The Slayer prowled through the dim, echoing halls. Her rampage had already reduced countless Noir to twisted, lifeless forms—bodies riddled with gaping wounds and charred husks frozen in agony. She was a walking storm of violence, her long, ginger hair whipped wildly, and her striking pink eyes burned with lethal intent. A heart-shaped eye patch concealed her left eye, hinting at a mysterious past, while draconic horns curved ominously from her head, and her wings unfurled like the cloak of death. Red scales shimmered along her arms as she flexed in anticipation, and the sleek black suit accented by a crimson tie completed her fearsome appearance, with a sword pulsing with restrained power at her waist.

  Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows—a mysterious presence whose gender was indeterminate. Draped in a black cloak with layers of dark clothing, their face was hidden behind a striking red mask. A black straw hat lent an old-world charm, and a yellow, sun-shaped necklace and gleaming golden scepter hinted at secrets untold. Known only as The Hummingbird, their true identity remained a mystery.

  “How interesting,” Eliza smirked, her voice laced with venom. “A new opponent. You seem stronger than the others.”

  The Hummingbird stood before her with detached boredom, their gaze sharp but indifferent. “I should finish this quickly,” they muttered, voice distorted, dripping with annoyance. “The rest of those idiots have failed.”

  “So, you're the last one,” Eliza chuckled darkly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “How fun.”

  In the blink of an eye, Eliza vanished and reappeared in front of The Hummingbird, her fist cocked back and poised to deliver a bone-shattering punch. But just as her fist was about to make contact, The Hummingbird tilted their head ever so slightly—the punch slicing through empty air.

  Before Eliza could react, The Hummingbird snapped their fingers, and a violent pulse of sound erupted, slamming into her with crushing force. She gasped as blood spurted from her mouth and she crashed to the ground with a sickening thud.

  “Your offensive and defensive capabilities are… irritating,” The Hummingbird’s voice echoed coldly, as they advanced with an almost mechanical detachment. “But my ability can tear through your defenses like paper. And as for your attacks—” they paused, a mocking grin forming beneath their mask, “—they're just plain old predictable.”

  Eliza wiped the blood from her lips, eyes narrowing with newfound resolve. The pain only fueled the inferno raging inside her.

  “A sound-based ability, and maybe… hypercognition as well?” Eliza grinned viciously, the thrill of battle igniting her eyes. “Two abilities—ridiculously rare unless you're some kind of monster. And with those two artifacts you're carrying? You're definitely the main boss.”

  The Hummingbird sighed, their altered voice carrying a trace of weariness. “Another video game fanatic. Just when I was starting to enjoy Calum’s death,” they muttered under their breath, almost disappointed.

  Eliza’s grin widened as the crimson aura swirling around her intensified, crackling with raw energy. Every step she took was a drumbeat of war. “Keep your secrets,” she growled. “I don’t care. I’ll destroy whatever’s in my way.” Her aura flared brighter. “Ability: Berserker.”

  In an instant, she surged forward—a blur of savage speed. She launched a brutal punch, but the Hummingbird dodged effortlessly, the impact grazing their arm and shredding their sleeve.

  “My next hit will make you bleed,” Eliza promised, voice a low snarl.

  Without missing a beat, she spun, her fist whistling through the air. The blow grazed the Hummingbird’s arm, exposing a flash of cold metal beneath torn fabric. Wires dangled, sparking faintly, as the Hummingbird quickly clutched their wound.

  “Interesting…” Eliza breathed, eyes widening with twisted excitement. “A robot with that kind of power. That explains your freakishly perfect reflexes. But how the hell do you have an ability?”

  The Hummingbird’s eyes narrowed behind their mask. “You’re not the first to ask,” they replied coldly, voice as sharp as the sound waves that had sent Eliza flying earlier. “You won’t live long enough to find out.”

  The tension between them escalated as Eliza’s berserker aura flared, her bloodthirsty grin widening. “You’ve got that cane,” she said, voice dripping with anticipation, “but let’s see how well you fight when I get up close.”

  The Hummingbird remained silent, spinning the cane effortlessly in their hand as waves of sound energy vibrated through the room. A faint shimmer of their distorted voice echoed, “You'll regret underestimating me.”

  Eliza lunged forward, her berserker aura surging through her muscles. Her crimson-fueled fist shot toward Hummingbird’s chest. With a swift flick of their wrist, Hummingbird tapped the cane against the ground, sending a powerful sound wave directly toward her. The impact slammed into Eliza, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through.

  “Not enough!” Eliza growled, her eyes burning with determination as she closed the gap.

  But Hummingbird was ready. They sidestepped at the last possible moment and swung the cane upward. A concentrated burst of sound reverberated, catching Eliza in the ribs. The force sent shockwaves through her body—she staggered, coughing up blood—yet a crazed smile never left her face.

  “That hurt,” Eliza laughed, wiping the blood from her mouth. “But it’s going to take a lot more than that to put me down.”

  Hummingbird’s eyes narrowed. “You’re persistent. I'll give you that.”

  With another flick, Hummingbird spun the cane, channeling more power. The air vibrated with intensifying sound waves as they raised the cane high and slammed it into the ground. The room exploded with a deafening roar—the walls quaked and the floor cracked as a sonic blast surged forward.

  In her berserker state, Eliza met the attack head-on. Her aura thickened, and with a defiant scream, she punched straight into the wave, splitting it in two. The energy tore at her, drawing fresh cuts along her arms, but she pressed on.

  “You think some sound can stop me?” she roared, surging forward. “I’ll tear you apart!”

  Her fist collided with Hummingbird’s cane, sending sparks of energy flying. The blow staggered Hummingbird, but they quickly recovered, stepping back and swinging the cane in a defensive arc. Another burst of sound followed, yet Eliza dodged and rushed in with a spinning kick aimed at Hummingbird’s side.

  The kick connected, sending Hummingbird skidding across the floor. They recovered swiftly, twirling the cane and planting it firmly. “You're stronger than I thought,” Hummingbird admitted, their voice calm despite the damage. “But strength alone won't save you.”

  Eliza, trembling from the strain, spat on the ground. “I don’t need saving. I’m here to destroy you.”

  The tension grew thick as Eliza’s grin widened, her aura flickering violently. Her breath came shallow and ragged, yet her eyes stayed fixed on Hummingbird.

  “What an annoying ability,” Hummingbird muttered under the humming power in the air. “Turning madness into raw strength… it seems I’ll have to use all of my power.”

  Eliza tilted her head back, a guttural laugh rumbling in her throat. “You think I’ve shown you everything?” she spat. Her mouth opened, and with a sudden roar, a torrent of fire erupted from her lips. It wasn’t ordinary flame—the dragon’s fire burned so intensely that the surrounding air shimmered with heat as the room lit up in a blazing inferno, the flames barreling straight toward Hummingbird.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Hummingbird’s eyes widened behind their mask. In a swift motion, they slammed their cane into the ground, unleashing a powerful sound wave aimed to counter the inferno. The force of sound clashed with fire, but the flames pressed on, fueled by Eliza’s rage and unbridled madness.

  Without hesitation, Hummingbird reached for the necklace around their neck. A brilliant flash of light exploded from it, flooding the room with an overwhelming brightness that pierced the haze of flames and blinded Eliza mid-attack.

  “Argh!” Eliza snarled as she stumbled backward, frantically shielding her eyes while her fire sputtered and died. Though her berserker rage fought to recover her focus, the merciless light cut through her determination.

  Seizing the opportunity, Hummingbird spun their cane, amplifying sound waves that crashed into Eliza like a tidal wave. The impact sent her skidding across the floor, her body rattling from the sheer force.

  But even blind and wounded, Eliza refused to yield. “You think… light’s going to stop me?” she growled, pushing herself to her feet. Her body shook with fury as her berserker aura flared brighter, and slowly, her sight returned. Despite blood staining her lips, her defiant grin remained.

  Hummingbird twirled the cane again, their tone cold and measured. “I’m just getting started,” they said.

  “I’m going to break you, you damn Pinocchio,” Eliza roared, eyes wild with fury as her aura crackled.

  Hummingbird’s head tilted slightly, their red mask concealing most of their expression, but their voice betrayed a flicker of confusion. “Pinocchio? How did you know that's what my creator named me?”

  Eliza froze, her rage faltering for a split second. She blinked, caught off guard. “I—I was insulting you.”

  “Insulting?” Hummingbird’s tone shifted, sounding almost wounded. “My name is an insult?”

  Eliza hesitated, her fists lowering slightly. “Just… forget it. Damn, this is awkward.”

  But Hummingbird wasn’t about to let it go. They stood silently for a moment before their voice, once calm and detached, cracked with raw emotion. “My name is an insult… insult… insult… How dare you,” they seethed, the distortion in their voice deepening with each repetition. “How dare you besmirch the beautiful name my creator graciously gave me.”

  Eliza lunged forward, her berserker aura surging as her crimson-fueled fist shot toward Hummingbird’s chest. With a swift flick, Hummingbird tapped the cane against the ground, releasing a concentrated burst of sound that slammed into her with brutal force. The impact rattled Eliza’s ribs, forcing her to stagger as blood spattered from her mouth.

  “That hurt,” Eliza laughed through gritted teeth, wiping the blood away. “But it’s going to take a lot more than that to put me down.”

  Hummingbird’s eyes narrowed behind the red mask. “You’re persistent. I'll give you that.”

  With a graceful spin of the cane, Hummingbird amplified the sound waves until the very air around them vibrated violently. Raising the cane high, they slammed it into the floor. The resulting sonic blast rocked the room—walls quaked, and the floor cracked beneath the tremendous force. The sound wave surged forward like a tidal force, aiming to crush Eliza.

  But Eliza, already deep in her berserker state, met the attack head-on. Her aura blazed as she punched directly into the sound wave, splitting it in two. Energy tore at her skin, drawing fresh cuts along her arms, yet she roared defiantly. “You think some sound can stop me? I’ll tear you apart!”

  Her fist collided with Hummingbird’s cane, sending sparks of energy into the air. The blow staggered Hummingbird momentarily, but they recovered swiftly—stepping back and swinging the cane in a defensive arc. Undeterred, Eliza spun on her heels and launched a vicious kick aimed at Hummingbird’s side. The strike connected, sending Hummingbird skidding across the floor. They recovered quickly, twirling the cane and planting it firmly. “You're stronger than I thought,” Hummingbird admitted calmly, “but strength alone won't save you.”

  Eliza’s body trembled from the strain, yet her fiery eyes burned with defiance. “I don’t need saving. I’m here to destroy you.”

  Eliza’s response was a low, guttural chuckle as her berserker aura flared brighter. “Good. I plan to do the same thing.”

  Her words hung in the air as the atmosphere shifted—a storm of dark energy gathering around her. She lifted her head, and her eyes, now aglow with crimson madness, locked onto Pinocchio’s.

  “Those artifacts of yours,” she growled, pacing slowly, her voice dripping with malevolent excitement, “they’re fun. But I can tell, neither of them are grade 0, are they?”

  Pinocchio remained silent, the red mask concealing any emotion, though beneath it, a hint of wariness flickered.

  Eliza raised a hand to the blade at her waist, her fingers trembling with anticipation. The surrounding air began to swirl, dark and violent, as if reality itself bent to her will. Her voice, steady and deliberate, resonated with ancient power.

  “Oh, king of kings, I beckon your power.”

  At that, Pinocchio’s mechanical eyes widened slightly; gears clicked as they instinctively shifted into a defensive stance. They could sense something powerful stirring.

  “Let your might pierce the heavens,” Eliza continued, her voice rising. “Let your light blind the stars.”

  The ground trembled beneath her feet, faint at first, then with growing intensity. The oppressive aura coalesced around her, a force unlike anything Pinocchio had ever encountered.

  “From the sacred stone to my hand, I call your name.”

  Pinocchio’s gaze flickered to the blade at her side, their sensors picking up an immense, ancient energy stirring within it.

  “By your ancient oath, arise from slumber,” Eliza’s voice boomed, her eyes burning with holy light as she gripped the hilt of the sword. “And once more, cleave the skies with justice and light.”

  After a brief moment of calculation, as Pinocchio’s systems spun with every possible outcome, Eliza declared with raw ecstasy, “Grade 0 artifact. Excalibur, awaken!”

  In one swift motion, she unsheathed the blade. The very air shuddered as an explosion of brilliant, pure light erupted, burning away the surrounding darkness. The radiance was not merely blinding—it pressed against reality itself, oppressive and relentless.

  Pinocchio staggered, sensors overwhelmed by the intensity. Their mechanical frame groaned as twisting metal and straining gears struggled under Excalibur’s raw, untamed power. The sword was breathtaking, a long, gleaming blade humming with ancient energy. Its surface shimmered like molten gold, while flames of radiant light danced along its edges, casting flickering shadows. The intricately designed hilt was adorned with symbols of a forgotten age, each pulsating like a heartbeat.

  Eliza grinned, her berserker madness now fully entwined with Excalibur’s power. Her body surged with renewed strength, the crimson aura around her blazing even brighter as the sword’s energy coursed through her veins. “You feel that? This is the might of a true artifact—a blade meant to cut down anything in its path!”

  Eliza swung Excalibur down, and a wave of burning light exploded from the blade, tearing through the room with a force that made the air ripple.

  Pinocchio moved, their mechanical body reacting instantly, but even their enhanced speed couldn’t escape Excalibur’s wrath. The edge of the light clipped their shoulder, sending sparks flying as metal was sheared away, exposing wires and circuitry.

  A distorted gasp escaped Pinocchio as they stumbled, clutching their damaged arm. “This… this is impossible…”

  Eliza didn’t relent. “What’s wrong, Pinocchio? Not so perfect now, are you?” She raised Excalibur again, the blade’s light crackling with destructive energy.

  Pinocchio's mechanical voice, now edged with desperation, whispered, “I must counter… now.” They slammed their cane into the ground, sending out a massive shockwave. The walls trembled, and the air vibrated with deadly intensity.

  Eliza, emboldened by Excalibur’s power, only grinned wider. “Sound? You think sound is going to stop this?” She swung the blade again, and Excalibur’s light tore through the shockwave, shattering it into harmless ripples.

  The battle raged on. Eliza’s feral grin widened as she prepared another swing, her sword’s divine energy humming with potential destruction.

  Then, a voice cut through the chaos, clear and commanding, “Excalibur!”

  The room's heat and light faltered as the words echoed. Time seemed to slow, and reality itself quivered. From above, a figure descended, his arrival a flash of brilliance through the tumult.

  Golden hair flowed behind him, and his crimson eyes burned with cold authority. His presence was suffocating, an aura that twisted the air with palpable dread.

  Eliza's sword halted mid-swing. Her eyes widened, caught between awe and alarm. The light from Excalibur dimmed against the newcomer's overwhelming aura.

  Pinocchio, already struggling, froze. Every component of their body seemed to hum with anxious energy.

  The man landed softly, his motion fluid and ethereal. The impact of his arrival was subtle but undeniable, like a shift in the room’s very gravity.

  “Be afraid,” The Boogeyman's voice resonated with chilling finality. “For the only thing you should fear in this world is fear itself. And I am its embodiment.”