Ryuosho the Indolent widened his eyes amidst the crackling lightning. The sharp edge of a thunder spear was mere inches away, its searing energy burning his skin as if branding him with pain. He tried to twist away, but midair, with nowhere to plant his footing, he was utterly trapped. His earlier high-speed charge had closed off all avenues of retreat.
"Damn it!" he growled, swiftly raising a hand to conjure a barrier of lightning in an attempt to block the fatal strike. Electric currents danced violently across the barrier, emitting a sharp, crackling noise. But the Thunder Spear wielded by Lightning Ryuosho carried the force of his full power, its thunderous roar slicing through the air like an apocalyptic anthem.
In an instant, the spear collided with the barrier, and the clash erupted in a deafening boom. The lightning barrier shattered like fragile glass.
"Boom!" The overwhelming shockwave blasted Ryuosho the Indolent back with relentless force. His figure tumbled in the air like a broken kite before crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The earth fractured from the residual thunderous impact, forming spiderweb cracks as debris scattered everywhere.
As the dust gradually settled, Ryuosho the Indolent's battered figure emerged. He struggled to his feet, his left arm hanging limp, numb and unresponsive. Beneath the tattered sleeve, his skin was charred black. His chest heaved violently, each breath as excruciating as swallowing molten lava. Blood stained his lips, but his eyes held a complex mix of emotions—unease, defiance, and a faint trace of hidden fear.
He raised his head to face Lightning Ryuosho, who was steadily advancing toward him. Encircled by lightning and wielding the glowing Thunder Spear, his opponent's cold, piercing gaze seemed to penetrate Ryuosho the Indolent's very psyche, leaving him feeling exposed and powerless.
"Do you… really dare to kill me?" Ryuosho the Indolent murmured to himself, his voice barely audible. He clenched his right fist, his nails digging into his palm as he tried to use the pain to dispel his inner turmoil.
Before he could finish his sentence, Lightning Ryuosho had already stepped closer, surrounded by shimmering electric light. His steady, unyielding stride resembled that of an unrelenting judge.
"I don't need to hesitate when dealing with a fraud like you." Lightning Ryuosho's voice was calm but laced with an icy edge, cutting into his opponent's resolve like a winter wind.
Ryuosho the Indolent retreated step by step, desperately trying to muster the power of lightning again. Yet his hands, numbed from the earlier blow, refused to obey. The currents around him flickered and sparked aimlessly, completely out of control. Through gritted teeth, he spat, "You think you've already won? Don't get ahead of yourself!"
Lightning Ryuosho's gaze was icy and unyielding. He raised his spear and said coldly, "Don't worry. I'll end this in an instant—"
Before the words were fully spoken, he disappeared in a flash, reappearing right in front of Ryuosho the Indolent. The spear, charged with the fury of thunder, slashed down. Ryuosho the Indolent barely managed to raise his arms to block, but the electrified blade sent numbing shocks through his body, flinging him away once more.
This time, his body crashed heavily against a rock with a dull thud. Blood spurted from his mouth as he slid down to the ground, battered and powerless. Struggling to rise, he found himself utterly drained, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
From a short distance away, Lightning Ryuosho loomed over him, his gaze cold and disdainful, as though observing a helpless prey at death's door. Slowly, he raised his spear, its tip aimed directly at Ryuosho the Indolent's throat.
"It's over," Lightning Ryuosho declared, his tone as final as a judge's verdict.
But at that moment, a strange smile crept across Ryuosho the Indolent's bloodied lips. "Over? No, it's far from over—!"
With his muttered words, an unfamiliar energy spread across the battlefield. The air grew stiflingly oppressive, and the thunder itself seemed to turn chaotic and restless. The ground beneath them suddenly split open, exuding an overwhelming aura.
"Looks like I'll have to borrow a bit of external help," Ryuosho the Indolent panted, his eyes glinting with madness and defiance.
Propping himself up, he pressed his trembling right hand to the ground. His ragged breaths came in uneven bursts, resembling the erratic wheeze of a bellows. Sparks of residual lightning flowed from his palm, merging with the trembling magnetic field beneath the earth.
In that instant, the city's lights began to flicker violently. The neon signs, once steady, now blinked erratically like dying stars. Streetlamps dimmed one by one, leaving only faint glimmers atop distant skyscrapers, like candles struggling against the night.
Inside the city, fear spread like wildfire. Some knelt to pray, others wept, clutching loved ones as if clinging to the last shred of security in a world on the brink of collapse.
Far away, Myouka clutched her parents' lifeless bodies in a dimly lit, vintage-style room. Her trembling hands reflected her grief, her reddened cheeks betraying her futile attempts to contain her sorrow.
"Papa… Mama…" she whispered, her voice quivering with fragility.
Through the shattered window, she gazed at the distant, unstable lights and the storm-torn skies. Each flash of lightning illuminated her tear-streaked face, both a beacon of despair and a faint hope for salvation.