[Chapter 25 continues.] 

Khuri's composure cracked. "Marcus, you foreign scum!" He roared with fury.

Mali spat, venomously. "I knew that Sumeri blood of yours was always bound to betray us."

Marcus stepped forward and simply smirked.

Joher was trailing behind him, his features tense.

Ibris stared at Marcus, his jaw tightening as he mouthed silently, Why?

Joher stood a few steps behind, shaking his head disapprovingly. Kaya glanced at him, catching what might have been tears welling in his eyes, his usual calm fractured.

Before anyone could react further, the android moved in a blur, faster than the eye could follow, stopping inches from Khuri's face. "I've been doing your bidding for too long, old man," it said, quietly.

Khuri sneered and flicked his hand, an unseen force blasting Ashur away from him. Khuri hovered into the air, retreating smoothly, his robes barely stirring. "You can't hurt me, machine," he said, with feigned confidence.

Mali, the guards, and their halfbreed companions slowly retreated backwards towards Khuri.

Khuri sneered and tapped a control on his wrist. With a deafening whir, four massive laser cannons emerged, their dark barrels glowing with ominous energy as they powered up. The cannons rotated, scanning the pit below until their targeting systems locked onto the sentient android, their glow intensifying in readiness to fire.

The first blast tore through the air, missing by inches as the android darted aside with inhuman speed.

The ground erupted in a plume of molten sand, sending Kaya stumbling backward. "Scatter!" Ibris bellowed, barely audible over the chaos.

Kaya rolled to the side, sand stinging her face as another cannon locked onto her position. A bright beam sliced past, the heat scorching her arm. She scrambled for cover, ducking behind a toppled stone pillar. Nearby, Mazi dashed through the sand, his sword drawn and reflecting the sunlight, weaving between falling debris with an agility that seemed impossible given his injured leg. A cannon swiveled toward him, but he dove into a roll, disappearing behind a mound of rubble just before a beam obliterated the ground where he'd been.

Esa shot into the air, as he closed the distance to the Khoraz. The lasers seemed to falter for a moment, unable to track his erratic flight. His expression was set in a grim mask as he carried the glowing, metalic harnesses, the runes sparking faintly in the sunlight.

Ashur, meanwhile, moved with perfect timing. Each time a cannon fired, it shifted with perfect timing, evading every shot as though it could predict their trajectories. Its blank, smirking face showed no fear, only amusement. "Is this all you've got, Khuri?" it called mockingly.

Kaya peeked out from behind the pillar, firing her small laser gun at one of the cannon's targeting systems. The shot sparked but didn't disable it, only drawing its attention toward her. She ducked again, her heart pounding as the cannon's barrel glowed, preparing to fire.

Ibris barreled across the pit, his powerful frame moving with unexpected agility. He fired a precise shot at the base of one of the cannons, the impact sparking and disrupting its mechanism just long enough for him to dive behind another cover point. "Focus on taking out the mounts!" he barked at his four drones and crew, his horns catching the sunlight as he directed the chaotic effort.

The drones responded immediately, darting toward the cannons in synchronized formation. Three were promptly blasted out of the air, their metallic frames crumpling before they could even move towards their targets. The fourth shimmered, disappearing into stealth mode just in time. Kaya watched it vanish, her heart pounding as she silently willed it to succeed, hoping it could disable some of the cannons.

Joher was breathing hard as he sprinted through the chaos. A laser blast sizzled past him, incinerating the sand at his heels. He dove to the ground just in time, sliding behind a large piece of stone for cover, weaponless and visibly shaken.

Kaya watched as Marcus stood strangely still amidst the comotion, his composure unshaken. Any laser blast that came his way was effortlessly intercepted by one of his stealth-mode drones. He simply waited, as though he'd anticipated this chaos and was certain he would emerge unscathed.

Just then, Yoshua stepped through one of the pit's entrances, tablet in hand. He tapped a button on its screen, then looked up—and froze in shock, as he took in the surreal chaos before him. He scanned the carnage, but before he could speak, the ground beneath them shuddered violently. A thunderous explosion tore through the air, the charges detonating with a deafening roar. Waves of fire and debris erupted, spreading through the pit as the entire structure groaned in agony. Sand and stone collapsed in cascading destruction, and the arena began to buckle under its own weight.

The crumbling arena had fallen silent, the once-roaring crowd vanished, leaving behind only the ghostly echoes of the chaos that had consumed it.

But the calm was short-lived. As the dust and sand began to settle, Kaya's eyes darted around frantically. It didn't take long for everyone to notice something was wrong—Marcus and Ashur were gone. Not a single trace of either remained.

Meanwhile, Esa reached the Khoraz. Hovering just in front of Khuri and Mali, he moved with practiced efficiency, snapping the glowing harness around Khuri's arms first. The runes flared to life, their energy crackling as they began to neutralize his abilities. Khuri thrashed, his composure breaking for the first time, but he could do little against the runes' power. Mali cried out in frustration, but before she could act, Esa also bound her with the second harness, the runes locking her abilities as well.

Esa landed lightly on the sand, dragging the once-proud Khoraz sky gods behind him as their elaborate, pristine clothing dragged through the dirt, torn and filthy. The full sunlight fell harshly on their pale, shocked faces as they stumbled, stripped of their usual superiority.

Esa threw the bound sky gods at his feet near his companions, then turned sharply towards the remaining scaled guards and halfbreeds standing with the Khoraz.

"Wait, Esa. Leave her," Ibris interjected, attempting to say calm, though his fury was unmistakable. His pointer finger leveled at Lira, locked on her with seething intensity. "I'll take care of her."

Lira, defiant and wild, sprang toward Ibris with fierce feline grace, her eyes blazing with lethal intent. Her movements were fluid and precise, every twist and stretch of her body calculated. She flew through the air, her trajectory sharp and deliberate, aiming directly for him. But just as she was about to strike, a sharp crack echoed across the arena, freezing the moment in time.

Kaya stood firm, her small laser gun steady in her grip. She had sensed Ibris' hesitation about the halfbreed woman and she wanted to take no chances. Lira's body crumpled instantly, her lifeless form hitting the sand with a thud, the precision shot to her head ending her attack before it began.

Ibris turned to Kaya, his eyebrows raised in shock and awe. For a moment, he just stared at her, his expression practically saying, Damn.

Then, chaos erupted once more as the remaining five scaled guards and the two massive halfbreeds—the gorilla halfbreed and the bear halfbreed—charged toward Esa and the others, their sheer size and ferocity a terrifying spectacle.

In one swift motion, Esa raised his hands, and the ground beneath the attackers cracked open with a deafening rumble. Sand and stone swallowed them whole, their momentum cut short. With another sweeping gesture, Esa closed his hands, sealing the ground tightly over them. A suffocating silence followed, broken only by the muffled, haunting sounds of their last breaths beneath the sand. Everyone stood frozen, listening as the horrifying scene unfolded.

Ibris and Yoshua exchanged disturbed glances, their faces pale with disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

Esa slowly ascended into the air, his immense power on full display. His body trembled, his face a mask of unyielding rage. Then, with a sharp, deliberate gesture, he turned to the struggling Khoraz couple. In an instant, they were yanked into the air, their torn, filthy robes fluttering weakly as they dangled helplessly.

Mali began to laugh hysterically. Between her fits of laughter, she managed to say, "I knew this would happen."

"Stop talking!" Esa screamed, with fury.

But she only laughed harder, her voice venomous. "I told you, Khuri," Mali spat, manically. Though her laugh was hysterical, tears streamed down her face. "I warned you this boy would destroy us, but you never listened. You were too proud, too blind!" Her manic laughter grew louder. "You've lost, Khuri. And thank Ava Nori, I lived long enough to see you fail." She turned to him, her glare seething with contempt.

Khuri turned his head sharply. "Shut up, woman! Just shut up, you nasty woman," he snarled.

Mali's laughter slowed but didn't stop. "Before you kill me, Esa," she said, her twisted grin widening, trembling with cruel delight. She turned her gaze to Ibris, gleaming with malice. "You should kill him, Ibris," she hissed. "For what he did to Roxy. For what he did to my family. And most of all—for what he did to you in the Citadel." She leaned forward slightly, still bound by the runes, her grin never faltering. "I want to see my dear, wretched Khuri die."

Her insane words hung heavy in the pit. All eyes turned to Ibris, who stood frozen, his jaw clenched, his face unreadable.

Kaya knew little of Ibris' past, and this sounded personal.

Kaya looked to Esa as he dropped Khuri to the ground, disgust etched across his face. He stood still for a moment, waiting for Ibris to make his decision.

Ibris stepped forward, coldly, his movements deliberate. There was something in Ibris' expression—a bit of anger and a bit of sorrow—that made Kaya realize this wasn't just another fight for him. Whatever history they shared, it was clear this moment had shaken him deeply.

"Wait," Khuri pleaded, trembling. "I'll tell you why you were made, Esa."

Esa and Ibris froze, their attention snapping to Khuri. Their expressions hardened as they locked onto his every word.

"So," Esa demanded, "tell me."

"If you spare me," Khuri said, a sinister glint in his eye. "Only if you spare me—and if you kill Mali."

"No, Esa! Don't listen to him! That monster always lies," Mali screamed, frantic.

Esa turned back to her, cold and unyielding. "Where is my mother's amulet?"

Mali chuckled, a harsh, mocking sound that cut through the tense silence. Her lips twisted into a defiant grin as she rasped, "I gave it away... to someone who truly deserves it." She paused, savoring her anger, before leaning in with deliberate cruelty. "I gave it to my sister Komal. She's far from here—back on the floating islands. You'll never see it again."

Esa's expression darkened into something unrecognizable, pure wrath consuming his features. Mali's triumphant laughter swelled, only to abruptly cut off as she hovered in the air, clutching at her neck. Esa's hand curled into a tight fist, his fury made manifest.

Mali's struggles weakened, her laughter fading into choking gasps. Esa's invisible grip stayed firm as they held each other's gaze. Her body trembled in the air and jerked once more before going limp, her defiant grin erased as she slumped lifelessly in the air.

Esa released her, and she fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"Well," Esa repeated darkly, with a hint of menace, "now she's dead. So tell me—why was I made?" he demanded, raising Khuri from the ground once more, this time choking the air from his lungs.

Khuri began coughing violently, his body convulsing. "Stop, Esa, stop," he said, gasping for breath.

Esa loosened his grip slightly, just enough to let him speak.

"You were made... in an ancient facility in the Underworld," Khuri rasped.

At the mention of the ancient facility, Esa's eyes flicked to Ibris, locking onto him for a brief moment.

"All I know is..." Khuri continued, "my father commissioned your birth. You were made from ancient Atlantean noble blood. It was only possible because your mother—she was also of ancient Atlantean noble lineage. As you know... only nobles can mate with other nobles to produce biological children."

Esa stared at Khuri for a long moment. Slowly, he turned to the others to gauge if they believed him.

"What proof do you have?" Esa asked, turning back to Khuri. "How do I know you aren't just lying to me?"

Khuri coughed violently before answering, his words wheezing out. "There would be records... in those abandoned facilities. There would. Father said your records were also backed up on the floating islands... in case there was ever a need for a second."

Esa's eyes narrowed. "Why would there be a need for a second?" He asked, confused.

"Father never told me," Khuri whispered, struggling to breathe. Then, with a malicious glint in his eye, he added, "Not that it would be possible... since your mother was one of a kind. She is one I'll definitely never forget."

The sinister tone, the cruel glee in Khuri's eyes, ignited Esa's fury. Without hesitation, Esa's rage erupted. He clenched his fist, and Khuri's body convulsed violently as the air was ripped from his lungs one last time. Khuri's sinister grin vanished as his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

With that, Esa swayed in midair, his body trembling and betraying him. His strength finally gave out, and he collapsed toward the ground. Mazi and Kaya rushed forward, reaching his side just as he landed. Mazi knelt beside him, holding him upright, steadying him as he fought to stay conscious.

Kaya scanned the arena, her sharp gaze noting the devastation around them. The pit had fallen into an eerie silence once more, save for the distant echoes of the last parts of the arena crumbling into dust.