Part 1: The Perfect Harmony
The vast central field of the island was instantaneously engulfed in blinding streaks of red and dark-blue Stella Flow. Without even needing to exchange a glance, Takuto and Aoi surged into their combat stances in perfect unison.
"Let's go... Aoi!" Takuto shouted.
"Yes, Nii-san!" Aoi replied firmly.
The two vanished, moving at the speed of light. The ground beneath them groaned and fractured, long cracks snaking outward from the sheer force of their acceleration.
Takuto took the lead, launching a relentless barrage of Stella Flow Punches directly at the Dark Phoenix User's face. As the enemy calmly parried and deflected the hail of fists, Aoi emerged like a ghost from Takuto's shadow. Crouching low, she delivered a devastating Dark-blue Stella Flow Kick into the enemy's midsection.
BOOM!
The Dark Phoenix User was forced back several steps. Just as he prepared to counter-attack Aoi, Takuto leaped into the air, using Aoi's shoulders as a springboard. Gaining massive momentum, he unleashed a flurry of Power Orbs at point-blank range.
The enemy conjured a Crimson Dark Energy Shield to intercept the blast, but Aoi's Armageddon Sight was already active. She could see the structural flaws within the barrier. Pointing her finger with surgical precision, she fired a concentrated Power Orb Laser at the shield's weakest point.
CRACK!
The moment the shield shattered, Takuto and Aoi closed in from both flanks, coordinating their strikes in a pincer movement. Takuto's crimson punches and Aoi's dark-blue kicks rained down upon the Dark Phoenix User like a relentless storm.
The shockwaves generated by their combined assault sent walls of seawater skyrocketing hundreds of meters into the air. To any observer, this was no longer a fight between humans—it looked like a localized natural disaster.
For the first time, the Dark Phoenix User's breathing became slightly labored. Though his aura remained vast enough to pressure the entire planet, Takuto and Aoi's synchronized rhythm was beginning to tilt his balance.
Kage watched from a distance, his face pale with shock. "Impossible... their powers are resonating! It's a Multiplier Effect... their strength is increasing exponentially!"
Nearby, Shina gripped her blue lightning, her lips pressed thin as she watched their perfect synergy.
(Is that girl really standing in my place?) Shina thought bitterly. (I'm the one who should be at Takuto-kun's back!) But as a gust of pure energy brushed past her, she felt a pang of realization. (But... their auras are so intense I can't even get close...)
In the heat of the fray, Takuto glanced at Aoi. "Aoi! Let's take it to the next level!"
"Understood, Nii-san!"
They retreated simultaneously, their hands interlocking. The red and dark-blue Stella Flows began to spiral around one another, coalescing into a gargantuan vortex of energy.
"Now... Aoi!" Takuto roared.
A massive sphere of crimson energy materialized between his palms—his most powerful technique, the Fusion Core Strike. Simultaneously, Aoi funneled her dark-blue Stella Flow into the core. As the two energies merged, the atmosphere vibrated with electromagnetic pulses before erupting into a colossal laser beam aimed straight for the Dark Phoenix User.
WHAAM!!!
The massive fusion beam slammed directly into the enemy's guard. Though he held his ground with both arms, the sheer pressure forced him backward, his feet carving two deep trenches into the earth.
Before the momentum could fade, Aoi utilized her Armageddon Sight to summon Shadow Weapons from the void. A giant pair of shadowy scissors appeared in her hands to snip at the enemy, followed by a barrage of spears and daggers launched from every conceivable angle.
Takuto seized the opening, immediately manifesting four Stella Echoes (Clones).
"Let's see which side you can defend!" Takuto cried.
The real Takuto and his four clones surrounded the Dark Phoenix User. One rained Power Orbs from above, two closed in with flanking Stella Flow Kicks, and the remaining two hammered him from the front with Stella Flow Punches.
Under the weight of Aoi's complex arsenal and Takuto's multi-dimensional clone assault, even the planetary-level Dark Phoenix User was reduced to a purely defensive state. Small wounds began to appear on his body, and his crimson-black aura flickered.
"This... this can't be!" Kage rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Is the dark warrior I summoned actually losing?"
High above, Ryu looked down with a furrowed brow. "A perfectly balanced offensive," he muttered. "But... they've only succeeded in poking a sleeping tiger."
The Dark Phoenix User, who had been bowing his head, slowly looked up. The blackness within his eyes deepened, and the Crimson Dark Energy surrounding him erupted like a volcanic explosion.
"Fine..." the Dark Phoenix User spoke, his voice vibrating with cold power. "I acknowledge your strength. Therefore... it is only right that I show you my true power."
The world was suddenly swallowed by an oppressive darkness. His Full Power Awakening had begun.
Part 2: The Zenith of Despair
"HHHAARRRHH!!!!"
The roar erupting from the Dark Phoenix User shook the entire island like a massive earthquake. Crimson Dark Energy surged from his body, piercing the heavens like a titan's pillar and staining the very clouds the color of fresh blood. As the energy condensed back into his form, a new entity emerged.
"Form: Abyssal Phoenix Overlord."
His hair had grown to his knees, a chaotic blend of ash-gray and crimson-black. Six gargantuan wings made of black flames sprouted from his back, and a single glance from his eyes seemed capable of fracturing the void itself.
"Your time is up," the Overlord declared coldly.
With a casual flick of his finger—BOOM!—a shockwave of pure darkness pulverized all of Takuto's clones upon contact.
Takuto and Aoi attempted to intercept him at light speed, but the Overlord's velocity had increased tenfold. In a heartbeat, he appeared directly in front of Takuto, seized his throat with one hand, and slammed him into the earth with terrifying force.
CRACK!
Even Takuto's Crimson Aegis armor began to splinter under the pressure.
"Nii-san!" Aoi screamed. She tried to swarm the enemy with her Shadow Weapons, but the Dark Phoenix User shattered her entire arsenal with a single backhand, sending her hurtling hundreds of feet away into the jagged rocks.
The battle turned into a one-sided slaughter. Takuto struggled to his feet and unleashed a maximum-output Fusion Core Strike, but the Overlord simply caught the beam in his palm and crushed it into dust.
High above, the Overlord conjured "Calamity Orbs"—mass-destruction projectiles intended to wipe them out simultaneously.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A series of apocalyptic explosions turned the central field into a literal hellscape. Takuto threw his body over Aoi to shield her, but under the sheer weight of the damage, his Step 4: Phoenix Nova form began to flicker and fade.
Aoi, unable to maintain her Armageddon Sight, collapsed to her knees. Both lay in a pool of blood, struggling to draw even a single breath.
Kage laughed hysterically from the sidelines. "Look! This is the true power of my dark warrior! It all ends here today!"
Ryu, watching from the sky, clenched his fists. "At this rate... they really are going to die."
Shina gazed at the fallen Takuto, tears welling in her eyes. The blue lightning dancing around her body began to vibrate with more violence than ever before.
In the middle of the crater, Takuto used his trembling hands to push himself off the ground. Every inch of his body screamed in pain, but far worse was the crushing spiritual pressure radiating from the Abyssal Phoenix Overlord.
"Why are you so stubborn?" the Dark Phoenix User asked. "If you fully embrace that darkness within you, you would become as limitlessly powerful as I am. You want to protect those you love, don't you? Then stop resisting the dark..."
The words echoed in Takuto's mind. Looking at his wounded friends, he wavered.
(Yes... if I become stronger, I can save everyone. Even if I turn into a monster... so be it...)
Just as he was about to release the seal on the Black Stella Flow locked within his heart—
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt of blue lightning descended from the heavens, landing right in front of him. It was Shina. But instead of attacking the enemy, she turned toward Takuto and—SLAP!—struck him hard across the face.
"You idiot!" Shina screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "What do you think you're doing?! Do you want to become that mindless killer again? The one who murdered Zero and Ren?!"
Takuto froze. Shina began pounding on his chest with her small fists, her voice breaking with every word.
"If you turn into that again... I... I'll lose you! I'm so scared of losing you, Takuto! I don't care what happens, you have to stay yourself! Stay with me! I won't let the darkness take you!"
Her raw, desperate plea acted like a bucket of cold water. The haze in Takuto's eyes cleared. He looked around—at the wounded Aoi, the cheering Kaori, at Ayano and the others. In all their eyes, he saw the same silent plea: Don't lose yourself.
They relied on his strength, but they utterly rejected the darkness that would consume his soul.
"I... I'm sorry, Shina," Takuto whispered. "I lost my way for a moment."
Takuto reached deep inside and slammed the gates shut on his darkness, instead awakening the purest embers of his Red Stella Flow. He gently took Shina's hand and stood up.
"I don't need the darkness," Takuto said, his voice steady. "Your faith in me is more than enough!"
The red light radiating from his body began to glow brighter and purer than ever before, resonating with a new, celestial warmth.
Part 3: The Unbreakable Will
Takuto reached out and gently wiped the tears from Shina's cheeks. The hesitation that once clouded his eyes had vanished, replaced by a gaze of absolute iron. He carefully lifted the unconscious Aoi and placed her in Shina's arms.
"Watch over Aoi for a moment, Shina," Takuto said softly. "Get to safety... I'll handle the rest."
Shina opened her mouth to protest out of worry, but seeing the unwavering strength in Takuto's silhouette—sturdier and more resolute than ever before—she simply nodded. She took Aoi and retreated from the immediate battlefield.
Takuto took a deep, steady breath and began to walk slowly toward the Abyssal Phoenix Overlord. The Red Stella Flow emanating from his body no longer flickered with violent instability; instead, it felt eerily calm. The Dark Phoenix User watched this approach and let out a scoff of disappointment.
"You plan to face me with such a withered, meager spark?" the Overlord sneered. "You truly have a death wish!"
In a flash of darkness, the enemy lunged, unleashing a relentless barrage of strikes. Takuto took the hits, blood spraying from fresh wounds, yet he did not retreat a single inch. In that moment, Kaori noticed something through her Violet Gauge Eye.
"Look!" she shouted. "The shadows within Takuto's Stella Flow are vanishing. It's becoming... pure crimson!"
Frustrated by Takuto's silence, the Dark Phoenix User kicked him squarely in the chest. "Why?! Why do you refuse the darkness?! If you just accepted it, you could defeat me and save the ones you love!"
Takuto wiped the blood from his mouth and stood tall once again.
"It's because I have people I treasure and love," Takuto replied. "For them, I want to be a hero... not a monster born of shadows."
"Foolishness!" the Overlord roared. "Those bonds are your greatest weakness! They are the chains that make you fragile!"
He unleashed his most devastating punch yet. The impact sent Takuto flying, crashing through a massive rock formation, but he surged back to his feet almost instantly.
"No... you're wrong," Takuto countered. "It's because they are with me... that I am this strong! The will to protect them won't ever let me fall!"
As those words left his lips, the Red Stella Flow surrounding Takuto ignited like a newborn sun. A brilliant crimson light flooded the entire island. Within that radiance, his wounds began to knit back together, and his entire physical form transformed into a shimmering vessel of pure, blinding energy.
The aura flowing from Takuto was so untainted that the surrounding darkness began to melt away like snow under a midday sun. As Takuto opened his palms, the pain vanished, replaced by a sense of infinite peace and staggering power.
Before him, the Abyssal Phoenix Overlord froze. Even his black wings began to tremble.
"This... this is impossible," the enemy stammered in disbelief. "That true power... the one I spent centuries chasing and could never reach... how did a mere boy obtain it? Without embracing the dark... how can you be this powerful?!"
The rest of the group shielded their eyes against the brilliance, watching in awe.
"His aura... it's completely different now," Kaori whispered. "This has surpassed even the final stage of the Phoenix lineage!"
Shina pressed a hand to her chest, a smile breaking through her tears. "Takuto-kun... you really did it. Your light... it feels so warm."
Takuto reigned in the surging waves of energy. When he spoke, his voice was calm enough to still the earth itself as he named his new form.
"I have moved past the darkness and the fear that once limited me," Takuto declared. "I will call this power... Limit Breaker."
Takuto's eyes flashed with a piercing crimson light. Moving faster than the speed of light itself, he vanished, launching into the final strike against the Dark Phoenix User.
[END OF CHAPTER 38]