Capítulo 8: CHAPTER EIGHT: REQUIEM FOR A HERO

A massive explosion rocked the Shadow Realm, and Seth rushed to investigate. As he arrived, he found Steve sitting on a rock, playing with pebbles in his hand. A sly grin spread across Steve's face.

"Now that should have woken them," Steve said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Seth skidded to a stop a few meters away, his eyes wide with shock. "S-Steve?" he stuttered.

Steve's grin widened. "You look like you've seen a ghost, brother."

Seth's shock gave way to wariness. "What are you doing here?"

Steve's expression turned stern. "Come on, that's not how you greet an old friend. If you won't say it, I will: it's good to see you again."

Seth's eyes narrowed. "We both know why you're here, and it's not just to catch up Might it be you've come to your senses? Your son has turned into a decent lad."

Steve's expression turned cold. "Don't expect me to thank you for that."

Seth's smirk returned. "You could have had a happy home, Steve. Isn't that all you ever wanted? It's not too late."

Steve's response was laced with venom. "Yeah, and become someone like you? No thanks. Shayla was just a plaything. It was foolish of her to think we could have a family together."

Seth's eyes blazed with anger. "I won't have you insult my sister."

Dark energy began to envelop Seth's body, forming a shadowy aura that settled at his feet. Steve's expression didn't change, but his voice dripped with malice.

"Her existence was an insult to this very Earth. I'm glad that vermin is gone."

Seth's anger boiled over, and he slapped the ground, muttering "Shadow Spike." Instantly, black, pointy spikes erupted from the earth, covering a wide area and hurling toward Steve.

Two portals materialized above Steve, unleashing a barrage of projectiles to counter Seth's initial attack. Steve retaliated by firing a dozen weapons at Seth, who swung his scythe with formidable strength. The blade sliced through the air, dispersing Steve's attack and granting him a brief window of opportunity.

Seizing the moment, Steve teleported behind Seth and attempted to stab him with his sword. However, Seth's reflexes proved superior, and he conjured a protective barrier that shattered Steve's blade.

"Hand-to-hand combat it is," Steve declared, discarding the broken sword. He assumed a fighting stance, and Seth mirrored his movements.

The two combatants clashed, their movements lightning-fast. Steve launched a cross kick, but Seth blocked it with his arm and sent Steve stumbling with a well-placed kick.

Steve quickly regained his footing and countered Seth's flurry of punches. Using his forearms to deflect the blows, Steve grasped Seth under his armpit, raised his knee, and struck Seth's torso before slamming his face into the ground.

As Steve prepared to deliver the finishing blow, Seth rolled out of the way, avoiding the axe kick by mere inches. The attack split the ground, sending shockwaves through the air.

Seizing the opportunity, Seth sprang to his feet and unleashed a devastating kick. Spinning horizontally, he generated immense power, and his Shadow-reinforced kick shattered Steve's defenses.

The impact sent Steve crashing to the ground, his body trembling from the force of the blow. Seth stood over him, his fist aglow with Shadow energy.

"Fidow," Seth muttered, delivering a crushing jab to Steve's chin.

The punch sent Steve flying, his body smashing through houses and rolling across the ground. As he struggled to his feet, coughing up blood, Seth approached him with an air of confidence.

"I learned that technique from your boy," Seth said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "He's a talented lad, just like his mother."

Steve's face contorted with rage as he spat out a curse. "To Hell with him and everyone else!"

Seth's expression turned cold, and he began to channel his energy. A massive black energy ball coalesced in his palm, which he hurled at Steve.

However, Steve was prepared. He redirected the energy ball through a portal, which reopened behind Seth. The energy ball, accompanied by a barrage of deadly projectiles, hurtled toward Seth.

Reacting swiftly, Seth conjured a counter energy ball, which collided with the incoming attack. The resulting explosion sent dust flying everywhere, providing Seth with a temporary reprieve.

Steve seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. He sprinted toward Seth, firing projectiles from his portal. Seth deflected the attacks with his Death Scythe, but Steve's speed and agility allowed him to close the distance.

In a flash, Steve kicked Seth, sending him flying into a portal that materialized mid-air. The portal deposited Seth 300 feet above the ground, where he found himself under relentless fire from Steve's portal.

As Seth plummeted toward the ground, he rotated his body to face the portal and unleashed a Shadow energy blast, annihilating the portal and its deadly projectiles.

With his fall unchecked, Seth yelled, "Shadow Leap!" and vanished into the shadows. He reemerged beneath a tree, crashing through branches that pierced his skin.

Seth slowly got back to his feet, his eyes fixed on Steve. "I'm not surprised you came out of that with just bruises. That's expected of my rival," Steve said, approaching Seth with a mixture of amusement and caution.

A dark, ominous energy began to build up around Seth, who was still falling from the sky. His body began to glow with an eerie, pulsing light as he formed the Shadow Universal Bomb. The air around him seemed to distort and ripple, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate the sheer power of the attack.

The bomb took shape on Seth's right hand, the Shadow energy ripping through his arm and sleeves like paper. Seth's eyes blazed with determination as he brought his hand forward, unleashing the attack at Steve.

A thick, five-layered shield emerged from Steve's portal, its surface etched with intricate, glowing runes. The shield positioned itself just in time to intercept Seth's attack, and the resulting explosion sent shockwaves through the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet as the two attacks clashed, each side refusing to yield.

Seth's attack slowly began to break through the shield's layers, each one shattering with a deafening crash. Steve's face contorted with effort as he poured all his energy into maintaining the shield. Finally, the last layer held firm, but Steve's right hand was left useless, hanging limp and battered at his side.

Seth stood panting, his chest heaving with exertion. "It was a clone I made in mid-air when I blasted that weapon portal that just attacked you. The blast created a diversion for me to create the clone," Seth explained, his voice laced with a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.

Steve's eyes narrowed, his gaze burning with intensity. "You're clever, Seth, but it won't be enough." With a swift motion, Steve gripped Seth's collar, head-butted him, and followed up with a powerful left jab to the chin.

Seth stumbled backward, his vision blurring for a moment. Steve attempted to land another punch, but Seth ducked just in time, his arm crooking to land a cross hook and a swing kick at Steve.

The two combatants exchanged blows, their movements lightning-fast as they clashed in a flurry of punches, kicks, and slashes. Seth leapt into the air, his arm fully stretched as he attempted to behead Steve with his Death Scythe.

Steve defended himself with a sword, the two blades clashing in a shower of sparks. Seth's scythe sliced through the air, its tip glowing with a faint, ominous light. He fired small Shadow balls from the tip, blasting Steve at close range and sending him flying across the ground.

As Steve struggled to get back to his feet, Seth performed the Shadow Leap, reappearing in front of Steve. He threw a left jab, but Steve sidestepped the attack with ease. Steve retaliated with a backflip, firing a glowing red spear at Seth.

Seth deflected the spear with his scythe, but the impact sent him stumbling backward. The spear exploded on contact, sending Seth crashing to the ground.

As Seth struggled to get back to his feet, Steve knelt down, his face and right arm drenched in blood. "We're all messed up, and you still have the strength to smirk?" Steve asked, his voice laced with pain and admiration.

Seth's smirk grew wider. "Yeah, because you're about to lose an arm or more. Shadow Body Spike!"

Steve's right hand began to glow, and pointy spikes started growing out of his body, covering his right hand and continuing to grow. Steve's pupils dilated in horror as he realized too late that Seth had planted a Shadow on him.

With a swift motion, Steve cut off his own arm and kicked it away just before it exploded. "I see you cut off your own arm. Well, that's the only way to counter the attack," Seth said, coughing up blood repeatedly.

Steve's eyes locked onto Seth, a mixture of anger and admiration burning within them. "I thought I avoided the punch, but you still planted your Shadow on me. Clever one, Seth." With those final words, Steve's body went limp, and he fell face-first into the ground.

Seth stood over Steve, his chest heaving with exhaustion. "I guess it's all over," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He wrapped Shadow vines around Steve's body, but before he could react, Steve's eyes snapped open, and the vines disappeared.

A massive portal opened behind Steve, and a golden sword emerged, its grip, handguard, and drill-shaped pillar adorned with intricate, crimson cuneiform lettering. The sword drilled into the soil of the Realm, emitting a low, ominous hum.

"This sword has the power to absorb the Shadows in the Realm. It takes twenty seconds to fully charge, and then it will explode, blowing everything and everyone in this Realm to extinction! Steve's laughter was maniac , his eyes gleaming with a crazed light.

Seth's face contorted with rage and desperation as his eyes widened in horror as Steve revealed the sword's true purpose. "This is going too far, Steve!" he yelled, grabbing Steve's shirt and pulling him close.

"Even if you kill me, Ex Calibur will still destroy the Realm. Which one will you choose, Seth: kill me or save your precious home?" Steve's grin never wavered.

"It's not my job to end you," Seth replied, releasing Steve's shirt. With a sense of resignation, Seth ambled over to Ex Calibur, his hand reaching out to touch the golden sword.

"There's nothing else you can do, Seth," Steve said, his voice dripping with malice.

Seth's eyes locked onto the sword, his voice filled with determination. "I can still save this Realm. As the Kovo and guardian of the Realm, I will gladly give up my life for this place."

With a deep breath, Seth began to channel all his energy into his body, preparing to take in the sword's energy. The sword emitted a black beam that shot up into the sky, engulfing everything in darkness. Seth's voice was barely audible as he whispered, "Shadow Phantom."

His body began to transform into a living Shadow, his form blurring and shifting like the darkness itself. The sword reached its critical point, releasing a massive shockwave that threatened to destroy everything. But Seth was ready, his Shadow body glowing with an ethereal light as he absorbed the energy.

The power coursed through his veins, his eyes blazing with an inner fire. With a final, mighty effort, Seth discharged the energy into the sky, his body glowing with a fierce, otherworldly light. As the energy dissipated, Seth's body began to fall, his form slowly decaying into nothingness.

"You saved the Realm, but take a look at yourself. You look pitiful, Seth," Steve said, his voice laced with satisfaction. He grasped a spear in his left hand, its tip glinting in the fading light. The weight of the spear felt like a burden in his hand, a constant reminder of the task ahead.

Seth's eyes locked onto Steve's, a faint smile on his lips. "My role is just to pave the way for the new generation. Just as old leaves fall out to become manure for the young leaves…" His voice trailed off, his eyes never leaving Steve's.

Steve's expression turned cold, his voice devoid of emotion. But beneath the surface, his heart was racing with bitterness.

"Blah blah blah! Goodbye, old friend," Steve muttered, the words feeling like ash in his mouth. With a swift motion, he stabbed the spear through Seth's heart. The sound of the spear piercing Seth's chest was like a crack of thunder to the heart of the Shadow Realm.

Seth's smile never wavered, his eyes shining with a deep sense of peace. He stared at Steve, his gaze filled with a sense of acceptance and understanding. The smell of blood and sweat filled the air as Seth's body began to relax, his chest rising and falling with shallower breaths.

Steve stumbled forward, his face pale and blood dripping from his wounds. "At long last, you will be mine," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the Death Scythe lying on the ground.

Sage Henri appeared out of nowhere, his eyes blazing with anger. He landed a heavy kick on Steve, sending him crashing into the nearby walls. "Stay away from the Scythe, boy!" Henri warned, forming a barrier around the Scythe.

Steve stumbled out of the broken walls, his face twisted in pain and rage. "Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Curse you, Sage! I fucking hate you" his voiced heaved with exhaustion as blood dropped from his face and body

"I won't let you near the Scythe" Henri took a fighting stance as he stood in front of the Scythe.

"I guess I'll come back when I heal up."

Henri's eyes narrowed. "I won't let you escape!" He fired a dozen shadow balls at Steve, who barely managed to dodge the attack.

Steve's eyes locked onto Henri's, a fierce determination burning within them. "We'll meet again, old man." With a swift motion, he activated his portal and disappeared before Henri's attack could reach him.

Henri rushed to Seth's side, his eyes welling up with tears. He felt like he was losing a part of himself, like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He cradled Seth's lifeless body in his arms, the smell of blood and sweat filling his nostrils.

"Come on, boy, wake up," Henri whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. But deep down, he knew it was futile. Seth was gone.

Seth's voice was barely audible, his words laced with a deep sense of urgency. "I don't have much time, so listen…" But Henri knew it was too late. Seth's body began to disintegrate into ash, his final words lost in the wind.

Henri gripped Seth's ash, his body shaking with sobs. He cried bitterly, mourning the loss of his friend and ally. The sound of his own wailing was like a distant echo in his mind, a reminder of the devastating loss he had just suffered.