The other guy's breath came in heavy bursts, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth—but his eyes burned brighter with each blow traded.
Kajin exhaled sharply, brushing sweat from his brow. His arms ached, legs heavy, but his stance remained firm.
Across from him, the muscular guy's chest rose and fell in deep, controlled breaths. His fists trembled slightly—just enough to notice.
Their gazes locked.
No more banter. No more bravado.
They dashed forward at the same time.
Their fists met mid-air with a dull thud, not the explosive crack from earlier. The force had dulled—not from hesitation, but fatigue.
Kajin twisted in close, swinging a low kick. It landed, but the guy absorbed it with a grunt and shoved Kajin back.
Kajin stumbled, caught himself, and surged forward again—this time slower, less sharp. His punch met air as the guy leaned aside and countered with a palm strike to Kajin's chest.
He slid back a few feet, boots scraping dirt.
Both stood there for a moment, panting. Zone energy crackled faintly around them—still alive, but thinner now, flickering at the edges like a candle burning low.
Kajin's knees bent slightly. "Tch… that's all you've got left?"
His opponent smirked faintly. "Says the guy swaying on his feet."
Neither moved. The tension thickened.
Each of them knew that the next exchange might be the last.
Morgo narrowed his eyes, chest heaving as faint static crackled across his shoulders.
"I've pushed my Zone powers to the edge... any more, and it'll fry my brain."
Across from him, Kajin stood equally worn, arms slack but eyes burning with fire. He let out a breath.
"We've both hit our limit. If we go any further… we're done."
A brief pause.
Then—grins.
Both of them smiled at the same time, despite the blood, the bruises, and the trembling muscles.
"Then I'll end it… with that," they thought in perfect unison.
Kajin tilted his head slightly, voice still calm even through exhaustion. "Hey… we've been trading blows for a while now. What's your name?"
The other guy cracked his knuckles, smiling despite the toll. "Morgo Celtic."
Kajin nodded, a spark in his eyes. "Kajin."
Nothing more needed to be said.
They stepped forward. Their hands rose at the same time, and energy surged to life—brilliant blue light gathering in their palms. The very air around them vibrated, warped by the force of their will.
Their aura condensed, raw, and wild.
Sparks flew. Dust swirled.
They roared—and fired.
Two torrents of power exploded forward, colliding in mid-air with a thunderous crack that shook the trees. The ground rumbled beneath them. Blinding light burst from the point of impact as the two beams fought for dominance.
Neither backed down.
They gritted their teeth and pushed harder—refusing to lose.
Then the strain began.
Morgo's head throbbed. His vision blurred. Pressure built behind his eyes. Thin trails of blood trickled from his nose and ears, and his pupils burned a dangerous red.
Kajin was the same. His fingers twitched. His knees buckled slightly. But he held on, forcing every last drop of energy into the beam.
Morgo tried to shift his stance, to regain control—
But the ground beneath him was already wrecked, cracked from their battle. His foot slipped.
Kajin's eyes sharpened. He saw the opening.
"Now."
He roared and surged forward—his blast overpowering Morgo's in a final burst.
The blue wave swallowed the space between them. A deafening boom erupted—light and force exploding outward in a shockwave.
Dust and smoke blanketed the clearing.
Then—silence.
On the floating projection screens above the battlefield, the explosion replayed in slow motion. Light swallowed everything, the image shaking from the sheer pressure before fading into static.
Rock's voice finally cracked through the silence, breathless and high with disbelief.
"…Did anyone else just forget how to breathe?"
A beat.
Then his voice exploded out again, this time with pure awe.
"THAT—WAS—INSANE! I don't know what kind of move that was, but those two just nuked the ground! Holy crap, someone check if the planet's still intact!"
The stadium shook with laughter and roaring cheers. Students screamed, jumped, and clutched their heads, mouths hanging open. Some were standing on their seats. Others gripped the railings, eyes wide, chests thundering from the adrenaline.
A few first-years just sat frozen, mouths trembling, as the replay flickered again.
The dust finally began to thin. Shadows emerged—two of them.
Both figures still stood.
But only barely.
Kajin's chest heaved. His arms trembled at his sides. One foot slid back in the dirt as his knees buckled—
Thud.
He dropped down on one knee, breath ragged, sweat dripping from his jaw. His fingers dug into the cracked earth to keep himself from collapsing.
Across from him, Morgo took one step forward.
Then another.
Then—
His eyes rolled back.
And he dropped like a stone.
Several knights rushed onto the field, boots crunching over scorched dirt and cracked roots. Their cloaks billowed behind them as they reached the collapsed figure of Morgo.
One of them knelt beside him, pressing fingers to his neck.
"He's alive," the knight confirmed. "Vitals are stable—just passed out from exhaustion."
Another picked up the remains of Morgo's flag—or what was left of it. The once-sturdy fabric was now shredded beyond recognition, smoldering at the edges from the energy blast.
One glance was enough.
"He's out," the knight said firmly. "The flag's gone. That confirms elimination."
"Get him out of here for treatment. Move, now."
With practiced motion, the knights lifted Morgo's unconscious body onto a stretcher and carried him swiftly out of the forest clearing.
Meanwhile, back at the stadium—
The crowd had erupted. Thunderous cheers rippled like a wave across the stands, students leaping from their seats, clapping, screaming, some even hugging strangers in excitement.
"He did it!"
"Kajin won!!"
"THAT WAS INSANE!!"
Rock's voice cracked with excitement as he shouted over the roaring crowd:
"AND THAT'S A WRAP, PEOPLE!! WHAT. A. CLASH!! Did you see that explosion? That was enough to level half a building! These two were absolute monsters—but Kajin stood tall at the end!"
He laughed breathlessly, as if he himself had fought the match.
"I gotta say, I haven't seen a flag get obliterated like that in years! That thing was reduced to confetti!"
Screens above the stadium replayed the final clash from multiple angles, pausing at the moment of impact—then flashing to Morgo's fall.
"Ohhh, and there it is!" Rock cried. "The moment Kajin seized the win. Talk about timing, instinct, guts—this guy's got it all!"
Applause continued, louder and louder.
And at the heart of it, somewhere deep in the forest—
Kajin's ragged breathing filled the quiet forest. His body trembled as he slowly rose to his feet, dirt clinging to his skin, arms hanging limp at his sides.
Then, without warning—he took off running.
His footsteps pounded the cracked forest floor, weaving through shattered branches and scorched earth, ignoring the pain screaming through his legs.
Some distance away, four figures caught a glimpse of movement.
"There!" Zayden pointed sharply.
Kajin's retreating figure darted between trees, not looking back.
Shion's eyes narrowed. "He's running…"
"Why?" Sara murmured, already taking a step forward.
Eriska moved before anyone else.
"Kajin!" she shouted, voice echoing through the trees.
But just as they were about to rush after him—
A shadow stepped into their path.
Lillith.
Calm, poised, yet with a cold glint in her eyes. She blocked their way.
"If you want to go after him…" she said, her voice like frost on steel, "then you'll have to go through me first."