Part 2: C3: Yaxoc & Luna VS Awakened Zarzock

Ascension of Power

Zarzock emerged from the wreckage, his body completely restored as if the wound had never existed.

"That was a good spell, cat girl." He smirked, brushing off his shoulder. "But not even Mythical spells work against me. Even if you're about to awaken your magic through those slashes."

Yaxoc and Luna tensed, readying themselves.

"How did you regenerate? I thought your healing was disabled," Yaxoc demanded.

Zarzock chuckled, raising a finger. "Turns out, your little friend's slashes need to be delivered twice to actually stop my regeneration." He tapped his temple. "I'm quite the actor, aren't I?"

Yaxoc's eyes widened. "So you let yourself stop regenerating to throw us off guard?"

"Not exactly." Zarzock's grin widened.

A sudden lightning strike forced Yaxoc and Luna to dodge. The ground where they once stood crackled with lingering electricity.

From above, a new figure descended—its massive, demonic blue wings spreading wide, a larger lightning-bolt symbol pulsing on its chest. Sodo had returned, its body evolved, its horns a deep azure, and a glowing purple sigil burning on its forehead.

Yaxoc's expression hardened. "Sodo?! I thought I killed you!"

"You did," Sodo admitted with a cruel smirk. "But Ogamak revived me… and gave me this." Its wings flared. "I'm faster than you now, Yaxoc."

Sodo's body began radiating intense energy.

"Let's switch things up," Zarzock suggested. "You take Yaxoc, and I'll handle the cat girl. It'll be easier to break him that way."

Sodo's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Fine by me."

Yaxoc and Luna braced themselves.

"This is bad..." Luna muttered.

"Relax. I have a plan," Yaxoc whispered. "Just follow my lead."

His fists glowed brightly.

Zarzock and Sodo lunged at them.

The Speed of Lightning

Yaxoc sidestepped, swinging a punch at Sodo's ribs. But Sodo blurred past the attack, countering with a lightning-fast blow to Yaxoc's heart. The impact sent him stumbling.

"You think hitting my heart is going to help?" Yaxoc scoffed. "Think twice."

Before Sodo could respond, Yaxoc teleported beside them and launched a kick toward their ribs. But Sodo vanished again, reappearing to deliver a brutal kick to Yaxoc's jaw, sending him hurtling through the air.

Yaxoc twisted mid-flight, catching himself, then lunged forward with a flurry of strikes. Sodo dodged them all with ease, its movements fluid, effortless.

Yaxoc narrowed his eyes. This speed… it's unnatural.

Suddenly, Sodo flickered. In the next instant, hundreds of afterimages formed—over 450,000, all striking at once. A storm of fists pummeled Yaxoc from every angle, battering him relentlessly.

Sodo ended the assault with a final, devastating blow, launching Yaxoc into the earth. Dust and debris exploded into the air.

Yaxoc groaned, pushing himself up. "Their attack speed… it's faster than me. But not by much." He exhaled. "This is gonna take a while..."

Luna's Awakening

Meanwhile, Luna delivered three consecutive strikes, stunning Zarzock.

Seizing the opening, she unsheathed her claws and raked them across his face, blinding him momentarily.

"AGH! DAMN IT!" Zarzock howled, clutching his face.

"Got you!" Luna slashed toward his torso.

But Zarzock's laughter cut through the air as he caught her wrist.

"Fool," he sneered. "Trying to kill me? That was a decent attempt, but you don't get to kill an immortal demon."

Luna gritted her teeth. Yaxoc never told me what his plan was… Her eyes flicked toward him—he was still locked in battle with Sodo.

She backed off just as Yaxoc teleported beside her.

"We need to switch." His tone was firm. "You take Sodo. I'll handle Zarzock."

Luna hesitated. "Are you sure? Sodo's faster than both of us."

At that moment, Sodo lunged at Yaxoc, aiming for a lethal strike.

Yaxoc reacted instantly, slamming a kick into Sodo's gut, sending them flying.

"Yeah, bad idea," he muttered. "I'll stick with Sodo." He turned to Luna. "Keep it up with Zarzock. And don't die on me."

Luna nodded, stepping toward Zarzock.

Zarzock grinned. "No new plans? I like that. It'll make breaking you so much more enjoyable."

Luna's magic flared. Her orb twisted and expanded, transforming into a massive galactic scythe.

"You don't get to decide who lives or dies," she said coldly.

Zarzock's expression darkened. "Awakened Star Magic... also known as Supernova," he mused. "Though it really should be called Galaxy... unless her energy actually explodes."

He took a defensive stance. *That magic is highly destructive… I should tread carefully.*

Zarzock lunged, unleashing a barrage of strikes. Luna dodged, her scythe flashing as she swung toward his neck. Zarzock barely avoided it, stepping back.

"She's fast," he muttered. "Slightly faster than Yaxoc."

He launched a series of demonic blasts to distract her. Luna, unfazed, cut through each one before dashing forward, slashing deep into his arms.

"GAAH! IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarzock bellowed.

Luna followed up with a powerful kick, sending him skidding across the battlefield.

Zarzock seethed. "That damn cat girl… her scythe is deadly."

He flexed his fingers—his arms regenerated instantly.

"I may need to sacrifice myself if I want to win this."

Yaxoc's Return

Yaxoc and Sodo clashed, their battle ripping apart time and space.

"I see your angelic essence is still destructive!" Sodo laughed. "But my speed will shatter you!"

Yaxoc struggled, barely keeping up.

"Damn it! This guy's a lunatic!"

Sodo ended with a lethal lightning strike, its power annihilating everyone around them.

Yaxoc was sent plummeting into the ocean, sinking beneath the waves.

His vision blurred as he stared at the sky above.

"I was too cocky…"

"But I can't die. Not now."

A realization struck him.

"A savior is a sacrifice. A weapon forged for the world's greatest challenges."

His eyes snapped open, glowing golden.

Yaxoc rose from the water, power radiating around him.

Sodo turned, eyes wide. "Did he just get stronger?"

Next to Yaxoc, a towering figure loomed—its presence alone enough to make Sodo tremble.

Yaxoc's fists burned with celestial light.

"BRING IT ON."

Sodo composed itself. "Fine. I'll end you for good."

They clashed once more—except now, Yaxoc dodged every strike with ease. One gut punch sent Sodo flying.

Yaxoc teleported, grabbing Sodo's head and slamming them into the earth.

Sodo retaliated with deadly lightning bolts. Yaxoc caught them mid-air.

"How does it feel when I control your speed?" He fired them back.

Sodo barely dodged. "He's terrifying…"

In an instant, Yaxoc teleported behind Sodo.

"ANGELIC FLASH!"

His punch shattered the sky—Sodo exploded into oblivion.