The field was different.
Not only marked by battle, but silent in a strange way, as if the world itself were waiting for a definitive answer. The air felt heavy, charged with expectation. Every step we took toward the center of the confrontation was accompanied by dozens of attentive gazes, humans and elves united not by complete trust, but by the certainty that this moment would define everything.
The Sixth General was waiting for us.
He did not advance. He did not retreat. He was simply there, firm, as if the outcome were already decided in his mind.
"So this is the final point," he said, his voice echoing effortlessly.
"It's where we choose to stop retreating," I replied.
Elara adjusted the units' positions with quick gestures. Vespera moved to the flank, disappearing among shadows and debris. Liriel stayed by my side, power contained but present, like a blade still sheathed.
"The wear is clear," the General continued. "You forced growth where there was no time."
"And you underestimated the cost of letting us learn," I replied.
The attack began without warning.
Unlike previous times, there were no tests. The General advanced with full force. The initial impact swept through the front line, but this time there was an immediate response. Elves held the flanks. Humans maintained position. No instant rupture.
"Now," Elara shouted.
I used the method for the last time in that arc. Not as an explosion, but as sustain. I kept my body in a constant limit state, feeling every second demand its price. The pain was intense, but clear. I knew exactly how far I could go.
Liriel advanced alongside me.
The clash between her and the General was not only physical. Energy collided, distorting the space around them. For an instant, the world seemed suspended.
Vespera appeared at the exact point we had trained for dozens of times. Her attack did not seek to injure, but to open space. And it worked.
"The pattern has changed," the General observed, stepping back half a step.
"Yes," I replied. "Because now it's not just about strength."
Elara coordinated everything with cold precision. Short orders. Quick adjustments. No hesitation.
The General tried to break through again, but found real resistance. Every advance cost him more than before. Every movement of ours was more efficient.
Even so, the price came.
The method began to fail definitively. My body screamed. My vision darkened for moments that lasted too long.
"Takumi," Elara called.
"Keep going," I replied, even knowing I wouldn't have another chance.
Liriel realized it before anyone else. She positioned herself in front, absorbing part of the pressure, forcing the General to react.
It was his mistake.
Vespera attacked. Not with maximum force, but at the exact point where balance had been compromised. Elara gave the final order.
I advanced.
It wasn't a beautiful strike. It wasn't grand. It was precise.
The Sixth General fell to his knees.
The silence that followed was absolute.
For a few seconds, no one moved. As if everyone needed to confirm that it was real.
"So this is how it is," he said, his voice now lower. "Enough preparation."
He did not beg. He did not scream. He simply accepted it.
When everything ended, I couldn't remain standing.
Elara was with me in seconds. Liriel held my shoulders. Vespera breathed deeply, exhausted, but smiling.
"It's over," Vespera said.
"This one," I replied. "Yes."
The field reacted slowly. Some celebrated in silence. Others simply sat down, unable to process. The wounded were tended to. Names were called.
Victory had a cost.
Later, as the sun began to set, I looked over the field one last time. The Sixth General was dead. The immediate threat was over.
But no one there believed that it was the end.
Elara approached. "Others will come."
"I know."
Liriel looked toward the horizon. "And now we know what it takes to face them."
Vespera crossed her arms. "Even if it changes us."
I nodded.
The world did not celebrate immediately. But it moved. Messengers departed. Cities breathed. Alliances solidified.
The Sixth General had fallen.
And with him fell the illusion that we would survive without paying a price.
The arc had ended.
But the war was far from over.