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

Angelo, Red, and Blue kept flying away as Hugo shook off their last attack. The gang leader wiped blood from his knuckles, his ice-blue eyes tracking their retreat like a predator watching wounded prey.

"Don't know what kind of freaks you are," Hugo called out, his voice echoing through the sky, "but it doesn't change anything. You're all going down."

His aura blazed brighter as he crouched in mid-air, then shot forward like a human missile.

Once they'd gained some distance, the trio stopped to hover high above the ocean. Angelo's breathing was heavy but controlled as he assessed their situation.

"We need more Trinergy for my leg armor," Angelo said, flexing his incomplete protection. "Then we can take some real risks."

The three moved in perfect synchronization—energy smoke pouring from their bodies as they spun in opposite directions. Red and Blue rotated clockwise while Angelo went counter, their combined energies mixing in a swirling ring of power. The smoke shifted from chaotic colors to silver light shot through with orange, red, and blue flashes before settling around Angelo's legs like liquid metal becoming solid.

"He's still pretty far out!" Red shouted, bouncing in the air with manic energy. "We've got time for another big hit!"

They stretched their arms forward in unison, another sphere of mixed energy crackling between their palms. The chaotic colors slowly merged into Trinergy's distinctive silver glow.

Angelo's eyes tracked Hugo's approach. "Damn it, he'll see this coming from a mile away. Too obvious."

"Agreed," Blue said, his scholarly tone tight with urgency. "However, we lack alternatives given our time constraints."

"He's almost here!" Red's wild grin was all teeth and violence. "Light him up!"

"Trinergy Bomb!" all three shouted, hurling their attack at the approaching hurricane of a man.

But Hugo was ready this time. As he rocketed toward them, he compressed wind in his palm like squeezing air into a baseball. His counter-attack met their projectile halfway, creating a blinding explosion that lit up the sky like a second sun.

Through the blazing light, Hugo's massive form emerged, his hand clamping around Angelo's helmeted head like a vice.

"Get off!" Angelo clawed frantically at the mountain of muscle holding him, orange energy tentacles lashing out in desperation.

Hugo's bloodthirsty grin widened as Red and Blue tried to help, but mini-tornadoes swirled around the gang leader's body, deflecting their attacks. His grip tightened, muscles bulging as he tried to crush both helmet and skull.

"What the hell is this thing made of?!" Hugo snarled, using both hands now, straining against the unbreakable material.

Without warning, he dove straight down, dragging Angelo behind him like a rag doll while Red and Blue gave chase. Just before hitting the water, Hugo's aura shifted from ice-blue to venomous yellow, his eyes glowing dangerously like a snake's.

They plunged beneath the surface like a meteor crashing into the ocean. Ice-cold water flooded Angelo's helmet instantly—it wasn't built to keep the sea out. His lungs already ached from holding what little air he had left.

Hugo grinned behind his perfect air bubble, looking like he could stay down here forever. The bastard was in his element now.

"Can't... get... away...!" Angelo clawed desperately at Hugo's iron grip, firing energy blasts that scattered uselessly through the water. The few that reached Hugo's face barely made ripples against his protective bubble.

"Angelo!" Red and Blue's internal voices sounded muffled, but Hugo twisted his free hand, sending crushing waves that slammed them back like invisible hammers.

Angelo's chest felt like it was caving in. Black spots danced at the edges of his vision as his body screamed for oxygen. Through their mental link, raw panic flooded between all three of them.

"Can't... much longer!" Angelo's thoughts came in desperate gasps. "Have to... use the armor! Now!"

He snapped his arm forward. Hugo didn't even flinch, confident that nothing could save his victim now. But Red and Blue were close enough to control the Trinergy coating Angelo's outstretched arm.

Hugo's eyes widened as the armored gauntlet glowed and transformed, compressing into a sphere at Angelo's palm before firing point-blank into the gang leader's chest. The blast sent Hugo flying backward through the water as Angelo shot to the surface.

"ARGH!" Hugo's roar of pain echoed across the waves as the underwater explosion rippled outward.

Angelo gasped desperately for air, but there was no time to recover. The water around him came alive, sharp ice projectiles shooting up like deadly geysers. He twisted and dodged, using his armored half to block what he couldn't avoid while protecting his vulnerable, unarmored side.

The battle was far from over.

Meanwhile, Veronica stood over the pile of rocks that had buried Sol, her body tense and ready for anything. After several minutes of absolute silence, she finally relaxed her shoulders.

"So he really is dead, huh?" She stretched like a cat waking from a nap, then turned toward the distant battle over the water. Hugo was hurling ice spears and water blasts at three tiny figures dancing through the air. "I want to help, but water's never been my thing." She pressed her cheek against her palm, frustrated. "What am I supposed to do, just wait here? There's no way I can hit anything from this distance."

But buried beneath tons of stone, Sol was still breathing. Everything around him was pitch black. Massive boulders pressed down on his outstretched hands—not crushing them, but trapping them in front of him like a vice. Worse, he could feel himself slipping away. His silver aura flickered like a dying lightbulb, the glow seeping through cracks in the rocks before slowly fading to nothing.

Then everything went dark.

"Am I... dead?" Sol's voice echoed strangely around him in the blackness. Then his eyes went wide. Something appeared in a circle of light—a robot toy from his sixth birthday. The kind with a million tiny pieces that never seemed to fit together right.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Something warm and wet touched his cheek. When he reached up to wipe it away, his hand was much smaller than it should be. Confusion filled his mind.

"Don't cry, Solomon."

Sol spun around, and the entire world shifted like pages turning in a book. He was six years old again, standing in his childhood bedroom, looking up at the man who'd spoken.

"Dad?" Sol's voice came out high and small, the way it used to. Before him stood David Thron—tall, handsome, with silver hair and those piercing silver-blue eyes that seemed to see everything.

"DAD!" Sol threw himself forward, tears flowing freely down his young face.

David caught his son, holding him for a moment before gently pushing him back. He placed both hands on Sol's small shoulders and looked directly into his eyes.

"Son, you're six years old now, and you're pretty bright." Sol stared up at him, eyes full of wonder and sadness. "I think you're ready for the greatest gift a father can give his son."

"W-what?" Sol whispered, completely lost in the moment, forgetting about boulders and battles and everything else.

David turned Sol around to face the desk where the broken robot sat in pieces, mocking every failed attempt to build it.

"You see, son, there are two kinds of losers in this world." David's voice was gentle but firm. "First, there are those who don't even try—too scared of failing to even start." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Then there's the other kind—those who give up."

David turned Sol back around, their eyes meeting. "Tell me, Solomon—am I raising a loser?"

Sol's eyes went wide with shock. The world around him crumbled into black, but not before he saw the robot toy suddenly complete itself, all the pieces fitting together perfectly.

His eyes snapped open in the real world.

Pain crashed over him like a wave—the massive boulders pressing down, trying to crush the life out of him. But his silver aura blazed steady now, burning with newfound determination.

His grip tightened on the rocks pinning his hands. He gritted his teeth until they ached, making the stone crack under his fingers.

"Don't... give... up!" he muttered to himself, his face scrunching with effort. Through clenched teeth, he kept pushing: "Don't give up, Solomon!"

Outside, Veronica was getting bored watching the distant fight. Then she heard something—clicking sounds coming from the rock pile. She stared at it, trying to figure out if the boulders were actually vibrating or if she was losing her mind.

"Urgh... URGH!" Sol's voice came from deep inside the rubble, muffled but growing stronger.

Then something changed.

His aura began to grow, shifting from a gentle glow to silver fire that danced around his body like living flame.

"OoooooAHHHHHH!" Sol's scream erupted from inside the rocks, followed by his aura exploding outward through every crack and gap.

"No way..." Veronica gasped, taking a step back. "He couldn't!"

The entire rock pile began glowing white, getting brighter and brighter until Sol let out another earth-shaking scream. The boulders didn't just break—they evaporated, exploding outward in every direction and sending up a massive cloud of sand and dust.

Veronica dropped into her fighting stance, every muscle ready for war.

Through the swirling dust cloud, she could see his silhouette—standing tall where moments before he'd been buried alive. As the sand slowly settled, Sol emerged like something out of a legend.

His silver aura now looked like liquid fire dancing around his skin. Lightning arced across his body, but this wasn't ordinary electricity—it was silver lightning so blurry it seemed to be made of thousands of tiny explosions all firing at once.

Sol himself was covered in blood. Red streaks ran down his forehead and dripped from his palms, creating a stark contrast against his silver hair. He examined his gauntleted hands with something like wonder.

"You were right, father." Sol's voice wavered for just a moment, his chin trembling like he might cry. But he stopped himself, wiping his eyes with his forearm. "This really is a gift that keeps on giving."

When he looked up, his expression had shifted to intense focus. He slipped back into his kickboxer stance, but everything about him was different now—the way he moved, the way the air seemed to bend around him. He knew this time things will be different.

Veronica hesitated for just a moment, her mind racing through options. Then her arm blurred like a striking snake, her energy whip cutting through the air straight at Sol.

But he moved faster than before, catching the whip with one hand like it was a rope instead of pure energy. He squeezed, silver light blazing from his palm.

What happened next made both fighters freeze in shock.

Where his evolved energy touched her elastic whip, it crumbled away like old paper turning to ash. At the same time, his gauntlet fell apart into dark red sand.

Veronica yanked back what was left of her whip, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "What the hell is this evolved ability?" she muttered, more to herself than to him.

Sol was wondering the same thing. He examined his bare hand, watching the rest of his gauntlet slide off and hit the sand like broken armor. Testing his new power, he turned and pointed at the cliff face. Silver lightning shot from his fingers, striking the rock wall.

They both watched as the impact point glowed white-hot before exploding outward, leaving a smoking crater.

Sol's eyebrows drew together in concentration. "Some kind of... disintegration effect?" He turned back to Veronica, his silver aura flaring brighter. "Interesting."

She dropped into a defensive stance, every muscle coiled like a spring. "Don't get cocky, pretty boy!"

Sol launched himself forward, his fists wreathed in silver fire and crackling with lightning. His remaining gauntlet crumbled to dust as his evolved energy consumed it. He threw a series of hooks and jabs, each one faster and more precise than before.

Veronica dodged desperately, but he was relentless now—stronger, quicker, and completely focused. When his fist came straight at her face, she quickly formed a cushion of elastic energy between her palms. His punch sank deep into the stretchy barrier, the elastic material stretching until his knuckles almost touched her nose.

"Got you!" she smirked, ready to launch him backward like a slingshot.

But then her energy tore apart like wet tissue, disintegrating under his touch. His fist connected solidly with her face, sending her sprawling.

She rolled backward and sprang to her feet, firing normal energy blasts while backflipping away. Sol leaped high into the air, unleashing a massive silver flamethrower that roared toward her like a dragon's breath.

The attack looked telegraphed, easy to sidestep—which she did. But when his flames touched the sand around her, everything exploded. The blast wave sent her tumbling through the air until she caught herself with twin energy whips, landing hard on both feet.

"You think you've already won?!" she shouted, but her voice cracked with growing fear. "Just because you evolved?!"

Sol settled back into his kickboxing stance, bouncing lightly on his toes. His expression was calm, almost businesslike. When he spoke, it was with quiet certainty.

"Yes."

He threw punches at the air, each one launching silver fireballs that streaked toward her like miniature comets. She responded with her own energy blasts, desperately jumping away from any that hit the sand before they could explode.

"Time to finish this." Sol placed his clenched fist over his heart like a warrior's salute. It began glowing white-hot, wrapped in silver fire and crackling lightning.

"No way!" Veronica pressed her palms together, pouring everything she had into one final attack. "I won't let you!"

Sol's mouth curved into a slight smile—the same confident expression he'd worn during their first sparring match back when this all began.

"This reminds me of our practice fight, Angelo," he said, as if his friend could hear him across the water. "And the result's going to be exactly the same."

He charged forward, his entire body encased in silver fire and lightning. Each footstep left small explosions in his wake, like he was running on a field of landmines.

"DIE!" Veronica shrieked, unleashing a massive yellow beam that could have punched through a building.

Sol didn't dodge. Didn't try to block or deflect.

Instead, he ran straight into her attack. His silver energy formed a protective cocoon around him as he pushed through the destructive beam like a swimmer cutting through rough water.

"No... NO! GET AWAY!" She poured even more power into her blast, the yellow light growing blindingly bright.

But Sol's arm emerged from her own attack like he was reaching through a curtain. His fist connected with her stomach in a perfect, devastating strike.

The impact launched her backward like she'd been hit by a truck. She flew in a high arc before crashing into the ocean with a tremendous splash.

Sol stood at the water's edge, breathing heavily but victorious. He waited, watching the waves where she'd disappeared. After several long moments with no sign of movement, he finally relaxed his fighting stance.

He'd done it. He'd won.