Daka, still catching his breath from the sudden appearance, asked, “What do you mean, another way? Do you know how to stop the mind control?”

  Amy nodded, her golden eyes flickering faintly as her psychic powers began to stir. “Yes. I can use my abilities to renew their control over themselves. The magic binding them relies on their willpower. If they haven’t completely given up fighting back, I can sever Streetka’s influence.”

  Hajime’s brow furrowed, thinking over the implications. “You’re saying they can see what’s happening, but they’re trapped—unable to control what they’re doing?”

  “Exactly,” Amy replied. “Their consciousness is still there, buried under the control. But if I can reach them, I can bring them back. It’s risky, though. If any of them have fully surrendered to the control, it won’t work.”

  Daka nodded firmly. “It’s a risk we have to take. If there’s even a chance, we have to try. But how do we round them all up?”

  Hajime’s mind began to race as he formulated a plan. “Rizra, Daka—you’ll need to capture Yosuke, Bondo, Makoto, Angel, Yu, Emily, and Dark. Once you’ve subdued them, bring them back here for Amy to work her magic.”

  Rizra frowned, her sharp eyes fixed on Hajime’s still-injured form. “And what about Sockoo? She’s not just under his control—she’s his strongest weapon right now. She’s with him, Hajime. If you go after them alone, you could collapse any second.”

  Hajime met her gaze, understanding her concern. “I know my limits,” he said, his voice steady but firm. “But Streetka is using Sockoo to keep us divided. If I don’t face him, he’ll keep using her against us. This is the only way.”

  Daka hesitated but ultimately nodded in agreement. “He’s right. We need to trust him. If anyone can handle Streetka, it’s Hajime.”

  Rizra clenched her fists, clearly torn. “Hajime...” she started but then stopped, her voice softening. “Promise me you’ll come back alive. Don’t let Streetka take you too.”

  Hajime smiled faintly, though the weight of the situation was evident in his eyes. “I promise, Rizra. I’ll come back—and when I do, we’ll finish this together.”

  Rizra reluctantly nodded, her faith in him outweighing her doubt. Amy stepped forward, her powers already beginning to swirl around her. “I’ll be ready when you bring them here. Be quick—and be careful.”

  With their plan set, the group moved into action. Daka and Rizra prepared to track down their controlled friends, while Hajime set off into the unknown, determined to face Streetka and free Sockoo from his grasp. The weight of the mission was heavy, but Hajime’s resolve burned brighter than ever.

  Daka sprinted through the dense snow-covered forest, his breath visible in the cold air. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches weighed down by fresh snow. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, his instincts on high alert. He had separated from Rizra to cover more ground, determined to find and subdue his controlled friends.

  Suddenly, the forest fell eerily silent, and Daka felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He turned, just in time to see Yu step out from behind a tree. His expression was blank, devoid of the warmth Daka was used to. The moment their eyes met, Yu raised his hand, crackling with an ethereal, shifting energy—his Infinity Magic

  Daka’s body reacted before his mind could catch up. He leaped back, narrowly dodging Yu’s swipe. The instant Yu’s hand touched the ground, the earth beneath it shattered and disintegrated, leaving a gaping void where it once stood. The destruction spread outward in jagged lines, annihilating everything in its path, even slicing through the trees like they were paper.

  Daka froze for a moment, his heart pounding. he thought, his usual calm demeanor cracking. The sheer power of Yu’s magic made his legs feel like jelly. He clenched his fists to steady himself.

  But there was no time to think. A sharp sound behind him made Daka whirl around just as Yosuke lunged at him, his Poison Sword

  gleaming with a sickly green aura. The blade narrowly missed Daka’s side, its venomous edge sizzling as it grazed a nearby tree trunk, causing it to wither instantly.

  Daka took several steps back, his mind racing. He was outnumbered, and both Yu and Yosuke were relentless. Yu advanced with calm precision, while Yosuke moved with aggressive ferocity. Daka’s hesitation melted into resolve as he realized he couldn’t afford to hold back.

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  “I don’t want to hurt you,” Daka muttered, his voice strained. “But I can’t let you win.”

  Yu responded by extending his hand, his Infinity Magic warping the space around him. Daka rolled to the side just as the magic obliterated the area where he had been standing. Snow and debris flew everywhere, and Daka coughed as he regained his footing.

  Yosuke didn’t give him time to recover, rushing forward with his poisoned blade. Daka parried with a gust of wind, using his powers to create a buffer between himself and Yosuke. The wind swirled around him, forming dozens of small, shimmering blades made of air.

  “Fine,” Daka said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “Let’s do this.”

  Yosuke charged, his poison sword meeting Daka’s wind blades in a clash of sparks and swirling energy. At the same time, Yu circled around, waiting for an opening. Daka knew he had to keep moving—one touch from Yu’s Infinity Magic could mean the end.

  The forest became a battlefield, with Daka dodging, striking, and deflecting in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand. Despite his fear, Daka’s movements were calculated and precise. He directed his wind blades toward Yosuke, forcing him to retreat momentarily, but the distraction gave Yu the chance to unleash another wave of destructive magic.

  The blast carved through the forest, sending snow and debris flying. Daka managed to avoid it, but he stumbled, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His mind raced.

  As Yosuke and Yu advanced on him again, Daka summoned every ounce of his courage. His wind magic swirled fiercely around him, and he prepared to unleash a decisive attack. Despite the odds, he refused to give up. Daka stumbled back, clutching his side as blood dripped from the gaping wound Yosuke had left. His breaths were shallow, his vision blurred. The poison coursing through his veins made him feel as though his body was on fire, and his injured leg throbbed with searing pain from Yu’s blast. He fell to his knees, coughing violently, blood staining the snow beneath him.

  Yu stood a few feet away, his face devoid of emotion, preparing another destructive Infinity Blast

  Daka's body screamed in protest as he tried to move. He clenched his fists, desperate for any solution, but despair clouded his mind. Just as he braced himself for the end, a voice echoed in his head—calm, yet commanding.

  Daka froze. The voice didn’t belong to anyone he knew. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, but the voice cut through the noise like a blade.

  Daka blinked through the pain. He wanted to argue, to demand answers, but he didn’t have the luxury of time. Yosuke was closing in, his blade raised, and Yu’s energy was gathering for another devastating attack. With a shaky breath, Daka muttered, "I don’t care who or what you are. If you can help me stop this, then fine. Do it!"

  The moment he agreed, an icy chill swept through his body, numbing the pain. A surge of energy coursed through him, and the bloodied snow beneath his hands began to crystallize. His wounds remained, but they no longer held him back. He felt lighter, stronger.

  Just as Yosuke lunged for the killing blow, a massive pillar of ice erupted from the ground at a sharp angle, slamming into Yosuke’s stomach and launching him through the forest. His body crashed into the side of the cabin in the distance, knocking him unconscious.

  Daka slowly rose to his feet, his leg trembling but functional. Frost danced around his fingertips, swirling together with the wind. His breath misted in the cold air as he glared at Yu, who stared back with uncharacteristic surprise.

  “Ice and wind,” Daka muttered, his voice steadier than he felt. “This is new. Let’s see what I can do.”

  Yu wasted no time, unleashing another Infinity Blast

  The two clashed, the air crackling with tension. Yu’s attacks were devastating, but Daka now had the speed and control to evade them. He countered with sharp, frozen winds, sending shards of ice hurtling toward Yu. Some landed, slicing into Yu’s arms and legs, but he pressed on, unfazed.

  Daka took several hits during the exchange—Yu’s magic was relentless, and each blast left him staggering. But he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. Every time he faltered, he thought of Hajime: the pain he must be enduring, the sacrifices he’d made. That thought alone kept Daka moving, pushing past his own limits.

  The final clash came as Yu prepared to unleash a massive Infinity Blast

  With a roar, Yu fired his blast, the wave of energy hurtling toward Daka. But Daka was faster. He skated around the attack, closing the distance between them in an instant. As Yu turned to react, Daka unleashed his ultimate move: Wind Ice Shredder

  A whirlwind of razor-sharp ice shards surrounded Yu, slashing at him from every angle. The force of the attack knocked Yu off his feet and sent him crashing into the ground. When the storm subsided, Yu lay unconscious, his body battered but alive.

  Daka collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily, his wounds and exhaustion finally catching up to him. The forest was eerily quiet now, the snow glistening with a mix of frost and blood.

  “I did it,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. But even as relief washed over him, he knew the fight wasn’t over. There were still more controlled friends to save—and Streetka to face.

  Someone will break.

  And someone will rise when no one expects it.

  Don’t miss the next chapter.