Master Ash dashed back, her voice sharp and commanding. "Oscar! Now, close the barrier completely!"
"Right!" Oscar replied, his voice strained as he funneled the last of his energy into his blade. The power coursed through the ground, creating a glowing hexagon that sealed Masabi and Regaku within its confines. The barrier hummed with energy, a shimmering wall of force.
But the effort took its toll. As Oscar held his stance, the energy in his body began to falter. Master Ash raised her hand, its glow turning a bright pink as she prepared for the final move. Suddenly, the barrier around them crumbled, the hexagon shattering into fragments. Oscar fell to his side, gasping for breath, his face pale.
"I… I'm sorry," Oscar whispered, his strength fading fast. "I thought I had more energy left… than… that…" His eyes fluttered shut, and blood began to seep from the wound that had never fully healed.
