The skeletal hand hovered above the creature, its movements slow yet deliberate as it pinned him in place. The dark flames along his body sputtered weakly, his defiance wavering. But before JJ could act further, a sudden shift in the air drew her attention away.
Meanwhile.
The King reappeared in the center of the grand arena, his golden aura casting faint reflections off the massive drones circling above. Yun-Jin lay crumpled in his arms, her pink hair streaked with blood and dust as her breaths came shallow and uneven. He looked down at her, a faint smirk playing across his lips.
"You see that?" the King asked, his voice calm but laced with sharp derision. He gestured toward the battlefield, where Lt. Heissman, battered and bloodied, was on his knees. Osalf loomed over him, his blade raised high and glowing with power as the finishing blow approached. The gathered spectators held their collective breath, the tension so thick it seemed to pulse in the air.
The King tilted his head, his tone almost conversational. "Osalf is about to kill another of the kingdom’s best. Do you understand now, Yun-Jin? Lt. Daemon was wrong. People don’t change."
At the mention of Daemon’s name, Yun-Jin stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes clouded with pain and confusion. She tried to sit up, but the King’s grip kept her steady. "No…" she murmured weakly. "Daemon… he believed…"
The King chuckled softly, shaking his head as though pitying her. "Daemon believed in a great many things," he said, his tone laced with condescension. "But belief doesn’t change the truth. Look at them." He nodded toward the battlefield. "Another cycle of betrayal and bloodshed. Just like always."
Yun-Jin’s eyes darkened, the haze of pain lifting as anger began to simmer beneath her gaze. The words cut deep, but the scene before her cut deeper. She watched as Osalf’s blade descended toward Heissman, the blow set to sever what little hope remained in the kingdom.
"No," she whispered, her voice trembling but growing steadier. She looked up at the King, her long pink hair falling over her shoulders as she forced herself upright. "You’re wrong."
The King raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to one of mild curiosity. "Oh?" he said, his tone almost amused. "And what would you call this, then?"
Yun-Jin didn’t answer. Instead, her body vanished in a blur of motion, leaving only the faintest ripple in the air where she had been. In the blink of an eye, she appeared on the battlefield, her long pink hair streaming behind her as she intercepted Osalf’s strike. The force of the collision sent a shockwave rippling outward, freezing the spectators in stunned silence.
Osalf’s eyes widened in surprise as his blade met resistance, his momentum halting abruptly. Yun-Jin stood before him, her hand braced against his weapon, her aura flaring with raw intensity. "This isn’t over," she said, her voice steady and resolute. "Not while I’m here."
Osalf pulled back, his eyes narrowing as the force of Yun-Jin’s aura crackled against his blade. The impact had been enough to force him to take a step back—a rare event, judging by the sharp flicker of annoyance that crossed his face.
"You’re late to the fight, Yun-Jin," Osalf said, his voice cold but steady. "And desperate theatrics won’t change the outcome."
Yun-Jin didn’t respond immediately. Her focus shifted to the figures surrounding Osalf—his remaining allies, each one poised and ready to strike. Their stances betrayed their skill, and their weapons gleamed with energy that pulsed in time with their auras. But Yun-Jin’s expression didn’t waver.
She extended her arm, her pink strand glowing brighter as it wrapped itself around her hand. "You think you have a chance because you’re not alone," she said calmly, her voice carrying an edge of defiance. "But I don’t need anyone to stop you."
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The first of Osalf’s allies lunged at her, their spear humming with energy as it drove toward her midsection. Yun-Jin sidestepped effortlessly, her movement almost lazy as her hand shot out. Her fingers grasped the shaft of the spear, twisting sharply and snapping it in half before spinning and driving the broken end into the attacker’s shoulder. The force sent them crashing to the ground with a pained cry.
Before the others could react, Yun-Jin moved again, her speed leaving streaks of light in her wake. She closed the distance to the next fighter—a burly man wielding twin axes—and ducked under his wild swing. Her hand flicked out, striking him in the ribs with enough force to send him hurtling into the nearby wall, the axes clattering uselessly to the ground.
"Two down," Yun-Jin muttered, her tone measured as she turned to the remaining three. They hesitated, their confidence faltering as they exchanged glances. One of them—a wiry woman with long, braided hair—took a cautious step back before summoning a whirlwind of energy around her.
Yun-Jin’s gaze locked onto her, her eyes narrowing slightly. "If you’re going to run," she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade, "don’t waste my time."
The woman didn’t retreat. Instead, she unleashed the whirlwind, the force of it tearing across the battlefield toward Yun-Jin. The wind howled as it closed in, carrying shards of stone and debris in its wake. But Yun-Jin didn’t flinch.
She raised her hand, the pink strand glowing fiercely as it coalesced into a barrier around her. The whirlwind struck the barrier with a deafening crash, but it didn’t break. Yun-Jin stepped forward, her barrier pushing against the storm until she was within striking distance. Her free hand shot out, grabbing the woman by the front of her armor and pulling her forward.
"Too slow," Yun-Jin said simply before driving her knee into the woman’s stomach. The force sent her crumpling to the ground, the whirlwind dissipating into nothingness.
The last two fighters hesitated, their resolve clearly shaken. One of them—a lanky man with a curved blade—gritted his teeth and charged, hoping to catch her off guard X