To me, it was a familiar expression. It was the exact look of a man who had fired a blaster at a Jedi, only to have the bolt reflected back into his own limb.
"You... you reflected my Navel Laser!?"
Forgetting his escape, Aoyama stared at me. I responded by simply raising the humming tip of my lightsaber.
To a Jedi with a saber, a single-shot laser is a gift, not a threat. For a master of Anakin's caliber, even the saber might have been optional. There was a reason the Jedi remained a dominant force in a Republic teeming with blasters.
"Surrender. Further resistance is meaningless."
"Damn it...!"
Aoyama grimaced, trying to scramble away. With a compromised leg, his speed was pathetic. He couldn't outrun me.
"Whoa!?"
Just as I had with Himiko, I caught him in a Force Pull, dragging him back toward me before swiftly binding his torso with the capture tape.
[[ AOYAMA: CAPTURED! ]]
One down.
"You're quite something, Monsieur," Aoyama muttered, defeated.
"Thank you."
"And that weapon... it's très bien☆"
"Thank you. I happen to believe it is the most elegant weapon in the galaxy."
Despite his frustration, Aoyama gave me a wink. I nodded back. Sensing him through the Force, I realized his "frustration" was actually weighted more toward the fact that my lightsaber outshined him than the fact that he lost the match. I decided not to mention it; that conversation felt like it would take far too long.
Now, only Iida remained. I checked in on Tokoyami. I could feel the echoes of a struggle coming from the floors above.
『Iida is faster than I anticipated. Can you assist?』
"Copy that. I'm on my way."
I broke into a sprint, ending the transmission and pushing my speed to the limit. Moments later, I reached the room where the two were clashing.
Peering inside, I saw Iida clutching the massive "nuclear weapon" model. Despite the cumbersome weight, he was utterly outmaneuvering Tokoyami with sheer speed. He was well-trained; maintaining that kind of velocity while carrying an object larger than himself in a confined space was no small feat. Tokoyami was doing his best with Dark Shadow, but his own physical movements were lagging behind. He couldn't close the final gap.
Watching them, I recalled our conversation before the start. I checked the clock—more than five minutes left. Plenty of time to recover if my next move failed.
"Tokoyami... I've arrived."
『And?』
"May I attempt to talk him down?"
『...Fine. Show me what you can do.』
With Tokoyami's blessing, I stepped into the room, blocking Iida's path.
"Masue-kun! So you've made it past Aoyama!"
"I have. You're the last one left, Iida."
Iida didn't stop. He prepared to keep fighting a battle he had no hope of winning. I focused my will, lacing my voice with the Force as I spoke.
"Stop this. There is no longer any reason for you to fight. You have been abandoned."
"...!? What are you talking about!?"
"We know the truth. We know the Villains took your family hostage to force you into this life. But your 'Boss' has already fled the country. He used you, Iida. While you were here drawing our attention with this 'bomb,' he was making his clean escape."
"Wh... no... that can't be..."
At first, Iida looked confused, but he was so committed to his "Villain" role that his mind immediately integrated the narrative. He faltered, his engine-like movements slowing to a crawl.
"You don't have to put your life on the line for them anymore. Come back with us. Your family is waiting."
"B-but...! I...! I've done terrible things!"
"It's alright. We will speak for you. We'll testify to the coercion. We'll fight for a reduced sentence—for probation. We will help you return to society. It's going to be okay."
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