Saland, Christy, and Shimmon stood at the apex of their current power, their gazes locked onto the figure before them. It was Null. The very air around him crackled with the oppressive weight of his singularity – oblivion itself. A vast, cerulean aura billowed around his pitch-black form like an ethereal fog, and a chilling smile stretched across his features.
"I truly hope you youngsters have grown stronger," Null's voice echoed, laced with a dangerous amusement. "Because this time… I intend to be serious."
Saland's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of his twin blades. "Two months have passed since our last encounter. We are no longer the same individuals you faced then!"
A dry chuckle escaped Null's lips. "Well then, by all means, demonstrate this newfound power of yours." He shifted into a combat stance, a single, emerald eye burning with intense energy, his confident smile never wavering.
Without a word, Saland and Shimmon exploded into motion, blurring across the ruined landscape. Saland unleashed a rapid-fire assault of slashes from his left, his blades whistling through the air, while Shimmon simultaneously launched a relentless barrage of punches from the right. Null, with an almost casual grace, crossed his arms, his right hand intercepting one of Saland's flashing swords, his left effortlessly catching Shimmon's incoming fist.
The two attackers sprang back, creating a momentary distance. Null's gaze swept over them, a hint of approval in his emerald eye. "You have indeed gained speed and strength. However…" his voice dropped, a chilling edge creeping in, "you must possess the intent to kill if you wish to prevail."
The pressure emanating from Null intensified, the very atmosphere growing heavy. In response, Shimmon surged forward once more, his movements a blur despite the crushing weight of oblivion. At such close quarters, the oppressive force should have hampered his speed, yet Shimmon pressed his attack, a furious storm of fists aimed at Null. Null met his assault head-on, his own fists a matching tempest of motion. Blows rained down, neither combatant bothering to defend, a brutal exchange of raw power.
Then, Null's right arm began to glow with an ominous green light, the raw energy of oblivion coalescing within it. In contrast, Shimmon's left arm blazed with a vibrant draconic aura. The moment their charged fists collided, a cataclysmic shockwave ripped through the area, sending Shimmon tumbling backward.
He landed hard, a grimace twisting his features. "His… his formidable power belies his unsettling beauty. He's far stronger than when we confronted him within his fortress." Shimmon pushed himself back to his feet, his gaze fixed on the seemingly untouchable Null.
"But we've grown stronger too!" Saland declared, his voice ringing with determination. He launched himself forward, his movements a silver streak as he unleashed a torrent of slashes at an impossible speed. In the past two months, Saland had honed his precognitive abilities, now able to anticipate Null's movements for the next ten seconds, a crucial edge in this deadly dance. With precise strikes, he managed to draw a thin line of crimson across Null's right shoulder.
A flicker of surprise registered in Null's emerald eye. That Saland had managed to wound him, even under the suffocating influence of his oblivion pressure, was unexpected.
Before Null could fully react, Shimmon shot forward, unleashing his trump card – the Divine Dragon's Roar. A dazzling beam of multicolored light erupted from his mouth, hurtling towards Null. Using the sheer force of his oblivion pressure, Null managed to erect a barrier, deflecting the direct impact. However, he then noticed something unsettling – shimmering spheres of multicolored light were now levitating around him.
In that same instant, Saland moved again, his speed so immense he seemed to momentarily brush against the very edge of light speed. As he moved, the levitating spheres detonated in a chain reaction, engulfing Null in a blinding maelstrom of light slashes moving at near-light velocity. When the chaotic light subsided, Null was riddled with glowing wounds, and the oppressive pressure he exuded had noticeably diminished.
Christy finally made her move. A swirling, violet aura erupted around her, her two razor-sharp fans glowing with the same intense hue. Upon the semicircular edges of her fans, three sharp blades of pure violet light materialized.
"This technique…" Christy's voice was low, resonating with a newfound power, "is the evolution of the quantum unlock. I have managed to assimilate it, to make it my own. Now, it is called Chaos unlock… and it is far more potent than its original form!"
With a burst of speed that warped the air around her, Christy lunged towards Null, an immense aura of pure chaos radiating from her. Fear flickered across Null's face as he unleashed a rapid barrage of oblivion projectiles, but Christy's chaotic aura met the attack head-on, dissolving the dark energy before it could reach her. With a swift, double-crossed slash of her enhanced fans, she struck Null.
A guttural roar tore from Null's throat. "Impossible! It cannot end like this! Not now!" His regeneration, usually instantaneous, was visibly sluggish, and a gaping, violet X-shaped wound marred his chest. Frustration contorted his features. "You damned woman! You dared to damage my core!"
Within Null's chest, a sphere of concentrated energy pulsed, now crisscrossed with ominous violet cracks. "Don't think you'll get away with this!" Null snarled, his voice laced with desperation. "I am Null, a high-level glitch! Do not underestimate me! You made a fatal error in not eliminating me when you had the chance! Singularity oblivion awakened!"
The cerulean aura surrounding Null warped and shifted, morphing into a menacing shade of crimson. The pressure he exuded spiked exponentially, crushing the very air. A confident, almost manic grin spread across his face.
"I am the only glitch to have awakened my own singularity! Prepare to die!"
Their breaths catching in their throats, the three heroes braced themselves. Shimmon, despite his earlier setback, was the first to move, launching himself forward with a desperate burst of speed. He channeled his draconic mana into a single, devastating punch aimed at Null's chest. Yet, Null didn't even flinch. With a casual flick of his wrist, he parried the powerful blow with a single hand. In the same fluid motion, his other fist shot out, a crimson blur aimed directly at Shimmon's face.
The impact was brutal. Shimmon was sent hurtling backward, crashing heavily against the debris-strewn ground. Saland, reacting instantly, darted forward and caught his comrade in mid-air.
"Thanks, Saland," Shimmon gasped, clutching his jaw. "I know I acted rashly, but I needed to gauge his true power."
The shockwave from Null's single punch had been so immense that even Christy, who had been preparing her next attack, was caught off guard, the residual force slamming into her.
Shimmon and Saland pushed themselves back to their feet, their eyes burning with a mixture of pain and fury. Null, meanwhile, let out a chilling, hysterical laugh. "You fools! You have pitted yourselves against one of the most powerful glitches in existence! You will all perish here and now!"
With a movement that seemed to defy perception, Null vanished and reappeared in front of Shimmon, delivering a crushing blow to his stomach. Shimmon doubled over, collapsing to his knees, gasping for air. Null then spun, delivering a powerful kick to Saland, who was sent skidding backward, though he managed to raise his arms in time to partially block the attack. Christy lay still, her Queen of Chaos form having dissipated, leaving her vulnerable.
Shimmon, still kneeling, looked up at Null with a raw, untamed rage in his eyes. Saland, though battered, remained standing.
"Surely," Null sneered, his crimson aura pulsating menacingly, "you won't surrender just yet? The only redeeming quality of your inferior race is that you often display your greatest strength when pushed to the brink. Show me… show me your power!"
Saland stood alone, the last line of defense. "Shimmon, stay where you are," he commanded, his voice surprisingly steady despite the situation. "I didn't think I'd have to use this now… but you've left me no choice."
The gemstones embedded in the hilts of his twin blades began to glow, their multicolored light intensifying, surpassing even their previous brilliance. With a deliberate motion, Saland brought the two blades together. A blinding flash of light erupted, momentarily obscuring the battlefield. When the light subsided, Saland held a single, magnificent sword. Its hilt was long and black, adorned with intricate solar patterns. A stark white guard extended outwards, and from it emerged not one, but two long, vertical blades, their cutting edges facing away from each other. A bizarre, crackling electricity danced in the space between the two blades.
"This," Saland declared, his voice resonating with newfound power, "is the incomplete form of my sword… 'EXSTAR INCOMPLETE FORM.' I had intended to unleash this power against the primordial glitch… but now, I will use it to avenge Sharon!"
Null's single emerald eye widened with a flicker of intrigue. "Just as I anticipated," he purred, a hint of excitement in his voice. "You lesser beings truly become more fascinating when you are at your limits. Come then… show me what you can do."
Saland shifted into a ready stance, arcs of luminous electricity crackling around his unique weapon. "Limits exist to be surpassed!" he declared, his gaze unwavering.
In the blink of an eye, Saland shot forward, channeling the light electric energy into his dual blades. Null, in response, focused his enhanced oblivion energy into his right arm, preparing a devastating blow. But Saland was faster. With a speed that seemed to warp space, he moved past Null's incoming fist, the twin blades of Exstar slicing through Null's left arm. The severed limb regenerated almost instantly, but the momentary distraction was all Saland needed.
Leaping into the air, he brought Exstar down in a powerful arc, unleashing a torrent of multicolored light electricity. Null met the attack with his enhanced oblivion, a dark vortex of energy swirling around him. But for a fleeting instant, Null lost sight of Saland, who had teleported directly in front of him.
"This… is for Sharon!" Saland roared, thrusting the twin blades of Exstar straight through Null's torso. In the space between the two blades, an immense amount of incandescent energy began to build.
"EXSTAR SHOT!" Saland unleashed a devastating beam of pure energy from his sword, piercing through Null's body and tearing through his core. With a final, disbelieving gasp, Null collapsed to the ground, his form beginning to dissolve into shimmering pixels of dust.
Saland rested the unique sword on his shoulder, a weary but triumphant smile gracing his lips as he looked towards Shimmon and the still unconscious Christy. "We… we did it."
Slowly, Shimmon pushed himself to his feet, a relieved grin spreading across his bruised face. As they watched the last remnants of Null fade away, a blinding white portal materialized from the shadows of the ruined chamber. Without a word, the three heroes stepped through, leaving the remnants of their fierce battle behind.