Aaron rose again.
Slowly.
Agonizingly.
Each movement tore open another wound, each breath scraped like molten metal through his throat. His muscles trembled beneath abyss-forged skin, and the miracle's residue clung to him like chains.
But he rose nonetheless.
Devils did not accept defeat.
Devils did not kneel.
Even kneeling now, forced and unwilling, felt like sacrilege to his very existence.
Hiro watched with grim determination, feeling the weight of what was coming.
"He's not giving up," he murmured.
Mia didn't take her eyes off Aaron. "He never will."
Sylvia's wind calmed around her, focused and sharp. "Then we end this before he regains momentum."
Zion wiped dirt and sweat from his forehead. "Ending a devil general… yeah, totally something our parents expected of us."
Lisa let out a dry laugh. "If I survive this, I'm never complaining about homework again."
Misha rolled her shoulders, cracking her knuckles. "I can still punch."
Hiro blinked at her. "Not helping."
