Subject Bim X-50's footsteps echoed, creating a screech of tortured metal as if the floor were crumbling under its cracked stride, clashing with the violent dilemma raging within Reyna's mind.
"Reynaaa!" Zilla shouted firmly, her voice hoarse, piercing through the hiss of mechanical steam. An order to execute.
From behind the scope, the chaos vanished instantly. It was replaced by a heartbeat so heavy it stifled Reyna's breath. A long, sharp inhale followed—the sign that she was gambling everything. Reyna held her breath; a shroud of silence descended.
A moment later, her trembling finger pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
Reyna's shot streaked out, sharply slicing through the thick air. The bullet seemed to move in slow motion, tearing through the massive wall of panic enveloping The Hollow Rim.
However, luck was not on their side. The shot missed by two inches, grazing past the blue crystal core that seemed to laugh in mockery from Bim X-50's chest. The monster roared, enduring the agony that jaggedly hollowed its crystal flesh.
Arrgghhh! This roar was no longer just deafening—it shattered what remained of Reyna and Zilla's courage. The monster's eyes emitted a burning red glow; its movements became sharper, faster, and more bloodthirsty.
Reyna had failed. She fumbled to reload with violently shaking hands. The unsynchronized click of metal revealed just how broken the girl's psyche was at that moment. The Silent Banshee-X rounds fell, scattering across the floor.
The countdown began. Bim X-50's brutal, massive arm was raised high, ready to crush Zilla, who lay sprawled on the cold floor of The Hollow Rim. The blue light in its fist pulsed brighter, its kinetic energy poised to obliterate anything it touched.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, Amae's mind was at war. A storm raged in his chest. Suddenly, flashes of small moments flickered through his mind: the time Nugia carried him without a word when he collapsed during physical training; the time Reyna defended him from Varkas's insults; the time Meyra and Zilla stood up for him when he was beaten by Unit 001.
For a heartbeat, time slowed. He looked at the helpless Nugia, and a memory surfaced.
"I've made more mistakes than you today! I got us punished to clean the dining hall; I made us duck-walk until Meyra scolded me to death! Isn't that enough?!" Nugia's words echoed in his ears.
He turned his gaze back to Meyra, lying next to Nugia. "Of course it is, you idiot!!! But you have to scrub the bathroom until I tell you to stop, then you can stop!" Meyra had snapped, turning her face away. The memory washed over him.
What are you doing, Amae? he asked himself.
He remained frozen, staring at Zilla. At that moment, a piece of memory strengthened his resolve.
"Amae... maybe you forgot why we have to be together? We made a promise, Amae. Forming Unit 009 was our promise!" Reyna had nodded alongside Nugia. "We will always be together, right?" Zilla's voice asked. Their words continued to echo silently in his ears.
"You're a coward! Admit it!"
"You're always ridiculous! Admit it!"
"But your sincerity is pure for the friends you love..."
"You're doing this for them! Admit it and rise!"
"RISE!"
Amae's inner voice thundered. It merged with Nugia's words, reaching a crescendo: "Do I have to look even stupider just to be your friend...?"
"AAAARGHH!" Amae let out a long, guttural roar, tearing through his own fear.
His tears flowed pure, reflecting the white light that illuminated the frozen darkness that had long clouded his soul. Amae no longer saw a monster. He only saw his friends who were about to die.
Every eye closed.
Amae ran through the storm. His footsteps were silent, his screams vanished, all sound seemed swallowed by the courage that had just been born. For a moment, Zilla saw Amae standing firm, shielding her. Though his knees shook, Amae hid his face. Yet, the falling tears did not escape Zilla's sight.
Zilla tried to reach for him, but only a hollow wind touched her hand.
Bup!!!
Amae surged forward, intercepting Bim X-50 with his Iron Shell Wall, sacrificing himself. He leaped into the path of death, becoming the shield to protect them. He acted "stupidly" for the sake of the sincere feelings he had spent so long hating.
SRAKShh!!!
Fragments of the plasma Iron Shell Wall scattered into the air—a reflection of their hearts shattering in that instant. The small body was thrown back like a ragdoll. Amae flew through the cold air—air that now smelled of scorched plasma and the bitter tang of sacrifice—before finally landing hard on the unforgiving metal floor.
The world, once noisy with the monster's roars, suddenly froze for Zilla and Reyna. Before them, they saw their friend lying helpless, simply because he wanted them to keep breathing.
Zilla screamed hoarsely, her cry turning into a sob. "Amaaeee...!!!" She could only watch as her friend gave everything for her.
In the distance, Reyna was paralyzed. Her pupils were vacant in the face of such vivid despair. She had just witnessed Amae's "greatest stupidity." Her hands shook so violently she could no longer even lift the Silent Banshee-X, even though the weapon was now loaded with their last remaining bullet of hope.
Amae, the "loser," lay drenched in blood. His Dominator V-1 helmet had been knocked off, failing to protect his head from the impact. His face was torn and bloodied. The stench of blood spread in all directions. Now, The Hollow Rim revealed its true face.
***
However, behind Nugia's unconscious body, the heavy scent of blood never reached him. His soul was now at the threshold of a dimensional boundary. An entity stood before him, a blue glow enveloping its white robes. Its face was hidden, but its lips were clear. It was smiling.
A vast expanse of blue water stretched out as their floor. "Who are you?" Nugia stared sharply. "Why am I always here?"
"Nugia, don't you recognize me?" the figure replied cheerfully, the resonance of the voice vibrating in Nugia's chest. "What is this place?" Nugia looked at the sky, formed from billions of sand particles stretching without end.
Before long, the sand fell like glowing rain. "Nugia, touch the sand!" the figure asked softly.
Nugia held out his hand. Instantly, his consciousness was dragged into a memory long sealed by the hands of PETERUMMAN.
***
A clean, beautiful, and serene face looked at him. Her hair was long and flowing, glowing with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
"Come on, Nugia, let's start the training. Lift your hand toward the sky, as if you want to greet the stars behind the snow mist," Nadia guided him gently. Her left hand held her younger brother's right wrist, positioning Nugia's fingers so the flow of magic wouldn't be obstructed.
Nugia gave a small nod. His lips were pressed tight, his face showing extraordinary seriousness. He took a deep breath, feeling the cool air filled with the scent of moss and river water.
"Remember Father's advice during dinner," Nadia whispered as softly as the night breeze. "Magic isn't in the hand; it's in the heart. Feel the warmth of the mushroom soup, feel Mother's love. Imagine it all becoming a calm fire."
Slowly, a miracle began to take shape. In the center of Nadia's palm, sparks of light danced, calling the surrounding fireflies to gather. A warm orb of golden fire was created. With one graceful, practiced flick, Nadia launched the fire into the sky.
BOOM!
The fire exploded in the dark sky, breaking into thousands of petals of light like a grand firework, illuminating the children's faces and the falling snow outside the protective dome.
Suddenly, a small touch from the little girl in white robes jolted him awake.
***
A single tear flowed from the corner of his eye. "Who is she? Why do I feel so sad?" Nugia asked the entity.
"Nugia, I cannot answer your question! You must find the answer yourself!" The vibrating resonance began to fade, leaving a hollow pulse in Nugia's chest as the sand sky started to collapse.
"Enough... your friend is in danger! You must return. Remember who you are! You and I are one!"
Instantly, everything vanished, snapping back to reality as he opened his eyes.
***
"Amaaeee...!" Zilla's scream echoed in Nugia's ears as his eyes snapped open. The scent of blood and the smell of ozone forcibly dragged his consciousness back.
He turned sharply.
His eyes locked onto a body bathed in blood on the cold floor of The Hollow Rim. Amae.
Nugia went silent. His anger came—not as heat, but as an agonizing cold. He didn't look at the monster. He only stared deeply at Amae's blood still flowing across the floor.
His gaze was frigid. The atmosphere in The Hollow Rim suddenly froze, locking all movement with a dense pressure of mana. It was as if Nugia's gaze burned away all the oxygen in the room with a haunting silence.
Reyna and Zilla clutched their chests; it felt as though their hearts were on fire. The floor of The Hollow Rim vibrated violently. Bim X-50's feet stopped. It shivered. It was pinned by his gaze.
Nugia stepped forward. Like a leaf caught in the wind. Swift. Silent. Flowing.
From the control room monitor, Lion narrowed his eyes. Snake chuckled with delight, his eyes unblinking. "Look! Him... He... is the one I've been looking for, Colonel! Shh... Shh... Shh..."
Lion didn't reply. However, satisfaction radiated from his face as the corner of his lip curled upward. Meanwhile, Varkas trembled. Cold sweat drenched his face, sounding a loud internal alarm. His mechanical arm continued to creak stiffly, feeling the same vibration as the monster Bim X-50 in the gladiatorial arena.