Brock roared.
"I WON'T GO DOWN!"
The sea answered his defiance.
Water surged violently around his massive frame, waves rising like jagged walls as his body convulsed with power. Blood streamed freely from his wounds, staining the ocean beneath him black —but instead of weakening, his presence grew heavier. Denser. Like the ocean itself was being forced to carry his hatred.
His muscles twisted unnaturally, veins bulging as dark energy churned through him in unstable waves. The tentacles beneath the surface thrashed wildly, no longer controlled—no longer precise. This wasn't skill anymore.
This was survival.
Sora hovered a short distance away, chest heaving, steam rolling off his body in thick waves. His golden-red pupils burned steadily, locked onto Brock like a predator sizing up a cornered beast. Every instinct screamed the same warning:
"He's dangerous right now".Luke landed beside him, boots barely touching the water's surface. Nox Aeternum trembled in his grip, its golden glow flickering erratically—reacting not to Brock, but to him. The circle in Luke's left eye pulsed faintly again, sending another sharp spike of pain through his skull.
That voice still echoed in his mind.
"You're taking too long, kid."
Brock laughed—low, broken, unhinged.
"You Saints…" he growled, shoulders rising and falling. "You think this is victory? You think knocking me around makes you strong?"
He spread his arms wide.The sea behind him bulged.
"I've fought monsters that begged gods for mercy."
The water exploded upward.
A massive ring of tentacles burst from the ocean, larger than before, thicker, fused together like a writhing wall of flesh and shadow. The pressure alone crushed the air, forcing Sora and Luke back as waves detonated outward in violent shockwaves.
Luke's eyes widened.
"Sora—this is bad."
Sora clenched his fists, heat spiraling violently around his arms.
"No," he said calmly. His voice was steady. Cold.
"This is the end."
Brock's grin split wider, blood dripping from his teeth.
"Then come," he snarled.
"Let me die standing."
The ocean screamed.Brock charged.
The ocean shattered beneath his feet as he launched forward, dragging the sea with him like a living weapon. Tentacles fused together, forming a colossal spear of flesh and pressure aimed straight at Sora's heart.
"DIE WITH ME!" Brock roared.
The pressure alone cracked the air.
Sora didn't move.
Heat compressed inward—tight, violent, absolute. The steam around him vanished, sucked back into his body as mantra folded in on itself, growing denser, heavier, dangerous.
Behind him— Luke raised Nox Aeternum.
The golden blade screamed.
The circle in Luke's left eye flared fully now, burning like a command seal etched into his soul. Pain ripped through him, blood trailing from the corner of his eye—but his grip never wavered.
"So this is it…" Luke whispered.
The voice returned, calm and merciless.
"Good. Don't hesitate."
Brock was almost on them.Sora stepped forward.
The ocean collapsed.
"PLATINUM—"
He drove his fist forward, heat and mantra detonating outward not as an explosion—but as a singular, focused impact.
"—DOMINION!"
The punch landed dead center in Brock's chest.
For a fraction of a second—nothing happened.
Then Brock's body caved inward.
The shockwave didn't spread outward—it went through him. The sea split beneath them as a vertical trench tore open, water screaming as pressure erased everything in its path.
Brock's roar died in his throat.
His tentacles froze.His heart shattered.
Before his body could even fall—
Luke was already there.
He appeared behind Brock in a flash of blinding gold, blade raised high, mantra and will perfectly aligned.
"Nox Aeternum," Luke said calmly.
The sword descended.
"FINAL—SHATTER."
The strike erased sound.
A vertical arc of golden light cleaved through Brock from shoulder to hip, slicing through flesh, bone, and corrupted mantra as if they were illusions. The sea behind him split cleanly in two, a massive wall of water rising before crashing inward.
Brock's body froze midair.
His eyes widened—not in fear—
But disbelief.
"…So… this is how it ends," he murmured.
Then his body split apart, dissolving into light and ash before hitting the water.
"Looks like we won," Luke muttered.
The golden glow in his eyes flickered, the world tilting as the adrenaline finally bled away. His knees buckled—
—but before he could fall, an arm locked around his shoulders.
"Don't fall," Sora said, a tired smirk tugging at his lips.
Luke let out a weak breath, half a laugh. "Since when did you get this reliable?"
"Since you decided to almost die," Sora replied.
The sea around them slowly calmed. Boiling water cooled. Steam faded into mist. What remained of Brock's presence dissolved into the depths, the ocean swallowing the evidence as if erasing a mistake.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—far in the distance—the faint silhouette of the ship came into view, rocking gently atop the waves. Its lights flickered through the fog, small but steady, like a promise.
Sora adjusted his grip, pulling Luke up more firmly. "Can you walk?"
Luke glanced at the ship, then back at the sea beneath them. "I'll manage."
They moved together, step by step, the water yielding beneath their feet as they made their way back. Every movement sent ripples outward, the ocean parting in quiet submission.
As they climbed aboard the ship, the weight of the fight finally settled in.
The wind was colder now. The sky darker.
LOCATION : UNKNOWN
A long, blackened table stretched across a shadow-filled room. The only light came from a single, dim overhead lamp, casting harsh lines across the faces of the people seated. All dressed in black, they moved like predators waiting to strike.
"Sir… it seems our plan is unfolding perfectly," one of the members said, voice cautious, almost trembling under the weight of expectation.
From the darkness, a figure emerged, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. He stepped forward slowly, the smirk on his face cutting sharper than any blade.
"I know," he said, voice low and deadly smooth. "A genius like me never fails."
The members exchanged uneasy glances.
"But… boss," another spoke, leaning back in his chair, legs draped carelessly over the table, "that kid… Sora. I have a feeling he might… ruin everything. He's growing faster than expected. His last fight… it was—"
The figure with the coffee raised a single hand. Calm. Effortless. Deadly. A faint ripple of energy pulsed from him. The man warning about Sora stiffened—his words died in his throat.
He fell. Silent. A single, guttural gasp before his body crumpled to the floor. No one moved. No one breathed.
The figure placed the coffee down. Slowly. Deliberately. Eyes glinting with cold amusement.
"I've seen him," he said, voice slicing the room like ice. "The boy… Sora. His power, his… growth. Too fast. Too… dangerous. No one will ever get in my way. Not him. Not anyone."
The room swallowed his words. The shadows seemed to lean closer, hungry, obedient. Every heartbeat felt like it could be the last.
A faint smile played on his lips as he looked toward a screen flickering with grainy images—the ocean, the shattered waves, and the boy standing triumphant.
"Interesting…" he whispered. "Very interesting indeed."
This brings us to the end of the Awakening of the Unblessed arc. But the journey doesn't stop here… Stay tuned for the Saints' Ordeal arc!.
And thank you for reading Vybrant and please let me know how the story is.