Chapter 20: The End

Human feet, in terms of functionality and flexibility, inevitably fall short compared to hands.

So, even though Moro could kick a flying star with his foot, its strength in every aspect was far inferior to one released by hand.

Yet, in the ever-changing flow of battle, as long as one can apply the right amount of force at the right moment, the corresponding result can be achieved.

Moro landed steadily, his gaze fixed directly on Vaughn ahead.

He then watched as Vaughn dodged the two flying stars Moro launched just before landing.

Vaughn’s reaction surprised Moro somewhat.

Those two flying stars were intended merely to slow Vaughn’s offensive rhythm—more for show than actual threat.

Yet Vaughn chose to interrupt his own momentum just to avoid them.

From Moro’s perspective, it would have been better for Vaughn to endure the damage and maintain his pace rather than break his rhythm.

Besides, with his ability to convert damage into power boosts, why not try absorbing at least one of the stars?

When Moro released those two flying stars, he had mentally prepared to gift Vaughn one of them, so he hadn’t invested much energy into them.

He hadn’t expected such a result.

After dodging the stars, Vaughn suddenly sensed something was off.

“What’s going on…? It’s not as powerful as I thought.”

Up close, facing the flying stars, Vaughn felt no real threat.

If he hadn’t believed those stars were potent, he might have relied on his reflexes to either withstand the damage and maintain his attack rhythm or use his “Hearth” ability to absorb one of the stars.

Instead, despite holding the advantage, he broke his rhythm to minimize risk.

Doubt crept into Vaughn’s mind about the true nature of the flying stars, but there was no time to ponder further.

With his momentum disrupted, he exploded forward once more, charging straight at Moro.

Seeing Vaughn resume his assault, Moro’s eyes gleamed as he raised his hands to release two more flying stars.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The two stars streaked like falling shooting stars toward the ground before Vaughn.

“Hm?”

Vaughn reflexively slowed his forward charge.

Boom—boom.

The flying stars detonated on the ground ahead of him.

The released energy instantly transformed into shockwaves, stirring up dust and grass fragments.

Within a moment, Vaughn was enveloped in swirling smoke.

Amid the dense haze, Vaughn was calmer than ever before.

He had begun to grasp part of the flying stars’ mechanism. The initial star that had struck his comrade likely required a certain “distance” to unleash its full power.

Conversely, at close range, the stars’ strength and speed diminished noticeably.

“Trying to use the smoke to mask the attack path… quite unnecessary, but it does indirectly confirm my judgment.”

At that moment, a psychological barrier named caution lifted from Vaughn.

His gaze swept the surroundings, fully attuned to the drifting smoke.

“Behind!”

Suddenly, Vaughn spun around, raising his arm to block.

At that instant, Moro circled around and threw a punch at Vaughn, which Vaughn’s arm successfully intercepted.

With the hearth flame’s enhancement, Vaughn’s displayed aura surpassed Moro’s by a level.

Though Moro struck first, he was forced back a step, his fist tingling from the impact.

A silent, cold smile crossed Vaughn’s lips as he stomped forward sharply, then lifted his leg to deliver a front kick.

Moro remained composed, withdrawing his hand and crossing his arms in front of his body.

Bang!

Vaughn’s kick crashed like a cannonball against Moro’s crossed arms, sending out jellyfish-shaped shockwaves that scattered some of the surrounding smoke.

Pushed by the force, the physically disadvantaged Moro retreated several paces.

But as he stepped back, Moro planted his heel firmly, then suddenly bent his knees to squat down, dissipating the impact.

At that moment—

Two flying stars soared over Moro’s head.

They were the two stars Vaughn had dodged earlier!

After their preset hovering time ended, they now returned, darting through the smoky haze in concentric rings, aimed directly at Vaughn’s chest.

“When did—?!”

Still unsure of the flying stars’ full mechanism, Vaughn was taken aback.

Yet, he had rebuilt something called confidence.

This prevented surprise from clouding his judgment, and he chose not to retreat again.

Focusing intently, he made the correct move at the crucial moment, deploying his aura to set up a defense, and withstood one flying star with his body.

Simultaneously, he used his Hearth to absorb the other star successfully.

It was over—

In that instant, feeling the hearth flames flare up within, Vaughn seemed to foresee the outcome of this battle.

His gaze shifted to see how Moro would react to delivering such a power boost.

But Moro’s face remained calm.

That reaction gave Vaughn an uneasy premonition.

The next moment—

A fierce impact struck the back of his head.

Vaughn’s consciousness twisted violently as his body staggered forward.

What’s happening…?!

Confusion swirled through his tangled thoughts.

Vaughn, suddenly struck, had no idea what was happening, while the crouching Moro saw a small flying star, about the size of an egg, falling diagonally from midair.

It was the very star Moro had kicked away at the start, now returning to him like a boomerang.

Because Moro remained crouched, the returning star struck the back of Vaughn’s head.

This timing coincided with Vaughn deploying most of his aura to build defenses and activate his Hearth.

So even a star no bigger than an egg could directly harm the temporarily empowered Vaughn.

But that was not all.

Moro’s feet pushed off the ground with force, charging at the staggering Vaughn like a sprinter.

He raised his hand and clawed forward.

His aura-infused fingers tore a large chunk of flesh from Vaughn’s throat.

“Hah… hah…”

Vaughn’s body shuddered, blood spurting relentlessly from his mangled throat.

A choking sensation overwhelmed his mind; as blood flowed, his body heat and strength drained away, and he slowly collapsed to his knees.

In a daze, a memory flashed before Vaughn’s eyes.

On a cold snowy night, a family barely escaped the ravages of war but could find no place to seek shelter.

Curled in his parents’ embrace, he felt only cold hardness—no heartbeat to be sensed.

So cold… how he longed to return to that ordinary, soot-blackened, square-shaped hearth…

Vaughn slowly closed his eyes, his body collapsing with a thud.

Ringtone, ringtone—

Suddenly, a phone rang sharply in the arena.

Moro glanced at Vaughn’s fallen form, then pulled a persistently ringing phone from his pocket.

It was likely a call from Argo.

“So exhausting.”

Gasping for breath, Moro sat atop Vaughn’s back and answered the phone.

“Hello—”

“…”

On the other end, hearing Moro’s heavy breathing, there was a brief silence.

“My generous benefactor, could it be you’re… busy in bed right now?”

“?”