Kaito followed Elara and Elysia down the halls of the Starlight toward the control room. As they entered the room, the lights dimmed, and the holographic display flickered to life.
"Watch this. You need to see what's happening." Elara said.
The screen showed the same thalorian news anchor from before. A report flashed across the screen, detailing the destruction of the arena and the injuries sustained by both competitors and civilians during the recent match of the tournament.
"Due to the catastrophic destruction of the arena and the significant number of injuries, including several fatal incidents, the tournament has been forced to update its structure moving forward. The remaining number of contestants has now dwindled from sixteen… to five."
"Five?! "I didn't think it was that bad… How many people were hurt?" Elysia said.
She exchanged a stunned glance with Elara, who looked equally bewildered. They had assumed that most of the contestants and spectators had made it out safely.
The screen shifted to show a list of names.
But Kaito's eyes immediately locked onto one name at the top… Myzen.
"The five remaining competitors are as follows: Myzen, Kaito, Elara, Raze, and Vorun."
Kaito's eyes lingered on Myzen's name for a moment, his breathing slowly becoming more rapid.
"Due to the odd number of contestants, a special match format will be introduced. One match will feature a three-way free-for-all between randomly selected competitors. The remaining two will face off in one on one combat."
"A free-for-all?" Elysia repeated.
The hologram shifted, showing three slots cycling rapidly through the names of the remaining competitors. Each one flickered at high speed. The tension in the air grew as they watched the names flash by.
The first slot stopped, revealing Vorun.
The second slot stopped on Elara's name.
The final slot slowed its rapid cycling before stopping on the last name… Raze.
Kaito's eyes widened as the reality of what was happening began to settle in.
"The three competitors for the free-for-all are as followed: Vorun, Elara, and Raze. As for the final two competitors, they will face off in single combat… Kaito versus Myzen."
Thud-thud
Kaito's heart pounded in his chest, and for a brief moment, the world around him seemed to narrow in on itself.
The news continued, but he barely heard it as the world around him was smothered out.
"Due to the damage sustained to the main arena, the remaining matches will be held in the open wastelands of the moon near the arena. There will be no crowd, no crew, no medics, and no out-of-bounds. These matches will run their course until a winner is determined by exhaustion, unconsciousness, or… death."
The last word echoed in the room. Elara's eyes narrowed at the screen.
"This confirms it. This is no longer just a tournament… someone's pulling the strings pushing these insane rule changes." She said calmly, seemingly thinking of the next move.
While Elara and Elysia continued to process and think, Kaito stood still. His eyes were fixed on the hologram of Myzen.
Elara noticed Kaito's silence and turned to him. The rage on his face was clear as day. He was staring at the image of Myzen like a predator stalking its prey.
"Kaito. Snap out of it." She said firmly.
Kaito blinked, his trance broken by her voice for a moment.
"I know it's a lot to ask of you right now, but you have to remain focused. Now isn't the time to be distracted" She said, looking softly into his eyes.
"I know… I'm ready." He replied dryly, looking down to the ground to break eye contact.
Elara's expression softened seeing him do that. She knew that he was carrying more than just the weight of the tournament and the knowledge of his existence. She stepped even closer to him and grabbed his arm lightly.
"I know you want revenge, but this is bigger than just Myzen. You have to be smart and—"
But she was cut off by Kaito grabbing her hand that was holding him with his free hand. He looked deep into her red eyes while holding her hand gently.
"I get it. And thank you, but maybe you should focus on your match too instead of worrying about me all the time, okay captain?"
They stared at each other silently for a small moment before he softly released her hand and turned to leave, but before he could walk away, she grabbed his arm again.
This time her grip was far tighter, as if she didn't want him to go.
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Kaito. For putting you in this mess… I–" She tried to speak but choked up.
Kaito still had his back to her and didn't say a word. It felt like there was more she wanted to say… something heavy lingering between them.
But when Kaito turned his head, Elara didn't see the face of a boy who just lost everything, or one who wishes to see this universe burn from their anger. No… instead, she saw a warm smile.
"You don't have to apologize. I chose this life when I asked to join your crew. I'm not backing down now. Not now, not ever."
Those words struck something deep within Elara. They were familiar, eerily so.
They reminded her of her younger brother—his determination, his stubbornness, his belief that he could protect everyone.
"Those same words…"
As Kaito walked away, her stoic façade faltered for just a moment, a flicker of vulnerability flashing across her face. She swallowed the emotions the best she could, her usual calm demeanor returning as she watched him disappear down the corridor.
Kaito walked down the hallway silently. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, causing blood to drip to the floor. His mind raced, filled with images of Farro and the kids, of their smiles, their laughter—and then the horrific image of the orphanage in ruins.
"Myzen… I'm going to destroy you."