The power surge had finally subsided, leaving Fin gasping for air, his body trembling from the sheer magnitude of magic that had just coursed through him. His aura flickered, erratic and unstable. Just as he thought he could breathe again, the air around him shifted, growing heavy with a strange, divine energy. A radiant glow bathed the area, and from within the light, a figure emerged—a goddess, her presence overwhelming and serene.
"Fin Jinsei," her voice rang out like a melodic chime, yet filled with authority. "I am here to deliver your fate."
Fin's eyes widened in shock. His thoughts raced, but before he could speak, the goddess continued, her gaze piercing through him.
"If you remain at this school, this is what will become of you."
In an instant, Fin's vision shifted. He was no longer standing in the forest but in the middle of a chaotic battlefield. His magic had turned a deep, ominous red, and he stood over Keiko, his best friend, with a bloodied sword in his hand. Keiko lay on the ground, a grievous wound in his chest, struggling to breathe. Fin's heart dropped. The sight of his friend in such a state made him recoil in horror.
But the goddess wasn't finished. "If you choose to run, your friend will take it as a sign of distress and come for you. He will try to save you from yourself, but when he does, Typhon will awaken inside of you. You will be forced to fight him, and he will lose consciousness. You will have to decide his fate with your own hands."
The vision faded, and the radiant glow slowly dissipated, leaving Fin in the darkness of his thoughts. The weight of the goddess's words pressed down on him, and he could feel the gravity of his choices. Every breath felt heavier than the last.
Without a second thought, Fin made his decision. He couldn't let Keiko suffer because of him. He had to leave. He had to get away before the prophecy came to pass. With resolve in his heart, Fin took off, running as fast as he could. The school, his friends, his past—everything blurred behind him as he sprinted into the unknown, hoping to outrun his fate.
From a distance, Oshime had been watching everything unfold. She saw the goddess's glow, the fear on Fin's face, and now, his desperate escape. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but she knew something was horribly wrong. Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialed Keiko's number.
Still at the center of the arena, Keiko stood atop the pedestal, basking in the aftermath of his victory. The cheers of the crowd were deafening, but through it all, he felt a strange unease prickling at the back of his mind. The moment was interrupted when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw Oshime's name.
"Keiko," she gasped, her voice frantic. "It's Fin! He—he's running! Something's wrong, I don't know what, but you have to come quick!"
Keiko's celebratory expression faded instantly, replaced by cold determination. Without a word, he leaped off the pedestal and motioned for Silver and the others to follow. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of Oshime's words. Fin running? Something was off.
Keiko glanced toward Silver, who had already sensed the shift in Keiko's demeanor. "What's going on?" Silver asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Fin's in trouble," Keiko replied, already sprinting toward the edge of the arena. "We have to find him before something worse happens."
Keiko felt his mana surge as he and Silver synchronized their energies. He had never attempted something like this before, but there was no time to second-guess. "Silver, I need you," Keiko said, his voice firm and steady. "Sync with my mana and use Kinetic Burst."
Silver, though exhausted from the fight, nodded, his hands trembling as he focused on matching Keiko's energy. Both of them began to glow with an intense orange light as their mana streams fused together. The surge of power shot through them, propelling them forward in a flash of light. In an instant, they found themselves no longer at the arena but deep within a dense forest.
The burst had taken its toll on Silver, who fell to one knee, panting heavily. "I… I can't go on," he gasped. "You go ahead, Keiko."
Keiko looked down at his friend, understanding his limit had been reached. "Stay here and rest. I'll handle this."
With determination blazing in his eyes, Keiko sprinted ahead, his speed enhanced by his own orange-hued energy. He darted through the forest, the trees blurring past him