Ondira popped her knuckles—Crack. Crack.
The sound echoed like distant war drums in the tense cavern.
Then, without warning—she vanished.
A sudden gust of force cracked the stone beneath her feet as she blitzed forward, becoming a streak of searing white light. The cavern flashed with her aura as if lightning had struck within.
The spirit beast didn't flinch.
It lunged forward with equal speed, veins flaring, claws raised, its armored hide flexing with lethal intent.
Boom!
Their first clash erupted like thunder beneath the soft ambient glow of the high crevice light. Ondira's fist collided with the beast's claw, and the shockwave from their impact rippled through the cavern walls, shaking loose dust and debris.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They were everywhere—teleporting through force, clashing in every corner. Light and brown blurs blurred the space. Each impact was heavy, sharp, and fast—too fast for most to follow.
The others could only shield their faces from the wind pressure.
Claw scraped light. Fist broke air. Vein lashed. Aura burst.
Saya could only stare—eyes wide, lips parted, heart pounding louder than any footstep echoing off the jagged walls. The violent clash between Ondira and the spirit beast unfolded before her like a storm too fierce for comprehension.
The blinding light of Ondira's strikes lit the cavern in pulses, her silhouette darting with inhuman precision. The beast matched her blow for blow, veins slashing through the air like coiled whips. The sheer force of each impact rattled Saya's bones.
( She's... incredible... )That was all Saya could think, standing frozen. The fear that once seized her chest was now replaced by awe—and shame. She couldn't even move when Nobu fell. Now she stood, powerless, while Ondira fought like a radiant storm.
Then—
Swish.
A soft hum passed beside her. Saya blinked and turned her head just in time to see a vein veering toward Kazel like a casual death sentence.
But Kazel merely closed his eyelid as if bothered by a breeze.With a single step—calm, smooth—he avoided it entirely.
The vein sliced through empty air.
( Hm? ) The spirit beast, still mid-air exchanging blows with Ondira, flinched—just slightly. Its focus wavered, eyes glinting with a flicker of curiosity.
That was all Ondira needed.
Bam!
She drove a blinding strike across the beast's cheek, sending it reeling. The veins flailed out of sync.Kazel looked up and offered a faint smirk.
"Oops," he said under his breath.
The spirit beast twisted its body and landed on its feet, claws skidding against the cavern floor, just barely recovering from Ondira's punishing blow.
But there was no time to breathe.
Ondira was already in mid-air—no longer holding back, no longer hiding. The radiant force of her spirit beast pulsed behind her, not in form but in power, shining like the first light of dawn breaking through a long night.
All ten of her fingers lit up, individual beams swirling like threads of divine wrath. Her hands clasped together above her head—her expression fierce, a silent vow for vengeance etched into her features.
Then—
"HAAAH!"
She brought her hands down.
A column of blazing light erupted from the impact. It swallowed the spirit beast whole.
The light raged on, unrelenting.
The spirit beast cowered beneath it, no longer proud or taunting. It shielded itself with both arms crossed and the five veins curled protectively around its frame like desperate, writhing shields. The radiant energy hissed and cracked against its armored hide, searing the textured skin as the beast dug its claws into the ground for balance.
But even the cave—this ancient nest of stone—couldn't contain such force.
The walls groaned. Massive cracks spidered along the surfaces, and the ceiling above them began to split. Stones tumbled first, then chunks of the roof gave way entirely.
Boom—crash—
Slabs of rock collapsed like divine punishment, swallowed by the blinding light.
Dust exploded outward. The entire cavern quaked. Even Kazel had to take a step back, one arm raised to shield his eyes. Saya dropped to her knees, covering her head instinctively, trembling in awe and terror. Zao looked up with disbelief as the falling debris blotted out the top of the world.
Still, Ondira didn't stop. Her figure floated at the heart of the fury, her hands glowing like twin stars.The beast remained crouched—flattened under the pressure, silent for once.
Then…
Silence.
The light flickered out.
Smoke and dust coiled in the air. Rubble blanketed the battlefield. And at the center of it all, the spirit beast was on one knee—its body scorched, its veins limp, and its breath ragged. But it was alive.
Barely.
Ondira stood tall, breathing heavily. Her mask was broken—half of it gone—revealing the right side of her face, bruised and beautiful. Her brows furrowed, and she raised her arms—
"Hm?" A sharp sting ran down her forearms.
"Tch," she hissed.
Her arms were scorched—not from her own attack, but from something else entirely.
The poison. She recognized it now. Subtle, insidious, laced into the beast's energy. It coursed through her bloodstream like fire wrapped in silk, burning without heat.
The spirit beast narrowed its eyes. It saw it too.
The opportunity.
Boom—!
It blitzed forward.
Ondira's body shifted to retreat—but too late.
A flash. A blur. A streak of movement.Kazel's eyes followed it all. He saw it: a faint object separating from Ondira mid-leap.
Then came the thud.One, then another.Her body… and her arm.
Blood trickled down her side like rain off stone.
"Tch!" Kazel clenched his jaw.
"You are better," the spirit beast admitted, standing tall once more. It was bruised, burned, yet somehow fueled by the challenge. Its voice curved with cruel satisfaction. "But not enough."
Saya's legs buckled. Her heart sank. Her fingers trembled, clutching at nothing. Ondira was, the only one that could contest the spirit beast.
Kazel stepped forward, crouching beside Ondira—
But before his hand could touch her wound, he stopped.
A strange ripple pulsed across her shoulder.Then—like roots weaving through earth—new flesh sprouted.
In seconds, the arm regrew.
Kazel blinked. Then smirked.
"Oh right. Hydra," he said with a soft chuckle. "Damn, I need one of those."
The spirit beast paused, watching in fascination. "Incredible," it muttered. "But I doubt you'll last much longer. And that only leaves… one."
Its gaze locked onto Kazel.That boy.No—young man.
The one who dodged a vein with ease.The one who moved like he'd done this all before.
Kazel met its gaze, calm and unflinching.
"Can you run, Ondira?" he asked, eyes still forward.
"It's Selphine, stupid," she bit back.
"Are we seriously going to talk about that right now?"
"I can run and leave," she answered, breathless.
"Well don't." Kazel stepped forward, standing where she once had. "You don't want to miss this."
The air turned still.
Even the beast tilted its head, confused for a moment.Selphine blinked.The others stared.
(He's serious…) they all realized.
(Y-You're insane… Don't do it… Kazel…) thought Saya. She sat still in the dust, watching the boy take the front lines. Her lips trembled, fear and awe clashing on her face.
"Ngh…"
She turned—Nobu was stirring, propping himself up with a groan. Dried blood painted his cheek and chin.
"Master!" Saya cried, crawling to him.
"I'm not dead yet…" Nobu muttered. He squinted toward the battlefield. His jaw tightened as he saw the spirit beast—still standing.
"…And it's not dead yet either. What's going on?" he asked, shielding his eyes. "I can see the sun."
"A lot…" Saya whispered, then choked a sob. "I—I'm sorry, master."
"Hush." Nobu looked past her.
His gaze locked on Kazel.
And he watched.
There was something—off about that boy. No, not off—unfamiliar. Too calm. Too practiced. Like a blade that had already tasted countless battles.
Nobu narrowed his eyes.
(That stance… That confidence…)
He remembered how Kazel moved when Nobu partitioned the arena earlier.
Only a true warrior would react like that.
Only someone used to it.
"…Who are you?" Nobu murmured to himself.
"You'll help me, right?" Kazel asked, though it wasn't clear who he was speaking to.
Even the spirit beast tilted its head slightly, confused.
Kazel ran his fingers through his hair, then calmly reached into his spatial ring. With a soft shimmer of light, he drew out a gleaming halberd.
Saya's eyes widened.(That's… not a sword?)
"Aah… this takes me back," Kazel murmured, brandishing the weapon with one hand. The wind screamed with each subtle movement, as if every slash carried the weight to topple kingdoms.
A pulse of energy surged, and the Mustang Black Rabbit appeared beside him. The spirit beast narrowed its eyes and lowered its stance, relaxed—clearly unimpressed.
"Zero to one," it said flatly.
"Yeah," Kazel cracked his neck with a smirk. "I wouldn't trust your math."
Saya's breath caught in her throat.(Wait… that's not all…)"I've heard the rumors," she said aloud, just loud enough for Nobu to hear. "He added another one."
"He did?" Nobu turned toward her, his face darkening in realization.
Then the Two-Tusk Boar emerged, stomping behind Kazel with a low growl.The twin Shishi followed, snarling and pacing, forming a triangle of pressure around their master.
The spirit beast's shoulders stiffened.
And finally—Frostfang Alpha howled into the air, landing with a thunderous crack behind Kazel. Cold wind rolled through the shattered cave, frosting over the broken stones.
Across the field, Lazelos stayed completely still. (So... he saw me. Or rather... he smelled me?) His heart pounded. Camouflaged with the Storm Lynx, he'd thought himself hidden—but Kazel knew.
Now, with all five beasts at his back, Kazel raised his halberd and pointed it at the stunned spirit beast.
"Come," he said, taunting with a curl of his fingers."Let me show you who I was..."