Chapter 18 - Intense Power

The lizard's eyes glow brighter as it turns its gaze towards the sun, drawing energy from its radiant light. Just when Velocity and Brock think they have the upper hand, the lizard lets out a burst of energy, pushing them back with immense force.

The lizards body starts to grow, the lizard's transformation takes Velocity and Brock by surprise as its body grows in size and power. Its scales begin to shimmer with an otherworldly light, radiating an aura of sheer strength.

Velocity dashes backwards as the lizard tries to stomp on them, its massive claws tearing through the ground with every step.

"We shouldn't be fighting this..." Velocity says, but as he looks beside him, Brock is not there.

He quickly looks at the lizard's footprint and saw Brock, lying unconscious, bloodied by the stomp. Velocity look shocked and his body stopped moving as he sees his friend lying there, motionless. Panic wells up inside Velocity as he realizes the danger they are truly facing. The lizard lets out a deafening roar, shaking the ground beneath him.

OUTSKIRT OF THE CITY...

"Kneel before the Rat King!" Silas says, with menacing smile on his face. "Or face the consequence."

Infront of him are Flare and Zayn, looking disgusted by the words of Silas.

Flare steps forward, her eyes burning with defiance. "We will never kneel before the likes of him," She declares, her voice filled with defiance.

Zayn stands beside Flare, his stance unwavering. "You're gonna regret attacking this city," He says, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

As the tension mounts, a gust of wind blows through the outskirts of the city, stirring up dust and debris. Flare and Zayn exchange a determined glance, ready to face whatever comes their way. Silas narrows his eyes, sensing the defiance in their words.

"Very well," Silas sneers, raising his glowing hand, it looks like it will explode.

Flare swiftly propels herself towards Silas, her flames blazing around her as she moves with incredible speed. The air crackles with tension as she closes the distance between them, aiming to take him by surprise before he can unleash whatever power he was planning.

Silas looks directly at Flare, with a menacing smile he grabs Flare's hand and whisper. "Boom."

As Silas uttered "Boom," an explosive burst of energy emanated from his hand, sending Flare flying back with a forceful impact. Zayn reacted quickly, dodging to the side to avoid the brunt of the blast. The ground beneath them shook as the energy dissipated, leaving a smoking crater where Flare had been standing moments before.

Suddenly Zayn dashes towards Silas, his body covered with lightning.

As Zayn charges towards Silas, crackling with lightning energy, the air around him buzzes with electricity.

Silas welcomed the attack from Zayn's electrified body, but as the two collided, a massive explosion engulfed the area. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the surroundings.

Debris flew in all directions as the explosion echoed through the outskirts of the city. Smoke billowed up into the sky, obscuring the scene from view momentarily. As the dust settled, Zayn and Silas are locked in a fierce struggle amidst the destruction.

Silas, unaffected by the lightning energy coursing through Zayn, smirked as he countered Zayn's attacks.

"It's futile to resist!" Silas says directly at Zayn's face.

Zayn grits his teeth, pushing back against Silas with all his might. The crackling energy surrounding him intensified as he poured more power into his attacks.

Silas's smirk fades slightly as he realizes the determination in Zayn's eyes. The two adversaries are locked in a fierce battle of strength, each refusing to back down.

With a sudden surge of energy, Zayn unleashes a powerful burst of lightning, aiming directly at Silas. The bolt crackles through the air, targeting its mark with deadly accuracy.

Silas's eyes widen in surprise as the lightning blast strikes him, sending him flying backward with a resounding impact. He crashes into the debris-strewn ground, momentarily stunned by the force of the attack.

"Hah... Hahahaha." A sinister laugh starts echoing through the air.

The sinister laugh sends shivers down Flare and Zayn's spines as they cautiously approach where Silas had fallen. The air is thick with tension as they watch for any signs of movement from their fallen adversary.

Slowly, Silas begins to rise from the debris, his form battered but his eyes gleaming with a renewed malevolence. The laughter continues to echo around them, filling the air with a chilling presence.

"You think a mere lightning bolt can defeat me?" Silas's voice booms, resonating with an otherworldly power that sends tremors through the ground.

His body starts to glow brightly, the sight of an impending explosion, the air around him crackled with unstable energy. Flare and Zayn could sense the impending explosion, a cataclysmic release of power that threatened to engulf everything in its path.

With a sudden surge, Silas unleashed the built-up energy in a blinding explosion that tore through the surrounding landscape. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the air, shattering rocks and trees in its wake.

Flare and Zayn were thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the explosion, struggling to shield themselves from the searing heat and debris flying in all directions.

The explosion engulfs them all in a blinding light, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and shattering everything in its path.

In the aftermath of the blinding explosion, a deafening silence engulfs the once chaotic scene.

As the air clears, a figure emerges from the epicenter of the explosion, Silas, virtually burnt, a malicious grin playing on his lips.

SOMEWHERE...

Rift stands before a figure sitting on the throne, an aura of power radiates around the figure as he stands up.

"Rat King..." Rift says, his voice low and aggressive.

"Ah, Rift... That's right you're the strongest hero in this city." Rat King says, a sly smile on his face.

Rift's eyes flash with anger, his veins popping from his clenched fist and sinister smile on his face. With a menacing growl, Rift charges forward, his powers crackling with intense dark energy.

As Rift lunges towards Rat King, the throne room trembles with suppressed energy. Rat King calmly raises his hand, an invisible force stopping Rift in his tracks.

"You always let your emotions control you, Rift," Rat King taunts. "That's why you'll never defeat me."

Rift smile menacingly as the gravity around them starts to intensify, causing objects to forcefully drops on the ground. The room starts to rumble violently as Rift channels all his power into breaking free of Rat King's grasp.

"You foolish being." The Rat King release Rift from his grasp.

As Rift is released, he surges forward with even greater force, his aura pulsating with dark energy. With a deafening roar, he unleashes a wave of destructive power towards Rat King, shattering the throne room around them.

Rat King, unfazed by the onslaught, stands his ground with a smirk on his face. With a swift motion, he conjures a barrier of shimmering energy, deflecting Rift's attack effortlessly.

Rift's eyes widen in disbelief as his attack gets deflected, the force of it shattering the remnants of the throne room.

"Is that all you've got, Rift?" Rat King taunts, his voice cutting through the chaos around them.

"I'm just getting started." Rift says with a menacing smile etched on his face.

An ear-splitting explosion rocks the room as Rift unleashes a devastating blast towards Rat King, who responds by weaving intricate patterns of light to counter the attack.

The clash of energies sends shockwaves rippling through the already damaged chamber, causing debris to rain down around them.

SOMEWHERE IN THE UNDERWORLD...

Allen jumps above floor to floor until he reach a certain room. It has many crates and weapons inside it and in the middle of it is a container with a scythe inside it.

"That would be mine." Grim appears behind Allen, he looks different now.

He walks in front of Allen and opens the container.

Allen eyes the scythe with curiousity. Its blade gleamed a dark, ominous black, reflecting a dim, eerie light from the glow of the room around them.

"I think I know what your power is." Allen says, looking straight to Grim. "It's power over the soul right? Just like death."

Grim looks at Allen for moment before bursting into laughter. Allen looks disappointed at Grim, suddenly a faint sound of a footstep caught their attention.

"What's that?" Allen quickly asks, looking around the room.

"Someone I know." Grim points his scythe in front of the door. "So you're the one who's guarding my scythe?"

As they both turn to face the door, a figure emerges from the shadows. It's a hooded figure, carrying a menacing aura around her. The newcomer's eyes glint with a mix of curiosity and suspicion as she assesses the scene before her.

A beautiful woman with demonic features stands before them, looking at Allen and Grim with a piercing gaze.

"You must be Allen," She says in a voice like velvet and steel. "Grim has spoken of you."

Allen looks at Grim, puzzled. "Grim, who is she?"

"My girlfriend..." Grim says as he looks down blushing.