"After this... we'll complete our promised duel!"

Haruto said.

The words he spoke before that were swallowed by the roaring wind. The live broadcast didn't catch them — only the two of them heard.

But this sentence… this one reached everyone.

Every BOB player watching felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

The match had been unpredictable, filled with interruptions and chaos. Nothing about it had been ordinary.

And yet, somehow, this moment — this ending — felt inevitable.

If Sinon had been consumed by the black mud, the match would've simply disconnected.

Haruto would've been declared the winner. By the system's standards, there would've been nothing wrong with that. But to everyone watching, it would've felt empty — a hollow conclusion unworthy of the battle they had witnessed.

Haruto landed lightly atop a high-rise building.

He didn't move.

The two stood side by side, silent.

Their eyes followed the black mud as it spread through the distant cityscape. They no longer embraced, but their fingers remained intertwined.

The sight, broadcast to millions, was breathtaking —a moment frozen in time, delicate and beautiful, like lovers standing together on the deck of a sinking Titanic.

Shino felt the warmth from his hand seeping into hers.

Her heart, which had been pounding uncontrollably, gradually steadied. The black mud that once made her nauseous no longer frightened her.

As long as Haruto was beside her, she could face anything.

The black tide came crashing like a wave, swallowing the light.

But the two of them did not move.

And in that stillness, Shino Asada found peace — the kind she hadn't felt in years.

Then, as the darkness touched them both, the black mud that had engulfed a third of the city suddenly vanished.

Completely.

The two avatars collapsed together, side by side, like a couple lying on a field of grass beneath the stars.

Then —

[Connection Lost]

In reality, Shino Asada slowly removed her FullDive helmet.

The room was dim.

She didn't bother to turn on the light.

She rolled off the bed, her bare feet touching the cool floor, and ran toward the bookcase near the wall.

Then — a sound.

A low, guttural wailing.

The voices of the dead — echoes of that day — as if they had crawled out from the depths of hell to drag her down again.

In the past, just hearing those sounds would've paralyzed her.

Her body would tremble uncontrollably, her breathing ragged, her mind locked in fear.

But this time, her steps didn't falter.

Her movements were calm — swift, sure.

She pulled open a drawer.

A small box lay inside.

Her hand closed around the handle of a gun model.

The familiar chill of metal touched her skin.

She checked the magazine, then reached into her shirt pocket, over her heart, and took out a single bullet.

Sliding it into the magazine, she locked it in place and flipped the safety off.

Then she turned — and pointed the gun toward the shadow forming in the darkness.

The black mud had taken shape — the form of a man.

The same man.

The same robber.

The one from that day.

It crawled toward her on all fours, its face twisted and dripping.

The scene was all too familiar.

Back then, she had picked up a real gun.

For her mother.

For the pregnant teller.

For everyone whose life hung in the balance.

She had pulled the trigger with trembling hands, and that moment had changed her life forever.

Now, standing in her apartment, Shino raised her gun again. Not for anyone else — but for herself. And for the promise she made to Haruto.

The peace that had once left her now returned quietly, settling deep within her chest.

No fear.

No hesitation.

Just resolve.

She pulled the trigger.

Bang.

The sound was soft — only a model gun, after all.

But the bullet that fired was special.

The round Haruto had given her — for her protection.

A bullet forged from Mind-Blocking Alloy.

Even if she had no courage left to fight, that bullet could act as an amulet — a barrier that would protect her from the darkness.

The alloy bullet struck the monster's chest.

For a brief second, it froze.

Then, the entire black figure collapsed in on itself, dissolving into nothing.

With a heavy thud, the bullet — now ten times heavier — hit the floor.

Shino exhaled softly. She ejected the empty magazine, reassembled the model gun, and whispered under her breath:

"Promise fulfilled, Haruto."

A faint smile crossed her face.

But then, the black mud began to flow again — spilling from every corner of the room.

She looked at it, then at the fallen alloy bullet, and turned toward the door.

Run first. Think later.

She yanked the door open— and ran straight into someone's arms.

A warm, familiar scent enveloped her.

Her heart instantly calmed.

Haruto.

A single alloy bullet could destroy most monsters. But against the Youmu — the shadow born from the spirit's deepest darkness — it wasn't enough.

Haruto had crossed dimensions to get here.

He had been watching — proud of her courage, impressed by her will — and only when danger persisted did he move.

The black mud roared from the apartment behind them.

Haruto raised his hand.

His eyes shimmered with radiant, prismatic colors — a divine light.

A sharp crack echoed through the room. And in the blink of an eye, the black mud shattered into fragments of nothingness, disappearing completely.

Shino didn't look back.

She didn't need to.

She knew he had ended it effortlessly — as always.

Instead, she stayed in his embrace just a moment longer, pretending she didn't notice it was over. The warmth, the scent, the safety — she was greedy for it.

Haruto chuckled softly.

"Are you planning to stay like this forever? Ten minutes are almost up. We still have our promised duel."

Shino hesitated, then sighed.

Reluctantly, she pulled away from his arms.

"I don't want to fight you, Haruto."

He blinked.

She, of all people — the one who gave everything to win — now said that?

Shino smiled faintly.

"I used to think that if I could win the BOB Championship… I'd become stronger. Braver. That it would prove something."

Her voice was calm now, steady.

"But I don't need to prove anything anymore. Because I already am."

Haruto watched her quietly.

He understood.

Still, he chuckled and shook his head.

"I owe them an ending. You know that, right? There are over a hundred million players online now — and all of them are watching."

Shino blinked, surprised.

"One hundred… million?!"

She had known it was popular — but not that popular.

Then, her lips curved into a playful smirk.

"So… did you bring another headset?"

Haruto raised an eyebrow.

She grinned wider.

"Let's go finish it."

Haruto laughed quietly.

"Yeah… I did."

He pulled a spare FullDive device from his Kamui space.

They returned to her apartment.

Despite the chaos earlier, the room was now spotless — the Youmu left no trace behind.

Haruto casually picked up the fallen alloy bullet and stored it away.

He was about to sit on a chair to dive in, but Shino tugged at his sleeve — and the two of them toppled onto the bed.

Before he could even ask, she was already putting on the helmet, smiling.

Haruto sighed, helplessly pressing his hand to his forehead.

Then he followed suit.

Under the gaze of countless spectators, two avatars — long disconnected — rose once again.

The cheers across GGO were deafening.

No matter who won, both were already champions in the eyes of the world.

Shino turned to Haruto and smiled.

"You know, last season… there were two BOB champions."

"Oh?" Haruto asked, amused. "How did that happen?"

Shino reached to her belt, pulled out a grenade, and winked mischievously.

"Because they both died at the same time."