The Bait
Jinwoo knew he couldn't beat Ryu Jae-wook physically; the Tactician was too smart to engage in a fair fight. Jinwoo had to force him onto a battlefield where information and analysis—Jae-wook's strengths—would become his greatest weaknesses.
Jinwoo didn't go into hiding. Instead, he made his move public. He used the access he gained from The Shadow's tablet to dismantle the betting structure in the school, publicly freezing accounts and exposing the minor lackeys who ran the operations. He was creating chaos, stepping directly into Jae-wook's carefully constructed order.
The move was a calculated risk. It would draw Jae-wook out, but it would also alert The Ghost to his exact location.
The challenge was delivered shortly after. A clean, typed note appeared on Jinwoo's desk: "The rooftop. Sunset. Your strategies vs. mine. Bring your mimicry."
The Observer's Battle
Jinwoo arrived at the familiar rooftop. Jae-wook was there, not with a weapon, but with a headset and a single, complex device on a tripod—a directional microphone and motion sensor designed to map the fight in real-time.
"You are reckless, Jinwoo," Jae-wook stated, adjusting his glasses. "I am not a fighter. I am a planner. The moment you step into range, my algorithms will feed me data on your speed, acceleration, and angle of attack. Your Minjun Footwork will be predicted, and your Explosive Recruitment will be countered by a perfect distance trap."
Jae-wook didn't move. Instead, he pointed to the far door. "You fight The Ghost. My strategy against your Echoes. Survive, and you win."
Jinwoo looked at the doorway. He realized the true strategy: Jae-wook wouldn't engage; he would use the ultimate fighter to gather data and burn Jinwoo's energy before delivering the final, calculated blow himself.
Wrong, Jinwoo thought, activating the Observer's Filter. He didn't look at the door; he looked at Jae-wook's setup.
Neutralizing the Strategist
Jae-wook's weakness was his reliance on his tools. Jinwoo knew he had to disable the Tactician before facing the unknown Ghost.
Jinwoo didn't wait for The Ghost to appear. He suddenly darted toward Jae-wook, using Minjun's Footwork to move silently, then amplifying the first step with Rage's Explosive Recruitment.
"Prediction: 78% velocity. Angle 12 degrees off course," Jae-wook's headset crackled. "Initiating counter-distance—"
Jae-wook's verbal prediction was perfect, but Jinwoo didn't deliver the predicted punch. Instead, his Architect's Echo (Blueprint 6) had told him Jae-wook would move exactly one step back.
Jinwoo ignored the physical fight and executed a move based on The Ghost's Precision (Blueprint 9). He deflected his own path mid-stride and kicked a small, pebble-sized chunk of concrete at the tripod supporting the motion sensor.
The pebble hit the tripod leg with surgical precision. The motion sensor wobbled, sending a massive, spiking error signal to Jae-wook's headset.
"System overload!" Jae-wook gasped, clutching his head as the data stream became white noise.
Jinwoo was on him instantly. He didn't hit him. He used the Blueprint of the Bind to lock Jae-wook's arm in a non-painful but absolute joint lock, pinning him against the concrete wall.
"Your strategy is based on perfect information," Jinwoo whispered, his body tense. "I just added chaos to your system."
The Final Challenger
Jae-wook smiled, despite the pin. "A fine move, Echo Striker. You've disabled the Architect. But you haven't defeated the Crews."
The far door opened. A figure stepped onto the rooftop.
It wasn't a brute or an analyst. It was a girl, slim and unassuming, wearing the Seoyeon High uniform. She held a short wooden staff—the kind used for kendo. Her eyes were calm, but her posture was one of lethal, absolute control.
"The Tactician is out," the girl said, her voice quiet. "That leaves only the ultimate power: The Ghost."
Jinwoo felt a spike of adrenaline unlike any he'd felt against Tae-seong or Dae-ho. He looked at the girl—he had never seen her fight, never observed her.
"My name is Han So-yeon," she continued, raising the staff. "And my blueprint is not copied. It is inherited. I am the reason all the others failed. My power is The True Echo."
Jinwoo was left with a chilling realization: he had just defeated the brain, but now he faced a fighter whose abilities he could not predict, observe, or copy. He was fighting the final boss blind.