SOLARVERSE 2

Chapter 13 - Above All Else

"Seriously?" Horror asked in slight disbelief.

"Yep," Ink replied as he crossed his arms seriously.

"...What? Ink, he's our damn brother-!" Killer shouted back in an angered tone as Horror, though just as 'aggravated' still made an attempt to calm himself and restrain Killer.

"You know what he's done for us, right?"

"Then you know damn well we aren't just gotta sit down and-!"

"Kidding, be free to do so," Ink said jokingly as he shrugged his arms, turning the skeleton duo's faces to one of relief as they took still a rather disappointed breath for Ink, glaring at him with an annoyed look.

"...Okay, so you are all prepared? Do you need Cosmo at your side?" Core questioned one last time as everyone grouped up."

"Nah, he can take the rest for today," Ink said as he raised a hand and smiled gently.

"Quite the change in attitude, eh?" Error sarcastically spoke as he, in an attempt to ease everyone put up a grin.

"Same for you, Windows XP," Ink responded as he held out a fist to Error, who in response fist-bumped Ink.

"Good luck everyone," Core said one last time with a proud smile.

"...I have a feeling this may be the last time we have to go out there."

"And I'm sure on a good end."

...

THE DOMAIN

As the battle within the domain raged on, both in its layers and interior, Zeph backflipped away from The Plague Doctor's cloud of mist, to which upon Zeph dodging they immediately reformed into physical shape, catching up to the masked man as they delivered a magic-infused blow to Zeph's face, though luckily he was able to duck down in time, simultaneously sending out a side kick on the ground to The Plague Doctor's stomach to which the bird-mask transformed his torso into black smoke to narrowly avoid.

Zeph drove his feet out just as the gap in The Plague Doctor closed, and sensing something behind the bird-masked man, Zeph, squatting on his toes, made a narrow, even steep dash behind The Plague Doctor, using the same momentum to jump upward and send a devastating mid-air kick on the bird-masked man's back, one that happened all too fast for the doctor to react as they glided forward due to the knockback, barely sustaining their stance.

Still, with the momentum stored from kicking the man's back, Zeph quickly turned around, ducked his head, and avoided a beam of magic that burst out of Mono's sleeve, upon closer look, Zeph could see that it was of a strange device, but it was no problem as Zeph rushed for the attack, rolling back his fist as Mono stepped back, expecting for a punch, but then the moment Zeph threw the punch, he suddenly aimed downwards, converting all the directional force and causing him to spin his body forward vertically, catching Mono off-guard, and in that state of surprise, immediately brought up his leg for a rolling thunder kick, as Mono, upon realizing the tactic quickly raised out his hands to make a barrier, once again one of a device located under his sleeves.

Zeph noticed a faint but visible smirk creeping onto Mono's already disheveled and stressed face, immediately he knew what came next as the moment his feet landed on the barrier, he suddenly used it to backflip away, dodging The Plague Doctor's onslaught of rats which all hurled themselves at Zeph initially.