[ In front of the staircase ]
At that moment, Demian was still on the ground, trying to get up while supporting himself with one hand on his knee, never taking his eyes off Mira, who stood right in front of him.
How irritating… that look of superiority, as if this fight were already over. She thinks she's already won just because of that device—and the worst part is that I have no idea how to overcome this situation, Demian thought.
Mira placed her hands on her hips and said, "I think it's time to end this little game, Demian," as she began walking toward him.
Damn it. If I can't hit her in a normal way, then the only thing I can do now is this, Demian thought.
Then Demian began releasing a large amount of mana around his body. He pulled it closer to himself, causing it to transform into lightning, and moments later the bolts were released in all directions.
Noticing this, Mira quickly jumped backward to escape the lightning.
"What is this? A desperate attempt to hit me?" Mira asked.
But at that moment, before she could fully react, Demian slipped through the lightning and charged straight at her, throwing a punch aimed at her face.
Mira didn't even try to dodge—because Demian simply missed.
It doesn't matter how much you try. You can't hit me, Demian, Mira thought.
But then Demian smiled and said, "Of course I wasn't going to hit you—and that's fine, because I expected that."
"What?"
"In my vision, you were right in front of me, but I only hit the air. Still, I believe you'd be nearby when I missed. That's why I prepared a little present for you."
Surprised by Demian's words, Mira froze in place. Instinctively, she glanced at his fist—and at that moment, Demian opened his hand, revealing a tiny, minuscule sphere of mana covered in electricity.
Mira felt a bad premonition and raised both arms to defend herself. At the same time, Demian smiled and said, "Let's see you say I can't hit you now. Explode!"
A powerful bluish light erupted, and countless lightning bolts spread in every direction, hurling both Demian and Mira into opposite walls.
The electrical impact reverberated through the corridor like thunder trapped between walls.
Mira was hurled against the opposite wall with force, her body spinning through the air before crashing with a dull thud. Mana reinforcement prevented something worse—but this time, it wasn't perfect.
The device at her waist flickered.
Once.Twice.
Then it failed.
"—ngh!" Mira grunted as she dropped to her knees. Small sparks escaped from the device, which now emitted an irregular, almost sickly hum.
On the other side, Demian had also been thrown to the ground. He rolled onto his back, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the remaining electricity dissipated into the air.
His vision was still distorted.
But something… had changed.
He blinked a few times.
The world took less time to respond.
"…?" Demian frowned and pressed a hand against the floor. When he tried to get up, his body responded almost on time.
Not perfect.But better.
He lifted his gaze.
Mira was standing again, now pressing a hand against the device, her expression tense.
"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath.
The device crackled loudly.
Crack.
One of the light lines went completely dark.
Demian smiled—tired, but genuinely satisfied.
"So… electricity doesn't mix very well with delicate technology, huh?"
Mira ground her teeth and tried to activate the device again. The distortion returned—but failed midway, flickering unstably.
Demian felt the effect hit… and then vanish.
Irregular.
"…it's breaking," he said, taking a combat stance. "Not completely. But enough."
Mira charged without replying.
This time, Demian saw her.
Not with total clarity—there was still delay, still errors—but enough to react. He narrowly dodged a punch, feeling the wind brush past his face, and countered with a kick wrapped in electricity.
Mira blocked it, but was pushed back several steps.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Even damaged… it's still enough of an advantage," she said, releasing mana more aggressively.
The device hissed, forcing another distortion.
Demian felt the world falter for half a second.
He was hit in the shoulder.
It hurt.
But he didn't fall.
Lightning exploded around his body in reflex, forcing Mira to retreat once more.
"You rely too much on that," Demian said, breathing heavily. "And I only need it to fail… every now and then."
He stomped his foot against the floor.
Electricity spread through the cracks in the ground once again, more intense than before. The vibrations traveled back through his body, sketching an unstable presence in front of him.
Mira felt it.
"…you damaged my control," she admitted, adjusting her stance. "But don't think this ends here."
The device emitted one final, sharp crack.
A larger spark burst out—and part of the casing split open, revealing burned circuits inside.
The distortion ceased completely.
Silence.
Demian's eyes widened slightly.
Then he smiled.
"Now," he said, wrapping his fists in crackling lightning, "it's just you and me."
Mira clenched her fists, taking a fighting stance.
The two of them lunged forward at the same time.
As he advanced, Demian concentrated an even greater amount of lightning around his fist. The electricity crackled irregularly, coiling along his arm and making it clear that this attack was far from purely physical.
Mira noticed immediately.
She narrowed her eyes and adjusted her breathing, subtly shifting her stance.
Trading blows with him is a bad idea. Even if I block, the electricity will pass through my defense. If I feel pain, I'll hesitate… and a single hesitation is all he needs, she thought.
Demian attacked first.
A fast, direct punch, wrapped in lightning.
Mira didn't block.
She dodged by a narrow margin, feeling the electricity scrape through the air where her face had been a moment earlier. The punch slammed into the wall behind her, and the lightning exploded outward, leaving blackened scars on the concrete.
She immediately moved to the side, keeping her distance.
Demian pressed forward again, not giving her time to breathe. Every step was accompanied by electrical discharges crawling across the floor, as if the ground itself were reacting to his mana.
A second punch.
Mira ducked.
A spinning kick followed right after.
She leapt backward, the heel passing mere centimeters from her torso as sparks burst through the air.
"Stop running away!" Demian shouted, twisting his body and releasing a short wave of electricity around him.
Mira was forced to retreat several more steps, feeling the shock travel through her legs even without direct contact.
Damn it… even from a distance it still hurts, she thought, gritting her teeth.
She took a deep breath and began circling Demian, staying in constant motion. She didn't attack—she only observed.
Demian noticed.
She's waiting.
He advanced again, more aggressively, gathering even more mana into his arm. The strain was obvious: his breathing was heavy, and the lightning began to flicker in a less controlled manner.
Mira saw the opening appear—small, almost invisible.
Now.
The instant Demian threw a stronger punch, overcommitting his balance, Mira slipped inside his guard, dodging the electricity by mere millimeters. Pain still shot through her arm, but she ignored it.
She twisted her hips and landed a sharp blow to Demian's abdomen.
"—Gh!"
The air was ripped from his lungs in a harsh burst.
But at that very moment, Demian smiled and said, "I hope you enjoyed that opening."
In the same motion, Demian quickly grabbed Mira by the waist.
Damn it—he left that opening on purpose to trick me, Mira thought.
Demian's hand began to flood with electricity, which then spread through Mira's entire body. She screamed in pain.
"AAAHHH!!"
After a few moments, Demian stopped his magic, and at the same time Mira collapsed to the ground.
Demian looked down at her and said, "I think it ends here, Mira. I was curious to know how someone who seems so kind ended up in a place like this… but I guess I'll have to leave that curiosity for another time."
Then Demian turned and headed toward the staircase.
At that moment, still conscious but barely so, Mira thought as she watched Demian walk away:
No… I can't let him go. I made a promise to that man that day. He would let me become the director of this place if I caused no losses over seven years running it. If I fail, he will shut down the Coliseum.
That can't happen. This place is the only memory I have left of my mother. I can't allow it to be closed.