The sky had turned into a crimson furnace. Smoke and ash swirled in a suffocating storm as explosions ripped through the city. The streets were littered with debris, cars crushed under twisted steel, fires raging uncontrollably, and screams echoing like dying bells. Every building quivered as the remaining fighter jets attempted desperate strikes, only to disintegrate midair under Akuma's dark aura.
From above, Akuma hovered, the halo above his head pulsing violently, feeding energy into his body, into his limbs, into his very soul. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, burning away fear, doubt, and hesitation. Memories of loss, betrayal, and cruelty surged inside him—every tear, every scream, every injustice fueling a growing storm of wrath.
Below, the scarred man observed. His fingers trembled over the controls of the nuclear warheads, yet his confidence wavered. Something had changed. The world-shaking power he had anticipated—the force he thought he controlled—was no longer his to command.
"Impossible…" he whispered, his voice cracking as a wave of pure dark energy erupted from the city center. Concrete crumbled, glass shattered, and the very air itself seemed to scream in agony.
✦ Leader vs Scarred Man ✦
The Leader descended slowly from the sky, wings of raw energy radiating around him, his aura slicing through smoke and fire. His gaze met the scarred man's. Time slowed for a heartbeat. Two forces, titanic and unrelenting, stared at one another across the burning wasteland.
"You were a spark," the Leader said quietly, his voice calm yet deadly. "But the fire is mine to control now."
The scarred man sneered. "You underestimate me," he hissed, pressing buttons on the warhead console. Nuclear cores began to glow, a deadly countdown initiating.
In an instant, the Leader surged forward, moving faster than thought. A single strike shattered the console, scattering wires and sparks into the air. The scarred man's scream was cut short as the Leader's power tore through the reinforced walls, throwing him across the room.
Outside, Akuma moved like a shadow, invisible yet inevitable. His aura burned brighter, a vortex of dark energy tearing through soldiers and machinery alike. Any who tried to resist found themselves impaled by invisible needles of force, shredded by energy waves, or hurled into collapsing buildings.
✦ Nova and Lucas ✦
Meanwhile, Nova struggled to comprehend the scale of the chaos. She had barely regained consciousness in Lucas' arms, and her mind reeled at the thought of Akuma. The energy radiating from him was incomprehensible—like staring at a collapsing star.
"Lucas… what is happening?" she whispered, voice trembling.
"We're going to survive this," Lucas said firmly, though doubt flickered in his eyes. He scanned the horizon, calculating escape routes, alternate universes, dimensional rifts—they needed a plan, fast.
Nova looked up. Through the smoke and fire, she saw Akuma—towering, radiant, and terrifying. Her heart clenched. "He's… awake," she breathed.
✦ Akuma's True Power ✦
Akuma's memories surged like a tidal wave. He saw his mother's death, his brother's fall, his sister threatened, and the countless innocents destroyed. Every act of cruelty he had witnessed, every injustice he had endured, now manifested as energy in his veins.
His power didn't just radiate; it consumed. Waves of dark energy ripped through the city, reducing entire blocks to ash, flipping cars, tearing apart streets, and scattering soldiers like leaves in a storm. Nuclear warheads that had once been the ultimate weapon were now meaningless; Akuma's aura dissolved them mid-air, fusing their energy into his own power.
✦ The Monster Within ✦
From within his halo, the Monster's form appeared faintly, guiding him. "Do not fear control, Akuma," it whispered. "Your memories, your pain, your anger—they are weapons. Use them. Awaken fully."
Akuma roared, a sound that tore through dimensions, bending reality itself. Buildings crumbled as though they had been made of paper. Every strike he made left craters, burning and blackened. Streets twisted, rivers boiled, and the sky itself darkened under his influence.
✦ Scarred Man's Counterattack ✦
The scarred man, though shaken, was far from finished. He activated secondary warheads, unleashing a barrage of missiles aimed at Akuma.
Akuma's eyes glowed brighter. He lifted his hand, and the missiles exploded midair, vaporized by a concentrated pulse of dark energy. The shockwave knocked down nearby soldiers, shattered windows across kilometers, and turned the air into a static storm.
"You cannot stop me," the scarred man screamed, desperation creeping in. "I control this world!"
Akuma's aura pulsed violently. The halo above his head expanded, swallowing energy, power, and intent. He moved forward—a shadow of darkness incarnate. In a blink, he closed the distance between them.
The scarred man's body was flung into the air, twisted, broken, and powerless. Akuma's gaze fixed on him, a storm of vengeance and rage concentrated in his burning eyes.
"You…" Akuma whispered, voice low, laced with hatred. "Your reign of terror ends… now."
Energy erupted, obliterating the room, the surrounding buildings, and scattering debris for kilometers.
✦ The Leader's Strike ✦
The Leader saw the unfolding chaos. Even his immense power paled in comparison to Akuma's unleashed wrath. He prepared, every sinew tense, every muscle coiled. With a powerful shout, he released an aura wave, colliding with Akuma's energy.
The city trembled. Mountains of debris were thrown into the sky. Energy clashed like colliding stars, fire and darkness entwined. The air burned, static electricity danced across the streets, and even the sky seemed to fracture under the sheer magnitude of their power.
✦ Nova's Moment ✦
Nova watched, frozen, as the two forces collided. Lucas held her tight, shielding her from falling debris. Her mind raced. She needed to reach Akuma, needed to remind him of who he truly was, of the bonds he still held—otherwise, the city, the world, and everything she loved would end.
"Nova!" Lucas shouted. "We need to move!"
"I… I can't just leave him," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "He's… my only hope!"
✦ Unleashing the Monster ✦
Akuma's memories pushed him further. He recalled every loss, every injustice, and every cruel hand that had touched his family. His body moved on instinct—swift,