“You’re not bad, kid,” Alexander said, his breathing just slightly heavier now, though his smirk hadn’t faltered. “But you’re reckless. Your power’s chaotic, unfocused. Let me show you what true precision looks like.”

Ethan didn’t respond with words. The shadows around him surged to life, twisting into jagged tendrils that lashed out toward Alexander in an unpredictable storm. The tendrils snarled through the air, each strike carrying enough force to shatter the suspended fragments of debris around them.

Alexander’s smirk widened as he spun the spear in a tight, controlled arc, slicing cleanly through the incoming shadows. His movements were fast and deliberate, each swing carrying an aura of elegance that contrasted sharply with Ethan’s chaotic bursts of power.

“Predictable,” Alexander muttered, sidestepping one of Ethan’s strikes and countering with a thrust of his spear. The glowing weapon ripped through the air, forcing Ethan to leap back, his feet skidding across a chunk of floating rubble as he tried to regain his footing.

Ethan’s chest rose and fell heavily, his purple eyes blazing with determination. “I’m just getting started.”

The shadows around him coiled tighter, condensing into thick, dense armor along his arms and shoulders. He lunged forward again, his fists cloaked in writhing darkness as he aimed for Alexander’s center.

---

The clash between them intensified, their powers ripping through the dimensional rift like a storm. Each strike from Alexander’s spear sent shockwaves reverberating through the void, while Ethan’s shadows crashed against him like relentless tidal waves. The ground beneath them splintered and cracked, pieces of the broken void tumbling away into the endless abyss.

Ethan roared, unleashing another wave of shadows. The darkness surged outward like a tsunami, engulfing Alexander in a suffocating storm.

But Alexander remained unfazed. He raised the Spear of Longinus, its glow reaching a blinding intensity, and with a single, deliberate motion, he slashed downward.

A fissure of light ripped through the rift, splitting Ethan’s shadows apart with devastating precision. The force of the attack cracked the ground beneath them further, sending more fragments spiraling into the void.

Ethan stumbled, his balance faltering as the terrain shifted beneath him. His chest burned, and every muscle in his body screamed in protest.

Alexander pointed the spear at him, his voice calm but cold. “This is where it ends.”

Ethan’s shadows flared brighter than ever, wrapping around him like a second skin. Despite the chaos, his voice was steady. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

The two charged at each other, their powers colliding in an earth-shattering explosion of light and shadow.

---

When the blinding light faded, the scene came into focus. Ethan lay crumpled on the ground, his body motionless, surrounded by wisps of dissipating shadow. His jacket was torn, and blood pooled beneath his shoulder where a glowing, searing wound marked where Alexander’s spear had struck.

Mia gasped, rushing forward, but Nefera grabbed her arm, holding her back. “Wait,” she said, her voice trembling.

Alexander stood nearby, his spear resting at his side. He stared at Ethan’s collapsed form with a look of mild surprise, tilting his head. “Hmph. He dodged at the last second,” he muttered to himself. “Not bad, kid. Not bad at all. But here’s where you lose.”

He turned his attention to the two women, his smirk returning as he stepped forward. “Now then. Nefera, it’s time for you to come home.”

Nefera’s hands clenched into fists, her body trembling. “You’re not taking me back there.”

Alexander laughed softly, twirling the spear in his hand. “Oh, I’m not asking. You and this shadow boy are coming with me. As for the green-eyed girl…” His gaze shifted to Mia, and his smile turned sharper, colder. “You’ll be deleted from this world. No evidence. No witnesses.”

Mia pulled out her dagger, her grip steady despite the fear in her eyes. “You can try,” she said with a forced smirk.

Nefera stepped forward, her trembling replaced by determination. She raised her hands, shouting an ancient Egyptian phrase. The glowing mask materialized over her face, its aura pulsing with golden light as her ceremonial outfit formed around her. “You betrayed us, Alexander. You destroyed everything. I won’t let you win again.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow, amused. “Really? You two are still trying to fight? Can’t you see your shadow boy is already down?” He gestured toward Ethan’s unconscious body with the spear. “What makes you think you can do any better?”

Nefera’s mask glinted in the dim light as she stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Mia. “We don’t have a choice.”

Mia smirked, readying her dagger. “Yeah, and I’m a lot tougher than I look.”

Alexander sighed theatrically, shaking his head. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” He spun the spear, the glow intensifying. “Fine. Let’s end this, shall we?”

---

Mia and Nefera charged forward together, their movements coordinated and determined. Nefera’s golden aura flared as she summoned golden chains to lash out at Alexander, while Mia darted in with quick, precise strikes of her dagger.

Alexander blocked Nefera’s chains with a casual swipe of his spear, the glowing weapon cutting through the golden constructs effortlessly. He spun around, parrying Mia’s attacks with one hand while deflecting Nefera’s with the other.

“You two are persistent. I’ll give you that,” Alexander said, his tone almost bored. “But persistence won’t save you.”

He countered with a powerful thrust, the spear’s energy exploding outward. The force sent both women flying backward, crashing into the rubble-strewn ground.

Ethan, still lying motionless on the ground, stirred faintly. His vision blurred as he watched the battle unfold, Alexander’s spear piercing through Nefera’s golden chains and slashing toward Mia’s dagger.

---

In the chaos, Alexander shifted his focus entirely to Nefera. With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance between them and thrust the spear forward.

Nefera tried to dodge, but the spear’s glow intensified, slicing through her defenses and piercing her side.

Ethan’s blurred vision focused just in time to see Nefera stumble, blood pooling around the glowing wound.

“No...” Ethan’s voice cracked in his mind, the word echoing over and over. His fists twitched as he tried to move, his body refusing to respond.

Alexander turned to Mia, a smug grin on his face. “You’re next.”

Ethan’s mind screamed louder. No. No! NO!

---

To Be Continued...