Chiara stared ahead, her eyes slightly widened at the scene unfolding on the coast.

How… how is he so strong?

She swallowed hard, her body twitching as if to take a step forward, to go and help. But she stopped herself. The idea was foolish. By the time she reached him, the battle would already be over. And even if she made it in time, then what? What could she even do?

Her teeth clenched as frustration bubbled inside her. Why is the gap so massive?

She had pushed herself tirelessly, day after day, barely resting. Every ounce of her knowledge, every shred of her skill, she had poured into breaking the limits of EM waves. New ideas, new techniques, endless trials and errors—she had spent countless days refining herself. Everyone praised her prodigious talent, but no one saw the effort behind it. No one knew the sweat and tears she had shed to get where she was now.

And yet, as she stared at the battle below, the truth hit her like a blow to the chest.

She had known Alonso was a monster. But this? She couldn't even help. Couldn't even stand beside him. Pathetic.

Was this what she had worked so hard for? Was this what she was proud of? The strength she believed would take her higher in The Tower? Was this the elite force she thought could shoulder humanity's survival? No. It wasn't any of that. It was one person—just one—standing alone against what the rest of them had feared and fled from.

Alonso was strong, but… why? During his fight with Siddharth, she had glimpsed it—his will. That unrelenting, unyielding will to survive, to keep moving forward no matter what stood in his way.

And now, today…

He didn't have to do this. He wasn't being forced. But he had jumped anyway. He faced a monster far beyond him, a creature none of them dared to confront.

She had watched him fall. Watched him beaten, thrown, rolling in the dirt. She saw him bleed, saw his body tremble. And yet, no matter what, Alonso kept standing. Again and again, he stood back up.

Why?

Why risk his life like that? What drove him?

Then it hit her.

Alonso wasn't just fighting to survive. He understood The Tower in a way none of them did. He was willing to give everything. To sacrifice everything. Because, in his mind, if not him, then who?

Who else would climb to the top? Who else would save the world? Or maybe, who else would save their world—their families, their friends? If he fell, everything they fought for would become meaningless.

That was the difference between them.

Chiara stood frozen, her fists clenched, her gaze locked on Alonso as he pushed forward—bleeding, battered, but never breaking. She understood now. That unshakable will was what set him apart from the rest of them.

She… she had to change. They all did. A camp, a comfortable bed, laughter around the fire pit? What about Alonso? When she saw him, he was in rags. Eating what he hunted, sleeping wherever the ground let him, enduring every hardship alone. This was the difference. He—

Suddenly, the vibrations beneath her feet pulled her from her thoughts.

What?

Her eyes darted down. The horde was moving again, a massive wave shifting through the jungle, converging on the battlefield.

Their leader is calling for help? They are all after Alonso?!

Her grip tightened on her sword, her body moving before her mind could catch up. She bolted forward.

She didn't know what she was doing or how it would help. But she couldn't stop herself.

Even if it took her life... Alonso couldn't die.

"Chiara!" a voice called from behind her. Ayu?

She didn't glance back, but her senses picked up Ayu leaping after her.

And then she saw them. Lukas right behind. Then Wang and Imani. Even Arjun, his jaw clenched in frustration, gritted his teeth and joined the charge despite the clear resentment in his eyes. Behind him came Rakesh, his expression hard and unwilling, but he moved forward anyway. And—was that Ishaam?

They were all coming.

Warmth bloomed in Chiara's chest. Maybe they understood now. Or maybe they were just following her. Either way, it didn't matter.

She focused ahead, rushing through the jungle as fast as her legs could carry her.

Then it hit—a massive shriek.

The sound slammed into her, sharp and piercing, her inner ear burning as dizziness overtook her.

What the hell was that?

Was that sound emitted by the horde's leader? It had come from miles away and was still this intense?

Chiara swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. If it was that powerful from here, what state could Alonso be in after taking it up close? Was it already too late?

She pushed herself faster, her legs burning as she closed in on the crabs at the rear. Her waves surged forward, targeting their mental systems, disrupting the instincts of one long enough to make it stop. She seized the moment, leaping onto its shell and rushing across its back, repeating the process with others.

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She glanced behind her and saw the others starting to follow her lead. Even though they were fast, she estimated it would still take them a couple of minutes to reach the battle. Her hopes weren't high—not for them to make it in time. Everything depended on Alonso. Could he hold out?

She shook her head, trying to push away the doubt, and kept moving.

The sounds of the battle reached her in sporadic bursts, like distant explosions rocking the earth. Then, a massive blast shook her to her core. What was that?

Her waves flickered, distorted by the constant EM field fluctuations caused by the snapping pincers and chaotic movement of the crabs. But through the noise, her senses managed to latch onto something—a scope of the battle from afar.

She stopped, stunned, perched atop the shell of a crab.

She saw it. The massive crab had fallen.

Moments later, the sound followed, and a column of dust rose high into the sky.

Alonso… had won?

But… where was he?

Her senses strained, but she couldn't pick him up. Her teeth clenched as unease crept over her. She moved closer, leaping from crab to crab. Then she noticed something strange—the crabs had slowed. Their pacing was no longer frenzied, and their direction had shifted.

What? They're heading toward the sea? Are they retreating?

Her frown deepened, but she pressed forward, each leap bringing her closer to the battle scene. The dust obscured everything, but her senses finally caught him. He's there… alive.

What she saw made her pause. The crabs were no longer charging at him. They detoured around him, creating a wide berth. Is this part of the event? Or… do they fear him?

The closer she got, the clearer the image became. At first, she saw the blood. His body was covered in it, riddled with scratches, his face nearly unrecognizable. Blood seeped from every orifice—his ears, nose, and mouth. His helmet was shattered, the antenna barely standing.

But then, as she closed the distance, everything changed.

Is he…?

She couldn't believe her senses. She pushed harder, rushing forward. Finally, she leapt from the last crab to solid ground and walked toward him, her steps slower, more deliberate.

He wasn't far now—barely a hundred meters. But she stopped in her tracks.

The others arrived moments later. Ayu stood beside her, frowning as her gaze locked on the figure ahead, still partially obscured by the dissipating cloud of dust.

Then the dust cleared completely.

Alonso stood tall.

His injuries were gone. All that remained were streaks of dried blood on his skin. She scanned him again, her senses seeking any sign of damage, but there was none. He was in perfect condition.

Her attention snapped to his arms. Gauntlets?

They gleamed with a metallic, onyx-black sheen, fitting his arms perfectly. The craftsmanship was astonishing—elegant yet functional. But what struck her most was that her senses couldn't pick them up at all. No matter what mechanism she used, the gauntlets seemed invisible to her EM waves.

What are those?

She racked her memory. He hadn't been wearing them during the fight. And… how had he healed himself?

Alonso wasn't even looking at them. His gaze was fixed on the gauntlets, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he twisted his arms, inspecting them like they were the most fascinating thing in the world.

The group remained silent, their eyes locked on him.

Then Chiara noticed something else in her line of sight. Something she hadn't detected before—not even with her EM waves.

Behind Alonso were… orbs?

Red orbs?!

Her breath hitched. They were much larger than the usual ones she had seen. From her position, she counted five, but there could be more hidden behind Alonso's figure.

Moments passed in tense silence. Then Alonso shifted, his eyes flicking to the group. For a brief moment, he froze, his gaze landing on… Ayu?

But it was fleeting. His expression softened, and the faint smile returned. It wasn't just confident—it was completely at ease, almost amused.

"Well," he said, his voice calm yet cutting through the silence with ease, "I guess you're a bit late. But no worries. There's still a prize to be shared."

Before anyone could respond, he casually kicked one of the orbs into his hand with the precision of someone flipping a coin. "Unfortunately for me," he continued, examining the orb with mild interest, "only one of these can be absorbed. Which means six of them are left behind me. And you're… eight?"

He paused, taking a step forward, his sword spinning lazily in his hand.

"So," he grinned, his tone sharp yet playful, "let's make this simple. You want the orbs? Come and get them."

Chiara remained frozen in place. What was she even supposed to do? She wanted to send a wave, to try to communicate with Alonso, but… would he even listen?

Her gaze shifted to those around her. Their expressions were a mixture of shock, hesitation, anger and something else she couldn't quite place. She thought Rakesh was about to act—his body stiffened, his eyes darting toward the orbs—but he remained rooted to the spot, frozen. Was it fear?

But then, amidst the tension—

"Fuck!" Arjun roared, his voice breaking the silence as he suddenly lunged forward, sword and knife in hand.

Alonso didn't flinch.

His playful expression didn't waver, not even as Arjun closed the distance, his weapons cutting through the air with calculated aggression.

Arjun struck first, his blade slashing horizontally.

Alonso moved with a speed that almost seemed lazy, sidestepping the attack as his own sword flicked out. A precise, effortless motion that sent Arjun's strike wide.

The knife followed immediately after, thrusting toward Alonso's ribs. Alonso's free hand snapped out, catching Arjun's wrist mid-thrust. His grip was firm but calm, holding the knife in place.

"You're too stiff," Alonso said, almost casually, twisting his hand just enough to force Arjun to drop the knife.

Arjun growled and spun, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Alonso barely moved, stepping just out of reach, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Arjun lunged again, this time with more force, his sword aimed directly at Alonso's chest.

Alonso's blade met it, the clash sending sparks into the air. But the exchange didn't stop there. Alonso pressed forward, his strikes smooth, precise, and relentless. Arjun tried to keep up, parrying and countering, but Alonso wasn't giving him even an inch.

"Is this all you've got?" Alonso asked, his grin widening. "Come on. You wanted the orbs, right? Show me something worth fighting for."

Arjun roared again, his frustration boiling over as he unleashed a flurry of wild strikes. But Alonso deflected each one with ease.

"You're not even trying to think, are you?" Alonso taunted, spinning his blade in a lazy arc before countering with a precise strike.

The blunt edge of his sword slammed hard against Arjun's grip, forcing a roar of pain as Arjun's fingers released the weapon. The sword clattered to the ground.

Arjun stumbled back, breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with anger and flickering with a hint of disbelief.

Alonso nudged Arjun's sword and knife back toward him with a light kick, his gaze shifting to the rest of the group.

"Are you not going to help him?"

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