OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Light exploded from Judas's body like a beacon, a blinding surge that filled the room.

It wasn't just a flash; it was as though a part of the world itself had been erased.

The spears-gone. The bullets-vanished.

Emir's sword, mid-swing, was stopped in its tracks and sent flying.

There were no exceptions.

It all was swallowed in pure, radiant light.

The floor buckled beneath the force of it, the surrounding debris incinerated in an instant.

Emir staggered back, shielding his eyes from the overwhelming brightness.

Aquila was forced to halt his next shot, raising an arm to protect himself.

For a moment, the room was plunged into silence, the light searing through every shadow, every crack, no matter how deep, erasing all in its path.

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the light faded.

Judas stood in the same spot, unharmed, with no new scratch marring his cloak.

His eyes, hidden behind the mask, bore into Emir with obvious hate... killing intent.

He was forced to do what he saw as beneath him.

The air of superiority he used to wield was gone, replaced by a need to inflict pain.

A need that was soon to be fulfilled.

The duo's carefully orchestrated attack had been rendered meaningless in the face of his power.

And now that he decided to use it, there was nothing else they could do.

...Or was there?

Aquila, panting, wiped the sweat from his brow, his grip on his AR tightening.

His expression was a mix of extreme frustration and exhaustion.

They had been so close, yet Judas had slipped through their grasp at the last possible fraction.

Emir didn't waver either.

His smile returned, his dark eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

The battle wasn't over. Not yet.

One more card remained in his sleeve.

"An extra life, huh?"

He lifted his sword once more, locking eyes with Judas, who had his hair turn fully white.

"Let's see how many times you can pull that trick before I cut you down."

Together, they attacked once more, a flurry of strikes and shots, an attempt to overwhelm.

Unfortunately, however, they didn't step close to achieving that.

Judas was even faster now, moving with an unperceivable speed.

Even Emir could barely track him, his Temporal Perception working at max capacity.

Judas's injuries didn't seem to affect him at all.

The ease at which he dodged and deflected their attacks was apparent.

His every action was fluid, effortless, as though he was toying with them again.

Which he was.

But unlike before, this wasn't for entertainment.

Before ending their lives, he wanted to instill fear into them, break their minds, and show them the difference between himself and "filth."

Aquila began to show signs of that, as he was less and less involved in the fight, about to Turn Hollow due to how spent his Aether Core was.

Emir wasn't far off from reaching that state as well, but he remained adamant, a smile stuck on his face.

He wouldn't give Judas the satisfaction he wanted.

Emir's blade repeatedly clashed against his staff, sparks flying with every impact.

And with each clash, he could feel it-his Aetheric Overload nearing its end, about to wear off.

Though no more than two minutes had passed since the start of the fight, he had burned through his Aether at an unprecedented rate, cutting his comparatively massive reserve down to nearly nothing.

The same applied to Aetheric Overload.

While the ability had no defined lasting time, it lasted five minutes on average, so this

showed just how much he pushed his Aether Core.

He was being utterly outclassed; there was no questioning it.

No matter how fast or precise his strikes were, Judas was always one step ahead.

But he didn't relent, and neither did Aquila, expecting this outcome.

Instead of giving up, they went even harder, using all they had.

"FALL!"

Emir gritted his teeth till they bled and rained down spear construct after spear construct, chasing him down with a curved blade in hand.

Aquila meanwhile, no longer using Aether in his attacks, spammed his God's Ammunition, opting for damage rather than accuracy.

Nothing had changed, however.

Earlier, their attacks might've injured Judas once or twice, but now...

It seemed to only annoy him, forcing him to use a bit more of his strength.

"I SAID FALL!"

Dodging a slash from Emir, he glided back, five spears piercing the ground in front of him.

Then, as Aquila was about to shoot, Judas disappeared, reappearing tens of meters away.

He, seemingly bored, scanned their faces and snapped his fingers.

The fighting immediately paused.

It seemed that he had something to say.

The two were playing for time, so they certainly didn't mind, standing still to listen.

"The sun has been out for a few hours now... While it isn't noon yet, it isn't far."

He pointed straight up at the ceiling, or rather at what was beyond it.

"I'm almost at my strongest state."

Pausing his bragging, his gaze turned to Emir.

"I hate filth, but you I hate more. Bastards that are hard to kill. Wretched cockroaches."

Harshly flicking his hand down, he threw his staff, planting it on the ground.

"That's why I'll make sure to kill you in one attack."

Emir and Aquila didn't show much of a reaction to what he said.

They silently stood there, knowing that their little parade had come to an end.

Death was upon them.

Judas raised his right arm, appearing to call or rather summon something from above.

"Sun's Decree."

Those two words cemented their end.

He had used an ability once more.

One that would kill them before they could even blink.

A fraction later, a beam of white light tore through the roof, landing on Judas's open palm.

FZZZAK!

He recoiled, legs kneeling slightly as he caught the beam.

It blinded them at once.

And in that momentary blindness, Emir revealed a smile.

He wasn't even close to giving up.

Rather, it was the opposite.

His time had come.