Sentinels Vs Stars part 3

Jirak vs Esra

Jirak and Esra moved through the vast emptiness of space, their bodies gliding silently. Side by side, they traveled for several minutes before coming to a stop, each knowing they had reached the distance necessary for what was about to unfold.

They created a gap between them and turned to face each other. Jirak's expression remained neutral, pretraying no emotion or hostility, while Esra's face was hidden behind the dark, imposing helmet.

"I am not like the rest of my subordinates," Esra began, his voice steady but with authority. "I bear no personal grudge against you, your people, or that stardevouring being. But the empire does. And if the empire commands that you be wiped from existence, then I, as the empire's sword, will carry out its will. And because of this, all of you must die...." Esra's words were followed by the gleam of his red eye from beneath the helmet.

Jirak stood calmly, hands clasped behind him, his posture unchanged. His expression remained stoic.

"Your people have harmed me and my subordinates in the past," Jirak replied, his voice steady and cold. "Not only that, but they've shown no regard for my lord. And because of this, they've attacked our home taking no regard for my people or my lord."

 Jirak's two draconic tails twitched, a subtle sign of agitation.

"But even so, I do not hate you," Jirak continued. "It's not that i forgive you or any garbage like that. No… If an ant were to bite you, you wouldn't hate it…No. You would simply squash it and move on with your day… And that is what i intended to do today."

Esra's grip tightened around his sword, and the dark armor that covered him gleamed with an ominous aura. "It seems there's no point in continuing this conversation. I only wanted you to know that I bear no personal animosity towards you. In death, hold no hatred towards me. After all... that is my conviction."

FWWWOOOOOM!

A burst of crimson energy erupted from Esra, enveloping his form in an intense red aura as he began to step toward Jirak.

Jirak stood unmoved, his expression unchanged, his posture still relaxed. He made no move, his hands resting casually behind him.

SWISH!

Esra shot toward Jirak at blinding speed, closing the gap in an instant. He raised his broad sword with both hands and swung it at Jirak's right side.

CLANG!

Jirak's tail intercepted the blow with ease, the impact sending shockwaves through space, rippling the solar winds around them. Jirak didn't flinch, standing firm, as one of his tails kept Esra's sword in check.

"Tch." Esra scoffed, his expression hidden behind his helmet. He coated his sword entirely in the red aura that had been emanating from him, pulling the blade back.

SWISH!

Esra swung down with renewed force, aiming for Jirak's head, but Jirak barely moved. With the swiftest of gestures, he sidestepped the strike. In a flash, Jirak's hand glowed with intense heat, and a blazing red energy began to condense in his palm.

Esra's instincts screamed danger. Without hesitation, he shot backward, raising one hand in defense.

Jirak's hand surged forward, his palm aiming directly at Esra.

Solar Flame... Red⛮

HOOOAAA-FWOOM!

A massive surge of searing red hot flames shot from Jirak's palm, streaking through space in a concentrated, unstoppable path toward Esra.

Esra reacted instantly. A bright, blue pulsating eye appeared on the palm of his armor.

"MIDNIGHT ARMOR RELIC ABILITY ACTIVE! SPATIAL LOCK!"

The eye on Esra's hand Glowed bright, and the space in front of him began to warp and condense. A massive transparent barrier formed around him, creating a 200-foot radius of protection.

BOOM!

The flames collided with Esra's barrier in a violent explosion, the shockwave rippling outward. Though the barrier was immense, it wasn't enough to completely contain the force of Jirak's solar flames. The edges of the barrier buckled under the pressure, and some of the flames leaked through, scorching Esra's armor and skin.

Esra held his own, gritting his teeth as the heat from the flames burned through his defenses. His Midnight Armor held strong, but the relentless onslaught was too much to withstand for long.

Damn it! Esra thought, pain lacing his mind. This isn't an Aether abiliy it's a cosmic ability. The flames are so f*cking hot as if they were pulled straight from a sun. I don't know long my Midnight Armor will hold!

After what felt like an eternity, the flames slowly dissipated, and as the flames cleared. Esra stood, battered and scorched. The top half of his armor had been melted away, some pieces still clinging to his charred skin. But what shocked Jirak was what lay beneath.

From the burnt remnants of Esra's helmet, a face emerged. A woman's face. Tall red hair, brown skin, and piercing blue eyes—a striking alien race that bore a resemblance to humans.

Esra's hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, her expression hardening. Her eyes, now revealed, glowed with a cold fury.

"You know something you shouldn't," Esra growled, her voice laced with anger. "And now, no matter what, you must die here… TODAY!"

Esra removed her helmet and let it drift into the void of space, her face twisted in rage.

"I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of me finding out you're a woman," Jirak said nonchalantly, his tone unbothered. "And I don't see how it matters. We were already about to fight to the death."

Esra's glare sharpened. "Even so, no matter what, I will—"

CHING—BOOM!

Before Esra could finish her sentence, a wide, powerful slash tore through the space between them, cutting the fabric of the void itself. The shockwave rippled outward, causing both Jirak and Esra to react.

Esra darted to the side, dodging the attack just in time. What the hell was that?! she thought, her teeth grinding as the pain from Jirak's earlier attack lingered in her body. That wasn't me, and it wasn't that damn lizard either. So who could it be?

"You know, Sinith, if you were going to fight in this area, the least you could do is warn me. Especially if you plan on using attacks like that," Jirak's voice called out, calm and unaffected, as he floated above Esra.

Esra's eyes darted up toward him, her mind racing. Sinith? That name… isn't she one of the Star Eater's subordinates? But wasn't Heven supposed to handle her?

Sinith materialized before Jirak, her expression cold and confident. "Don't act oblivious, like you didn't know I was here. Even if you couldn't detect me—which we both know you couldn't—you should have detected that waste."

She pointed behind her, and Esra turned to look. Her eyes widened at the sight of Heven, battered and broken, his body covered in sword wounds. His destroyed cloak revealed his true form—a snail-like alien with green blood dripping from his wounds as he struggled to stay conscious, panting heavily.

Heven's eyes met Esra's, his expression full of shock. What?! That armor… that sword… that's Esra? She's a woman? His mind reeled in disbelief.

"Just stay out of my fight, Sinith," Jirak said, his voice calm yet firm. "You're already taking up time I could have spent wiping out this X3X yandere."

Jirak began to float past her, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone dripping with disdain.

Sinith quickly turned and teleported in front of him, blocking his path. Her back was turned to him, but she glanced over her shoulder. "You're the one who should stay out of this. My opponent is practically finished. What have you been doing this whole time? Rorak already sent a message saying he won his fight."

Jirak raised an eyebrow. "First of all, this is my chapter. Second, little brother Rorak is too impatient. I prefer to savor a fight instead of rushing it. Besides, the sanctuary is dull without our lord."

Sinith laughed. "Haha, true."

Both Esra and Heven stared at them in horror, their minds racing with the same thought: Hungriv… lost?!

Esra's body began to tremble. No… they must be lying. There's no way the second strongest among us could lose to these people.

Her grip on her sword tightened, and her expression hardened with resolve. She raised the blade before her face, her eyes blazing with fury.

"SWORD OF JUSTICE, RELIC ABILITY RELEASE… CONVICTION!"

SHIIIING—BOOM!

A massive wave of blue energy exploded from Esra's sword, sending shockwaves rippling through the area. Jirak and Sinith stood firm, holding their ground, but Heven struggled to keep himself from being blown away.

"MIDNIGHT ARMOR, RELIC ABILITY RELEASE… VOID ARMOR!"

Esra's damaged armor began to shift and wrap around her body, fusing with her form. The plates reconfigured themselves, highlighting her feminine physique while radiating a far more oppressive aura than before. Her sword grew in size, the blade exuding a razor-sharp aura that seemed to cut through the void itself.

Sinith observed her calmly, her sharp gaze analyzing. "It doesn't look like she has any inherent Aether abilities or powers of her own. It seems she's using her Aether energy output solely to wield those relics," she mused. Then, with a dismissive shrug, she turned to Heven. "Well, it's your problem now."

Jirak, his cold eyes fixed on Esra, spoke flatly. "It doesn't matter what she's using. If that's all she can manage… fighting me is a death wish."

Sinith slowly floated toward Heven. Her gaze was icy, her presence menacing.

Heven's heart pounded as he looked at Esra, panic filling his mind. She's insane! Using the ability release of a relic drains your lifespan unless your power far exceeds it! Esra's power isn't even close to that level! And she used two releases at the same time?! Even with her mastery of relics, this is suicide!

"HEY! PAY ATTENTION!" Sinith's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Heven quickly turned, his body instinctively moving into a defensive stance. Sinith continued to close the distance, her cold gaze fixed on him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you," she said, her voice low and chilling. "We're not done yet."