The dust slowly began to settle.
Through the fading haze, a figure stepped forward.
Rough.
A sword rested loosely in his hand. His posture was steady… unmoving.
But the pressure around him was heavy.
Cold.
His eyes locked onto Shadow.
And narrowed.
Shadow met his gaze.
Only for a moment.
Then his eyes drifted past him… toward Bell.
Bell stood behind him.
Her hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From rage.
Her blood boiled. Her eyes burned with pure killing intent.
Shadow noticed.
And smiled.
Then he started walking.
Step.
Step.
Each step echoed across the shattered ground.
Rough watched him closely.
Then he began walking forward as well.
The distance between them slowly disappeared.
Finally—
Rough spoke.
"I have orders to stop you from reaching the mirror."
His voice was calm.
Firm.
"This is your last warning."
He raised his straight sword.
The blade pointed directly at Shadow.
"Stop."
Shadow didn't.
Instead, his smile widened slightly.
"Oh…"
He tilted his head.
"Look what we have here."
His eyes studied Rough carefully.
"A Creator Killer."
His voice remained soft.
Almost amused.
"You don't have a place among them."
A pause.
"And since you can't have a place there… why stay?"
Rough's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Don't act like you know me!"
Shadow didn't respond.
Instead, he glanced back at Bell again.
Her hands were still trembling.
Her breathing was uneven.
"Killing a fellow Creator isn't a normal thing," Shadow said casually.
"And yet…"
He looked back at Rough.
"You act like it means nothing."
Shadow took another step forward.
"It doesn't matter how calm you pretend to be."
His voice lowered.
"Your inner monster is always with you."
Silence hung in the air.
"The monster that allowed you to kill another Creator."
Rough's grip tightened.
His knuckles turned white.
He raised his sword and pointed it directly at Shadow.
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Shadow smiled.
"You believe strength is everything too… don't you?"
His tone was calm.
"In that sense…"
A faint grin appeared.
"We're the same."
Rough didn't flinch.
"Talking about strength while hiding inside someone else's body?"
His eyes narrowed.
"You talk big."
Shadow suddenly laughed.
Then he turned to Bell.
"Bell."
His voice softened slightly.
"If you want…"
"I can take your revenge."
Bell froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
For a moment…
She hesitated.
The battlefield went silent.
Her hands clenched.
Her breathing steadied.
Then she shook her head.
"You don't need to do that."
Her eyes sharpened.
"I'll do it myself."
Shadow stared at her for a second.
Then smiled faintly.
The air around him began to change.
A low hum filled the battlefield.
Wind gathered.
Slowly… it began forming in his hand.
A blade made of compressed wind appeared.
Its edges shimmered like glass.
Shadow pointed it toward Rough.
"I can't kill anyone yet."
His voice was calm.
"So stay out of this, boy."
Rough's eyes glowed faintly.
"Make me."
For a moment—
Everything went quiet.
Then—
CRACK.
The ground shattered.
Both figures vanished.
CLANG!
Steel collided with wind.
Sparks exploded into the air.
Rough's sword.
Shadow's wind blade.
The two began exchanging blows instantly.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
Their blades moved so quickly they left streaks in the air.
Bell watched from behind.
Then—
Lightning began forming around Rough.
Thin blue sparks crackled across his body.
The air filled with the sharp scent of electricity.
His sword became wrapped in lightning.
He swung.
Shadow raised his wind blade.
CLANG—
The lightning pierced through the wind.
A thin cut appeared across Shadow's cheek.
He jumped back.
Rough stood still.
"Looks like someone was talking big."
Shadow slowly touched his cheek.
His fingers came away red.
He stared at the blood for a moment.
"Red…"
He smiled faintly.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
A pause.
"…yet dangerous."
Suddenly—
He vanished.
A burst of wind exploded behind him.
Rough moved instantly.
Lightning surged around his body.
Their blades clashed again.
CRASH!
Shadow suddenly spread his hand.
The wind around Rough compressed violently.
A powerful pressure field formed.
The air crushed inward.
Rough's movement slowed.
Then—
Shadow snapped his fingers.
The oxygen vanished.
But Rough noticed immediately.
Lightning exploded from his body.
BOOM!
The wind field shattered apart.
Shadow's eyes narrowed.
"Generating lightning directly from your body…"
He stopped moving.
Rough didn't hesitate.
Lightning burst beneath his feet.
He shot forward.
His sword pierced toward Shadow.
At point-blank range—
Shadow didn't move.
He only smiled.
Rough's blade stopped.
A dense wind barrier surrounded Shadow's body.
The lightning scraped against it but couldn't pass.
Rough jumped back instantly.
Shadow stepped forward slowly.
"That's a nice trick."
"To generate elements from your body."
He raised his hand.
High above them—
The sky twisted.
Wind gathered.
Dozens of massive wind spears formed in the air.
Each one spinning violently.
All pointing at Rough.
Rough didn't hesitate.
Lightning surged upward.
Dozens of lightning spears formed above him as well.
The battlefield glowed blue.
The two stared at each other.
Then—
"Fire."
Both attacks launched.
The sky exploded.
BOOM!
Wind and lightning collided.
The shockwave flattened the battlefield.
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
Inside the chaos—
Shadow appeared behind Rough.
Rough reacted instantly.
He turned and swung.
But the blade struck Shadow's wind barrier.
At the same time—
A small sphere formed in Shadow's hand.
Compressed air.
Dense.
Violent.
He threw it.
The attack struck Rough directly.
Then—
The air twisted.
A tornado erupted.
Inside it, countless wind blades slashed through Rough's body.
Cuts opened across his arms.
Bell held her breath.
Then—
Inside the tornado—
Lightning exploded outward.
A massive bolt struck the ground.
BOOM!
The tornado shattered.
Smoke and debris filled the battlefield.
Rough landed.
He was bleeding from small cuts .
But he was smiling.
Shadow noticed.
"Looks like your monster is awakening."
Rough blinked.
He touched his cheek.
He was smiling.
"…Maybe you're right."
Suddenly—
His eyes glowed.
Dark red.
The air turned cold.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Bell felt chills run down her spine.
Then she noticed something.
The lightning surrounding Rough changed color.
From blue…
To yellow.
Bell eyes widened.
A memory came rushing back of that day !
She froze!
Lightning became wilder.
More violent.
It tore through the ground and surged into the sky.
Rough looked at Shadow.
"Looks like I need to test this."
Shadow smiled slowly.
"Now…"
The wind around him began rotating violently.
"…this is getting fun."
Both stood ready.
Power gathered around them.
The final clash approached.
Rough raised his hand.
Lightning gathered in his palm.
A spear formed.
Pure lightning.
It roared like a living beast.
"Release."
The spear shot forward.
It tore through the ground toward Shadow.
Shadow raised his hand.
"Wind Direction."
A visible wind field appeared.
The lightning spear struck it—
—but the wind twisted violently.
The spear was forced sideways.
BOOM!
It exploded in the distance.
But Rough had already moved.
Lightning burst beneath his feet.
He appeared in front of Shadow instantly.
His sword blazed with red lightning.
He thrust forward.
The blade pierced the wind field—
Shadow barely dodged.
Rough smiled.
"You're not untouchable."
Lightning gathered around him again.
Shadow's eyes glowed dark blue.
All the surrounding wind rushed toward a single point.
A massive rotating wind circle formed.
The air screamed.
Rough stood still.
Lightning surged around him like a storm.
Piercing.
Destroying.
Bell suddenly noticed something.
Her eyes widened.
"Shadow!"
She shouted.
Shadow understood.
"…So this is the finale."
His wind circle compressed.
It became a massive piercing blade.
"Show me your monster."
Lightning roared.
Wind screamed.
Neither moved back.
"Show you're not all talk," Rough said calmly.
Shadow smiled.
Both dashed forward.
The ground collapsed.
The sky trembled.
Just as their attacks were about to collide—
Shadow raised his power.
Second Level—
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.
The wind destabilized.
"…You?"
His voice was shocked.
"Why now?"
Inside him—
Zaraf awakened.
Shadow froze.
For a single second.
But Rough was already moving.
"Too late!"
His blade struck.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted.
The battlefield shattered.
Far above—
Three figures appeared.
Shin.
Lucy.
Ben.
They stared down at the battlefield.
Dust filled the air.
Slowly…
It cleared.
Both fighters stood back to back.
Then—
Blood dropped.
Drip.
Drip.
A deep cut opened across Shadow's body.
He coughed violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
His knees hit the ground.
Bell's face went pale.
"No…"
Her voice trembled.
"No…!"
She ran toward him.
"ZARAF!"
Shin and the others stared in shock.
The battlefield fell silent.
