with deadly precision.

The enemy's eyes narrowed, his grip on Curtana tightening. "Not good enough!" With a speed unmatched, he slashed through each projectile, his blade moving faster than the eye could follow.

But Yaxoc had anticipated this. He vanished from the enemy's view, appearing behind him in a blur.

"Checkmate." Yaxoc plunged his sword into the enemy's back, the blade glowing with finality. The enemy let out a gasp, his body collapsing to the ground as unconsciousness took him.

Yaxoc wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze fixed on his fallen foe. "You were fast," he muttered, "but not fast enough."

His attention shifted back to the trail of blue blood. With renewed determination, he sprinted off into the distance.

"Hang on, Luna. I'm coming."

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From a distance, Xavy leaned casually against a tree, his piercing gaze locked onto Yaxoc's battle. His mind worked like a finely tuned machine, breaking down every detail with precision.

"If my calculations are correct," Xavy murmured, "those pebbles Yaxoc fired were traveling at twice the speed of a Remington 223 round... That's 5,454 mph. Impressive, though I still need to finalize the official scaling for these tiers."

He paused, seemingly in thought, before turning his attention directly toward the reader.

"Oh, hello there," Xavy said with a faint smirk, addressing the audience. "You've stuck around, haven't you? By now, you should be used to my occasional... interruptions. If you have any burning questions about what's going on here, feel free to ask. Consider it my way of making this chaotic mess of a story a bit clearer for you." He gave a playful wink.

"This is only the second time I've broken the fourth wall, by the way. Let's keep count together, shall we?"

He turned his gaze back to the battlefield, watching as Yaxoc finished his fight.

"Interesting..." Xavy whispered. "Let's see how this all unfolds."

And with that, he vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but a faint echo of his cryptic presence.

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Yaxoc sprinted to Luna, his heart pounding as he saw her unconscious form on the ground.

"Damn it!" he yelled, quickly raising his hands. "Artificial Magic: Green Zone!"

A vibrant, glowing green circle appeared around them, its magic pulsating with healing energy. The soft light enveloped Luna, slowly mending her wounds and easing her exhaustion.

Her eyes fluttered open, her voice weak. "What… happened?"

Yaxoc sighed in relief, kneeling beside her. "No time to explain. Let's get back to my house—Moonlight and Marcus are worried sick."

Luna nodded faintly, and with Yaxoc's help, she stood up. The two began their quiet trek back, the tension still lingering in the air.

The door creaked open, revealing Moonlight and Marcus sitting tensely inside. Moonlight's ears perked up as she immediately noticed Luna.

"Luna!" Moonlight exclaimed, rushing over to her sister. She gently checked Luna over for injuries. "Are you alright?"

Luna managed a tired smile. "Yeah… I'm fine, sis."

Marcus leaned back, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Knew it. Yaxoc would definitely go out of his way for her. Sounds like someone's got a little—"

Yaxoc spun around, glaring daggers at Marcus. "Don't. You. Start."

Before the argument could escalate, Moonlight stepped between them, her sharp tone cutting through their banter. "Both of you, knock it off! We've got bigger problems to deal with."

She sighed, glancing around. "That enemy raided our place and kidnapped Luna. We need rest if we're going to figure this out tomorrow."

The tension in the room simmered down as the group silently agreed. Yaxoc and Marcus exchanged begrudging nods before heading off to prepare for the night.

Moonlight gently guided Luna to a seat. "Get some rest, okay? We'll fix this."

Luna nodded again, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. The house fell into an uneasy silence as they all settled down, knowing tomorrow would bring more challenges.