The battle between Joshua Egoshin and the six members of Kaimi Daja had drawn a large crowd, their eyes glued to the gruesome conclusion unfolding before them.
Joshua knelt on the blood-soaked surface of the lake, a sword of thorns embedded in his chest. Vibrant flowers sprouted from his wounds, feeding off his body as he bled out. His Light energy had been completely drained, rendering him too weak to use Harmonic Restoration to heal himself. To make matters worse, moments earlier, Zero had severed his left hand, stripping him of his fragment power.
As Joshua gasped for breath, his broken sword slipped from his mouth and sank into the crimson-tinged water.
Joshua: (coughing blood) How…?
Zero: It was Lokk's Clarion technique. The moment he tagged you, he linked your energy flow to his, dropping your stats with every move you made. Gaki's sound technique at the start? That wasn't just to disorient you, it scrambled your focus, making it easier for Lokk to place a tag on you. From the very beginning, you were already in our grasp.
Lokk: (grimacing, clutching his chest) It worked… barely.
Desmond: (supporting Lokk) Still breathing, huh? That's a win.
Joshua coughed again, blood staining his lips.
Joshua: You're… still standing after a slash from the Luminary Sword? Impossible…
Zero: Oh, that? We activated Harmonic Mantle Essence the moment we saw your stance. It dulled the sword's effects. I won't lie, it messed us up, but with Harmonic Restoration, I can move around and since I have Nexus energy in me, the damage I took is less compared to everyone else… though healing will take some time.
Zero suddenly coughed blood.
Korra: Are you okay, Zero?
Zero: Yeah, yeah. Worry about yourself, you're injured too, remember?
Korra: (looks away) Hmm.
Zero: Exactly. Take care of yourself. (turning to the group) Everyone else holding up?
Desmond: Yeah.
Jokita: (nods his head)
Lokk: Yeah, Still breathing
Zero: (grinning) Good. Then let's wrap this up.
Zero turned back to Joshua, his tone mocking.
Zero: You lost, Egoshin. Not because you lacked power, but because you hesitated. If you'd killed us when you unleash your Perfect Manifestation, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Your mercy cost you everything.
Behind them, the crowd watching from the distance murmured nervously.
Jokita: Looks like we've drawn an audience.
Korra: Should we kill them?
Zero: Oh no. Someone will eventually have to call the HFA to pick up his corpse. More importantly…
Zero turned his gaze to Jokita who totally immediately understood.
Jokita stepped forward and activated his technique, compressing Joshua's severed left hand down into something no bigger than a pill. He placed it in Zero's palm and Zero swallowed it without hesitation.
The sight turned stomachs and drew instinctive looks of revulsion from everyone watching.
Almost instantly, a surge of energy ripped through his body. His posture straightened and his presence intensified.
Desmond: Did it work?
Zero: [LUMINARY SWORD]
In Zero's hand, the Luminary Sword materialized—glowing with the same radiant light it had when Joshua wielded it.
The others could only stare in stunned awe, but Joshua's face twisted in disbelief, shock burning in his eyes as he realized what he was seeing.
Joshua: What…?
Zero: Huh? You're still alive? Tough cookie. But judging by the blood loss, not for long.
Joshua began to gasp as he spoke.
Joshua: You… said your purpose is to eliminate Shadows and Clarions. Just how many more have to die to fulfill that goal?
Zero: As many as it takes. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way to ensure the 2003 Incident never happens again. You were in my way, that's why you're dying.
Joshua coughed blood.
Joshua: We're not so different. I… wanted to end the cycle of hatred too. To change the way the world sees Shadows… but killing other people for your goals? That… that makes you no different from the people who caused the 2003 incident…
Korra got visibly annoyed but Zero remained calm.
Zero: And what would you do if someone stood in your way?
Joshua: There are always alternatives. No matter what happens, I'd find a way to fulfill my goals without ending someone's life because believe it or not, life has a way of bringing your actions back to you. And I don't want that to affect those close to me.
Zero sighed and then responded calmly once more after giving his Joshua's words a thought.
Zero: Then I guess we simply can't understand each other. The only way to end the cycle of hatred in this world is to eradicate the very thing that causes it. And that's by removing Shadow and Light energy itself from the world. The fact that you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm wrong and the fact I don't agree with you doesn't mean you're wrong either. It's like you said earlier, our goals are similar but the way we go about it is different. What I believe is that those who are able to win are the one's the world will listen to. The world will listen to me… to us.
Joshua coughed blood once more.
Zero: Well it's a shame that you're gonna die now. If we had met under different circumstances, we could've been friends.
As the group prepared to leave, a Shadow Monster carrying Giles swooped down to pick them up. Jokita and Desmond helped the injured board, while Korra cast a lingering glance back at Joshua, his life slipping away.
For a moment, guilt and regret flared in her chest as she asked herself the recurring question that kept coming back every time to haunt her:
Korra: (to herself) Why did I have to turn out like this?
The Shadow Monster ascended into the sky, leaving Joshua alone on the blood-stained lake.
******
As Joshua Egoshin lay bleeding out, his strength fading with every passing second, his life began to flash before his eyes.
Joshua: (to himself) Is this it? Damn it… Not like this. Not like this…
Images of his family and friends flickered in his mind. He could almost hear their voices and everyone calling his name.
Joshua: (muttering) I just… I just want to see them one more time. We were supposed to plan a hang out…
The sword of thorns embedded in his chest pulsed, draining what little life he had left. Joshua struggled to summon Harmonic Restoration, but his energy was too depleted. The technique failed, leaving him with nothing but the pain and the weight of his regrets.
Memories washed over him, his carefree days at the academy, the faces of his friends, the laughter and camaraderie they shared. He thought of Jason, his closest friend, and of a boy who looked just like him, who was waiting for him to return home.
Joshua: (to himself) I'm sorry, Eric… Looks like I won't be able… to make it back….
As the world around him blurred and his body grew colder, Joshua let out one final, shuddering breath and closed his eyes for the last time, unable to save himself.