Blink: Ethereal Fury

The Dark Star

The night was too quiet.

Benji's heart pounded in his chest, his breath heavy as he watched Tao struggle to get back on his feet. He could still feel the energy inside him crackling, demanding to be unleashed again. The courtyard was in ruins—cracked stone, broken walls, and the lingering violet haze from his last blink. And yet, even with Tao lying in the rubble, there was no victory in his chest. No sense of relief. Just emptiness.

And then came the sound—heavy, methodical footsteps, boots crunching against the gravel of the temple grounds.

Benji turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as a shadow emerged from the darkness beyond the temple gate. He could make out the figure's outline first—a hulking frame, impossibly broad shoulders, draped in black tactical gear that glistened in the moonlight. The air around him seemed to ripple with malice, the temperature dropping as his presence filled the courtyard.

It was Black Star.

The infamous villain—a living nightmare draped in the twisted image of a hero. He walked with the calm authority of a man who had never lost a battle, the stars on his chest a mockery of everything Benji had been taught to believe in. His cold, lifeless eyes gleamed beneath a weathered helmet, reflecting none of the humanity they once might have held.

"Well, well, well," Black Star's voice was a deep, gravelly rumble, tinged with mock amusement. "Quite the mess you've made here, kid."

Benji's entire body tensed. He had heard stories of Black Star, of his ruthlessness, his terrifying strength. But seeing him here, in the flesh, was something else entirely. He didn't blink forward this time; he knew better than to rush a man like Black Star.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Benji demanded, his voice hoarse with exhaustion, but he stood firm.

Black Star chuckled darkly, his steps unhurried as he approached the center of the courtyard. "You think this was all about Sensei's little temple? Some power play by Tao?" He stopped, glancing down at the wounded Tao, who barely managed to sit upright against a broken wall. "No. You kids are just a means to an end. You think Tao's betrayal was the worst of it?"

Benji's pulse quickened. "You're after something else."

Black Star's gaze met Benji's, and for the first time, Benji felt truly powerless. The aura around Black Star was suffocating—an oppressive weight that settled into his bones.

"That's right," Black Star said, his tone darkening. "Your Sensei had something I need. A key—no, the key—to controlling everything. And thanks to you breaking this temple wide open, I didn't have to lift a finger."

Benji blinked forward, his fists blazing with raw energy. "Over my dead body."

Black Star didn't flinch. In an instant, he moved, faster than Benji could react. A massive, gloved hand grabbed him by the throat, lifting him clean off the ground. The energy around Benji flared violently, but Black Star seemed unfazed.

"You're not ready for this fight, kid," Black Star growled, tightening his grip. Benji gasped for air, struggling as he tried to summon the strength to blink out of his grasp.

"You really think that rage inside you is enough? That little trick you call power?" Black Star lifted Benji higher, his arm extending with terrifying ease. "Let me show you what real power looks like."

With a brutal swing, Black Star hurled Benji across the courtyard. Benji blinked mid-air, trying to cushion the impact, but it wasn't enough. He crashed hard into the temple's main altar, rubble collapsing around him.

Pain shot through his body. He coughed, struggling to get up, but his limbs felt heavy—like they weren't his own.

"Benji!" Mira's voice cut through the chaos as she and Daichi rushed to his side.

Black Star was still advancing, slow and deliberate, as if he had all the time in the world. He wasn't here for a fight. He was here for slaughter.

Daichi's eyes burned with fury as he stepped forward, his arms shifting, transforming into jagged, gleaming blades of liquid metal. "Get away from him," he growled.

Black Star smirked. "The tin man finally shows some spine. I've been waiting for this."

Daichi moved, slashing forward with a speed and precision that could have severed steel, but Black Star caught the blades mid-swing, the metallic clang reverberating through the courtyard. With a simple twist of his wrist, Black Star bent Daichi's blades backward, sending him stumbling.

Mira's hands crackled with light, her palms glowing as she unleashed a barrage of energy blasts. They struck Black Star's chest, causing explosions of light and dust, but when the smoke cleared, he stood there unscathed.

"I've fought gods," Black Star sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "You really think a few toys will stop me?"

Mira gritted her teeth, her hands trembling. "We can't let him get what he wants, Benji. We have to stop him!"

Benji tried to stand, his entire body screaming in protest. His vision swam, but he blinked forward, appearing beside Mira. "We can take him," Benji said, but even he wasn't sure.

"You can try," Black Star said coldly, before slamming his shield into Daichi's chest with a sickening thud. Daichi flew backward, crashing into the temple's crumbling walls.

Benji blinked again, throwing a concussive blast toward Black Star's head. For a split second, the energy connected, causing Black Star to stagger—but only for a moment.

Then Black Star grinned. "That all you got?"

Before Benji could blink again, Black Star was in front of him. He swung his shield, and this time, it connected with Benji's ribs. Benji gasped, the impact shattering through his body. He collapsed, struggling to breathe, every movement a jolt of pain.

Mira screamed, her powers flaring with a desperate intensity. She shot forward, but Black Star caught her mid-attack, throwing her into the ground with bone-breaking force.

Benji, vision blurred, tried to rise. "No..."

Black Star towered over him, his shield dripping with blood. "You never stood a chance, kid."

Benji's vision dimmed as Black Star raised his shield once more, aiming for the killing blow. But in that moment, the ground trembled. The air around them thickened with an oppressive energy.

It was Tao.

Broken, bloodied, but alive, Tao staggered to his feet. His eyes were wide, glowing with unnatural power. The very fabric of reality twisted around him, warping as his dark energy surged.

"Black Star... you're not leaving here with that key," Tao snarled, his voice low and venomous.

Black Star glanced at him, uninterested. "Oh? You think you can stop me?"

Tao's energy flared, swallowing the courtyard in darkness. "I'll die before I let you win."