Yuri dashed forward, his blade of light humming like a drawn breath. It clashed with Sosuke's katana in a burst of force. Sparks flew. The air hissed.
"You're being difficult," Yuri said, voice low now, colder than before.
"Stop pretending you're on some moral high ground," Sosuke snapped, eyes burning with violet lightning. "You're no better than us. You've stripped lives as an imperial knight. Now it's time to face the consequences."
They both leapt back. Dust swirled in the gap between them as they landed, blades raised in sync.
Yuri raised his gloved hand and slowly clenched his fist.
Behind, the barrier of light thickened—then began to close. It curved like a dome, sealing the others inside.
Reid slammed his fists into the glowing wall. Nothing. "Shit," he growled.
⸻
Yuri lunged again.
Steel flashed. Light flared.
Their swords met in a frenzy—clang, slide, strike, parry. Neither gave ground. Sosuke ducked under a horizontal slash and riposted with a brutal upward arc. Yuri stepped back, the tip grazing his side.
Then Sosuke dropped low—pivoted—and swept his leg. Yuri jumped, spinning over him.
They split again. Breathing hard. Eyes locked.
Sosuke raised his hand.
A sigil blazed in the air. Behind Yuri—a rumble.
BOOM.
A massive boulder tore through the ground and slammed into Yuri from behind. He went flying forward—toward Sosuke.
Sosuke spun, channeling momentum—crack!—and kicked him square across the jaw.
Yuri smashed into the dirt. His helmet shattered on impact. Cracks split the stone around him. His blade clattered beside him.
"You fool!" he roared, coughing as he rose to one knee. Blood trickled down his chin. "Peace must be upheld by balance! I kill only when it's necessary!"
"No, you don't," Sosuke stepped forward, blade gleaming with condensed lightning. "You're a hypocrite. And it's time you learned."
He raised his sword overhead. Light surged around the blade—raw, heavy.
Yuri raised his fist high, toward the sky.
The clouds responded. They churned violently, unraveling in spirals of gold and white. A deafening hum filled the air. Mana lines crackled above like constellations drawn in reverse.
Sosuke looked up. His eyes widened.
The heavens tore open.
A colossal beam of light struck down—pure judgment. It wasn't fire, or lightning—it was holy. A force of sheer cleansing intent.
Sosuke screamed as the beam hit. The light engulfed him. The ground shattered beneath the impact, throwing up massive chunks of earth. A shockwave blasted through the clearing, hurling debris across the compound.
Inside the light—everything burned. His skin peeled. His nerves flared like live wires.
And yet—
He didn't fall.
Kneeling, teeth clenched, Sosuke forced his body upright.
The light receded.
Smoke and steam coiled off his form. But his skin—already healing. Tissue rebuilt itself with luminous mana, slowly knitting back muscle and bone.
Yuri stumbled back, eyes wide. "What…? You couldn't have learned that so young! How?!"
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Sosuke stood tall, power crackling across his back. "With the things I've faced—there's nothing I won't push through. The strength to heal my wounds on my own…"
His blade hummed with lightning. "That's the natural evolution of my fate."
Yuri grit his teeth. Fury broke through his calm. "Don't talk down on me!"
He raised his arms.
His sword floated into the air, spinning in place.
Behind him—sigils ignited. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. Each one precise, humming with divine geometry.
"This is the power of Astoria. The only way to restore control!"
A barrage of beams fired from the sigils—fast, sharp, like arrows made of sunfire
Sosuke spun his blade, deflecting them one after another—ping, ping, ping!—sparks scattering with each strike.
Then—he rushed forward.
Yuri's eyes narrowed. He shifted his stance, then vanished into a flash-step.
Sosuke kept going. Sword raised.
He slashed.
Yuri appeared beneath him, sliding under the swing. Smooth. Precise.
Sosuke's momentum dragged him into a trap.
Between them—orbs of light blinked into existence. Floating. Waiting.
He slammed into one before he could stop.
FLASH.
The orb detonated—white light engulfed his vision. Like a sunburst behind his eyes.
Sosuke staggered, blinded. A ringing flooded his ears.
Yuri didn't waste a second.
He flicked his fingers. The other orbs pulsed—ready to explode.
The flash swallowed Sosuke whole.
He dropped to his knees, vision scorched white. His sword dug into the dirt as he leaned on it, shaking. But even that gave out—his legs folded, and he collapsed.
Damn it…
I was out of action too long. My body's not keeping up.
Yuri stepped into view, looming overhead. His blade of light thrummed with power.
"Won't you heal again?" he asked, his voice smooth, venom beneath silk. "Or maybe it's a one-time trick. That'd explain why you used it when you did."
He turned toward the barrier. It constricted—light creaked inwards, slowly crushing Reid, Lyra, Isabelle, and Rin.
"I am the purifier," he said. "The light in my hands proves it. It's destiny."
He crouched, getting close enough for Sosuke to feel the warmth radiating off him. "Tell me… what do you know about fate?" The words dripped with condescension.
Sosuke didn't answer. His eyes moved—focused past Yuri, locked on the barrier tightening around his team.
Inside, Rin ignited black flames in both palms and pressed them against the wall of light. "If we hit a single point hard enough, maybe we can crack it!"
"It's useless!" Lyra shouted. "Sosuke, get up! You're not done!"
"Don't let him win!" Reid banged a fist on the barrier. "C'mon!"
Sosuke coughed blood. His arms trembled, vision still burned white. He lifted one hand and reached—weakly grasping Yuri's arm.
Yuri brushed it off like an insect. "I don't hate you. But you've been a nuisance. So now—watch them die."
Sosuke grabbed his arm again. This time, lightning surged through the touch—hot, raw, primal.
Yuri flinched. His eyes snapped to the ground.
Sosuke's katana flickered—then broke into particles, streaming into his body like liquid energy. His aura erupted. The grass blackened beneath them.
Then—crack!
A whip of lightning lashed across Yuri's side, searing through cloth, flesh, and plate.
"What—what is this?!" Yuri's voice shook. He tried to move, but his body locked up. His muscles spasmed. His breath caught.
Pain shot through him like nails under his skin.
His eyes widened—not in fear, but desperation. He knew what had to be done.
He gritted his teeth, every nerve screaming. A choice made in seconds.
He raised his arm—just enough to brace—and started channeling light into the limb.
Sosuke's eyes flashed open. His pupils had changed—now glowing stars.
He could see the mana—twisting, coiling, concentrated in Yuri's forearm.
Sosuke moved.
Slice.
A clean, ruthless cut. No hesitation.
Yuri's hand hit the ground—cleanly severed at the wrist.
He howled in agony. Dropped back, clutching the stump.
But despite the pain, he managed a bloodied smile. "We'll meet again, Violet Storm," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll equalize the scales."
The severed hand pulsed with radiant gold.
Then—boom!
Another flash exploded outward. Sosuke winced, recoiling from the blast.
When his vision returned, Yuri was gone.
Only silence remained.
⸻
Sosuke turned, staggering toward the barrier.
"It stopped shrinking!" Reid called out. "Maybe we can break it now?"
Sosuke raised his fist. Lightning coiled around his arm, thick and fast. He took a breath—then punched.
The impact shattered the barrier like glass.
Shards of light scattered into the air.
"Sosuke, that was incredible! How did you—?" Rin ran up and wrapped him in a tight hug.
Isabelle's eyes widened as she watched. A faint glow still pulsed from Sosuke's skin.
"Ah—no—yeah, that hurts," Sosuke groaned, half-laughing.
Reid threw his arms around both of them. "I thought you were dead!"
"Let go!" Sosuke and Rin shouted in unison.
Reid didn't. His grip only got tighter.
Lyra stood off to the side, eyes on the treeline.
"He ran," she muttered. "Bastard. We need to move before more show up."
"Go where?" Reid asked.
"Anywhere but here." She turned and started walking.
Sosuke took a single step.
Then crumpled.
"Hey—!" Reid rushed to him, kneeling. "He's out cold."
Lyra looked back, shook her head. "Of course. Always carrying the weight, huh?"
Reid stood and slung Sosuke over his back. "I've got him."
The team started walking—limping, quiet, hearts still pounding.
Behind them, the light from Yuri's final spell slowly faded, swallowed by the forest's dusk.