Lothar stood completely unfazed, his eyes glowing with a strange, overwhelming aura.
"Lothar! What is this power???" Light shouted in shock.
But Lothar didn't respond. He simply raised his hand, gathering another massive blast of Voltra.
This time, he aimed it directly at Light.
Hikari reacted instantly. She grabbed Light and pulled him out of the way just in time, yelling,
"Lothar! What are you doing???"
Lothar turned his cold, empty gaze toward her. Without a word, he slowly lifted his hand again, charging yet another blast.
Fear and confusion gripped Hikari's heart.
"What happened to him? Did this power… make him lose control???"
At this moment, neither Hikari nor Light could dodge. They had already exhausted and used all of their Voltra in the battle against Kaiju.
Hikari's thoughts raced desperately:
"If this blast hits us… both of us will die."
Yet, even in that hopeless moment, she made her choice. She stepped in front of Light, shielding him with her body, ready to take Lothar's attack head-on.
The energy in Lothar's palm reached its peak. With a single motion, he unleashed the destructive blast straight at them.
Hikari shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for death.
The blast ripped through the air toward them—
—until suddenly, the sound of a mighty sword slashing echoed across the battlefield.
A shining figure appeared before them. With one swing of his blade, King cleaved Lothar's blast in half, scattering it into nothingness.
Hikari slowly opened her eyes, trembling in shock. Standing tall in front of her was King, like a guardian shielding them from doom.
And just behind him, another powerful presence emerged.
Zuko had arrived.
The battlefield shook with tension. King stood tall, facing Lothar without a trace of fear in his eyes.
Hikari, still trembling from Lothar's earlier attacks, cried out:
"Your Majesty! We have to run—his attacks are no joke!"
But King didn't respond. Instead, his hand filled with Voltra, determination blazing in his gaze.
Before Lothar could unleash another devastating blast, King suddenly surged forward with inhuman speed. In the blink of an eye, his palm pressed firmly against Lothar's chest.
Lothar's immense Voltra spiraled violently, then collapsed inward at the point of contact. In a blinding flash, his destructive form dissipated. His body returned to its base state—and almost immediately, he collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
The battlefield fell into silence.
---
Scene Switch: veylor & kael
Far away, veylor and kael watched everything unfold on the massive screen until Kaiju was defeated.
Kael couldn't hold back his laughter. "Hah! Your Kaiju got absolutely wrecked!" He smirked, shaking his head. "Didn't think I'd ever see that."
But veylor's expression remained cold and serious, his eyes locked on the display.
"You wanted to know why I needed Lothar for my research, didn't you? Well… now you have your answer."
Kael raised a brow. "Huh? Don't tell me—you already knew about this power of his?"
Veylor slowly nodded. "Yes. Lothar has the potential to become the most powerful being in this world… if he can learn to properly control all of his powers."
Kael scoffed, leaning back. "Tch. But how? He's not even a draekor. So why the hell does he have this absurd amount of power?"
Veylor voice dropped, every word heavy.
"That… even I don't know. What I do know—something I uncovered in the deepest layers of my research—is that Lothar's Voltra pool is far greater than any hybrid in existence. That is why the King treasures him so highly…"
Kael's eyes narrowed. "So Jugram's hopes… lie with Lothar more than anyone else."
Veylor didn't answer, but his silence was the answer.
End of Chapter 12