Hikaru didn't answer.
He simply tightened his grip on his sword.
Shinkagi felt it immediately.
That pressure—this wasn't magic.
It was pure experience.
Hikaru rushed forward.
CLANG!
Steel met ice as Shinkagi quickly coated his arm with frozen armor to block the strike. The impact sent cracks racing through the ice.
"So slow," Hikaru said. "You still depend on ice to defend."
Shinkagi snarled and slammed his hand into the ground.
"Ice Magic—FROZEN SPIKE!"
Sharp ice spears erupted toward Hikaru.
Hikaru didn't cast ice.
He cut.
His sword moved like fire itself—each swing shattering the spears before they reached him.
In the same motion, flames wrapped around his blade.
WHOOSH!
A fire-charged slash tore through the battlefield and struck Shinkagi's shoulder.
"Ahh!"
Blood sprayed—but cold blue light instantly covered the wound, healing it.
"You're quite impressive when it comes to healing magic," Hikaru said calmly.
Shinkagi stepped back, breathing harder.
"You've grown stronger… I can't let you live."
Both his hands glowed.
The temperature dropped sharply.
"Ice Magic—ABSOLUTE BIND!"
Chains of ice shot toward Hikaru's legs.
Hikaru leaped up, twisted mid-air, and landed behind Shinkagi.
BAM!
A sword-hilt strike smashed into Shinkagi's back, sending him crashing forward.
"You chant too much," Hikaru said. "That's why you lose."
Shinkagi roared and unleashed everything—
Ice walls, blades, storms—filling the field.
But Hikaru moved through it all effortlessly.
No ice magic.
Only speed, swordsmanship, and perfectly controlled fire.
Each slash wounded Shinkagi.
Each time, healing magic activated.
But slower.
Weaker.
"You don't get it," Hikaru said, lifting his sword as flames and lightning wrapped around it.
"Healing drains you."
One final charge.
Shinkagi formed his strongest spell—
"Ice Dragon—"
Hikaru disappeared.
FLASH.
One clean strike.
The dragon shattered.
The ground split.
Shinkagi stopped moving.
His healing magic tried to activate—
And failed.
He collapsed to his knees, defeated.
Hikaru turned away.
"This fight was over the moment you fell behind." now"
Ahh… I guess I'm dying right now.
The thought hit me slowly, like my mind was refusing to accept it.
But… how can I die like this?
My body wouldn't respond. Every breath felt heavier than the last.
Shingaki was barely standing. Blood dripped from his mouth as he tried to activate his healing magic again—light flickering weakly around his hands.
It failed.
Again.
"Stop it, Shingaki," Hikaru said.
His voice wasn't cold.
It was calm. Steady. Almost gentle.
"It's over. You've lost."
Shingaki laughed.
A broken, hollow sound.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "When I think about it… I did."
He looked at Hikaru—not with rage this time, but with something far uglier.
Pain.
"My family died during that chaos," Shingaki said.
"The day the battlefield swallowed everything."
His hands clenched.
"You were there. Strong enough to change the outcome… yet you walked away alive."
The words trembled.
"I don't know if you killed them," he admitted, teeth shaking.
"But they died in a world shaped by your power."
Silence followed.
Hikaru didn't argue.
Didn't defend himself.
He stepped forward instead.
"I never meant for that to happen," he said softly.
"And I won't pretend your pain isn't real."
For a moment—just a moment—Shingaki hesitated.
Then his eyes hardened.
"But pain doesn't disappear," he whispered.
"And I won't die empty-handed."
His palm slammed into the ground.
"Ice Magic—LAST BREATH."
"Hikaru—!"
He turned instantly.
"Xiao Yan, move!"
There was urgency now.
Fear—not for himself.
For me.
Too late.
Something tore through my chest.
"Ahh—!"
Cold exploded inside my body. I looked down.
Ice.
Straight through.
What… how…?
My legs gave out.
Hikaru caught me before I hit the ground. His arms were warm—solid.
"Hey," he said quickly, forcing a small smile.
"Stay with me. Don't close your eyes."
Blood filled my mouth.
"Ahh—!"
Breathing hurt. Thinking hurt.
So… this is really happening.
That's when fear finally reached my heart.
I can go back to the past… right?
I always had.
But—
What if this time I can't?
The thought crushed me.
What if I die… and there's no restart?
My fingers trembled.
I don't want it to end.
Hikaru's grip tightened—not desperate, but reassuring.
"I've got you," he said.
"Just a little longer."
I wanted to believe him.
Darkness crept in anyway.
Cold faded.
Sound vanished.
And just before everything disappeared, one final thought echoed inside my mind—
Please… let me go back.