As the mysterious black-hole-like singularity continued to wreak havoc on the team, Reaper swung his scythe around a pillar to try and hold on against the suction force, but cracks were beginning to appear in the cylinder. Guess having too sharp of a weapon can bite you in the ass sometimes.

On the other side of the room, Qi Ling formed a wall of ice crystals to blockade Si Shen, Yun Xin, and herself from the force, but there was no telling how long that would last.

“Engh…!” Even Iris, who was furthest away, could feel the magnetism of the mysterious orb, and began to get pulled away, but Finn felt this and grabbed onto her arm while using his other to hold onto the pillar he had been resting against. The wound in his stomach had healed enough that he could move thanks to Zelestria, but too much and…

[Finn — let her go! You’re going to be dragged along with her!]

‘I’ll be dragged anyway, even if I let go…!’

[Tch…]

‘Zelestria. Tell me one thing.’

[… What?]

‘… If I use the Lost Art of the Stormbringer Angelica here… will it work?’

[I won’t permit it. You’re already hurt — if you do something that risky now-]

‘It’s either I take this risk… or we all die together. Just tell me… will it work?’

After some hesitation, Zelestria replied.

[… It will. You have enough mana, but… I’m not sure if you’ll be able to surviv-]

‘That’s all I needed to know,’ Finn cut her off briskly, tightening his grip on Iris’s arm.

It’s either he risked dying… or everyone here died together anyway. Given the situation, he was the only one who had the power to resist this powerful force. Even Qi Ling, the most powerful of them excluding Finn, was struggling against the suction power. If she could do something about this, she would’ve already done it.

That left Finn and Finn alone to do what must be done.

He wasn’t trying to be a hero — he was just trying to survive. Helping the others live as well… that was just collateral.

Gritting his teeth tightly, he swung Iris around behind the pillar with all his strength and let go of her arm.

“A-Ace?!” She cried in confusion as she landed on the carpet, but Finn didn’t even bother turning his head in her direction.

“Stay there, and don’t move.”

Even though she was safe for the moment, allowing Finn to do what he needed to do, things wouldn’t last long if this kept going.

But if there’s one thing that can counter a black hole… it’s a bigger, more powerful black hole.

Finn activated his Lightning Aura and stepped out from behind cover as he began channeling his power, lightning raining down all around him. At first, he was slowly being dragged towards the Baron, but as two orbs of electricity generated in his hands and he combined them, he created his own gravity field that fought back against the Baron’s.

The two repelling forces fought against one another, which in turn made it easier for the others to resist. Finn’s body lit up with arc energy as his black hole competed with the Baron’s for the debris all around, growing bigger and bigger.

“Agh… I was waiting for you to do this, Ace! Show him what you got!” Octane encouraged through grit teeth, but his lips were curved up into a smile.

“This…” Qi Ling’s eyes widened at the sight of Finn’s power. “It’s the same as that day…”

“So it was him who created that massive shock field at the dojo…” Tian Long mused in awe. “At this rate, he might actually…”

“TO THINK YOU ARE STILL ABLE TO STAND DESPITE THE INJURIES I INCURRED ON YOU…” The Baron noted. “RESPECTABLE, BUT A SINNER IN THE END.”

“Ngh…” As if on cue, Finn grunted in pain as he felt the injury in his chest open up once again, blood spilling out of both the wound and his mouth.

[Finn! You’re-] Zelestria shouted in worry, but Finn silenced her with his actions, putting more power into the Lost Art and completely ignoring his injury.

After all… what was a little pain compared to what he has suffered in the past?

Both the Baron and Finn devoted all their strength into their respective singularities, one forming a cyclone of white wind around it while the other formed an electric-blue shock field of debris. They clashed in the air, neither giving in to the other. Despite having started off later than the Baron, Finn’s black hole was catching up.

“… NOT BAD, MORTAL. BUT IN THE END… THOU WILL SOON RUN OUT OF ENERGY, ESPECIALLY WITH THY WOUND. NO MATTER WHAT… A HUMAN’S STRENGTH CANNOT COMPETE WITH THAT OF A GOD’S.

At this, Finn’s bloodstained lips curved up into a slight smile.

“… Too bad, I’m not human.”

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning broke through the church’s ceiling and pummeled the ground between the Baron and Finn.

“ROARRR!” A devastating, spine-chilling bestial war cry was let out, deafening all else in the room.

“WHA-?!” The Baron’s red eyes widened in shock as a heavenly beast was born from the strike, ferocious and unparalleled.

Before Finn, a true beast stood. It looked like a big wolf with shocking blue eyes and had white fur like a polar bear, but unlike normal animals, it wore obsidian-like black armor. Thunder and lightning crashed down all around it, and out from its mouth came a deep, low growl that was filled with bloodthirsty hatred.

“Go, Raiju,” Finn commanded, knowing that the Lost Art was completed and lowering one arm while keeping the other still in the air to control the massive shock field.

The celestial beast narrowed his eyes at the Baron-level Phantom in front of him as if it were no more than a maggot to crush, then obeyed his master’s wishes.

“ROARRRR!”

Raiju, the Beast of Lightning, leaped up into the air and devoured the Baron’s singularity with one single gulp. Landing back on the ground hard enough to create cracks in the ground, it growled deeply and released a shockwave of electricity all around it.

“WHAT… HOW COULD THIS BE…?!” The Baron cried in shock, glancing at his own two hands unbelievingly. “MY MASTER’S POWER… IT WAS DEFEATED?!”

“Yes, it was,” Finn said calmly, face as emotionless as ever. “And not only was that defeated… you are too.”

Taking advantage of the Baron’s momentary confusion, he commanded the enormous swirling mass of energy and debris above his head with the help of Zelestria, launched it directly towards the Baron.

“NO… NOOOOO!”

With one final roar of fury, the Baron was vaporized by the explosion of the singularity. While everyone else ducked for cover from the blinding light that ensued, Finn met it head on, allowing the Baron’s blood to get spilled onto his skin and absorbed.

But as he fell over from exhaustion, he felt his consciousness start fading away.

‘Shit… I can’t… move…’

[Don’t worry, darling…] Zelestria whispered gently, voice calming and soothing in Finn’s mind. [You’re okay. Just a bit tired, that’s all.]

‘I see…’

It was over.

The Baron Hunt… was complete.