In the Bowl, Paedyn realized her opponent was Kai and refused aloud to kill him, looking up at Kitt in shock and fury. Kai approached calmly and told Paedyn they had to make the fight look convincing and that the Mute was gone, meaning she must survive real Elite power. He told her simply, “So don’t,” before hardening his skin and launching the fight.

Kai, borrowing a Shell’s abilities, pummeled Paedyn with stone fists, injuring her shoulder and driving her back to the Pit wall. He shifted to fire, forcing Paedyn into a gritty scramble in the sand where she briefly toppled him and struck his jaw. Despite lingering affection, Kai burned her wrist with a Blazer’s heat until she broke his arm to escape, then he ensnared her neck with thorned vines from a Bloom, which she cut free at the cost of her own blood.

After resetting his broken arm with a Healer’s power, Kai multiplied using a Cloner’s ability and pressed in. Paedyn analyzed the copies with her keen observational “Psychic” edge, identified the real Kai by his lingering injury, and threw her dagger into his shoulder, dispelling the clones. She deliberately avoided a lethal strike even as both bled and staggered under the sun.

Kai then Blunk behind Paedyn and beat her down, his face unreadable and emotions seemingly muted. Shielded and relentless, he kicked her ribs and stomach as Paedyn’s fear turned from death to fear of him. Wondering if Kitt had ordered her execution and if duty had won out over love, she threw sand to create space and ran, sobbing.

Kai became an Ignite and detonated the arena around her, disorienting Paedyn with blasts that shattered her balance and hearing. As she fled, the ground collapsed; the sand gave way and pulled her under like a sinkhole. Choking and clawing for air, Paedyn cried out to Kai for help as the sand rose over her chin, ending with her being buried alive.