“RICO!”

Yuui’s body trembles as she struggles to push herself up once more. She can’t even manage to stand fully, her legs barely holding her weight. Her bones feel like they are on the verge of snapping, her muscles screaming in agony with every attempt to rise. Yet, through sheer force of will, she keeps moving, even if her body is faltering.

Her breathing is shallow, labored. Every breath feels like a thousand needles stabbing into her lungs. But she refuses to stay down, forcing her battered body to continue, her vision flickering in and out of focus.

Meanwhile, Winter stands motionless, watching her struggle. He can see how broken she is, how close to collapse. But then, something clicks in his mind—a moment of hesitation as his eyes dart upward, remembering.

“What about those energy orbs?”

He suddenly realizes that Yuui had launched two powerful orbs at the beginning of their clash, and they haven’t exploded. Not yet. The thought sends a ripple of unease through him.

“What happened to them?”

Slowly, Winter lifts his gaze to the sky, searching for them. His heart skips a beat when he spots them—still there, still spinning.

The two orbs, which Yuui had fired earlier, haven’t dissipated or exploded like he had expected. Instead, they are floating ominously in the air, just above the spot where Winter had been standing at the start of their battle. But they aren’t idle. They are spinning faster and faster, collecting energy—drawing power from the very energy cloud that Yuui had summoned.

The orbs have absorbed a tremendous amount of energy, and now they pulse with a fierce light, radiating with an intensity that is impossible to ignore.

“How did I miss this?”

Winter’s crimson eyes narrow as he stares up at the orbs, a sinking feeling settling in his chest. He has been too focused on overpowering Yuui, too absorbed in his own arrogance. And now, those two orbs, infused with pure energy, are gathering enough power to become a significant threat.

The spinning is accelerating, and the energy swirling within them is building to a critical mass.

Winter’s blood armor shimmers as he instinctively prepares himself, realizing that these orbs aren’t just an afterthought—they are a ticking time bomb.

Yuui, barely managing to stay on her feet, notices Winter’s distraction. Her body is weak, her energy suit barely flickering, but through the haze of exhaustion and pain, she sees the opportunity.

Her orbs. They haven’t vanished. They are still there, and they have been absorbing energy from the very cloud Winter created. Yuui’s heart thuds in her chest, a flicker of hope igniting despite the agony she feels.

“This... is my chance.”

“If he hadn’t beaten me down like this… I wouldn’t have lost control over my energy orbs,” she thinks, her gaze flicking to the glowing spheres.

“But now, this is my chance. They may be small, but the energy inside… If I don’t act now, it’ll be too late.”

With every ounce of strength left in her, Yuui raises her head and calls out.

“Rico!”

Her voice echoes across the battlefield, cutting through the silence that follows their brutal exchange.

Winter’s crimson eyes shift toward her, his expression still one of cold calculation, though there is a flicker of something else there now—uncertainty.

“You know what happens when two high density energy body collide, right?” Yuui shouts, her voice growing stronger despite the pain surging through her body.

Winter's brow furrows at first, confused by the sudden question. But as her words sink in, his mind races, piecing together the implications. His eyes flick upward again toward the orbs still spinning in the sky, absorbing energy at an alarming rate.

“Nuclear fusion.”

The realization hits him like a thunderclap. A collision of two positively charged particles could release a catastrophic amount of energy. And those orbs, despite their small size, are brimming with power—enough to create a massive fusion reaction if they collide.

“Huge energy...” Winter whispers, his voice barely audible as the gravity of the situation dawns on him. His eyes dart around, scanning the battlefield for any cover, any way to shield himself from the impending explosion.

Panic flashes across his face as he realizes there is nowhere to hide. The blood cloud he has relied on for so long is shrinking, its energy already siphoned into the orbs. The ground is scorched, and the sky above them is barren. There is nothing left to protect him.

“I underestimated her...”

Yuui can see the unease in Winter’s eyes. For the first time, the confidence, the arrogance he has displayed throughout the battle, falters. He understands what is about to happen, and she is counting on it.

The sky lights up in a blinding flash as the two energy orbs collide. There is no massive nuclear explosion, but the impact is still devastating—an eruption of power rippling through the atmosphere.

The shockwave is immense, two times greater in magnitude than Yuui’s first energy orb attacks, and the force is enough to send tremors through the ground below.

In the sky, the remnants of Winter’s blood cloud are caught in the explosion. The crimson mist, once swirling ominously over the battlefield, is torn apart by the blast. The blood particles disintegrate as they are swept up in the massive energy wave, dissipating into nothing. The sky clears.

On the ground, the impact is severe. The force of the blast cracks the earth, sending shockwaves reverberating across the battlefield.

Large chunks of dirt and stone are thrown into the air, crashing back down in a chaotic storm. Yuui, though exhausted, is shielded by the remnants of her energy barrier, the shimmering aura protecting her from the worst of the explosion.

But even with the barrier, the force of the blast sends her staggering backward, her body barely holding together.

As the dust begins to settle, silence falls over the battlefield. The once-chaotic energy of the fight has vanished, leaving behind only a desolate, empty landscape.

Yuui struggles to stay upright, her legs trembling beneath her. Her vision is blurry, but she can still feel the aftermath of the explosion vibrating through her bones. She looks around, her heart racing as she scans the area for any sign of Winter.

But there is nothing—no movement, no ominous presence, only the faint glow of her fading energy barrier.

With a deep breath, Yuui raises her hand, the glow of her energy suit dimming as she channels the last of her magic.

"Holy Heal," she whispers, her voice barely audible.

A soft, radiant light envelops her body, and slowly, the pain begins to ease. The bruises on her skin fade, and the sharp ache in her chest lessens. Her breaths come easier, the healing magic working to mend her broken body. But even as the spell takes effect, Yuui’s focus remains on one thing—Winter.

Her eyes dart across the battlefield, searching for any trace of him.

“Was he dead? Had the explosion finally finished him off?”

The ground is scorched, the air still thick with the lingering energy of the blast. But there is no sign of Winter’s blood suit, no sign of his red eyes, no sign of him at all.

Yuui’s heart races as she takes a cautious step forward, her gaze sweeping over the rubble and debris.

“Where is he?” she mutters under her breath, the unease gnawing at her.

The explosion should have been enough to destroy him, but if there is one thing she has learned about Winter, it is that he is unpredictable.

She walks further into the wreckage, her hand glowing faintly with the energy she has left, ready for any surprises. But even as she searches, there is nothing.

“Is he really gone?”

Her mind races with possibilities. Winter has always seemed invincible, always one step ahead. Could the explosion truly have wiped him out, or is he simply biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again?

The thought makes her blood run cold.