Yorktun

Retsuki stood amidst the ruins of the ambush site, his form a distorted amalgamation of pure lightning and Gluttony's dark corruption. His once-brilliant glow was dimmed, streaked with veins of black and crimson energy that pulsed like a grotesque heartbeat. His voice resonated with a newfound authority, tinged with malice and inevitability.

Retsuki:

"Then rise, Marten. Rise and embrace the truth. You were never going to save them. But you can still help me burn this world to the ground."

For a moment, there was silence, the air thick with tension and the faint hum of Retsuki's shifting energy. Behind him, Alitha watched with awe and unease, her faith in Retsuki fading as his transformation became more apparent. The man-or being-she had trusted was now something far beyond human, something divine yet terrifying.

With Verena left behind to recover, Retsuki and Alitha moved deeper into the central complex. The sterile white walls seemed to stretch endlessly, their smooth surfaces reflecting no shadows as if denying the very existence of darkness. The corridors twisted in impossible ways, defying logic and physics, as though the building sought to disorient and break them.

The air grew colder, and with each step, whispers filled the silence-faint voices of the fallen, their accusations and pleas clawing at Alitha's mind.

Alitha (softly):

"Do you hear them? The voices... they're everywhere."

Retsuki didn't look back. His gaze was fixed ahead, his expression unreadable.

Retsuki (calmly):

"They are the remnants of those who came before us. Their despair lingers here, feeding the monster we're about to face. Do not let them sway you."

But even as he spoke, the whispers grew louder, and the walls around them began to shift. Faces pressed against the surfaces-twisted, anguished visages that seemed to scream without sound.

Retsuki (grinning darkly):

"Let them scream. Let them rage. Their time has passed. We are the storm that will erase their failures."

Alitha faltered, her steps hesitant.

Alitha:

"And what are we, Retsuki? Are we saviors? Or are we becoming the very thing we're fighting against?"

Retsuki stopped, turning to face her. Now, a mixture of brilliant lightning and dark corruption, his eyes bore into hers.

Retsuki:

"Saviors? No, Alitha. I never claimed to save. I am the fire that will consume this broken world, the hammer that will shatter their false gods. If that makes me a monster, then so be it. But I will not stop. Not now. Not ever."

At the heart of the complex lay a massive chamber, its ceiling disappearing into an infinite void above. The floor was a polished black mirror, reflecting the twisted forms of Retsuki and Alitha as they entered. At the center stood a throne of obsidian carved with depictions of triumph and domination.

And on that throne sat Pride.

He was magnificent and horrifying all at once-a figure of impossible beauty and perfection, clad in gleaming armor that seemed to pulse with the essence of arrogance. His face was flawless, yet utterly inhuman, with golden eyes that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. His presence alone warped the air, bending reality to his will.

Pride (calmly):

"Ah, the usurper and his companion. You've come far, though I can't imagine why. Did you truly believe you could face me? Me, who stands above all creation?"

Retsuki stepped forward, his corrupted energy surging, distorting the reflective floor beneath him.

Retsuki:

"Pride. King of Lies. Your throne is nothing but an illusion, and your power is borrowed. I've come to take it back."

Pride laughed, a sound so rich and resonant it seemed to fill the chamber and beyond.

Pride:

"Borrowed? You truly are amusing. I am the pinnacle of existence, the embodiment of your aspirations. And you dare challenge me with that... fractured soul of yours? Tell me, Retsuki, do you even know who you are anymore?"

Before Retsuki could respond, the room shifted. The reflective floor became a swirling abyss, and the walls dissolved into a storm of images-distorted and nightmarish visions of Retsuki's past.

Retsuki saw Paragus, his creator, standing before him with eyes full of sorrow.

Paragus (whispering):

"You were never meant to be this. You were my hope, my light... but look at you now. A weapon, a monster. I created you, and yet I failed you."

The image twisted, and Paragus's face became one of anger.

Paragus (shouting):

"You were nothing but my revenge! A tool to destroy, to satisfy my hatred! You were never meant to live!"

Retsuki snarled, his energy surging wildly.

Retsuki (to himself):

"Lies. All of it. I am more than what he made me. I am more than this."

Pride's voice echoed, cutting through the storm of images.

Pride:

"More? You are nothing, Retsuki. A hollow being clinging to borrowed power, pretending to be a god. Tell me, do you truly believe you can stand against me? Against the perfection I embody?"

Retsuki's form flickered, his corrupted energy stabilizing as he gritted his teeth.

Retsuki:

"I don't need to be perfect. I don't need to be whole. I am destruction, and that is enough."

The storm turned its attention to Alitha, enveloping her in visions of her past as a Warden. She saw herself standing over the bodies of innocent civilians, their blood staining her hands.

Voice (whispering):

"You were their executioner. Their murderer. And now you think you can atone? Do you think you matter to him? To Retsuki? You're nothing but a liability, a weakness he will discard when it suits him."

Alitha fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as the voices grew louder.

Pride:

"Tell me, Alitha, do you truly believe he loves you? Or are you simply another tool for his ambition?"

She clenched her fists, her body trembling.

Alitha (shouting):

"I don't care if I'm a tool! I don't care if I'm broken! I'm here because I believe in something greater than myself!"

The storm faltered, and Pride's gaze narrowed.

Pride rose from his throne, his golden eyes blazing as he descended to the floor. His presence grew heavier, the air itself bending under the weight of his power.

Pride:

"You think your convictions can save you? Very well. Let us see if your faith can withstand the wrath of a god."

Retsuki smirked, his corrupted energy surging around him like a storm.

Retsuki:

"I've already faced gods. And now, I'll tear another one from his throne."

With a roar, Retsuki charged, lightning clashing against Pride's radiant energy. The chamber erupted into chaos as the two forces collided, their battle shaking the very foundation of the complex.

The chamber trembled under the weight of their presence. The oppressive air grew heavier as Retsuki and Pride squared off in the sterile void of the central complex. The mirrored floor distorted their reflections, rippling like liquid with the energy radiating from both combatants.

Retsuki's corrupted lightning coiled around him, tendrils of black and crimson crackling violently. His grin was dark, predatory, as he tilted his head to one side, examining Pride with a cold, calculated gaze.

Retsuki:

"Tell me, Pride. When did you Ketuinkins first start appearing on this earth?"

The question lingered like a challenge, laced with disdain and curiosity. Standing tall and regal, Pride smirked-a look that spoke not of anger but amusement, as if indulging a child's naive query.

Pride:

"When? Ah, you truly don't know, do you? How fitting. The 'New Messiah,' blind to the roots of his war. Very well, let me enlighten you."

Pride stepped forward, his every movement deliberate and commanding. The chamber shifted around him, the reflections on the floor twisting into images of a long time.

The images sharpened, revealing scenes of despair and chaos. A once-thriving Yorktun burned, its skies blackened by ash, its people reduced to frightened masses. The Upbringers were already in power, their sterile machines of order grinding the world beneath their heels.

Pride:

"We Ketuinkins were born from humanity's failure-your failure. The Upbringers sought control, yes, but they didn't create us. We were always there, lurking in the hearts of your kind, waiting for the perfect storm. And it came, oh, it came."

The reflections shifted to show Paragus, younger and full of life, standing before a crowd of desperate faces. His impassioned and resolute voice echoed through the chamber.

Pride (mockingly):

"Ah, your beloved Paragus. The visionary. The savior. The fool. He thought he could awaken the people and make them rise against their oppressors. But do you know what he truly awakened? Us."

The images morphed again, showing the first instances of the Ketuinkin plague. People, consumed by despair and fear, began to transform, their bodies twisting into grotesque reflections of their darkest emotions. Their screams filled the chamber, a haunting chorus of agony and hatred.

Pride:

"Paragus's rebellion didn't spark hope-it unleashed chaos. His words, his ideals, they didn't save anyone. They cracked open the fragile shells of your humanity and let the darkness pour out. And from that darkness, we emerged, stronger and more perfect than any of you could ever hope to be."

Retsuki's grin faltered momentarily, his expression hardening as he absorbed Pride's words.

Retsuki:

"I see. So he lit the match, and you Ketuinkins are the fire. But even a fire can be extinguished."

Pride's smirk widened, his golden eyes burning with arrogance.

Pride:

"Extinguished? Oh, Retsuki, you misunderstand. We are not a fire to be put out-we are the evolution of your kind fears. Your world was broken long before we arrived. We took what was already there and perfected it. And as for Paragus... he may have birthed you, but he was the first to feed us."

Pride's voice grew darker, his tone dripping with contempt and superiority.

Pride:

"Let's get this out of the way, shall we? You think you're here to stop me, to destroy me. But you've already lost. Look around you, Retsuki. The Upbringers' world, their sterile, lifeless order-nothing but a façade, a brittle mask barely holding back the chaos we thrive in. I exist because they exist. Their tyranny, their cruelty, their lies-they are my domain. And compared to me, you are nothing."

The images on the floor shifted again, showing Retsuki's most vulnerable moments: his battles against despair, his doubts about his existence, and the moments when his power left him drained and broken.

Pride (continuing):

"You think yourself a god, don't you? A savior. A new messiah. But look at you. You're a puppet, a patchwork of stolen power and borrowed ideals. You talk of destruction and revolution, but all you've done is play into the cycle-feeding the chaos and us. You are no god, Retsuki. You are an echo of a dying world."

Retsuki's fists clenched, his energy surging wildly. The corrupted lightning around him flared, casting long, jagged shadows across the chamber.

Retsuki (calmly, with a grin):

"We'll see about that. When I'm done with you, I'll prepare a nice funeral. Maybe I'll even give you a good coffin."

The chamber exploded into chaos as Retsuki lunged forward, his lightning tearing through the air like a raging storm. Pride stood unmoving, his smirk unshaken, as if the attack was beneath him. When Retsuki's energy struck, it collided with an invisible barrier, shattering into a cascade of sparks.

Pride:

"Pathetic. Is that all you have?"

Pride raised a hand, and the reflections on the floor surged upward, forming twisted, humanoid figures-manifestations of Retsuki's and Alitha's fears. The figures attacked, their movements erratic and inhuman, their distorted faces contorted with rage.

Retsuki countered with a burst of energy, obliterating the figures instantly. But Pride was already upon him, his movements impossibly fast. A single strike from Pride sent Retsuki crashing into the far wall, the impact cracking the surface like glass.

Pride:

"You fight like a child throwing tantrums. Let me show you what true power looks like."

Pride's form shifted, his golden armor dissolving into pure, radiant energy. His body expanded, becoming a towering figure of light and shadow, his golden eyes the only constant. The chamber seemed to bend around him, reality-warping under his influence.

Retsuki pushed himself to his feet, blood dripping from his lips. He laughed-a low, guttural sound that sent chills through Alitha, who watched helplessly from the sidelines.

Retsuki:

"You talk too much, Pride. Let's see how you handle this."

Retsuki's body surged with power, his corrupted lightning forming into jagged, spiked armor around him. His eyes glowed with an intensity that rivaled Pride's, and for a moment, the two beings stood as equals, their energy shaking the very foundation of the complex.

Retsuki charged again, unleashing a barrage of attacks that struck with devastating force. Pride countered with a wave of energy that warped the space around them, twisting Retsuki's lightning into harmless arcs. The two clashed in a storm of light and shadow, their battle a symphony of destruction.

The chamber began to collapse under the strain, but neither combatant showed any sign of stopping. Retsuki's attacks grew feral and desperate, his corrupted energy consuming everything in its path.

Pride, calm and unshaken, began to laugh.

Pride:

"You cannot win, Retsuki. You are nothing but a pale imitation of what you could be. And soon, you will fall-just like your precious Paragus."

To be Continued....