Bin and Victor now stood face-to-face.
The air grew heavy. Leaves rustled. The forest fell into an unnatural silence.
Victor's grin widened as he rested his massive hammer on his shoulder.
Across from him, Bin's aura shifted. A strange power radiated off his body—a dark shadow aura, coating him like living armor.
From thin air, the Sword of Light appeared in his hand. Its radiant edge clashed with the darkness swirling around him, creating a surreal blend of opposing forces.
"Show me what you've got, 'Strongest Light Descendant,'" Victor growled, and charged in.
With a roar, Victor swung his hammer, aiming to crush Bin in one blow.
Bin dodged, just barely, the wind from the swing splitting trees behind him.
Victor didn't stop—he slammed the hammer into the ground, causing the forest floor to quake and crack beneath their feet.
Bin leapt back, flipped mid-air, and landed cleanly. Victor came in again—another wide swing.
But Bin was faster.
He jumped high, avoiding the blow, and in mid-air delivered a sharp kick to Victor's face.
But—nothing.
Victor didn't flinch.
With a snarl, Victor countered with a savage elbow strike, catching Bin in the ribs and sending him flying backward.
Bin hit the ground hard. Victor didn't waste time—he ran in and lifted his hammer overhead, aiming to crush Bin where he lay.
But Bin rolled aside just in time.
Victor's hammer shattered the ground instead.
Victor stepped back, scoffing. "This is the power of the so-called strongest Light Descendant? Pathetic. I expected more from you, Bin."
Bin didn't answer.
His eyes narrowed.
The shadow aura around him flared, growing denser and darker. Then, behind him, something began to take shape.
A towering Shadow Susanoo, with a skull-like mask and an abyssal sword, rose into existence, its presence shaking the air.
Bin hovered inside its chest, calm and focused.
He formed a shadow sphere, thick with destructive energy, and launched it straight at Victor.
Victor raised his hammer and blocked the attack, but the force was immense—it sent him sliding backward, his feet tearing through the soil.
Smoke covered the area.
Victor gritted his teeth. But then—
SLASH!
From within the smoke, the abyss sword of the Susanoo came crashing down on Victor's face, leaving a deep scar across his cheek.
"Grahh!!" Victor roared.
Bin launched another shadow orb, larger this time—Victor tried to move, but he wasn't fast enough.
The orb hit.
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the area. Trees fell. Dust clouded the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared, Bin stood silently, his Susanoo dissolving into black mist.
Victor's body lay in the crater, burned and scorched, but still alive.
Slowly, painfully, Victor pushed himself to one knee.
"BIN!!! I'll KILL YOU!!" he screamed, blood running down his face.
But then—
CLANG!
Chains wrapped around Victor's body, glowing with energy, binding his limbs and locking his movements.
"What the—?!" Victor struggled. "That brat?! Den again?!"
"No," came a deep voice from the trees.
Fuhkiko, Den's father, stepped forward.
Victor's eyes widened. "You…?!"
"You're done," Fuhkiko said flatly.
He looked to Bin. "Sorry I'm late."
Bin nodded. "Right on time."
Fuhkiko's chains drained Victor's energy, and finally—he collapsed.
"Put him in a secured prison," Bin said. "Fuhkiko's chains… no one's breaking those."
The battle was over.
—
Later, at Biringan, Bin walked through the medical tents, checking on the wounded. He paused beside a cot where Luz lay, bandaged and weak but conscious.
Bin's expression was unreadable.
"You," he said. "You're the farmer's son, right?"
Luz stiffened. "Y-yes, sir…"
Bin stepped closer. His voice grew stern.
"What were you thinking going there? You're not even part of the military. You could've gotten everyone killed."
Luz looked down, guilt and fear hitting him.
"I-I went to save my friend, sir…" he said. "I… I just wanted to help defend Aetheris. I know I'm not part of the army. I know I'll face the consequences, and… I accept them."
Bin stared at him. The silence was heavy.
Then—
"You surely will…" Bin said.
Luz's heart dropped.
"But," Bin continued, "you've shown courage. Heart. And strength."
He placed a hand on Luz's shoulder.
"As of today… you're now part of the Military Elite Army."
Luz's eyes widened in disbelief.
"R-really, sir?!"
Bin gave the faintest smile. "Your training… everything you've worked for… it's paid off."
Luz's eyes welled up.
"Thank you, sir…"
"Rest well, soldier," Bin said, turning to leave. "You all did great."