The shockwave struck the crystal arena again and again.
Every impact rippled through the structure like violent lightning trapped inside glass. The battlefield wasn't just shaking—it was screaming in fractured light.
Blades clashed mid-air, each collision sending bursts of mana distortion that warped the space between fighters.
Jessabelle's eyes turned red.
Something inside her fully snapped.
She no longer fought with control.
She attacked maliciously.
Each strike carried impossible weight—like a ten-kilometer truck slamming into reality itself. Every blow distorted the flow of mana around Jhonathan, breaking his rhythm, forcing openings into his guard, stripping away his ability to stabilize properly.
For the first time in the tournament, Jhonathan felt it clearly.
His Undying Soul ability wasn't responding.
Not destroyed.
Not gone.
Just suppressed.
Like the arena itself was rejecting it.
He tightened his grip on Dexcalibur, but didn't rush.
Jessabelle moved again.
And again.
And again.
The crystal arena cracked under the pressure of her rage, fragments of glowing crystal rising into the air before falling back down like shattered stars.
Jhonathan was pushed back step by step.
Not overwhelmed.
But cornered.
Not by strength alone.
But by overwhelming intent.
Then—
a gap appeared.
KABOOSH.
His fist landed cleanly into her gut.
The impact echoed through the arena like a breaking verdict.
Jessabelle froze.
Her weapon lowered slightly.
The red glow in her eyes flickered.
Then she smiled.
Not proudly.
Not crazily.
Softly.
"I have multiple abilities just like you," she said.
Jhonathan didn't answer.
Jessabelle's voice trembled.
"Only people with multiple abilities are part of the Heroes Party… but I was laughed at."
She lowered her head slightly.
"By Hiro and his party members… except the tank."
Silence stretched.
Her hands loosened.
Her weapon slipped down.
"And everyone called me useless…"
Her voice cracked.
Then she collapsed to her knees on the shattered crystal floor, hugging herself tightly as her body trembled.
Not from injury.
From memory.
From humiliation that never healed.
The arena went completely quiet.
Even the fractured crystal seemed to stop moving.
---
"WINNER… IS JHONATHAN."
The system voice echoed across the arena.
Light pulsed upward as the match concluded.
Jessabelle remained on the ground, still shaking faintly as her rage finally disappeared.
Jhonathan stood still for a moment.
Then slowly turned away.
No celebration.
No words.
Only movement toward what came next.
---
Two figures stepped into the arena.
A winged fighter descended first, landing lightly as glowing feathers drifted around them.
An elven dancer followed, stepping forward with smooth precision, each movement leaving faint afterimages in the air as if time itself was lagging behind her.
The next match was already beginning.
And Team 5's journey in the Ability Tournament was far from over.