**Tokyo – Grand International Stadium, Deep Midnight**
The floodlights blazed like captured stars, bathing the shattered arena in a harsh, unforgiving glow that turned every crack in the sand into a jagged scar of battle. Night had swallowed Tokyo whole, yet the stadium pulsed with life—a living heartbeat of ten thousand souls holding their breath. The distant aurora from Paras City's earlier catastrophe still danced on the horizon, pale ribbons of gold and crimson twisting like dying prayers. The wind carried the sharp sting of ozone, dried blood, scorched earth, and the faint metallic taste of tears. Every spectator felt it: this was no longer just a tournament. This was destiny itself stepping onto the sand.
Wano stood at the heart of the battlefield, her elegant human form radiating quiet strength, short green hair swaying like forest leaves in the breeze. She gripped the microphone with steady, queenly grace, her voice cutting through the heavy silence like a blade of hope.
"So… this is the last fight."
Behind her, the announcer, the manager, and Mairun were being led away in glowing energy cuffs, their footsteps echoing like final judgments into the night. The crowd watched them go in stunned silence—no cheers, only the low murmur of justice finally served.
Wano lifted her chin, eyes sweeping every corner of the stadium.
"At the first side… representing President Blu's team… Astra!"
The camera drones swooped in like silver falcons. Astra knelt on one knee in the center of the arena, face carved from unyielding stone—serious, unbreakable, silver eyes glowing with the quiet fire of a dragon who refused to be extinguished. His torn gi and shirt hung in blood-soaked rags, hair fluttering wildly in the night wind, fresh and dried blood painting his skin like war markings. The public exploded in thunderous applause, fists pumping, voices rising in a roaring wave that shook the stands.
"Astra! Astra! Astra! You can do this, kid!"
A mother in the front row clutched her child, whispering through tears, "He's fighting for all of us…"
A group of teenagers chanted his name until their voices cracked.
Wano turned dramatically, pointing toward the opposite gate, her voice ringing with ceremony.
"And from President John's side… Lui!"
The massive iron gate groaned open slowly, metal scraping like the tolling of a divine bell. John didn't even glance at his own warrior—arms folded, expression cold and distant, as if the outcome no longer mattered. Other presidents leaned forward in their VIP boxes, eyes narrowed in curiosity and tension. Leopard pushed himself up despite his bandaged wounds, tail flicking with respect. Uraka rose halfway from her seat, pink hair catching the light like rose petals in moonlight. Even scattered spectators stood, craning their necks, hearts pounding.
The camera panned slowly, building the moment.
A young man stepped forward—tall, composed, almost ethereal under the lights. He wore a sleek black coat over black pants and a blood-red tie that fluttered like a warning flag. Tired blue eyes scanned the arena with quiet, ancient exhaustion. Blonde hair moved softly in the wind, as if even the breeze respected him.
Lui blinked twice, reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a folded check, and tore it cleanly in half. The pieces fluttered to the ground like fallen leaves of a finished chapter.
"Job ends today…" he murmured, voice calm yet carrying across the entire stadium. "Judgement returns… I am tired of being judge."
Astra stood instantly, wiping fresh blood from his lips with the back of his hand. The blood on his body had dried into dark crusts—a map of every battle, every sacrifice he had endured today. He smiled—small, fierce, unbreakable.
Both warriors locked eyes across the bloodied sand.
Astra's voice rang out, steady despite the fire in his veins.
"Are you a judge?"
Lui slid his hands into his pockets, calm as still water under moonlight.
"Of course… The Divine Judge of London."
Astra dropped into his fighting stance, silver flames flickering at his fingertips like the breath of an awakening dragon.
"Alright… Do your best. Because I am not holding back now."
High in the stands, Yuki clutched the railing until her knuckles turned white. Her black jacket felt too tight, the night wind too cold against her skin. Tears slipped beneath her sunglasses as memories flooded her—hospital nights, late-night movies, Astra's tiny hand in hers during thunderstorms. Her voice broke into a whisper that only the wind could carry.
"Astra… don't die… Please… I can't lose you too…"
Beside her, Wano's hand found hers, squeezing gently, voice soft but steady like ancient forest roots.
"He won't, Yuki. He's carried the weight of Paras City on his shoulders today. He'll carry this too. Believe in the boy you raised."
Uraka leaned forward, fists clenched, pink aura flickering with restrained power.
"That kid's got dragon blood. He's not done yet. Not by a long shot."
Leopard watched silently, bandaged hand trembling, voice low with respect.
"He fights like someone who has already lost everything… and still chooses to stand."
Blu closed his eyes in the VIP box, golden aura pulsing faintly around him. Inside, his heart clenched with a rare vulnerability he would never show the world.
*One last fight, Astra… Win this. For the city we rebuilt. For Yuki's smile. For the future I promised you.*
Wano raised the mic high, her voice booming like thunder across the silent stadium.
"Okay! Now the fight is going to be started!"
Astra stared at Lui. A single bead of sweat traced down his temple. His silver eyes sharpened, instincts screaming in warning.
*His power… it's way different. His personality too. It feels… almost like me. Divine. Pure. Unbreakable.*
Lui simply dusted invisible lint from his coat sleeve, calm, almost bored—yet his tired blue eyes held the weight of centuries.
Astra's silver eyes glowed brighter, a wild, determined smile breaking across his bloodied face.
The public's eyes were locked onto the battlefield, breaths held in perfect silence. Children clutched their parents' hands. Warriors in the crowd leaned forward. The entire world seemed to pause.
**The Battlefield – Divine Judgment**
Astra's aura exploded upward—silver flames roaring like a dragon's awakening cry, lighting the night in ethereal brilliance. He rushed forward, feet kicking up clouds of sand, heart pounding with every step.
Lui stood perfectly still, hands in pockets.
Astra threw a blazing punch—silver energy trailing like comet fire.
Lui tilted his head by a fraction. The fist missed by a whisper.
Astra spun instantly, launching a powerful spinning kick aimed at Lui's ribs.
Lui dodged again—effortless, graceful, as if dancing with the wind itself.
Then yellow lightning erupted from Lui's body like divine wrath. In a blink, he teleported behind Astra and slammed a lightning-charged kick into the back of his head with devastating force.
Astra flew forward—body spinning uncontrollably through the air.
Before he could even twist to recover, Lui teleported again, fist driving into Astra's waist with brutal, surgical precision.
**CRACK!**
Astra's torn gi and shirt blasted completely off in tattered shreds! Blood sprayed from his mouth in a bright, horrifying arc. His eyes rolled back for a split second—vision flashing white with agony.
The entire sequence had taken barely two seconds.
Astra rocketed backward, crashing across the arena floor. At the last possible moment he dug his heels in, carving deep trenches through the sand, stopping himself in a spray of dust and blood. He wiped his mouth, breathing hard, silver eyes locked on Lui with new respect, new calculation, and a flicker of something deeper—fear mixed with unbreakable resolve.
*He's fast… too fast. I need to plan—think—*
Before the thought could finish forming, Lui appeared directly in front of him, calm as ever.
Astra's eyes widened in shock. He swung a desperate punch.
Lui grabbed his wrist, twisted with divine strength, and slammed him face-first into the ground. Then he planted one foot on Astra's back, pressing down with crushing, unrelenting weight.
Astra screamed—raw, agonized, the sound tearing from his throat like a wounded dragon's cry. Sand ground into his open wounds.
Yuki shot to her feet in the stands, hands flying to her mouth, tears streaming freely down her face.
"Astra!! Hold on!! I'm right here!!"
Blu gritted his teeth so hard the sound echoed in his own ears, golden aura flaring uncontrollably.
"Astra… don't feel weak like that. We need to win! At any cost! You trained for this moment—don't let it slip away!"
Suddenly the ground beneath Astra ignited—silver flames roaring upward like a phoenix reborn from ashes!
Astra roared with everything he had left, power surging through his veins. He exploded upward, flames trailing like wings, launching a furious barrage of punches and kicks that lit the night sky.
Lui dodged every strike with casual, almost lazy grace—hands still in his pockets, blue eyes never losing their tired calm.
One of Astra's flaming kicks nearly grazed Lui's leg—silver fire licking at his shoe like a hungry beast.
At the exact same instant, Astra created eight perfect after-images—each one striking from a different direction, a swirling storm of silver fists and blazing blasts.
Lui raised one eyebrow—the first visible crack in his divine composure.
"Oh…"
He lifted his right hand slowly. The golden ring with its glowing blue sapphire pulsed with ancient power.
A perfect golden magical barrier erupted around him—transparent, shimmering with divine runes that sang in the wind.
Every single one of Astra's attacks slammed into the shield and shattered harmlessly—explosions blooming like fireworks against unbreakable glass, lighting the stadium in brilliant silver and gold.
The silver flames on the ground died instantly, as if the barrier had stolen their soul.
Smoke cleared slowly, dramatically.
Lui stepped forward, completely untouched. Not a scratch. Not a single hair out of place. His tired blue eyes met Astra's with quiet pity.
"Is that all you can do?"
Astra's jaw dropped, eyes wide in genuine disbelief and rising despair.
"Wh—what!? I used my full effort! Then why—how!?"
Lui teleported behind him in a flicker of yellow lightning, voice soft yet carrying the weight of judgment.
"Worthless."
He raised one hand. Golden lightning crashed down from the sky like the wrath of heaven itself, striking Astra's raised arms with merciless force.
Astra blocked—barely—pushed backward, boots carving deep furrows in the sand, breathing ragged and desperate.
Lui teleported into the air and fired a concentrated lightning bullet that slammed into Astra's guard, the force driving him backward again like a ragdoll.
Astra crashed into the arena wall—concrete exploding in a shower of debris and dust, the impact echoing like thunder.
When the smoke finally cleared, Astra was on one knee, chest heaving, blood dripping steadily onto the sand in dark pools.
"Damn it… I have to do something…"
His silver eyes locked onto Lui, who hovered calmly in the sky, hands still in pockets.
*He's powerful… too powerful. Even with strategies I can't win easily. He's smart—smarter than anyone I've faced. But I can't stop. Not now. Not after Paras City. Not after Mom's smile in my dreams.*
Lui teleported down, kneeling beside him with eerie calm.
"What are you planning, kid?"
Lui threw a casual punch.
Astra blocked it with his palm—muscles straining, veins bulging—then shoved with everything he had, hurling Lui into the air.
Astra followed instantly with a desperate barrage of silver flame blasts that lit the night like falling stars.
Lui stabilized mid-air, dodging every shot with fluid, almost bored grace.
Some of the public began chanting Astra's name, voices rising in desperate waves of support.
"Astra! Fight! Don't give up! We're with you!"
"Kid, you saved Paras City—save yourself now!"
Lui snapped his fingers.
From nowhere, golden chains crackling with divine lightning erupted from the ground, wrapping around Astra's wrists and ankles, pinning him in place like a criminal before judgment.
The chains tightened, lightning surging through his body in white-hot agony.
Astra screamed—back arching, eyes glowing violently bright across the entire stadium!
His aura flared wildly—silver flames exploding outward in a final, desperate roar.
The chains shattered in a brilliant, deafening burst of light!
Astra dropped to his knees, aura cracking like fragile glass, then fading completely. His eyes dulled. Vision blurred. The world spun. All he could hear through the ringing in his ears was Yuki's heartbroken scream tearing through the night.
"Astraaaa!!"
Blu turned sharply in the VIP box, golden aura flaring in raw fury and fear he could no longer hide.
Lui simply stood there, smiling faintly, untouched as ever.
Astra's voice came out weak, broken, barely a whisper that somehow carried across the silent stadium.
"Sorry everyone… I couldn't do it anymore… I give up… Please forgive me… I am just useless after all…"
A soft, achingly familiar voice echoed deep inside his mind—gentle, loving, full of tears.
"No, you aren't… My son—"
Astra's eyes snapped open in raw terror.
He was no longer in the stadium.
He lay on a luxurious dragon-style bed—scales of pure gold and crimson, silk sheets softer than clouds. The room smelled of warm incense, blooming night flowers, and home—the castle on Planet Sin.
Astra sat up slowly, heart hammering against his ribs.
"Who's there? Who is saying that!?"
The ornate door creaked open with a sound like distant thunder.
Monika stepped inside—silver hair flowing like liquid moonlight, arms crossed gently, tears already shining in her warm eyes like stars.
Astra's eyes widened, instantly wet with a flood of memories and pain.
"Mom…?"
Monika closed her eyes, smiling through her tears, voice trembling with a love that could shake galaxies.
"Yes… sweetheart…"
She crossed the room in two graceful strides and pulled him into her arms, holding him so tightly it felt like the entire universe had come home. Her tears fell onto his hair as she rocked him gently.
"See… my son, Ares… how much you have grown up… My beautiful boy… Even though Yuki isn't your blood sister, I will call her my daughter… because she is as helpless and precious as you once were. Do you love her, my child?"
Astra buried his face in her shoulder, tears soaking her dress, voice muffled but fierce with every ounce of his heart.
"Yes… I love her so much, Mom! She's my everything!"
Monika stroked his hair with infinite tenderness, voice soft and warm like a lullaby from his earliest memories.
"She has taken care of you since you were a tiny child… Please protect her at any cost. Respect your elders. You are a really good son. Never make excuses for your responsibilities. Promise me, Ares."
Astra nodded against her, smiling through the tears that wouldn't stop.
"Yes, Mom. I promise—I'll protect her forever…"
Suddenly King Sin's ruthless voice boomed through the entire planet, shaking the castle walls like an earthquake of cruelty.
"Kill him! Kill Ares right now! Nobody will be stronger than me!"
Astra's blood turned to ice.
"No… no… this voice… it's the same one that haunts me…"
Monika stood instantly in front of him, arms spread wide, shielding him with her body like a living shield of love.
"No… not now… Please! He… he is my son… our son!"
King Sin's cruel smile echoed in the air, cold and merciless.
"I don't know about anything… it is my order. He should not exist."
The sky outside turned blood-red in an instant.
Space Emperor Dano and his massive fleet suddenly appeared—ships blotting out the stars like locusts.
Dano yawned lazily from the command deck, voice dripping boredom.
"Let's erase those lizards."
He raised one hand. A colossal burning orb formed above the planet, glowing like a second, vengeful sun.
The entire planet Sin began to burn instantly—cities igniting in roaring infernos, warriors screaming as they fell, blood running in rivers that boiled under the heat. Flames licked at the castle walls. The ground trembled.
Monika stood firm in front of Astra, her shadow falling protectively over him as the fire roared closer and closer.
Tears fell from her eyes onto his face, but she still smiled—only for him, only to give him strength.
"Remember my words… Don't annoy your sister. Live for her. Protect her. You are my greatest treasure, Ares."
Astra reached out desperately, voice breaking into a child's sob.
"No! Mom!! Stop itttt!! Don't leave me—please!!"
The planet exploded in white-hot fire.
Everything burned away—castles, warriors, dreams—until only ash remained.
Astra snapped back to reality—gasping violently, lying on the cold stadium sand, tears streaming down his bloodied cheeks in rivers.
"What just happened…? Mom…? Dad…?"
Lui walked slowly toward him, footsteps echoing like final judgment in the deathly quiet stadium.
"Let's end this quick… Give up already?"
Astra gritted his teeth, fists clenching until fresh blood welled between his fingers. His voice came out raw, determined, filled with every loss and every promise he had ever made.
"No… I didn't."
Lui's eyes glowed with divine power, voice almost gentle.
"So let's fight."
He rushed.
Astra blocked punch after punch, backing away, muscles screaming in protest.
Lui's attacks grew faster—each one landing harder, precise as divine judgment.
Astra stopped one punch mid-air, roaring with everything he had left.
"I don't let everyone's dream fall like that!"
He shoved—both warriors skidding backward across the sand.
Astra dashed forward with renewed fire.
Lui blocked the knee strike and countered with a lightning-burst kick that lit the night.
Astra barely dodged, rolling away desperately.
Lui punched again—connecting solidly with Astra's side.
Astra staggered, blood spraying from his mouth, muscles tightening in fresh agony. He clutched his stomach, breathing ragged and wet.
"Lui… If you are strong enough… then why don't you use your full energy? Come on. You can end the battle fast and return to your country. And I will use my full power too."
Lui remained perfectly calm, voice even and philosophical.
"Because I know your plan. You will focus on dodging my attacks, burning my energy out, while saving your own. Don't think I am a fool, young dragon."
Astra's eyes widened in genuine respect and quiet despair.
"You're smart… smarter than anyone I've ever fought…"
Lui teleported beside him and punched.
Astra threw his own hand up—both warriors skidding apart in a shower of sparks.
Astra raised both hands—silver flaming slashes erupted, carving deep, glowing trenches across the arena, burning walls but stopping harmlessly at the invisible safety barrier protecting the crowd.
Lui leaped through the slashes with effortless grace, raising both hands to the sky.
Massive twin golden swords materialized above, crackling with holy lightning and divine wrath.
Lui's voice thundered across the stadium like the voice of heaven itself.
"Wrath of Valkyrie!"
The swords slammed downward—massive nuclear golden slashes descending like the judgment of gods!
They evaporated Astra's silver slashes in an instant, the sheer power making the air itself scream.
Astra's eyes widened in horror.
"No—!"
He thrust both hands upward, silver flames roaring with everything he had left, blood leaking from his eyes from the unbearable strain.
He managed to stop the golden slashes mid-air—trembling violently, holding back the judgment of a god with nothing but his will and his love for those waiting in the stands.
Lui teleported behind him and punched.
Astra dodged at the last second, heart hammering.
Lui teleported beside him again—fist slamming into Astra's cheek with a sickening **CRACK!**
Bone-cracking sound echoed across the silent stadium.
Lightning exploded from the impact, hurling Astra backward in a violent ragdoll spin.
He tumbled across the sand, trying desperately to stand, fresh blood dripping in steady drops that stained the arena floor.
Lui walked forward, holy energy swirling behind him like wings of judgment.
The golden swords glowed brighter, descending once more with unstoppable force.
Astra raised one trembling hand—silver flames surging, barely holding the swords at bay while his body screamed in protest.
He staggered to his feet, breathing in ragged, painful gasps.
The atmosphere was suffocating—intense, silent except for the crackle of clashing divine powers.
Blu narrowed his eyes, golden aura flaring brighter than ever, fists clenched until they bled.
Wano lowered her grip on the mic, worry and hope warring on her face.
Yuki stood frozen, hands over her heart, whispering broken prayers through tears.
"Fight… please… for me… for us…"
Uraka's fists clenched until they bled, pink aura surging.
Hundreds of spectators rose as one, chanting Astra's name, voices raw with emotion and desperation.
"ASTRA! FIGHT! DON'T GIVE UP! YOU SAVED PARAS—SAVE YOURSELF!"
Lui raised his fingers.
The holy swords pierced forward—straight through Astra's stomach with merciless precision.
Blood erupted in a fountain, spraying across the sand.
Astra's aura shattered completely.
His eyes stopped glowing.
Yuki's scream tore through the night like a mother's soul breaking.
"Nooooooooooooo— Astraaaa! How could you do this to himmmm!"
Blu slammed his hand on the table so hard it cracked, voice raw with rare, shattering emotion.
"Astra!! You— I trained you! You can't! You just can't give up like thattttt!!! Wake up!! Don't you dare leave us!!"
Wano's voice cracked over the mic, tears in her eyes.
"We have hopes on you… Please… don't let it end like this…"
Lui simply stood there, calm as ever, golden light gathering in his palm for the final strike.
Astra smiled slowly through the unbearable pain—blood bubbling at his lips, body trembling, eyes dim but still defiant.
"At least… I tried… I am sorry everyone… I lose… Kill me, Lui."
Blu froze—eyes wide in genuine, heartbreaking shock for the first time in years.
"You lose…? You… accept your death…?"
Lui raised his hand, golden light gathering like the end of everything.
"As you wish… Astra… You were a really good opponent. But unfortunately… you couldn't win."
Uraka whispered, voice hollow and broken.
"Is that… the end? Of Astra…?"
The entire stadium held its breath.
The night wind howled.
And the final blow began to descend—slow, inevitable, beautiful in its terrible finality.