**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 113: Thank You for This Journey**

  **(Arc: Beginning of the End)**

  July 4th, 6:12 a.m. – Shinjuku (Ruins of Ray’s Realm)

  Max moved first — yellow-green aura blazing like a dying sun — 1 minute left on the clock. He dashed — faster than he’d ever gone — shadows trailing like comet smoke — fists snapping forward in a blur. Ray blocked the first — took the second — third — fourth — punches landing clean across his face, chest, ribs. Each hit echoed — bone cracking under the force — purple aura flickering like a shorted wire. Ray grunted — blood trickling from his lip — but didn’t fall.

  Ray ducked the next punch — twisted — threw Max away. Max spun mid-air — landed on his feet — boots skidding across cracked concrete — shadows curling tight to keep him upright.

  Sky ran in — fist clenched — light blue aura surging — all his will energy pouring into one move. **Azure Flash** — fist glowing bright — slammed into Ray’s chest. The impact rang out — shockwave rippling outward — Ray staggered back three steps — purple aura cracking wider — blood spraying from his mouth.

  But the energy didn’t fade — it wrapped back around Sky’s body — light blue swirling like a storm — healing wounds, sharpening his edges, pushing him past the limit.

  Max’s timer ticked down — 45 seconds left. He knew what came after. He pushed anyway — speed spiking — fists blurring — landing hit after hit on Ray’s side, ribs, jaw. Ray blocked some — took others — but Max kept coming — shadows lashing like whips, green will burning brighter even as it drained.

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  Jason remembered.

  Flashes — his mom’s hair falling over her face while she made ramen, the way she hummed even when tired, the extra egg she always added for him. The rooftop with Leo — her sad smile as she fell — “it’s okay.” The nights he cried alone because he couldn’t remember her face anymore. The anger that kept him alive when everything else wanted him dead.

  Ray saw the hesitation — took the chance — threw Jason hard. Jason crashed into a parked car — metal crumpling around him — windows shattering — the whole block shaking. Shinjuku was ruins now — buildings cut in half, streets on fire, smoke rising thick into the gray dawn sky. Flames licked at broken storefronts, cars burned, bodies lay scattered — 20,000 reduced to ash and silence.

  Jason pushed up slow — glass falling off his shoulders — blood dripping from fresh cuts — but he got up.

  Sky and Max were still standing — side by side — facing Ray.

  Max threw one last punch — fist connecting with Ray’s jaw — Ray’s head snapped back — purple aura stuttering.

  Sky dashed — **Azure Flash** again — fist glowing — remembered Jane was dead — the curse shouldn’t be there anymore. He looked down — caught his reflection in a puddle — no black ring around his eye — no corruption creeping — just his normal brown eyes staring back, tired, young, scarred but free.

  He looked at Max — voice low.

  “Cover me.”

  Max nodded — shadows surging — loyal shade wrapping around Sky like armor.

  Sky ran — fast — toward Ray.

  But Ray moved faster.

  He clapped — once — **Ultimate Slash** — violet line multiplying — cutting Max from head to toe in one clean motion. Max’s body split — blood spraying in a perfect arc — shadows dissolving like smoke — green Gem falling from his pocket — rolling across the cracked ground.

  Sky froze — eyes wide — tears instant.

  Max turned — half a smile — blood dripping from his mouth — voice soft.

  “Thank you for this journey, Sky. I won’t forget.”

  Then he split fully — body falling in two pieces — eyes open, peaceful.

  Sky dropped to his knees — scream tearing out of his throat — raw, broken — hands slamming into the ground — blood mixing with Max’s.

  The chapter ended with Sky on his knees — tears falling into the puddle — reflection showing only his face now — no ring, no curse — just a 16-year-old boy who’d lost everything.

  To be continued…