Toru and Yumi stood frozen.
The dust from the Queen's body hadn't even fully scattered. One second, death had been a breath away—the next, Riku was standing over it, silent and glowing like a god of war.
His silver aura pulsed softly in the air. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.
Toru opened his mouth.
"Riku, you—"
Yumi stepped forward, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You saved—"
BOOM.
A deafening shockwave cut them off.
The King had moved—so had Riku.
They collided mid-air, fists clashing with a force that cracked the skies above them.
"RAHHHH!!" the King bellowed, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
"I said come collect it," Riku replied coldly, dodging a sweeping strike that shattered the hill behind him.
The two blurred—flashes of red and silver streaking across the battlefield.
Every punch from the King carried the weight of titanic wrath. Every counter from Riku was surgical—fast, precise, built to cut through brute power.
Toru clenched his fists.
"He's pushing Riku hard."
Yumi's voice trembled.
"But Riku's... still holding back."
The King roared again, muscles bulging, Essence flaring as he unleashed a furious combo—massive blows raining down like falling meteors.
Riku ducked under one, sidestepped another, and was grazed by a third—his shoulder sparking with energy as blood sprayed out.
Still, his expression didn't change.
He launched upward, spun midair, and drove his foot into the King's gut, sending him flying across the crater.
The ground buckled.
The air warped from the collision.
But the King stood back up, even angrier than before. His body began to shift—growing larger, darker, more monstrous.
"You think killing her makes you strong?" he growled.
"No," Riku replied, silver eyes flashing. "But it makes me your problem."
And once again, they rushed each other, power surging, ready to tear the battlefield apart.