When the world burns

Chapter 9

The crackling of flames echoed in the silence between Giovanni and Isaac. Both men panted heavily, locked in a fierce stare.

Isaac straightened, his gaze unwavering.

"Shall we continue?" Isaac asked.

Giovanni smirked. "I was waiting for you. There's no joy in taking down an injured fighter."

Isaac's eyes narrowed as he dashed forward, landing a solid punch to Giovanni's midsection. Giovanni's heat aura had dropped, allowing the strike to connect cleanly. Isaac followed with a swift hook to the jaw, sending Giovanni staggering backward.

Ignition Wave.

A massive burst of heat erupted from Giovanni, hurling Isaac back with immense force. He hit the ground hard, the impact echoing through the burning battlefield.

Giovanni stood tall, laughter spilling from his lips.

"To think I could take you down, Master Isaac… The rumors were right—you really have grown senile."

"Mas…" Giovanni's voice faltered, the word lingering in his mind.

"Who are you…?" Isaac growled. "Answer me."

Giovanni's expression twisted into something darker. "I'm your worst nightmare—your fear and regret made flesh." His voice rose, high-pitched and sharp.

Isaac gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, his body trembling. With a burst of speed, he lunged at Giovanni. Giovanni swung, but Isaac ducked beneath the punch, his palm pressing against Giovanni's suit.

Shatter.

Giovanni's suit crumpled away, dissolving into ash, revealing a sleek, black bodysuit beneath. The firelight illuminated the rage and disgust etched across Giovanni's face.

Isaac froze, words catching in his throat.

"You took the only family I had." Giovanni's voice cracked with fury. "I won't forgive you, Isaac. You promised to protect her. So, where is she now? Answer me!"

A concentrated ball of heat formed in Giovanni's palm. With a snarl, he hurled it at Isaac, striking him square in the chest.

"Instead of finding a way to redeem yourself… instead of seeking revenge for her, you sit here sulking. Where's the ruthless hero Sierra Nova once admired? What happened to Hero X?" Giovanni's eyes burned with hatred. "If you can't avenge Eunice… I will. I'll destroy everything she left behind. I'll burn the whole world down for her."

A blinding corona of plasma engulfed Giovanni's body. Everything around him withered under the intense heat—air combusted, and the ground melted beneath his feet as he advanced. Every step left a trail of flames in his wake.

Isaac barely had time to register Giovanni's movement before he was upon him. Giovanni's fist slammed into Isaac's midsection, detonating on impact. The resulting explosion hurled Isaac miles away, his body leaving a scorched path across the landscape.

Isaac struggled to rise, his body trembling and his vision fading. Giovanni stood ahead, a beacon of light in the vast darkness that threatened to consume him.

"I can't do this…" Isaac whispered to himself.

His voice wavered, barely audible over the crackling flames.

"Eunice… I'm sorry. I failed you. I… I'm weak. I couldn't protect you. I let my mistakes take you away… All I have left are your ideals, but—"

"That's where you're wrong, silly."

A soft, ethereal hand rested on his shoulder.

"Eunice…" Isaac's breath caught in his throat.

"You're not the reason I died," she said gently. "I chose to lay down my life so you could live. It was my decision. Forgive yourself, Isaac. Tell Giovanni I love him… and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my end of the promise."

The warmth of her presence faded as the hand lifted.

Isaac wiped away the tears streaming down his face. He felt the intense heat radiating from Giovanni, who approached like an unstoppable force. Despite the danger, Isaac let out a soft chuckle.

"Even in death, you can't stop mothering me, can you? You really had to come back to set me straight… I love you, Eunice."

He rose to his feet, the weight on his shoulders finally lifting. As Giovanni closed in, Isaac's stride quickened. He broke into a sprint, leaping into the air. Clapping his hands together, he unleashed a barrage of thin, razor-sharp sound waves.

Giovanni weaved through the attack effortlessly.

"You're ready to fight now, aren't you?" Giovanni growled.

Isaac grinned, landing softly. "You've grown strong, Gio. Eunice would be proud."

Giovanni's eyes darkened. "What do you know?"

Isaac's gaze softened. "I know you want to end this the right way—like men. Let's talk with our fists."

"Don't hold back."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Fuck that…" Giovanni's voice cracked with raw fury. "I'll burn the world down."

Solar Ascendancy: Nova Flare.

The air around Giovanni warped as intense heat condensed into his hands. The sheer mass of energy burned his skin, but he pressed his palms together, unleashing a blinding torrent of flame. The firestorm surged toward Isaac, hot enough to incinerate everything in its path.

Sonar Cataclysm.

Isaac inhaled deeply, drawing in every sound, every vibration from the surrounding environment. The echoes of destruction, the flicker of flames, even the subtle hum of the atmosphere—he gathered them all into a final attack.

With a roar, Isaac unleashed his full power. The two forces collided in a cataclysmic explosion, obliterating the warehouse around them.

The dust settled slowly.

Isaac emerged from the rubble, his body battered and charred, blood seeping from open wounds. He staggered forward, each step labored.

Giovanni stood in the center of the destruction, blood pouring from his ears. His arms hung limp at his sides, his body broken but still standing.

Isaac reached out, pulling Giovanni into an embrace.

"She said she loved you," Isaac whispered, his voice hoarse. "She was sorry she couldn't make it back… and she didn't want to leave you alone."

Giovanni didn't respond. He couldn't hear the words. But he understood.

Tears streamed down Giovanni's face as years of grief and pain finally found release in the arms of the only friend he had left.

Meanwhile…

"Glad we took our fight somewhere else—otherwise, we'd be buried in that mess," Elliot said, feeling the ground tremble beneath his feet from the distant clash between Giovanni and Isaac.

He smirked, glancing down at Malick and Janice, both sprawled on the ground, bruised and battered.

"Huh… can you guys still hear me? I guess not," Elliot said mockingly.

Malick groaned, pushing himself up with shaky arms.

"What were you two thinking, taking me on without a mutation? I knew you were stupid, but not this stupid," Elliot laughed, the sound sharp and cold.

Malick's gaze shifted to Janice, who lay unconscious beside him.

"I can't keep running… I have to use it," he muttered under his breath.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "You've been protecting Janice all this time. I don't get you."

"You don't have to listen to his taunts, Malick," Janice said weakly, stirring as she tried to sit up.

Malick clenched his fists. "Yeah… I'm done listening. Close your eyes."

"What—"

"Just close them." His voice grew darker, hollow, as if something else spoke through him.

Elliot's smirk faded as he instinctively stepped back. Janice hesitated but eventually shut her eyes.

Malick rose to his feet, his eyes burning red under the pale moonlight.

"I'll make you suffer."

Shattered Reality.

Elliot's confident stance faltered. His mind fractured—like a mirror splintering into infinite shards.

Reality twisted. Each fragment reflected a different path, a different outcome. Elliot's vision swam with overlapping possibilities, warping and collapsing in on each other.

He swung wildly at phantoms, unable to distinguish what was real. In one flickering moment, Malick rushed toward him, blade drawn. In the next, Malick disappeared—replaced by shadows of alternate realities.

Elliot stumbled, gripping his head as if to hold his mind together.

"What… the hell is this?"

"Malick?" Janice's trembling voice cut through the chaos. She opened her eyes—and screamed.

"Janice!" Malick's eyes snapped back to normal as he spun to face her.

"It's okay… it's—" Malick's words faltered.

Blood spilled from his mouth. Elliot's katana jutted through Malick's chest, glistening in the moonlight.

Elliot grinned wickedly, his head still tilted as if in pain. His free hand clawed at his scalp.

"Your power's something else," Elliot rasped. "A sight-based ability… trapping your target in some kind of hypnosis—flooding their mind with conflicting realities. Makes sense now."

Malick's knees buckled, his breath shallow.

Elliot leaned in closer, eyes narrowed. "And those eyes… You're one of them, aren't you? A Revenant hybrid."