On the southern reaches of the planet Forlis, Ruby hid behind the crumbled remains of a wall. She raised her eyes toward the ferocious clash before her, her gaze trembling with fear and pain as she watched Mas struggle desperately against Gus.
All around, people fled for their lives—some rushing into spacecraft to escape, others crushed beneath collapsing ruins, the devastating aftermath of the violent clash between Mas and Gus.
Mas, summoning the last fragments of his strength, hurled aside a massive pile of debris. His whole body quivered, his breath ragged, as though his energy had reached its very limits.
Seeing this, Gus wasted no time. He lunged straight at the exhausted Mas, seizing him by the throat and lifting him into the air.
"After I deal with you, the rest will follow," Gus snarled. "Don't worry—I came here to wipe out everyone in this base."
Mas remained silent, his face drained of strength, his body on the verge of collapse. Yet through his weary state, his eyes still burned with fury as they locked onto Gus.
"Oh? Still glaring at me?" Gus sneered. "Fine then, let's finish this."
He flung Mas violently into the wreckage. Mas coughed blood, his body battered, yet he slowly forced himself back to his feet. His eyes turned toward Ruby, who was still hiding in terror.
In that fleeting moment, Mas gathered what strength he had left. With a final burst of resolve, he launched himself forward and delivered a punch with everything he had.
BANG!
The impact sent Gus hurtling through the air, his body smashing into a massive tree with such force that it shattered, crashing down and splintering the surrounding grove.
Without hesitation, Mas rushed to Ruby. He pulled her close, guiding her into a space capsule and setting its coordinates for the planet Teruda.
His voice, faint yet gentle, carried the sorrow of a man who knew this might be the last time he would ever see her.
"Farewell, Ruby… I love you."
Through the glass, Ruby read his lips. She understood instantly, pounding on the capsule's window as she shouted, though her voice could not reach him.
"No! Mas, don't die! You have to survive and come back to me!"
The capsule's system announced its countdown: Ten minutes until full energy transfer. Preparing for warp to planet Teruda.
Mas turned back toward Gus, who was advancing once again. His expression was grim, heavy with grief.
"Just ten minutes… I'll hold him off."
Though his body was failing, Mas stood tall, bracing himself. Inside the capsule, Ruby's tears welled up as she pressed her palms against the glass, silently begging to be released.
"Let me out… please… let me out…"
Gus hefted a massive tree trunk and hurled it aside before charging at Mas with blinding speed. The two clashed once more, but this time Mas's strength had nearly run dry. Gus unleashed a relentless flurry of blows.
Mas blocked them as best he could, as if shielding something far more precious than his own life.
From within the capsule, Ruby cried out in despair.
"No… no! Don't leave me, Mas… I love you!"
In that moment, Gus's hand sliced through the air like a blade. It struck Mas's neck with brutal precision—his head severed in an instant, blood spilling across the battlefield.
At that exact moment, the capsule's systems completed their activation. With a burst of energy, it carried Ruby away, propelling her toward Teruda.
Through her tears, Ruby's face contorted with sorrow. She whispered brokenly, her voice trembling.
"I wanted to see Teruda with you, Mas… why did you have to leave me? What am I supposed to do now? I have no one left… I love you, Mas…"
Memories of their time together flooded her mind, vivid and bittersweet.
The capsule soared upward, piercing through the clouds before vanishing into the sky, leaving behind the grief of a girl who had just lost the one she loved most.