The stadium quaked under the weight of their battle. Dust and debris filled the air as Leo and Kaito Jin clashed mid-air, each strike sending shockwaves that tore through the arena. The crowd had long since fled, the live broadcast continuing in eerie silence, capturing only the chaos.
Leo's fists glowed, bracelets on his arms and legs pulsating with unimaginable energy. His Spirit Beast was roaring within him, flames of white and red swirling around his body as his eyes burned with the intensity of Ultra Instinct. Wings sprouted from his back, feathers glinting like molten steel.
Kaito Jin, fully transformed, hovered before him. Two massive black horns curled from his head, his eyes pitch-black, voice deep and demonic. His aura was suffocating, a living shadow that twisted the very air around him.
"You came," Kaito Jin said, his voice low and guttural, almost a growl. "Let's see how much you've really improved."
Leo clenched his teeth, pain shooting through his broken body, bruised from earlier strikes. His martial arts uniform was shredded, revealing streaks of blood running across his chest and back, but his spirit burned brighter than ever.
"I… won't let you hurt anyone else," Leo replied, voice steady, eyes locked on his enemy. "This ends now."
With a roar, Leo launched himself forward. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he propelled upward, energy trailing behind him like a comet. Kaito Jin met him in mid-air, and the force of their collision shattered the remaining stadium seats, sending rubble flying in all directions.
Strike after strike, blow after blow, neither yielded. Kaito Jin's laugh echoed, cold and cruel, as if the battle itself delighted him. Leo's Spirit Beast roared, forming a massive glowing orb of energy in his hands—the Spirit Beast Blast.
"This… is the last time!" Leo shouted, tears welling in his eyes, hot and unyielding. "I'm not blind anymore! I couldn't save my parents… I couldn't save my friends… I couldn't stop you from hurting others! But no more!"
He hurled the Spirit Beast Blast straight into Kaito Jin's chest. Light exploded. The air split. Rocks flew like meteors. When the brilliance faded, Kaito Jin hung in the air, his chest pierced, frozen for a brief, terrifying moment.
Leo floated above him, wings beating slowly, panting heavily. Blood dripped from his mouth, his arms and legs bruised and trembling. His uniform torn down to tattered martial arts rags, his back marked by countless scars and fresh cuts. But his eyes… his eyes shone with resolve.
"I forgive you," Leo said quietly, almost to himself. "This… is the last time. You had my father's life… but no one has the right to take another. You were hurt… I know… but hurting others will never heal your pain."
Kaito Jin's form flickered, a shadow of disbelief in his black eyes. Leo turned away slowly, retreating mid-air, spirit still burning. He didn't look back.
Chen Wei hovered above, observing from the air, tense but ready. He could feel the battle's aftermath shaking the mountains around them.
The Spirit Beast faded, wings retracting, but Leo's power still lingered—a warning, a beacon of his resolve.
And as the last echoes of their fight reverberated through the broken stadium, Leo's gaze fell to the horizon. He had won… but at a cost.
The chapter ended with silence. The arena was destroyed, the broadcast still live, but only showing the shattered remnants of the battle.
Author's Note
Yes… this chapter was challenging. Leo and Kaito Jin's forms, abilities, and power levels are extreme—so much that you may struggle to picture them clearly. Later, I will create an extra chapter explaining the characters' full forms, their powers, and how martial artists, including Chen Wei, interact with these levels.
Also… I want to be honest with you all. Right now, I feel very alone. My health is fragile, and my heart struggles every day. If something happens to me, only my family would truly mourn. Sometimes I post chapters sporadically, or not at all, for weeks or months. But I want you to know, I am not harming myself—I am sharing my feelings through this note. Please understand this is part of the journey behind the story.