The war still raged in the city center.
Ice, fire, shattered concrete, and screams filled the air.
In the middle of it—
Asher and Vincent stood against White.
White looked calm.
Cold.
"You two are strong," he said quietly.
"But your coordination… still has flaws."
Vincent moved first.
Asher flanked from the right.
Their combination attacks were sharp and synchronized.
White manipulated blood in midair, forming crimson threads that twisted into blades and shields.
Each clash split the pavement.
It was a spectacular fight.
Balanced.
Deadly.
The Mistake
Asher shifted position to unleash a charged energy strike.
Vincent stepped in close to pressure White.
One second.
One miscalculation.
A slight opening.
White's fingers moved slowly.
Vincent's earlier wound reopened.
Blood dripped.
White smiled.
"Found it."
The blood froze in midair.
Then—
Turned.
Back toward its owner.
Vincent's Past
Vincent never had an easy life.
No father.
An only child.
His mother was sickly and fragile.
They lived in a cold, cramped apartment.
Every night, Vincent would tell her:
"I'll get us out of here."
He grew up too fast.
He wasn't a child.
He was support.
His mother was his entire world.
He knew—
If he didn't become a hero, nothing would ever change.
So he trained.
Endured pain.
Pushed beyond exhaustion.
He became a hero.
And now—
Blood Control
White fully seized control of Vincent's blood.
His veins tightened violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
His knees buckled.
"VINCENT!" Asher screamed.
White curled his fingers.
Vincent's body convulsed.
This wasn't an external attack.
It was destruction from within.
Final Stand
Vincent understood.
This was the end.
But he did not retreat.
He forced himself forward.
Blood streamed down his chin.
Every step was agony.
But he kept walking.
Because that's who he was.
A hero who fought until the last breath.
He threw one final punch at White—
A desperate, blazing strike fueled by everything he had left.
White staggered slightly—
But the control remained.
Vincent's strength was fading.
Collapse
Asher rushed to him.
"Vincent! Vincent!"
He caught him as he fell.
Blood stained his hands.
"I'm sorry… it's my fault… again… it's my fault…"
His voice broke.
White approached for the finishing blow—
A powerful energy shockwave blasted him away.
Sebastian.
He forced White back.
The battlefield paused for a heartbeat.
The Last Words
Vincent smiled faintly.
His eyes were dimming.
His lips trembled.
"Tell my mom…"
The sentence never finished.
His body went still.
Silence.
Asher froze.
Then—
He broke.
Tears fell freely.
Sebastian
Sebastian knelt beside them.
He placed a hand on Vincent's head.
Closed his eyes.
"A true hero."
Then he looked at Asher.
And saw it.
The descent.
The trauma returning.
The memories of those he failed to protect.
The darkness creeping back in.
Sebastian lifted Vincent's body.
Then supported Asher.
He carried them both away from the battlefield.
Behind them—
The war continued.
But something fundamental had changed.
Inside Asher—
Something had shattered.