Purple light covered the heavens.
The shattered remains of Shota's domain drifted through the air like broken glass.
The battlefield had become silent.
Because everyone was watching the same thing.
Lira.
The strongest person alive.
The woman who had conquered kingdoms.
The woman who had defeated Demon Generals.
The woman who had reached the edge of the universe in a single moment.
And standing before her—
Kensai.
The Second General of Sloth.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
The tension alone was enough to make the ground tremble.
Lira clenched her fists.
Or tried to.
The fragments of her shattered gauntlets fell from her hands.
Tiny pieces of mythril hit the earth one by one.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Each sound hurt more than a wound.
Because those gauntlets weren't just equipment.
They were a gift.
A gift from Bronsthor.
Her father.
And they were gone.
Destroyed by a single slash.
"...Dad's gauntlets..."
Lira stared at the pieces.
For a brief moment—
She looked small.
Not the strongest warrior in the world.
Just a daughter.
Kensai watched quietly.
"...You relied on them."
Lira slowly raised her head.
"...No."
Her voice shook.
"...I loved them."
Silence.
Even Kensai paused.
Then—
Kael stepped forward.
"...Lira..."
She turned immediately.
Hope filled her eyes.
For a second—
Just a second—
She thought he remembered.
But Kael looked confused.
Lost.
"...I'm sorry."
The same words again.
The same painful words.
Because he still didn't know why she was crying.
Lira lowered her head.
The hope disappeared.
And something inside her broke.
Not from anger.
From sadness.
"...Give him back."
The request was quiet.
Almost pleading.
Kensai closed her eyes.
"...No."
Again.
The same answer.
Simple.
Certain.
Final.
Something exploded.
Purple energy erupted around Lira.
The sky cracked.
Mountains trembled.
The ocean far beyond the kingdom surged violently.
Everyone stepped back.
Because they knew.
Lira had stopped holding back.
Completely.
"RUN!" Liren shouted.
Shun immediately grabbed Kael.
Eldarin retreated.
The battlefield became empty.
Only Lira and Kensai remained.
Lira vanished.
The earth beneath her exploded.
A crater hundreds of meters wide appeared instantly.
Kensai drew her blade.
The two collided.
BOOOOOM!
The shockwave split clouds across the horizon.
Lira attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Thousands of punches.
Millions.
The air itself died beneath the assault.
Yet Kensai continued blocking.
One swing.
One movement.
One perfect defense.
Every time.
Lira became faster.
The battlefield disappeared behind her speed.
Then the continent.
Then the world.
For an instant she stood among stars.
Then returned.
Her fist descended.
Power enough to erase mountains.
Kensai swung once.
A silver line appeared.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing flashy.
Just a single slash.
The punch stopped.
The purple energy vanished.
The heavens became quiet.
Lira froze.
Everyone froze.
Kensai slowly returned her sword to its sheath.
"...I win."
Silence.
Lira looked down.
Her aura was gone.
The berserk state was gone.
The Purple Fist had vanished.
Everything had been cut apart.
Not her body.
Her power.
The flow.
The momentum.
The very state she had entered.
Kensai had cut it away.
One slash.
That was all.
Lira stumbled.
For the first time in years—
She fell to one knee.
The strongest warrior in the world had been defeated.
Not through greater strength.
Not through greater speed.
But through skill.
Absolute skill.
Shun's eyes widened.
"...She lost."
Eldarin couldn't speak.
Liren looked terrified.
Because she understood something horrifying.
If Kensai could cut concepts...
Then one day—
She might cut strength itself.
Or memory.
Or existence.
Kensai turned away.
The battle was already over.
"...Become stronger."
Lira looked up.
Kensai stood with her back facing her.
"...If you want his memories back."
Her gaze shifted toward Kael.
"...Come take them."
Then space split apart.
A doorway of silver light appeared.
Kensai walked through it.
Shota followed immediately.
The portal closed.
And the battlefield became silent.
Lira remained kneeling.
Broken gauntlets around her.
Kael's forgotten memories still gone.
The enemy leaving victorious.
For the first time since overthrowing an empire with a rock—
Lira had truly lost.
And deep inside her heart—
A new determination began to grow.
Not to become stronger.
To become worthy of winning the rematch.
To Be Continued...