As they walk past the council's table, Tahno watches Ouran intently, a nagging feeling that something is off. He finds it strange that Ouran would sit down in the middle of a battle and even more peculiar that Hiro would suddenly suggest changing the rules to allow all of his cadets and Ouran into the finals. Despite the other council members' reservations, they had agreed, mostly because they rarely go against Hiro's wishes. But Tahno can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye. He resolves to keep a close watch on the upcoming battle.
After the break, all six competitors gather on the arena floor, ready—or at least trying to be—for the final battle. But as the tone sounds, no one moves. It feels more like a tense standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
"I don't think I can do this, guys," Gunther finally admits, his voice tinged with regret. "It just seems wrong to have to fight all of you. I'd rather just—"
Before he can finish, Ouran interjects, their voice calm but with an underlying intensity. "It's okay, Gunther. You don't have to fight at all. In fact, none of you do. This has always been your battle to lose, I'm afraid. I only need Noah."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nik snaps, his anger flaring. "Why are you talking to us in that condescending tone?" Mai remains silent, but her eyes burn with suspicion as she glares at Ouran. Lili and Gunther exchange uneasy glances, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
"Oh, for the love of god, please don't tell me we're about to have another episode of teen angst drama!" Jason groans, his patience wearing thin. Even Callie, usually so full of energy, seems to be losing steam as the crowd begins to murmur in confusion.
Tahno watches Ouran closely, his instincts screaming that something is very wrong. When Ouran takes a deep breath and grins, Tahno's eyes widen in realization. "Wait! Stop the—"
But it's too late. Ouran stomps their foot, and the entire arena shakes with a deafening sound as a blinding light engulfs the space around them. The crowd yells in shock, shielding their eyes from the intensity of the light. When it finally dims, everyone is left in stunned silence, their eyes locked on Ouran's transformed figure.
Noah recognizes what's happening and rushes toward Ouran, desperation in his voice. "Hey! What are you doing? Are you crazy? How could you transform in front of all these people? The council will—"
"Please," Ouran interrupts, their voice dripping with disdain. "The council can't do a thing to me. They can't even counter a simple possession, so you really think they could do anything? They're as fake as they come and don't deserve the praise they get."
For the first time, the council is visibly shaken. Hiro, struggling to maintain control, finally speaks out. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you, and how have you infiltrated this academy? Are you a demon?"
Ouran ignores him, focusing entirely on Noah. "I'm sorry to spring this on you, Noah, but I told you before, I had a mission to help you reach your full potential. You can't do that here, or with these people. I can show you your true nature and teach you how to exploit it properly. Those baby transformations are nothing compared to what you can actually do. But I know it can be hard, giving up what you've always known. So I want to give you a chance. I'm going to ask you this now, Noah: come with me to Tourer Kenai. Leave these people behind, for your sake as well as theirs. I'm begging you, take my offer."
Noah stares at Ouran, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. But before he could respond, the soldiers reach Ouran, weapons drawn.
"Stop right there! Put your hands up and drop that weapon! Do it now, or we'll be forced to shoot. I said do it now, or we'll be forced to take lethal—"
"Oh, shut it," Ouran says dismissively, raising their Saber. The handle glows as it siphons a white haze from the soldiers, and all at once, their eyes go cloudy, and they collapse to the ground, lifeless.
The crowd gasps in horror, as do Noah and the others. "What the hell did you just do to them?" Nik demands, his voice shaking with anger and fear.
Ouran grins at Nik, a cold, unsettling smile. "What does it look like? I killed them, obviously. I took their souls."
Mai's anger finally boils over, her voice trembling with fury. "How could you do such a thing? Those were our alumni! You're a monster!"
Ouran dismisses her outburst, turning back to Noah. "Well, what's your answer going to be, Noah?"
Noah looks at the motionless bodies of the soldiers, their eyes lifeless, and feels a deep, burning rage begin to consume him. "No, I won't," he says, his voice shaking with barely contained fury. "How could I possibly go with someone who could kill so easily? I'm not a monster like that. I'll never be."
Ouran's expression softens, a look of genuine regret crossing their face. "I'm really sorry to hear that, Noah. And I'm even more sorry that I have to do this now."
"What are you talking about? What do you have to do, Ouran?" Noah asks, a sense of dread creeping into his gut.
"What I must," Ouran replies solemnly. "Please don't hate me for this, Noah, but you leave me no choice now." They lift their hands, and with a sudden, blinding blast, four spears of light shoot out, piercing Nik, Mai, Lili, and Gunther through their chests. The attack is so sudden, so unexpected, that none of them have time to react. One by one, they collapse to the ground, blood pooling around them as their life begins to slip away.
The arena erupts into chaos, screams and commotion filling the air as the crowd realizes the horror of what has just happened. The council, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally spring into action, their children in mortal danger. They rush toward Ouran, their faces etched with fear and desperation. Hiro stays behind, trying to restore order among the panicking crowd, but no one pays him any mind as they begin to flee the stadium in terror.
"No! What have you...?" Noah stumbles over to his friends, their bodies lying in pools of blood, their eyes glassy and unfocused. He can still hear their faint heartbeats, but they are fading fast. "What have you done? I thought you were my friend. I thought you were..."
But his words trail off as he feels a surge of heat flood his body. The familiar sensation of his form starting to change overtakes him, but this time, there is no holding back. The sight of his dying friends, the betrayal by someone he trusted, sends him over the edge. The transformation is more intense, more terrifying than anything he's ever experienced before.
With a primal roar, Noah's body begins to shift, growing larger and more monstrous. His skin darkens, his muscles bulge, and his eyes glow with an eerie, otherworldly light. He becomes something far more fearsome than any of them had ever imagined. His beast form, once barely controlled, now takes full hold of him, driven by the overwhelming need for revenge.
Ouran watches in silence, their expression unreadable. "So this is your answer, then," they murmur, almost to themselves. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Noah. But perhaps this was always your destiny."
Noah, fully transformed, turns his glowing eyes on Ouran, his voice a guttural growl. "You will pay for what you've done," he snarls, his rage echoing in every word. And with that, the true battle begins, the stakes higher and the consequences graver than ever before.