"Oh, don't worry," Doom chuckled, his eyes gleaming with malice. "I'll be touching far more than a hair." He flung Hazel away and vanished, reappearing instantly behind Ashton.
Ashton saw the future, a horrifying premonition, but Doom's speed was far beyond his ability to react.
Doom's hand pierced Ashton from behind, straight through his heart and out the front of his chest.
Hazel's mouth fell open in disbelief, a strangled cry tearing from his throat. "Nooooo!"
[Requirements have been met.]
[Skill: Invincibility has been activated.]
Hazel's body began to glow with an array of vibrant, otherworldly colors. Then, he moved. His speed exploded, surpassing anything he had ever achieved before.
Hazel dashed towards Doom, but even with his enhanced speed, in the millisecond it took to close the distance, Doom was faster. He vanished again, reappearing behind Oscar and tearing apart all of Oscar's limbs with brutal efficiency.
Oscar lay broken and bleeding, without arms or legs. Doom held Oscar's severed hand aloft, his gaze fixed on Hazel. "Show me more, little Reaper! I want to see more of your helplessness and sorrow!"
Tears streamed down Hazel's face as he witnessed the horrific sight. He charged again, pushing his limits beyond comprehension.
Hazel reached Doom, but once again, he was not fast enough to even graze the god.
This time, Doom appeared in front of Mia, his hand shooting out to grip her neck. With a sickening snap, he broke it.
Doom then tossed Mia's lifeless body to the ground. "It's not enough, Hazel! Show me more! I want to see how truly sorrowful you can be! Entertain me! Hahahaha!"
Hazel fell to his knees, a primal scream tearing from his soul.
Suddenly, the same dark, swirling aura that had surrounded Mia during her fight erupted around her once more. Mia stood up, her body shrouded in black shadows.
"Such disrespect," Doom scoffed. "How dare you, lowly god, even attempt to stand against me?"
Doom raised his hand towards Mia, a malevolent energy gathering in his palm. But Hazel knew Mia wasn't strong enough. He dashed towards her, screaming, "Run! Run!"
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, Doom decapitated Mia. As Hazel reached her fallen body, Doom turned to face him. "Now this is getting interesting," he said, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
Doom vanished again, reappearing behind Alexa. He placed his hand on her head. A single tear rolled down Alexa's cheek as she offered Hazel a small, hopeless smile.
"Please don't!" Hazel screamed, his voice cracking with despair.
"Now that is the face I love to see," Doom purred. "But why stop here? I can just kill her too, and watch you descend into complete sorrow as you finally let go of life. Say goodbye, Hazel."
"Nooooooo! Nooo! Nooo!" Hazel roared, his aura exploding outwards, destroying everything within its immediate radius.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
"Yesss! Yesss, Hazel! That is what I love to see!" Doom exclaimed, relishing Hazel's berserk state.
"No need to cry," Doom said, walking slowly towards Hazel. "It's time for you to join them."
Hazel saw Doom approaching, his vision blurred with tears and rage. He charged, a desperate, futile attack. With effortless ease, Doom disappeared, reappearing behind Hazel in the blink of an eye, his hand plunging into Hazel's chest.
"Goodbye, Hazel," Doom whispered, pulling out Hazel's still-beating heart.
Hazel's in the abyss, talking to Grim. Let's see how we can make this chapter more gripping and presentable. Here's an edited version, focusing on stronger imagery, more concise dialogue, and building tension:
"Why," Hazel choked out, the words swallowed by the endless black, "I failed. I failed to protect them. I deserve death, yet... I wish I could have saved them." He drifted in the silent abyss, a profound emptiness mirroring the hollowness in his chest.
Suddenly, a figure materialized before him. "Hazel," Grim's voice echoed in the void.
"Grim? What are you doing here? Am I not dead?" Hazel asked, bewildered.
"You remember what I told you, right?" Grim's gaze was intense.
Hazel frowned. "Wait... you don't mean... before the battle with Doom?"
"Yes. Do you remember?"
"'The only way to kill Doom is to die'," Hazel repeated Grim's words, the irony sharp.