The battlefield still smouldered from Oliver Sly's overwhelming victory over Rin Sakuma.
Her unconscious body had been secured by Rajin and Yuki, while Oliver stood watchful, his flames slowly dimming.
But the air shifted again, colder, heavier, darker.
A ripple of dread swept through the base.
From the edge of the crater, a figure emerged cloaked in shadows and blood-red mist.
Momo Yokoyama, the Monarch of Death, hovered inches above the ground, her Blood Scythe gleaming with ancient malice.
Her eyes locked onto the base with icy resolve.
She had arrived.
Tetsuya Saito stepped forward from the upper balcony, his lightning katana crackling with anticipation.
Sparks danced across his armour, illuminating his sharp gaze.
He leapt from the ledge, landing with a thunderous bolt that split the ground beneath him.
"You came for war," he said, raising his blade, "I'll give you lightning."
Momo's voice was calm, almost serene, "I came for justice. Aliya was mine. Paulo took her. Now I take everything."
Tetsuya did not wait.
He surged forward in a blur of electric velocity, his katana slicing through the air with a thunderclap.
Momo raised her scythe, deflecting the strike with a graceful spin.
The clash of lightning and blood sent shockwaves through the base, forcing nearby structures to tremble.
Momo retaliated with a sweep of her scythe, unleashing a wave of blood magic that tore through the ground like a crimson tsunami.
Tetsuya flipped backward, landing on a pillar of stone, then launched a barrage of lightning bolts from above.
Each bolt struck with pinpoint precision, but Momo's Zone-enhanced reflexes allowed her to dodge effortlessly.
She activated her own Zone, and her aura expanded into a dome of death energy, warping the air around her.
Tetsuya gritted his teeth, "So you're serious."
Momo's eyes glowed, "I always am."
She vanished in a swirl of mist, reappearing behind Tetsuya with her scythe aimed at his spine.
But he anticipated the move, spinning and unleashing a lightning burst that sent her flying.
She landed gracefully, her feet barely touching the ground.
The two circled each other, elemental forces crackling between them.
Tetsuya charged again, his blade infused with thunder. Momo countered with a blood shield, then shattered it into shards that she sent flying like daggers.
Tetsuya deflected most, but one grazed his arm, drawing blood.
Momo smiled, "I'll need more than that."
Tetsuya's aura flared, "Then take it."
He raised his katana high, summoning a storm above the base.
Thunder roared, and a massive bolt descended, striking his blade and channelling pure energy into his body.
He dashed forward, faster than ever, his blade a streak of light.
Momo met him head-on.
Their weapons collided in a burst of energy that lit up the sky.
Blood and lightning danced in chaotic harmony, each strike echoing across the crater.
The Monarch of Death and the Lightning Commander, Locked in a duel that could shatter the stars.
And above them, in the distant Skydome, Paulo Satoshi paused mid-training, sensing the clash.
"They've begun," he whispered.
Riku Masusa nodded, "We need to finish this. Fast."
***
The sky above the Cosmic Base roared with thunder, but the storm was no longer in Tetsuya's favour.
His lightning katana crackled with diminishing energy, each strike slower than the last.
Sweat poured down his brow, and his breathing grew ragged.
Momo Yokoyama hovered effortlessly, her Blood Scythe gleaming with fresh crimson, her Zone aura still burning strong.
Tetsuya lunged forward, channelling the last surge of his lightning into a desperate horizontal slash.
Momo sidestepped with eerie grace, her scythe sweeping upward in a counter arc that shattered his momentum.
The blade grazed his chest, tearing through armour and flesh alike.
He stumbled back, clutching the wound, sparks flickering weakly around his fingers.
Momo's voice was calm, almost pitying, "You are brave, Tetsuya. But bravery does not stop death."
She raised her scythe again, summoning a wave of blood magic that surged like a tidal force.
Tetsuya tried to counter with a lightning barrier, but it collapsed under the weight of her power.
The blood wave slammed into him, sending him crashing into the base wall with a deafening crack.
Rajin Mori and Yuki Fujimoto watched from the edge of the battlefield, their expressions grim.
"He's fading," Yuki whispered.
Rajin clenched his fists, "We need to intervene."
But Oliver Sly stepped forward, his flames flaring once more, "Not yet. He is still fighting."
Tetsuya groaned, forcing himself to stand.
His katana trembled in his grip, its glow now a faint shimmer.
He looked up at Momo, who descended slowly, her eyes locked onto his.
"You're strong," he said through gritted teeth, "But I won't fall without a storm."
Momo tilted her head, "Then summon it."
Tetsuya raised his blade one last time, calling down a bolt of lightning from the heavens.
It struck him directly, reigniting his aura in a burst of electric fury.
He dashed forward, faster than before, his blade aimed at Momo's heart.
But she was ready.
She caught the blade with her scythe, twisted, and drove her elbow into his chest.
The impact knocked the wind from his lungs. Before he could recover, she spun and delivered a sweeping strike that sent him flying across the battlefield.
He landed hard, his katana skidding across the ground.
Momo stood over him, her scythe raised, "This is mercy."
But before she could strike.
A pulse of cosmic energy rippled through the air.
From the distant Skydome, a beam of light shot downward, and two figures descended like comets.
Paulo Satoshi and Riku Masusa had arrived.