The announcer’s voice echoed, and the audience stood from their seats, cheering. Ryu and Lyra moved slowly toward each other. The arena lights focused on them as if these were the only two people left in the world.Lyra said with a slight smile."Then, let’s see how long your calm lasts."Ryu just looked at her, his voice cold and steady as usual."The game is only won when you don’t lose patience."Lyra laughed, and her twin daggers created a sharp sound in the air.---The ClashLyra made the first move – she moved like a shadow, every step unpredictable. Her daggers came at Ryu from two different angles simultaneously.Ryu just blocked them with his hands but did not attack.Lyra laughed."Just dodging? Do you think this final is a practice match?"Ryu replied calmly."I’m just counting. Your moves repeat."A mischievous smile appeared on Lyra’s face as she changed her rhythm. Her body seemed almost to disappear, and in a moment she was behind Ryu. Her dagger stopped near Ryu’s sho

The city night was completely silent. Shadows behind the street lights looked long and distorted. Ryu stood on the roof of a building, observing the streets below. His face was the usual calm, but a cold determination shone in his eyes. Saren stood next to him, his mask reflecting a faint glow in the moonlight. Finally… you are going on the offense? Saren asked with a smirk. Ryu just looked at him and said calmly, Master has always been moving the board. Now I am going to take down one of his pieces. Elira and Kael also arrived. Tension and worry were written on Elira’s face. What is your plan? Are you just going to attack Master’s base like this? Elira asked. Ryu looked at her, his face completely blank, Sometimes to win, you have to move straight forward. I have found one of his hidden bases. Kael drew his sword and said, Then we are coming with you. Ryu glanced at them for a second and said softly, This is not your game. You protect the pieces, breaking the board

The night air was thick with tension. Smoke still lingered over the broken warehouse, and the city below twinkled faintly through the haze. Ryu stood atop a crumbling rooftop, surveying the streets. His face remained calm, but his eyes held the same cold determination they always did.Saren adjusted his mask and spoke quietly."Ryu… the beast is trapped, but Master won’t wait. He’s planning the next move already."Ryu’s gaze never left the city below."Then we move before he decides. The pieces are scattered, and I won’t let them fall."Elira stepped closer, her voice tense but filled with worry."Ryu… we can’t just keep chasing shadows. Master is always one step ahead."Ryu turned to her slowly."That’s exactly why we don’t follow his steps. We create our own path."Kael, gripping his sword tightly, chimed in."And if the path leads straight into danger?"Ryu’s calm voice did not waver."Then we face it head-on. Pieces are more important than safety."---The trio moved silently acro

The city was drenched in the muted glow of the night, broken only by scattered lights flickering across deserted streets. The wind carried a faint hum of tension, an unseen current that seemed to whisper the remnants of battle. The bridge still bore the scars of conflict—splintered wood, twisted steel, and scattered debris, remnants of the agents and civilians who had faced the storm together. Yet above it all, standing silently, Ryu surveyed the city with the calm precision that had always defined him.His gloves shimmered faintly in the silver light, a quiet testament to the power he had wielded mere moments ago. Lyra leaned against a railing, daggers loosely in her hands but her eyes sharp, watching Ryu as if waiting for a crack in his otherwise impenetrable demeanor. Elira and Kael were nearby, their breaths still uneven, the adrenaline of the bridge battle slowly fading into awareness of the next step.“Ryu…” Elira started, her voice barely above a whisper, “the civilians… they’r

The plaza was quiet now. The black crystal lay shattered, its fragments scattered across the stone floor, some still crackling faintly with residual energy. The silver and black sparks from Ryu’s final strike still lingered in the air, shimmering against the moonlight. The agents that had surrounded the crystal were either unconscious or disintegrated, leaving the plaza eerily empty. The wind whispered through broken pillars, carrying with it a chill that made the hair on Ryu’s neck rise, though his face remained calm as always.Lyra stepped forward first, her daggers sheathing themselves with a soft click. She walked around the scattered crystal shards, her eyes flicking toward the glowing residue of black energy. Her usual teasing smile was replaced by a contemplative frown."Ryu…" she began, her voice soft but edged with curiosity, "how do you always keep so calm in the middle of chaos? You destroy something so powerful, yet it’s like you’re simply… calculating the next move."Ryu