In the boundless void of his consciousness, Alex stood face to face with his inner demon. The creature grinned, a twisted and demonic smile on his face.
"So, you've decided to lose your humanity, huh?" the demon sneered. "Well, it doesn't matter. I am the embodiment of you. This was bound to happen regardless."
It extended its giant clawed hand toward Alex.
"Give me your hand, and I'll grant you power—
—Power to burn the world down along with everything you hate."
Alex hesitated, eyes narrowed. Slowly, he began to raise his hand.
But before their hands could meet, another hand gripped his wrist.
Alex turned with confusion.
A man with striking purple hair, clad in white armor and a flowing purple cape, stood beside him. His presence seemed to tear through the darkness with light.
"Don't do it," the man said gently.
Alex furrowed his brow. "Huh? Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"I'm Kazuma. But you can call me Dad."
—
In the real world, Alex's demonic form raged uncontrollably. Thick red flames burst from his body, fireballs erupting in all directions like meteors. His figure was cloaked in blazing hatred, threatening to consume everything in its path.
Suddenly, a bright light exploded from beneath his feet.
The flames dispersed in seconds as the bright light from below erupted the flames away.
The infernal energy around him vanished in an instant as a wave of cleansing radiance washed over his form. When the light faded, Alex stood in his normal state—his breath heavy, his eyes now clear.
Bara stood a few feet away, panting and wounded, his cybernetic armor cracked and sparking.
Alex clenched his fist, whispering under his breath, "You've got it, Dad... I'll take note."
Bara let out a breathy chuckle, smirking. "Wow. You finally came back to your senses. So... how do you plan to beat me now?"
Alex smirked in return.
"Sorry for going overboard earlier. But you're talking big for someone whose body's in shambles. That armor isn't regenerating anymore. How about we fight fair now—no powers, just hands?"
Bara rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles, grinning.
"I don't know what just happened to you... but I'm running low on energy."
With that, he lunged forward towards Alex with a twisted smile.
Their fists collided in a flurry of pure hand-to-hand combat. Both Alex and Bara seemed to be excited as they clashed blows.
—
Elsewhere, Raquel slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying on Mori's lap, a healing magic circle glowing gently on her forehead.
"Where… where am I?" she asked groggily.
Serena placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay still. Mori's healing your injuries."
Raquel's eyes fluttered weakly. "Where's Alex?"
Sōn responded from the side. "He's going toe-to-toe with that robot guy somewhere. Don't worry—Mori used his Third Eye to check on him. He's back to normal."
He looked around.
"By the way, has anyone seen Deo since we left him?"
Raquel sat up slightly, wincing. "Alex had this… strange power surrounding him. I felt pure hatred. Rage. It scared me."
Sōn nodded solemnly. "Yeah, we felt it too. Although, if my dad were here, none of this would've gotten this far."
Baraka crossed his arms. "I'm just glad things are under control… for now. Ourselves and some other solidiers managed to evacuate the injured civilians and got the rest to safety. That's what matters right now."
—
Meanwhile, two new figures arrived at the edge of the destroyed city—Kinto and Rin.
They stared in horror.
The city had been reduced to rubble. Entire blocks were gone, smoke rising from charred ruins.
Rin's eyes widened. "Jesus Christ! I've never seen destruction like this…"
Kinto gritted his teeth and dashed forward like lightning. "Stay here."
He sprinted through the debris, searching for survivors.
Eventually, he spotted familiar faces.
"Guys! What the hell happened here?! The city's totally gone!"
Sōn looked up. "It's about time you showed up. What, your mission in Iron Country took that long?"
Sukuna added grimly, "One of the Dark Sign members did this. Alex is fighting him right now."
Kinto sighed and shook his head. "He always tries to handle everything alone… But knowing him—and that unexplainable power of his—he'll be fine."
Baraka raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty confident."
"Why wouldn't I be? I know not much people died, i can tell just by looking around that you guys did one hell of a job." Kinto said with a smirk. "And by the way, It's Alex we're talking about."
—
Back in the heart battlefield, Alex and Bara exchanged blows. Their fists collided like thunderclaps, each impact shaking the ground beneath them as they were showing incredible combat skills.
Alex ducked under a swing, landed a solid punch. Bara retaliated with a jab to Alex's stomach, sending him skidding back.
"Your hand-to-hand combat isn't t bad," Bara admitted, impressed. "Honestly, I'm impressed."
Alex wiped blood from his lip, rising to his feet.
"Stop the flattery you cyborb psychopath."
Bara snarled and charged a beam, launching it.
Alex dodged effortlessly and activated his Energy Fist (Plus 20). He began flash-stepping, darting around Bara like a blur, dodging the incoming blasts with inhuman precision.
He appeared behind Bara, unleashing a storm of punches.
Just as Alex was about to land the finishing blow, Bara spun and slammed a fist into Alex's face, knocking him across a nearby wall.
"How's that, you stupid brat?!" he roared. "Once I'm done with you, I'll take your powers and hand you over to Lord Ukina myself!"
He marched toward the fallen body—
Only to realize it wasn't Alex.
It was a doll.
"Tch… ENOUGH OF THESE GAMES!" Bara roared. "Come out and die already!"
Alex appeared from the shadows, a glowing Blade of Death in hand.
"If you want this to end… then let's finish it!"
Bara charged a massive laser on his arm.
The two hurled themselves at each other, their attacks colliding in a violent clash of energy. Sparks and shockwaves erupted from the point of impact.
"You've been blacklisted by the higher-ups of this city as a threat," Bara shouted. "The people in this city fear you—but they keep quiet because they think the special forces will handle you! Knowing that… why do you still fight for a place that wants you dead?!"
Alex gritted his teeth, his voice rising with fury.
"Because I have a dream to accomplish!"
"Why the hell would I let a bunch of NPCs make me feel bad?! I've got people who support me—so why the hell should I care?!"
His blade surged with an incredible amount of power—and overtook Bara's beam.
It struck Bara with full-force, an explosion ripping through the area while Bara screamed in pain as his body was getting obliterated. The explosion from Alex's blade of death caused a powerful explosion of energy.
When the dust settled, Bara lay on the ground—his body scorched and armor shattered. He had blood on his face and burn marks as well.
He looked up at the sky, breathing weakly.
"This world… fears people with power," he murmured. "Fucking hell, this is such a pain! I was once a scientist. I created magnificent weapons for the military of Raijin. But the higher-ups… even Lady Shinra… they feared I'd turn against them."
His voice cracked.
"They sent assassins. I escaped… but they stabbed me and left me to die in the wastelands. Ukina… she found me. She saved me."
Alex listened, silently as Bara muttered to himself.
"I got bloodthirsty. Power-hungry… I understand why they tried to kill me. At the end, it was my fault."
Alex knelt beside him.
"It doesn't change the fact that you're evil… but I understand your pain."
Bara smirked weakly.
"Ukina… you gave me a reason to live. Sorry I failed you."
With trembling fingers, he snapped.
From the sky, a massive missile descended from the sky.
Alex looked up "What the...." eyes widened.
"What… what did you do?!", he asked with shock.
As the missile plummeted, Bara smiled through the pain, recalling memories of his time with the Dark Sign.
"I hope all of us get what we want… Sorry, guys. But this… is a fitting end for me."
The missile struck on Bara.
A blinding explosion engulfed the area with a very dangerous impact. When the smoke cleared, only ashes remained.
Alex stood there, silent, gazing at the spot where Bara once lay.
"…Rest in peace."
—
Meanwhile, on Mount Law—reduced to ruins—Ranpo lay bleeding on the ground. Fugaku's body slowly regenerated nearby. The Divine Beast of the Wind had dematerialized, its energy returning to the ancient Millennia Stone.
In the sky above them, Ukina floated, her presence radiant and terrifying.
She raised a beam of light shaped like an enormous arrow.
"What a sad look on your face… Sorry, old friend. But this is the end."
With a flick of her fingers, the arrow launched—
—and Mount Law was erased in a flash of golden light.
END OF CHAPTER.