With the sky now teeming with golden arrows and descending shields, the duo knows they can’t withstand the onslaught. Their only option is escape. The ruined dome offers an opening, and Yu wastes no time, surging forward atop a rushing water stream while gripping onto David. As they dash through the chaos, David fends off the falling projectiles with rapid thunder strikes and blazing fireballs, clearing their path.

  Just as they reach the opening to escape, Light Force suddenly appears before them, shield raised. Yu, unable to halt the momentum of his water stream, crashes directly into it – David, at the front, taking the full force of the impact. Before he can react, a golden beam erupts from the shield, blasting them both backward. They’re sent hurtling inside, straight into the relentless downpour of arrows and battering shields.

  Thinking fast, they conjure a barricade overhead – boiling hot water that incinerates anything it touches. The searing liquid shields them from what would’ve been a devastating blow, but not without cost. Before they could raise their defense, a shield had already smashed into Yu’s face the moment he hit the ground, and an arrow is now embedded in David’s front leg.

  While the two are holding off the relentless downpour, Light Force has been silently gathering energy for a devastating beam attack. The moment it fires, the beam carves through the falling barrage, cutting straight toward them. Reacting instantly, Yu summons a powerful stream from beneath, propelling both of them high into the air to evade the deadly blast – all while still working with David, who is no longer hindered by the arrow lodged in his leg, to deflect the relentless onslaught above. Though the beam severs a large portion of his stream, Yu quickly summons another to keep them both afloat.

  “Use your stream to get us out!”

  But before Yu can act, the relentless downpour ceases. The battle’s chaos has drawn the attention of police and news crews, now swarming the area. Helicopters hover above, cameras trained on the shattered dome, capturing what appears to be an unseen force wreaking havoc inside.

  “They better not get too close – or they better hope we don’t get out,” David mutters.

  The two take this brief respite to catch their breath as Yu gently lowers them back inside the dome. Across the shattered hall, Light Force strides toward them, his presence unwavering.

  “I’m curious,” David starts, eyes locked on their opponent. “Why are we even here if you didn’t want to intervene with humans?”

  Light Force halts. “It’s to prove a point – I can intervene too, if I so choose.”

  “Then why not work with Big D?” Yu asks. “Why start this pointless war?”

  “Big what? Oh, you mean Dark Force. Because in the end, humans must thrive on their own. Evolution brought them this far without our interference.”

  David scoffs. “I’m sure you two could work something out. Just talk to him.”

  “I will never share Heaven with the likes of him!” Light Force’s voice sharpens, his expression hardening. “This planet is half his and half mine, but if I could claim it all for myself, I would.”

  “You’re not winning this,” David warns.

  “Do you know what life forces do to each other?”

  As divine as they are, life forces are entities that often wage war against one another, each seeking to prove its superiority. It's rare to see two planets coexist side by side in the universe, as one life force typically leads its army to invade and dominate the other. The victor either destroys the defeated planet or forces it into subjugation, using it for resources and military might. That's why it's often better to create a planet far from any others. Earth was an anomaly – a rare occurrence where two life forces collaborated to bring a single world into existence.

  “What happens if one of you dies, then?” David asks.

  “Then Earth will collapse, leaving only Heaven and Hell to remain,” Light Force replies. “That’s why someone must take our place if that ever happens. And that’s also why I’m offering one of you the chance to accept my proposal.”

  “You could just absorb each other’s essence, like how your void thingies merged!” Yu remarks.

  “We can’t. Think of it as us already having reached the maximum capacity for essence. All life forces are created with equal strength. Even when our energies are depleted, we can’t absorb essence to recover any faster. They’re not the same.”

  Light Force patiently answers the duo’s questions, fully aware that they’re buying time to catch their breath. Even so, he believes his responses might sway one of them, especially David, into joining him.

  Outside the dome, police and news crews – both on the ground and in helicopters – arrive, hoping to find some answers.

  Knowing time is running out, Light Force asks David and Yu one more time, but both remain resolute in their refusal.

  “If only one of us lives, then that’s a no!” David answers.

  “It’s a no from me too. Thanks, but no thanks. Goodbye!” Yu says.

  Yu surprises the divine entity by sending a surge of boiling water from beneath Light Force. David, meanwhile, holds back from attacking, careful not to harm the people still inside the dome. In response, Light Force’s form scatters, using the people as a shield. That’s when Yu notices some of his idol friends have returned, guiding paramedics to rescue those trapped under the rubble.

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  With David giving chase, pushing the people aside to burn Light Force, Yu is momentarily distracted when his idol friends find another trapped under the ruins.

  “We’re here! You’ll be fine! We’ll perform together again!” one of the idols says.

  In that moment, Yu’s eyes well with tears. For a nineteen-year-old, his ultimate dream was to become a singer. While he never desired the idol life, he had always envisioned himself as a solo artist. He had promised himself that when he found success, he would keep in touch with his friends – the very ones who had supported him throughout the idol experience.

  As his mind drifts, Yu wonders if it will still be possible to fulfill his dream in the new world, should they win the war. What will the new rules be? How will they affect his future – and the future of his idol friends? But in the blink of an eye, the golden shield rams into the group, sending them crashing into more people before smashing through a wall.

  Instinctively, Yu dashes after them, only to find two of his friends lifeless, while the others groan in pain.

  “Yu! Focus!” David shouts.

  As Yu turns back, he sees David already trapped in what seems to be an energy wave, while Light Force resumes his human form.

  “What is this? Where did it come from?” David struggles, trying to break free.

  “I’m me, and he’s also me,” the human form answers cryptically.

  The energy form of Light Force had emerged from a portal, immediately targeting David. Despite David’s best efforts to evade it, he was quickly restrained.

  Yu wants to help, but the human form gestures for him to stay put, using David as leverage.

  “One last time – will you accept my offer?” the human form demands.

  “NEVER! Not after what you’ve done to my family!” David shouts, defiant.

  “Your friends are dead. There’s no point in refusing, David,” the energy form says.

  “They’re dead?” Yu’s voice falters, his eyes widening in disbelief. His chest tightens as the words settle into his mind. He glances at his idol friends, his world suddenly crumbling, and collapses to his knees. “My dream of becoming a singer...it was already taken from me. And now...the dream of a happy afterlife with my friends is gone too?”

  David struggles against the restraints, his eyes briefly flickering to the bands on his wrist – memories of his friends now haunting him. He looks back at Yu.

  “Ha! Our friends are dead? That only means one thing,” David scoffs, his voice full of defiance but tears streaming down his face. “No one accepted your offer! If we give in now, we'd be betraying them, wouldn’t we, Yu? We have nothing to lose now! To everyone we lost along the way!”

  With that, David engulfs himself in flames, forcing the already-injured energy form to release him. Yu surrounds David with water streams, providing a shield as Yu darts toward the human form. Lightning crackles in the air as David calls down thunder strikes, landing close to the human form in an attempt to restrict its movements. But Light Force counters by hurling the shield sideways, sending it hurtling directly toward David, who is hidden behind the streams of water.

  Yu leaps forward, striking the human form directly in the head with the extended crescent blade, slicing through it with a swift, powerful blow. But, as always, the form scatters and reassembles, now appearing beside the energy form on the stage. The two forms merge, and Light Force stands tall once more, his appearance unchanged except for a glowing halo hovering above his head. Meanwhile, David lies on the ground, writhing in agony as the shield has sliced through the side of his stomach.

  The sight of David struggling fuels Yu with fury. Without hesitation, he charges in again, striking with his blade. But this time, the shield intercepts the attack. As the blade makes contact, a golden beam of light descends onto the shield, piercing through the air with blinding intensity. The beam slices through a helicopter hovering nearby, causing it to explode in a fiery burst in the sky, the shockwave rattling the surroundings. The force of the deflected beam sends Yu tumbling to the ground.

  Despite the pain, David pushes through. He engulfs Light Force in flames once more, but the figure hovers with the shield beneath its feet, effectively blocking the fire. Now gaining speed from the merge, Light Force swiftly flies toward David. David switches to a front assault, but the shield repositions to block all his attempts. Combined with speed, Light Force finds an opening and knocks David to the ground with the shield, which also unleashes a beam of light upon impact.

  Yu charges back, now riding a wave toward David and Light Force. The divine force remains unmoving, but the halo floats independently, moving with such speed that it seems to teleport as it slices through Yu’s body – across his face, neck, arms, fingers, and legs. The attack leaves deep gashes, and Yu plummets to the ground, unable to rise as the cuts to his joints render him immobile.

  “Yu…,” David says faintly, struggling to remain upright. His body still feels the brunt of the concussion from earlier. He crouches low, trying to gather his strength.

  From behind, Light Force grabs David’s head. David doesn’t struggle, having already accepted his fate. As the golden light begins to glow from Light Force’s hand, Yu reacts quickly, engulfing them both in a powerful water stream. The water coils around them in a desperate attempt to shield David. But just before it can fully encase them, a beam of golden light strikes Yu from above, shattering the water and breaking his desperate attempt to save David.

  The golden beam continues its path, gradually intensifying as it travels through David’s mouth, nose, and eyes. The glow thickens to an unbearable brightness before it finally erupts, completely obliterating David’s head.

  “David!” Yu cries out in horror, his voice trembling as he watches David’s headless body hits the ground. The world around him seems to slow, every movement blurring as the horrifying sight etches itself into his mind. His vision grows hazy, his chest tightens, and the chaotic scene around him – the panicked screams, the people fleeing in every direction – feels distant, as if it’s all happening in another world. He sways, dizzy from the shock, his mind struggling to process the brutal reality before him.

  Light Force, unfazed, continues walking toward Yu. “I used to communicate with the humans before the no-intervention clause,” he says coldly. “I told them if they ever saw me again dwelling on Earth, it would be the end of the world.”

  Despite his wounds, Yu desperately summons water, trying to push Light Force away. But in the blink of an eye, Light Force grabs the hand Yu uses to unleash his attacks. His other hand rests on the ground to support his weight, but it’s useless. Light Force crushes Yu’s hand with terrifying force, causing him to drop to the ground. Yu rolls, desperately using his other hand to release another stream of water, but that hand too is swiftly crushed beneath Light Force’s grip.

  “Well,” Light Force says, his voice dripping with finality, “you are the ones who get to see me dwell on Earth again.”

  In that moment, memories of his team flood his mind. The image of them laughing and smiling together – Wyn, Mira, Anish, Christine, James, Lisa, and David – freezes in his thoughts. To Yu, they were his ultimate goal, his vision of happiness. Only now, as he faces this crushing reality, does he realize that nothing will ever surpass that – no singing career, no fame, nothing. Even in this moment, with everything lost, he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He wouldn’t have chosen to experience all this with anyone but his team.

  Yu glances down at his wrists, finding both his band and Eugene’s still there. A wave of relief washes over him. With a deep breath, he closes his eyes, once again visualizing the frozen image of his friends. He smiles softly, but soon, everything fades to black.