In the white void

In a white, endless void. The atmosphere is surreal, almost dreamlike. Darius lies on the ground, his body unresponsive. The silence was broken by a mocking voice.

Ztabay (smirking) - I thought I made it very clear. Didn't I?

Darius gave no response, his eyes barely fluttering open.

Ztabay (walking closer, voice dripping with disdain) - Looks like you’re finally out of energy.

Ztabay's foot landed harshly on Darius's face, pushing his head to the side.

Ztabay - You really are a pathetic piece of shit. Can’t even fulfill your own wish… what about that resolve of yours?

Darius slowly getting up on his knees, hearing a faint symphony in the distance

Darius - Yeah… Yeah, you're gonna help me now or what?

Ztabay - Help you?

Darius - Yeah. take control and kill everyone. You said you wanted to kill them all. Leave no one alive.

Ztabay (laughing cruelly) - And why would I do that? Your mess, clean it up yourself.

Darius (snarling) - Big talk for someone who wants everyone dead. If you’re so keen on killing, why don’t you help when it counts?

Ztabay - Help you? You’re like a child who talks big but does nothing. Always whining, always failing.

Darius - I may talk big, but I don’t hide behind excuses. You want death and chaos? Then step up and make it happen.

Ztabay - I think I made it very clear that the next time you come here, I’ll kill you myself.

Darius - (defiant) You can try whenever the fuck you want.

Ztabay's punch came fast and hard, sending Darius sprawling on the white floor.

Ztabay - Pathetic. You can’t even stand up to me. How do you expect to face anyone else?

Darius struggled to his feet, anger blazing in his eyes. He pulled a knife from seemingly nowhere and hurled it at Ztabay. The blade pierced Ztabay’s left chest.

Ztabay (stunned, looking at the knife) - How the fuck did you get a knife here? Darius - You’re somewhere in my brain. And that’s pretty bad, because it’s my fucking brain.

Rage flashed in Ztabay's eyes. He charged at Darius, fists ready to strike. Darius pulled out more knives, throwing them one by one at the approaching figure. Ztabay took the hits, blood seeping from the wounds, but kept advancing.

Ztabay’s punch connected with Darius’s jaw, sending him reeling. As Darius hit the ground, a sudden sonic boom erupted from his back, throwing both him and Ztabay across the void.

Ztabay (gasping, picking himself up) - What the hell did you do, boy?

Darius (shaking his head, confused) - It’s not me… Wait, what’s that sound… A song?

A haunting Rock song filled the void, the tune growing louder and more intense. Both Darius and Ztabay paused, their eyes darting around as the surreal music surrounded them.

In the City

A war-torn cityscape. Smoke and debris fill the air, creating an ominous and chaotic environment. The remnants of buildings and roads lay scattered, evidence of the ongoing destruction. Darius, in his Volkermord form, gets up, shaking off the dust and rubble. He looks toward the direction of the song and looks at the phone, he looks up, his eyes narrowing as he spots a pair of purple glowing eyes within the smoke.

Darius (muttering to himself) - What the hell...?

He suddenly feels the air around him condensing, swirling into a single point. Ztabay’s voice echoes in his mind.

Ztabay (smirking) - Take a back seat, boy. I’m taking over driving now.

The air constricts into a little white glowing energy ball, sucking in the surrounding smoke. As the visibility clears, Darius sees Artair, his fist pointed directly at him.

Artair (in a heavy, commanding voice) - ENGAGE!

Artair opens the finger on his fist one by one and launches the energy ball towards Darius. As it moves, it engulfs everything in its path—pieces of the road, remnants of buildings—growing larger and more menacing. Darius crosses his arms to brace for impact. Just as the ball is about to hit, Artair appears beside him with lightning speed, delivering a devastating punch to Darius’s side, sending him crashing through multiple buildings.

The buildings collapse, creating a cloud of dust and debris. Darius emerges from the wreckage, coughing and wiping blood from his mouth.

Darius (grinning) - So that was a bait.

Artair lands gracefully in front of him, their eyes locking in a moment of mutual recognition.

Darius - I’d like to know your name before I kill you.

Artair (smirking) - It’s Callahan. Artair Callahan. Remember it.

Darius (chuckling) - Interesting.

Darius charges at Artair, who responds in kind, sprinting at full speed. As they collide, Darius throws a powerful punch, but Artair slides under it, Jumps and delivers a back kick aimed at Darius’s head. Darius ducks to avoid the kick, and Artair lands nimbly on the ground.

Artair leaps up, his fist connecting with Darius’s face. The impact makes Darius stagger back, realizing that Artair’s punches are not to be taken lightly. Artair throws another punch, which Darius blocks with his left hand. Before Darius can grab Artair, a sudden force creates a gap between them.

Darius retaliates with a right punch aimed at Artair’s chest, but he notices that something is not allowing him to touch Artair.

Artair (tauntingly) - Hey, dumbass! You should really keep your eyes on the target. Now… you’re fucked.

Artair slashes through the air, and blood spurts from Darius’s neck. Artair lands gracefully, expecting Darius to fall, but Darius remains standing, seemingly unfazed.

Artair (pointing his finger at Darius) - The plot armor you got there is sick. Sure you’re not the main bad guy?

Darius lets out a primal scream, his rage palpable. The ground trembles beneath his feet as he charges at Artair again, determination and fury driving his every move. Artair cracks his neck.

Artair - Guess it’s time for Round 2.

Darius runs toward Artair, Artair side steps with supernatural speed, summoning a katana from a spatial pocket. The blade glints menacingly as he slashes at Darius, leaving a deep gash on his arm.

Artair - Let’s dance.

Darius roars and swings again, his fist crackling with energy. Artair vanishes, reappearing behind Darius with a three-part nunchaku. He spins it with deadly precision, striking Darius’s back and sides in rapid succession. Darius howls in frustration and pain, trying to catch Artair, but he’s too fast, teleporting around him.

Darius - Stand still, coward!

Artair summons a pair of desert eagles from his spatial pocket, firing them point-blank. Darius’s body jerks with each hit, but he powers through, his eyes glowing with fury. Artair doesn’t relent, summoning a shotgun and blasting Darius in the chest, sending him staggering backward.

Artair - You think you can keep up?

Darius lunges, and Artair switches to a pair of knuckles, meeting Darius’s charge head-on. They exchange blows, each hit reverberating with immense power. Artair’s spatial abilities give him an edge, allowing him to enhance his strength and agility. He lands a powerful uppercut, sending Darius reeling.

Summoning a trio of grenades, Artair tosses them at Darius’s feet. The explosions rip through the ground, shrouding the area in smoke. Darius emerges, bruised but undeterred, his eyes glowing brighter.

Artair smirks, reaching into his spatial pocket again. This time, he pulls out a rocket launcher. He aims and fires, the rocket streaking toward Darius. Darius dodges at the last second, the rocket exploding behind him and sending shrapnel flying.

Artair - Not bad, big guy.

Artair teleports above Darius, raining down a hail of bullets from a Light machine gun. Darius tries to shield himself, but the relentless assault drives him back. Artair lands gracefully, summoning a massive blade and swinging it in a wide arc. Darius barely manages to block it, but the force pushes him to the ground.

Artair summons more weapons from his spatial pocket, firing a relentless barrage: a shotgun blast, a barrage of desert eagle shots, and a final strike with his katana. Darius, cornered and overwhelmed, falls to his knees.

Artair leaps into the air, landing on Darius’s chest and forcing him onto his back. He stands triumphantly on Darius’s face, summoning another rocket launcher from his spatial pocket.

Artair - Smile for the camera.

He pulls the trigger, and the rocket blasts directly onto Darius’s face, the explosion rocking the ground. Artair notices that the energy that the explosion caused is being absorbed by Darius. Artair dodges back. Darius stands and looks Directly in Artair’s eyes.

Darius lunges forward with a thunderous punch, electricity crackling around his fist. Artair vanishes in a blur of motion, reappearing behind Darius and delivering a swift kick to his back. The impact sends Darius staggering, but he quickly recovers, spinning around to face his elusive opponent.

Darius - You’re fast, but not fast enough.

Darius swings again, this time with both fists crackling with lightning. Artair weaves and dodges with incredible agility, each movement a precise calculation. He instantly gets above Darius, landing a powerful downward punch that reverberates through Darius’s massive frame.

Darius roars in pain and fury, retaliating with a ground-shaking stomp. The shockwave knocks Artair off balance, but he quickly recovers, using the momentum to propel himself into a spinning kick that connects with Darius’s jaw. Darius stumbles back, shaking off the blow, his eyes blazing with anger.

Artair (taunting) - That's all you’ve got?

Darius (snarling) - I’m just getting started.

Darius charges again, his fists a blur of lightning and fury. Artair matches his speed, their punches and kicks colliding in a blur of motion. Sparks fly as their punches connect, each strike sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. As Darius throws a punch expecting to directly hit, Artair moves in a flash behind Darius, aiming a powerful punch at his kidney. Darius anticipates the move, twisting his massive body to deliver a backhanded blow that catches Artair off guard. Artair crashes into a nearby building, the impact creating a cloud of dust and rubble.