Eclipse

The fight began with a thunderous crash that seemed to shake the very foundations of the room. Ron, imposing and methodical, advanced like a predator exuding unshakable confidence, while Leo, the symbiont pulsating with energy around him, moved with an almost instinctive precision that felt both foreign and exhilarating. The ground quaked with every impact, and the lights flickered as if the room itself reacted to the clash.

Leo felt the symbiont vibrating on his arm, almost as if it anticipated Ron’s movements. When the first punch came—a devastating blow that shattered the floor before him—Leo dodged by inches, using the symbiont’s energy to propel himself backward. The impact left a gaping hole in the floor, sparks flying like shooting stars in a sky of destruction.

Leo reacted instinctively. The symbiont shifted into a long, elegant blade, cutting through the air in a flawless arc toward Ron. But the Vanguard leader raised his reinforced arm, blocking the strike with a deafening clang. The collision unleashed a wave of energy that sent the nearby holographic terminals into a frenzied flicker.

Ron advanced with relentless force, his presence like a storm crashing forward. Leo, tapping into the symbiont's dormant power, scaled a nearby column with fluid agility as it reshaped into two sleek, short batons. He leaped, using the momentum to strike at Ron from above, but his opponent effortlessly blocked the attack, spinning swiftly and delivering a kick that sent Leo flying across the room.

Pain radiated through Leo’s body as he landed awkwardly, but the symbiont was already shifting again. A pistol formed in his hand, firing rapid bursts of energy. Ron dodged the shots with almost inhuman precision, every movement a testament to his experience as a strategist and fighter.

“Do you think these quick changes will stop me?” Ron mocked, advancing with another devastating attack.

Leo retreated, but this time the symbiont reacted before he could think. A translucent shield formed on his left arm, absorbing the brunt of Ron’s blow. The force pushed him back, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Meanwhile, Alice watched the fight with eyes filled with a mixture of concern and awe. Kneeling beside Rubi, she gripped her deactivated katana like a fragile support. The pain coursing through her body was unbearable, but she couldn’t look away from what was unfolding before her.

“He’s… fighting like Diego,” she whispered, a mix of surprise and admiration in her voice.

The symbiont seemed to be in complete harmony with Leo, molding itself to his needs like an extension of his own body. She tried to stand, but a sharp jolt of pain forced her back down. Her role now was to protect Rubi, yet the guilt of being on the sidelines weighed heavily on her.

Ron showed no mercy. His attacks were precise and brutal, each movement calculated to exploit Leo’s weaknesses. But the symbiont adapted swiftly, transforming from blades to energy whips, keeping Leo in the fight even when it seemed he was on the verge of defeat.

“You don’t understand, boy,” Ron said, his breath heavy but his conviction unwavering. “This is all necessary. The suffering, the losses… they are the price we pay for a better future. A future you’ll never see because you’re trapped in a dream.”

Leo, panting, rose to his feet, feeling the weight of Ron’s words but refusing to accept them. “The future you want isn’t worth the price you’re demanding,” he replied, his voice steady despite the pain.

With a cry of determination, he charged forward. The symbiont shifted into a massive blade, glowing brightly as he delivered a powerful strike. Ron blocked with both arms, but the force of the attack cracked the ground beneath his feet.

Ron retaliated, landing a punch squarely on Leo’s torso and sending him crashing into a wall. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, and he fell to his knees, struggling to recover as the symbiont pulsed, almost as if urging him to continue.

“You talk about justice, but you’re just a boy playing at being a hero,” Ron said, advancing once more.

Leo stood, bracing himself against the wall. “And you’re just a man afraid of losing control.”

As Ron moved in to finish the fight, Leo gathered all the energy he had left. The symbiont responded to his desperation, transforming into an even larger blade, a weapon that seemed to channel all of his remaining strength. With a battle cry, he surged forward, unleashing a strike with everything he had.

Ron tried to block, but the sheer force of the blow overwhelmed him. The blade broke through his defense, striking him directly in the chest. He fell to his knees, his breath ragged as he looked up at Leo with something that almost resembled respect.

“You may think this is victory,” Ron murmured, his voice fading but defiant. “But this changes nothing. Others will rise to replace me—I’m merely one piece in a much larger game.”

Leo, panting and exhausted, replied with a firm voice. “Then I’ll keep going until the board is gone.”

Ron gave a final, bitter smile before collapsing completely.

With Ron defeated, Leo staggered toward the central terminal. Alice, seeing that the battle was over, summoned all her strength to rise and help him.

Together, Leo and Alice approached the central terminal. Every step felt monumental, the weight of the battles and their losses bearing down on them, but their determination drove them forward. With a final glance at Alice, Leo inserted Rubi’s device, the one Diego had sacrificed so much to protect.

The lights of the terminal flickered wildly before shutting down one by one. An absolute silence enveloped the room as the Project Nexus system began to deactivate. The holographic screens dimmed, and the Vanguard’s symbol etched into the floor vanished into the encroaching darkness.

Leo turned to Alice, her exhaustion written in every trembling movement. Sweat glistened on her brow, and her gaze flickered with the weight of the battle. As her knees buckled, he stepped forward, steadying her before she could fall, their shared resolve holding them upright.

“We did it,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. A faint smile graced her lips before her eyes closed, succumbing at last to exhaustion.

Leo looked at her, then at Rubi, still unconscious but breathing steadily. The symbiont on his arm pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging their victory, though the weight of the battle still loomed heavy.

Carefully adjusting Alice, he supported her against his side. His breathing was labored, and his legs trembled as he surveyed the darkened room. The battle was over, but unease lingered.

The Vanguard’s symbol, now a mere shadow on the floor, seemed to mock him. Clenching his fists, anger mingled with a quiet determination. He knew this victory wasn’t the end.

“There’s no stopping here,” he muttered, his words echoing in the silence. He glanced at Alice, then at Rubi—both fragile, yet alive. The burden of responsibility felt heavier now.

His fingers brushed against the pendant he wore, his thoughts drifting to Lucy. He had taken down the man responsible for her death, but deep inside, he knew it wasn’t enough. The fire of vengeance had burned fiercely, but now it felt like a distant echo compared to the enormity of the fight ahead. Lucy wouldn’t have wanted mere revenge; she wanted a world where no one else had to suffer as they had.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself against the torrent of emotions. “This isn’t the end,” Leo murmured, his voice steady despite the exhaustion in his bones. “We still have so much to fight for.”

With heavy but resolute steps, he began leading them out. The deactivated room faded behind them, the shadows of the Vanguard slowly dissipating. But even in the darkness, he could feel the promise of new battles. The fight wasn’t just for revenge—it was for something greater. For Lucy, for Diego, for Julia, for all who had lost so much. And for everyone still in need of hope.