And then suddenly the ground heaves, grass blades screaming in high-pitched whispers.
CHIKA — 30 feet tall, pure white starfire, constellation tattoos blazing across every inch of armored skin — hovers above a cratered plain.
His dual celestial blades have fused into a single, massive dragon-tail, glowing with compressed starlight.
Wings of light flare behind him, feathers of pure energy trailing comet dust.
SKORN — anti-matter titan, red-purple veins pulsating like living circuits, void crown crackling with negative energy — stands 35 feet, wings now blades, armor regenerating faster than it breaks.
His eyes are twin singularities, sucking in light, spitting out despair.
THEY ARE LOCKED IN CHAOS.
– THE TAIL STRIKE
Chika's tail — dragon-shaped, starfire dripping — lunges.
SKORN dodges — barely.
The stinger grazes his chest plate, carving a molten scar.
Skorn ROARS.
"YOU DARE?!"
Anti-matter erupts — red-purple shockwave.
Chika's wings shield him — feathers burn away.
Chika spins — tail whips blazing with fire.
SKORN counters — void blade parries.
SPARKS — white vs. black — ignite the air.
Skorn's fist — size of a truck — slams down.
Chika blocks — tail coils around wrist.
STARFIRE VS. ANTI-MATTER.
Deadlock.
Ground splits.
Chika's tattoos PULSE — ALL MAGICAL SIGNS IGNITE.
Power surges.
He PULLS — Skorn staggers forward.
"COSMIC EXECUTION — FINAL STAB!"
TAIL THRUSTS.
Pierces Skorn's core.
STARFIRE FLOODS INSIDE.
Skorn SCREAMS.
Anti-matter collapses inward.
Body convulses.
– THE RAGE OF SKORN
OUT OF RAGE.
Skorn's eyes FLASH — PURE VOID.
Anti-matter SURGES — UNSTABLE.
"NOOOOOO!"
His remaining arm — mutates, elongates, forms a SPEAR OF PURE ANTI-MATTER.
STAB.
FAST.
BRUTAL.
The spear PIERCES CHIKA'S CHEST — DEAD CENTER.
STARFIRE ERUPTS — THEN FLICKERS.
Chika's eyes WIDEN.
Blood — golden light — spills.
Tattoos FADE.
Skorn TWISTS the spear.
"DIE, WIZARD."
Chika's tail GOES LIMP.
Wings SHATTER.
He FALLS
And turns back into human. – THE GREEN DOME SHATTERS
CRACK.
The emerald sky SPLINTERS.
Mountains DISSOLVE into green mist.
Domain COLLAPSES.
GREEN LIGHT BLEEDS INTO REALITY.
ABUJA – IDC RUINS –
THE DOME VANISHES.
CHIKA FALLS.
From 30,000 feet.
Body shrinking, starfire armor cracking, blood trailing gold.
SKORN CRASHES — massive, wounded, anti-matter leaking.
"NOW… TIME TO DIE."
David — belly full, water surrounding his arm — sees Chika falling.
"********** NOOO!"
He THRUSTS hands up.
WATER ERUPTS — MASSIVE PILLAR.
Cushions Chika's fall.
CHIKKA LANDS — in David's arms, limp, chest wound bleeding.
David's voice cracks:
"Chika… are you okay?!"
Chika coughs — blood.
"David am sorry it's to....tooo late for me *COUGHS* just run….....run…. Please run!!!?"
SKORN ADVANCES.
Anti-matter spear reforms.
"THE WIZARD HAS FALLEN.EARTH IS NOT UNDER ANY PROTECTION!!.
David gently lays Chika down.
Favour kneels, tidal claws glowing, trying to heal.
"David — RUN!"
David stands.
Belly still full, but eyes NARROW.
No fear.
Only water.
David stands.
Chika's body — limp, chest wound gaping, blood pooling — **lies behind him.
Tears stream down David's cheeks.
Hot.
Burning.
He kneels, shaking Chika's shoulder.
"Chika… wake up… please…"
No response.
Favour — hands glowing faintly — tries to heal.
Light flickers… fades.
Claws retract.
"David… I'm not sure he's alive…"
David's world SHATTERS.
FLASHBACK – 6 DAYS AGO
OBAWOLE MANSION – FIRST NIGHT
Chika — smiling, staff tapping — "You're spec, son."
David — laughing — "Oga, you I no be your son."
Chika — teaching water signs — "Flow. Don't force."
David — failing, splashing — "Again?!"
Chika — at dinner — "Eat. You'll need strength."
David — shoveling jollof — "what a nice guy ."
Chika — tucking him in — "Goodnight, David."
PRESENT –
David's fists CLENCH.
Tears fall onto Chika's face.
"It wasn't even a week…"
"You were… family…"
"First the orphanage… now you…"
RAGE.
PURE.
SCORPIO RAGE.
David stands.
Water CONDENSES — THIN AIR.
JETS ERUPT — HIGH-PRESSURE.
FIRE AT SKORN.
Skorn — towering, anti-matter leaking — doesn't flinch.
Jets hit — ANNIHILATE.
Steam.
Skorn's voice — cold:
"Pathetic."
David GRINS — WILD, BROKEN.
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Water CONVERGES — FIST OF PURE H2O — SIZE OF A BAG.
David CHARGES.
Skorn CATCHES FIST — CRUSHES.
Water EXPLODES/SCATTERS .
THROWS David — CRASHES INTO GROUND.
Concrete floor.
Favour — shouts — "DAVID!"
David rises — BLOOD, DIRT, RAGE.
Eyes GLOW BLUE.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU…"
"YOU BASTAAAAARD!!!!!"
Water ERUPTS — EVERYWHERE.
GROUND, AIR, CLOUDS.
SCORPIO'S FURY.
(CHAPTER 13.5)
David — clothes shredded, skin bruised, blood dripping — stands.
Water JETS — thin air — fire at Skorn.
Skorn — anti-matter armor cracked — swats them like flies.
Jets ANNIHILATE — steam clouds.
Skorn CHARGES.
Fist SLAMS — David FLIES 20 meters.
CRASHES INTO WALL.
Concrete EXPLODES.
David rises — again.
Water WHIP — 50 meters.
Skorn GRABS — CRUSHES.
Water SPRAYS.
Skorn PUNCHES — David's chest.
RIBS CRACK.
David COUGHS blood.
Clothes TEAR — gi in tatters.
Skorn GRABS THROAT.
Lifts David — 10 feet off ground.
Skorn's voice — void-deep:
"YOU ARE NO ZODIAC WARRIOR."
SLAMS David — GROUND CRATERS.
Pavement SHATTERS.
Favour RUNS — tidal claws GLOWING.
"DAVID!"
Skorn STOMPS — MINI EARTHQUAKE.
GROUND SPLITS — 30-meter chasm.
Favour STUMBLES — separated.
CRACKED EARTH LIFTS — ISLAND OF PAVEMENT.
David and Skorn RISE — 100 feet into sky.
Skorn HOLDS David above head.
Maw OPENS — BLACK HOLE.
Soul-suck BEGINS.
Purple wisps — David's essence — PULLED.
David's eyes SNAP OPEN.
RAGE.
FURY.
EYES TURN PURPLE — GLOWING.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
MASSIVE PURPLE SHOCKWAVE.
EXPLODES OUTWARD.
Everyone FEELS — bones rattle, hearts skip.
PAVEMENT SHATTERS — ISLAND COLLAPSES.
Skorn and David FALL.
David FLOATS — GENTLY DESCENDS.
He LANDS — knees soft.
Eyes still PURPLE.
Skorn CRASHES — INTO PARKED CAR.
Metal CRUMPLES.
Skorn STANDS — eyes GLOW RED AND PURPLE.
Skorn:
"WHAT IS THIS?"
David — ANGRY, EVIL GRIN:
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU."