Unwritten Mythos

Eternal death

The threads danced, shimmering as countless puppets surged forward to clash with Enko. He moved with brutal precision, his waist snapping downward as his kick sent the puppets sliding across the floor like they were on ice. Mei's threads twitched, pulling the puppets back to their feet, only for Enko to repeat the maneuver, effortlessly sending them sprawling once more.

Huh?

Mei's eyes narrowed. Something was off.

Enko shifted his stance, charging directly at her. With a flick of her fingers, Mei shot out a thread, aiming to pierce him. But as if he had foreseen her every move, Enko ducked low, sliding across the ground with uncanny grace, closing the distance between them. His strike sent her slipping, much like her puppets before.

Mei pulled herself upright using her threads, but Enko repeated the action, his every movement timed perfectly to knock her off balance again.

What in the world...?

"Can he... always make me slip?"

Doubt clawed at her thoughts as she prepared to put some distance between them. But in that moment, a voice whispered in Enko's ear.

"Thirty seconds left. Get out now!"

Enko didn't falter, continuing his relentless pursuit, charging straight toward Mei.

"Enko, what's your plan?" Mei's fingers twitched, pulling her threads to lift her back to her feet.

Enko attacked again, but this time, Mei was ready. Her fingers curled, and the puppets she had concealed sprung into action. In an instant, the killing array was triggered.

Swish, swish!

Countless threads radiated from all directions, skewering Enko's body in a web of sharp precision. Mei tugged the threads, forcing him to kneel before her.

"Interesting ability you've got there. Care to explain how you made me slip earlier?" she asked, her tone laced with intrigue.

Enko's mouth curled into a laugh, his defiance unwavering. "You guess."

Mei's grip tightened on the threads, pulling them taut as Enko's body contorted. "It's fine. We have time to figure it out... don't we?"

Enko's eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "But I feel like you don't."

Mei's instincts flared. She frowned, a sudden premonition gnawing at her mind.

BOOM!

The explosion roared from below, the sound deafening as flames erupted, engulfing the building. Mei's eyes widened, quickly directing her threads to pull her and the puppets skyward. But Enko wasn't finished.

In the chaos, he opened his mouth and exhaled a chilling breath. The frigid air rushed toward Mei, freezing her legs solid in an instant. Unable to move, she plummeted from the sky, crashing toward the burning wreckage below.

Enko stood above her, his eyes cold, yet triumphant. "I told you, I'll win against fate, just this once."

Mei lay trapped, her limbs frozen, helpless to stop the flames and destruction racing toward her. She glanced at Enko, now resolute, standing amidst the impending inferno.

"So," she murmured, "you knew my location all along, using that future sight to plant the bomb ahead of time."

Her voice remained steady, even as the building collapsed beneath them, the flames devouring everything in their path.

"The plan's decent," Mei admitted, "but... what about you?"

Enko's lips curled into a chilling smile. "If I die taking you down with me, I'll call that a worthy end."