---
Leon swings—
SHWAAHMN—
Loki dodges.
—CKTHAMN!
The strike tears through empty air.
Leon pulls back to strike again.
Loki raises his brows.
"Hmm?" he murmurs.
SCHAAHMN—
He dodges again.
—KCTHAMN!
Another strike shatters the air.
Loki pulls one leg back.
His brows furrow.
He steps forward.
"My brother…"
Leon freezes before him—
He has already swung forward.
"Your pupils…"
Leon frowns, unable to avoid—
PCKTHAAAAAAAHMNH!
A kick lands in his abdomen—
"…have vanished, just like those I have defeated."
PRKTHAAAHMN!
Air explodes as the strike lands fully.
Loki raises his brows, staring deeply as he retracts his leg.
"Do I have to do the same to you?!" he asks.
SKHWAAAAAHMNH!
Leon charges again—filled with anger.
"Is this really necessary?"
Loki lowers his stance, preparing to defend.
Leon leaps briefly, drawing his left hand back behind his head, fingers extended.
"Do we really have to fight each other as brothers to this extent?!"
A lapse—
TCPKHAAAAAAAAHMN!
"AKH—"
—his right hand, already positioned forward—
—CKTHAAAAAAAHMN!
—pierces deeply into Loki's abdomen, releasing an explosive impact.
BLUARK—blood bursts from Loki's mouth.
Leon's left hand is already drawn back—
"Ekh…" Loki hisses, unable to evade—
SWHAAAAHMNH!
—it swings straight toward his face—
"I CAN'T BRING MYSELF TO DO IT, YOU KNOW!" Leon shouts.
—KCTHAAAAAAHMNH!
The impact explodes, sending Loki flying.
BRUK—BRAK—BRUK!
He tumbles violently several times—
PKHAAAAHMNH!
—before crashing into a wall and stopping harshly.
KRAAAK—
Cracks spread across the wall.
KRHAHMN!
Chunks of stone fall and shatter around him.
Loki slumps, half-buried in the rubble.
He exhales heavily, eyes closed, head lowered.
"Huft."
He opens his eyes, raises his head, and looks deeply at Leon.
"You are my brother… I have missed you deeply since that day."
His brows rise.
"But at this point, I must bring you down to make you come to your senses… Yet, can I truly be that ruthless?!"
---
Central Government Castle, Dominatus — Vanguard Residence.
Inside the temple, four chairs are arranged around a long table; two are occupied—by Johan and Light.
Light rests his face against his palm, staring at Johan with keen curiosity.
"From your expression, I can already see the outcome clearly—between the chosen one and the second wave you deploy. What advantage do they possess, other than facing opponents who are no longer in prime condition, even with their gifts?!" Light asks.
"Psychological," Johan answers briefly, returning his gaze.
"I bring this chosen one into confrontation with the chosen ones of the first wave—of course, as you already know—to exhaust them and leave them no longer in prime condition…" Johan explains halfway, lifting his gaze toward the ceiling.
"And then?" Light asks, curious about what follows.
"And yes, to me… that is merely a diversion for them," Johan continues, lowering his face again and closing his eyes.
"What do you mean?!" Light asks again, raising both brows.
Johan opens his eyes and looks back at him.
"The first-wave envoys have no real connection at all, aside from belonging to the same organization across different generations."
"Hmm?" Light murmurs, a faint smile forming as he begins to understand.
"I know where this is going…" Light says.
Johan rests his face against his palm.
"Indeed. Unlike the first wave, the second wave possesses connections beyond blood relations," he says.
"Heh." He lets out a soft chuckle.
"And that will disturb them psychologically, won't it?" Light replies.
Johan nods.
"In that way, they will not have the resolve to be ruthless, nor will they unleash the full extent of their remaining abilities," Johan continues.
"I must admit—you are both the most intelligent and the most cunning person I have encountered so far," Light says to him.
---
KBAHMN—KPHAAHMN!
Chunks of the crumbling stone wall continue falling to the ground as Loki rises from his seated position.
Loki closes both eyes.
"Huft." He exhales deeply.
STKHWHAAAAAAHMN!
Leon charges—
Loki raises one leg to the height of his abdomen.
—In an instant, Leon stands before him, his hand drawn back with all fingers fully extended.
Slowly, Loki opens his eyes.
"I can't bring myself to do it, you know!" he says.
Leon swings—
TCKHTHAAAAAAAHM!
Loki strikes first,
STKHWAAAAAAAHMN!
The impact explodes through the air, hurling Leon away and forcing distance between them.
BRAAK!
Leon lands heavily against the ground.
SHKHWAAAAAAAHMN!
Loki launches himself forward again, closing the distance between them.
"However," he says halfway.
BRAK—BRUK—SHHHH!
Leon plants both feet and skids—
—while Loki, already before him, draws his leg back and prepares to strike.
Leon frowns. He cannot evade.
"My body is already exhausted from all of this," Loki continues.
KRKTHAAAAAAAAHMN!
"Hmm?"
PCKHAAAAAAAHMNH!
Leon releases an explosive strike, blasting Loki away and creating distance again.
BRAAK!
Loki's feet slam against the ground once more.
SLSHSHHSH!
Leon skids to a stop.
"Huft. I'll be cornered if this fight continues like this…"
SHKLHAAAAAAAAHMN!
"…because you—"
Leon charges.
SHKHWAAAAAAAHMN!
Loki charges as well, brows tightly furrowed.
"—are incredibly intelligent in every regard."
Both leap briefly into the air.
Loki draws his leg back—
"I have no idea what I should do to defeat you!"