The battlefield trembled under the weight of their clash.
Riku surged forward, his Divine Avatar Ascended barely containing the overwhelming power of the King's Fractured Sovereign form. Energy rippled through the air like a storm on the verge of breaking loose.
They exchanged blow after blow — Riku's speed and versatility against the King's fractured reality-bending strikes. For a moment, it seemed Riku might gain the upper hand.
But the King's form adapted swiftly, shards twisting unpredictably to block, parry, and strike with devastating force.
With a final, shattering blow, the King smashed into Riku, sending him flying through the air like a broken arrow.
Riku crashed hard into the distant mountainside — the impact sending dust and debris skyward, his form crumpled and motionless.
For a long, heart-stopping moment, silence reigned.
Then, back on the battlefield, Yumi, Toru, and the Vanguard Protocol Team stared in stunned disbelief.
"Riku…" Yumi whispered, eyes wide, voice trembling.
"No way… he's…" Toru's words caught in his throat.
A low, ominous rumble began beneath their feet — a deep vibration that shook the earth itself.
The Vanguard Protocol Team exchanged glances, their faces pale but determined.
The ground cracked and rolled as if the world itself was responding to the chaos.
The rumble grew louder, echoing through the valley, drowning out all other sounds.
Their eyes locked, silently acknowledging what no one dared say aloud.
Riku was gone.
But the fight — the invasion — was far from over.