Split Up!

[BAPO, SAIFUR, and HOUND stood frozen in shock as AQUA's blade cleaved through the imposter's neck. The head tumbled to the wet ground with a sickening thud. But the momentary silence was shattered as AQUA's breaths grew erratic. Her world blurred between streaks of red and white—rage and sorrow clashing within her mind. Again. The same helplessness. The same loss. Her body trembled, her eyes wild with fury and fear.]

[BAPO immediately grasped the situation & appraches her, hands firmly on her shoulders.]

BAPO: "AQUA! Calm down! It's okay! He wasn't real! TACKLER's okay!"

[AQUA's voice cracked with emotion as she shouted back, her worry bleeding through her words.]

AQUA: "What proof do you have?! First STELLER, now him… NO ONE'S SAFE!"

[BAPO's grip tightened, his eyes fierce with determination.]

BAPO: "This fake didn't answer our questions promptly. That means… he didn't inherit TACKLER's memories. Which means—"

[SAIFUR stepped forward, his voice eerily calm despite the storm around them.]

SAIFUR: "TACKLER is not dead… He's at the explosion site."

[AQUA's breathing slowed. Her shoulders dropped slightly. The violent swirl of emotions inside her settled just enough for her to regain control, though her hands still trembled.]

BAPO: "What… should we do now?"

[Without a word, ILLEGAL HOUND turned and began striding toward the explosion site. Rain pelted against him, dripping from his hair, but he didn't falter. But then…]

[The world around them flickered. The same ominous timer that had disappeared when ECTO left suddenly reappeared before their eyes.]

OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE THE INTRUDER. FAIL, AND ONE ELEMENT WILL PERISH. (TIME LEFT: 54 MINUTES.)

[The distorted voice echoed through the rain-soaked battlefield, sending a shiver through SAIFUR's spine.]

???: "You shouldn't have left me alone there, SAIFUR…"

[From the shadows of the storm, a figure emerged, his presence sharp and mocking. SAIFUR's jaw clenched. He knew that voice. He had seen that grin before.]

SAIFUR: "You… I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME THAT EASILY… ECTO!"

[In an instant, SAIFUR's arm ignited with a sharp wind blade, and he lunged. BAPO raised his hand in a gun sign, fire sparking at his fingertip, but the moment he was about to shoot—pssstt—the flames hissed and vanished into the relentless downpour.]

BAPO: "Damn it… the rain!"

[ECTO chuckled, rolling his shoulders, unbothered by their hostility.]

ECTO: "You all have developed some new tricks… KEEP IT COMING."

[But before he could finish, tendrils of glowing blue water coiled around his feet, locking him in place. He traced the source—AQUA. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from the overwhelming energy surging through her. She was losing control again.]

ECTO: "Ah… I see you've calmed down… just a little."

BAPO: "AQUA! Stay with us! Don't lose yourself!"

[SAIFUR acted fast, cutting through the tension.]

SAIFUR: "LISTEN! AQUA AND BAPO, GO FOR THE LEAF! HOUND, FIND TACKLER! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!"

[HOUND hesitated. He didn't like splitting up. It was too dangerous.]

HOUND: "But—"

SAIFUR: "THERE'S NO TIME FOR ARGUMENTS, OKAY?!"

[Teeth gritted, HOUND gave a sharp glare, his voice dark with warning.]

HOUND: "You better be alive when I come back."

[With that, HOUND turned and sprinted toward the explosion site, while BAPO reluctantly glanced back at SAIFUR. His hands clenched at his sides, worry gnawing at him, but AQUA pulled him forward.]

AQUA: "No time to hesitate! We need to get that leaf!"

[Meanwhile, ECTO sighed, twirling a scythe in his hand.]

ECTO: "You really think I'm that easy to defeat?"

[But instead of attacking, SAIFUR narrowed his eyes and asked coldly,]

SAIFUR: "Why did you leave me there?"

[ECTO smirked, but his response was cryptic.]

ECTO: "I wonder about that…"

[With a flick of his wrist, gravity shifted. In an instant, SAIFUR was slammed into the mud. The force pressed him down, suffocating, crushing. But just before he hit the ground, he twisted his body, using a burst of wind pressure to resist. The air around him howled as he landed, barely steadying himself.]

[Then, in a flash, a sharp wind slash ripped through the rain—ECTO's eyes widened as a deep gash tore through his arm. He clutched it, lips curling in a mix of surprise and amusement.]

SAIFUR: "I'll ask again. Why did you leave me there?"

[SCENE CUTS TO BAPO & AQUA]

[They raced through the storm, feet slipping in the wet mud. BAPO cursed under his breath.]

BAPO: "Damn it! These shoes aren't made for this!"

AQUA: "Stop complaining! Keep moving!"

[A flash of lightning struck nearby, the sound deafening. AQUA shivered, her hands freezing from the cold rain and wind.]

AQUA: "Why… is it so cold?"

[BAPO didn't hear her. His focus locked onto the towering structure ahead. AQUA's gaze followed his, eyes widening at the white curved pillar with a massive oval opening in its center.]

AQUA: "Found it! BAPO! Hurry!"

[But as they approached, horror struck AQUA's face. The leaf—their hope—vanished before her eyes.]

AQUA: "BAPO! RUN! SOMEONE TOOK IT!"

[BAPO's heart pounded. He turned to AQUA, voice urgent.]

BAPO: "AQUA! Go back and help SAIFUR!"

AQUA: "No—!"

BAPO: "NO! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!"

[AQUA hesitated, her fists clenched. She watched as BAPO bolted toward the pillar, his silhouette growing distant. But then, a powerful wind burst echoed from the explosion site. SAIFUR was fighting for his life.]

[Left with no choice, AQUA turned back toward the battlefield.]

[SCENE CUTS TO HOUND.]

[HOUND sprinted through the rain, his heart pounding against his ribs. The ground was slick, but he didn't slip—his focus was too sharp, his urgency too great. His cousins were in danger. He could feel it in his gut. As he neared the explosion site, thick smoke filled the air, rising in dark, curling waves. The sound of fire hissing under the relentless rain surrounded him, mixing with the scent of burning and something else—something foul.]

[He puts his arm up to cover his nose and pushed forward.]

"TACKLER!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the storm. No response.

[His eyes darted around until they locked onto a staircase leading underground. Without hesitation, he rushed down. The moment he stepped inside, the stench of blood and burnt flesh hit him like a punch. His breath caught as he spotted the corpse of a massive creature sprawled across the floor, its arms hacked off and a deep, gruesome cut across its throat. The sight sent a chill through him.]

His fists clenched in worry as he questions:

Was TACKLER okay? Had he fought this thing? Or was someone else here?

["TACKLER!" he yelled again, his voice shaking.]

[Then, through the haze of smoke, he saw him.]

[TACKLER lay on the cold, blood-stained floor, his body burned, his clothes torn, and worst of all—his right hand was gone.]

[HOUND's stomach twisted. His cousin looked like he had fought through hell itself. His breathing was weak, but he was alive. Beside him were two bags—one filled with sharp metal objects, the other his school bag, which had been stuffed with medical supplies.]

[Without wasting another second, HOUND lifted TACKLER onto his shoulder, grabbed both bags, and bolted. The ground beneath him trembled—debris started falling. He pushed his body to the limit, ignoring the burning in his legs, his lungs screaming for air. Just as the structure began to cave in, he burst outside, collapsing onto the wet ground with a heavy thud.]

[Rain pelted his face as he gasped for breath. He turned his head and pressed two fingers to TACKLER's neck.]

[A pulse. Weak but steady.]

[Relief crashed over him like a wave, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.]

"He's alive…" HOUND whispered, feeling the weight lift from his chest.

[After a few minutes, he sat up and unzipped the heavy bag. Inside, his eyes widened—seven swords, each made from an unfamiliar but incredible metal. Each blade had a symbol on it—Fire, Electro, Water, Ice, Poison, Wind, and Time.]

[HOUND ran his fingers over the Poison-marked sword. He could feel something… something pulling at him. Without thinking, he strapped it to his back.]

Then, footsteps.

[Through the rain, a broken, distorted voice called out, sending a chill through HOUND's spine.]

"You… didn't have to kill me like that…"

[HOUND's breath hitched as he turned. Standing there, barely illuminated by the flickering flames, was the doppelgänger—the one that had taken TACKLER's form before.]

[HOUND's grip on the sword tightened as he quickly moved in front of TACKLER, shielding him.]

"What do you want?!" HOUND asks.

[The figure twitched. His face was twisted, his voice hollow and filled with something… unhinged.]

"Me? I don't even know who I am anymore…" The voice wavered. "And you ask me what I want?"

[HOUND didn't respond.]

[Slowly, the figure shifted. Flesh twisted, bones cracked, and in mere seconds, he was no longer a broken shell—he was TACKLER.]

[But the eyes… they weren't his.]

"I have one job," the fake TACKLER said, his voice eerily calm. "And that is… to take all of you down. Even if it means my death."

HOUND's sword vibrated in his grip. A sharp, green glow coursed through the blade, like veins of poison reacting to his energy. The air grew heavier, the tension thick enough to cut.

HOUND exhaled slowly, planting his feet.

The battle wasn't over yet.