Haytham was teleported partway to the other three. He saw that they were all stronger, having undergone some form of enhancement, while he remained the same. Shimmon clapped him on the back, a reassuring gesture in the face of the evident power gap. "Even if you haven't achieved an unlock," Shimmon said, his voice carrying a genuine warmth, "you're still plenty beautiful."
Haytham felt a sliver of relief pierce through his apprehension. Saland offered a small, encouraging smile, and Christy echoed the sentiment. With a burst of his signature speed, Saland swiftly moved Sting, Rick, and Ken to a safer distance, effectively removing them from the immediate fray.
The remaining trio, our heroes, took their stances. Null, their formidable opponent, immediately activated his power: Singularity Suppressed. Countless black horns jutted out from the sides of his head, angled sharply upwards. His left arm glowed an unsettling green, and the single eye above his disturbing maw narrowed in focus.
Before anyone could make a move, Saland launched himself at Null with supersonic speed. The clash was instantaneous. Null managed to parry the swift attack, but Saland's dual blades still managed to bite into Null's flesh, drawing shallow crimson lines.
From behind, Shimmon, now radiating a palpable energy from his own transformation, unleashed a devastating punch. The blow connected with brutal force, sending Null staggering backward. Before Null could recover, Christy descended from above, her foot aimed squarely at his head. Null raised an arm to block, but the momentary distraction left him vulnerable to a relentless barrage of punches from Shimmon.
Haytham, despite his lack of a visible power-up, attempted to join the assault, his movements honed to an incredible speed. Yet, Null, with an almost casual flick of a finger, parried his attack and retaliated with a swift punch. As Haytham was sent reeling, he desperately tried to fire off a shot, but the attempt went wide.
Shimmon, ever vigilant, caught Haytham mid-air. In that brief respite, Saland pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of rapid slashes against Null, who parried each strike, though not without accumulating a series of shallow cuts.
Christy, meanwhile, channeled her chaotic energy into her twin fans. With a focused thrust, she managed to strike Null squarely, taking advantage of his engagement with Saland. Yet, Null's resilience was unnerving. His wounds shimmered and closed, and he returned to his stance, his gaze sweeping over his opponents.
He didn't see Haytham.
But then, from directly behind Null, Haytham materialized. There was no surprise on Null's face, only a cold certainty. He backhanded Haytham, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the ground with sickening force.
The others cried out, moving to intervene, but Null, with a sweep of his glowing green arm, unleashed a shockwave that sent Shimmon, Saland, and Christy tumbling back.
"You are weak," Null stated, his voice devoid of emotion. "You have no hope of victory." He tightened his grip on Haytham's neck with his black hand, then reached down and retrieved his fallen katana. With a swift, brutal motion, he plunged the blade into Haytham's chest, piercing his heart. Blood gurgled from Haytham's mouth, and his head lolled to the side, lifeless.
"Haytham!!" Saland roared, his voice filled with anguish and fury. He launched himself at Null, a whirlwind of grief-fueled attacks, but Null easily parried each blow.
Shimmon, his draconic arm now crackling with divine energy, charged forward, a figure of righteous fury. He aimed a full-powered blow directly at Null, who responded by charging his own green arm, the collision of their powers unleashing a tremendous shockwave that rippled through the air.
Christy, agile and determined, launched a kick at Null, who managed to block. But she wasn't finished. Focusing her chaotic energy, she attempted her trump card: Quantum Unlock. A massive vortex of razor-sharp wind, swirling with vibrant green and fuchsia hues, erupted around Null.
Yet, to their dismay, Null remained unfazed. "That technique," he scoffed, his voice laced with disdain, "was taught to you by Benamoth, wasn't it? He's a mid-level glitch. That's why a technique like that can only weaken low, mid, and mid-high level glitches, like those two pathetic guards at the entrance. But I am a high-level glitch. You cannot defeat me with such a paltry skill."
Behind Null, Haytham's body lay still, seemingly forgotten in the heat of the battle. No one was watching him. But then, a tremor ran through his left arm. Slowly, shakily, it rose, his fingers brushing against the hilt of the embedded sword.
Then, an impossible sight. As if pulled by an unseen force, Haytham's body began to rise, the katana still impaling him, the blade now tearing further through his flesh, leaving a gaping hole where his heart had been.
With a guttural cry, Haytham gripped the hilt of his own katana. "UNLOCK! Devil Rage!"
From his right hand, the one clutching his weapon, a bizarre black energy began to coalesce. It swirled and expanded, engulfing his hand, then his wrist, then his entire arm, until it reached the gaping wound in his chest. The black energy pulsed, and the hole began to close, leaving behind a stark, black circle.
Haytham's right eye now burned with a crimson light, and wisps of condensed vapor escaped his lips. Null, finally noticing the impossible resurrection, slowly turned. A visible tremor ran through his entire body. Fear, raw and primal, flickered in his single eye as he instinctively shifted into a defensive stance.
Saland and his companions stared in stunned disbelief at their friend, back from the brink of death. But none were more surprised than Null.
Without uttering a single word, Haytham launched himself at Null with blinding speed. His aura had shifted, now a swirling vortex of pure black energy. He moved like a phantom, and before Null could react, Haytham's blade sliced through his arm.
Panic finally seized Null. "Singularity Oblivion!" he roared, activating his ultimate defense. An intensely bright blue aura erupted around him, and the pressure in the surrounding area intensified to an almost unbearable degree.
Shimmon, his draconic arm now blazing with incandescent light, charged forward, a final, desperate attack. Null met him with his charged green arm, the resulting collision creating another massive shockwave.
But this time, their allies were ready. Shimmon conjured a ring of searing flames around Null, trapping him. And Christy, focusing her chaotic energies with newfound intensity, created an interference within Null's "Oblivion" power, causing it to flicker and destabilize.
In that crucial moment of vulnerability, Saland and Haytham moved as one, their blades finding purchase on Null's exposed flanks, drawing deep gashes.
Null recoiled, a mixture of fear and fury contorting his features. He had underestimated them, these persistent adversaries. "I... I am a high-level glitch! How dare you?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking with disbelief.
Haytham, his crimson eye burning with cold determination, simply stated, "This is your end."