Yorktun

The sterile walls of the Upbringer complex quaked violently as the battle raged on, the once-oppressive silence replaced by the unrelenting cacophony of destruction. The mirrored floor had splintered into jagged shards, each fragment reflecting a twisted, chaotic version of reality. Pride loomed above Retsuki, his towering form a grotesque mixture of radiant light and writhing shadow. His golden eyes burned with the intensity of a star, his voice a resonant echo that seemed to emanate from every corner of the chamber.

Pride:

"Do you feel it, Retsuki? The weight of your failure pressing down on you? This is the truth you cannot escape: you were made to serve, not to lead. Even now, your rebellion feeds my power."

Retsuki staggered to his feet, his jagged, lightning-infused armor crackling ominously. His grin was gone, replaced by a grim determination that burned in his glowing eyes. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, mingling with the dark energy coursing through his veins.

Retsuki:

"You talk like you're already victorious. But I've barely started. Do you want to break me? Try harder."

Pride raised a hand, and the chamber shifted again, reality-bending to his will. The walls dissolved into an endless void, filled with towering pillars of light that stretched infinitely upward. Images began to flicker in the void-scenes from the past, moments that felt all too real.

Pride:

"You want to know everything, don't you? The history you've been blind to, the truths your precious Paragus hid from you. Let me show you the world as it was before you and before the Upbringers."

The void coalesced into a vision of a thriving Yorktun. It was a place of beauty, alive with music, art, and the hum of innovation. People walked freely, their faces lit with hope and curiosity. But the scene shifted, the vibrant colors draining into a bleak, desolate gray.

Pride:

"Yorktun wasn't always like this. The Upbringers came as saviors, promising order to a world already teetering on the brink of chaos. The people embraced them, desperate for stability. But with order came control, and with control came oppression. And in that oppression, we were born."

The vision darkened, showing the first emergence of the Ketuinkins. Ordinary people, driven to despair by the Upbringers' relentless tyranny, began to succumb to their darkest desires and fears. Their bodies twisted, their faces contorted into grotesque masks of their inner demons.

Pride (smirking):

"And do you know who gave us life? Your creator, Paragus. He thought he was liberating the people with his words and his ideas. But all he did was plant the seeds of our awakening. We are not a plague, Retsuki. We are the inevitable result of humanity's flaws."

Retsuki's fists clenched, his corrupted lightning flaring violently.

Retsuki:

"You're trying to make yourself sound like a necessary evil. But you're just another parasite, feeding on misery."

Pride laughed, a deep, resonant sound that reverberated through the void.

Pride:

"Parasite? No, Retsuki. I am the pinnacle of creation. Humanity's arrogance, their hubris-it all culminates in me. I am the reason they strive, the reason they fall. Without Pride, there is no progress, no ambition. I am the spark that ignites revolutions and the downfall that follows. I remain above it all, eternal and untouchable."

Pride raised his arms, and the void became a storm of light and shadow. Spears of radiant energy shot toward Retsuki, each carrying the weight of Pride's words and aimed at his heart.

Retsuki dodged and countered, his corrupted lightning lashing out in jagged arcs. The two forces collided, sending shockwaves through the void, tearing apart the fabric of reality around them.

Pride:

"You can't win, Retsuki. Every step you take, every strike you land, only strengthens me. You fight for a world that doesn't deserve saving."

Retsuki gritted his teeth, his body straining under the weight of Pride's power.

Retsuki:

"Maybe the world doesn't deserve saving. But it doesn't deserve you, either."

Retsuki unleashed a torrent of energy with a roar, his lightning tearing through the void and striking Pride directly. For a moment, it seemed he had gained the upper hand. But Pride emerged unscathed, his form shimmering with an ethereal light.

Pride:

"Is that all you've got? I expected more from the so-called New Messiah."

Pride began to monologue, his voice dripping with disdain and superiority.

Pride:

"You don't understand, do you? This isn't about power or control. It's about purpose. The Upbringers think they are in control, but they are merely my instruments. Through their oppression, they create the despair that sustains me. And through that despair, I shape the world in my image."

The visions in the void shifted again, showing the Upbringers' rise to power. Pride was present, subtly influencing their decisions and steering them toward tyranny and control.

Pride:

"I do not seek to rule, Retsuki. I seek to refine. To purify. To strip away the weak and leave only the strong. The Ketuinkins, the Turkerin-we are not enemies of humanity. We are their salvation. Through us, they will become something greater. Something perfect."

Retsuki's laugh cut through the void, harsh and mocking.

Retsuki:

"Perfect? Do you think turning people into monsters is perfection? You're even more delusional than I thought."

Pride's smirk faltered for the first time, his golden eyes narrowing.

Pride:

"Delusional? Coming from a creature who dares to call himself a god? You are a construct, a vessel for someone else's ideals. You claim to fight for the people, but you know the truth deep down. You fight for yourself."

Retsuki's grin returned sharper and more dangerous than before.

Retsuki:

"Maybe I do. But at least I'm fighting. You? You sit on your throne, hiding behind your arrogance."

The battle reached a fever pitch, the void shattering under the weight of their conflict. Retsuki pushed himself to his limits, his corrupted lightning consuming his body as he channeled every ounce of his power into a devastating attack.

Retsuki (roaring):

"Let's see how eternal you are!"

The attack struck Pride head-on, engulfing him in a storm of energy. For a moment, it seemed as though Retsuki had won. But when the storm cleared, Pride was still standing, his form battered but unbroken.

Pride (smiling):

"Impressive. But you're not the only one who can endure."

Pride raised a hand, and the void solidified into a massive, golden throne. He sat upon it, his presence overwhelming, his smirk unshakable.

Pride:

"You are strong, Retsuki. Stronger than I anticipated. But strength alone is not enough to defeat me. You must prove that you are worthy. And so far, you have failed."

The sterile Upbringer complex trembled with each clash of titanic energies. Pride sat on his radiant, golden throne, his form regal and immutable, exuding a presence that defied comprehension. His every gesture distorted reality, warping the sterile architecture into a cathedral of hubris-golden spires twisted into infinite loops, walls adorned with mosaics depicting his triumphant rule over all creation. Above him, a vaulted ceiling opened to reveal the swirling void of eternity, etched with fractal patterns hinting at infinite order and maddening chaos.

Across from him, Retsuki stood, his body a storm of corrupted lightning. His movements were sharp and deliberate, his once-human frame now resembling something divine and terrifying-a messiah of fury and defiance. Sparks danced across his skin, and his eyes glowed like molten stars. Blood seeped from the wounds crisscrossing his flesh, yet he stood unyielding, his grin sharp with unrelenting determination.

Retsuki pointed a clawed hand toward Pride, his voice echoing with a resonance that made the entire complex shudder.

Retsuki:

"You talk like you're invincible like you're untouchable. But look around, Pride. Everything you've built-this throne, this illusion of power-reflects your fear. Deep down, you know you're as flawed as the rest."

Pride rose from his throne, his expression shifting from calm superiority to a smirk laced with venom. His golden eyes burned brighter, and the air around him grew heavy, imbued with an oppressive energy that pressed down on Retsuki like a mountain.

Pride:

"And what are you, Retsuki? A puppet created by a grieving father? A construct pieced together from stolen ideals? You're no savior. You're an aberration, a mockery of divinity. Compared to me, you are nothing."

Pride raised a hand, and the golden mosaics began to shift, showing scenes of Yorktun's suffering. Families huddled in darkened corners, their faces gaunt with hunger and despair. Children cried silently, their voices suppressed by fear of the Upbringers' Wardens. In another vision, Alitha clutched her injuries, struggling to stand as she whispered Retsuki's name, her faith in him unshaken despite the pain.

Pride (mocking):

"Look at them, Retsuki. The ones you claim to fight for. Pathetic, broken creatures clinging to scraps of hope. Do you think they're worth saving? They would betray you in an instant if it meant easing their suffering."

Retsuki's grin widened, his voice sharp as thunder.

Retsuki:

"Maybe they would. Maybe they're as flawed as you say. But that's what makes them human. And it's why I'll fight for them, no matter how broken they are."

Pride's smirk vanished, replaced by a snarl of rage. He descended from his throne, the ground fracturing beneath his feet as he unleashed a surge of energy that rippled through the void. His form grew more prominent, his golden armor morphing into jagged, spiked plates radiating unbearable heat.

Pride:

"If you don't bow, then you will break!"

He charged at Retsuki, his fists glowing with celestial fire. Each strike tore through the air, creating shockwaves that shattered the fabric of reality around them. Retsuki dodged and countered, his corrupted lightning striking with precision, but Pride's movements were relentless, his blows fueled by the weight of his arrogance.

Their clash was a symphony of destruction, each collision a crescendo of chaos. The sterile complex dissolved entirely, replaced by a shifting light and shadow landscape. Pride's attacks carved chasms in the void, while Retsuki's lightning tore through the golden spires, reducing them to ash.

Pride began to speak as they fought, his voice rising above the chaos.

Pride:

"Do you know why I exist, Retsuki? Why do the Ketuinkins plague this world? It wasn't the Upbringers who created us-it was humanity's failings. And Paragus... oh, your precious Paragus played his part perfectly."

Retsuki's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with venom.

Retsuki:

"What are you talking about?"

Pride smirked, his golden eyes glinting with malice.

Pride:

"Paragus wasn't the saint you think he was. He preached revolution, yes, but his words were laced with despair. He saw humanity's flaws, greed, and selfishness and knew they couldn't be saved. So he sought to purify them, to force them into a better version of themselves. But his hubris... his pride... that's what gave birth to me."

Retsuki faltered for a moment, his grip on his lightning tightening.

Pride (laughing):

"Yes, Retsuki. I am Paragus's greatest creation. His words of hope were nothing more than lies to mask his disdain for the people he claimed to save. You are not his savior-you are his scapegoat."

Retsuki's laughter cut through the storm, harsh and defiant.

Retsuki:

"So what if Paragus was flawed? So what if he made mistakes? That doesn't change what I am now. I'm not here because of him-I'm here because I choose to be. And I choose to end you."

Retsuki's lightning flared, brighter and more chaotic than ever. The corrupted energy surged through his veins, consuming him as he unleashed a devastating attack. The void around them shattered, revealing the burning wreckage of the Upbringer complex.

Pride staggered; his golden armor cracked and splintered. For the first time, his expression faltered, and a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

Pride (whispering):

"Impossible..."

As the battle raged on, the people of Yorktun watched in awe and terror. Through cracked screens and broken windows, they glimpsed the storm of light and shadow tearing through the sky.

In the slums, a mother held her child close, whispering prayers to a god she no longer believed in. In the shadows of a crumbling building, a group of resistance fighters stared at the sky, their faces a mix of hope and fear.

Resistance Fighter:

"Is that... Retsuki? Is he winning?"

Another shook his head, his voice grim.

Resistance Fighter:

"It doesn't matter. Even if he defeats Pride, there's still the Upbringers. Still, the Ketuinkins. This isn't the end."

But despite their doubts, a spark of hope began to spread. People who had long given up on salvation were whispering Retsuki's name, their hearts stirred by the sight of his defiance.

Retsuki stood over Pride, his corrupted lightning crackling with unrelenting fury. Pride struggled to rise, his golden form dimming, his once-immaculate armor tarnished and broken.

Pride (gasping):

"You think this is victory? You think you've won? You are nothing without me. Without Pride, humanity is nothing but dust and ash."

Retsuki's grin returned, sharp and defiant.

Retsuki:

"Then let them be dust. Let them rise on their own. Your time is over, Pride."

With a final surge of energy, Retsuki unleashed his full power, lightning tearing through Pride's form. The golden throne shattered, and Pride let out a final roar as the storm consumed his essence.

The battlefield fell silent, the air heavy with the battle's aftermath. Retsuki stood alone, his body battered and bloodied, his lightning flickering weakly. But his eyes burned with an unyielding light, a testament to his resolve.

The fight was over, but the war was far from won. Retsuki turned toward the crumbling horizon, his thoughts heavy with the knowledge of what lay ahead. Pride was defeated, but the Upbringers' hold on Yorktun remained strong, and the Ketuinkins were still a looming threat.

For now, though, there was a moment of quiet to reflect on what had been lost and what was still worth fighting for.