Turning off the engine, Killa stood sideways on the motorbike. Face to face with Sato, she grinned, happy to see him.
"Can't say that I missed you, but for sure I am relieved you are here now."
"What a shame… So, how are things here?" Killa said with a pouty face, until she looked in the direction of the Axiom.
"As you can see…"
More and more black mana escaped the dome, creating cracks that regenerated slower and slower.
"So, not so good."
Killa turned her head to Sato, whose eyes still lingered on the dome who was ready to dissipate at any moment.
"...I am sure she will make it. From the moment I saw her at the restaurant, she seemed like a capable person."
In an attempt to console him, Killa put a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him that everything would be fine.
"I hope so…"
From the side, Irina watched them closely, uninterested in their conversation. Her head turned sharply to face the Axiom, narrowing her eyes as if she could see through the barrier to what was happening inside.
Inside the Axiom, Eryon gave Butterfly no respite. He unleashed wave after wave of pure black mana in every direction.
Butterfly's vision began to blur as she desperately tried to seal every breach.
How can someone have so much mana…?
Eryon showed no sign of fatigue. Like a beast trapped in a cage, he scratched, bit, and pushed against the limits of his prison.
The light of the distant stars diminished slowly, the space becoming darker with every thrust of his sword as Butterfly started to lose control.
"J-just one more push…"
Stopping for a split second to repair a massive tear in her Axiom, Butterfly threw six of her daggers in his direction.
Unaffected by the Axiom's gravity, the blades flew at him rapidly with a sharp swish.
For the first time, her aim was true. Every single dagger landed perfectly between the cracks of his armor, piercing the flesh beneath.
The beast roared in agony and readied his sword.
Mana began gathering in the blade—more than ever before. If the energy from earlier was enough to cut the stadium in half, this concentration was enough to level the entire city district.
Eryon wasn't preparing just another strike. He was preparing the end.
Outside, Irina's eyes widened in surprise. She immediately raised a barrier of purple flames around the group, sensing the catastrophe.
"Everyone, get down!"
Eryon's eyes shone once through the darkness. In the next moment, his sword descended, cleaving the fabric of space itself.
Pure dark energy filled the dimension instantly.
"I c-can't hold it!!!"
Butterfly struggled to contain the explosion, but it was futile. She was blown back by the sheer magnitude of power.
The strike slashed through the Axiom, cutting it open like paper. Now freed, the energy wave erupted outward, engulfing the stadium in the real world.
The concrete walls of the arena absorbed the mana until every crack was filled to bursting. Then, the structure could take no more.
The thick walls exploded from within, sending massive debris flying in every direction.
The shockwave pushed the rubble far, some pieces crashing against Irina's wall of flames, bouncing off as if the fire itself was harder than steel.
"This is!..."
With a hand shielding his eyes, Sato struggled to see through the dense flames and dust to the disaster unfolding around them.
Killa stayed close to him, body tense, ready to intercept any danger should the flame wall fail. Behind them, Shigure stood close to Irina while Megumi was still unconscious, laying on the ground.
Shaken by the violent trembling of the ground, Megumi began to wake up. Her body was still weak, her eyes opening slowly.
Her vision was blurry, switching in and out of focus. But as moments passed, she saw something through the purple flames. A small shine in the sky.
Butterfly and Eryon floated in the air for a final second, the lingering effect of the broken Axiom keeping them suspended. Both motionless.
"I-I did it…"
With the last of her strength, her vision fading to black, Butterfly looked at Eryon one last time.
Through Megumi's eyes, the star that shone brighter than anyone else… began to fall.
"Butterfly…"
With a weak voice, a tear dripped down Megumi's cheek, followed by another. She wanted to get up, to run, but all she could do was raise a trembling hand toward the sky, as if trying to catch the falling star.
But,
It was in vain.
That star was meant to fade.
Once the Axiom's magic dissipated completely, gravity reclaimed them. Butterfly and Eryon fell freely toward the hard ground.
On the way down, Butterfly's body began to glow. A soft light started at her legs, slowly consuming her entirely.
Time seemed to slow down as Butterfly fell, moments away from hitting the ground.
It seems that I made it…
Looking across from her, she saw Eryon's heavy body being pulled faster by gravity, ready to crash into the hard earth a second before her.
But I…
Looking down at her own body, she saw the light slowly consuming her. On her way down, she left a trail in the sky—bright mana particles from her dissolving form mixing with the dark mana particles from the scar Eryon left on her neck.
I am done for…
Turning her head to look outside the stadium ruins, her eyes met Megumi's for just an instant. Even though the vision of both girls was blurry, they could feel their connection through the contract fading away.
Megumi, I am sorry. But it seems I will no longer be able to wake you in the morning.
A tear escaped her eye, quickly left behind in her descent.
…Yuna, I am sorry. But it seems mother is not going to be able to see you.
The light engulfed her completely just as she hit the ground. There was no impact, only an explosion of thousands of light particles that were taken by the wind, carried back to the Nexus.
A world was saved, but the price was a hero who sacrificed herself for the lives of many.
Butterfly was eliminated from the competition.
As Butterfly dissipated into mana, Eryon crashed with a heavy thud onto what was left of the stadium floor.
Through the rubble, Sato moved forward to check the situation, supporting Megumi as she struggled to walk.
Once inside the crater, Megumi broke away from Sato's support. She sprinted toward the center of the stadium, where remnants of mana still lingered.
"Megumi…"
With a heavy expression, Sato watched her run.
Tripping over debris, Megumi stumbled toward that empty place, Butterfly's mana still floating in the air like dust in the sun.
Reaching the spot, Megumi raised a hand, desperately trying to catch what was left of Butterfly. But her legs gave out, and she stumbled one last time, falling hard onto the ground.
"Butterfly…"
Her face was covered in dirt mixed with tears, mourning the loss of her hero.
From behind, Shigure sprinted past them toward Eryon to see if he was alive.
Sato stood there, clenching his fist so hard that his nails dug into his palm. A drop of blood dripping from his hand onto the grass.
Why am I so weak? What could I have done? If only—
But Sato's thoughts were cut short. He felt a hand touch his shoulder from behind—Killa.
"You should go see if that berserker is alright. I will take care of Megumi."
Taking a deep breath, Sato exhaled slowly, calming himself slightly.
"You are right."
Heading towards Eryon, Killa gazed for a moment at the grass painted by Sato's blood and at his trembling hands, before making her way to the weeping girl on the ground.