Guster watched as Yano’s face turned darker and darker red.
“IT’S GOING TO SNAP HIS SPINE!”

Then a flash exploded.
A streak of reddish-violet energy tore across Guster’s field of vision, from left to right.

Finde appeared...
crouched low to the ground.

The monster’s head rolled away.

Yano collapsed onto the dirt, gasping for air.
He coughed, then forced himself into a sitting position.
“Thanks, Finde… you saved my ass.
I think my hip’s dislocated.
Not sure I can move.”

Finde did not answer.
He was still kneeling, one hand pressed against the ground.

Panting.
Shaking.

Guster reached them with the wounded soldier over his shoulders.
He looked at Finde and immediately understood.
“Buddy, you’re reaching your limit.
You can’t force Ori beyond what your body can handle.
You’ll burn out.”

“I know...
But if we don’t give everything we have, we die here” Finde replied.

Beliser and Marianna kept covering the flanks.

New Gozhul poured out of the Singularity.

“We need to shut that sewer down”
Yano growled.

Finde forced himself back to his feet.
“I’ll attack.
You stay here and protect the wounded.”

Guster opened his mouth to stop him.

Too late.

Finde was already running.

How much has he changed since the Arena? Guster thought.
A white. And he fights like this…
“Beliser, Marianna!
I know you’re at your limit, but cover Finde as long as you can!”

Guster laid Sulle and Yano side by side.
He drew his sword.
“Come on, Finde.
Right now, we’re all in your hands.”

Finde advanced like a beast unleashed.

His muscles burned.
His joints cracked.
He had already crossed his limit.

Soon, his body would collapse.

But he could not stop.

He killed two more Gozhul.
The Singularity was right in front of him.
One of the Singularity’s energy spheres flickered into existence, then vanished.

I made it! He thought.
He raised the black sword over his head.

The sphere appeared again.

There it is!

He brought the blade down.

BOOM!!

A brutal impact slammed into his temple.

Finde was sent flying, rolling violently across the ground.

From afar, Guster grabbed his face in disbelief.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT IDIOT DOING!?”

Yano laughed through gritted teeth.
“Hahaha… he won’t let anyone steal his victory…
Guster, carry me. You’ll be my legs…
Take me to the Singularity…”

Finde’s vision was blurred.
A high-pitched ringing filled his ears.
He rubbed his temple.

If he hadn’t reinforced his body with Ori for the final strike,
that surprise attack would have killed him.

He dropped to one knee, trying to recover.

Standing before him...

Gozen!

His massive blade rested on his shoulder.
A deranged smile stretched across his face.
“Hey, filthy white.
Did you really think I’d let you win?”

“What the hell are you doing, idiot!?
That’s not the point of this demonstration!”
Finde shouted.

“Shut up, insect!!
Nobody said we can’t fight each other.
I’d rather die than watch you win.”

Nothing but hatred burned in his eyes.
“If you want to close that Singularity…
you’ll have to step over my corpse first.”

He lowered himself into a fighting stance.

“Tick-tock.
Your teammates are exhausted.
What are you going to do, insect?”
He asked, that insane smile still carved across his face.

Finde looked down at his own arms.
They were shaking uncontrollably.
He raised his eyes.

Then he charged.

The two blades collided.
The black sword gleamed with violet reflections.

“GOOD! THAT’S IT!”
Gozen screamed, ecstatic.

Finde slammed a hook into his jaw.
Gozen’s head snapped backward.
Then he slowly looked forward again.
Still smiling like a madman.

“That all you’ve got?”

They resumed striking at each other.

“Guster, we have to move!”
Yano said.

Guster was carrying him toward the Singularity.
“Don’t tell me Gozen also has Absorption Ori!”

“Yeah… and he uses it way better than I do”
Yano laughed.

A giant Gozhul had also appeared on Team Two’s battlefield.
Gozen’s teammates were struggling badly against it.

Waiatt, Ceriel, and Lorene could barely hold it back.

Finde shouted at Gozen.
“You should be ashamed!
You left your own teammates to die just to stop me!”

Gozen grinned.
“If they can’t beat such a weak Gozhul,
they don’t deserve to stand on Gommhon.”

Finde felt rage explode inside him.

He attacked.

Gozen barely dodged the slash.

What is that black sword?
Why does it move so fast!? He thought.

Finde kept pressing him relentlessly.
His fury was unstoppable.

No. If this keeps going, he’ll find an opening.
I need to finish him now. Gozen thought.

A punch slammed into Gozen’s stomach.
He dropped to his knees.

His groans turned into laughter.

“Look at yourself, filthy white.
You learned to use a tiny bit of Ori and you’re already at your limit.
Now I’ll return your attacks with interest.”

His greatsword began vibrating, radiating purple flashes.

Finde could no longer move his arms properly.
One of his legs gave out.
Now he was kneeling on the ground.

I don’t even know why I haven’t passed out already… Finde thought.

Gozen’s blade vibrated harder and harder.
It looked like molten energy.

That humming sound meant death.

Finde understood.

If he failed to block that strike, he would die.
He staggered to his feet.
Gripped the black sword.
Closed his eyes.

He poured Ori into the blade with the last scraps of strength left inside him.

The sword resisted.
As if it were rejecting him.

Please…
please, help me…

Then it happened.

The sword began to vibrate.
Violet flashes.

The sky darkened.
The wind exploded outward.

Between the two warriors, invisible energy gathered...
devastating.

“GUSTER! HURRY!”
Yano shouted.

Guster ran with him over his shoulder, grunting with effort.

They passed beside Finde and Gozen.
They reached the Singularity.
Guster carefully lowered Yano to the ground.

Yano struggled to keep his balance on one leg.
He raised his axe overhead, waiting for the Singularity’s energy sphere to appear.
“Come on… appear already, damn you…”

Guster turned his head toward Finde and Gozen.

Finde was surrounded by a violet aura.
Gozen by a crimson one.

The wind screamed around them.

“This is bad! Their energy is insane!”
Guster shouted.

The attacks were unleashed.
Both warriors lunged forward.
The ground exploded beneath their feet.

The air vibrated.
The light became blinding.
Their swords were about to collide...

BOOOOOOM.

A blue lightning bolt
ripped through the space beside them.

Every fighter was hurled through the air like grains of dust.
The light blinded them.

Then came the thunder.
Monstrous.
Deafening.

The air smelled of burnt metal.

Guster rolled onto his side.
Pain pulsed through every inch of his body.

The Singularities were gone.
The holographic Gozhul had dissolved.

Everyone lay scattered across the battlefield.

Finde and Gozen...
unconscious.

Guster had never felt energy that devastating before.

He barely managed to see an imposing figure wrapped in burlap approaching them.

Then darkness claimed him.