Kale sprinted through the dark, twisted forest, expecting to find some sign of monsters. But there was nothing. The eerie quiet unnerved her. Suddenly, three shurikens flew out of nowhere. She dodged them with lightning reflexes, skidding across the ground. From the bushes, a figure dressed in black emerged, moving with the precision and speed of a shadow. In an instant, he was in front of Kale, ready to strike. But she blocked his attack with ease, her eyes glowing red with demonic energy.
"I don't even need to use my ability," she muttered, grabbing the man's wrist with one hand and delivering a swift chop to his neck with the other. The force of the blow knocked him out instantly, sending him crumpling to the ground.
Meanwhile, Yuki treaded silently on a bed of snow, his presence radiating cold. Any beast that dared to step onto his frozen path was instantly frozen solid. He didn't break stride as he moved forward, the ice stretching around him like a barrier.
Keiko, on the other hand, stood before a massive beast, his eyes scanning its every movement. Even without his mana abilities, he was more than capable. His sword and bow, strapped to his back, shimmered with a faint energy as he gripped the hilt. With one swift motion, using his ki, he sliced through the beast's neck, ending it in one fluid strike. No sooner had he sheathed his sword than he sensed two horned rabbits lurking behind him. Drawing his bow, he loosed two arrows in quick succession, each one striking true and ending the rabbits with ease.
"I need to keep moving," Keiko thought to himself. "I can't waste any time. The golem core is my goal, and with that, I'll be able to create something powerful. It's said to have one ability slot—perfect for what I need."
While the chaos unfolded in Underhell, Fin was in the middle of a struggle of his own. He found himself locked in battle against Typhon within his mind. In the physical realm, a red blade of wind swirled violently around him as his magic flared uncontrollably. A head of fiery energy began to form, but Fin's inner turmoil kept him from fully gaining control. Watching from a distance, Oshime's heart pounded in fear as she tried to sneak a look back toward Underhell, hoping for a way to help.
Silver, meanwhile, carved his way through hordes of monsters with precision and grace, his blade singing through the air. He soon found himself standing before the entrance to the golem's lair. Keiko appeared beside him, and moments later, Kale and Yuki joined them, ready for the next stage of the hunt.
Without a word, they charged forward. But the moment was broken when Kale turned on Keiko, and Yuki set his sights on Silver. The friendly competition had turned into an all-out battle.
Yuki launched massive ice spikes toward Silver. With a flash, Silver's aura shifted to orange, then to blue, as he activated Potential Field, freezing the ice spikes and Yuki in place.
"Impressive," Yuki muttered, struggling to break free.
On the other side, Kale's energy flared wildly, her hair turning green as she concentrated her aura into a small energy ball. But Keiko had gained better control over his powers, his eyes gleaming with understanding.
"You're still using my Potential Field? That's so outdated, Silver," Keiko teased, as he closed his eyes and activated a new technique. Layers of potential energy surrounded him and Kale, invisible to most, but pulsing with power.
Kale, unaware of the trap, lunged forward, but Keiko didn't seem to move at all. To her, it was as if he was frozen in time—until suddenly, a punch connected with her, sending her flying.
"It's called Potential Drive, little sister," Keiko explained, grinning. "These layers let me act in a potential state, allowing me to attack without you realizing."
Kale gritted her teeth, recovering quickly. Her aura flared even more violently, turning a deep red. In an instant, she blitzed through the barriers, catching Keiko by surprise. Her fist was inches from his face when Keiko smiled once again, his aura shifting to blue. Time seemed to freeze around Kale as she was locked in place.
"Nice try," Keiko muttered, using his ki to gather green energy into his weapons. His sword and bow fused into a single, powerful weapon adorned with wind symbols. Drawing the empty string, he released a brilliant green light that shot toward Kale and Yuki.
But Silver wasn't done. For the first time, he summoned his own spirit, fire engulfing him as he blocked Keiko's attack. The flames roared around him, and Silver smiled, proud to finally be using his unique power instead of someone else's.
As the fire cleared, Keiko stood over the golem's lifeless body. With one final strike, he sliced its head clean off.
The announcer's voice echoed across the arena:
"Keiko Kuriguri of the Kuriguri family wins!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, but Keiko simply sheathed his sword, looking back at his siblings and Silver with a knowing smile.