Metal blades whirled around Nova like a living tornado, gleaming dangerously in the afternoon light. Through gaps in her spinning shield, she caught glimpses of her enemies—the strange man and his blue duplicate preparing some kind of attack. The silver glow of their combined energy pierced through her protective vortex, casting eerie shadows across her face.

  As Nova watched them, her lips curled into a calculated smile. Her sister and the silver-haired boy had reached a stalemate, neither willing to move while the main battle unfolded. Perfect.

  "You're aiming at me?" she called out, her voice cutting through the metallic whirlwind. "Perhaps you should watch your friend instead!"

  With a fluid twist of her wrists, Nova redirected her spinning shield. The tornado of blades transformed instantly, becoming a deadly barrage of metal projectiles screaming toward Sol like angry hornets.

  "Sol!" Angelo's voice cracked with panic. Without thinking, he pivoted, Blue moving in perfect sync beside him. Together they aimed their swirling silver orb at the approaching metal storm and fired.

  The silver sphere shot forward, colliding with the mass of blades in a brilliant flash. Angelo and Blue clenched their fists simultaneously, triggering a detonation that scattered most of the projectiles in a cloud of silvery smoke.

  Most—but not all.

  Sol stood frozen, his body refusing to move despite the screaming signals from his brain. The wind Auron leapt backward to safety as one blade slipped through the defensive explosion, burying itself deep in Sol's upper chest.

  "ARGH!" The pain hit him like electricity, white-hot and blinding. Sol clutched at the embedded metal, his legs giving out as he collapsed onto his back.

  "SOL!" Angelo's wings erupted from his shoulders in a burst of orange light. He rushed to his fallen friend, dropping to his knees beside him. "Talk to me! Are you alright?"

  Sol's face contorted, sweat beading on his forehead as he struggled to speak. "I don't... know what... came over me," he managed between ragged breaths. He forced himself up onto his elbows, grimacing. "I just... froze up." He glanced down at the blade protruding from his chest, wincing as he shifted. "Don't think it... hit anything vital... but damn, this hurts like a son of a bitch."

  Angelo placed a firm hand on Sol's shoulder, trying to keep his voice steady. "Stay back. We'll handle this."

  In his mind, Angelo's thoughts raced with growing dread. "This is bad. Our strategy has always been about using numbers to overcome raw power. With Sol down, we're at a serious disadvantage."

  "Victory is already ours!" Red's mental voice bubbled with excitement. "My crimson puppet is a game-changer! They won't know what hit them!"

  Blue remained silent, his analytical mind assessing their opponents with cool precision. "They're regrouping," he finally observed. "We must formulate a strategy immediately."

  Sure enough, Nova had retreated to her sister's side. The wind Auron stood protectively beside her, allowing Nova to recover while they prepared for the next assault.

  "I believe I have a viable solution," Blue continued, an unusual competitive edge creeping into his scholarly tone. "And I assure you, Red, my innovation will prove equally as significant as your recent breakthrough."

  "Oh?" Red's mental voice dripped with mockery. "And what's the professor's brilliant plan?"

  "I must apologize in advance for the disappointment, but your role will be primarily diversion," Blue replied. "However, if it provides any consolation, you may engage with your target in whatever chaotic manner you find most satisfying."

  Red paused, considering. "Eh, I'll take it. We're pretty much screwed either way, so why not have some fun? So who exactly am I supposed to mess with?"

  "The metal Auron—Nova, if I recall her name correctly," Blue explained with precise diction. "Your puppet appears to experience considerable difficulty against the wind Auron's capabilities, whereas it demonstrates remarkable resilience against metal-based attacks."

  Angelo cut in, watching their opponents prepare to attack. "And what about me? What's my part in this?"

  "I regret that time constraints prevent a comprehensive explanation," Blue answered. "Simply follow my lead. Your primary objective is to remain in a defensive position while Red and I engage. During this period, accumulate as much energy as your control capacity will permit. I shall do likewise while evading the wind Auron's attacks."

  Angelo's concern was evident in his mental voice. "You sure you can gather energy AND dodge her attacks? Sol's no pushover, and he was barely holding his own against her."

  "I believe my particular capabilities will prove sufficient for the task at hand," Blue responded with his usual composed confidence.

  "Hahaha!" Red's laughter erupted through their shared consciousness. "Talk about the most sophisticated way to trash-talk Sol! If he could hear you right now!"

  Blue's mental voice remained unruffled. "I don't recall making any dismissive remarks regarding Solomon's combat proficiency."

  "Enough!" Angelo's thought cut through their bickering like a blade. "They're making their move!"

  The twins had indeed finished their brief strategy session and were charging forward, determination etched on their identical faces.

  Red's puppet intercepted Nova with theatrical flair, dodging her attacks with exaggerated movements that seemed designed purely to frustrate her. Every slash of her blades passed harmlessly through his forged energy body, like trying to cut smoke with scissors.

  "Stay still, you ridiculous clown!" Nova snarled, her composed demeanor cracking as she hacked at the puppet's constantly shifting form.

  "Where's the fun in that?" Red's puppet gestured mockingly, its mask somehow conveying amusement despite being completely rigid.

  Meanwhile, Blue positioned himself directly in the wind Auron's path. She launched herself at him, her fists wrapped in miniature tornadoes that could shred flesh on contact. But Blue moved like water around stones, his body flowing around her attacks with an almost hypnotic grace.

  Realizing close combat was futile, the wind Auron jumped back, her expression hardening with frustration. "Let's see you dodge this," she muttered, unleashing a barrage of compressed air punches that could splinter tree trunks.

  But unlike Sol, Blue wasn't limited to normal vision. His energy vision revealed each invisible projectile as a glowing azure sphere, allowing him to weave between them with calculated precision.

  "I must commend your technical proficiency," Blue observed calmly as he sidestepped another attack. "However, your execution lacks the necessary unpredictability to prove effective against my perceptual abilities."

  The wind Auron's eyes narrowed to slits. "You talk too much," she hissed, redoubling her assault.

  As he dodged, Blue methodically created a thin armor of forged energy around his body. With each movement, each perfectly timed evasion, he channeled more power into his protective layer, preparing for the next phase of his plan.

  Angelo watched from his position, gathering energy as instructed, his eyes darting between the two battles unfolding before him. Whatever Blue had planned, it had better work—their lives depended on it.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  From her perch high in the tree, Neiva had a perfect view of the battlefield below. Angelo stood away from the fight, his Angel of Death robes glowing brighter by the second like a lightbulb being turned up. Not far from him, Sol sat propped against a fallen log, his face pale and sweaty, one hand pressed carefully around the metal blade still stuck in his chest.

  And then there was Neiva herself, tied to a branch with glowing red ropes while Red's actual body hung nearby like a forgotten marionette, limp and unresponsive.

  She kicked her feet in frustration, the motion making the branch sway slightly.

  "What am I even doing here?" she muttered, watching the others fight for their lives. "I haven't helped with a single thing since we started this journey. I'm not even a support character. I'm basically an NPC in my own adventure..."

  "Some... crossroad... am I right?"

  Neiva nearly fell off the branch in surprise. She twisted around to see Red's body still hanging limply from his energy strings, but his mouth was moving, his eyes still closed.

  "What? How are you—" She glanced down at the battle where Red's puppet was still fighting. "What do you mean, crossroad?"

  Red's body remained slack, but his voice came through clearly, though strained. "Either... you... give up and leave. Or..."

  He trailed off, the effort of splitting his attention was clear. His face twitched with concentration.

  Neiva's stomach tightened. His words stung because they hit on exactly what she'd been thinking. "Or what?" she pressed, leaning forward. "Tell me the other option!"

  "Or," Red managed, each word coming with visible effort, "you work harder... harder than anyone else... to reach us."

  His words hung in the air between them. Neiva's shoulders slumped as she looked down at the others, so far beyond her in power and ability.

  "Can I even do that?" she asked, her voice small. "Reach you guys? You're all so far ahead of me..."

  Red's mouth curled into his trademark predatory grin, even with his eyes still closed. Down below, Nova was throwing a full-blown tantrum, her face turning as red her opponent's.

  "You're the most annoying thing I've ever fought!" Nova screamed, slashing wildly at the puppet. "What the hell are you even supposed to be?!"

  But Red wasn't listening to her at all. He was focused on Neiva, using Nova's distraction to buy time for their conversation.

  "That's for you to decide," Red told Neiva, his grin widening. "Back in the day, Angelo was perfectly happy beating up regular criminals, stuck at the bottom of the barrel because of this messed-up three-way split we've got going."

  Neiva blinked in surprise. She'd never heard Red talk like this before.

  "Then that earnest rookie came along..." Red's smile faded, something softer crossing his face. "Then he died giving this cheesy speech... But you know what? It worked. Poor little Angie didn't believe in himself. He needed someone else to believe in him first, to kick his ass into gear."

  There was something in Red's voice that Neiva couldn't quite place – bitterness? pride? Maybe both.

  "Are you ignoring me, you piece of shit?!" Nova shrieked, her patience completely gone. Instead of blades, she created a massive metal wrecking ball and smashed it directly into Red's puppet.

  Red, ever the showman, made his puppet flatten like paper against the metal, like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon. The sight only enraged Nova further, her face now nearly purple with fury.

  Neiva pressed her cheek to the tree bark, Red's words sinking in. "What if I'm the same?" she asked quietly. "What if I also don't have the strength to believe in myself?"

  "Then... I'll... believe... in you..." Red forced out, his concentration fractured as Nova resumed pummeling his puppet.

  Tears sprang to Neiva's eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Instead, anger flashed across her face. "But why would you? What have I done to earn that?"

  Red's grin returned full force, somehow managing to look both terrifying and encouraging at the same time. "Because... when you set... your mind to something... you can... do anything."

  "What?" Neiva stared at him blankly, trying to think of what he could possibly be talking about.

  "You wanted to join us..." Red continued, fighting to speak clearly while his puppet took a beating. "You disguised yourself... snuck into that cursed corporate building... stayed hidden after everyone else left... gave us the lead we needed in the end." His voice shifted into something almost like admiration. "You did something... the three of us... never would have thought of."

  The tears Neiva had been holding back spilled down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and nodded firmly. "Alright. If you believe in me... I'll give it everything I've got! I promise I'll reach you guys!"

  Red's broken chuckle sounded oddly warm. "Look ahead... take notes... I sense great things are about to happen."

  Neiva turned her attention back to the battlefield. Through the leaves and branches, she could just make out Sol's silver silhouette, and in front of him, Angelo's robes now glowed like a miniature sun, casting everything in brilliant orange light. Whatever was coming next, she wouldn't miss it for the world.

  Blue danced between the wind Auron's attacks like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze. Each time she struck, he was somehow already gone, moving with a fluid grace that made her increasingly frustrated. Her face twisted with anger as she threw everything she had at him.

  "Just. Hold. Still." she snarled, punctuating each word with another blast of compressed air.

  Blue sidestepped the final attack, which roared past him like an invisible freight train. The blast continued its path and slammed into a distant tree, shattering it into splinters that rained down on the forest floor.

  "It is time," Blue announced calmly, his scholarly voice betraying no hint of exertion despite the prolonged battle.

  The wind Auron's eyes narrowed. She could tell they'd been building toward something while Blue had been seemingly just dodging her attacks.

  Blue jumped backward with perfect precision, landing right beside Angelo. His movements were as smooth as water flowing downhill.

  "Follow my lead," Blue instructed through their mental link. He spread his arms wide, his fingers moving in gentle, flowing patterns. The energy armor he'd been carefully charging broke apart, dissolving into a swirling cloud of blue mist that surrounded both him and Angelo.

  Angelo nodded and mirrored Blue's movements. His glowing orange robes responded immediately, breaking apart into orange smoke that rose from his body like steam from hot coffee. The orange mist began to dance with Blue's azure cloud, the two colors swirling together like paint mixing in water.

  Across the clearing, Nova and her sister moved closer together, their identical faces set with determination. Red's puppet stood between the two pairs, its mask somehow managing to look smug despite being completely unchanged.

  "Let's engage!" Nova urged her sister, metal blades forming around her clenched fists. "We have to stop whatever they're doing!"

  Her sister's expression hardened as she shook her head. "We can't."

  "What do you mean we can't?" Nova's voice rose with frustration, her careful composure from earlier completely gone. "We can't just let them pull off whatever crazy thing they're cooking up!"

  "If we charge in now, they'll just use that against us," her sister explained firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Our best chance is to counter-attack." She locked eyes with Nova. "You know what to do."

  Nova let out an exasperated sigh, her shoulders slumping in momentary defeat. "Fine! Let's get this over with."

  She thrust her arms forward, her fingers spread wide. Metal appeared out of nowhere, forming what looked like massive helicopter blades in front of her. The metal reflected the afternoon sun as her sister stepped up beside her, adding her own power to the mix.

  The wind Auron began spinning the blades with her abilities, starting slow but quickly building speed. While Nova focused on making the spinning weapon larger and harder, her sister worked on increasing its rotation. Faster and faster it spun, until the blades became a silver blur that cut the air with a terrible whistling sound like a thousand teakettles all boiling at once.

  Meanwhile, Angelo and Blue continued molding their energy cloud. The orange and blue mists twisted together, creating something that looked like a silver galaxy hovering around them.

  "NOW!" Blue commanded, his voice ringing with rare authority.

  Both he and Angelo began moving their arms in perfect sync, like conductors leading an orchestra. They had one shared vision in mind, and now it was time to bring it to life.

  The strain was immediate and visible. Blood began trickling from Angelo's nose, running down into his beard. Tiny cracks appeared across Blue's face, leaking soft azure light like a breaking dam. But neither stopped their movements.

  With a unified battle cry, they forced their mixed energy to solidify, transforming from swirling mist into something solid and powerful.

  Everyone on the battlefield froze, staring in awe at what rose before them. Two massive armored arms hovered protectively over Angelo and Blue, each larger than a car. The giant silver limbs connected to an armored back piece, forming something like a partial exoskeleton that left the front open so they could see.

  "HOLY SHIT!" Red's mental voice exploded through their shared consciousness, as excited as a kid in a toy store. "That is the coolest thing ever!"

  Sol almost forgot about the metal blade still embedded in his chest, his jaw dropping at the sight. "No way..." he whispered.

  "Wha-wha-what the heck is this?!" Nova stuttered, her focus on her spinning blades faltering. Her sister struggled to maintain her composure, but even she couldn't hide the shock in her eyes.

  Angelo wiped at his bleeding nose with the back of his hand, only managing to smear blood across his beard. He took several deep breaths, trying to steady himself after the enormous effort.

  "Gotta hand it to you, Blue," he panted, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "This isn't half bad."

  Blue's scholarly face softened with quiet pride. "I shall dub this creation the Silver Golem." He adjusted his stance, preparing to move. "Now then, Angelo, let us demonstrate its capabilities."

  "Right!" Angelo nodded, settling into position beside Blue.

  Together they raised their arms, and the giant silver hands above them mirrored their movements perfectly, like a shadow puppet responding to its master. The Silver Golem's fingers flexed, each one the length of a baseball bat.

  The twins stared at the enormous construct, then at each other. Their spinning weapon continued to gather speed, waiting for the right moment to release. The forest clearing had become an arena of impossible powers, with both sides ready to unleash their ultimate attacks.

  The final battle was about to begin.