As the battle raged on, Hajime realized he was outmatched—not by skill, but by sheer numbers. His friends, now controlled and unrelenting, left him with little room to maneuver. Every attack, every move he made was countered, as if they anticipated his every action. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and for the first time, he felt a sliver of doubt.

  In a split-second decision, Hajime's survival instincts kicked in. He had to retreat.

  Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and sprinted back towards the cottage. His feet ignited in blue flames, propelling him forward at incredible speed. Behind him, he could hear Makoto firing his gun, each shot whizzing past as he zigzagged through the trees, desperate to put distance between himself and the others.

  Emily's magic surged, a radiant burst of energy exploding behind him, illuminating the dark forest with a blinding light. Hajime kept running, each step fueled by the overwhelming need to regroup and find a way to save his friends without losing himself in the process.

  He pushed harder

  Finally, he stopped, catching his breath as he looked around. The forest was eerily quiet, as if the trees themselves held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Hajime knew he couldn’t stay hidden for long; he needed a plan to save his friends and find out what connection this mysterious figure, Streetka, had to his past.

  For now, though, he needed to find Sockoo, Daka, and Rizra. He couldn't do this alone.

  As Hajime approached the cottage, he saw signs of struggle—scorched earth, broken branches, and deep gouges in the ground. He forced himself to slow down, senses on high alert as he moved silently through the trees, closer to the source of the commotion.

  Finally, he reached a clearing, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

  Standing in the middle of the chaos was StreetkaSockoo

  Near them, Daka and Rizra lay sprawled on the ground

  Streetka grinned, tightening his grip on Sockoo as if daring Hajime to make a move. “Surprised, Hajime?” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “She’s so much easier to control than I expected. And these two,” he gestured to Daka and Rizra, “well, they put up a good fight, but it was pointless.”

  Hajime's hands balled into fists, anger flaring in his chest. “Streetka, let her go. Right now.”

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  Streetka chuckled, amused by Hajime's fury. “Oh, you still have fire in you, I see. But let me tell you something.” He leaned close to Sockoo, who remained unresponsive. “Your little lover here? She belongs to me now. Just like the others.”

  The reality of it hit Hajime like a punch to the gut. He’d faced impossible odds before, but seeing Sockoo like this—someone he’d fought alongside, someone he cared deeply for—was something else entirely. This wasn’t just another enemy; it was personal.

  Hajime took a step forward, his fists igniting with blue flames, ready to charge. But he paused, a wave of uncertainty washing over him. Sockoo was right there, caught in Streetka’s grasp, and one wrong move could put her in even greater danger. His mind raced as he tried to devise a strategy, knowing full well that his usual tactics wouldn't work here.

  Streetka noticed his hesitation and smirked. “What’s the matter, Hajime? Afraid to make a move?” He raised his other hand, and Hajime saw red lightning crackle around his fingers—a chaotic, unnatural power that seemed to distort the air around it. “If you don’t fight back, you’ll lose everything. But if you do…” He let the sentence hang in the air, the threat implicit.

  Hajime’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but he knew one thing for certain: he couldn’t let Streetka win

  With a deep breath, he steadied himself, focusing on the flames that danced around his hands. He locked eyes with Streetka, determination hardening his expression. “You may have them under your control now,” he said, his voice steady, “but I’m not giving up on them. Not now, not ever.”

  The battle was about to begin, and Hajime knew it would take everything he had—and more—to break through Streetka’s control and save his friends.

  Hajime stood frozen as Streetka’s command echoed in the clearing

  Behind them, Daka and Rizra’s weakened voices

  “Sockoo, listen to me!” Hajime pleaded, holding out his hands, blue flames flickering weakly around his fingertips as he tried to appeal to any trace of her true self that might still be there. “It’s me, Hajime! You know me—you know I would never hurt you. You’re under Streetka’s control. This isn’t you.”

  But Sockoo’s gaze was cold and unyielding. “You’re a traitor,” she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “You left us all behind. You’re a coward, Hajime—a coward who ran away when we needed you the most.” Each word cut into him, but he knew they weren’t really hers. This was Streetka’s doing, manipulating her mind and twisting her emotions.

  Hajime stepped back, desperately trying to maintain distance as she advanced, until he felt solid ground give way beneath him. He realized with a jolt that he was standing at the edge of a cliff, the drop behind him plunging down into an abyss shrouded in mist. He had nowhere left to go.

  He looked back at Sockoo, eyes full of pain and pleading. “Sockoo, please, remember who you are. This isn’t you. We’ve been through so much together. Don’t let him control you like this.”

  But she didn’t waver. She closed the remaining distance in a flash, her knife raised high. With a single, swift motion, she plunged the blade into his chest, right over his heart. Hajime gasped, a shock of pain searing through him as he staggered back, his vision blurring.

  As he teetered on the edge, Sockoo pushed him with unexpected strength. The ground slipped away from beneath him, and he began to fall. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and he saw nothing but coldness in hers.

  As he plummeted into the abyss, Sockoo raised her hand, unleashing a blast of energy that seared through the air, striking him mid-fall. His body jerked as the impact drove him down faster, his form disappearing into the mist below.

  Sockoo turned and walked away from the edge, her movements mechanical as she returned to Streetka’s side. The wind whipped through the clearing, carrying with it the faint echoes of Daka and Rizra’s anguished cries.