Late at night. Most of the house is dark, except for the living room where the lights are on. Akira sits alone, holding the Shadow Cyclone. The silence is suddenly broken by the ringing of the phone. It's Kael. "I hope you're ready for the match. You have to win." Akira pauses for a moment, then answers firmly: "Yes. We won't stop until the final." The call is disconnected, but the tension remains in the air.
Morning. Akira suddenly gets up, excited, but there's something else in his eyes. He quickly eats breakfast, then sets off. He meets Kael and Shiro outside, and together they walk to the arena. The stadium is already buzzing, the sound of the crowd filling the space. Kael and Shiro go up to the stands, and Akira steps to the sidelines. He looks at the peonza for a moment. "Cyclone… we're going all in now."
The projector flashes: AKIRA vs. RYDDEN KROSS. Akira enters the arena, his eyes determined. Ryden is already standing there, a cold smile on his face. "Are you ready to lose?" Akira doesn't answer.
"Prepare to launch! 3…2…1… PEONZA!"
The Shadow Cyclone fires, fast and precise. The Gravemind has a harder time launching, but it stabilizes immediately. A huge explosion shakes the arena with the first impact. The two peons collide, sparks fly. Akira charges, the Cyclone comes back in a quick arc and collides again—but something is wrong. With each impact, the Gravemind seems to pull him down, distorting his movement.
Ryden smiles. "You'll realize it later."
The fight speeds up, the impacts getting stronger. The arena almost trembles beneath them. Then dark energy begins to gather around the Shadow Cyclone. In the stands, Shiro stands up, and Kael watches tensely. Akira senses that he has no more time. "Shadow Cyclone!"
The energy begins to swirl, and then the creature appears from the shadows—distorted, many-eyed, alive. "NIGHTBLACK VORTEX!" The arena darkens, the Shadow Cyclone rises, the creature's full form looming behind it.
Ryden reacts immediately. "Gravemind—GRAVITATION BREAK!" His own creature appears, heavy and oppressive. The two forces strain against each other, then they collide in midair. There's a huge explosion, and they fall back to the arena.
Akira tries to control it, but the Cyclone shudders. The creature behind him momentarily distorts, as if it's not obeying. Ryden notices. "You can't control it." He attacks with a precise impact. The Shadow Cyclone veers off, attacks back, but its movement is delayed—and that's enough.
A final, brutal collision. The Cyclone spins some more… then stops.
"WINNER: RYDDEN KROSS."
Silence falls over the stadium. Akira slowly picks up the peonza. The crystal vibrates faintly, and for a moment the creature reappears—as if watching him. Kael tightens the grip. "This isn't just defeat…" Shiro adds quietly, "Something is wrong."
Akira doesn't respond. He just stares at the Shadow Cyclone in his hand. "This isn't over yet."
The camera zooms in on the center of the peonza. The light fades for a moment… then flashes back on—darker than before