Shadow walked toward Ben slowly.
Step by step.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Ben stood still.
Cold eyes.
Fists ready.
Flames flickered around his knuckles.
"You have the potential to become something greater," Shadow said quietly. "Yet these low lives clinging to you… make you weak."
Ben didn't flinch.
Not even slightly.
Suddenly—
He vanished.
The ground where he had been standing cracked apart.
BOOM.
A burning fist shot toward Shadow's face.
In a second—
Wind twisted violently.
Shadow redirected the attack.
Then he released a massive burst of wind.
FWOOOSH!
The flames bent sideways.
The air exploded outward.
But—
Ben's fist still grazed Shadow's cheek.
Barely touching.
A thin cut formed.
A drop of blood slid down.
Shadow smiled wider.
"Fast," he admitted softly.
Ben didn't answer.
He twisted mid-motion and launched a second punch.
This one heavier.
Burning brighter.
Hotter.
Shadow stepped back.
Wind compressed beneath his feet.
Crack!
The ground shattered as he dodged, reappearing behind Ben.
A blade of wind formed around his arm.
Sharp.
Invisible.
He swung.
Ben turned instantly.
His forearm blocked it.
Sparks flew.
Wind and fire collided violently.
The air trembled under the pressure.
Ben's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're holding back."
Shadow's voice lowered.
"If I didn't… this body would tear apart."
For a brief second—
Their powers surged.
Fire roared.
Wind howled.
The ground split beneath them.
Then—
Shadow stepped back first.
The wind calmed.
The flames slowly faded.
Silence.
Ben looked at him.
"They are not the ones holding me back," he said calmly. "They are the ones who keep me human as I am now."
Shadow's eyes narrowed.
"So you think them clinging to you for their lowly lives is helping you stay human?" he asked. "Or are you just justifying yourself by saving them?"
Ben's expression didn't change.
"…I don't protect them to justify myself," he said. "I save them because I don't need a reason to save someone."
For a moment—
Shadow simply stared at him.
Then he smiled slightly.
A portal opened behind him.
Bell stood there, maintaining it.
Ben moved instantly.
Fire burst around his body as he dashed forward with blazing speed—
But Shadow and Bell jumped inside.
Before the portal closed—
Shadow looked at him.
"Empty kindness doesn't make you human."
The portal shut.
Silence returned.
Far away—
Makima stood behind a broken pillar.
She had seen everything.
Her face was pale.
Her fingers trembled.
"Why were Father… and Zaraf fighting?" she murmured. "That didn't look like training…"
Her eyes darkened slightly.
On Ben's Side
A ripple tore through the air.
A fairy stepped out of a small portal.
It was Ben's contractor.
His eyes were narrowed.
"Why did you let them have it?" he asked coldly. "Or were you the one who betrayed us by helping them?"
Silence filled the area.
Ben stepped back slightly.
"I didn't betray anyone," he said firmly. "…I may have let them obtain the map. But only to end this once and for all."
The fairy's gaze sharpened.
"You also wanted to split them," he said quietly. "Don't deny it."
Ben's eyes hardened slightly.
"…We will talk about this later," the fairy continued. "You will face the consequences of this."
Ben nodded slowly.
"I am ready for what's to come."
After that—
They notified Shin about the plan to split Shadow from Zaraf.
On Shadow's Side
They stepped out into the Border.
A vast land stretched endlessly.
Dry.
Silent.
Empty.
Like a desert with no life in sight.
The wind moved slowly across the sand.
Shadow looked around.
"This is the Border," he said calmly. "The edge of the Imagined World. Close to the Fairy Realm."
Bell stayed quiet.
"It is like a starting point," Shadow continued. "Close to the human world… yet far from the fairy realm."
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
"Now," he said coldly, "tell me about this mirror. And its side effects."
Bell lowered her eyes slightly.
"…Okay."
On Shin's Side
After receiving the notification from Ben, Shin stood silently.
"So," he murmured, "he is planning to split from Zaraf. And Bell is with him."
Lucy stood beside him.
"I know what she's thinking," Lucy said quietly. "But freeing Shadow completely will be dangerous."
Her voice lowered.
"He will become like… him."
Worry washed over her face.
Shin placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "We will stop him."
He looked forward.
"But they are already in the Border. At this rate… we will be too late."
Lucy looked at him.
"Then what do we do?"
Shin's lips curved slightly.
"I guess," he said quietly, "we have someone who can arrive faster than us."
His smile deepened faintly.