Fighting Spirit (The Final Barrier)

African Proverbs

As Kevin and Gabriel continued their desperate assault on Jiu, their breaths grew ragged, bodies bruised and burnt. Jiu's every movement was seamless, an infuriating calmness emanating from him even as he met their strongest attacks with little more than a flick of his wrist or a sidestep. Each failed strike, each blocked blow only emphasized how outmatched they were, even in their awakened states.

"Come on, Kevin! Gabriel! You've got to hold on," Ramona murmured from the sidelines, her fists clenched tight, face pale with worry. Her voice cracked, betraying her fear. "I've seen them take on monsters, but this... this is different."

"He's barely even trying, Ramona," Ennui muttered beside her, eyes wide with a mixture of anger and helplessness. "And they're giving everything." She clenched her hands tighter, readying her next spell. "Damn it, there has to be something we can do."

Sofia watched the exchange with a look of quiet horror. "If even they can't stop him..." She trailed off, a rare trace of hopelessness slipping into her voice. "What chance do any of us have?"

Kevin and Gabriel pressed on, each attack more desperate than the last. Kevin conjured an electric whip, swinging it in a fierce, wild arc. "You think you're invincible, don't you?" he growled, pouring his fury into the weapon. "Let's see how calm you are with this!"

The whip sliced toward Jiu's head, crackling with raw energy, but Jiu slipped aside with a smirk, catching the whip with one hand. He yanked it, throwing Kevin off-balance, then drove his palm into Kevin's chest, sending him skidding back. Jiu's smile grew, almost taunting. "You're wearing yourselves down," he remarked coolly, his voice so calm it sent chills through the battlefield. "But go ahead, continue. I'm in no rush."

Wayne, standing a short distance away, watched the spectacle in awe and horror, his fists clenching in frustration. "Kevin's using everything he's got. Gabriel too," he muttered, shaking his head. "And he still treats them like insects." A small, bitter laugh escaped him. "Jiu, seems to be leagues ahead of everyone now."

Gabriel summoned his flame sword again, the blade blazing with blue fire. With a roar, he swung it down, aiming to sever Jiu in two. "Try this!" he shouted, pushing his exhaustion to the side. The blade descended with immense force, igniting the very air around it as it neared its target. But Jiu sidestepped, moving in a near-blur. He seized Gabriel's arm mid-swing, twisted, and drove his knee into Gabriel's gut, making him choke on his own breath.

"Is that all you have, flame spirit?" Jiu asked, his voice laced with cold amusement as he tossed Gabriel aside. "I expected more."

Kevin scrambled to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth, fury etched across his face. Despite the pain radiating through his limbs, he raised his hand, summoning several crackling electric orbs. With a grunt, he launched them in rapid succession, the orbs sizzling through the air like bolts of pure wrath. "You won't keep treating us like this, Jiu!" he shouted, his voice a mixture of rage and exhaustion.

Jiu smirked, deflecting each orb with effortless precision, flicking them away as if they were trivial nuisances. "Predictable, Kevin," he mocked. "Theatrics won't change the outcome here."

Gabriel staggered up beside Kevin, his body engulfed in flickering blue flames. "Predictable, huh?" he muttered, glaring at Jiu through gritted teeth. Without warning, he shot forward, his entire body a comet of blue fire. Just as he closed in, Gabriel activated his Flare ability, blinding light bursting from him like a small sun.

"Take that!" Gabriel roared, swinging his flame sword down at Jiu, who staggered slightly under the light, if only for a brief second.

But Jiu recovered quickly, blinking through the brightness. He raised his hand, absorbing Gabriel's attack on his forearm, the flames flickering and dying against his skin. Jiu chuckled. "Nice try, but it's still not enough," he said before driving his elbow into Gabriel's jaw, sending him crashing back into the ground.