The fragment hovered in front of him.
Still.
Silent.
Absolute.
Alex didn't move.
Not yet.
Because he could feel them.
Closing in.
Fast.
Three presences—All converging on the same point.
No more distance.
No more time.
Just this.
His hand twitched slightly.
If I grab it now—A shift in the air.
Too late.
The unstable one arrived first.
Landing hard on the platform behind him—Cracks spreading instantly beneath his feet.
"…You're fast," he said, grinning.
Alex didn't turn.
"…You're late."
A laugh.
Sharp.
Excited.
"…Not anymore."
A second presence—The tall man.
Landing to the side.
Silent.
Focused.
And then—The woman.
All three.
Surrounding him.
The platform trembled under the combined weight.
The system pulsed violently.
Final Convergence Confirmed
No more running.
No more positioning.
Just one outcome.
Alex finally turned.
Three against one.
Again.
But this time—No alliances.
No hesitation.
The unstable one stepped forward first.
"…So how do we do this?"
The tall man answered.
"…We don't."
Before anyone could react—He moved.
Not at Alex.
At the unstable one.
A heavy strike—Fast.
Direct.
The unstable one barely blocked—Sliding back across the platform.
"…Seriously?" he laughed.
The woman moved instantly—Attacking the tall man from the side.
But this time—There was no coordination.
No restraint.
Only intent.
To eliminate.
Alex didn't move.
Because this—Was the final collapse.
The system confirmed it.
Alliances: None
Combat State: Free-for-All
The unstable one vanished—Reappearing behind the woman.
She reacted—But slower than before.
A strike—Clean—Across her side.
She staggered.
The tall man didn't hesitate.
He attacked both of them.
Forcing space.
Taking control.
But control didn't last.
Because chaos—Couldn't be controlled.
Alex exhaled slowly.
Now.
He moved.
Not toward the fragment.
Toward them.
Because if he reached for it now—He'd die.
Instead—He broke the fight.
His blade clashed with the tall man's—Redirecting the attack.
The unstable one lunged—But Alex shifted—Letting the strike pass—And forcing it toward the woman.
Collision.
Impact.
All four now fully engaged.
No patterns.
No rhythm.
Just fragments of movement—Clashing—Breaking—Reforming.
The platform cracked further.
Pieces falling into nothingness below.
The system pulsed again.
Platform Stability: Critical
They were running out of time.
The woman attacked Alex directly.
Fast.
Precise.
But predictable.
He blocked—Turned—Countered.
She barely avoided the strike—But lost ground.
The unstable one came next—Wild.
Unreadable.
Alex didn't block.
He stepped into it—Taking a shallow cut—But landing a strike of his own.
The unstable one laughed—Even as blood spilled.
"…You're insane!"
The tall man entered again—Stronger than both.
His strike forced Alex back—Closer to the edge.
One step from falling.
Alex steadied himself.
Breathing heavy.
All three were damaged now.
But still fighting.
Still standing.
The fragment pulsed behind them.
Closer.
Waiting.
The system flashed.
Final Opportunity Window Detected
Alex's eyes sharpened.
This is it.
He couldn't outfight all three.
Couldn't outlast them.
So—He changed the equation.
Again.
He rushed forward—Directly at the tall man.
Full speed.
The strongest.
The biggest threat.
The man met him head-on.
Their blades collided—A heavy impact—But Alex didn't stop.
He pushed harder.
Forcing the clash—Breaking balance—Then—He let go.
Of the fight.
Of the resistance.
He shifted—Suddenly—Disappearing from the clash—Sliding past—Toward the fragment.
Too fast.
Too unexpected.
The others reacted—Too late.
Alex reached out.
Fingers inches away—The air exploded.
A force—From all three—Crashing toward him.
Unavoidable.
Unstoppable.
Alex's eyes didn't waver.
Because he knew—This was the cost.
He didn't pull back.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't stop.
His hand closed—Around the fragment.
Light erupted instantly.
Blinding.
Violent.
Absolute.
The impact hit him at the same time.
Everything went white.
Everything disappeared.
Everything—Stopped.
A final system message echoed through the void—
Final Candidate Confirmed