— KUBATO —
Kubato flinched as she saw the two of them moving closer.
She had watched the entire fight trembling, barely daring to breathe.
Now they were coming straight toward her.
Arthur's flames spread rapidly, licking across the wooden platform. The structure groaned, splintering under the heat.
"Akumu!" she cried out, fear trembling in her voice.
He caught her in the corner of his eye.
Deflecting one last attack, Akumu twisted into a sideways flip and hurled his scythe—still bound to a chain and belt clasp.
Arthur barely managed to block.
Akumu landed directly in front of Kubato.
Behind her, the cat slave remained focused, desperately working to free the chains binding Kubato's foster parents.
The fire consumed more of the wood.
It cracked.
It screamed.
"Norbert…" Akumu whispered again. "Are you still against me?"
Norbert…?
Arthur was breathing heavily now. Sweat ran down his face.
"I don't know who Norbert is," Arthur replied hoarsely, gripping both blazing swords.
"But I'm enjoying this fight!"
His energy core flared bright red once more.
The glow spread through his armor, igniting it completely.
"My ultimate combat style," Arthur declared proudly.
"Burning Swordfighter. There has never been anyone worthy of this form before. Consider it an honor."
Kubato's chest tightened in terror.
He looked monstrous—burning, blazing, unbearably hot.
The wood around him ignited instantly.
It was only a matter of time before the entire platform collapsed.
Akumu prepared to charge.
But—
In her fear, Kubato grabbed Death's leg.
Akumu froze.
He looked back over his shoulder at her.
"Please…" Kubato whispered, her voice shaking.
"End it. I want to leave. I don't want to be here anymore."
Akumu nodded.
When he turned back to Arthur, the seriousness vanished from his face, replaced by calm. By warmth.
A smile.
"Arthur," Akumu said, tightening his grip on the scythe, "I enjoyed our fight. Truly. But I have to end this—now."
The burning swordfighter laughed loudly.
"What? Are you afraid of me, Death?"
"Death?" Akumu echoed softly.
"Let me tell you a small secret about myself."
Kubato's ears twitched.
A secret… about Akumu?
"I am more than death," he continued.
His expression hardened—serious, solemn, terrifying.
"I am the entity of darkness itself."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Pure darkness swallowed both Akumu and Arthur.
Kubato gasped.
The emptiness.
The fear.
The absolute hopelessness.
She heard Arthur scream—raw, desperate—like prey being hunted by death itself.
Then—
The darkness vanished.
Akumu stood behind Arthur.
His scythe hung low, as if the strike had already been made long ago.
Arthur collapsed backward like a sack of stones.
The flames were gone.
His swords lay shattered.
A deep gash split his armor—cutting straight through the energy core.
The core imploded silently, losing all power.
The armor sagged, suddenly heavy and lifeless.
Arthur lay there, breathing in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
It had taken only an instant.
Akumu had been playing with him.
As the realization reached him, Arthur began to laugh.
"That… was unexpected," he said weakly.
"You've won."
Akumu turned away.
For a brief moment, his expression showed concern—then quiet satisfaction.
He walked past Arthur and stopped in front of Kubato.
"Let me ask you one last thing," Arthur said after calming down.
"Who are you… really?"
Akumu stood before Kubato.
She looked up into his thoughtful face.
"Akumu Keishi," he answered softly.
"I… was once human. Just like you."
His shadow stretched outward.
It crawled beneath Kubato, beneath Marcel and Margarita, beneath the cat woman.
"You truly are mysterious," Arthur said from the ground.
"It was an honor meeting you."
Darkness rose—
And swallowed Kubato, her foster parents, the cat woman, and Akumu whole.