Fighting Spirit (The Final Barrier)

A Valiant Struggle

The battlefield lay shrouded in dust and charged with residual energy, crackling in the air like the last echoes of a storm. Jiu stood before them, transformed—a monstrous silhouette that pulsed with power. His aura radiated like a twisted sun, flickering with hints of the spiritual energies of Michael and Jay. His once-proud smirk was now a sinister grin, his eyes gleaming with malevolent satisfaction as he locked onto his opponents.

Kevin, Gabriel, Sofia, Ramona, and Ennui formed a determined line, bracing themselves against the dark energy radiating from Jiu. Kevin, his braided dreads crackling with energy, tightened the wrappings around his hands and glanced at the others. For a moment, his alternate life memories overlapped with his reality, and he could see just how much they'd all grown. Maybe... just maybe, he thought, we're ready for this.

Jiu took a casual step forward, his every movement a threat, but Kevin noticed something—a subtle slowing in the monstrous aura he'd expected to crush them. He exchanged a glance with Gabriel, whose flame-flickered gaze reflected the same realization. He's powerful, Gabriel thought, but he isn't as powerful as I thought he'd be.

"Don't hold back," Kevin murmured, his voice charged with confidence. "This isn't the same Jiu I fought before... we can do this."

Gabriel stepped up, fists blazing as a fierce grin crossed his face. "Fine by me." Without another word, he lunged, every punch and kick leaving small explosions of heat in their wake as he activated his newly discovered ability: Heat Pulse. Each impact detonated like a flash of molten fire, intensifying the power behind every strike. But controlling the eruptions proved harder than he expected; the pulses flared unpredictably, knocking him slightly off balance even as they intensified his attacks. He learned it by watching Jiu's energy pulse every now and then, since he has so much Spiritual energy it could give him and advantage.

Sofia dashed forward, her movements fluid and swift as she unleashed a whirlwind of ice shards and razor-sharp winds. With a flick of her wrist, she sent waves of frost spiraling toward Jiu, each shard aimed with deadly precision. Ramona's magick surged in tandem, her familiar Vecna wrapping around her like a protective barrier of thorned vines, launching piercing strikes to keep Jiu occupied.

Ennui, adopting her Shiva form, focused her energy, arms brimming with swirling magick. She murmured ancient incantations, summoning bursts of spectral energy that tore through the air. Jhalok, shot forward with blinding speed, unleashing blasts of raw spiritual energy.

For the first time, Kevin activated the full power of his left eye. The world around him slowed as his vision fractured into a hundred possible scenarios. He watched, analyzing Jiu's moves and the team's attacks, absorbing each potential outcome as the probabilities narrowed with every passing second. He could see flickers of what Jiu might do—a sweep of a clawed hand, an incoming blast of dark energy, a surge of ice and shadows. The attacks converged in his vision, weaving a tapestry of anticipation.

Each pulse of Gabriel's explosive energy created openings, splitting the air with sudden booms. As Jiu recoiled from one of the fiery bursts, Kevin saw the opportunity and darted forward. He landed a strike, lightning crackling along his fists, which found their mark as Jiu stumbled.

A grim smile crossed Jiu's face as he recovered, releasing an ice-cold blast. Michael's Spiritual energy, freezing the ground at their feet. With a smooth motion, he shifted and swung his arm, emitting Jay's signature illusion magick, casting twisted, shifting versions of himself all around them.

Sofia, undeterred by the clones, focused her energy into one concentrated shard of ice, aiming for the real Jiu with a single, precise throw. The shard grazed his shoulder, a hair's breadth from plunging into his neck.