Crackling light shot through the air. Fiona's frost attacks began failing to form properly. One misfired entirely, freezing her own leg.
She gasped. "What—how are you—?!"
Zion's gaze was calm now. Focused.
Inside Jupiter, he whispered, "You asked to fight at my full strength. And I told you before. My true strength doesn't lie in my divinity. It lies in my sealing techniques. I just never thought I'd use them on you."
He looked genuinely regretful for a second.
Then: "Let's end this. Sealing technique: Soul Link Severance."
BOOM—!
A final glyph exploded from his chest, latching onto Fiona's Titan Form. For a mont, it stuttered—flickered—then began to collapse inward like frost being drawn into a mirror.
Fiona gritted her teeth, her body visibly straining.
Her Titan roared one final ti…
Then crumbled, bit by bit, into shards of snow and mist.
Fiona fell to one knee as the power drained from her body, breath ragged, her vision swimming.
Zion descended slowly, Jupiter's massive fra dissolving behind him.
He landed gently, the ice hissing beneath his boots.
He walked up to her… and offered his hand. "Fiona," he said softly, "it was a great battle."
Fiona's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the cold platform floor.
Zion rushed forward and caught her gently, one arm behind her back, the other supporting her wrist. Her breaths were shallow, but her face carried a strange peace—a quiet smile softening her bruised features.
"I'm… satisfied," she whispered. "I gave everything I had. Thank you."
Zion looked at her, his throat tightening. Then he slowly helped her to her feet, one hand never leaving hers.
And before she could say anything more, he spoke—his voice low, urgent, raw. "Fiona… wait. Before anything else… I need to tell you sothing."
She blinked, surprised by the shift in his tone.
Zion took a deep breath. "The reason I admitted defeat for all these years," he said, "wasn't just because of the promise I made. Or because I was trying to make fun of you.
He looked directly into her eyes now, the full weight of his honesty laid bare. "It was because I'd grown too strong a tad bit quickly. Mostly my mother's fault, I would say. She wanted a son who would secure Calot's future while I trained to make her happy, and also wanted to reach the stage my father reached. I wanted him to be proud of . But once I got there… everything felt aningless because I had no friends or rivals. No motivation."
Fiona's breath caught.
Zion's voice softened. "But you… Seven years ago, you ca so close to defeating ."
He smiled faintly. "When I fight you, Fiona… I enjoy the battle. I wasn't lonely at the top anymore. I was worried that if I just did the best every ti, soday, you would not battle and give up. I didn't want that. So, to motivate you, I always tried to keep the score between us very close. Sotis, I truly give my best, and sotis, I don't. But I never laughed at you when you said we are rivals. Because for , you are my rival. And perhaps, sothing more."
He let the words hang in the air for a beat, then took another half-step forward, closing the gap between them.
"And I know it's wrong. I know we're related. I knew you were my father's half-sister the mont I saw your aura. But even so…"
His hand tightened ever so slightly around hers. "I like you, Fiona."
Fiona's eyes widened.
"I have feelings for you." His voice trembled now, just a little. "And if my father hadn't told those words… back then, in the hospital… that it's not wrong to feel this way… I would never have had the courage to say this now."
For a long second, neither of them moved. Then—without a word—Fiona's expression lted.
Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
The sounds of the roaring crowd outside the platform were muffled into silence by the sound barrier that still surrounded the arena. There was no world beyond this mont. No audience. No judgnt.
Just them.
She stepped forward.
Tiptoed.
Lifted her chin.
And pressed her lips gently against his.
Zion's eyes widened—but he didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
He stood still… and let the mont consu him.
"What the…"
The crowd was stunned at once, watching the scene.
A mont ago, they had witnessed a battle between titans—ice and thunder colliding like gods of old. And now, in the silence after war, they witnessed sothing far more shocking…
A kiss?
Right there, in the middle of the battered arena, amidst shattered ice and lingering lightning, Fiona stood on her toes, lips gently pressed to Zion's
The entire stadium erupted without any surprise.
Gasps, screams, cara flashes.
"Are they just—?!"
"They're in love?!"
"Wait, weren't they trying to kill each other ten seconds ago?"
"What kind of novel are we living in?!"
"Please tell I'm not dreaming.
Up in the VIP box, things weren't any calr.
Elders of various clans leaned forward, whispering frantically into their comm-rings and spiritual ssengers. Faces paled. So frowned. Others were intrigued.
But none of them were louder than Leah, matriarch of the Gale Clan.
Her fists clenched so hard, her gloves cracked. "What the hell is that brat doing?" she hissed through her teeth. "Since when did this happen?!"
From the back of the box, Selene and Orion sat frozen.
Their jaws hung slightly open, both staring at the scene on the screen as if watching a hallucination.
Selene slowly turned to him. "Tell I'm not dreaming," she whispered.
Without blinking, Orion replied, "No. You're not. They're actually… kissing."
Selene let out a shocked laugh. "They never even showed that kind of chemistry! I thought they were rivals with unresolved battle trauma, not lovers."
Orion shook his head. "It's surreal. And isn't it…" He hesitated, lowering his voice. "Isn't it taboo? I an… aren't they technically related?"
Selene snorted, then casually tossed her hair. "Have you forgotten the Ash Clan customs? Half the royals there marry cousins to preserve bloodlines. Not ideal, but it's… tolerated."
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