Kaito's eyes widened as Void raised his sword, blade angled directly at Saito's neck.
"Last chance, Blue Scarf."
Saito stared back, unflinching, blood dripping down his temple.
Silence.
Kaito's voice cracked as he stumbled forward.
"Void..."
"I beg you."
Void's masked gaze shifted toward him.
Kaito's hands trembled at his sides.
"Just kill me instead."
"Let Saito go."
"...Please."
A pause hung heavy in the air.
Then—
"No."
Void turned back toward Saito, gripping his sword tighter.
Kaito's breath caught in his throat.
"Void, wait—!"
Too late.
The blade swung down toward Saito's neck.
Kaito's eyes went wide with horror.
"SAITO—!"
Then—
"Repel."
Saito's voice was quiet, steady, eyes flashing bright yellow beneath the blood.
A sudden burst of force erupted outward, catching Void mid-swing.
The impact sent him flying backward, crashing hard into a tree, bark splintering under the force.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Saito remained standing, chains cracked and loosened around him, breathing heavily but alive.
Saito's eyes blazed brighter.
"Divine Sword."
The golden aura from his eyes surged down his arm, wrapping entirely around his blade until it burned with radiant light.
With one clean motion, he swung the glowing sword across his own restraints.
The chains shattered instantly, falling away in pieces.
Saito lunged forward without hesitation, closing the distance toward Void in a blur.
Void reacted fast, flicking a handful of cards toward him, aiming to slow his approach.
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions erupted in Saito's path—
But he was already through them, moving faster than the blasts could catch him.
He appeared directly in front of Void.
Void swung a fist toward him on instinct.
Saito tilted his head, dodging the strike with ease, and countered in the same motion.
His golden blade slashed across Void's chest.
Slash!
Void staggered back, a fresh wound opening across his torso, blood spilling down his coat.
He looked down at the injury, then back up at Saito, mask unreadable.
"...Divine Sword."
His voice carried a note of genuine surprise.
"Interesting."
Void lunged forward, swinging his leg in a sharp arc toward Saito's head.
Saito reacted fast, catching the strike with his forearm.
But Void twisted mid-motion, driving a hard punch straight into Saito's stomach.
Saito grunted, the force dragging him back several feet across the dirt.
Void pressed the advantage, lunging again, knife flashing forward in a quick slash.
Saito sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade.
Void switched hands in an instant, thrusting the knife from the opposite side, aiming for Saito's ribs.
Saito's hand shot out, catching Void's wrist mid-strike, stopping the blade inches from his body.
For a moment, they stood locked in place, straining against each other.
Then Saito twisted sharply, using the momentum to slam Void hard into the ground.
Crack!
Dust and debris scattered from the impact.
Void grunted, pinned beneath him, blade still caught between their hands.
Saito's grip tightened, golden aura flickering along his arm.
"Stay down."
Void twisted sharply, wrenching his leg free from beneath Saito's hold.
He rolled back, putting distance between them, and rose to his feet in one fluid motion.
Reaching into his coat, he grabbed a knife and hurled it straight at Saito.
Saito swung his glowing blade, slicing the knife clean in half mid-air.
The pieces clattered harmlessly to the ground.
Void didn't wait.
He leapt upward, landing on a thick branch above, surveying the clearing below.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, he sent hundreds of cards raining down, scattering across the ground in every direction.
Saito's eyes darted around, tension rising.
"What now—"
Void's voice echoed from above, cold and precise.
"End Pierce."
The cards shifted instantly, transforming into blades, each one bursting upward from the ground and thrusting toward Saito from every possible angle.
Saito reacted on pure instinct, his golden sword flashing in rapid arcs, blocking one strike, deflecting another, slicing clean through the rest.
Metal clashed against metal in a relentless storm, sparks flying with every collision.
He spun, weaved, and cut his way through the barrage, refusing to let a single blade land.
When the last sword clattered to the ground, Saito stood at the center, breathing hard but unscathed.
Void watched from the branch above, arms crossed.
"Good move."
Saito surged forward, appearing directly in front of Void in an instant.
"Repel!"
The force slammed into Void's chest, launching him high into the air.
Mid-flight, Void steadied himself, swinging his hand outward.
A wave of cards burst from his sleeves, arranging themselves into a perfect circle around him, spinning rapidly.
"Hat Trick."
The cards began to glow, each one charging with energy.
Then—
Beams of light shot outward in every direction, raining down toward the clearing below.
Saito moved fast, weaving side to side, narrowly dodging each blast as they scorched the earth around him.
He raised his sword, channeling his aura, and swung hard, sending a sharp arc of golden energy toward Void.
But one of the beams intercepted it mid-air, colliding with a burst of light, canceling the attack before it could land.
Saito gritted his teeth, watching the smoke clear.
"He's using them to block now too..."
Void descended slowly, the ring of glowing cards still spinning protectively around him.
"Getting closer, Blue Scarf."
"But not close enough."
Saito lunged forward, closing in fast.
Void swung his hand again, and the cards around him shifted, spinning rapidly like whirring blades.
Saito's eyes caught the change instantly.
He stepped back just in time as the spinning cards sliced through the air where he'd been standing.
Void pressed forward, lunging at him, swinging the deadly circle of cards in a wide arc.
Saito planted his foot against a nearby tree trunk, using it as leverage, and launched himself forward with a burst of speed.
He appeared right beside Void, faster than expected.
His fist connected hard—
A sharp punch straight into Void's face.
Void's body was thrown backward, slamming hard into the ground, dust scattering around him.
His mask cracked slightly along the edge, a thin fracture line spreading across the white surface.
Saito landed steady, breathing hard, watching him closely.
"Getting somewhere now..."
Void slowly pushed himself up, fingers brushing against the crack in his mask.
He paused for a moment, studying the damage.
"...Interesting."
Saito stared down at Void, breathing heavily.
"This is the end, Void."
He raised his hand toward the sky, golden aura surging around him.
"Divine Spear."
A massive spear of light materialized above, crackling with energy.
It thrust downward in an instant, striking Void directly in the chest.
The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing before the spear dissolved into scattering light.
Void coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.
Kaito watched from a distance, eyes wide with shock, unable to move.
Saito's glowing eyes slowly faded, Seraph deactivating, the golden light fading from his form.
He walked forward slowly, each step heavy, stopping beside Void's fallen body.
Void's cracked mask tilted slightly toward him.
"You win..."
"Blue Scarf."
His voice was faint, barely above a whisper.
Saito looked down at him in silence, breath ragged, body covered in wounds.
Then—
His legs gave out.
He collapsed forward.
"Saito!"
Kaito rushed in just in time, catching him before he hit the ground, holding him steady as the clearing fell silent around them.