Within Zero's Mindscape, now utterly steeped in darkness, White Belial gripped the Ultimate Battle Nizer tightly, his piercing gaze fixed on Dark Zero before him.
"Zero, it's me! It's Shinji! Wake up!" Shinji's desperate cries echoed through the space again and again.
Dark Zero's body trembled slightly. He shook his head in agony and hammered his fist against it, but an even denser darkness soon swallowed that flicker of clarity. Once again, he assumed a menacing fighting stance, facing Belial.
"Looks like that bastard really put this kid's soul through hell." Belial's voice was unusually calm, yet heavy. "For now, we'll have to fight him and look for an opening."
Watching this scene, at once familiar and alien, and recalling how his long entanglement with Zero had begun, Belial gave a bitter smile.
"Heh. Just like back then."
"But things are different now. Even though I've reclaimed my light, I still have to fight you again."
"What a damn irony."
Dark Zero's ferocious figure was reflected clearly in Belial's eyes, which had regained their bright white glow.
"Belial-aaaaah!"
"I'll never forgive you!"
Roaring, Dark Zero wrenched both Head Blades from his head and dropped low. Like a tightly coiled spring, he stamped hard against the ground, sending a ripple of dark energy bursting out beneath his feet. He became a bolt of purple-black lightning, hurtling toward Belial with both blades crossed, then brought them crashing down with enough force to cleave mountains and shatter stone!
Clang!!!
A deafening crash erupted! Belial planted himself as firmly as a mountain, the muscles of his arms bunching as he held the Ultimate Battle Nizer horizontally overhead and steadily caught the savage blow. A ring-shaped shock wave spread from the collision, briefly driving back the surging darkness around them.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!