The battlefield narrowed.
Not in size—
In focus.
Everything else faded.
All eyes locked onto them.
The three Core Fragments.
— Opening Clash —
They moved first.
No signal.
No warning.
Just action.
The light-based Core Fragment struck Juvy.
Instant.
Juvy reacted—
Light flowing—
But the impact still pushed her back.
"…Too clean…!"
The shadow Core Fragment crashed into Maxruell.
Heavy.
Relentless.
Maxruell blocked—
But his feet dug into the ground.
"…This one's mine…"
The third—
Distorted—
Vanished.
— Chaos Returns —
It reappeared behind the freed users.
Striking unpredictably.
Several were thrown aside instantly.
"…We can't track it!" someone shouted.
Lina stepped forward.
"…I'll handle that one!"
Her light spread outward—
Soft.
But wide.
— Division of Roles —
Juvy vs Light Core.
Maxruell vs Shadow Core.
Lina vs Distorted Core.
Everyone else—
Support.
— Juvy's Fight —
The light Core Fragment moved like a mirror.
Every movement—
Perfect.
Every attack—
Precise.
Juvy blocked—
Dodged—
Redirected—
But barely.
"…It's copying my flow…"
The Core tilted its head.
Then adapted.
Faster.
Sharper.
— Maxruell's Fight —
The shadow Core didn't adapt.
It overwhelmed.
Strike after strike.
No pause.
Maxruell grinned slightly.
"…Good."
He stepped forward instead of back.
Met force with force.
Shadow clashed—
Exploding outward.
— Lina's Struggle —
The distorted Core flickered around her.
Impossible to track.
But Lina didn't chase it.
She stood still.
Closed her eyes.
"…Listen…"
Her light expanded slowly.
Touching everything.
The distortion entered it—
For a moment—
It stabilized.
"…Got you…"
— The Tide Shifts —
Behind them—
Freed users joined the fight.
Not rushing in blindly.
Supporting.
Creating openings.
Juvy used one—
Redirected an attack—
Struck back—
A clean hit.
The light Core staggered.
— Maxruell Breaks Through —
Maxruell took a hit—
Didn't fall.
Instead—
He grabbed the Core's arm.
"…You're strong…"
His shadow surged—
Condensed—
"…but predictable."
He slammed it into the ground.
— Lina Stabilizes —
The distorted Core slowed further.
Its movements less erratic.
More visible.
Others moved in—
Helping contain it.
— The Cost —
Then—
It happened.
The light Core—
Adapted again.
It predicted Juvy's movement—
Perfectly.
And struck.
Direct hit.
Juvy was thrown back.
Hard.
"…Juvy!" Lina shouted.
She hit the ground—
Her light flickering violently.
— Silence for a Second —
Maxruell froze.
Just for a moment.
His eyes darkened.
"…Tch…"
— Final Push —
He turned—
His shadow surged—
More aggressive than before.
"…You're starting to piss me off."
The battlefield shook.
Juvy slowly pushed herself up.
"…I'm… not done…"
Her light returned—
Unstable—
But burning stronger.