From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

The skeleton's hollow voice echoed through the void, carrying a new proposition that crackled with dark energy. "Well, how about this? I lend you 25% of my power for the next two weeks. In return, when Ty Hockenson shows up, I get to battle him. If I win, I get your soul. If he wins...

well, you get your soul back, and I wallow in defeat."

Jade's soul hovered in the eerie silence that followed, the skeleton's offer hanging heavily in the air. The thought of gaining more power was tempting—25% could make all the difference in the battles to come. But the risk... if Ty lost, her soul would be forfeit. The stakes had never been higher.

"So, what do you say?" The skeleton's voice was filled with anticipation, the excitement of a gambler about to place a high-stakes bet.

Jade's thoughts whirled as she weighed the offer. This could be the edge I need, but can I trust Ty to win? She knew Ty's strength, his determination, but the thought of gambling her very soul...

But then, a wave of clarity washed over her. Ty was more than capable. If there was anyone who could stand against this being, it was him.

Jade's Hovering Soul

Jade's thoughts swirled in the void, grappling with the weight of the situation. Tell me, if I hadn't fallen into this situation, what would have happened when he did appear? And just why are you so infatuated with him?

A slight chuckle echoed through the darkness, the skeleton's voice dripping with amusement. "I would have simply summoned my being from the gift I left you. And from there, I would finally get to meet him."

So, what you're saying is you would practically kill me?

The skeleton's voice softened, yet the underlying malice was unmistakable. "As far as my purpose with him... that is for my favor and boldness to yield its fortune."

Jade's thoughts raced, trying to decipher the meaning behind his cryptic words. But before she could probe further, the skeleton's tone shifted, growing more urgent. "We are out of time, however. I'm sure you've noticed you're slowly losing your sense of self because your soul is passing through the veil."

Jade could feel it—the faint tug, the fading of her essence. The edges of her consciousness were blurring, the world around her growing dim. Now, decide! What will it be, dear Jade?

Meanwhile, Back on the Battlefield

The street was a chaotic mess of debris, the aftermath of the explosion that had rocked the very foundation of the city. Gojaro stood in the middle of the street, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The dust was still thick in the air, slowly settling around him. The energy blast he had slammed down on the boy had been powerful, but something gnawed at him—a sense of unease.

As the dust finally began to clear, Gojaro's eyes widened in horror. The boy stood there, in the middle of the wreckage, his skin once again a deep, blood-red hue. Dozens of eyes, embedded along his body, bled profusely, but as Gojaro watched, the wounds began to close, the eyes slowly healing.

A low, eerie melody filled the air as the boy brought the flute to his lips, playing a haunting tune that sent shivers down Gojaro's spine.

"Jade isn't breathing!" V's voice pierced through the haze, filled with panic and urgency. Gojaro's heart skipped a beat. No... not now.

Rosa, having recovered from the blast, stumbled toward Jade, her face pale as she checked for a pulse. She looked up at Gojaro, her eyes wide with fear. "She has no pulse, sir! What do we do?!"

Gojaro's breath hitched in his throat. The weight of the moment pressed down on him like a mountain. He clenched his fists, his knuckles white as he forced himself to focus. This can't be it. This can't be how it ends.

Taking deep, heavy breaths, Gojaro straightened his back, his eyes blazing with determination. "We remember everything she did and fight to the end!"

He could feel the exhaustion in his limbs, the weariness creeping into his bones, but he pushed it aside. "Her sacrifice gave us this once-in-a-million opportunity! We push and give him everything we've got!"

Gojaro took a low stance, his muscles coiling like springs. The air around him grew hot as he tapped the sides of his legs, summoning every last bit of energy he had left. "While he's recovering, hit him with everything you have!"

His legs began to glow, a searing blue that intensified with each passing second. The fabric of his clothes, already torn and bloodied, burned away, leaving nothing but scorched earth beneath him. Gojaro's legs, now blazing with raw power, propelled him into the air, a blur of motion as he vanished from sight.

He reappeared above the boy, his leg drawn back, ready to slam down with the force of a meteor. The boy's eyes, still healing, barely had time to register the incoming attack before Gojaro's leg descended like a hammer.

The impact was thunderous, the ground beneath them shattering as Gojaro's leg connected with the boy's body. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the street, cracks spider-webbing out in every direction. But even as the dust and debris flew into the air, something was wrong.

Gojaro felt it in the split second after the impact—the boy's body had given way too easily, the resistance too soft. A decoy?!

Before he could react, the boy's true form materialized behind him, the red-skinned figure grinning with malevolent glee. The dozen eyes on his body blinked open simultaneously, each one gleaming with dark energy. The boy raised his flute, playing a single, piercing note that sent a pulse of energy surging through the air.

Gojaro was caught mid-turn, his body still in the motion of his attack, when the pulse hit him square in the back. The force of it was like a sledgehammer, sending him crashing into the ground, the earth beneath him giving way as he was driven deep into the concrete.