The arena buzzed with noise as Jay stepped forward.
Whispers followed him.
Some were hopeful.
Some were mocking.
Some were outright hostile.
He could feel it all.
From the Southern Shrine side, hands clapped and voices called his name.
"Jay! You've got this!"
"Bring it home!"
"You're our last one—don't lose!"
Ellie stood near the front, her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest. Her eyes never left Jay, fear and pride warring inside her.
On the opposite side, the Northern Shrine members gathered tightly around Tsubasa.
"End this quickly."
"Don't embarrass us."
"Make sure there are only Northerners left."
Tsubasa cracked his neck, wings stretching wide behind him. Razor feathers shimmered under the sunlight, sharp enough to reflect the barrier's glow.
He smirked at Jay.
"So you're the last Southern dog," Tsubasa said. "Let's clip your wings."
Jay didn't respond.
His demon arms twitched, black veins pulsing beneath his skin.
I can't lose.
Itsuki-sensei raised his arm.
"FINAL MATCH OF THE SEMIFINALS!"
The crowd leaned in.
"BEGIN!"
Tsubasa exploded into the air.
His wings beat once, twice—and he was already high above the ring.
Jay barely had time to react.
Razor feathers rained down like steel hail.
Jay raised his demon arms, crossing them in front of his face. The feathers slammed into his arms with metallic screeches. Some bounced off. Others pierced through flesh.
Blood splattered the ground.
Jay grunted.
But before anyone could gasp, the wounds sealed shut. Skin regenerated, black veins pulsing as his demon ability restored him instantly.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
"So that's his healing," someone whispered.
Tsubasa clicked his tongue.
"Annoying."
More feathers launched.
Jay sprinted forward, dodging left and right, swatting feathers aside with clawed hands. Some cut his shoulders. Others grazed his legs. Every hit hurt—but every wound healed.
Jay crouched.
Then jumped.
His demon legs propelled him upward with explosive force, shattering stone beneath his feet.
Tsubasa's eyes widened.
Jay reached for him—
—but feathers fired point-blank.
Jay couldn't dodge in midair.
Feathers pierced his chest.
His abdomen.
His ribs.
The impact shattered his momentum.
Jay fell.
Hard.
The ground cracked beneath him as he slammed down, coughing blood.
The arena fell silent.
Ellie screamed. "JAY!"
Jay lay motionless, razor feathers protruding from his body like grotesque pins.
Southern Shrine members stared in horror.
Northern members smirked.
"Told you."
"He's done."
Tsubasa descended slowly, wings spread wide.
He slammed into Jay again, his razor wings slashing across Jay's torso.
More feathers embedded themselves deep.
Pain unlike anything Jay had felt exploded through his body.
His healing struggled to keep up.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Darkness crept at the edges of his vision.
Is this it…?
Ellie's voice cut through the fog.
"GET UP!"
Jay's fingers twitched.
I can't… lose…
Jay roared.
With trembling hands, he grabbed the feathers in his chest and ripped them out.
Blood sprayed.
But the wounds sealed.
Jay staggered to his feet, breathing hard, eyes blazing.
The crowd erupted.
Tsubasa's smirk faltered.
He dove again.
Jay braced himself.
Pain tore through him as wings slammed into his side—but this time, Jay endured it.
He reached out.
His claws wrapped around Tsubasa's wing.
"What—?!" Tsubasa shouted.
Jay yanked.
Tsubasa slammed into the ground, stone exploding outward.
Before Tsubasa could recover—
Jay punched him.
Once.
Twice.
Again and again.
Each punch landed heavier than the last.
Tsubasa coughed blood.
Jay grabbed him by the shoulder, spun, and threw him over his back with monstrous strength.
Tsubasa hit the ground and didn't move.
Silence.
Itsuki-sensei stepped forward.
"…Tsubasa is unconscious."
He raised his hand.
"The winner—Jay of the Southern Shrine!"
The Southern side erupted.
Ellie collapsed to her knees, crying.
Jay stood there, chest heaving, staring at his hands.
Across the arena—
Ryuji watched him.
His eyes burned with something dark.
Jay felt it immediately.
That look…
Fear crept into his chest.
I'm fighting him next.
The air inside the warehouse was thick with dust and rust.
Lisa stepped carefully, her hand hovering near her gun.
The hooded man stood near the center, his back turned.
"Why are you helping me?" Lisa asked.
He chuckled softly.
"You remind me of someone," he said. "My first crush."
Lisa stiffened.
"She laughed at me," he continued. "Said she'd never date someone ugly. Poor. Worthless."
He turned.
"I watched her kiss another man right in front of me."
His hand slipped from his hoodie pocket.
A gun emerged.
Lisa froze.
Before she could react—
"DROP THE GUN, DEMON!" Reid shouted.
Reid emerged from behind a crate, weapon aimed.
Lisa's heart pounded.
Demon…
The hooded man laughed.
Slowly, he pulled back his hood.
Lisa's blood turned cold.
She recognized that face.
The eyes.
The grin.
"You… you're dead," she whispered.
"You hung yourself in prison."
The man's red eyes glowed.
"Surprise," he said cheerfully. "Still alive."
Lisa staggered back.
"You're the Zodiac Killer…"
"Among other things," he replied.
Gun still pointed at her.
"Sadly," he added, "you won't survive this revelation."
Reid tightened his grip.
"Don't you dare."
The demon tilted his head.
Then—
"Pardon the interruption," a calm voice echoed.
The lights flickered.
A shadow formed near the ceiling.
Red symbols glowed faintly in the darkness.
The demon's smile faded.
"…Oh," he muttered. "That's bad."
Lisa's breath caught.
Something far worse had arrived.