The battlefield trembled as dark energy erupted, forming a massive black vortex above Goblin.
The oppressive force sent shockwaves across the entire planet, knocking down Resistance warriors and Celestic Justice fighters alike.
Jim steadied himself, gripping his Solun Lance tightly. "He's... getting stronger."
Sheila wiped a trail of blood from her lips. "No... he's just getting serious."
Edward twirled his Celestic Spear, his sharp eyes locked onto Goblin. "This pressure... it's unreal."
Jeromy clenched his fists. "Stay sharp. If we lose focus for even a second, we're dead."
Goblin, floating above them, grinned with pure malice.
"You resist. You struggle. But in the end, your imperfection will always betray you."
His eyes flashed, and the sky above split open.
A storm of black meteors rained down upon them.
Jim dodged with extreme effort, slashing at the falling meteors with his lance. But each explosion sent shockwaves through his body.
Sheila deflected incoming projectiles with her twin sabers, while Jeromy used his plasma whip to destroy meteors mid-air.
Edward, meanwhile, drove his Celestic Spear into the ground, summoning a protective energy dome that shielded several warriors from the onslaught.
"Damn it! These attacks-" Edward growled as cracks formed in his shield. "-they're tearing the battlefield apart!"
Goblin descended, his aura burning like a black flame.
He pointed his clawed hand at Jim.
"I suppose before I erase you, I should grant you some understanding."
Jim's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You see, there was once a kingdom." Goblin's voice echoed through the battlefield, deep and filled with hatred.
"A kingdom that thrived in power and prosperity. A kingdom that believed itself to be perfect."
His fingers tightened into a fist.
"And yet, that kingdom saw me as nothing but filth."
A cold wind swept across the battlefield.
"I was born different. Born... imperfect."
The shadows around him intensified.
"I was the strongest of my race, the first to awaken powers beyond any comprehension. But my people feared me. They called me cursed. A demon. A monster."
His eyes burned with fury.
"My father, the King, cast me out. My mother... was executed just for giving birth to me."
Jim clenched his fists. "That's-"
Goblin snapped. "Don't waste your pity on me, boy!"
He continued, his voice growing darker.
"For years, I rotted in exile, my hatred festering. I vowed to destroy that kingdom, to erase those who wronged me. And when I returned... I fulfilled that vow."
Edward's eyes widened. "You mean-"
"Yes." Goblin smirked cruelly.
"I killed them all. Every last one. Men, women, children. The kingdom that cast me aside was wiped from existence."
Jeromy shuddered. "That's insane..."
Goblin continued.
"But even then... I was empty."
His claws trembled.
"No matter how many I destroyed, it was never enough. That was when I met him."
Jim's heart pounded. "Dark Void..."
Goblin grinned.
"He showed me the truth. The flaw was not in my kingdom alone, but in existence itself. The universe is broken, filled with weakness, imperfection, and pathetic emotions."
His aura flared violently.
"Dark Void was the only one who understood. The only one who saw beyond the illusions of hope and love. He showed me what true perfection meant. And now, I fight for that vision."
Jim glared at him. "So that's it? You just threw everything away and became his servant? You're nothing but a tool!"
Goblin's expression twisted with rage.
"I AM NO SERVANT!" His voice boomed like thunder.
"I AM THE HERALD OF PERFECTION!"
With an explosive burst of energy, Goblin vanished.
A split second later-
BOOM!
Jim barely had time to react before a crushing force smashed into his chest, sending him flying as his Grey Warrior form wore off.
Sheila rushed forward-but Goblin teleported again, appearing above her!
"Die."
A monstrous black spear formed in his hands-
He hurled it.
Sheila's eyes widened.
But Jeromy tackled her aside just in time!
The spear struck the ground-
A massive explosion erupted, engulfing an entire section of the battlefield!
Edward, now barely standing, hurled his Celestic Spear at Goblin.
"Take this!"
Goblin caught it mid-air-with two fingers.
Edward's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible-!"
Goblin snapped the spear in half.
Edward gasped, falling to his knees.
Jim, coughing up blood, forced himself to stand.
His body ached all over but his eyes never left the demon's gaze.
Goblin landed before him, towering over him like an unshakable god.
"Your struggle amuses me, but it is pointless. You cannot win."
Jim wiped blood from his lips, his breathing heavy.
He clenched his fists.
"I don't care how strong you are. I don't care about your twisted idea of perfection."
His Celestic energy flared wildly.
"As long as I breathe, I will fight you. Because we are more than imperfection. We are more than your twisted ideals!"
Sheila, Jeromy, and Edward slowly stood behind him.
The Resistance and Celestic Justice warriors rallied, despite their exhaustion.
Jim pointed his Solun Lance at Goblin.
"We fight because we believe in something greater than ourselves! And that's something you'll never understand!"
Goblin snarled.
"Then I will erase that belief myself!"
Jim barely had time to react as Goblin's clawed hand smashed into his ribs, sending him hurtling through the ruins of the battlefield.
The world spun. His body screamed in pain. But he forced himself up.
Goblin appeared before him in an instant, grabbing Jim by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"You are pathetic." Goblin's voice was like a dark whisper, laced with contempt.
He tightened his grip. Jim gasped, struggling for air.
"Even now, you resist. Even now, you cling to your flawed beliefs. But deep down, you must know the truth. You are weak because of them."
Jim's vision blurred, but his spirit refused to break.
"You're wrong..." he choked out.
Goblin snarled.
Sheila and Jeromy, despite their wounds, charged at Goblin, weapons glowing.
"LET HIM GO!"
Goblin grinned-and then released an explosive burst of dark energy!
A massive shockwave knocked them both back, their bodies slamming into the debris.
Jim's eyes widened. "No-!"
Goblin turned his gaze back to him.
"See? They are nothing but a burden." He loosened his grip, letting Jim drop to the ground, coughing violently.
"Think about it, kid. You have potential beyond all of them. I've watched you fight, evolve, survive against impossible odds. Why lower yourself to their level?"
Jim's breathing was ragged, but he forced himself up. "Because they are my family."
Goblin's expression darkened.
"Family? Ha. They are weights shackled to your legs. If you cast them aside, you could ascend. You could be so much more. Join me. Join Dark Void. Together, we will craft a universe free of flaws. Free of suffering."
Jim's fists trembled.
"And what? Wipe out everyone we decide is 'imperfect'? Destroy entire civilizations because they don't fit your standards? That's not perfection. That's just control."
Goblin narrowed his eyes. "You cling to an impossible dream, kid. You want a world where all beings live in harmony? That world will never exist."
Jim's voice shook with conviction.
"Maybe it won't. Maybe I'll die before I even come close." He took a shaky breath. "But I'd rather spend my life fighting for that dream than destroy everything just to make something you call 'perfect.'"
For a brief moment-Goblin hesitated.
A flicker of something-doubt? Conflict?
But then, his expression hardened.
"Wasted words."
Before Jim could react, Goblin hurled a sphere of destructive energy directly at him.
The air screamed.
Jim's eyes widened. He tried to move, but his body was barely holding together.
Then-
A flash of silver and blue.
"JIM!"
Edward leaped in, shoving Jim aside-
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed Edward, the force sending him skidding across the battlefield.
Jim hit the ground, coughing violently. He looked up-
Edward lay motionless, his armor cracked, his Celestic Spears(halves due to Goblin previously breaking it in half)shattered in his hands.
Jim's heart stopped.
"EDWARD!"
He scrambled to his side, shaking him. "Why-why would you do that?!"
Edward let out a strained chuckle, his breathing heavy. "Because... I had to assist..." He coughed. "You're a big asset, kid. My favorite student... always have been."
Jim felt his throat tighten.
"You idiot... you didn't have to-"
Edward grinned weakly. "Listen, Jim... I'm an old man compared to you. I've lived. I've fought. But you..." He reached up, gripping Jim's shoulder. "You still have a long road ahead."
Jim shook his head. "That doesn't mean you should-"
Edward smirked. "Seems I'll always be ahead in favors, huh?"
Jim let out a bitter laugh, his eyes burning with emotion.
Goblin, watching from above, let out a low growl.
"Foolish sentiment."
Jim stood up, his energy burning.
His body was broken. His spirit was not.
"Goblin."
Goblin's eyes narrowed.
Jim's grip on his Solun Lance tightened.
"This time... I'm coming for you."
Goblin sneered.
"You're barely standing, kid. What makes you think you can challenge me?"
Jim was panting, his vision blurry, but his spirit remained unyielding. He clenched his fists, refusing to show weakness.
Then-
A deep chuckle.
Edward, who had been lying motionless, suddenly sat up.
He dusted himself off, flexing his fingers. "Heh. Just kidding."
Goblin's eyes widened for the first time.
Edward grinned, despite his cracked armor. "That blast barely scratched me."
His voice was playful, but Jim could see through it-Edward was definitely hurt. That explosion did damage him, but he was playing it off.
Jim realized immediately-
Edward was buying time.
Goblin snarled. "Then let's see if you can keep dodging."
Edward vanished in a burst of speed.
"Catch me if you can."
Sheila and Jeromy appeared beside Jim, shielding him from both sides.
Jim closed his eyes. He knew what he had to do.
There was only one way to end this.
Absorb the combined energy from the Sun and Moons within range.
Charge up the Solar-Lunar Finale.
But there was a problem-it would take fifteen minutes to gather that much power.
Fifteen minutes against an unstoppable monster.
Jim transformed into Grey Warrior as he raised his hands toward the sky, focusing all his will on absorbing the celestial energies. The Sun and Moons above trembled.
Goblin gritted his teeth as he noticed a slight shift in energy.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
He roared in fury, summoning an army of demons.
A massive horde erupted from the ground, rushing toward Jim.
Edward stood at the front line.
Despite his weakened state, he cracked his knuckles.
"Bring it on."
He charged-barehanded.
His Celestic Spear was broken, but his will was unshaken.
Edward's fists met the demons head-on, cracking skulls and breaking limbs as he fought like a wild beast.
Jeromy whipped his whip, grabbing a demon by the throat and slamming it into another.
"You're not getting through us!"
Goblin rampaged through the battlefield, crushing multiple soldiers left and right.
He was like an unstoppable force of destruction.
But the Resistance and Celestic Justice squad didn't back down.
They launched paralysis blasts, trying to slow Goblin down-even if it barely worked.
They wrapped Celestic Chains around him-even as he tore through them.
Every second counted.
Behind the chaos, Gravik worked tirelessly.
He transferred energy to the injured as soon as the medical teams healed them.
Edward stumbled toward him, panting heavily. "Hey, coward. Gimme some juice."
Gravik placed a hand on his chest, transferring energy.
Edward grinned as power surged through him.
"Alright. Let's go round two."
He charged straight at Goblin-barehanded.
Goblin growled. "You refuse to stay down?!"
Edward grinned wildly. "Damn right."
He launched himself into Goblin's face, slamming a fist into his jaw.
Goblin staggered slightly.
The battlefield was chaos.
But every second they held Goblin back-
Was another second for Jim to charge the Solar-Lunar Finale.
The countdown had begun.