Standing behind Aranzuki, Zaya watched Kondo charge toward him at full speed. A faint smile spread across her lips as she murmured,
"Such an impatient child."
A green magic circle appeared around her ankles, and in the next instant, she shot forward like a gust of wind. Passing Aranzuki in a blur, she rushed straight toward Kondo while pulling a paintbrush from inside her coat.
The tip of Zaya brush met the tip of Kondo's sword, effortlessly stopping his strike.
Kondo eyes widened in surprise as the impact forced him to slide backwards.
Covering her mouth with one hand, Zaya smiled elegantly.
"Oh my... You shouldn't attack a lady with so much force."
She gave Kondo a playful wink.
Kondo quickly regained his footing and burst into laughter.
"Yahoo! Now this is getting fun!"
Watching him like this, Sam heart sank. Turning toward Lawine, he spoke in a pained voice.
"Lawine... we have to bring Kondo back to his senses. Quickly."
Lawine voice trembled with fear.
"But... how? There's nothing we can do..."
Still laughing, Kondo lunged at Zaya again, swinging his sword. She calmly sidestepped the attack before lightly tapping the blade with her brush once more.
Suddenly, Kondo felt his sword become unimaginably heavy.
It slammed into the ground as if pinned there by an invisible force.
Dropping to one knee, Kondo struggled to lift it.
Looking down at him, Zaya smiled teasingly.
"What's wrong? Can't lift your sword anymore?"
Kondo let out a small laugh.
"Who said... I can't?"
Black smoke flowed from his hand and wrapped around the sword. With a sudden burst of strength, he tore it free and slashed toward Zaya.
But before the blade could reach her, Aranzuki pulled Zaya backwards, saving her effortlessly.
Turning toward him, Zaya lowered her head.
"Oh, Captain... I'm sorry."
Aranzuki frowned.
"When are you people going to start taking battles seriously?"
Making an innocent face, Zaya apologised again.
"Sorry, Captain."
Aranzuki glanced toward Kiyaka.
"Can you do something about him?"
Kiyaka nodded calmly.
"Yes. There is one way."
He looked toward Araichi.
Araichi smiled.
"Roger that."
Listening to their conversation, Kondo clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Why are you all backing away? Come... fight me!"
He stepped forward—
—but Sam suddenly stood in front of him.
With a sorrowful expression, Sam pleaded,
"Kondo... calm down. It's over now. You can't attack government officers like this."
Kondo's expression twisted.
"Get out of my way!"
He launched himself forward and slashed across Sam's chest.
Sam's eyes went blank before his body collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
Lawine's eyes widened in horror.
"No...! Sam!"
she screamed.
Kim and Shin quickly grabbed her before she could rush forward.
Kim gritted her teeth.
"We have to bring Kondo back. That... isn't Kondo anymore."
Shin nodded.
"You're right. Kondo would never hurt anyone. We have to save him."
Lawine looked down at Sam one last time before whispering,
"Then... there's only one way left."
Kondo shot toward Aranzuki again, but Araichi intercepted him, blocking the attack with his sword.
Seeing this, Kondo grinned.
"So... you're the one fighting me now?"
Araichi smiled back.
"You don't get to choose. You're nothing but a wild beast... and beasts need to be restrained."
Kondo's grin widened.
With a burst of strength, he shattered Araichi's sword.
Araichi's eyes widened—
—but before he could react, Kondo slashed across his chest.
Kondo laughed...
Only to watch Araichi dissolve into mist.
A voice echoed from behind him.
"Fool."
Before Kondo could even turn around, Araichi grabbed him by the collar from behind and hurled him away.
Kondo tumbled across the ground before finally catching himself. He quickly got back to his feet, his face twisting with frustration.
"What's happening...?" he growled. "Why is my power disappearing?"
His eyes suddenly fell to the sword in his hand.
It had turned completely white.
Kondo pulled his sword closer and glared ahead.
"Don't get between us."
Black smoke poured from his hand, spreading over the blade once again.
He raised his eyes toward Araichi—
—but this time, Lawine stepped between them.
Her voice trembled with pain as she pleaded,
"Please stop, Kondo... it's over."
A smile slowly spread across Kondo's face.
Without another word, he raised his sword toward the sky and charged straight at Lawine.
Kim slammed her palm against the ground.
Thick walls of ice erupted one after another, forming a barrier in front of Lawine.
But Kondo smashed through every single wall without slowing down.
He raised his sword high above his head and brought it down toward Lawine—
Only for his arm to freeze halfway through the swing.
His body refused to move.
His eyes widened.
"What's happening...?! Why can't I move?!"
His gaze shifted toward the sword in his hand.
It had turned completely white.
Seeing it, rage twisted across his face.
"No... No! NO!"
"You can't separate me from him!"
"I'm the one who can save him!"
"I'm the only one who deserves to stay by his side—not you!"
Hearing those desperate words, Lawine instinctively reached out to him.
But before she could touch Kondo, Zaya gently caught her wrist.
Lawine looked at her in confusion.
Meanwhile, Araichi walked toward Kondo.
Kondo glared at him with burning hatred.
Araichi formed a triangle with his fingers and calmly said,
"Wave of Gravity."
The moment the words left his mouth, a ripple burst from the triangle.
It struck Kondo directly.
An overwhelming force crashed down on him.
His body was forced into the ground as if the weight of a mountain had fallen upon him.
Even so, Kondo struggled to lift his head.
His eyes locked onto his sword.
"You... won't take away my chance..."
The white sword slowly crumbled apart.
Like grains of sand, it slipped through his fingers and vanished into the wind.
Kondo let out a deafening scream.
The sound was so piercing it felt capable of tearing apart anyone's ears.
Even Araichi was beginning to struggle to keep him restrained.
Looking over his shoulder, he shouted,
"Hurry! I can't hold him much longer!"
Kiyaka stepped forward.
"Understood."
He looked at Kondo, who was still screaming while desperately trying to break free.
Kiyaka slowly closed his eyes...
...then opened them.
He clapped his hands together with tremendous force before pressing his palms tightly against each other.
Drawing in a deep breath, he released a single sacred sound.
"Aum."
The instant the chant echoed across the battlefield, the earth itself began to tremble.
Slowly separating his hands, Kiyaka slammed both palms into the ground.
Golden light surged from beneath them, racing across the earth until it formed a glowing circle around Kondo.
From the circle, five streams of light shot into the sky.
Kiyaka silently watched them rise.
The lights expanded...
...until each transformed into a massive white pillar.
Countless eyes were engraved across their surfaces, while enormous chains wrapped around each pillar from top to bottom.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
No one had any idea what they were witnessing.
Without warning—
One of the pillars came crashing down.
It slammed onto Kondo's right leg.
His scream grew even louder.
Lawine's eyes widened in horror as she desperately tried to break free from Zaya's grip.
The second pillar crushed his left leg.
The third struck his right arm.
The fourth pinned down his left arm.
And the fifth crashed onto his back.
Kondo's agonised screams echoed throughout the battlefield.
Tears streamed down Lawine's face.
Unable to bear the sight, Shin squeezed Kim's hand tightly and shut her eyes.
Kim couldn't watch either.
Seeing Kondo suffer like this broke her heart.
Even after all that...
Kondo still hadn't calmed down.
"Let me go!!"
"Get me out of here!!"
Kiyaka clapped his hands once more and slowly raised one arm toward the sky.
Another pillar began forming high above them.
He stared at it before forcefully lowering his hand.
The enormous pillar descended from the heavens...
...and crashed directly onto Kondo's head.
A cloud of dust exploded across the battlefield, completely hiding him from view.
Suddenly...
Kondo's screams stopped.
Lawine searched desperately through the smoke, trying to find him.
Every eye remained fixed on the dust cloud.
Then—
The pillars began to tremble.
One after another...
They started colliding against each other.