UKHHHH—my heart stops for a moment.
My vision goes dark. I collapse, striking the ground…
I lose consciousness.
—
Hiro rises slowly with a cynical smile.
"You want to end it this quickly, boy?!"
I open my eyes. The voice echoes. Before me stretches nothing but a space filled entirely with white.
"Do you not enjoy this, after desiring it for so long?" he continues.
He turns his head into the distance.
"They were sent by Lucifer. Or rather… they call him the Sun, do they not?!" Paragon says.
An unseen wind begins to swirl.
"You are very strong, boy. I admit that. You can defeat them all…" he says halfway. "But this time, it is my problem. I will settle it with that one."
"Sora… Glaze… and Hizu have been defeated by him, yes? Not bad." A faint smile lifts the corner of his lips.
Levin stands before him, slowly drawing his sword from its sheath.
SREEET—
Small arcs of electricity leap along the blade.
Levin charges.
"Here it comes."
Paragon merely steps forward casually.
But—
WHOOSSHH—Levin's body is flung into the air as though struck by an invisible storm. The wind shrieks, tearing at the ground, sweeping debris in every direction.
"GHK—!"
Levin is thrown back—THUDD—slamming against the hard earth with a deafening impact.
He falls before Paragon.
"Where are you, Lucif—"
Hiro's heart stops again.
For a moment.
Blood drips from his nose—tik… tik—falling onto the ground.
"So that is how it is…" Paragon whispers.
He touches his chest.
"I thought my defeat against that human was because this power did not fully flow…" he murmurs.
"But now… my power cannot be contained by your body, can it?!"
He lifts his face.
"Very well. I will reduce the impact of the att—"
DUAAKK—
Levin appears from the air, his knee crashing brutally into Paragon's face. The sound of bone against bone resounds sharply.
Paragon staggers.
"I—cannot react?!"
Levin swings his sword.
KRAKKK—
Lightning strikes from the sky, merging with the blade.
Blinding blue light overwhelms the sight.
If that attack lands fully—death is possible.
But—
SKLASHHH—
Paragon vanishes in a fraction of a second, reappearing directly before Levin and striking his chest with his palm.
BOOOM—Levin's body is hurled far away, tearing across the ground, carving a long trench before collapsing completely.
The backlash returns.
Hiro's heart stops.
Again.
And again.
"Now… you are the ones left, are you not?" Paragon says, turning slowly.
"Come."
Three figures move at once.
Vayle raises a hand.
The air suddenly grows heavy.
Stifling.
Breathing becomes difficult.
Blaze roars, flames surging high around him, forming a blazing vortex.
Rock drives his sword into the ground.
CRRRAAKKK—
Cracks spread rapidly, the earth darkening as poison seeps outward like ink spilled in water.
They attack simultaneously.
Paragon leaps backward.
WHOOSH—He evades each strike, moving fluidly, almost dancing between death. Fire lashes toward his face—he ducks. The ground explodes beneath him—he jumps. Condensed air slams into his chest—he spins and deflects.
He knows.
Their weakness lies in one figure.
Pulse.
The wielder of energy stands far behind, difficult to reach. Without him, their coordination collapses.
Paragon smiles.
He enjoys it.
However, without realizing it, as long as he remains within the Universe, he will never truly be equal to all the other elemental users combined.
SPLASH—The ground beneath him suddenly gives way.
Rock's poison devours his footing.
"Damn," Paragon whispers.
The air compresses harder.
Vayle presses the atmosphere down.
Blaze swings his fist.
BOOOOM—Flames crash into Paragon's face, burning his skin.
"BASTARD!" he shouts.
Blaze lands a second blow.
Rock lunges from the side.
His sword gleams, its blade coated in thick, green-smoking poison.
It is about to pierce.
There is no path.
Except—
Light speed.
Used twice already.
Each time, Hiro's heart stops.
Each time, Paragon feels that pain as well.
But if not—
SWAAASH—Paragon disappears.
His body vanishes just before Rock's poisoned blade and Blaze's flaming fist strike him.
He reappears between them, hovering briefly in the air.
"I will end this," he murmurs.
Within one second—
DUAK! DUAK! DUAK!—He strikes Blaze.
CRACK—
He kicks Rock, sending the sword flying from his grasp.
WHOOM—He slices the air before Vayle, hurling him violently away.
All three collapse at once.
Paragon lands.
His knee touches the ground.
He bows forward.
Blood flows from his nose and mouth.
He gasps within his dark inner space. His body feels as though it is burning alive.
His heartbeat becomes unstable.
Yet one by one—they rise again.
Paragon slowly lifts his face.
He forgets something.
Pulse's heart remains untouched.
The battle is not truly finished.
"DAAAAMN!!!"
He charges at Pulse.
Light speed cannot be used again.
If it is—Paragon will lose consciousness completely.
He arrives before Pulse—
But—
SHIIING—Levin appears faster, his sword slashing downward.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Dozens of cuts tear through Paragon's body.
Hizu appears from the other side.
DUAK! DUAK! DUAK! DUAK!
Fists hammer into his face and ribs without pause.
Sora raises both hands.
Water spirals around Paragon's body.
Glaze freezes it.
CRRRAAACK—
Ice hardens, trapping him within a frozen prison.
Levin steps forward.
Lightning strikes his sword once more.
KRAK-KRAK-KRAK—Dozens of slashes are unleashed within a fraction of a second.
"Bastards…" Paragon mutters.
There is no choice.
Light speed.
One last time.
At the final cost.
SLASHHH—
He vanishes from their encirclement.
Reappearing far behind.
But—
He falls.
Hard.
DUUUKK—His body crashes against the ground without strength.
Unable to rise.
His consciousness fades.
—
Within the inner space—I feel everything.
It hurts terribly.
—
Blaze rises first.
Rock follows, poison once again coating his blade.
Vayle stands, breathing heavily.
Sora and Glaze prepare themselves.
Hizu begins to step closer.
Levin slowly raises his sword.
Pulse remains untouched.
All of them—
Rush toward Paragon, who lies powerless.
The ground trembles.
The sky flashes.
And their footsteps draw closer.
Closer.
And closer—
—