The Divided Guardian [Cursed Anti-Hero, Progression, Dark Fantasy]

Angelo shot through the air like an orange comet, heading straight for Hugo's massive frame. The gang leader's arms shimmered with deadly energy, ready to crush whatever came at him. But at the last second, Angelo swerved sideways, using his energy wing like a blade to slice through Josef's rope. A glowing tether shot out from his other hand, wrapping around the falling miner as Angelo rocketed away toward the ocean.

Hugo spun around, shaking his head with dark amusement. "Running away? How predictable." He crouched low, then launched himself forward as twin tornadoes spiraled around his legs, propelling him through the air like a human missile. The distance between them closed steadily.

Angelo removed the rope from Josef's neck as the older man gasped for precious air. "Easy there, you're safe now," Angelo said, but his eyes were locked on Hugo's approaching form. He turned back to Josef, whose face was twisted with terror. "Listen carefully—I'm going to drop you. He'll chase me instead of you. Don't panic when you fall—someone else will catch you."

Before Josef could process what was happening, Angelo released him. The miner's scream echoed across the sky as he plummeted toward certain death.

Hugo let out a cold laugh as he continued his pursuit. "You think abandoning dead weight will help you escape me?" But his confidence faltered when Josef's screams suddenly stopped. Glancing back, he saw Blue carrying the rescued miner safely toward the cliff. "Clever little trick," Hugo muttered, his eyes narrowing with annoyance as he refocused on Angelo.

Back on the cliff, Red appeared beside Sol with his trademark grin. "Need a lift, pretty boy?" He nodded toward where Angelo and Hugo had disappeared over the water.

Sol's confident smile didn't quite hide his tension. "I'd appreciate the ride."

Red grabbed him with an energy tether and they launched into the air, diving toward the ocean battle below.

"Not so fast!" Veronica burst from her hiding spot, energy crackling around her body like angry snakes.

Red glanced back over his shoulder and gave his rear end an exaggerated slap. "Kiss my ass, bitch!" He called to Sol, "Don't worry about her—no way she can follow us all the way down there."

Sol squinted back at the cliff face, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "You absolutely sure about that? Because it looks like she's doing exactly that."

Red's eyes bulged like a cartoon character. "What the hell?!"

Veronica was using her elastic energy like a bungee cord, making controlled leaps down the cliff face with frightening speed and precision.

Sol studied her approach, his mind racing through tactical possibilities. "Hey Red," he called up.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Drop me off at the beach. I'll handle her." Sol's voice carried the weight of absolute determination.

Red's respect was genuine. "You sure about this? She's evolved, you know."

Sol's trademark smirk returned. "Who am I to get picky? Ashley and Nova weren't . And they fought you guys."

"Alright then," Red said, setting Sol down on the sandy beach below. "Try not to die down there, pretty boy."

"Same to you," Sol replied, adjusting his stance as he prepared for battle.

Red barked out a laugh. "Me? I can't die, remember? But Angelo..." His expression grew serious as he looked toward the distant fight over the water. "That's a different story entirely. Better go save his stubborn ass."

"Yeah, keep that idealistic fool alive, will you? I'm not much use in a water fight anyway." Sol pulled the Crimson Comets from his pockets and slipped them on, silver energy beginning to pulse around his feet.

"You got it! Good luck down here!" Red shot away toward his duplicate, leaving Sol alone on the beach as Veronica continued her rapid descent.

Up on the cliff, Zack and Zeke peered over the edge at the chaos below.

"Bro, we need to get down there and help!" Zack said, urgency creeping into his voice.

"Let's grab one of the grunts who can transport us," Zeke agreed with a nod.

"I don't think so," came a voice from behind them.

Both twins spun around to find an unusual sight—a guy with wild hair removing his sunglasses and unslung a guitar from his back. Yellow energy erupted around him like stage lights. Beside him stood a nervous-looking young man in glasses, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Zack growled, his hands already forming into light-weapons.

Joe's cocky grin never wavered as he struck a dramatic pose. "Me? Just your modern day bard looking for some inspiration. And you two are ruining it."

The twins dropped into fighting stances as their voice echoed across the cliff. "Cliffhangers, assemble!" Within moments, gang members began surrounding Joe and Brian from all directions.

"Think you can stop us?" Zack taunted.

"We've got an army," Zeke finished, gesturing at the growing crowd of hostile faces.

Joe's grin widened as he threw an enthusiastic arm toward his companion. "Well, I've got this absolute powerhouse! Come on, Brainy—show them what you can do."

Brian sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging with reluctance. "Do I really have to? You know how much I dislike violence."

"Would you prefer they kill us instead?" Joe snapped back. "Just do your thing already!"

"Fine..." Brian carefully folded his glasses and tucked them away. Teal energy erupted around his body, evolving into something that looked like cold flames dancing across his skin.

"The bookworm's evolved?!" Zack spat in disbelief.

Brian turned calmly toward the mob surrounding them, tapping his temple with one finger while extending his other hand. Suddenly, a dozen gang members lifted into the air as if grabbed by invisible hands, then went flying across the square like rag dolls.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Telekinesis?!" Zeke gasped. "What kind of aura can do that?!"

One brave Cliffhanger rushed forward and landed a solid punch on Brian's cheek. Brian didn't even flinch, and the attacker immediately broke into a cold sweat.

Brian gently but firmly lowered the man's arm. "To answer your question," he said to Zeke with scholarly precision, "my aura type is force." Without warning, he drove his fist into the Cliffhanger's face, sending the man crashing through the wall of a nearby house.

Joe let out a delighted laugh. "You handle the small fry, Brian! I'll take care of these two spotlight-stealers. Should be easy—they don't look evolved to me." He took a deep breath and began to sing:

Born from darkness, forged in flame, When hope seemed lost, our light remained...

His voice transformed into visible sound waves that rippled through the air, forcing the twins to dive for cover as the sonic attack swept over them.

Zack dusted himself off with an annoyed grunt. Both twins immediately created dozens of identical light projections, filling the area with glowing duplicates.

"What the—?" Joe's eyes went wide just before one of the twins appeared out of nowhere and punched him square in the jaw. "Motherfuc—"

"Never forget," one twin said as Joe staggered back.

"Light is faster than sound," the other finished with cold satisfaction.

Joe wiped blood from his split lip, his grip tightening on his guitar. "Alright, you want to play rough? Let's see how you handle the next verse."

Angelo kept flying as fast as his energy wings could carry him, clutching the diamond-like briefcase against his chest. He couldn't afford to look back or check on the others—all his focus had to stay on staying ahead of Hugo's relentless pursuit.

"Where the hell are you two?" Angelo's mental voice crackled with urgency through their shared link.

"I successfully delivered Josef to safety and am currently en route to your position," Blue reported with his usual precision. "However, you continue to increase the distance between us with your evasive flight pattern."

"Yeah, same problem here," Red chimed in, frustration bleeding through his thoughts. "We can't exactly help if you keep flying away from us!"

"I can't just stop and turn around—he's faster than me!" Angelo shot back, desperation creeping into his mental voice. Then an idea struck him like lightning. "Wait, I've got it! Launch a Sub-Trinergy bomb in my direction—now!"

Red's excitement was immediate and disturbing. "I get to blow up Angelo? This is the best day ever!"

Blue's exasperated sigh echoed through their link as he changed course toward Red's position. Both fragments began charging energy in their palms, their separate powers crackling force. When they finally came together in mid-air, their energies collided and screamed against each other until they formed a dark purple sphere that pulsed with dangerous intensity.

"Sub-Trinergy Bomb!" they called out in unison, hurling the volatile projectile through the air.

Angelo felt the energy blast cutting through the wind toward them. He took a sharp breath, then exhaled quickly as he executed a perfect mid-air pivot, diving beneath Hugo and reversing direction in one fluid motion.

Hugo's predatory smile widened as he prepared to follow. "Got you now," he muttered, sending a gust of wind forward to change his own trajectory. But his triumph quickly turned to shock as the energy bomb slammed into his face with explosive force. The blast engulfed him completely, and when the smoke cleared, he was rubbing his nose with obvious irritation—barely hurt, but definitely annoyed.

"What the hell was that?" Hugo growled, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the three identical figures regrouping in the distance. "That's some coordination... How did they...?"

"Now!" Angelo commanded through their link.

The Trinergy briefcase floated between the three of them as they moved their arms in perfect synchronization. It responded to their combined will, turning to smoke and flowing over Angelo's body before crystallizing into armor that looked like it was carved from diamond and shot through with veins of frozen lightning. However there wasn't enough for leg pieces.

Angelo flexed his arms, testing the weight of his new protection. "Ready?"

"Indeed," Blue confirmed, falling into formation.

Red cracked his knuckles with savage glee. "Time to show this asshole what we can really do!"

The two forces charged toward each other across the open sky, everything on the line.

Back on the beach, Sol stood alone on the sand, watching as Veronica made her final leap from the cliff face. She landed with explosive force, sending sand spraying in all directions like a small detonation. Dusting herself off, she looked Sol up and down with predatory interest.

"Well, well," she purred, "looks like I get to fight the pretty one. Maybe instead of killing you outright, I should capture you and make you my sexy slave."

Sol raised an eyebrow, genuinely taken aback. "That's... incredibly disturbing."

"Oh, come now," Veronica said with mock innocence. "I said sexy."

"That doesn't make it much better," Sol replied, shifting into his fighting stance and raising his silver-crackling gauntlets.

Veronica conjured her energy whip with a theatrical flourish. "Such a shame, really. I hate having to damage such a handsome face."

"Said every movie villain ever," Sol shot back.

"Because it's such a great line," Veronica replied with the voice of a hunter about to strike. Without warning, she unleashed a barrage of whip strikes that cut through the air like angry snakes.

Sol dodged and weaved, his silver energy flaring as he tried to close the distance. His fists crackled with lightning as he launched into a series of strikes, but Veronica moved like liquid mercury—flowing around his attacks with impossible grace until she casually caught one of his punches in her palm.

"Oh, that's right," she said with a cruel smile. "You're not evolved, are you?"

Her fist connected with his face like a sledgehammer, launching him backward. But her elastic energy kept him tethered to her hand like a human yo-yo. She sidestepped casually, redirecting his momentum to slam him face-first into the sand.

Sol quickly covered his trapped hand with silver fire, burning away the elastic energy that held him. He rolled to his feet, wiping blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," he muttered, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it aside before settling back into his fighting stance.

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Neiva and Sam were wearing grooves in the wooden floor with their nervous pacing.

"I can't take this anymore!" Sam threw her hands up in frustration. "Everything just keeps getting worse!"

Neiva tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, her voice carrying forced optimism. "Don't be so negative. Maybe they'll actually manage to convince Hugo this was all a big misunderstanding."

Sam's laugh was bitter and sharp. "You really believe that? Sol said this whole thing reeked of a trap from the start."

"Well, I trust my friends," Neiva said, though uncertainty crept into her voice. "I'm sure everything will work out fine—"

"Get the red-haired bitch!" The shout from outside cut through their conversation like a blade.

Sam peeked through the curtains and immediately went pale. "Oh no... THEY'RE COMING!"

Neiva let out a very small "Fuck!" as her blue aura flared to life. She grabbed Sam around the waist and bolted from the room just as the door exploded inward behind them. Racing down the hallway, she spotted an open window and didn't hesitate—she leaped through it with Sam screaming in her arms.

They crashed onto the roof of the building next door, both women gasping for breath.

"There she is!" voices shouted from below. "Don't let her escape!"

Neiva ran across the rooftops as fast as her energy-enhanced legs could carry her, but she was already feeling tired—which shouldn't have been possible with her aura providing power. She was pushing herself beyond her normal limits, on the bright side it also meant she was probably moving faster than ever before.

She leaped from building to building toward the town square, desperately dodging the Cliffhangers who seemed to be coming from every direction. When one of them surprised her with a rooftop ambush, she used his face as a stepping stone to launch herself to the next building.

They landed awkwardly in front of a small coffee shop, and Neiva slipped on the loose gravel. She scrambled to her feet, ready to run again, when a familiar voice stopped her cold.

"Well, if it isn't Neiva," the voice said casually, as if they'd just bumped into each other at the grocery store.

Her head snapped around so fast it made her neck pop. There he sat, waving at her like it was just another ordinary day.

"Rorck?!" she gasped, unable to believe her eyes.

"Care to join me for coffee?" He gestured to a steaming cup on the table beside him, then his expression shifted as he glanced toward the approaching Cliffhangers. "I can personally vouch for the quality." His tone carried deadly seriousness beneath the casual words.