"We're in trouble," Kiriha muttered, her expression turning grim as she watched the ongoing clash from the rear, eyes glued to Noah dancing through the battlefield with overwhelming ease.
"Come, spirits of the wind! Spirits of water! Wrap our enemies in your electrifying embrace—Voltic Mist!" Harumi chanted in the ancient of Forthorthe, unleashing a dense mist with electrical currents, trying to disrupt Noah's flow and buy time for the others.
"Ha! That's the understatement of the year!" Theia scoffed, firing her machine gun into Noah who is casually slicing the bullets. "Koutaro, your friend's a one-man apocalypse!"
"They're right, Veltlion! How in the name of the Goddess of Dawn is he giving us this much trouble?!" Clan shouted, watching Noah slice through the energy blast from her blaster like it was mist.
Koutaro, breathing heavily, looked on as Noah calmly scanned the terrain, the electric mist curling harmlessly around him. "Even if you tell me that.....this is just how he is!!" he barked, frustration mixing with grudging admiration.
"Take this, Sanae-chan's God Arrow!" Sanae shouted, releasing a concentrated barrage of spiritual arrows toward Noah.
Noah moved to dodge, but the arrows curved mid-air, chasing after him. His brow rose slightly.
"Homing, huh?" he muttered, then calmly drew his blade.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, he sliced through the incoming arrows, breaking them into pieces.
"No way!" Sanae yelped, eyes wide as her attack dissolved before reaching him.
"How is he making this fight look so easy?!" Theia yelled.
"And still not taking us seriously..." Clan added bitterly.
Kiriha sighed. "Yeah… like I said. we're so screwed."
"Maki-chan help!" Yuriki shouted as Noah parried bullets from Theia's gun towards her.
"Yurika! Quick Cast Force Field!" Maki cast a barrier around Yurika and the others shielding them from the stray bullets from hitting.
"Burst in bloom!" Julis called out, her prana twinkle like stars around her as a magic circle bloomed behind her. "Impatiens!"
A flock of crimson flame-birds burst forth from her extended hand, flying towards Noah. Their trails scorched the air, aiming to drive him straight into the Voltic Mist.
"Type 41 Lux Twin Blaster—Waldenholt!" Saya announced, prana shine around her as her Lux activated and began charging. Twin gun barrels appeared along her forearms, locking on to Noah. "Full Burst!"
Noah's eyes went toward the twin blasts closing in. Without so much as a blink, he vanished, his figure blurring before reappearing just inches from Saya. His blade arced downward in a glowing flash.
Saya gasped, frozen for a second in the face of the sudden counterstrike.
"Saya, get back!" Touya's voice rang out as he appeared beside her, intercepting the strike with Wole-Zain. Sparks erupted as Lux clashed with the crystallized blade, both brothers locking eyes through the crossing swords.
Saya stumbled back, breathing sharply, as the realization set in.
"U-Uhm!" she managed, quickly leaping away. Sweat trickled down her temple.
Without missing a beat, the brothers launched into another round Noah's footwork was smooth, while Touya's countermeasures grew more urgent and calculated. Sparks burst with every impact, their blades moving so fast it sounded like a continuous clash of thunder.
Noah twisted, sidestepping a feint and countering with a horizontal sweep. Touya blocked, but the force behind the strike pushed him two steps back. Still, he gritted his teeth and lunged again, forcing Noah to parry in quick succession.
"…I forgot about that teleportation technique of the Aldens…" Saya muttered, slumping to the floor, still shaken from what had just happened. Her hands trembled as the heat from Noah's blade still lingered in her senses.
"Saya-senpai! Are you alright?!" Kirin rushed to her side, concern written all over her face.
"Saya-chan, can you still continue?" Mahiru followed close behind, kneeling beside her with a hand on her shoulder.
Saya looked up, trying to force a smile, but it faltered. "…My legs gave out. I can't move right now."
Kirin bit her lip, glancing at the battlefield. "You pushed yourself too far."
Mahiru let out a quiet breath. "It's okay. Stay here and rest a bit. You've done more than enough."
Then, her gaze returned to the center of the battlefield where her brothers clashed in a storm of sparks and motion.
Onii-chan… Touya-nii…
"Kou-nii," Mahiru called out through their mental link.
"Mahiru? Something wrong?" Koutaro replied, his eyes following between Noah's movements and Touya's tightening defense.
"We need to change tactics. Onii-chan… he already grasped everyone's abilities. He will go on offense soon."
"…Tch. That fast, huh," Koutaro cursed under his breath. "I thought we had a few more minutes to stall."
"This is bad, Kou." Yuuya's voice cut in sharply. "Touya's getting pushed back."
Koutaro snapped his attention to the front lines just in time to see Hayate and Shizuka dash in, switching places with Touya to intercept Noah's next strike.
-----
At the commentary booth, Haruto leaned forward slightly, his arms folded, eyes sharp as he watched the chaos unfold on the battlefield.
"...They need to act fast. If not, they're going to lose."
"Too late," Caelus said plainly, arms crossed. "They've already lost. That kid's just waiting for the perfect moment. A second… that's all he needs. One opening, and the fight's over."
"Ehh?" Minami, Kaori, Masha, Alya, Chitose, and Nahida chorused in confusion.
Even the livestream chat exploded into chaos, question marks, and panic emojis flooding the screen faster than the system could register:
「??」
「Wait what does he mean??」
「Was he holding back?!」
「Bro's been playing on tutorial mode?!」
「Is this... still a spar??」
「Caelus-san, your grandson is broken pls explain 」
Elena frowned, glancing over. "What do you mean by that, Father?"
Caelus let out a tired chuckle. "That look in his eyes. He's tracing a pattern in his head… plotting the cleanest route. And when he finds it he'll use it. Most likely my old technique... the Meteor Art: 'Asura.'"
Then, as if on cue, Noah released a massive surge of prana. The entire room lit up with brilliant star-like lights, the manadyte of his Lightsaber Lux glowed with an intense blue hue. The sheer pressure made the air feel heavier, and for one second, everyone froze.
A collective shiver ran down their spines.
"?!" Touya's eyes widened in horror. He knew exactly what was coming. "Everyone! Strongest defense NOW! Nii-chan's about to strike!!"
Before anyone could react, Noah's figure vanished no sound, no warning leaving only luminous afterimages behind. Streaks of blue light flashed toward everyone: to Koutaro, Hayate, Yuuya, Shizuka, Ayato, Kirin, and Claudia at the forward team… then to Athena, Theia, Ruth, Sanae, Yurika, Maki, Julis, Itsuki, Saya, and Eishiro at mid-guard… and finally to Harumi, Clan, and Kiriha bringing up the rear.
"Brace yourselves!" Claudia shouted as she held Pan-Dora in crossguard to shield herself.
"Too fast—!" Kirin barely raised her blade.
Seeing the lights converge, Amane rushed in front of Mahiru, conjuring the most powerful barrier he could, gritting his teeth. "Hang on, Mahiru!"
But Noah wasn't among the afterimages.
The real him materialized before Amane and Mahiru in a swift, downward diagonal slash
ZRAKK—!
A spatial rift opened just in time. Touya came out from the tear, intercepting the slash with Wole-Zain in a resounding clash that split the floor beneath their feet.
The room erupted with sparks and shockwaves.
In that very instant, the afterimages of Noah came to life moving faster than the eye could track, striking in tandem. Every targeted fighter across the room was hit, their badges shattering as prana burst in colored shockwaves, marking their defeat in less than a heartbeat.
[Hayate Ayasaki, Yuuya Tenjou, Shizuka Kasagi, Kirin Toudou, Claudia Enfield, Athena Tennousu, Theiamillis Forthorthe, Ruthkania Pardomshiha, Sanae Higashihongan, Yurika Nijino, Maki Aika, Julis Riessfeld, Itsuki Akazawa, Saya Sasamiya, Eishiro Yabuki, Harumi Sakuraba, Clariossa Forthorthe, Kiriha Kurano—badges broken.] The system announcement spread through the field, sealing their fates.
Gasps and stunned silence followed. In a single breath, the battlefield had changed.
Some still knelt, dumbfounded, hands hovering near shattered badges. Others stood frozen, disbelief etched into their faces.
Only five remained, Koutaro, Ayato, Touya, Amane, and Mahiru.
[Warning: Distortion Field Generator One and Two have sustained full damage. Recalibrating... unsuccessful. Distortion field is now offline. We are in deep trouble, my Lord.] Koutaro's armor AI reported with grim detachment.
"Yeah, yeah, I can see that!" Koutaro snarled, sparks flaring off his shoulders. He clutched Signaltin tighter, frustration rippling across his expression.
Just one strike… and nearly the entire team is out. If my badge hadn't been under my armor's defense layer, I'd be history too...
Not far off, Ayato knelt, catching his breath. His gaze was locked ahead toward the two figures at the eye of the storm.
Noah and Touya. Swords still clashing.
If I hadn't caught that brief glimpse through Shiki's senses… I'd be lying flat too.
No one cheered. No one moved.
"?!" Chitose shot up from her seat, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What?!" Minami gasped, nearly dropping her mic. Even knowing what he can do, she still can't believe what she just saw.
"No way..." Kaori covered her mouth with trembling hands.
"...Did Nii-san just wipe out almost everyone in a single strike....?" Alya whispered, stunned.
Masha exhaled slowly, hand over her chest. Her heartbeat hadn't even caught up yet.
Nahida blinked, utterly lost.
"...That kid..." Caelus's voice was low. "He actually did it."
Elena dragged her hands down her face. "Of course...this will happen..."
Meanwhile, Haruto just sat there in silence, staring at the screen with a blank expression. "…How did my son become this absurd?"
The livestream chat had gone dead silent.
No one dared type.
Touya channeling prana into Wole-Zain. The Urm Manadyte within it flared to life, glowing into blue light as the sword's space cutting ability activated.
Sensing the danger, Noah immediately leapt back the very air behind him sliced open by the blade's energy, distorting space where he'd stood a heartbeat ago.
He landed smoothly, narrowing his eyes as Koutaro and Ayato regrouped near Touya, Mahiru, and Amane.
"Kou-nii, Ayato can you still go on?" Touya asked, adjusting his stance.
"My armor's barrier is gone, but I'm still standing." Koutaro rolled his shoulder, sparking slightly. "With Sakuraba-senpai out, I won't be able to use magic from Signaltin, Mahiru's our only support now."
"…I'm okay," Ayato said, exhaling. "Just… a bit overwhelmed. That last attack was insane."
Touya gave them both a quick nod.
-----
As the battlefield settled into a brief stalemate, those who were in the commentary booth organized their thoughts about what just happened.
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Minami said, trying to catch her breath. "Noah-kun dashed at burst speed, leaving behind light afterimages at every position, then appeared in front of Fujimiya-kun who was shielding Mahiru-chan from a sure-kill slash but! Our hero, Touya-kun cuts space and appears just in time to block it! Right?! That's what happened?!"
Chitose nodded rapidly, fingers trembling over her notes. "Then right when their blades met, all those afterimages moved and wiped out nearly the entire team..."
Alya leaned forward, still blinking in disbelief. "If we go by what we saw... then yes. Nii-san's strike eliminated everyone in a single chain. Just like that."
"…Like they always say," Masha muttered under her breath, "…numbers don't mean a thing when you're up against an Alden."
"...This reminds me of that story," Nahida spoke softly, her voice drawing in everyone at the table. "About when Big Brother Noah and the sisters fought against the Abyss forces in our world."
That instantly got the attention of Masha, Minami, Kaori, Alya, Elena, Haruto, and Caelus.
"From what I heard," Nahida continued, her eyes blinking with awe, "Big Brother soloed an Abyss Lector, an elite commander-class, while He was surrounded by almost hundred abyss monsters, and yet… he won. With no injuries, just some dust on his coat and mud on his boots."
The table fell into stunned silence again. Even the livestream chat and those who had just been eliminated by Noah were left dumbfounded.
"...Maybe I should've just listened to Touya earlier," Alya muttered, slumping slightly in her chair.
"Hm? What do you mean, Alya-chan?" Chitose turned toward her, tilting her head.
"That idiot Touya said something ridiculous… like 'Why not just use Masha's pout to defeat Nii-san?'" Alya said dryly.
A beat of stunned silence swept across the booth.
"…Is it bad that I can actually see that working?" Minami blinked.
"Ehh?! Minami-chan?!" Masha whipped around, scandalized.
"Sorry, Masha-chan," Kaori added sheepishly, "but I also see Noah-kun breaking down and clutching his chest dramatically if you start pouting at him."
"Wh-What are you even saying, Kaori-chan?!" Masha's face flushed.
"I guess this confirms that rumor then," Minami said with a teasing smirk.
"Rumor?! What rumor is it this time?!" Masha groaned.
"There are three known methods to defeat an Alden," Minami declared, her tone suddenly dead serious. She looked Masha dead in the eyes. "Number three: become Alden's beloved."
"Pfft—!" Masha choked, eyes wide with a clear disbelieving expression.
Meanwhile, Elena, Haruto, and Caelus all raised their eyebrows in perfect sync, like seasoned veterans who had heard this before and couldn't even deny it.
"According to six years worth of observational data, Subject N always yields to Subject M whenever she pouts or gives him the cold shoulder," Minami said with mock-seriousness, reading from her 'totally official' mental notes.
"Wha?! Subject N and M?! That's obviously me and Noah-kun!!" Masha shot up, face red as a tomato.
"Now that you mention it," Chitose continued with a grin, "whenever Amane says something sweet to Mahiru, her composed 'princess' aura just… melts away."
She slowly turned her gaze toward Alya.
"Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that?!" Alya backed up slightly, eyes darting.
"…Touya also gives in whenever Alya-chan acts cold… or, let's say, goes tsun-tsun or dere-dere," Chitose added, deadpan.
"Wha—?!" Alya flailed, completely red. "D-Don't say stupid things! That blockhead's too dense to notice anything! And I definitely do NOT act Tsun-Tsun nor Dere-Dere!! I'm not like Masha!"
"Alya-chan?! Just what kind of image do you have about me?!" Masha cried out.
Minami leaned in theatrically. "Translation: 'Mou~ Touya-kun, why won't you notice me already?! Pum! Pum!'"
"MINA-NEE!!" Alya exploded, nearly toppling her chair.
"It's alright, Alya-chan," Elena said with a composed smile. "We'd love for you to officially become part of the family. Just like Masha-chan."
"A-Auntie?!" Alya stammered as her cheeks went crimson. Meanwhile, Masha lowered her head half hiding her smirk, half hiding her own blush.
"Hmm? So what are the other ways, Sister Minami?" Nahida asked with genuine curiosity, eyes wide.
Minami grinned mischievously. "Since you asked, I'll gladly share! The second method is simple and straight to the point—be born as an Alden!"
"Of course it is…" Chitose muttered dryly, not even blinking.
Minami just shrugged, completely unfazed, while Kaori gave a small laugh. "Well, I mean, we just saw how Touya-kun managed to match Noah-kun blow for blow, even if just for a short while."
"Exactly! So basically if you wanna beat an Alden, bring another Alden!" Minami declared triumphantly, hands on her hips. "Fight fire with fire!"
"Now I'm curious about the first method," Caelus said, a touch of amusement in his voice.
"Oh, you're gonna love this, Grandpa!" Minami leaned forward dramatically, drumming her fingers against the table. "The number one, foolproof way to defeat an Alden is… to become the mother of one!"
All heads slowly turned toward Elena Alden.
She raised an eyebrow with perfect composure.
"…She's not wrong," Haruto admitted, paling just a little.
"Ugh… why does that hit so close to home?" Caelus muttered, hugging himself. "I can feel my mother's stare every time I do something stupid. It's like a sixth sense."
Elena snorted, shaking her head with a smirk. "Naturally. Anyone who marries into the Alden family is given extensive training on how to raise superpowered babies. It's basically Day One orientation."
Minami looked at Masha and Alya, raising a confident thumbs up.
"Masha-chan, Alya-chan you heard it straight from the matriarch herself. So… good luck out there!"
Kaori, Chitose, and Nahida joined in with synchronized thumbs-up.
"Good luck~!"
"Ugh… I'll do my best," Masha muttered, her face almost glowing red. "Just… don't expect miracles."
"…Me too… I guess…" Alya mumbled before abruptly snapping. "No! Wait, why do I need to do my best?! It's not like I like Touya or anything, okay?!"
"Waaa~ There it is! The classic tsundere line!" Minami and Chitose chimed together, throwing up finger-guns.
Kaori leaned in with a warm smile. "Really, good luck Alya-chan. Even if you're the last one to realize it… we're all cheering for you."
Alya slumped into her chair with a groan as laughter bubbled around the table.
And as the view returned to the below field where five still stood against Noah… the tension raising.
Because the final act of this match is about to start.