Gods & Mortals

The dynamics of the entire match underwent an abrupt transformation as Link dropped to his knees, symbolically submitting to Rose's influence.

Klaus and Lance both shifted their attention to the unfolding scene, recognizing that Rose's ability had indeed taken effect.

"It worked," Klaus acknowledged inwardly as he made his way toward them.

Lance, rather than showing any eagerness to defend his fallen teammate or continue attacking, displayed a keen interest in the unfolding events. His demeanor conveyed that he was intrigued by what might transpire next.

"What will you do next, Klaus Walker?" Lance contemplated as Klaus approached Rose.

Rose greeted Klaus with a smile, elated that their plan and her ability had proven successful. She acknowledged that their decision to deploy this risky strategy had paid off, particularly considering the uncertainty surrounding Link's susceptibility to it.

"Quick, let's eliminate him before Lance intervenes," Rose urged, her tone laced with urgency, as Link rose from his kneeling stance, exposing the entirety of his lifeline—an opportunity for Rose to strike.

Klaus, however, intervened, prompting Rose to halt in confusion. "Wait," he called.

Baffled, Rose questioned, "What's wrong? We need to eliminate him quickly to gain the upper hand."

Klaus countered her rush, "No, we don't."

Rose's bewilderment lingered, but Klaus explained his rationale: "Since he's under the influence of your ability, we can turn him into an ally against Lance instead of eliminating him outright."

Klaus's proposition made sense. Given that Rose's ability didn't demand as much energy from her, they could strategically enlist Link's support and together challenge Lance. This shift from a two-on-one to a three-on-one scenario was a shrewd tactical maneuver.

"You're right," Rose concurred, comprehending the strategic advantage Klaus was proposing.

Meanwhile, Lance smiled, audibly catching their conversation as he observed their exchange.

The momentum of the battle was perceptibly changing, favoring them due to their numerical advantage.

"So, the battle now evolves into a three-on-one confrontation," Lance declared, addressing them. "So be it."

As he concluded, Lance raised both his hands, conjuring two identical staffs, albeit slightly shorter than the ones he previously wielded.

"I'm not certain this is a fair fight anymore," Lance quipped, his comment hinting at the complexity of the situation.

With that, he surged toward them, prompting Rose to command Link to target Lance's lifeline. But the implication of his previous statement was becoming clear.

With astonishing precision and grace, Lance maneuvered his weapons, effortlessly evading all incoming attacks from his opponents. His counterattacks were equally daunting, often catching them off guard. His movements flowed like water, executed with ease and a subtle smile.

Klaus couldn't hide his frustration as he realized that the current situation resembled their earlier defeat.

"We're still no match for him," he silently acknowledged.

As they persisted in their efforts to find an opening, Lance's expression shifted from a smile to a stern focus, causing Klaus to sense an impending change.

"This is becoming repetitive," Lance commented before discarding both of his weapons, which promptly dematerialized. Immediately, he conjured a long spear, adopting a lethal stance with its pointed end slanted slightly toward the ground.

Link, still under Rose's control, rushed toward Lance, but what followed unfolded so swiftly that it left everyone in a state of shock.

In a split second, Lance used the spear to deflect Link's arm and delivered a powerful blow to Link's head. The impact appeared to have disrupted Link's mask display, causing it to glitch after the hit. Before Link could hit the ground, Lance swiftly pierced his lifeline with the sharp end of the spear, instantly eliminating him.

Link's body began to dematerialize, vanishing from the battlefield, leaving everyone bewildered and Rose trembling in fear.

"What... What just happened?" Rose exclaimed, utterly baffled by the rapid turn of events.

The sheer speed and precision of Lance's actions had shaken her deeply. She felt a sense of hopelessness about the outcome of the battle.

However, as she turned to Klaus, she noticed that he wore his usual calm expression. At first, she assumed he was in shock, but it quickly became apparent that he was anything but dazed.

"I saw it," Klaus murmured, causing Rose's eyes to widen in surprise.

"I saw every single move. Don't be frightened, Rose. We can still win."

"How?" Rose asked, her confusion palpable.

"Because I still haven't used it."

Lance's smile widened upon hearing their conversation, sensing that he had finally provoked a reaction from Klaus.

"Holding back led you to eliminate your own teammate. Doesn't that affect you?" Klaus asked Lance, taking determined steps forward.

Lance approached Klaus, responding to his query, "Only true warriors can strike down an ally compelled by the enemy. Besides, it appears you were holding back as well."

"Holding back? You've misunderstood," Klaus clarified, his tone resolute. "I wasn't holding back; I simply hoped not to resort to this, considering that his move requires a tremendous amount of energy."

Lance's smile grew, his purpose seemingly achieved.

"Say what you will, but a battle only becomes true when both sides exert their full efforts. Otherwise, it's mere child's play," Lance declared.

Finishing his statement, Lance assumed the stance he had taken before, his focus intense and unsettling.

Observing Klaus closely, Rose awaited his response in silence.

Then, Klaus closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he channeled his concentration.

In that suspended moment, Rose watched, sensing the impending climax of their confrontation.

Klaus opened his eyes, lifting his dominant left hand high above his head.

Suddenly, from nowhere yet everywhere, light flowed directly into Klaus' open palm, creating a mesmerizing dance of illumination.

The light continued in an oscillating rhythm, weaving around Klaus' hand, forming a radiant sphere.

The battlefield stood in awe, astonished by Klaus' profound mastery of his abilities, a revelation previously unknown to all.

The luminous sphere expanded steadily until it reached around ten inches in diameter. The influx of light particles ceased, and the Solar Ball remained suspended above Klaus' palm. The effort was evident from Klaus' subtly hastened breath and quickened heartbeat.

"I guess this is the best I can do for now," Klaus acknowledged, turning toward Lance to convey that the attack was ready.

Lance maintained his vigilance, poised for the impending clash, and questioned, "Is this truly your limit?"

Klaus responded with his characteristic demeanor, "Seems so."

Lance then prepared himself, and after a tense pause, he unleashed his strike.

Lance lunged at Klaus with such swiftness that Rose struggled to follow his movements.

However, as Lance thrust his spear toward Klaus, aiming to strike his lifeline and eliminate him, Klaus astoundingly evaded the attack, leaving Lance bewildered.

Lance's expression shifted as he grasped that Klaus had not only dodged his assault but had something else in store.

Klaus employed his left hand, still clutching the Solar Ball, and dashed toward Lance's lifeline with unwavering determination.

Lance had little hope of evading the impending strike by himself as the radiant ball connected with him.

Upon contact, the Solar Ball abruptly detonated, propelling Lance forcefully into a distant wall, shattering it upon impact. The explosion filled the room with blinding light, causing excruciating pain and disorienting its target at the same time.

Klaus collapsed to the ground, clutching his left hand, still feeling the repercussions of the intense force unleashed by his attack.

Rose rushed to Klaus upon seeing the severe bruises and partially open cuts on his left palm and wrist.

"What in the world was that?" Rose exclaimed.

"Compressed light," Klaus replied, leaving Rose utterly astonished.

"Not a lot of people are aware, but light possesses relativistic mass, and photons can be treated as a gas in certain conditions, meaning it can be compressed. During the week of training, I focused on honing my light manipulation skills, seeking a way to wield it effectively in combat. While my initial mastery allowed me to control light, it had no offensive power. I needed a way to harness it as a weapon. So, I developed the ability to extract ambient light from my surroundings and condense billions of photons into a compact, spinning orb. This gave it the necessary force and pressure to create a devastating explosion upon impact."

"Well, that somewhat explains the bruises," Rose remarked, her slight understanding and admiration growing for Klaus's revelation. She was genuinely surprised by his dedication during their week of training. She hadn't expected him to take the event seriously, especially given his initial reluctance to even return. Many of their peers, including herself, had slacked off during that week, so Klaus's commitment stood out.

"Still, you could've seriously injured yourself. You didn't need to push so hard for a game," Rose continued, concerned about his injured arm.

"I guess," Klaus replied, managing to catch his breath and stand up.

"So, compressed light."

As the words echoed in the room, both Klaus and Rose turned their attention to the area where Lance had been. Their gaze landed on a figure clad in full armor, completely concealing their identity.

It was Lance.

Lance had summoned a full suit of armor before Klaus's attack could come in contact with him, which had absorbed much of the impact. Although the armor was destroyed where the solar ball had struck, it had protected Lance's lifeline, leaving it exposed but unharmed.

"You're still here?" Rose asked, her frustration evident upon seeing Lance's presence.

"So, when the ball of light makes contact with an object, the part of its shell making contact is affected since light is absorbed by other objects but itself. This causes the contacted surface of the attack to rupture, allowing the highly compressed contents within to burst out of the hollow shell, creating an explosive effect. It's genius," Lance commented, immediately understanding the nature of the attack.

Klaus remained quiet while Lance proceeded to debunk the attack.

"Also, the ball of light isn't reactive on you because your body is recognized by it as a source of light, so it doesn't trigger an explosion upon your contact. Additionally, since the explosive force is directed away from you, the damage you experience from the explosion will be considerably less than that inflicted on your opponent."

Klaus' expression already validated Lance's claims. With a single attack, Lance comprehended Klaus' ability entirely, aided by the explanation Klaus had earlier provided.

Lance dematerialized the armor he wore, brushing off the debris of the shattered wall from his shoulders as he respawned the same spear from earlier.

"It seems there's no longer a reason to hold back," Lance announced, assuming his stance once more and lunging towards Rose.

Lance's spear instantly struck Rose's chest before anyone could realize it, hitting her lifeline and sending her flying a short distance before she vanished from the arena.

Klaus' eyes widened, realizing that he couldn't react at all to save Rose. With her elimination, Lance returned his attention to Klaus.

"With no more distractions, let us finally conclude this battle," Lance declared, resuming his stance.

Klaus understood the slim chances he had, but he was determined to give everything he had to secure victory. Ignoring his previous injuries, he raised his left arm again, attempting to summon another Solar Ball.

As they stood poised for another clash, a horn-like sound resonated across the battlefield, catching their attention.

They both turned in confusion, only to realize an unexpected development that was unfolding before them.

They were disintegrating.

As they faded from the arena, a voice echoed, revealing the explanation of what was happening.

"The winner of the current game has been determined."