The Astral Dogma

Back at the black building, Xin shakes off the shock and responds with reflexes honed by survival instincts, distancing himself from the formidable figure claiming to be the kingpin. His heart races, a blend of surprise and trepidation coursing through his veins.

As Xin examines the man claiming to be the kingpin, he notices an oddity in the dimly lit room. The dim light of the room flickers off his face, revealing a chilling and cunning expression that sends shivers down his spine. Most striking are the sinister glimmers in the kingpin's eyes, a departure from the usual demeanor one associates with such figures.

"You...who are you?" Xin manages to utter, though his voice betrays a slight quiver, slightly as he asks, as he struggles to uphold an illusion of strength.

"What do you mean? I am the kingpin of course" the figure retorts, his voice dripping with menace, a low and dangerous timbre that sends a chill down one's spine.

With a skeptical gaze, Xin sizes up the figure before him, unable to reconcile the man's claim with his recollections. He remembers the real kingpin; this person fails to match the aura and characteristics of the real kingpin Xin takes a deep breath, grounding himself, and decides to follow his instincts.

Drawing upon his hax, Xin sharpens his ears on the imposter's heartbeat. exploiting his heightened sense of hearing to detect even the most minute variations in sound. Xin remains resolute, shutting out the distractions of his own pulse and the building's ambient noises, concentrating exclusively on the task.

"That heartbeat...I don't recognize it," Xin murmurs under his breath, his mind racing to decipher the elusive source of the unfamiliar sound.

The impostor's eyes betray a momentary widening, a clear sign that Xin's suspicions have hit a nerve. Swiftly recovering, he suppresses any hint of unease in his demeanor, but Xin is astute enough to catch the subtle change in his body language. Anxious and resolute, Xin wonders about the identity of this man before him. If not the true kingpin, then who is he, and what brings him here?

The atmosphere becomes palpably charged, a heavy tension settling between Xin and the imposter as they hold each other's gaze, neither willing to back down.

The gray concrete room resonated with a haunting laughter, reverberating off the walls and casting an eerie atmosphere. 

"KUAHAHAHAHA, he always knew you were too smart for something like this," the imposter sneered, their voice laced with spite and arrogance. Swiftly, they tore off the mask, unveiling the true identity beneath: a woman with a powerful, muscular build and edgy, short spiky hair, her countenance bearing an unsettling blend of craftiness and malevolence.

Unperturbed by the imposter's taunts, Xin's primary concern remained helping up Belial, who had taken quite a beating during their confrontation. "Your wounds..." Belial began, worry evident in his expression as he gazed at Xin's miraculously healed injuries.

"I'm fine, the guild came through and Leah healed me," Xin reassured, extending his hand to pull Belial up from the floor. Pushing past the discomfort, Belial's lips curved into a wry smile, accepting Xin's helping hand.

"You look pretty beat up yourself" Worry was palpable in Xin's voice as he remarked "You know coming here was suicidal, right?"

A gentle chuckle escaped Belial, his wince evident as he spat out a trace of blood. "You almost make it sound like I lost," he retorted, his eyes gleaming with defiance. "Besides, I couldn't let something like that just slide."

An undercurrent of tension pervaded the room as Xin and Belial shared a significant glance, silently acknowledging the risks they had both taken to confront the imposter. The woman, who had been observing, was amused by their exchange..

"I do have to ask, how did you know I wasn't the real boss?" the woman inquired, eyes locking onto Xin her unrelenting gaze leaving, Xin felt as if his every secret had been laid bare.

"Your heartbeat is different from... his," Xin replied calmly, his unique sound ability allowing him to detect fluctuations in the woman's heartbeat, which betrayed her true identity.

"Hm, that's something I wasn't expecting. Looks like I underestimated your intelligence. In return, I should apologize!" The woman's voice tinged with admiration, acknowledging Xin's perceptive skills.

"Be careful, Xin. She's-" Belial's words were cut off as the woman's image blurred, and she surged towards Xin with astonishing speed, aiming to grab hold of him. Xin's eyes widened as he recognized something peculiarly familiar in her movements. Instead of counterattacking, he relied on his own hax.

With a burst of sound, Xin propelled himself backward, narrowly escaping the woman's attempt to grab him. He landed on his feet with a swift grace, his gaze locked on her form. A mix of surprise and realization crossed his face, for he had unraveled a part of her secret.

"That power... it's Kingpin's hax! But how... who are you?" Xin's voice held a hint of awe and intrigue, his keen mind piecing together the enigma before him.

The woman known as Gamma smirked, acknowledging Xin's astuteness in detecting her borrowed abilities. "So you noticed," she said with a hint of satisfaction. "I might as well tell you my name. I am Gamma. I borrowed a little bit of his power through our master-servant contract, but it seems it's gone for now"

As the blue text materialized before him, Belial's confusion only grew. 

[Answer: A master-servant contract is where someone else agrees to serve the master and allows their ether circuits to merge, forming a unique bond,] Oracle replied directly to Belial's thoughts once more, confirming the explanation it had provided earlier.

I should keep Oracle a secret for now and focus on Gamma, Belial silently reminded himself, his thoughts carefully guarded. As he walked up next to Xin with his sword now reduced to ruins.

"Your sword..." Xin commented, concern etched across his face as he noticed the battered and broken katana in Belial's hand.

"It's no use now," Belial replied, tossing the remnants of the katana aside. He focused his energy, summoning a small, ominous blade made out of darkness into his other hand. "I've managed to regain some of my energy, but this is what I can do for now."

Xin's nod signified his grasp of the situation, and he clutched his imposing axe firmly, his sound-based power surging within. His vigilant gaze swiftly moved between Gamma and Belial, calculating their positions and analyzing the terrain, on the lookout for an opening to exploit.

Gamma, standing tall and imposing, sneered at the duo. "You really think you can defeat me with your feeble powers?" she taunted, her voice filled with arrogance.

Belial chuckled. "Well, it's better than doing nothing. Plus, it's always fun to try!" He lunged forward with surprising speed, his dark blade slashing through the air.

The attack was swiftly parried by Gamma, displaying her remarkable strength. In a powerful counterattack, she aimed a punch at Belial's midsection. Through quick reflexes, he managed to dodge the strike, narrowly evading the forceful blow.

Meanwhile, Xin seized the opportunity, using his power over sound to create a high-pitched resonance.In that moment,Oracle turned off belial's inner ear so the sound doesn't affect him. The soundwaves hit Gamma like a shockwave, causing her to stagger momentarily. It was a brief opening, but it allowed Belial to follow up with a series of swift attacks, his blade weaving through the air in a deadly dance.

Gamma grunted, clearly affected by the combined assault. Her towering figure was a challenge to overcome, but Belial's agility and Xin's sound manipulation added an unpredictable edge to their strategy.

Gritting her teeth, Gamma retaliated with a furious kick, sending Belial crashing into a nearby wall. He groaned, but his smirk remained. "Is that all you've got? My grandma hits harder than that!"

Xin joined the fray, swinging his massive axe with all his might. The weapon's sheer size and weight made it difficult for Gamma to block or dodge, forcing her to focus on defense. As Xin pressed the attack, his axe collided with Gamma's arm, causing her to wince in pain.

Gamma's anger grew, and she summoned her strength to push back against the relentless duo. She grabbed hold of a nearby pillar and, with an incredible display of power, tore it from its foundation and hurled it toward them. Belial and Xin managed to leap out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the massive projectile.

Belial landed gracefully and chuckled, "Looks like you're trying to bring the house down on us! But sorry, we're not interested in redecorating today!"

Amidst the intensity of the battle, Xin had a sudden realization as he fought alongside Belial against Gamma. Despite the odds stacked against them, Belial maintained his composure with a steady stream of jokes and taunts. It wasn't just his playful nature; Xin understood that Belial used humor as a way to mess with his opponents.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Xin grunted, pushing back against Gamma's immense strength.

Gamma chuckled darkly. "You're braver than i thought, I'll give you that. But bravery won't save you."

With incredible speed, Gamma unleashed a flurry of blows, forcing Xin to go on the defensive. He struggled to keep up with her lightning-fast attacks, his sound-based abilities not giving him much advantage in close combat.

Meanwhile, Belial used his agility and small blade to dart in and out of the fray, trying to find an opening. He knew he couldn't match Gamma's strength head-on, so he focused on avoiding her devastating blows while looking for vulnerabilities in her defense.

"You're quick, but not quick enough!" Gamma taunted, catching Belial with a powerful kick that sent him sprawling across the room.

Xin rushed to Belial's side, glaring at Gamma with a fierce look. 

…

As the intense battle wore on, Xin and Belial found themselves struggling to keep pace with Gamma's overwhelming power. Their brows were furrowed in concentration, and sweat glistened on their foreheads as they exerted themselves to the fullest. Heavily panting, they exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the dire situation they were in. Each breath felt laborious, but their determination and will to prevail remained unwavering.

"We need to find a way to turn this around," Xin whispered to Belial.

Belial nodded, his mind racing. "My energy is almost nonexistent. I can't use any large-scale abilities. We'll have to rely on pure strategy and teamwork."

Xin's eyes flashed with determination. "Got it. Let's do this together."

With adrenaline coursing through their veins, Xin and Belial orchestrated their assaults with flawless coordination, seizing every opportunity to exploit Gamma's momentary lapses in defense. Despite landing a few blows, it became apparent that Gamma was still far from being defeated.

Gamma smirked, seemingly enjoying the challenge. "You're stronger than I anticipated. It's been a while since I've had this much fun."

As the battle continued, the room became a whirlwind of motion and darkness. Despite their efforts, Xin and Belial couldn't gain the upper hand. The odds were stacked against them, but they refused to give up.

Xin's desperate swing with his large axe was met with an almost casual precision from Gamma. In a fluid motion, she caught the weapon's handle with one hand, stopping it in its tracks. Her strength was astonishing, and Xin felt the force of her grip travel up his arm, making it go numb.

Gamma chuckled darkly as she effortlessly crushed the axe's metal with her bare hand, rendering it useless. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that to defeat me."

Xin stepped back, his eyes narrowing with determination despite the setback. "Belial, we need to find a way to work together and overcome her strength. Our individual powers won't be enough."

Belial nodded, his mind racing to come up with a plan. "You're right. We'll have to combine our abilities somehow."

Gamma advanced slowly, her movements calculated and composed. "It doesn't matter what you try. You can't defeat me. Surrender now, and I might spare your lives."

"Surrendering isn't part of my vocabulary!" Belial retorted, bracing himself for another round.

Maybe not but will be

 Gamma muttered to herself with a self deprecating smirk. Belial and Xin began to coordinate their attacks seamlessly. They had realized that working together was their best chance against Gamma's overwhelming power.

Embracing close-quarters combat, Belial unleashed the full potential of his combat abilities and the small blade. With remarkable agility, he seamlessly maneuvered in and out, exploiting Gamma's weaknesses with precision strikes. Despite the immense power difference, Belial's skillful maneuvers managed to catch Gamma off guard, causing her to take a few hits.

Positioned with precision, Xin utilized his sound-based abilities to bolster the fight's momentum. With a fierce focus in his eyes, he unleashed powerful sonic blasts at Gamma, targeting her from a distance and keeping her off balance. The impact of the blasts slowed down Gamma's movements, allowing Belial to land more blows.

"Nice one, Xin!" Belial called out as he executed a swift series of punches, momentarily stunning Gamma.

"Keep it up!" Xin replied, his voice laced with determination as he continued to bombard Gamma with sonic blasts.

Their coordinated efforts paid off, and Gamma found herself struggling to counter the combined assault. Although she was still faster and stronger than either of them individually, the synergy between Belial and Xin gave them an edge they hadn't had before.

Belial's small blade gleamed as he struck at Gamma's arms and legs, aiming to weaken her and disrupt her movements. He could feel his ether levels replenishing slightly as the adrenaline fueled his actions, allowing him to put up a more substantial fight.

However, Gamma was not one to be underestimated. As Xin prepared to unleash another sonic blast, she charged straight at him with incredible speed. She evaded the sonic attack with a nimble leap, and before Xin could react, she landed a powerful kick that sent him flying across the room.

"Xin!" Belial shouted, torn between continuing the assault on Gamma and rushing to his comrade's aid.

Xin groaned as he struggled to get up, but he managed to flash Belial a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Just keep going!"

Gamma, although taken aback by Belial's resilience, was not one to be underestimated. She retaliated with a fierce barrage of punches and kicks, each strike demonstrating her incredible strength and speed. Belial focused on evasion, using his agility to dodge most of Gamma's attacks, but he couldn't avoid them all.

A powerful blow landed squarely on Belial's side, sending him sprawling across the floor. He winced in pain, but he refused to stay down. With a groan, he pushed himself back up, his eyes still locked onto Gamma.

"You fight well, little human," Gamma taunted, her voice laced with arrogance. "But you're no match for me."

Belial clenched his fists, his determination unshaken. "I may not be as strong as you, but at least im not built like an overgrown dumbass."

With a newfound resolve, Belial launched himself at Gamma again, relying on his combat abilities to strike swiftly and unpredictably. He aimed for her exposed areas, trying to exploit any opening he could find.

Gamma's expression shifted from amusement to annoyance as she tried to keep up with Belial's relentless assault. Her speed was still unmatched, but Belial's agility and determination seemed to be wearing her down.

Despite the odds, Belial landed a series of rapid punches on Gamma's midsection, causing her to stagger backward. He saw an opportunity and followed up with a sweeping kick, attempting to knock her off balance.

Gamma managed to regain her footing, but Belial's attacks had taken their toll. Her movements were slightly slower, and the confidence in her eyes had wavered.

Belial knew that he couldn't afford to let up now. He pressed on, delivering a powerful uppercut to Gamma's chin, snapping her head back. He followed it with a quick jab to her side, causing her to grunt in pain.

"Come on, Gamma! Is that all you've got?" Belial taunted, his adrenaline surging.

Gamma's eyes narrowed, her frustration evident. She refused to be outmatched by someone she considered inferior. With a growl, she launched a counterattack, aiming to end the fight once and for all.