Verana and Master Turtle (G)

Verana and Master Turtle (G)

Master Turtle planted his feet firmly on the ground, taking a deep breath. He needed no weapons. His body was his tool for combat.

Thanatos lunged at them, his scythe gleaming with dark energy. Verana raised her hand and tried to block his mind with a psychic shield, but the entity's power was overwhelming. Her eyes widened as she felt an immense pressure trying to crush her thoughts.

"You think you can resist me?" Thanatos mocked, his voice reverberating inside her mind.

Master Turtle acted without hesitation. With precise movement, he leaped in front of Verana, dodging the scythe's blade with an agile twist of his body. His fist shot forward like thunder, striking Thanatos's wrist with surgical precision. The impact was strong enough to make the scythe vibrate in his hands, but not enough to disarm him.

Thanatos chuckled, stepping back.

"Interesting... A warrior who fights with only his body? Fools like you have fallen by the dozens before."

Master Turtle did not reply. His eyes were locked onto Thanatos's movements, analyzing every detail, every shift in weight, every subtle change in posture. He would not waste words when he could act.

Verana seized the moment to regain control. Her body glowed with a bluish aura, and with a mental cry, she unleashed a psychic wave at Thanatos. The entity felt the pressure invading his mind but resisted with a cruel smile.

"Ah... Finally, something fun!"

Thanatos raised his free hand, pulling his own dark energy inward, creating a burst of power that sent Verana flying back. But before he could advance on her, Master Turtle stood in his way once more.

With impressive speed, he evaded the next strike and spun his body, landing a sharp kick to Thanatos's knee. The impact was precise, hitting a vulnerable spot, making the enemy falter for a brief moment.

Verana saw the opening. She gathered her energy and, with a movement of her hands, conjured psychic chains around Thanatos, trying to immobilize him.

"Now, Master!"

Without hesitation, Master Turtle leaped, spinning in the air, and delivered a powerful strike to Thanatos's chest. The impact was enough to send him flying several meters back, cracking the ground beneath him.

Thanatos slowly rose, dusting off his armor. His smile had vanished.

"Do you really think this can stop me?"

He raised his hand, and suddenly, the ground around them began to split open, releasing even more dark energy.

Verana gasped, feeling the pressure increase. Master Turtle held his stance, fists clenched.

The earth trembled beneath them as the fissures widened, releasing waves of dark energy that twisted in the air like hungry serpents. Thanatos lifted his scythe, and the very atmosphere seemed to bend around him.

Master Turtle remained still, his breathing steady, his eyes sharp as blades. He needed no weapons, no tricks. His art was his body, and his body was a fortress.

Verana felt Thanatos's mind trying to invade hers again, but this time, she was ready. With an intense glow in her eyes, she fought back, launching a psychic wave directly into his consciousness.

Thanatos hesitated for a moment, surprised. His smile faded as he felt a throbbing pain in his mind.

"Interesting..." he murmured, tightening his grip on the scythe.

Master Turtle took advantage of the brief moment. With a fluid movement, he dashed forward, his feet barely touching the ground. His strikes were swift and precise, a direct punch to Thanatos's abdomen, followed by an elbow to the chin, and finally, a spinning kick that forced him back.

Thanatos staggered, his amusement giving way to a cold gleam in his eyes. He raised his free hand, and shadows began to merge around him, forming swords of pure darkness that floated in the air.

"No more games."

The blades shot toward them. Verana raised a psychic shield around herself and Master Turtle, deflecting some of the swords, but others sliced through, leaving thin cuts on the ground.

"We can't keep this up forever," she said through clenched teeth.

Master Turtle nodded, studying the enemy.

"Then we end this now."

Verana focused her energy, sensing every part of the battlefield, every vibration, every mind around her. Then, she found what she was looking for.

"The machine… it's interfering with the planet's energy flow. Thanatos isn't fighting alone, he's draining this place's life force to strengthen himself."

Master Turtle absorbed the information quickly.

"Then we must sever that connection."

Thanatos heard them and laughed.

"You really think you can stop something already in motion?"

He raised his scythe, and the dark energy around him began to swirl, forming a vortex.

Verana extended her hands, channeling her psychic energy to disrupt the power flow connecting Thanatos to the machine. Her body shone intensely as she forced her mind deeper into the connection.

Thanatos growled, feeling his strength falter for a moment.

"You insignificant worm..."

He lunged at her, his scythe radiating destructive power.

But Master Turtle was already there.

With a swift movement, he dodged the blade and, with a sharp strike to Thanatos's shoulder joint, destabilized the attack. Thanatos roared in anger, but before he could react, Verana seized the opening and unleashed all her psychic energy against him.

The connection was cut.

Thanatos screamed as the force sustaining him was severed. His aura trembled, wavering.

Verana fell to her knees, exhausted but satisfied.

Master Turtle simply took a deep breath, adjusting his stance as he watched the enemy stagger.

The battle was not over yet, but for the first time… Thanatos looked vulnerable.

Thanatos panted, but soon lifted his head and smiled. It wasn't a smile of despair, nor frustration. It was one of triumph.

"You really think cutting my connection to this planet will weaken me?"

The shadows around him began to pulse, and in an instant, the dark aura that seemed to waver exploded into pure energy. The ground trembled violently, and a wave of force swept across the battlefield, knocking the heroes back.

Verana quickly steadied herself with her power, while Master Turtle rolled backward, landing smoothly in a defensive stance.

Thanatos laughed. His scythe was larger, his veins glowed with dark light, and his eyes were pure chaos.

"You only set me free."

He struck the ground with his scythe, and immediately, pillars of darkness erupted, spreading destruction and splitting the heroes apart.

Afonso, on the other side, clenched his teeth. He had seen this before.

"He adapted..." he murmured.

José, beside him, was still analyzing the data on his bracelet.

"His energy… he's not just using the planet. He absorbed something else. Something unexpected."

Afonso took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Thanatos.

"This has happened before. The first time I fought him, he was on the brink of defeat… and then he became even stronger. But there was a limit."

José looked at him, frowning.

"What kind of limit?"

Afonso clenched his fists.

"Thanatos can't maintain this power level for long. He's pushing his body beyond its limits. We just need to hold out until he starts to break down."

José looked back at Thanatos and nodded.

"If we keep him occupied, I can try to find the exact point where this energy is stabilizing in his body. If we break that connection, he'll weaken for real."

Afonso smirked slightly.

"Good. Then let's make this bastard sweat a little."

Meanwhile, Verana and Master Turtle stood side by side, analyzing Thanatos's movements.

"Did you feel that?" Verana asked, still catching her breath.

Master Turtle nodded, his eyes never leaving the enemy.

"He is strong… but not unshakable."

Verana closed her eyes for a moment, reaching into Thanatos's mind. There was something there, something that wasn't before.

"He's holding back… but he's afraid of something."

Master Turtle took a deep breath.

"Then we need to find that fear… and use it against him."

Verana opened her eyes and smiled slightly.

"I like the way you think."

The two assumed their positions once more. Thanatos had grown stronger, but now they had a path to victory. And they wouldn't stop until they took him down.