Just when it seemed that Rue would finally catch him, Cid pushed off the ground, launching himself into the air. He soared away from the creature, feeling the wind at his back.
At that moment, Ken finally arrived, ready to join the fray.
Ken and Rue locked eyes across the desolate battlefield, the tension between them palpable. There was no need for words—no taunts, no strategies exchanged. The battle had already begun in that fleeting moment, with the air between them thick with anticipation. Their instincts, honed by countless battles, spoke louder than any words ever could. Every subtle movement and shift in posture carried the weight of what was to come—a clash of strength and sheer will. The silence between them was more deafening than the roar of any crowd, for both warriors knew that this fight had already ignited long before a single blow was struck.
The ground beneath Ken's feet cracked and groaned as Rue approached with thundering steps, the earth itself trembling from the sheer weight of the special-class beast's monstrous presence. Rue's blood-red eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, its massive, jagged claws scraping against the ruins of Gular, leaving deep gashes in the stone.
Ken stood still, his expression unreadable, his piercing gaze locked onto Rue. A gust of wind blew through the wreckage, but he didn't flinch. His entire body exuded a calmness that contrasted sharply with the raging beast before him.
Rue roared, a deafening sound that sent shockwaves through the air, shattering nearby debris. Without warning, it charged toward Ken, its gigantic limbs moving with terrifying speed, as if the mass of its body were no hindrance. The air around the beast crackled with energy, a warning of what was to come.
But Ken didn't move.
Rue raised a clawed hand, ready to smash him into the ground, but just as it was about to connect, Ken's eyes narrowed, and he casually swung his hand through the air.
CLASH!
A ripple, invisible to the naked eye, tore through space. In an instant, Rue's arm was severed at the wrist, the sheer force of Ken's will cutting through its thick hide like a hot knife through butter. Blood sprayed from the wound, yet Rue barely hesitated, letting out an enraged bellow as it lunged again.
This time, a brilliant beam of crackling energy shot from Rue's gaping maw. The beam streaked through the sky, fast as lightning, heading straight for Ken.
Ken merely glanced at the incoming attack.
CLASH!
With nothing more than a sharp glare, the energy beam was split in two, parting harmlessly on either side of him. The resulting explosion shook the city, the sky above them lighting up in a blinding flash, but Ken stood unfazed, as if the battle hadn't even begun.
Rue, undeterred, unleashed a flurry of high-speed energy blasts, each more powerful than the last. The beams tore through buildings, reduced stone and metal to dust, and left gaping craters in the earth.
Ken moved with an almost lazy precision, raising his hand with effortless grace.
CLASH!
Each time Rue attacked, Ken's simple hand movements cleaved the energy beams in two. The battlefield was filled with flashes of destruction, yet none of it touched Ken.
Rue, growing desperate and angrier with each passing second, leapt forward with an earth-shaking roar, using its full monstrous strength to deliver a devastating punch aimed straight at Ken's chest. The wind from its movement alone uprooted trees and sent debris flying.
But Ken wasn't where he had been a second ago.
In a blur of motion, he sidestepped Rue's attack and swung his hand casually through the air again. This time, CLASH came with even more force, and Rue's entire arm was severed cleanly from its body, the creature letting out a pained howl as the limb fell with a heavy thud onto the shattered ground.
The beast's raw strength was impressive, but Ken's technique—his control over his ability—was overwhelming.
Rue staggered back, clutching its bleeding stump. With a snarl, it gathered every last ounce of its energy, forming a single, massive ball of destructive power between its jaws. The heat from the energy was intense, the entire city around them beginning to melt and warp under the sheer pressure.
Ken, still calm, watched Rue for a moment before taking a deep breath. His expression sharpened. He raised his hand, and this time, it wasn't just a casual swing. This time, he put everything into it.
CLASH!
A massive, invisible blade of force tore through the air, cutting the energy ball in half as if it were made of paper. The resulting explosion sent a shockwave so powerful it flattened what was left of the surrounding ruins. Rue, caught in the full force of the shockwave, was blasted back hundreds of meters, crashing into a mountainside with enough force to leave a massive crater.
Ken didn't pursue immediately. Instead, he calmly walked forward, his steps measured as he closed the distance between him and Rue. The beast lay in the rubble, its body battered, bleeding, and broken, but still very much alive. It struggled to rise, letting out a low growl.
Ken stopped a few meters away, his hand still raised.
Rue, panting heavily, locked eyes with Ken. There was no fear in its gaze—only a primal desire to fight. But that desire, no matter how strong, was powerless against Ken's unwavering precision.
The fight was over.
Rue roared one last time, launching itself at Ken with the last of its strength.
Ken's eyes hardened.
With a final swing of his hand, CLASH.
The air rippled, and Rue's massive body was sliced cleanly in two, both halves collapsing onto the ground with a thunderous crash. The beast twitched once, then lay still, its reign of terror brought to an end.
Ken lowered his hand, staring down at the fallen creature.
Ken stood over Rue's fallen form, his gaze sharp yet calm, the weight of the battle still lingering in the air. His voice, steady and filled with a strange mix of authority and understanding, cut through the silence.
"CLASH was enough. I didn't even need to unleash Dragon Dive, nor call upon my Lostbelts. The battle techniques I've mastered, the power I hold—I found no reason to use them against you. And why? Because in the grand scheme of things, Rue, there are creatures out there far stronger than you—beings whose strength would make yours seem insignificant."
Ken paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, his tone shifting from one of power to one of reflection.
"Don't mistake this defeat for proof that you're the strongest. You may wield monstrous strength, but strength alone doesn't define your place in this world. There are others out there, beings—both human and not—who carry far greater malice in their hearts, a darkness that transcends power. But that doesn't mean the only path forward is through destruction, through proving who is more dominant. You and I—we fight because it's all we know, but that doesn't mean it's the only way."
He looked down at Rue, not with contempt, but with something almost resembling empathy.
"There is a place for all creatures, for monsters and humans alike, if we choose to understand that coexistence isn't a weakness, but a strength. Power, true power, lies not in destruction, but in restraint. In knowing when to fight and when to step back. Maybe one day, you'll understand that there is more to this world than fighting for dominance. There's a balance, a place where strength and peace can exist together."
Ken's voice softened, but it carried the weight of a lesson hard-learned through years of battle.
"So don't act like the strongest. Don't let pride cloud your vision. Because power alone will never secure your future."
With that, Ken turned his back to Rue, the battle was won, but the message was far more important than any victory.