As Ren, Kaela, and Minato began to walk away, a faint, ragged voice cut through the silence.

"Before I… lay to rest," Laon rasped.

Ren stopped mid step, his hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of his katana. He turned slightly, eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry," Laon said with a weak, trembling chuckle. "I'm… about to die anyway. I just… need you to hear this."

His breathing was shallow, each word forced through the pain.

"The Fangs… they're powerful. With your strength, you might stand a chance… but don't get careless. The top three, Rikael, Zerik, and Kade, they're on a different level entirely."

Laon coughed, blood staining his lips.

"Especially… Zerik. Even the leader himself… calls him the strongest Fang."

Ren's gaze sharpened. "I'll keep that in mind."

Laon managed a faint, almost peaceful smile.

"Destroy the Fangs… and bring peace to this city, no… this world."

His voice faded with those final words as his eyes slowly shut, the last flicker of life leaving him.

Ren lowered himself to one knee, bowing his head in solemn respect.

"I'm sorry for all the suffering you endured," he whispered, his tone steady but heavy with quiet resolve.

"You can rest now. I promise I'll bring peace to this rotten world."

The night wind carried his vow into the darkness, a silent promise sealed over the fallen warrior's final breath.

When they arrived, the scene was exactly as Ren expected, ruined and silent, the echoes of chaos lingering in the air. The once furious battlefield now lay in uneasy stillness, shattered ground and scorched walls bore witness to the violence, while bodies, some lifeless, some restrained, were scattered across the debris. Members of Raging Waters stood guard, weapons ready, keeping several prisoners under control.

Sora, Seth, and Shin were already waiting amid the wreckage.

"Well, look at you," Ren called out with a crooked grin as he approached. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you this beat up, Shin."

Shin smirked despite the cuts across his face. "And as expected, you're always battered."

"Hey, cut me some slack. I just fought the leader of the Messengers, you know."

"Sure, sure," Shin replied, chuckling under his breath.

Ren's grin faded as his eyes lifted to the sky. Above them, a massive sphere of blinding light pulsed violently, its trembling glow shaking the air with each passing second.

"Anyway," Ren said, his tone sharpening, "what's the situation?"

"We've mopped up the Ashes and the rest of Shikkoku's soldiers," Shin reported, wiping a streak of blood from his cheek. He pointed toward the quaking sphere of light above them.

"The only fight left is happening up there."

His voice dropped, edged with caution. "I doubt the Warden will lose, but if the worst happens, if she does, that Fang will be our problem. So stay sharp."

—----

Inside Aeri's Core Release, the clash raged on, beam against beam, shockwave against shockwave, each collision making the sphere quake harder than the last.

"Core Release: Beast's Will." Junk Dog's voice rolled like a growl as a crimson shockwave erupted from him, shredding through the light beams and ricocheting across the confined arena.

Aeri simply raised her hand, a luminous barrier flaring to life and swallowing the surge.

"You know," Junk Dog chuckled, his grin sharp and wild, "you're doing me a favor."

Scarlet energy coiled around his body, molding his limbs, his legs covered in the aura shape of a wolf's and bear-like claws of red aura in his arms.

"This little cage? Perfect. I used to be a pit fighter before Shikkoku found me. And in a cage…" his eyes gleamed crimson, "The prey never gets to run."

Aeri only smiled, calm, unshaken, as if Junk Dog's taunts meant nothing.

"We'll see about that," she said, her voice like cold steel.

Junk Dog braced for another long-range barrage, only to be blindsided when Aeri closed the gap in a blur of light.

Her fists, wrapped in crushing light aura, hammered forward in a relentless flurry.

The sudden assault forced Junk Dog back on the defensive, his arms straining as each strike landed with the weight of collapsing buildings.

Aeri's movements blurred into a storm of precision, light-speed jabs, whip quick hooks, spinning roundhouses and scything tornado kicks, every blow carrying bone shattering force.

She's this good in close combat too?! Junk Dog thought, grinning even as his guard rattled under the barrage.

"This! Hah! This is thrilling!" he laughed, teeth bared as he twisted and blocked, dodging by hairs' breadth.

"The taste of a real fight! This feeling is addictive"

Junk Dog slipped past Aeri's barrage and drove a brutal liver blow into her left side. The strike landed like a cannon shot, hurling her across the sphere until she skidded to a stop, boots scraping against the glowing floor.

Now the pressure flipped.

Junk Dog surged forward, claws flashing in relentless arcs, his kicks sharp and punishing. Aeri darted back, summoning light barriers in desperate intervals, each one shattered the instant his claws connected, but each brought her a second of safety.

Slashes grazed her arms and shoulders, sparks of light scattering where his strikes barely missed vital points.

No fatal wounds yet, but the relentless pace was grinding her down.

Then a sudden crimson shockwave crashed from above. It hammered her barrier like a falling meteor, smashing her flat and forcing a burst of blood from her lips.

Junk Dog descended through the swirling haze, right claw poised like a spear, aiming straight for her chest.

Aeri's form flickered, then vanished.

Her body reappeared meters away in the shimmer of a mirage, one hand clutching her ribs as blood stained her lips.

This guy… she thought, eyes narrowing through the pain. He's a beast. Pure instinct and terrifying power. He's strong!

Aeri steadied her breathing, the sting of Junk Dog's assault still burning across her ribs.

He lunged at her again, relentless, a crimson blur.

Before he could close the gap, Aeri's arms swept outward in a precise weave. From the motion, blinding arcs of light erupted, slicing through the air toward him like blades.

Junk Dog grinned and swung a claw to intercept the first arc.

The instant his strike connected, his arm twitched violently, a shockwave hurling him backward.

"Tch!" He twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the next arcs as they screamed past, carving glowing scars across the sphere.

"Agh! Incredible!" he barked with a laugh. "One of those could slice a mountain in half!"

But Aeri wasn't finished.

Her anger flared, and with a single step she blurred forward, splitting into three shimmering afterimages that converged on Junk Dog from different angles.

A storm of light infused punches followed, each strike detonating with concussive force, driving into his chest, ribs, and shoulders.

"Ugh!" Junk Dog spat blood, his body skidding across the luminous floor.

He twisted aside just in time as a final light arc screamed past his face, scorching the air.

"This is fun!" he shouted, still smiling despite the blood running from his lips.

"Light arcs, illusions, and your own fists, attacking me with everything at once! Let's keep going!"

"You really are twisted," Aeri shot back, eyes blazing. "But if it's a fight you want, I'll give you all of it."

The clash dragged on with no sign of stopping.

Aeri unleashed dazzling light arcs and sharp, precise strikes, while Junk Dog countered with savage claws and wild, beast-like power.

They slammed into each other again and again, each hit heavy enough to crack the air itself.

Light met crimson, fists met claws. Every exchange left fresh cuts and bruises on both of them, yet neither slowed down. If anything, they were going faster and stronger.

It was like watching two monsters tear into each other. Every collision sent shockwaves through the glowing sphere, the walls trembling from their fury.

Even far below, Ren and the others felt it. The ground shivered under their feet, a deep, pulsing pressure that made their hearts pound.

Whatever was happening inside Aeri's Core Release, it was clear, the fight inside was beyond anything human.

Both fighters finally paused, drawing ragged breaths. Their bodies were battered, but their eyes stayed locked, each wearing a faint, defiant smile.

"What's wrong? Getting tired?" Junk Dog asked, chest rising and falling with each breath. "I can keep this up all day."

"Can you?" Aeri shot back, her voice calm but sharp. "I'm taking this to the next level, so be ready."

At the same time, their voices overlapped. "Core Release: Phase Two!"

"Beast Dominion," Junk Dog growled.

"Final Light Crescent," Aeri declared.

Their auras flared violently, scarlet and yellow light colliding and twisting around them.

The air itself trembled as their auras pushed against each other, sparks dancing like lightning across the sphere.

"Let's end this," Aeri said, her smile steady.

"Heh," Junk Dog chuckled, eyes burning with excitement. "I'd love for this to last forever, but fine. Let's finish it."

Then once again, they both charged at each other with the intent of finishing the intense battle.

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