The battle raged on in Tashi Village, the ground quaking beneath the weight of the powerful forces at play. Above, the sky twisted with unnatural winds, the Rift Gate flickering and shifting as Alaric and Selene tore through the very fabric of reality with their unleashed power.

But amid the chaos, a new force stirred, one that didn't bend under the weight of emotion, but forged its own path, Juno.

His chest heaved with determination, his muscles trembling as his Shinrei burned with the intensity of a thousand fires. With a sharp cry, he slammed his foot into the earth and shouted:

"Taishin — 6th Gate!!!"

His body erupted in raw power, veins pulsing with newfound energy. The Pulse Gate unlocked, a flood of super-speed coursing through him, his body vibrating with force. His movements became a blur as he shot forward, his fists crackling with Shinrei, each blow shaking the very air around him.

"Let me fight the other one, Khael!"

Khael turned, his gaze heavy with the weight of battle. He studied Juno for a moment, seeing the resolve in his eyes, the raw power coursing through his limbs. For a brief moment, Khael hesitated, Juno had unlocked the 6th Gate, tapping into an immense physical power that could rival even the most skilled Veinwalkers.

But Khael knew there was no turning back now. The Rift Gate was open, and the twins were lost to the madness of their emotions.

"Juno…" Khael's voice was steady, but there was a deep sadness in it.

Juno didn't falter. His gaze was fixed on Alaric, who was now roaring in the distance as his spectral lion tore through the battlefield. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

His voice cut through the air like a battle cry, and without another word, he charged forward with blinding speed, each step leaving a trail of ruptured earth behind him. He was a blur, a storm incarnate, moving faster than anyone could follow.

Alaric, feeling the incoming pressure, turned sharply to face him. His golden eyes widened, and a manic grin split his face. "Juno… You want to fight me?"

Juno didn't respond. He leapt into the air, his Taishin strength augmented by the Pulse Gate, and slammed a fist into the ground beneath Alaric, causing the earth to fracture and erupt.

The spectral lion roared, its flames rising higher as it rushed to defend its master. But Juno was faster. He moved with the precision and ferocity of a wild animal, each blow landing like a crashing wave. He struck Alaric's lion down with a single punch, shattering the creature into shards of dark energy.

"You're no match for me!" Juno growled as he advanced, his fists now glowing with radiant power. His Shinrei surged through him, crackling and shimmering with the intensity of his emotions.

Meanwhile, Khael stood still, watching the two fight. Selene, on the other hand, fixed her cold gaze on him, her wings of obsidian light flaring as she stepped forward.

"Dragon Knight!" she shouted, her voice filled with malice and the tremors of desperation.

Khael took a step forward, his dragon bloodline awakening, his presence becoming more oppressive with each passing second. His Shinrei flared around him, an ancient power stirring within him.

"Enough."

His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the authority behind it. "I won't let you destroy yourselves… you yourself has a chance to change!!."

Selene's laughter rang out, hollow and cold.

"A chance?" she spat. "You don't understand, Dragon Knight. You never will."

Her eyes glinted with madness, and she drew upon the last remnants of her unstable Rift Gate power. "Echo Art: Abyssal Blossom!"

The ground beneath them shook as dark flowers erupted from the earth, each one a vicious, black lotus that grew rapidly, its petals sharp as razors. They exploded into the air, creating a storm of death, cutting down anything in their path.

But Khael was ready.

"Dragon's Breath."

A surge of pure, concentrated dragonfire exploded from his body, swirling in a torrent of wind and flame. The Abyssal Blossom petals disintegrated into ashes as the flames consumed them, the power of Khael's Dragon Bloodline clashing with Selene's chaotic energy.

For a moment, there was only silence, the storm seemed to pause, the battle frozen in time.

Juno, still locked in battle with Alaric, broke free, his body battered but not broken. He turned to Khael, his eyes burning with determination.

"Khael!" he shouted, his voice ringing across the battlefield. "Now is our chance! We can end this!"

Khael nodded once, his dragonfire dimming as he focused on the task at hand. "Juno… Finish it."

Without hesitation, Juno rushed forward, his Taishin power blazing. He moved with a new kind of purpose, a fire in his heart that rivaled even the storm around them. With one final, earth-shattering punch, he struck Alaric and the beast, the last of his spectral lion's spirit, shattered into shards.

Alaric fell to his knees, his body disintegrating, the madness leaving his eyes.

"It's over…" he whispered, blood dripping from his mouth.

Selene, seeing her brother fall, screamed in anguish, the last remnants of her Rift Gate power dissipating in the wind. She collapsed to the ground, her body weak and broken.

"No…" she gasped, tears mixing with the dirt. "We were supposed to… we were supposed to bring them back…"

But there was no one left to hear her.

Juno stepped forward, his face resolute but heavy with the weight of what they had just done.

"It's over. We end this now."

The battlefield lay in ruins, the air thick with the smell of smoke and the weight of loss. Alaric lay unconscious, his body beaten and broken, while Selene knelt, her hands trembling as she stared at her brother. The last remnants of her Rift Gate power still crackled around her, fading but lingering, like the aftershocks of a storm.

Khael, standing beside her, kept his gaze steady, his hand still wrapped around the hilt of his sword. His breath was shallow, but his resolve unwavering. The fight was not over, not yet. He knew this better than anyone.

But then, the silence shattered.

A soft, mocking chuckle echoed through the air, cold and sharp, like the bite of winter. The hair on the back of Khael's neck stood on end.

"Tsk, tsk… as expected, you two are failures."

The voice rang out, laced with venom and arrogance. Khael's gaze snapped to the source, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

Standing at the edge of the ruined village, a figure cloaked in shadow emerged. It was K, the messenger of the Hollow Nine, the one who had watched them from the shadows, manipulating everything. His eyes gleamed like molten gold, his grin twisted with disdain.

"You..…" Khael growled, his teeth gritting, his hand tightening around the blade(sword)'s hilt.

But K was already moving, his steps fluid, almost serpentine. He reached Selene with terrifying speed, faster than anyone could react.

"You're so predictable." K's voice was sickly sweet as he moved in, a dark aura surrounding him. Without a second thought, he kicked Khael aside with one powerful blow, sending him skidding across the debris-covered ground. The force of the strike was enough to knock the wind out of Khael, but he quickly rolled to his feet, shaking off the disorientation. His dragon power pulsed within him, but K wasn't finished.

K wasted no time. He stepped up to Selene, who still knelt by her brother, and with a swift motion, he drove his hand into the air, sending a dark core flying toward her chest. The core pulsed with an eerie, violet light, crackling with energy far beyond anything she had faced before. It was the Dark Core, an artifact of untold power, capable of warping the mind, body, and soul.

"No!" Khael shouted, but it was too late.

The core embedded itself into Selene's chest, and for a split second, the world seemed to freeze.

Selene's body stiffened, her eyes going wide in shock. Then, with a horrifying cry, her Shinrei twisted violently, warping around her like a spiraling vortex.

"Ahh!" Her voice tore through the air as her Rift Gate power spiraled out of control. Dark energy surged through her, like a floodgate opening, and the air around her crackled with dangerous intensity.

"Selene, no!" Khael shouted, his voice laced with desperation. But it was no use.

In an instant, Selene's transformation was complete. Her hair shifted to a jet-black hue, and her body was enveloped in dark, crackling energy. Her eyes glowed a faint, eerie purple, and her aura turned into a cold storm of pure Shade energy.

"It's not the power that makes you strong, it's the will to control it," K remarked coldly, watching Selene's transformation with twisted pleasure. "But you, like so many before you, were always so weak."

Khael's heart sank as he watched Selene's eyes flash with madness. She stood up shakily, a guttural growl escaping her lips as the dark energy consumed her. She was no longer the girl he had fought beside no longer the sister trying to hold onto the remnants of her humanity.

"I… I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!!" Selene's voice distorted, merging with the dark energy inside her. Her hands shot forward, and in an instant, the ground beneath her feet cracked open, sending jagged spikes of shadow hurtling toward Khael and the others.

"Selene, fight it!" Khael shouted, stepping forward, his heart breaking. He couldn't let this happen, not like this. She had always been a warrior, someone who fought alongside him. This was not the Selene he knew.

But Selene's voice was no longer hers. It was filled with rage, the Hollow Nine's influence warping her sense of self. She didn't respond to Khael's words. Instead, she turned her power against him, sending a tsunami of dark energy spiraling in his direction.

"No more words, Dragon Knight. You're in my way now."

As the dark energy surged toward him, Khael lifted his blade. His dragon fire flared, clashing with Selene's shadow, creating a violent storm between them. The sheer force of their clash sent shockwaves through the village, tearing up the earth beneath their feet.

"Selene!" Khael's voice was strained, his sword held high as he poured his Shinrei into every strike. "You don't have to do this!"

But she didn't hear him. Or maybe she just didn't care.

K watched from the sidelines, a smug grin on his face. "This is the end, Khael Corzedar. You were never meant to win."

Khael's eyes burned with determination. He couldn't allow this to be the end. Not for her. Not for them.

He gathered every last ounce of his Dragon Bloodline, his body surging with primal power. With a roar, he broke through the storm of dark energy that Selene had conjured. His sword cut through the shadows like a blade through cloth, and with a mighty swing, he aimed for the heart of the darkness inside Selene.

"I won't give up on you!" Khael shouted, his voice ringing with a fierce, unwavering promise.

But would it be enough to break the curse that had consumed her?

To be continued...

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