That’s right… Ze thought hazily, barely even noticing the pulsating pain throughout his head anymore as Sen continued his merciless onslaught. He gave me a choice, even though he didn’t need to – even though I was indispensable to the plan, he prioritized my own freedom – the right to choose what I wanted to do with my life. That’s something that Yami never gave me. His thoughts slowed, and his breathing grew shallow. That bastard stole me and defiled my body for his own delusional future. I never had the privilege to say no… or to even think for myself. And here I am, having second thoughts about keeping my word to someone who offered that freedom to me, when no one else would.

  Ze grew ashamed—ashamed that he even thought, for a mere moment, of breaking the vow he had made to his master, even though he was the only one who cared enough to ask what Ze wanted to do with his life. The act of a simple question had stuck with Ze throughout the last twelve years since his master freed him from Yami’s grueling experiments. It made Ze trust him with every ounce of his heart.

  The pain in his head grew more palpable as his muddled and disoriented thoughts came to a conclusion.

  I’d rather die… than break my promise.

  Ze didn’t know where the sudden strength that surged through every muscle and fiber of his body came from. It should have been impossible for him to withstand Sen’s vicious attacks or even attempt to block them.

  Yet he was able to.

  As if he were emerging from a thunderous storm into its eye, everything became clear to him. The violent cold and haziness in his mind dissipated. He regained consciousness, along with the throbbing agony that accompanied it. However, he didn’t mind the pain from his wounds; in fact, he was thankful that he could feel its touch, for that meant… he hadn’t died yet.

  He grabbed hold of both of Sen’s attacking fists, much to the controlling monster’s surprise. Then, while pulling Sen’s hands closer, Ze smashed his head against his opponent.

  Ze’s face was bloody and disfigured from Sen’s attacks; still, regardless of the indescribable pain he felt, he did it. There was something far scarier than a more powerful opponent… and that was someone who had nothing left to lose.

  He was that someone.

  Sen was left stunned by Ze’s attack to the head, unable to process how he had even managed to survive after everything he had endured. Ze didn’t know how to answer that himself. He had no secret ability that activated before his death, nor had he taken a magical pill like Hono that prevented Sen’s ability to freeze a person and consume fear. It was none of those. However, Ze began to suspect that the answer was far more boring and unsatisfying—at least for most.

  Hope… Hope had lent its hand to him when he faced the gates of emptiness.

  He roared, repeatedly crashing his head against Sen’s while gripping his arms to prevent escape. Even with the energy winds softening the impact, cracks resonated within Ze’s skull with every desperate attack, the pain so vivid and raw that it didn’t even feel real. But it was worth it, because it meant Sen’s body was enduring far more damage than he was, being on the receiving end of his assaults—he hoped, at least.

  As he lurched his head once more, however, Sen had enough—with a loud growl, he kneed Ze in the chest with as much power as ten kangaroos, equating to twenty thousand pounds of force per square inch. He only felt the vibration of bones shattering within him at first. That didn’t last very long. The cold grip of merciless pain greeted him, followed by the air in his lungs ceasing to be exhaled.

  Yet Ze didn’t release his grip. He had gotten so used to the pain that enveloped every inch of his body that it didn’t faze him anymore. There was no reason for him to let go.

  Tightening his grip around Sen’s wrists, Ze pulled him to the ground, forcing Sen’s face to crash against the bloody, stained earth. Just for a mere moment, the air pressure around them softened.

  The whirlwinds… they stopped for a second. He’s close to his end. The Sense Energy releasing from his body is bound to stop at some point. There’s only so much expendable gas in the tank before it runs empty. Maybe Master Zero was right even about this.

  Ze punched the back of Sen’s head, burying him deeper into the puddle of blood and soggy dirt. The whirlwinds of energy exuding from Sen’s body slowed down Ze’s punches, and it was challenging to keep him pinned against the ground; however, it was growing weaker. It was far easier to face the thrashing whirlwinds than before. So Ze continued without clemency.

  Master Zero had warned him that he couldn’t kill Sen, no matter the circumstances, and that he could only stop him after the Activation—when Sen would drain the energy and slaughter those innocent contestants. If Ze had faced off against Sen before he awakened, then the plan would be all for nothing.

  If Ze didn’t manage to stop Sen after the planned ordeal… then the same also applied—it meant he failed the mission. And as much as Ze hated to admit it, he was very close to doing that.

  When Sen attempted to resist his attacks and expend more energy, hoping his whirlwinds would throw Ze off as before, it had the opposite effect. The harder Sen tried, the weaker he became. Even though the whirlwinds increased in strength, it simply wasn’t worth the effort exerted. Additionally, Ze made sure to intertwine their legs when he pinned Sen’s body to anchor himself against the powerful energy waves. Ze couldn’t let this rare chance slip by.

  Blood dripping from Ze’s face, barely distinguishable, he drove his fists against Sen’s back like a wild animal. Each thrashing punch against Sen felt like hitting a brick wall that would never collapse or falter.

  For a brief moment, he forgot that he wasn’t allowed to kill Sen.

  His mind… no… his body was solely focused on stopping this entity beneath him. It was an animal’s instinct. An instinct formed from a realization that he was less powerful. It was an act of wild desperation.

  Had he not lost his sword in the midst of battle and its hazy domain, Ze wondered whether he could resist the desperate instinct that urged within him. However, it was too late to answer that question.

  The whirlwinds that exuded from Sen’s body… stopped.

  The large dome that encircled the clearing from Sen’s massive energy output dissipated, allowing the soft rain to fall from the sky uninterrupted.

  Ze’s punch hesitated and froze just before it could make contact with Sen’s wounded back. The durable tracksuit provided by the academy proved inconsequential against his brute power, leaving visible holes and tears. Underneath them, red, swollen wounds bulged on Sen’s back, covered in a mixture of their blood.

  Pain began throbbing in his fists, and when Ze decided to look at them, he regretted it. His skin loosely hung on the bones of his knuckles, mushed and torn from the force of his own attacks.

  Looking at both their wounds, Ze realized just how much stronger Sen was compared to him. The damage from Ze’s strikes almost seemed to hurt him more than Sen.

  But it was finally over…

  The activation was complete, and he had successfully neutralized Sen.

  Ze let out a sigh, slightly relaxing his grip on Sen. Now all that’s left is for him to take the shot—

  He didn’t have the luxury of finishing that hopeful thought.

  The moment there was a small opening, Sen threw Ze off him with a powerful thrust and swiftly kicked him in the gut, forcing him backward.

  Ze’s eyes widened, and his already loose jaw dropped further in pure shock. Regret echoed in Ze’s ears as Sen’s approaching figure lunged for another attack.

  He… played dead? The thought barely had time to form in Ze’s mind before Sen’s nails sank deep into his abdomen. Blood dripped onto the soggy earth, accompanied by soft rain. Sen clenched and twisted his hand in Ze’s stomach, grinding his flesh into minced meat. He felt liquid begin to travel up his throat, and he wasn’t sure whether it was blood or something else. But it didn’t matter… Nothing did anymore.

  “…I will… succeed the mission.”

  Ze elbowed Sen’s arm, dislodging the hand that was stuck inside his stomach. The sound of Ze’s bodily fluids pouring followed, and he didn’t even care to glance down to look at it.

  The monster inside of Sen realized that expending so much energy while using the whirlwinds wouldn’t end well, so it premeditatedly stopped them—to drop my guard. Ze realized finally as he lurched his fist at Sen’s face, only for it to be dodged swiftly. This monster is smarter than I thought. But still dumb. It wasted too much energy.

  Ze could see it when he hurled a flurry of attacks at Sen—his dodges were becoming sluggish and slow. The same went for Sen’s attacks—his kicks and futile attempts to claw Ze were not as precise and swift as they had once been.

  It seemed the monster realized this as well. It tried to create a greater distance between them by leaping away, but Ze wouldn’t allow that to happen. Every escape attempt was immediately thwarted by a short chase and exchange.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  He knew that if Sen escaped from the open clearing, fighting him would be far more difficult among the clustered trees. Not only that, but he also wouldn’t be able to take the shot. For that to happen, however, he needed to restrain Sen.

  If only I hadn’t let my guard down when the whirlwinds had finally ended. If only I had given him the signal at that split second…

  As Ze chased Sen around the clearing, exchanging a few blows and futile attempts at restraining him, he pleaded that he would find his sword somewhere, which would aid in the fight. However, that proved to be nothing more than a wishful thought. It had been carried away in the whirlwinds amid the fierce battle, just like Sen’s sword.

  Will you just… stop… running. Ze’s thoughts grew sluggish. Stop runni—

  …Ze’s body froze.

  Every single muscle shut down, and his breath wouldn’t exhale.

  The blue light in his eyes flickered away.

  As he plummeted to the ground, Ze caught a blurry glimpse of his stomach, which he had refused to look at.

  It had been brutally torn out, covered in so much scarlet blood that he could barely make out the intestines. A loud ring roared in his ears as he remembered why it looked so familiar.

  The placement of the wound… was in the same place Yami had once experimented on him.

  Ze almost found that funny, but he had no ability to laugh.

  The reality that he was only human finally caught up to his body, and in the corner of his eye, he could see Sen attempt to escape, not even caring to finish the final blow.

  But perhaps that was to be expected.

  After all, only a monster would leave their prey to suffer as they bled to death.

  …

  The world slowed down… it felt as if a mere second were minutes, if not hours, in his mind.

  Oddly, he spent time thinking about his life. Or perhaps that was the wrong way to say it…

  He was forced to.

  Memories flashed in his mind nonstop, and he couldn’t control which ones or how they appeared. He just saw them—each one so vivid and clear, his normal memory could never replicate it. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to.

  The memories hurt… more than any word in the human dictionary could do justice.

  Most were just him experiencing the pain of being experimented on… of being a slave to Yami and his psychotic desire.

  But then there were a small few in between those thousands—ones that shone the brightest and warmest. They were moments with his master… no… his brother.

  The person who had saved him, and the person who would save this world.

  Then, almost as if it were a miracle, one muscle moved in his body… and it was neither an attempt to move his legs or arms to escape, nor to catch up to Sen—he had given up on that.

  It was something far more important—his lips twitched, slowly turning into… a smile.

  Ze’s body had been lifeless and unresponsive, yet somehow it had not forgotten the words he spoke to Hono before the battle commenced.

  “If things end how he predicted they would, I would want it to end with a smile at least.”

  Even at death’s door, Ze ensured that he would keep his promise.

  …

  The world turned to darkness… but as a last goodbye, it gave him the gift of hearing one last sound.

  It was the voice of a familiar girl.

  “Thank you for everything, Ze.”

  Hono’s eyes snapped awake as she found herself behind a large shrub in the midst of the forest. An invisible wound pulsated in her head, almost resisting the fact that she had woken up. The body was smart; it knew its limits, and right now, it was telling her that she shouldn’t be alive.

  Hono covered her mouth before violently coughing up a mixture of mucus and blood. Grimacing in pain, she saw the mess on her hands, wondering for a moment how she had even survived the brutal attack by Sen. Then, in her hazy and distorted mind, she recalled what Master Zero had said during her daydream.

  “But you must keep pushing forward. The pill you ate will make sure of that. Now get up… the future lays on your shoulders. Sen is relying on you.”

  It was funny that even without his presence, her master could somehow encourage her. It comforted her, knowing that even though she might seem alone, he was always beside her in spirit—like an angel.

  She wasn’t sure how he was able to evoke such an emotion from her, but perhaps that was one of the many reasons why she would give her life to protect him… to protect the cause that he fought for.

  My job isn’t done. I have to ensure the success of the mission, even if it means that I die. Hono jolted up, blood dripping from her maimed face and pain searing through her body. However, it could be a lot worse. The pill the master gave me not only stopped Sen’s ability to absorb my Sense Energy and immobilize me, but it also gave me more strength, pushing the boundaries of what my body is capable of. Master foresaw all of this happening.

  Regardless of the blaring pain in her ears, she activated Hearing. Hundreds of sounds instantly pierced her eardrums, but she focused on one specific one—the echoes of two people battling.

  The fact that she could hear any commotion made her heart flutter with a sense of hope, because it meant the mission had not failed just yet.

  Activating Touch next, Hono’s muscles tensed as strength flooded through them, masking the fatigue and pain of her deep wounds. Her body seemed to soar through the forest like a bird, the trees and shrubbery becoming blurry, inconsequential objects from her speed.

  Her hand gently rested on the side of her waist, expecting to feel the handle of her sword, but it was only a leather case. She had forgotten that her sword had been taken away from her amidst the powerful whirlwinds, which proved to be quite a problem.

  She was forced to use her last resort.

  Hono stopped before the clearing where the fight echoed. The whirlwinds had finally ceased, bringing her a wave of hope.

  However, that was utterly and brutally crushed when her eyes fell upon a familiar large figure lying limp on the ground.

  Sen was fleeing from the scene after successfully defeating Ze, and his movements were sluggish and slow.

  Hono didn’t think twice. She unzipped her tracksuit and pulled out a small dagger attached to her leg.

  Taking a deep breath, Hono whispered, “Thank you for everything, Ze.”

  Then tossed the blade in Sen’s fleeing direction with all the strength she could muster.

  The dagger bolted across the clearing, whistling as it tore through the air and rain. Its blade reflected the surprised face of Sen, who turned his head after hearing movement behind him.

  But by then, it was too late. The dagger pierced Sen’s eye.

  A violent, loud roar of pain escaped Sen—one not belonging to a human, but a vicious beast in human flesh.

  Hono had no time to waste. She bounded across the clearing, her muscles screaming in protest as she soared through the air.

  The rain pattered gently as she crashed into Sen.

  With fierce accuracy, she pulled the dagger from Sen’s eye—blood gushing out—and impaled it back into the top of his chest. Screaming in pain, Sen wildly flailed his hands at her, which she dodged with ease.

  Forgive me, master. I know you said only to harm Sen enough to restrain him. I hope that this isn’t crossing that line, Hono thought. She hoped the white tiger’s regenerative abilities were sufficient to heal those wounds, and in doing so, would deplete even more Sense Energy from him.

  She needed to inflict enough damage to drain the monster so it would go unconscious, and she could restrain Sen’s body.

  Then he could finish the job. However, it was impossible with Sen’s violent, unpredictable movements. In order for the final phase to work, he needed to be in one place.

  Hono tried to retrieve her dagger from Sen’s chest, but as her fingers came inches from grasping it, Sen roared and elbowed her reaching arm. A crack reverberated through her body, and instantly her arm grew limp with scorching pain. Yet, she still pushed on.

  Hono threw herself at Sen, crashing on top of him and bombarding him with punches from her other arm, driving the dagger lodged in Sen’s chest deeper. He screamed and tried stopping her attacking hand in a disoriented manner, but the blood from his eye gushed so much that it blinded him.

  Attempting to throw her off, Sen thrashed like an animal having a seizure. That proved futile as she keenly slithered to Sen’s back and secured his neck in a chokehold. A drip of blood escaped the side of Sen’s gritting mouth as Hono tightened her grasp. Since Sen had broken her other arm despite Touch strengthening her body, it was difficult to form the correct chokehold, as it relied on the other arm as a fastener. Thus, Hono was forced to improvise by gripping her own shoulder and using it as an anchor. That seemed to get the job done.

  No matter how violently Sen tried to release her arm from his neck—gouging and attempting to dig into her skin—Hono would not let go.

  The lack of air was beginning to make the monster controlling Sen desperate; it tried leaning up slightly and jerking backward in an effort to crush Hono, who clung to its back. It was a futile attempt—regardless of the surging pain going down her spine, it was not enough to loosen her grip.

  Just a little more, Hono gritted her teeth, using every ounce of energy stored in her body.

  She should have run out a long time ago. The body usually stops using Sense Energy after a certain point to ensure the person survives. However, if someone were to go beyond that point, the damage would be catastrophic.

  Even Senseless people had that same energy within, but because of a genetic mutation, they were incapable of using or channeling it. Throughout evolution, the body had grown dependent on the foreign force to survive.

  Yet thanks to the pill her master had given her, she was able to surpass the threshold that limited her body—and with that came a near-certain chance of death.

  As Hono strangled Sen, who wriggled and dug into her arm with his sharp nails, she could feel her muscles and bones beginning to deteriorate.

  Sen was not the only one losing his energy at a rapid pace. The difference was that Hono was willing to risk her own life to succeed, while the monster didn’t have that luxury.

  The white tiger understood that if it drained all the Sense Energy, Sen’s life would be in jeopardy—and its own would be, too.

  As a last resort, Sen’s body released a surge of whirlwinds, hoping to throw her off.

  Hono tightened her hold even more, feeling the force of the winds pushing her back and clamoring against her body as she desperately clung to Sen’s back.

  She could not let go…

  She would not let go…

  There was too much to lose if she failed. Her life was just an inconsequential part of it all.

  This was far more than just her… This was the future of humanity.

  They all rested on her shoulders.

  It was lonely… so incredibly lonely to bear all this pain and responsibility, knowing that no one would understand what she had to sacrifice to achieve it.

  People would not remember who she was, nor would they retell her story to their children.

  Hono knew that… and still she pushed onward for a better future for them.

  She fought for the people whom she had never met or talked to.

  She fought for the people who would come after her death.

  She fought… for Sen.

  ....

  Then suddenly, Sen stopped moving, and the energy waves releasing from his body slowly died down. Hono was left clutching Sen’s limp body, not having enough strength to even let go.

  The rain gently fell on both of them, as Hono looked lifelessly toward the dark sky, her mind growing oddly hazy and drowsy.

  Hono couldn’t help but wish that the sun would come to greet her in her last moments, but she knew that was impossible. Still, she hoped to see the beautiful, clear sky light up with orange streaks created by the sun once more. It was a wishful thought, perhaps.

  It was funny that although the mind knew it was dying, it focused on something completely different, as if trying to fool itself into not worrying as much.

  In truth, as much as Hono was worried, an emotion far more powerful than that overwhelmed her.

  She felt content—the sensation overflowed, warming every inch of her body and soul.

  As good as it was… Hono wondered suddenly why it felt… so oddly familiar.

  As if she had experienced something like this before?

  But was that possible? She couldn’t quite remember when it was…

  Then, a hazy image formed in Hono’s mind—a young mother holding her newborn in one of the city’s many chaotic streets. The mother tenderly looked down at the baby, her smile filled with a warmth that could never be replicated by anyone else.

  The moment Hono gazed into the woman’s eyes, she realized that this wasn’t just a hallucination or something her mind came up with in the last moments of her life.

  It was a memory.

  Hono slowly slipped away into a blurry and comforting darkness.

  …

  “Bang!”

  A shot rang throughout the forest.