SOULTALE | By ShadowNTS

(Chapter 153) Final Breath.

It's a beautiful sunrise outside, birds have started chirping, flowers are siphoning the sunlight. On days like these, people like you should be ready to fight.

RHT: He's completely lost it.
JGK: Reminds me of your friend, both monsters of battle.

You clench your blade tight and stay wary of any movements. His body twitches creepily. You begin to step forwards but before you can dash, a bone flies towards your face at abnormal speeds. Your expression shifts into shock.

RHT: (That wasn't any ordinary magic. It was more like it just appeared in front of my face... but that can't be possible. Soul magic can only be casted within the users' reach.)

Before you can regain focus, multiple blasters appear above you and fire. You manage to dodge in time and evade fatal damage. Sans teleports behind and swings a sharp bone. You duck underneath and ghost step to get behind him, unleashing a stream of hellfire. Shock covers your face as your attack completely vanishes.

RHT: H-he dissipated that..?!
SNS: Enjoy as much as you can, harbinger, because this is monsterkinds' fiercest fighting technique, only boasted by me, the strongest monster.
RHT: Don't tell me your power spans so far...
SNS: Feast your eyes on my soularia, Echoes of the Underground.
RHT: *smirk* Well aren't I glad?
SNS: What are you talking about?
RHT: Finally an opponent who forces me to go all out.
SNS: More tricks? Do your worst.
RHT: With pleasure.

You hold out your blade and close your eyes, taking a deep breath and gripping the hilt of your blade with all your strength.

RHT: Let's do this, Jiguko!
JGK: Use me to the fullest.
RHT: Burn.

Your body is engulfed in a spawn of hellfire. Sans smiles like a maniac. The look in your eyes is as fierce as ever. Sans makes the first move and teleports around the corridor, leaving afterimages. You dash across the hall, leaving behind a trail of hellfire, slicing through each image. Sans appears from above and blasts through the ground. The two of you exchange blows midair. Sans pushes you back with a bone and summons multiple blasters. You swing your blade in several patterns, releasing streams of hellfire, blocking the blasts. Sans teleports behind you and pierces through your back a sharp bone. You cover the wound with your soularia and grabs Sans' arm. The two of you fall onto the ground. You continue to grip onto Sans. He tries to unhand himself but you continue to endure the pain. With your other arm, you concentrate all your power into your blade and thrust it through Sans' heart. You smirk.

RHT: Die already!
SNS: I'm not done yet!

Sans summons a abnormal amount of blasters in the air. He closes his hand and the blasters fire, incinerating your body, but you continue to hold on.

RHT: One last push!
SNS: This is my victory!
RHT: Sacred Weapon X Soularia, Scorching Purgatory Slash!
SNS: Artificial Determination X Love, Planetary Obliteration!

Both of your attacks are unable to overpower each other. The surrounding area gets decimated. Massive amounts of energy build up until...it implodes. Smoke fills the ruins of the corridor.

SNS: Heh, nice one, kiddo. You managed to spark the love for fighting I missed.
RHT: Props to you too, comedian. It was one hell of a fight.
SNS: Let's spar sometime, don't ya think?
RHT: In my soon perfect world, of course.
SNS: Heh, I need a nap.

Sans' hoodie drops to the ground as his body withers into dust, carried away by the wind inside the palace. You place his brothers' scarf on top of the hoodie and turn away towards your next objective, but before you can place another step, you pass out from fatigue. Footsteps can be heard from the walls, along with whistling.

NOR: Ah! There you are! I've been looking for yo- *sigh* You're out cold again.

Noire sits beside you and rests her head on the pillar, continuing to whistle unbothered. The sun has come out from behind the mountains. It's a beautiful day outside.

End of Chapter 153
"Final Breath"

[ Rhett has taken down monsterkinds' greatest warrior... and comedian. ]