Alex: He knelt in front of her, a small screen projecting from his hand as lines of code scrolled rapidly across it. He tapped and adjusted settings with precise movements. "Alright, I'm adding my No-Hit protocol to your being, all you gotta do is dodge as much as you can until he gets tired and then knock him into the pit, you won't get tired before him, so don't worry."
Sophi: She stared past him toward the arena gate, her eyes drifting down to the swirling green liquid below. Her fingers curled against her chest. "Mmh, I don't wanna hit him into there intentionally…" she whined softly. "Hopefully I can just tire him out, and push him back so much he doesn't realize he's on the edge...?"
Alex: He paused his hands, letting the screen dim slightly as he looked up at her. His expression softened, but his voice remained firm. He exhaled slowly. "Look, this is a game of life or death; sometimes we have to do things we aren't comfortable doing. If it comes down to it, you'll have to push him. If you find an alternative, then great, but don't think that you won't have to. Expect the unexpected always."
Sophi: Her shoulders trembled as she looked down at him, her lip quivering. "I-I don't wanna have to do this..." She wiped a tiny tear from her eye with the back of her hand, inhaling shakily. Her wings twitched faintly behind her as she tried to steady herself. "I hope this goes okay..."
Alex: He reached forward and held her hands firmly in his, grounding her. His thumbs gently rubbed over her fingers. "It will be okay, I promise. Just keep your distance, I'll handle everything from the inside, okay?..."
Sophi: She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed his jacket, pulling him closer to her level so she could kiss him. Her lips lingered for a brief moment before she pulled away, staring into his eyes and trying her best to keep her composure. "I'm worried, baby, but I'll try..." she whispered, leaning into him and hugging him tightly, her fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket as if she didn't want to let go.
Alex: Before he could say another word, the gates began to open with a deep metallic groan, and a sudden force pulled her away from him and into the arena. His hand shot forward, barely missing hers. "I'll handle it!!! Damn it..." The gates slammed shut before she could hear him speak, the echo ringing through the chamber as he remained on the other side.
Announcer: "For round three, we have the Goddess of Love, Sophi! Tamer of the skeletal monster, Alex!" His voice boomed across the arena as the crowd erupted into noise.
Alex: "Tamer?" He blinked, his expression flattening as he suddenly appeared back beside the others, the word clearly not sitting well with him.
Sophi: "Hey, he's not a monster!!" she yelped, her voice cracking as she looked around the arena nervously. Her shoulders tensed as she felt countless eyes on her from every direction. "F-Fuck, I don't like this..." she murmured under her breath, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. She lifted her gaze toward Alex and sent a gentle burst of pink energy his way, the signal carrying her emotions clearly. It told him she loved him, in case it was the last thing she ever got to say.
Announcer: "And fighting for the side of darkness, on behalf of Noctum's instructions! Lucifer Morningstar! The Collapsed Angel of Hell!!!" His voice roared across the arena, shaking the air itself.
Lucifer: A rotting corpse version of him climbed out of the pool slowly, thick black liquid dripping from his body. His appearance was that of a decayed zombie, his arms dangling down unnaturally as he held a blade made of warped flesh. He growled at her, a low, broken sound. His limbs were elongated in disturbing proportions, and part of his cheek was missing, exposing rotted tissue beneath.
Star: "What is that- every other guy they have revived didn't come out like that!" His eyes widened, his body leaning forward in disbelief.
Radna: "Something must be preventing any life force from entering its body," he said quietly, his eyes narrowing as he observed it. "It's moving like a puppet..."
Noctum: He closed his eyes, resting his head lightly against his hand. His expression remained calm, but the gesture carried the faintest hint of respect toward Lucifer, or something close to it.
Sophi: She looked up at Noctum briefly, a worried look on her face, before focusing her attention back on Lucifer. She pulled up a pink defensive barrier, holding it in front of her like a floating shield. "A-Ah...hi...!?" she squeaked at him, her voice small and uncertain, curious whether he would reply or not.
Lucifer: It grunted, tilting its head from side to side before suddenly sprinting at her with incredible speed. A shockwave formed beneath his feet as he moved, swinging his blade down toward her.
Sophi: "Eep!!" she yelped as she was suddenly moved out of the way, now floating slightly above Lucifer. Her heart pounded in her chest as she steadied herself midair. "Ah, that was fast..." she whispered, hovering above him, her shield staying close as she tried her best to defend herself for whatever might come next.
Lucifer: His eyes darted upward, growling as blood leaked from one of them. "FIHIL!" Blood began dripping from the ceiling, thick and boiling. It quickly intensified, turning into a rain of burning blood that spread across the entire arena.
Sophi: "H-Huh...?!" she questioned, her voice shaking. Whatever Lucifer had just said made no sense to her. Acting on instinct, she widened her shield and shifted it above herself, blocking the falling blood before it could touch her. The liquid hissed against her barrier. "W-What'd you just say...?!" she called out, staring at him in confusion, unsure if the word had been some kind of spell.
Lucifer: He slammed his sword into the ground like an enraged child. "THRUSH!!" The blood that had fallen began to rise upward from the ground, reversing direction and surging toward her. He coughed violently, a large amount of blood spilling from his mouth, yet his body continued moving forward unnaturally, forced onward by something beyond his control.
Sophi: "Ah!!!" she whined, spawning another barrier to cover her feet, trying her absolute hardest not to let any blood touch her. She flew backward away from Lucifer slowly, paying as much attention as she could to how close she was to the edge of the arena, while still watching him closely for whatever might happen next.
Lucifer: He roared as he launched himself at her, his wings sizzling from the blood, yet he ignored the pain and focused entirely on attacking her. His body vanished from where it had been, his blade already moving before the air itself could react. He swung rapidly, each slice leaving behind red slashes that hung suspended for a fraction of a moment before detonating violently, as if the strikes had already finished before existence could acknowledge them.
Sophi: She summoned a third barrier, layering it in front of the others and pushing against Lucifer, trying to force him away from her. The glowing pink surface strained against his advance, trembling under the pressure. "P-P-Please, mister, I really don't wanna fight...!!!" she whimpered, her voice cracking as she focused everything on keeping distance between them.
Lucifer: For a split moment, she felt a presence staring at her from behind Lucifer. A pair of white eyes faded as quickly as she noticed them. The feeling was cold, pure evil, lifeless. There were not enough words to describe the skin-crawling sensation she felt in that brief moment. Suddenly, the blunt side of his sword slammed into her shield, the impact cracking across its surface and knocking her down to the ground.
Alex: His eyes widened as he watched her get hit, his heart beginning to beat rapidly. This was not possible. It should not be possible. He looked over at Radna, his reaction the same. When he fought with Radna, he did not use his full power, but this was his code at its best. How did she get hit?!
Sophi: She gasped as she felt the eyes on her, her head snapping around to look behind Lucifer. For a fraction of a second, she met their stare just as they vanished. A violent, unnatural cold crawled up her spine, sinking deep into her bones and making her shiver uncontrollably. Her breath hitched as the sensation lingered, her body locking up from pure instinctive terror before she was knocked to the ground.
"W-Wh..." she choked, her voice barely forming as panic flooded her chest. Her eyes shot toward Alex, wide and pleading, silently begging for reassurance. Then her gaze slowly lifted back up to Lucifer, her body still and tense, practically frozen with fear.
Lucifer: He gargled on his own blood, the wet, broken sound rattling in his throat as his jaw twitched unnaturally. "P...Praise...The...End." His sword twisted and reformed, flesh stretching and snapping into a trident. The fleshy fingers wrapped around its shaft twitched violently before he hurled it straight at her.
Sophi: She raised her barrier just in time, the trident striking it and ricocheting off to the side. It hit the ground with a wet thud and immediately began writhing, the fleshy fingers twitching as if it were still alive. She scooted backward quickly, her face twisting in disgust. "Ick, i-it's moving!" she yelped.
She slowly rose back up, hovering a few inches above the ground, her eyes locked on Lucifer. She was still terrified, her nerves completely shot. Even the faint brush of her own hair against her shoulder made her flinch and glance behind her, heart racing. "What the fuck happened...?!?" She thought to herself, unable to shake the lingering cold that clung to her skin.
Lucifer: He held out his hand. The trident suddenly jerked upright and launched itself forward, stabbing violently into his side. Flesh tore, but instead of collapsing, the weapon melted and reconstructed itself seamlessly back into his grip. He lifted it high. "FIHIL!!! THRUSH!!! KATRA!!!"
A red ring slowly began forming at her feet, glowing symbols bubbling upward through suspended blood that gathered in the air around her. The circle pulsed once. Then an explosion of blood magic detonated beneath her, blasting her backward and nearly sending her out of the arena.
Radna: "Why isn't she fucking attacking him!? She's going to get herself killed!" He gripped the edge of his seat so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Alex: "Fuck it." He thrust his hand forward, tapping directly into her body. One of his floating hands materialized beside Sophi, mechanical fingers flexing. Its center glowed red before firing a concentrated beam straight at Lucifer.
Lucifer: He spun his trident effortlessly, deflecting the beam into the arena wall with a violent crack. Sparks and debris scattered. He then reached up and grabbed his loose, flabby cheek, pulling it upward to force a grotesque, twisted smile onto his face. Through the gargling blood in his throat, he began to laugh.
Alex: His eyes widened. He shot up from his seat. "What is this thing made of!?" His hands glowed brighter as he channeled more energy into the floating construct. It fired beam after beam in rapid succession, each one precise and powerful, yet every single shot was deflected again and again.
Sophi: "Ngh..." She gritted her teeth as the impact rattled through her body, forcing herself to stabilize. Her wings fluttered unevenly as she flew clumsily back above the stone platform of the arena, barely regaining her balance.
She shot Radna a confused glance, her brows furrowing. A pulse of soft pink energy flickered around her head as she projected her thoughts toward him, hoping he would hear her clearly. "Don't you know that I don't fight?!" Her attention snapped back as she sensed a familiar presence. She gasped softly when Alex's floating hand appeared beside her, relief washing over her for just a second. But that relief quickly faded as she watched his attacks get deflected again and again. She had never seen his powers be so easily avoided.
Her breathing grew shallow as she stared at Lucifer's twisted, gnarly smile. Instinctively, she gave a weak, fearful smile back, her lips trembling. Slowly, she floated higher into the air, lifting her hands as pink light began gathering between her palms. Another barrier started to form around her, thicker this time. Please think...please think...she urged herself internally, desperately hoping she would come up with something before things got any worse.
Alex: His expression hardened as his hand lifted higher. "Aura: Golden_Error!" The floating hand beside her immediately began to glitch, its structure fragmenting into jagged pixels of light before stabilizing into a radiant gold glow.
"Execute_Command: {Input_Chain: Positive_Light_Beacon;Set_Target: Sophi;Authorization: Override_Limiters; }"
The moment the final line left his mouth, her body ignited in brilliant white light. It flooded outward in a blinding surge, swallowing the arena in radiance so intense that even the shadows recoiled.
Lucifer: He screamed in agony as his decayed skin began to boil under the energy. Smoke poured from his body as he thrashed violently, stumbling backward step by step toward the edge of the arena. "FI-...THR-..." Every time he attempted to speak, the words collapsed into raw, tortured screams.
His heel reached the edge. His body tilted backward toward the pool. For a split second, he began to slip. Then reality itself flickered. A distortion rippled through the air, and what looked like a black tentacle snapped into existence, striking the arena wall and bouncing him forward again. The image vanished as quickly as it appeared, like a corrupted frame in existence. The thought of something being there dissolved almost instantly.
Alex: "OH NO YOU DONT'!" His voice dropped as his hands moved again, faster now. "Execute_Command_Secondary_Line: {Energy_Channel: Replication;Source: Star;Amplification: Maximum;Bypass: Stability_Check; }"
Her body flared once more, this time radiating energy as bright and pure as Star himself. The burst detonated outward from her core, striking Lucifer directly and sending him flying back through the air. He crashed into the pool. The moment he submerged, the screams were immediately silenced. The light surrounding her slowly dimmed, fading back to normal. The golden floating hand gently patted her on the head in reassurance before dissolving into particles of fading code.
Sophi: She watched as Lucifer's body whipped around violently, grimacing as his flesh contorted and sizzled under the blinding light. The smell made her stomach churn. "I-I-I'm sorry...!!!" she whined, her voice breaking as he tried to speak through the agony. She saw him scoot closer and closer to the edge of the arena, her breath catching in her throat. Then suddenly he bounced back. Her eyes widened in confusion. Huh...? What just happened...?! she thought fearfully. She knew something was wrong. She could feel it. But she could not figure out what it was.
When the final burst of energy sent him flying into the pool, she covered her eyes tightly. Even after everything, even after he had tried to kill her, she still felt guilty. The screams stopped instantly. The energy surrounding her began to fade, draining from her body all at once. Only then did she realize how exhausted she truly was. The last thing she felt was Alex's floating hand patting her head gently. Her knees buckled beneath her as she slumped down, barely managing to take in one deep breath before everything went black. She collapsed fully onto the cold stone platform, unconscious.
Announcer: "It's...It's astonishing! Somehow, Sophi has managed to take the victory for her team! What an incredible display of power! The Round Three winner is the Goddess of Love, Sophi!!!" The crowd roared in approval, the noise shaking the arena as if nothing unusual had happened, seemingly ignoring the fact that she was unconscious on the stone. In a flash of light, she was suddenly transported up top with the rest of her team.
Alex: He immediately dropped to his knees beside her, carefully turning her onto her back and checking her for wounds. His fingers hovered over her pulse point, then moved to brush hair away from her face. He let out a long breath when he confirmed there were no injuries. "She's okay. She's okay."
Noctum: From across the arena, he watched Alex closely, blinking slowly as he studied the energy radiating from him. "Hmm." He rose from his throne with deliberate calm, the movement alone commanding attention. Raising his hand, he silenced the entire arena instantly. The roaring crowd fell dead quiet. "I have decided. Round Four will be a great moment in history." He extended his hand outward across the arena, his gaze locking onto Alex. "I challenge Alex."
Announcer: "W-What, sire, are you sure you want to participate-" His voice faltered as Noctum slowly turned his head toward him. The announcer visibly shivered and nodded immediately. "In 15 minutes, Round Four will take place! Alex against our glorious leader, Noctuminus!"
Radna: "What?!"
Star: "He is rapidly picking beings before we even have the chance to think... he himself is fighting Alex?" His brows furrowed, golden light flickering faintly around him as he tried to understand the sudden shift.
Alex: He stared across the arena at the Thorned King, locking eyes with him from a distance. Even from where he stood, he could feel the overwhelming darkness radiating from Noctum's body, thick and suffocating. It pressed against his senses like a tidal wave waiting to crash. His jaw tightened.
Then he looked down at Sophi resting on the stone, her breathing steady but fragile. His expression softened for a brief second. For her sake, he had no choice but to fight him.