Back in Outer SpaceRak and Ashira had long found their battlefield, though they distanced themselves, locked in a silent stare-off for over an hour. The faint echoes of their comrades’ battles rippled through space, the auras of cshing titans adding an unseen tension to their stillness.

  “How long do you think it’ll take for my people to wipe yours out? Wait, don’t answer that,” Ashira finally broke the silence, ughing arrogantly. “I told them to have fun, so they’re probably just enjoying the screaming at this point.”

  Rak gave a slow, deliberate cp, a slight grin curling his lips. Ashira’s ughter halted, his expression shifting to irritation.

  “That wasn’t a group joke,” Ashira snapped. “Why don’t you shut the fuck up and wait your turn to join your friends in death?”

  Rak dropped his hands, still smiling. “You know, for someone who acts like they're above everyone, you truly have zero self-awareness.”

  Ashira raised an eyebrow. “The hell are you talking about?”

  “You still don’t feel it, do you?” Rak sighed, csping his hands behind his back. “No matter. We’ve wasted enough time. It’s time for me to have my own fun.”

  Ashira’s devilish grin widened, his bright red eyes glowing as his hair fred. “For the first time, you’ve said something I agree with. About damn time!”

  FWOOSH!

  Ashira bsted forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. He drew his hand back, razor-sharp nails extending before he swung viciously.

  CLANG!

  Rak’s wing intercepted the strike, the force sending shockwaves through the nearby asteroids. Despite the power behind Ashira’s attack, Rak stood unmoved, his expression as id-back as ever.

  “Ha!” Ashira sneered. “You’re not as weak as I thought. Maybe I’ll get some enjoyment out of this after all. Just don’t die too quickly.”

  Rak smirked, unfolding his hands. “You’re not half-bad yourself. But honestly...” His eyes turned cold, his grin vanishing as he stared menacingly at Ashira. “You’re not even half as good as you think you are.”

  BAM!

  Rak’s fist rocketed into Ashira’s chin, sending him hurtling backward into a cluster of asteroids.

  Ashira fred up his bat like wings from out of his back to stop his momentum, his teeth clenched as he gred at Rak below. “Why, you arrogant piece of—”

  “Shhh,” Rak interrupted, pcing a finger to his lips. “Slowly... come closer.”

  Ashira’s eyes glowed bright white, his movements slowing unnaturally as if controlled by invisible strings. Like a puppet, his body floated toward Rak, his mind screaming against the intrusion.

  What the hell is this? Mind control? No... I won’t be controlled. I must…Break… “FREE!” Ashira roared, breaking free from the spell.

  “A bit te for that now,” Rak replied coolly. Ashira froze, realizing Rak’s hand was already pressed against his chest.

  Soul Leech??

  A bright green light enveloped Ashira’s chest as he recoiled, cwing at Rak, who vanished like a ghost and reappeared at a safe distance.

  “You bastard! What did you just do to me?” Ashira shouted, clutching his chest as a sharp pain brought him to his knees.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” Rak tilted his head.

  Ashira gasped as waves of pain wracked his body. “What the hell... is this? I feel like I’m being drained.”

  Rak’s voice turned colder. “That’s my little friend—a spiritual parasite I’ve pced on your soul. Unless you kill me or somehow destroy it, That by the way can't be damaged by any form of physical attacks. it will devour your soul bit by bit. And when it’s gone, so are you—no reincarnation, no afterlife. Just oblivion.”

  Ashira’s trembling hand slowly dropped from his chest. He stood, his head low. “So all I have to do is kill you, huh?”

  “Pretty much.”

  WOO-PSSHHH!

  Bright red energy burst from Ashira, his veins glowing like molten va. His transformation began, veins pulsing as his aura grew heavier.

  “You’ve forced me to reveal my true form. No more pying around,” he growled, his voice distorted.

  Vampirism!

  Ashira’s aura erupted like a storm. His skin turned blood-red, his eyes glowing like burning embers. His hair elongated into a cascade of white-blond strands, and his wings expanded, their crimson hue matching his sinister transformation.

  Panting heavily, Ashira lifted his head, giving Rak a terrifying smile. Hundreds of blood droplets oozed from his body, hovering around him like an army of bdes.

  “Run that shit back,” Ashira taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

  Rak, calm as ever, folded his arms, his grin returning. “Now we’re talking.”