Yuno shot forward, wind screaming around him as his spear stretched into a spiraling vortex of sharp gales. Green light cut through the chamber, every rotation slicing the heated air.
The diamond soldier bellowed, its cracked body glowing brighter as Mars poured more magic into it. His grimoire flared, pages whipping from the force of his mana.
The soldier raised its massive blade, molten fire running along its edge, ready to crush Yuno.
Dave's distortion pulsed—a small shift, but devastating. The swing slowed mid-arc, its molten veins trembling like something was pulling against it. That pause was all Yuno needed.
"Now!" Dave called.
Yuno's spear slammed into the soldier's chest, drilling deep with a roar of wind. Diamond shards broke apart, molten veins splitting as the gale tore through.
The chamber shook hard. Sparks and molten droplets scattered, hissing against the stone floor. The soldier staggered, arms jerking as Mars tried to hold it together against Dave's interference.
Mars's face twisted, veins bulging, sweat running down as he forced more mana into the spell. "Hold together!" he shouted.
But Yuno's spear only grew stronger. His voice rang out, firm and steady: "Wind won't be trapped by stone!"
With a final push, Yuno drove the spear through. The soldier convulsed, its chest splitting wide before exploding into shards and fire. The blast shook the ruins to their core.
Yuno was thrown back, barely catching himself with a gust of wind. His body trembled, blood at his lips, but his eyes never left Mars.
The soldier fell to one knee, half its body missing, molten veins sputtering like dying embers. It tried to reform, but Dave's distortion held the cracks open, breaking the spell from within.
Mars dropped to a knee, gripping his grimoire. His glare flicked between Yuno and Dave, hatred and disbelief twisting across his face.
Dave stepped forward, calm cutting through the chaos. He looked at Yuno, then at Mars. His voice was steady, almost final.
"This fight's over."
The words landed heavy.
Mars roared, raising his grimoire as diamond shards swirled again. "No! I'll show you true power!"
But the fragments twisted unnaturally, pulled apart by Dave's distortion. The spell broke down with a sharp crack, collapsing on itself.
The diamond soldier shattered completely, fragments raining across the chamber.
Mars's eyes widened. His body shook, his magic flickering weakly. For the first time, he had no words.
Yuno steadied his spear, blood still at his lips. "It's done."
Dave smirked faintly, eyes glinting. "That's the lesson."
Mars's body shook as he forced himself back up, his grimoire sparking wildly. His voice cracked, half a roar, half a plea.
"I can't fall here! I won't! I can't lose—!"
He staggered forward, mana spilling out in unstable waves, but his eyes… they were unfocused. Clouded.
Dave narrowed his gaze. "So that's it."
He raised a hand, his index finger pointing straight at Mars's forehead. A sharp ripple of distortion pulsed, invisible but undeniable, drilling past flesh and bone.
Mars froze. His scream cut short, replaced by a shudder as if chains inside his head were snapping one by one. His grimoire flickered, then went still.
The wild rage in his eyes dulled. His breathing steadied. For the first time, he wasn't straining against something—he was simply standing.
Dave lowered his hand. His voice softened.
"There. The brainwashing is gone."
Mars blinked, disoriented. His grimoire slipped from his grasp, landing against the stone floor with a dull thud. Slowly, he looked at Dave, confusion giving way to something fragile—clarity.
Dave met his gaze evenly. "Now you're free. Free to fight, free to live. Do whatever you want—not what someone forced into your head."
Mars's lips parted, but no words came. His body shook again, this time not from anger, but from release.
Yuno stood back, watching with wary eyes, his spear still ready. But even he could feel the shift. The oppressive pressure around Mars was gone.
For the first time, Mars looked less like an enemy—and more like a person just waking up.
Mars staggered, his breaths rough and uneven. His eyes darted between Dave and Yuno, then down at his trembling hands. "If… if I'm free now… what do I even do?" His voice was low, uncertain, almost lost.
Dave didn't hesitate. His tone stayed calm, steady, but sharp enough to cut through the haze.
"Simple. Leave this place. Go back. Find the one who brainwashed you, kill them. Kill the king if you have to—whatever it takes to live by your own choice."
Mars froze, staring hard at him, the words sinking deeper than any attack had.
Dave stepped closer, his smirk faint but not unkind. "And if you ever need help… call me. I'll come."
For a long moment, Mars said nothing. Then, slowly, he nodded, his grip tightening on his grimoire as if holding onto something solid for the first time. His voice shook, but it carried a weight that hadn't been there before.
"…Alright."
Yuno lowered his spear at last, exhaling a long breath. The fight was done.
Mars didn't speak again. He turned, his boots crunching over scattered shards of diamond and molten stone as he made his way toward the chamber's exit. His steps were heavy at first, then steadier, each one carrying him farther from the battlefield and closer to whatever future he would choose for himself.
Dave watched him go, his eyes narrowed slightly—not with distrust, but with a quiet measure of curiosity. So he really will walk his own path now.
The echoes of Mars's departure faded into silence.
Dave finally turned back. Two of the Dawn members still lay unconscious against the cracked wall, their bodies battered from the earlier clash. Yuno lowered his wind barrier, relief washing over his face as the dust settled.
Dave stepped toward the fallen members, his boots brushing through the debris. For a moment, his expression softened. "They took the worst of it."
He crouched beside them, pressing his palm near their chests. A faint distortion rippled out, almost invisible, probing for lingering traces of hostile mana. Nothing. Just exhaustion and injury.
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