The next morning arrived quietly—too quietly.
But unlike previous days, the academy was already overflowing with people long before the match was scheduled to begin.
Students pushed toward the stands.
Reporters crowded the gates.
Parents, citizens, tourists—everyone wanted to witness the final match of Round Two.
Astra Noire vs Raze Arcwell
The prodigy vs the anomaly.
The girl born with overwhelming power vs the boy with none.
The nation's brightest star vs the Arcwell heir wielding mysterious technology.
The entire stadium buzzed with restless excitement.
"Obviously Astra is going to win."
"Yeah, but how far can Raze push her?"
"I heard Arcwell tech is insane—maybe he has a chance?"
"Even a chance is impressive against Astra."
"I just hope he survives."
No one doubted Astra's victory.
Not because they disliked Raze—
but because Astra was simply *that* strong.
Still, curiosity burned in every eye.
*How would Raze Arcwell fight a monster like her?*
◆ ◆ ◆
*Inside the Hero Class Waiting Room*
Raze tightened the Starbreaker gloves around his wrists.
Astra floated beside him, legs gently swinging in the air as she rested on a cushion of force.
Their classmates surrounded them—Rain, Bam, Roger (bandaged like a mummy), Selene, Gray, and even Mira.
Bam slapped Raze's back proudly.
"Bro! You better not die! I bet my lunch money on you lasting at least five minutes!"
Rain smiled softly.
"You'll do great, Raze. Just stay calm."
Roger raised a fist dramatically.
"Show them the power of our Class 1-H!! And if you lose, lose epically!"
Selene added with sparkly eyes,
"Crash boom! Big light! Very hero!"
Mira giggled.
"Raze, no matter what happens… we'll all cheer for you."
Astra watched him quietly.
"You look nervous," she said softly.
"I'm always nervous," Raze replied.
"But today… you're trying to hide it."
He exhaled slowly.
Astra smiled.
"Don't. Just be yourself. Fight me seriously."
"I will," Raze said, meeting her eyes.
Astra nodded once.
Then—both turned as the stadium speakers crackled to life.
◆ ◆ ◆
*Unprecedented Security*
Outside, the entire academy felt different.
Drones filled the skies.
Dozens of pro heroes lined the outskirts.
Barriers shimmered faintly, layered five times thicker than usual.
Even the audience murmured:
"Security is insane today…"
"They're expecting Nightveil, right?"
"Yeah. This must be the highest alert level."
"Do you think he'll really show up?"
The tension was suffocating.
Titanheart himself stood near the announcer booth, arms folded.
Teachers scanned the crowd with stern gazes.
The principal sat in the hero's box, eyes sharp and wary.
Everyone knew: **if Nightveil planned anything… today was the day.**
◆ ◆ ◆
*The Arena Awakens*
The hologram screens flared alive—bright enough to light the entire stadium.
FINAL MATCH — ROUND TWO
ASTRA NOIRE (Nexas: Super Trifecta)
VS*
RAZE ARCWELL (None / Arcwell Technology: Starbreaker)
A wave of cheers erupted.
Kids screamed Astra's name.
Teenagers chanted for Raze.
Adults whispered theories.
Heroes leaned forward in interest.
This was more than a match.
It was a clash between raw potential and engineered brilliance.
It was the fight the entire world had been waiting for.
◆ ◆ ◆
*The Entrance*
The announcer's voice boomed across the arena:
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!
THE FINAL MATCH OF ROUND TWO—
BEGINS NOW!!!"
The ground vibrated as spotlights shot across the stage.
"FIRST—
NEXARA'S GOLDEN STAR!!
THE GIRL WHO DEFEATED A FALLING METEOR—
ASTRAAAAA NOIRRRRE!!"
Astra stepped into the arena, hair illuminated like sunlight.
The crowd roared in pure admiration.
Then—
"AND HER OPPONENT—
THE BOY WITH NO NEXAS…
THE RISING PHENOMENON OF ARCWELL TECHNOLOGY—
RAZE!!
ARCWELLLLL!!"
Raze walked out, Starbreaker humming with controlled power.
The cheers were different—curious, supportive, hopeful.
Astra smiled at him across the battlefield.
Raze returned the expression with a steady nod.
The entire stadium held its breath.
Even the heroes grew silent.
Tomorrow did not matter.
Nightveil did not matter.
Fear did not matter.
Only this moment existed.
Only this battle.
The referee raised his hand—
And the world braced for impact.
****************************
Silence gripped the stadium.
The referee raised his arm.
"BEGIN!"
Astra moved instantly.
Her body shot forward like a golden bullet—
no gravity tricks, no energy attacks—
just raw, overwhelming **speed and strength**.
She aimed a single clean punch at Raze's chest, fast enough to break concrete and send a normal student flying out of bounds.
**BOOOOOM—!!**
But instead of being launched—
Raze merely skidded back across the tile floor, boots carving deep lines as the Starbreaker suit absorbed the blow.
A dim blue glow rippled across the armor,
the Abyss Alloy dispersing the impact like water hitting stone.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"He took Astra's punch!?"
"No way!"
"That's insane—she was trying to end it in one hit!"
Astra floated back slightly, eyes wide with surprise.
"…Interesting," she said quietly. "How did you withstand that?"
Raze didn't answer.
He didn't have time to.
She rushed him again.
Her fists blurred—rapid jabs, hooks, elbow strikes, knees—
each one faster and more precise than the last.
A normal fighter wouldn't even *see* the attacks.
But Raze—
*blocked all of them.*
Forearm guard.
Shoulder deflection.
Sidestep.
Palm redirect.
Astra's expression sharpened.
"He's reading my movements?"
She pushed harder.
Her punches cracked the air.
Her kicks made sonic pops.
Her strikes blurred into one continuous stream—
And still, Raze parried and weaved, armor shimmering with every impact.
Astra leapt back, chest rising with controlled breath.
*No… he didn't suddenly surpass me.
I'm the one losing strength.*
She narrowed her eyes at the faint shimmer around his suit.
*Abyss Alloy Radiation — Stage One Activation*
Whenever she closed in, a subtle wave from Raze's suit's radiation *reduced her physical output*.
Not enough to cripple her—
but enough to weaken her speed, strength, and force.
"…You're using radiation to suppress me," Astra realized aloud. "Not bad."
Raze lifted his fists.
"And Starbreaker enhances me, too. Enough to fight you properly."
Astra's heart thumped once—hard.
For the first time in years,
*she felt challenged.*
◆ ◆ ◆
*The Audience Tries to Understand*
"Is Astra holding back?"
"No… something's wrong. She's slower."
"Raze is matching her—HOW!?"
"Is that Arcwell tech really that strong?"
Pro heroes leaned forward.
Titanheart's tone was low.
"Arcwell radiation containment… he's thinning her nexas output."
Principal Leonel nodded.
"He's forcing Astra into a fair fight. Remarkable."
The crowd buzzed with a mixture of shock and excitement.
◆ ◆ ◆
*Raze Begins to Counterattack*
Astra steadied herself.
"Fine. Let's test your limit."
Raze rushed forward.
His movements were clean and calculated—
not as fast as Astra, but with **precise timing** enhanced by Starbreaker's predictive assistance.
He threw a punch.
Astra tilted her head, dodging by a hair.
He spun with a follow-up kick—
Astra blocked, but skidded slightly—not from force, but from the radiation subtly disrupting her footing.
*He's combining his tech with perfect combat discipline…*
She countered with a straight punch—
Raze caught her wrist and pivoted, redirecting her momentum.
Astra's eyes lit with surprise and something else—
**excitement.**
She broke free with a burst of strength and retreated a few meters.
"You're not the same Raze I used to spar with," she said softly.
Raze's visor glowed.
"I'm here to win."
Astra's smile deepened—not mocking, not arrogant, but **genuinely happy**.
"Good."
A pressure-filled moment stretched between them.
Then Astra leaned forward—
To the audience, it looked like she vanished.
But Raze saw her coming.
His suit vibrated with alerts—
*IMPACT WARNING — HIGH VELOCITY TARGET*
*REACTION ROUTE SUGGESTED**
*EXECUTE?*
Raze tightened his fist.
"Execute."
He moved.
Astra appeared in front of him—
And their fists collided.
*BOOOOOOOOM—!!*
Dust erupted.
The arena shook.
Students screamed.
Heroes instinctively leaned forward.
Astra smiled through the impact.
"You've improved… a lot."
Raze gritted his teeth.
"I'm not done yet."
The golden prodigy and the boy with no Nexas stood firm—
Both refusing to back down.
And the match…
had only just begun.
***************************
The clash didn't stop.
Fists met forearms.
Kicks scraped armor.
Bodies blurred and separated, only to collide again.
Raze and Astra fought at close range—pure melee.
No tricks.
No distance.
Just speed, strength, and relentless intent.
To the audience, it looked unreal.
To Astra… it felt unfamiliar.
"This is strange," she thought as she twisted past Raze's strike and countered with a knee that rattled his chest plate.
"I've never had to think this hard before."
Ever since she awakened her Nexas, every fight had been simple.
She was faster.
Stronger.
Tougher.
Opponents broke before she ever had to push herself.
But now—
Every time she closed in, her body felt slightly heavier.
Her strikes landed with just a little less force.
Her movements demanded more effort than they should.
*Abyss Alloy radiation…*
Raze's presence itself was suppressing her.
And yet—
Astra didn't slow down.
She adjusted.
She forced more power through her muscles.
Tightened her movements.
Pushed harder.
The more the radiation pressed against her Nexas—
*the more her body resisted it.*
Her strikes began landing heavier again.
Raze felt it instantly.
*She's adapting…*
Another exchange.
Raze blocked—but the impact still shoved him back a step.
Then another.
And another.
The Starbreaker's systems flashed warnings across his visor.
*OUTPUT PRESSURE INCREASING*
*OPPONENT RESISTANCE RISING*
*STAGE ONE EFFECTIVENESS DROPPING*
Raze clenched his jaw.
*Astra's Nexas is pure physical enhancement… the stronger it is, the faster she can fight through the suppression.*
He dodged a punch that shattered the ground behind him.
She followed without pause.
Her eyes were sharp now.
Focused.
Alive.
"So this is what it feels like…" Astra realized.
"To actually push myself."
She struck again—faster than before.
Raze barely blocked.
His boots slid back several meters.
The crowd roared.
"She's overpowering him again!"
"Did she break through the radiation!?"
"No—she's fighting THROUGH it!"
High in the stands, pro heroes exchanged grim looks.
"She's evolving mid-fight," one muttered.
Titanheart narrowed his eyes.
"…And that means Raze won't be able to hold her with that much radiation longer."
◆ ◆ ◆
Raze felt it too.
Every movement cost more energy now.
Every block shook his arms deeper.
Astra wasn't just resisting the radiation—
"she was overcoming it."
He steadied his breathing.
"If this continues… I lose."
There was only one option left.
"Starbreaker…" he whispered.
Astra lunged again—
And Raze slammed his palm against the core panel at his chest.
"Stage Two."
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
*WHOOOOOOOM—*
A deeper, heavier pulse surged from the suit.
Not bright.
Not flashy.
But dense.
Oppressive.
The air itself seemed to thicken.
A faint blue haze rolled outward from Raze's body.
Across the stadium—
Heroes stiffened.
"…I can feel it," someone whispered.
"That radiation…"
"It's stronger."
Astra skidded back, eyes widening slightly.
Her body reacted instantly.
Muscles screamed.
Her Nexas strained against a pressure far heavier than before.
"…So this is Stage Two," she said quietly.
Raze straightened.
The Starbreaker hummed louder now—controlled, but dangerous.
"Stage Two doesn't just suppress Nexas," he said.
"It forces them to fight at their absolute limit."
Astra exhaled slowly.
Then—
She smiled.
Not cocky.
Not amused.
But **thrilled.**
"…Good."
She stepped forward.
Her muscles tightened.
Her posture sharpened.
"If this is the level you're fighting at…"
She clenched her fists.
"Then I'll meet you there."
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she surged forward again.
Faster.
Stronger.
More determined than ever before.
Raze raised his guard.
Stage Two strained his body.
Astra strained her limits.
The arena trembled.
The strongest student and the boy without a Nexas—
Both pushing past what they believed possible.
And high above them—
Unseen eyes watched carefully.
Because this battle had crossed a line.
And once limits were broken…
There was no going back.