The clash didn't stop.
Fists met forearms.
Kicks scraped armor.
Bodies blurred and separated, only to collide again.
Raze and Astra fought at close range—pure melee.
No tricks.
No distance.
Just speed, strength, and relentless intent.
To the audience, it looked unreal.
To Astra… it felt unfamiliar.
"This is strange," she thought as she twisted past Raze's strike and countered with a knee that rattled his chest plate.
"I've never had to think this hard before."
Ever since she awakened her Nexas, every fight had been simple.
She was faster.
Stronger.
Tougher.
Opponents broke before she ever had to push herself.
But now—
Every time she closed in, her body felt slightly heavier.
Her strikes landed with just a little less force.
Her movements demanded more effort than they should.
*Abyss Alloy radiation…*
Raze's presence itself was suppressing her.
And yet—
Astra didn't slow down.
She adjusted.
She forced more power through her muscles.
Tightened her movements.
Pushed harder.
The more the radiation pressed against her Nexas—
*the more her body resisted it.*
Her strikes began landing heavier again.
Raze felt it instantly.
*She's adapting…*
Another exchange.
Raze blocked—but the impact still shoved him back a step.
Then another.
And another.
The Starbreaker's systems flashed warnings across his visor.
*OUTPUT PRESSURE INCREASING*
*OPPONENT RESISTANCE RISING*
*STAGE ONE EFFECTIVENESS DROPPING*
Raze clenched his jaw.
*Astra's Nexas is pure physical enhancement… the stronger it is, the faster she can fight through the suppression.*
He dodged a punch that shattered the ground behind him.
She followed without pause.
Her eyes were sharp now.
Focused.
Alive.
"So this is what it feels like…" Astra realized.
"To actually push myself."
She struck again—faster than before.
Raze barely blocked.
His boots slid back several meters.
The crowd roared.
"She's overpowering him again!"
"Did she break through the radiation!?"
"No—she's fighting THROUGH it!"
High in the stands, pro heroes exchanged grim looks.
"She's evolving mid-fight," one muttered.
Titanheart narrowed his eyes.
"…And that means Raze won't be able to hold her with that much radiation longer."
◆ ◆ ◆
Raze felt it too.
Every movement cost more energy now.
Every block shook his arms deeper.
Astra wasn't just resisting the radiation—
"she was overcoming it."
He steadied his breathing.
"If this continues… I lose."
There was only one option left.
"Starbreaker…" he whispered.
Astra lunged again—
And Raze slammed his palm against the core panel at his chest.
"Stage Two."
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
*WHOOOOOOOM—*
A deeper, heavier pulse surged from the suit.
Not bright.
Not flashy.
But dense.
Oppressive.
The air itself seemed to thicken.
A faint blue haze rolled outward from Raze's body.
Across the stadium—
Heroes stiffened.
"…I can feel it," someone whispered.
"That radiation…"
"It's stronger."
Astra skidded back, eyes widening slightly.
Her body reacted instantly.
Muscles screamed.
Her Nexas strained against a pressure far heavier than before.
"…So this is Stage Two," she said quietly.
Raze straightened.
The Starbreaker hummed louder now—controlled, but dangerous.
"Stage Two doesn't just suppress Nexas," he said.
"It forces them to fight at their absolute limit."
Astra exhaled slowly.
Then—
She smiled.
Not cocky.
Not amused.
But **thrilled.**
"…Good."
She stepped forward.
Her muscles tightened.
Her posture sharpened.
"If this is the level you're fighting at…"
She clenched her fists.
"Then I'll meet you there."
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she surged forward again.
Faster.
Stronger.
More determined than ever before.
Raze raised his guard.
Stage Two strained his body.
Astra strained her limits.
The arena trembled.
The strongest student and the boy without a Nexas—
Both pushing past what they believed possible.
And high above them—
Unseen eyes watched carefully.
Because this battle had crossed a line.
And once limits were broken…
There was no going back.