The woman raised her voice.
"Demon or not, please make sure he dies. He did things to me no demon ever did."
Her hands clamped around the rail.
However, her words were met with hostility from the crowd. Boos echoed around her, and she soon became the target of thrown food and various objects.
The crowd turned with the speed of a thrown switch, hungry for whatever the spectacle asked from them.
As Ty’s gaze lifted through the settling dust, he caught sight of the woman above him. For one breath, her black hair and pale face reminded him of Jade.
The sight pulled him back to his last moment with Jade, and to the pink thread she had entrusted to him.
Moving almost by instinct, Ty noticed a pink thread materializing in his hand. Brushing rubble from his shoulders, he saw Fernando basking in the chaos he had incited.
Unfazed, Ty leaped onto the railing, drawing the attention of the crowd and the distraught woman.
"Here, this is for you," Ty called out to her, his voice cutting through the noise. The woman’s tears flowed freely, her confusion evident. "Huh? What are you talking about?" she responded, her voice shaky with emotion.
Ty’s eyes, now a soft blue, conveyed sincerity and compassion. "Just hold out your hand," he said gently, as drones buzzed around him, capturing this unexpected act of kindness amidst the turmoil.
With a tremulous hand, the woman extended her palms. Ty carefully placed the coiled pink thread in her grasp, his touch gentle. "I believe this belongs to you. Keep it close for now," he advised softly.
As a warm light began to envelop Ty once more, he reached out, tenderly wiping away her tears. "There’s no need for tears, especially from someone as strong as you. You’ve come here to see justice served for your parents.
Let yourself be part of this moment, and enjoy the show," he reassured her with a compassionate smile.
The woman, her cheeks flushed with a light pink hue, nodded silently, her speech momentarily lost in the wave of emotions stirred by Ty’s gesture.
Before the moment could fully settle, Fernando, evidently losing patience with the sentimental scene, transformed into a streak of energy. He reappeared above Ty, aiming to reclaim the spotlight.
"Oh, don’t let this dem--" he began, his voice cutting through the tense air.
Just as Fernando began to speak, Ty sprang into action. He kicked off the railing and drove his heel straight into Fernando’s face.
The impact sent Fernando careening across the arena, ultimately crashing into the far wall with a resounding thud.
Turning back to the woman, Ty placed a reassuring hand on her head. "Now, make sure you enjoy the show," he said with a confident smile, offering her a final moment of comfort.
Ty then gracefully dropped back to the arena floor, readying himself for the next phase of the battle. Almost immediately, Fernando, recovering from the blow, charged at him, attacking from multiple angles in a blur of movement.
As Ty braced himself, he drew upon his inner strength and memories. "Even though Erebos stripped something from me, the experiences and battles I’ve endured still resonate within me," he thought, his resolve hardening.
He took a deep breath, centering himself amidst the chaos, prepared to counter Fernando’s relentless assault with the sum of his skills and experience.
Ty, sensing the air slicing towards him from four directions, reacted instantly.
Black flames erupted, intercepting each incoming attack.
He kicked black flames beneath his feet, launching forward with enough speed to match Fernando for a heartbeat.
As he closed the gap, the black flames encased Fernando’s energy in a sphere, leaving Ty one clear opening. He hammered a punch straight into Fernando’s chest.
The impact sent Fernando hurtling to the ground, his energy barely managing to slip through Ty’s flames and reform. Grasping his chest in pain, Fernando struggled to regain his composure.
Ty, with a confident smirk, taunted, "Was that three broken ribs or four?"
Ty, unfazed, quickly conjured a wall of black flames in front of him, ready to deflect the incoming attack. "You think I need my--" he began, but his words were cut short.
In a stunning display of agility, Fernando maneuvered around the flame barrier, reappearing on the other side with the knife in hand.
Before Ty could react, Fernando’s electrified hand made contact with the black flame shield, dispersing it with a burst of energy. In one fluid, ruthless motion, he plunged the blade into Ty’s neck and followed with a forceful kick to the chest.
Ty was sent tumbling across the arena floor, rolling until he crashed against the wall.
Fernando stood tall, his voice laced with mockery as he called out, "I’d like to see you counter that."
The crowd broke into gasps and cheers, captivated by the brutality of the moment. Ty lay by the wall, and the danger was clear even to them.
Inside the depths of his own mind, Ty found himself facing one eye hovering alone. The eye spoke with urgency, "I told you to let me take control. I could have handled him.
Once you lose consciousness, I’ll do what I can to save you, but it’s likely you’ll die."
Ty, despite the dire situation, managed a smirk. "I pushed myself to the brink of death deliberately. I wanted to meet you, face to face." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "His blade only started to pierce my neck.
The moment it began to penetrate, I melted it with my flames. But now, I’ve exhausted my energy and can’t continue the fight.
So, I’ll leave the rest to you."
He looked directly at the eye, a new understanding dawning within him. "I’ve denied your presence, your help, and that might have limited my ability to confront Erebos. But seeing you now, in this weakened state, I’m willing to trust you more.
Please, take over and resolve this. I promise to find a way to balance our partnership in the future."
With this newfound trust, Ty relinquished control, allowing the entity within to emerge and take charge.
For Ty, yielding control was more than a tactic. It was the first honest handshake with the presence he had kept rejecting.