Nebula was walking toward Teven without hesitation, while Teven still didn't understand what was happening.
Nebula: "Here I am, the hero of the world! The one who will rid this world of injustice. Go ahead, Teven, call me a mad avenger."
Teven: "A-ha, not mad—a hunter. Usually, I make very few mistakes in my work, but one thing I know for sure: I was actually trying to save your daughter. The spirit that attacked her was an elite-level spirit. Even if I had died stopping it, your daughter would have perished too."
Hearing these words, Nebula became furious.
Nebula: "Then why couldn't you save her?! You are a special-grade hunter! You were supposed to complete your mission flawlessly and perfectly! Now you're trying to deceive me? It doesn't matter—I will kill you anyway!"
Some Time Ago (When Nebula's Daughter Was Alive)
The school was surrounded by trees, and its corridors were silent. But suddenly, the recess bell rang.
Teacher: "Did everyone hear me? For math homework, solve 26 problems and bring them completed!"
Elsa: "Hey, I forgot your father's name. He always greeted me with a smile and wished me a good day."
Ayaki: "Oh, his name is Nebula. My grandfather named him that because he was born during the rain. That's all I know."
Elsa: "Let's be friends! Being friends with the daughter of someone like your father sounds amazing!"
At that moment, Elsa and Ayaki were running on the third floor. Suddenly, the surroundings darkened.
Elsa & Ayaki: "Help! Someone, help us!"
The floor cracked open, and a spirit with large, red, terrifying eyes stared at the girls.
At that moment, Teven was chasing the spirit, but the spirit acted cunningly and captured the girls, threatening Teven.
Spirit: "One more step, and the girls die."
Teven hesitated, unsure of what to do. Time was running out, and he decided to take a risk. He rushed forward at high speed, trying to snatch the girls away. He was so close, but the spirit overpowered him. Right before his eyes, it devoured the girls.
Teven:"No! You will return to the abyss where you belong!"
In a fury, he used his shape-shifting puppet weapon, tearing the spirit to pieces. Blood splattered onto his face. He stood silent, realizing he had made a grave mistake in his work for the first time. He learned that acting recklessly wasn't always the best choice.
When Nebula arrived to pick up his daughter, he saw Teven standing there with blood on his face, holding his daughter's school bag.
Present Time
Nebula placed a heart on the table.
Nebula: "Such a pity... this is Mikasa's heart."
Teven, enraged, shouted:
Teven: "Damn you! Don't call it just Mikasa's heart!"
Nebula: "Now you understand how it feels to lose someone you love."
The battle between them began.
Teven launched the first attack, using his puppet called Spider Queen. Nebula initially thought the webs were ordinary, but they turned out to be razor-sharp, aiming to sever his arm.
Nebula quickly dodged the webs, trying to counterattack. However, the webs could penetrate objects and control them. One of them cut off Nebula's right arm.
Yet, Nebula used his severed arm as a weapon, spinning it infinitely and throwing it at the puppet. The moment his severed hand touched the puppet, the puppet's strings started spinning uncontrollably, and the puppet itself began moving at extreme speed, destroying nearby buildings.
From the rubble, Nebula emerged.
Nebula: "So? Surprised? I planned all of this long ago."
But Teven reappeared, wielding an enormous puppet.
Teven: "I know, I know—you're smarter than me. But that alone is not enough."
Their fight resumed.
In close combat, Nebula had the advantage, but no matter how many times he struck, Teven took no damage. That's when Nebula realized—it wasn't Teven. It was a puppet.
Suddenly, a bullet struck the puppet's head, shattering it.
Teven himself appeared behind Nebula.
Teven: "Damn it, they noticed."
A brutal hand-to-hand fight erupted between them—no techniques, just pure combat. Nebula, realizing that his techniques wouldn't work in direct combat, had an idea.
He concealed his technique under his clothes, making it invisible to Teven. He rapidly spun his arms and legs, increasing his movement speed, bringing Teven close to defeat.
But Teven had his own trick. He pulled out a needle and thread. If he managed to pierce Nebula's heart, Nebula would become one of his puppets.
They both grabbed each other tightly.
At that moment, Nebula's secret plan had to work.
Suddenly, something pierced Teven's heart.
It was Merel.
Merel had used his technique to target Mikasa's eye, but due to the powerful force of the spinning attack, it instead hit Teven.
Teven lost.
Nebula: "Any last words?"
Teven chuckled weakly.
Teven: "One mistake… and it took my life."
He exhaled his last breath.
Merel approached.
Merel: "Finally, that filth is dead."
Merel: "So, what do we do with his body?"
Nebula: "I will take it for myself. His son, Hero, will die too—by the hands of my puppets. He must also understand what suffering means. A single mistake ended his life."
Merel: "Indeed… You should always be ready to face the consequences of your mistakes."
To be continued...