Mystery

At the center of the ruined city, Zephyr was on his knee, his breathing heavy, blood trickling from his wounds. His blade was still gripped tightly in his hand, but it felt as though his strength was slipping away.

Across from him, Captain Soren stood tall, though his body was battered too, his clothes tattered, his sword dripping with the sweat of the fight. The man's confident smirk had never faded, and his gaze was filled with cold triumph.

"Well, well, Zephyr," Captain Soren taunted, the sneer in his voice venomous. "Seems like this is it. I thought you'd put up more of a fight. Yet here you are, broken and defeated."

Zephyr's grip on his blade tightened. His eyes were bloodshot, his muscles screaming for rest, but his spirit was still unyielding.

"You talk too much," Zephyr muttered, struggling to rise to his feet. His body didn't want to comply, but his will wouldn't let him stay down.

Soren's smirk grew wider, and he slowly walked toward Zephyr, his steps deliberate. "Admit it. You've lost. You can barely hold that sword up, let alone beat me."

Zephyr's teeth gritted. "I'm not losing to you."

Soren laughed, shaking his head. "I've heard it all before. No one escapes fate. You, my friend, are no different." He paused, looking down at Zephyr with mock pity. "You've got so much potential, but in the end, you're just another broken soul, pretending to be something more. Face it. You've already lost."

The words cut deep into Zephyr's pride. Anger surged through him, igniting a flame that refused to die out. His heart pounded, his mind screamed for retribution, and for the first time in this fight, Zephyr felt it.

Wild Break.

Zephyr's eyes glowed bright green, the air around him crackling with energy. His body surged with power, his muscles reinvigorated.

The city shuddered as a roar left his mouth, a voice that echoed across the ruins. The ground beneath him cracked as the wild power surged through his veins, turning his rage into a dangerous force.

"No… this can't be," Soren muttered in disbelief, taking a step back. He had never seen anything like it before. The green aura that surrounded Zephyr seemed to shift reality itself.

Zephyr's voice rumbled through the city. "I'm done with your lies. This is my fight. You will fall!"

The entire city shook as the earth beneath them rippled with energy. Kazimir, Jude, and everyone else felt it, a massive surge of power. 

From the distance, Kazimir paused, acknowledging the overwhelming energy. "Zephyr… he's using..THAT," Kazimir muttered under his breath.

Even Jude, in the midst of his own battle, looked up. His eyes flicked toward the source of the power surge, Zephyr. He could feel the pulse of energy. 

The moment had arrived. The city had become the arena for their final clash.

Zephyr rose to his feet, his blade flaring with energy. "Prepare yourself, Captain Soren. This ends now!"

Soren's expression twisted from disbelief to cold, calculated focus. "You think you can defeat me with that power?" He raised his sword, and energy poured into it, his own ultimate technique building.

They charged at each other, blades clashing with a sound like thunder. Both fighters seemed like titans, each using every ounce of their power to defeat the other.

The battle escalated rapidly. Zephyr's Wild Break technique created whirlwinds of green energy, slashing through the air. Soren countered with powerful strikes of his own, each one cleaving through the ground, causing massive shockwaves.

They clashed again and again, explosions of force shaking the city. At one point, Zephyr barely avoided a devastating blow from Soren's sword, but it grazed his shoulder, sending a spurt of blood into the air.

"You're weak!" Soren shouted, trying to overpower him. "Just give up!"

But Zephyr didn't falter. His green eyes blazed brighter, and with a final cry, he charged forward with everything he had. Wild Break unleashed in full, Zephyr's sword slashed forward in a beam of raw power.

Soren's blade met it, but the energy from Zephyr's strike overwhelmed him, the force cutting through Soren's guard. In the blink of an eye, Soren was flung back and crashed into the ground.

Zephyr stood above him, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. He looked down at Soren, his face a mask of fury and finality.

Soren gasped for air, his face pale in disbelief. "No… I can't lose… to you…"

Zephyr's voice was cold as he stood tall. "This is for Wild Girl's arm."

With one swift motion, Zephyr raised his blade and struck down, the final blow ending Captain Soren's life.

The captain's body crumpled to the ground. Zephyr stood over him, his breath ragged, his body covered in bruises, blood, and cuts. The battle was over.

But Zephyr didn't stand in celebration. Instead, his shoulders slumped, and he dropped to his knees. The energy of Wild Break drained from him, leaving him exhausted, collapsing onto the ground.

Meanwhile, the battle between Lucian and Jude had raged on for what felt like an eternity. Explosions ripped through the city, sending debris scattering in every direction.

The two fighters were bloodied and exhausted, but neither would back down.

Lucian's movements were almost ethereal, his entire form slipping in and out of reality with his illusionary powers. He twisted the air around him, causing Jude's attacks to miss time and time again, making him feel as though he was fighting shadows.

"You're not even trying anymore, Wild Card," Lucian taunted, his voice cold and mocking. "Your power… it's all just chaos. It doesn't matter how hard you swing, I'm always one step ahead."

Jude's breathing was ragged, his sword trembling in his grip. His body was battered, his clothes torn, and yet he refused to give in. He was tired, but his resolve was stronger than ever.

"Stop running, Bastard!" Jude yelled, frustration and anger boiling within him. "Stand and fight me like a man!"

Lucian's form flickered once more as he appeared behind Jude, tapping the back of his shoulder with the tip of his blade. "I am fighting you. I just don't need to play by your rules."

Jude spun around with lightning speed, but Lucian was already gone, his laughter echoing in the distance. He didn't even seem to care about the fight anymore. Lucian wasn't here for a victory. He wasn't here for a battle at all.

Jude's frustration began to boil over. His mind raced, and for the first time, he realized something he had denied for so long: He wasn't just fighting Lucian, he was fighting himself. Lucian's entire existence was a reflection of everything he feared.

The trickery and deception, the illusory freedom they both lived in. The weight of fate pulling at them, yet the illusion of control gave them nothing but empty victories. Jude's hands clenched tighter around his blade.

"Is this it?" Jude muttered to himself, still trying to catch his breath. "Is this the best I can do… Just like him?"

Lucian's voice cut through the silence, softer now, almost pained. "Isn't it what you've always wanted? The freedom to escape fate… The power to do whatever you want, to be whoever you want. You and I, we're not that different. I was born into this curse, too."

Jude's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

Lucian didn't reply immediately. He stood in front of Jude now, no illusions, no tricks. His eyes were hollow, haunted, as if carrying the weight of an unbearable past. "I was just like you, once. I had a Fate Brand, you know. A curse I couldn't escape, a life preordained for me. I fought it. I rebelled against it. And then, one day, I realized something. The only thing I had ever been was a tool. Just like you… a puppet."

Jude's face twisted in confusion. "You're saying this is my future too? To be just like you?"

Lucian laughed bitterly, his eyes glistening with something almost like regret. "No… no. You're better than that, Kid. I see it in your eyes. You don't want to be me. But you need to understand, freedom comes at a price. And I paid it."

For the first time, Lucian looked vulnerable. His usual arrogance was gone. He took a step toward Jude, who stood frozen in place. "I thought I could outrun fate… but I ended up just becoming another version of it. Another puppet. That's the curse of freedom, Jude. Once you break the chains, you lose yourself."

Jude stood motionless, his grip on his sword loosening. His emotions churned inside him. The battle, the conflict, it all seemed so… pointless now.

Lucian's voice dropped to a whisper, almost tender. "I see it in you. You're still fighting it. Fighting yourself. But you won't win until you accept one thing."

"What's that?" Jude asked, the words slipping from his lips without thinking.

Lucian smiled faintly, the most honest smile he had shown all battle. "That you're not the only one fighting against fate. I've been in your shoes. And now…" His expression darkened again, the reality of his own pain settling in. "I don't want you to end up like me. Alone. Empty."

Jude's chest tightened. His breath caught in his throat. A feeling washed over him, understanding. The rage, the anger, the fight, it all felt meaningless.

Lucian, despite all the tricks, all the cruelty, was just another lost soul like him. A soul that had been dragged through the flames and burned by the same system.

Jude dropped his sword to the ground with a soft clang, his eyes filled with tears. "Lucian…" He stepped forward, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry."

Lucian seemed taken aback. "What?"

"I get it now," Jude said, his voice cracking. "We're not that different, you and I. I've spent so much time trying to fight fate, but in the end, we're just running from something that's going to consume us. You don't have to do this anymore… neither do I."

Lucian's eyes widened. "You… you understand now?"

Jude nodded slowly, his voice barely a whisper. "I understand what you lost, Lucian. And I won't make the same mistake."

Lucian's expression softened, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He collapsed to his knees, a tear slipping down his cheek.

"I didn't want to be this person," Lucian confessed, his voice heavy. "But I became him. And now… I don't know how to undo the damage."

Jude stepped closer, kneeling in front of him. His voice was firm, but filled with emotion. "We don't have to fix everything, Lucian. We just have to stop fighting the wrong fight."

There was silence between them, filled with raw emotion. Slowly, Lucian reached out and touched Jude's arm, offering a small, tentative smile.

"I guess we're both broken then," Lucian said softly.

Jude's lips quivered. "Yeah… but we don't have to stay broken."