SICARII

Well, that was… something," Luna said, laughing nervously as she caught her breath.

"You can say that again," Zak replied, shaking his head. "But you're pretty impressive yourself. You held your own against Ivan. Well, to an extent," he added with a smirk.

"Yeah, but if you hadn't jumped in at the end, I would've been done for," Luna admitted, a hint of relief in her voice.

Zak laughed. "That's probably true. Guess I just like making a dramatic entrance."

She grinned. "Alright, let's head up. Time to finish this simulation and reach the top of this castle."

Side by side, they started toward the staircase, steeling themselves for whatever came next.

Luna and Zak picked up their pace, sprinting up the winding stone staircase, the echo of their footsteps reverberating through the castle's towering halls. The air grew colder as they climbed, and the flickering torchlight along the walls cast their shadows in eerie patterns. High above, they could see hints of the moonlight piercing through narrow windows, giving the stone walls an otherworldly glow. Tattered banners hung from the ceiling, their once-bright colors faded, a testament to the castle's ancient history. Each level they ascended was narrower and more fortified, clearly designed to wear down any who dared invade.

As they rounded a corner, a new group of guards came into view, heavily armored and armed with machine guns, their barrels gleaming in the low light. The guards shouted, signaling each other as they trained their weapons on Luna and Zak.

"Get down!" Zak hissed, pressing himself against the cold stone as a rain of bullets tore through the air. Luna ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding a line of fire that sprayed down the hall, splintering a nearby wooden beam.

"We're gonna have to get closer if we want to take them out!" she shouted over the deafening noise.

Zak nodded, glancing at her. "On three, I'll create some cover. You close the distance and go for their flanks."

"Got it," she replied, gripping her electrified daggers tightly.

"Three… two… one!" Zak spun out from behind the corner, brandishing his Storm Cleavers. He swung them in a wide arc, and instantly, a powerful whirlwind formed around him, gusting forward and whipping up debris from the castle floor. Dust and loose stones swirled through the air, forming a dense screen that temporarily blinded the guards.

Using the cover, Luna darted forward, her body low to the ground, a streak of purple lightning crackling in her wake. She slipped through the dust, her footsteps light as she moved swiftly toward the guards. The moment she was close enough, she sprang up, slicing her daggers through the air. Each blade emitted a crackling bolt of purple lightning, aimed with deadly precision.

The first guard barely had a chance to react before Luna's dagger pierced his armor, sending a jolt of electricity through him. His body convulsed, his grip on the gun loosening as he dropped to the ground. She spun to the next guard, sweeping his legs out from under him before plunging a dagger into his shoulder, the electrical surge rendering him motionless.

Behind her, Zak surged forward, closing the gap with astonishing speed. He swung one of his axes horizontally, sending a gust of wind that knocked two guards off their feet. As they scrambled to get back up, he leapt into the air, cleavers raised, and brought them down with a thunderous impact, his weapons generating blasts of wind that sent both guards crashing against the stone wall, leaving them unconscious.

More guards appeared down the hall, their guns firing in rapid succession. Bullets whizzed past them, and Luna quickly dropped to a knee, charging her daggers with an intense burst of lightning. She hurled one of her blades forward, sending a streak of purple electricity down the corridor. It struck the ground just in front of the advancing guards, erupting in a blinding flash. The guards were momentarily stunned, shielding their eyes from the searing light.

"Now!" Zak shouted, raising his cleavers high. He whipped his axes in rapid arcs, generating swirling vortices that hurtled toward the guards, slamming into them with a force that sent their weapons flying from their hands. The guards stumbled, disoriented, and Luna wasted no time. She lunged forward, retrieving her daggers mid-run, and launched into a series of swift, precise strikes, taking down the remaining guards one by one.

Finally, as the last guard fell to the ground, Luna took a step back, breathing heavily. She glanced over at Zak, who stood amidst the fallen guards, his Storm Cleavers gleaming in the dim light.

He smirked, lowering his axes. "Not bad, partner."

Luna wiped the sweat from her brow, a grin breaking across her face. "Let's keep moving. I have a feeling it's only going to get tougher from here."

Side by side, they pressed forward, ascending further up the castle, ready for whatever lay ahead.

As Zak and Luna reached the top of the castle, they paused to catch their breath. The highest chamber was a grand hall with towering ceilings and archways, lined with torches flickering blue fire. At the far end of the hall, sitting chained to an ornate chair, was the woman they needed to extract. Her face was drawn but determined, a faint glimmer of relief in her eyes as she spotted them.

Zak hurried over, cutting the bindings with a quick swipe of his axe, and helped her to her feet. "Alright," he said, "let's get you out of here."

Just as they turned toward the exit, two figures appeared at the door, blocking their path. A young man with a massive war hammer slung over his shoulder and a girl with twin katanas, each gleaming in the torchlight. They eyed Zak and Luna with cold, calculating expressions, ready for a fight.

The hammer-wielding boy sneered, taking a few steps forward. "Sorry, friends. That target's ours."

Zak tightened his grip on his axes and stepped forward, placing himself slightly ahead of Luna and the hostage. "Looks like it's not going to be that easy, huh?" he muttered, his voice steady.

The boy with the hammer charged first, his footsteps echoing as he raised the weapon overhead, then slammed it down with enough force to crack the stone floor beneath them. Zak sidestepped just in time, feeling the shockwave radiate from the impact.

Luna didn't hesitate; she lunged at the girl with the katanas, their blades meeting in a clash of steel. The girl was blindingly fast, her strikes flowing like water as she wove between Luna's blocks, testing her defenses. Luna's electric daggers crackled with purple lightning as she parried each slash, sparks flying with every strike.

Meanwhile, Zak faced off against the boy, who swung the hammer with deadly precision, each blow powerful enough to crush a lesser opponent in an instant. Zak evaded a horizontal swing, ducking low, and retaliated with a swipe of his axe, sending a gust of wind directly at his opponent. The boy staggered back but quickly recovered, slamming the head of his hammer into the ground and sending a shockwave of raw force rippling across the room. Zak leapt into the air, flipping over the shockwave, and landed behind him, delivering a series of quick strikes to the boy's back.

Across the room, Luna was finding it difficult to match the girl's speed. The girl darted around her in blurring arcs, her katanas cutting through the air with deadly grace. Luna's eyes narrowed, and she took a deep breath, channeling her inner energy. Her blades surged with crackling purple lightning as she unleashed a flurry of attacks, forcing the girl to backpedal under the onslaught. Luna's movements became faster, more unpredictable, each swing tracing a crackling arc of light in the air. She managed to land a strike on the girl's arm, sending a bolt of electricity surging through her opponent, and the girl stumbled, momentarily dazed.

Zak, meanwhile, was still exchanging heavy blows with the hammer-wielding boy. The boy lunged forward, aiming a powerful downward strike at Zak's shoulder, but Zak blocked with both of his axes, the force of the impact rattling his bones. Gritting his teeth, Zak shifted his weight and unleashed a devastating wind blast from his axes, knocking the boy back. As he staggered, Zak seized the opportunity, rushing forward and driving the edge of one axe into his side.

"Luna!" Zak called, glancing toward her as he deflected another attack. "We need to finish this now!"

Luna met his gaze, her eyes flashing with determination. She closed the distance between herself and the girl, who was recovering from the previous blow, and unleashed her finishing move. She channeled all of her energy into her blades, both daggers now blazing with purple lightning. She slashed forward in a rapid sequence, her strikes forming an arc of crackling energy that hit the girl with full force, sending her sprawling back. The girl hit the ground hard, her katanas clattering out of her grip as her body convulsed from the electric shock.

With a final coordinated effort, Zak and Luna turned their attention to the boy with the hammer. He raised his weapon for one last desperate strike, but Zak rushed in low, slicing into his leg and knocking him off balance. Luna followed up with a surge of electricity, targeting him with a powerful bolt that sent him crashing to the floor.

As the two adversaries lay defeated, Zak and Luna exchanged a quick nod, knowing they had no time to waste. They pulled the hostage to her feet and moved swiftly toward the nearest exit. Luna took one last look back at their fallen opponents, then turned to Zak with a grin.

"Let's get out of here," she said.

Together, they fled the chamber, ready to face whatever else lay ahead as they made their way down the winding corridors of the castle, their victory still humming with the energy of battle.