The atmosphere around the IPC grounds was electrifying, still charged by Lee and his group's arrival. A light mist floated over the metallic length of the facility, masking the distant motions of Skull Soldiers mobilising. The sound of synchronised marching rang throughout the complex as if the earth itself shook with anticipation.

  Standing at the head of his group, Lee's gaze met Darris'. The two guys stood apart, but the weight of their hostility filled the space between them. Darris, holding his skull mask nonchalantly in one hand, smirked a deadly, mocking face that made Lee's jaws clench.

  "You've come this far, Beckton," Darris murmured, his tone tinged with disdain and a hint of hesitant adoration. "I almost admire your perseverance." Almost." He cocked his head, his keen gaze flitting between Maya, Taz, and Luke behind Lee. "But let's be honest: you're all aware that this is hopeless. "The world will never accept what you represent."

  Lee did not flinch, but his hands tightened at his sides.

  Darris took a step forward, lifting his mask and hanging it from his fingers. "Do you believe your being here will alter anything? The power you and your little team possess is not sufficient for redemption. It is corruption. It is dread. And fear does not create; it destroys.

  He opened his arms wide and pointed to the facilities surrounding them. "What are you about to do?" Convince the world to trust individuals like you. It'll fail spectacularly because the power we possess is entirely bad, Beckton. And evil does not fight lightly. It burns. It consumes. You'll start a fire that will sear this world, leaving nothing but ashes."

  "Do not listen to him," Maya stated forcefully, her voice piercing through the tension. Her wings spread, capturing the sun like molten gold. "He's attempting to get inside your brain. You've brought us this far, Lee. Do not falter now."

  Taz approached, his voice bearing an unusual earnestness. "Darris is a manipulator. That's his entire game. "We're not here to follow their rules; we're here to break them."

  "Enough" From the shadows of the property, Amir emerged.

  "So, you're the infamous Beckton," Amir replied, his tone dripping with contempt. "I've heard a lot about you." "Seeing you here, I can't help but feel disappointed."

  Lee's jaw tensed as he faced off against Amir. "You're the one who sent them after me," he remarked calmly.

  Amir did not refute it. Instead, he folded his arms and looked at Lee like a teacher evaluating an unruly pupil. "Of course I did." You have become a threat to the order we have fought so hard to maintain. Justice does not flourish in turmoil, and you, Beckton, are chaos personified and now you must die for every living on this planet.”

  As the Skull Soldiers approached, Darris raised his mask and put it over his face, his flesh peeling away as he became his true nature. "It's time to see if your little rebellion can survive reality."

  The IPC grounds erupted in a thundering uproar as the first wave of Skull Soldiers charged forward. Their skeleton figures were enveloped in throbbing black energy, and their Skull Rifles glowed ominously as they launched bolts of murky power.

  At the front of his team, Lee pulled his Skull Blade, which emitted a red light that pulsed like a living entity. Energy sparked along its edge as he raced forward, his command of the Skull Mask transforming him into a blur of movement. He sliced through the first line of soldiers with surgical accuracy, each strike releasing waves of energy that pushed back anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.

  "Stay focused!" Lee shouted as he evaded another strike and slammed his Skull Blade into the chest of an approaching soldier. The energy from the sword expanded outward, killing two more opponents in the process.

  Taz dashed towards the conflict, his Skull Shield glowing with gold light. A squad of Skull Soldiers aimed their guns at him, shooting volleys of black energy. Taz let out a yell and stretched a Skull shield, the golden surface absorbing the oncoming flames. The barrier pulsed once before redirecting the energy in a tremendous arc of devastation, annihilating the warriors in front of him.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Well I will just learn as I fight then!" said Taz.

  On the other hand, he charmed a whirling Skull Spear in a blazing show before propelling it forward. The spear stretched in midair, shining with great golden fire, before impaling many troops. On impact, the spear burst in a flaming blaze, sending tremors through the Skull Soldiers' ranks.

  “Wait a minute I feel something coming up !” He said

  Yellow flames enveloped his body like a radiance. His motions became a maelstrom of mayhem as the energy boosted his power and speed. With each blow and kick, golden flames engulfed his opponents. However, as his strikes became more brutal, his comrades sensed a glimmer of unease in his bright yellow eyes.

  "Taz! "Keep it together!" Maya yelled from above, darting through the skies with her Light Speed Flight. She vanished and reappeared in quick flashes of light, leaving scorching trails of white feathers in her wake. The battleground below her was in disarray, but Maya's acute eyes identified crucial targets amid the opposing ranks.

  "DID I JUST DO THAT!" she said.

  She fired a barrage of Flaming White Feathers, each one piercing the Skull Soldiers underneath. The troops flailed as fire engulfed them, their dark energy no match for Maya's pure assault. Twisting in mid-air, Maya let out a war scream before plunging down with her wings ablaze and crashing into the skull soldiers.

  Luke positioned himself on a faraway rock, causing the conflict to flare into a frenzy.

  "It's my time to get involved in this battle," Taz stated. Putting his hands jointly, he unleashed the power of a soul weapon. A summons of a skull-carved sniper developed in front of him.

  "Madness!" Luke spoke profoundly.

  He steadied his Skull Sniper, which pulsed with cold, calculating energy. He identified his targets through the scope: Skull Soldiers, whose wicked crimes were etched in the terror they caused.

  "So these are the crimes of Darris I seeing through these puppets... shameful." He exhaled as his finger pushed the trigger.

  A beam of radiant energy erupted, its skull-shaped blast penetrating many warriors along its path. Each target was dropped with mechanical precision, its twisted shape dissipating into black vapour.

  From his reflective eyes, he noticed a band of soldiers trying to surround his location. Without wavering, Luke put away his sniper and pulled out another trade.

  “Skull Pistols”

  The glossy frames glimmered softly in the low light, marked with unsettling skull patterns that appeared to mock the battlefield. With a strong jump, he dropped down, touching the ground in a low crouch that kicked up a tiny cloud of dust. With no pause, he fired a barrage of energy bullets, each projectile darting through the turmoil like a precision missile.

  Two soldiers grabbed at him from all sides. Luke quickly holstered one gun and drew out a pair of Skull Flaming Boomerangs. He threw them with practised ease, their blazing trails creating arcs of destruction as they flew through the air.

  The boomerangs slashed through the warriors, burning them in spurts of flame before returning to Luke's grasp. He grabbed them without skipping a beat, spinning them about in his palms before re-releasing them.

  The war zone dissolved in turbulence as Lee, Maya, Taz, and Luke maintained their stand against the unrelenting attack of Skull Soldiers. As Taz ripped through the opposing ranks, the dazzling yellow flames around him began to fade. His breathing improved, and clarity returned to his flaming eyes. He slumped back, clutching his Skull Shield tightly as the last of his tremendous energy dissipated into a peaceful hum around his body.

  "I'm back... I'm in control," Taz said, his voice firm yet laced with sorrow.

  "Everyone, form up!" "The first wave is almost done!" Yelled Lee.

  The four of them came together, standing shoulder to shoulder while the remaining Skull Soldiers hesitated. Lee's crimson vitality, Taz's golden brightness, Maya's scorching white light, and Luke's exact, chilling stillness combined to build an impenetrable wall of defiance against darkness.

  From a distance, Darris noticed frustration. "They're proving... persistent," Darris stated with a mocking tone. "Should we escalate, Sir?" Do you still believe they are not worth the effort?"

  "Darris, do what you must. But don't forget where you are. "Do not let your arrogance cost us control."

  Darris smiled wickedly. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." He raised his palm, causing the air around him to twist as his evil power surged. The mist above the IPC grounds increased, and an unsettling hum permeated the air.

  The gang paused, turning to find Darris standing on a neighbouring platform, his Skull Mask completely clad. His voice roared, boosted by the raw force pouring from his body.

  He flung both palms aloft, causing the ground underneath them to quiver fiercely. Skulls started emerging from the ground all across the IPC grounds and beyond. Dark energy rushed into them, becoming fleshless forms of blackened bone and ferocious fury. The number of soldiers increased at an alarming rate, spreading like a disease over the globe. Skull Soldiers were everywhere, from deserts to woods, towns to oceans, with their synchronised march ringing throughout the world.

  "THIS IS THE POWER OF ME... THE WAR SKULL!"

  "What the hell is this...?" Maya murmured.

  "He's summoning them everywhere," Luke said.

  Taz clenched his teeth, flames flaring around his fists as wrath surged up again. "He has lost it. "He is completely insane!"

  But Lee, grasping his Skull Blade tightly, remained silent, his gaze fixed on Darris.

  Darris' voice, twisted and unnatural, broke through the noise. "We're not the only ones here, Beckton. I've enlisted the entire planet in this struggle. Did you wish to play a hero? Now it's you and your tiny band of misfits vs everyone!"

  The black energy around him became stronger, and for a brief time, his body flickered, exposing the terrible visage of his War Skull avatar. His laughter rang throughout the battlefield.

  Lee took a step forward, placing his feet solidly on the earth. He lifted his Skull Blade, its crimson glow rising brighter with itches of blood. "You may hurl anything at us, Darris. It doesn't matter. We won't give up. "We'll fight you, and if necessary, the entire world!"

  Darris leaned forward, his voice quiet yet sharp. "Then so be it, Beckton." It's you vs against the world!”