The sun was setting by the time Kaito, Taru, and Captain Ryujin Namato reached the outer walls of their childhood home.
Quiet. Too quiet.
The kind of silence that stank of something wrong.
Namato stopped first, his hand slowly reaching toward the hilt of his blade.
His voice, barely a whisper:
"Stay behind me."
But Kaito had already stepped forward.
His hand on the doorknob.
His heart pounding.
He pushed.
And the door creaked open to hell.
The house was ransacked. Furniture shattered. Vases broken. Books sliced through.
But it was the living room that tore their souls apart.
There, in the center of the floor, soaked in blood, her lifeless body laid still.
Sorai.
Their mother.
Taru froze. His mouth opened, but no sound came.
Kaito fell to his knees. His hands trembled.
He couldn't move.
Namato stepped forward quickly, kneeling beside her.
But it was too late. Her blood had already dried. Her skin already pale.
And then…
Kaito saw the paper clenched in her left hand.
He reached out slowly, pried it open, and unfolded the torn, blood-smeared letter.
Her handwriting… shaking. But unmistakably hers.
Sorai's Final Letter
"To my dearest sons, Kaito and Taru..."
"They are trying to break in. I don't know how long I have. But if this is the last thing you ever read from me, know this:"
"I love you."
"I have loved you since the first time I heard your voices. I love you beyond war, beyond fear, beyond this broken world."
"They came looking for what your father once protected. I couldn't tell them. I wouldn't."
"If I die tonight… let my death be a reason you rise."
"Kaito… be his fire. Taru… be his light."
"And if the world tries to silence you…"
"Burn louder."
"Forgive me. Fight for each other."
"With all my love…"
"—Mom."
Kaito let the letter fall.
Taru screamed. Loud. Guttural. The cry of someone who lost the last piece of safety in his world.
Namato stood. His jaw clenched, his eyes burning.
"General Iman did this…" he muttered.
"This wasn't a break-in. This was a message."
Kaito stood slowly, letter in hand, blood on his knees.
"They want to break us," he said, his voice hollow.
"They think if they kill the ones we love, we'll stop."
He looked up. Straight into Namato's eyes.
"Then let's give them a reason to regret letting us live."
The grave was shallow, but the silence was deep.
Beneath the old plum tree where she used to sit and tell them stories, they buried Sorai. No tombstone. Just a smooth, flat stone with her name etched by Kaito's own hand. Taru placed her hairpin on top — the one she always wore on festivals.
Captain Namato stood with them.
Not as a soldier.
As a guardian.
Kaito didn't cry anymore. His eyes had dried into something colder.
Taru held the prayer beads tight in his fist, not saying a word since the burial began.
When the last of the soil was packed, and the sun had begun to set behind the hills, Namato finally broke the silence.
He stepped back and pulled out a small communicator stone from his jacket.
He pressed his palm to it and spoke:
> "Captain Zenn Kimura. Captain Taro Oetsu. This is Namato."
"The boys are ready."
"Bring them to me. We begin training tomorrow."
There was no need to say more. On the other end, Zenn's calm voice responded:
> "Understood. I'll bring them at first light."
And Taro's more brash voice followed:
> "I'll make sure they don't break. But if they do, I'll forge them again."
Namato tucked the stone away, then turned to Kaito and Taru.
"You lost your mother. You lost your father. But you haven't lost your purpose."
"What killed them... will fear what you become."
He knelt down, placing one hand on each of their shoulders.
"Starting tomorrow, you train like warriors. You rise like storms. And you never forget what they took from you."
Kaito nodded slowly.
Taru finally looked up.
Something had changed in both their eyes.
Grief had become fuel.
The training grounds weren't a battlefield, but by the time the first session was done, it felt like one.
The sun hadn't even risen yet. A cold mist hung over the mountain clearing. The only sounds were birds in the trees and the snap of muscle ropes tightening as Captain Ryujin Namato rolled up his sleeves.
Standing beside him were two men:
Captain Zenn Kimura, calm as snowfall, a tactician with a blade sharper than his words.
Captain Taro Oetsu, scarred, impatient, and known to break more than just bones during training.
Kaito and Taru stood across from them, both wearing sleeveless black tunics, barefoot, arms still bruised from days before.
Namato stepped forward first.
> "Day One. No Venin. No excuses. We strip you down to nothing, and build you from that."
Taro cracked his knuckles.
> "We'll see if you break like boys... or survive like blades."
Zenn simply nodded and pointed toward the field.
---
Drill One: Endurance Gauntlet (Led by Captain Taro Oetsu)
The brothers were made to sprint up the slope carrying 20 kg packs of stone on their backs.
> "Twenty laps," Taro barked. "Or don't bother showing up tomorrow."
Taru vomited halfway through lap six.
Kaito collapsed on lap twelve — but didn't stay down.
By the time they finished, blood ran from their feet.
But their eyes didn't beg. They burned.
Taro watched in silence.
Then smiled slightly.
---
Drill Two: Reactive Combat (Led by Captain Zenn Kimura)
Zenn tossed them wooden swords. No instructions. Just:
> "Survive five minutes against me."
He blurred forward. Strikes fast as lightning, sharp as glass.
Kaito tried to read him — failed.
Taru flinched — got dropped.
> "Don't watch your opponent," Zenn said as he pressed a blade to Kaito's neck.
"Feel them."
By the third round, Kaito dodged one blow. Taru blocked two.
Zenn nodded, just once.
---
Drill Three: Willpower Trials (Led by Namato)
They were blindfolded. Tied by the wrists. Forced to stand in icy water, waist-deep, for two hours.
> "This isn't about pain," Namato said.
"It's about command. If your mind breaks, your body follows."
Kaito trembled violently. Taru's lips turned blue.
But neither moved.
Namato stood watching in the shadows.
> "Good. They still remember why they're here."
---
That Night…
The boys sat by the fire. Their arms shaking. Muscles torn and bruised.
Taru whispered:
> "We're going to die in training before we even see the enemy…"
Kaito didn't laugh.
He stared into the flames and said quietly:
> "Then let our ghosts train harder too."
The morning fog hadn't yet cleared when the captains gathered again at the stone ring — a wide, circular space carved into the mountain by old warriors. This was where real training happened.
The boys arrived silently, still bruised from yesterday. But something had shifted.
They didn't complain.
They didn't ask questions.
They stood ready.
Captain Taro Oetsu: The Calm Before the Blade
Taro stepped forward first, with his tone now quiet and composed, like a teacher with infinite patience.
> "Power without discipline is just noise," he said. "Today, you learn to move like warriors. Not wild beasts."
He set two wooden staffs before them.
> "You are not to attack. Only defend. No matter how fast I strike."
What followed was not fast — it was flawless.
Taro's strikes came like flowing water, effortless, smooth. Kaito's first instinct was to block hard — and he failed.
> "Too loud," Taro said. "Don't fight the current. Redirect it."
Taru adapted first. His light frame moved like reeds in the wind. Kaito followed slowly, learning to feel instead of force.
An hour passed.
Then two.
And for the first time, they both blocked Taro's final strike — together.
Taro gave a small nod.
> "Good. You're beginning to listen to the silence."
---
🗡️ Captain Zenn Kimura: Precision and Pressure
Zenn arrived with two sets of throwing knives and a wooden dummy layered with pressure plates.
> "Your aim means nothing without intent," Zenn said. "You're not throwing a blade. You're ending a threat."
Each knife had to hit a specific mark — no room for error.
Kaito missed the heart. Taru hit the head.
Zenn reset the dummy and gave no praise.
> "Again."
By the twentieth throw, both boys hit all three vital points — heart, throat, head.
Zenn watched. Calm.
> "Control comes before style. Don't forget that."
---
Captain Ryujin Namato: Endurance of the Spirit
Namato didn't speak much.
He simply pointed to two massive iron weights, wrapped in chains.
> "Carry them to the cliff. And back. Ten times."
Each step was war. The chains bit into their hands. The path was steep and brutal.
By the fourth trip, Taru fell.
By the fifth, Kaito's legs gave out.
But they kept going.
Namato waited at the finish line, arms crossed.
As they dropped the weights at his feet, he said only one thing:
> "Pain is borrowed. Strength is owned."
---
That Night…
Taro sat with them by the fire, quiet as usual.
Zenn leaned against a tree, arms folded.
Namato sharpened a blade in silence.
Then Taro finally spoke:
> "Tomorrow, we take you to the school."
> "You will meet others like you. Some strong. Some broken. Some dangerous."
> "But none with the fire you've earned."
Taru asked, softly:
> "Are we ready?"
Taro looked at them, calm but firm.
> "You're not ready to win."
"You're ready to begin."
The massive stone gates stood like ancient guardians before them, creaking open to reveal the heart of the mountains — Shinsei Combat Academy.
Kaito and Taru, both fifteen, stood still, eyes tracing the rising towers, blackened tiles, and fire-lit lanterns that floated gently in the dusk sky.
Beside them, Captain Taro Oetsu spoke quietly, his tone as steady as ever.
> "Keep your heads down. Learn. Watch. And when the time comes… strike cleanly."
Behind them, Captains Zenn Kimura and Ryujin Namato shared a heavy silence. This school had built warriors, leaders… and monsters.
---
First Impressions
The academy's courtyard was alive with footsteps and voices, uniforms shifting like a sea of purpose. But it didn't take long for the newcomers to draw attention.
Two boys approached, pushing through the crowd with arrogant ease.
The first — tall, wild-eyed, and laughing — was Shouta Aoi. His voice was loud, biting, and made to draw blood.
> "More fresh faces? Thought they stopped admitting little lambs."
Beside him was Kazuki Tetsuya, quiet but dangerous. His eyes were sharp, his silence intimidating. There was a heaviness in the air around him — not from what he said, but what everyone knew he could do.
> "They won't last," Shouta said with a smirk. "They never do."
Taru clenched his fists, but Kaito remained still. Captain Namato's warning echoed in his ears.
> "Wait. Don't give them what they want."
---
Strangers & Quiet Tension
From a ledge overlooking the courtyard, a boy watched everything with arms folded. He leaned against the railing, the wind tousling his white hair slightly.
That was Renn Takashi — known to many, understood by few. Calm. Cold. Mysterious.
He didn't bother joining in. He didn't need to. His presence alone shifted the mood like a quiet storm building.
People kept their distance from him — not out of fear, but because they couldn't tell which side he stood on.
---
New Bonds
As the bullies moved on, a girl approached Kaito and Taru with a kind smile and curious eyes.
> "You two didn't flinch," she said. "That's rare."
She introduced herself as Himari Saki, and beside her stood her close friend — Erika Yui, quieter, sharper, her eyes never resting in one place too long.
A third figure stood a bit behind them — a boy this time, thin-framed, with calculating eyes and a distant air. He didn't speak, just gave a polite nod.
> "That's Akiho Rei," Himari said. "He doesn't talk much, but he notices everything."
Kaito nodded back. Akiho offered a faint, unreadable smile.
And then… the energy shifted again.
---
Enter: Rogiru
With a sudden burst of wind and a spinning firecracker that came from nowhere, a tall man landed squarely in the center of the courtyard with perfect balance — on one foot, juggling meat skewers.
> "WELCOME, YOU LITTLE DESTINED EXPLOSIONS OF CHAOS!" he shouted.
The students froze. Some groaned. Others laughed nervously.
Principal Rogiru stood tall, cloak flaring, grin wide. A demon in disguise — some believed that literally. He was strange, unpredictable, and yet… one of the most powerful beings in the world.
> "Here at Shinsei Combat Academy, you will learn PAIN, PURPOSE… and possibly gardening!"
He flipped midair and landed on a bench upside down.
> "Those who survive will graduate. Those who don't… well, we'll name a hallway after you."
From behind him, a stern woman coughed, holding a clipboard.
> "Ignore him," said Miss Mizuki, clearly unimpressed. "Assessments begin tomorrow. Your dorms have been assigned. First-years will be ranked by potential and discipline."
In the shadows stood Teacher Rino, arms folded. He said nothing, but the students recognized him immediately — a captain-class fighter who never spoke unless absolutely necessary.
---
That Night
Kaito and Taru stood by the dorm window, watching the moon rise beyond the training field.
> "They're strong," Taru muttered. "All of them."
> "Yeah," Kaito said. "But we're not weak."
From below, voices rose in the dark — rivalries beginning, friendships forming, powers waiting to be revealed.
Behind their walls, destinies stirred.
As night fell over Shinsei Combat Academy, the murmurs of new students echoed through stone halls, each word carrying tension, excitement, and mystery.
The courtyard emptied. Lanterns flickered overhead. But not everyone had gone to bed.
A boy stood alone by the water basin beneath the statue of the school's founder — long, black coat trailing just above the stone. His gaze was like a storm barely contained.
Kobito.
Few knew his full name. Fewer dared to ask about his past.
He didn't speak to anyone. He didn't need to.
Those who made eye contact quickly looked away. There was something dangerous in his presence — not in action, but in a silence that felt like a scream held back.
> "That's the kid who doesn't know who his father is," someone whispered.
"They say his mother died in a rebellion," said another.
"They say he hates whoever his father is."
None of them knew the truth: his father was General Iman — the man who tore apart the world Kaito and Taru once knew.
And though Kobito didn't know Iman's location, he carried the weight of his bloodline like a curse.
---
In the Classroom
The next morning, students gathered in the large amphitheater under the glass ceiling, sunlight pooling like gold fire on polished stone.
At the front, Miss Mizuki tapped her clipboard, sharp as ever.
> "First-years will be grouped and tested over the next few weeks. Control. Discipline. Adaptability."
A thick scroll unrolled from the ceiling. Names glowed in neat lines, grouping students for sparring, mental assessments, and Venin resonance tests.
Suddenly, the doors burst open with a BANG.
> "YO!" yelled a green-haired man with lazy eyes and mismatched socks. "Did I miss roll call again?!"
Groans rose in unison.
Teacher Goro, also known as The Walking Accident, stumbled into the classroom, holding a giant mug of soup and a bent training sword.
"I'll be helping with your adaptability sessions. I suggest you don't die. I'm terrible with paperwork."
Miss Mizuki buried her face in her clipboard.
---
New Characters Among the Crowd
Among the crowd of faces, new figures stood out:
Maeko Tanji – a soft-spoken girl with a dark veil over her eyes and a quiet wisdom beyond her age. Some say she communes with spirits during meditation.
Yuki Sakamoto – a former street brawler turned prodigy; she's sharp-tongued, fearless, and rumored to have nearly killed a third-year during admission trials.
Daiki Moro – large, gentle, and bookish. People underestimate him… but he's never failed a physical assessment.
Each one carried secrets. Each one would shape what this academy would become.
Students in this academy weren't ordinary students and soon kaito and taru wouldn't be ordinary students either
It was still late
The academy training yard was quiet — shadows stretched long under a silver moon. A few lanterns flickered lazily in the breeze.
Kobito stood alone under the oak tree near the courtyard wall, arms crossed, face half-lit. He hadn't moved in an hour.
Kaito approached slowly, hands in his pockets, cautious but not unfriendly.
> Kaito (softly):
"You've been out here since lights out."
No reply.
> Kaito:
"I noticed. That's all. Thought maybe you… needed someone to talk to."
Kobito didn't turn. His voice came low.
> Kobito:
"I don't."
> Kaito:
"You always say that. You look like you're about to punch the wall every time someone says your name."
Kobito exhaled — sharp, controlled.
> Kobito:
"If I told you what was on my mind, you'd hate me."
> Kaito (stepping closer):
"Try me."
Kobito's eyes shifted. Just enough.
> Kobito:
"General Iman. They say he's my father."
Kaito froze.
> Kaito (voice tightening):
"...What?"
Kobito turned now. For the first time.
> Kobito:
"I don't remember him. Never met him. But every time I look in the mirror, I wonder if I have his eyes. Or his cruelty."
Silence.
Then Kaito's fists clenched.
> Kaito:
"He murdered my mother. My father died in that war because of him. And you—"
> Kobito (firmly):
"I'm not him."
But it was too late. Kaito's voice broke as the memories surged — blood, flames, and the cold grave where his parents now lay.
> Kaito (angrily):
"Why do you get to walk free with his face?!"
Kobito tensed. Pain flashed in his eyes, but he didn't step back.
> Kobito (quietly):
"Then fight me."
---
Scene – "Like a Wound That Can't Close"
Kaito struck first — a sharp hook toward Kobito's jaw. Kobito blocked it, his arm absorbing the impact, then countered with a knee to the side.
Kaito grunted but didn't stop. He rushed again — fists wild, heart even wilder. Kobito dodged left, slipped a punch, and drove his shoulder into Kaito's chest, sending him sprawling.
> Kobito:
"I didn't kill them!"
> Kaito (wiping blood from his mouth):
"But you're what's left of him!"
Kaito rolled, swept Kobito's leg, and tackled him to the ground. They grappled, fists swinging — one connected with Kobito's ribs, another caught Kaito's brow.
They broke apart, both breathing hard, faces bruised but alive.
Kaito lunged again — no technique now, just emotion. Kobito caught him, twisted, and slammed him into the dirt, pinning him by the arms.
> Kobito (out of breath):
"Do it, then. Hate me. Blame me. But I'm not going to let you become what he was."
Kaito's fist was raised.
But it didn't fall.
His hand shook, then slowly dropped.
He turned his face away, eyes burning.
> Kaito (choking):
"...I just wanted to ask if you were okay."
Silence.
Kobito let go.
They sat there in the dirt — bruised, exhausted, and broken in their own ways.
Two sons, caught in the shadows of a war they never asked for.
Kaito sat on the ground, breathing heavily. His fists were scraped. Kobito was sitting across from him, back against the tree, blood running from his nose.
Silence hung thick — heavier than the bruises.
Then —
> Renn (voice casual, from the side):
"If you two were trying to impress the girls, you picked the worst time. Everyone's asleep."
Kaito looked up sharply. Renn stood a few steps away, arms crossed, wind gently stirring the hem of his uniform. His expression? Calm as always — but his eyes were focused.
> Kobito:
"You watching the whole time?"
> Renn (shrugging):
"More like listening. You're loud. And stupid."
> Kaito (scowling):
"You came to laugh?"
Renn stepped closer, crouching beside them.
> Renn:
"No. I came to say… what did you expect?"
Kaito blinked.
> Renn (calmly):
"You let pain talk instead of your brain. And you—"
(He looked at Kobito)
"—you let guilt do the same. You both lost something. The difference is, you think hurting each other fills the space it left."
Neither Kaito nor Kobito responded.
Renn stood again, brushing dust off his uniform.
> Renn:
"I'm not your friend. But I'm not your enemy either. So quit bleeding all over each other. It's pathetic."
He turned to leave. But just before disappearing into the shadows, he spoke one last time.
> Renn (without looking back):
"You're not the only ones carrying ghosts."
And then the wind carried him away.
"Did you hear about the fight?"
"Kaito and Kobito…?"
"No way. They really went at it?"
Kaito stood outside Classroom 3-F, his eye still swollen, lip bruised. Kobito leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed, his knuckles bandaged.
Then—
> SLAM.
The door burst open.
> Miss Mizuki (coldly):
"Inside. Now."
They entered.
Inside stood Miss Mizuki, arms folded in front of the board. And beside her...
> Rogiru, the goofy demon principal, spinning a rice ball in one hand and humming off-key. The moment they walked in, he stopped, looked at them, and gave a small sigh.
> Rogiru (serious for once):
"No Venin. No injuries to bystanders. That's the only reason you're not suspended."
Miss Mizuki stepped forward.
> Miss Mizuki:
"You are students of this academy. You carry the potential to be leaders — and yet, you chose to settle your issues with fists like street boys."
> Kaito (quietly):
"It was my fault. I started it."
> Kobito:
"I didn't stop it."
Rogiru raised a brow.
> Rogiru:
"Responsible kids. Cute. But cute doesn't fix broken noses."
Then his voice dropped — lower than ever before.
> Rogiru (calm, dangerous):
"If either of you had used even a drop of Venin… this room would look very different right now. You know the rule: no Venin outside sanctioned training or battle. Period."
They nodded.
> Miss Mizuki:
"As punishment: a one-week maintenance duty on the training grounds. Both of you. With no Venin assistance."
> Kaito (softly):
"Understood."
> Kobito (nodding):
"Same."
As they turned to leave, Rogiru called out, spinning his rice ball again.
> Rogiru (grinning now):
"One more thing."
They stopped.
> Rogiru:
"Don't fight like enemies if you're destined to stand on the same battlefield."
And then — in classic Rogiru fashion — he stuck the rice ball in his mouth and started dancing off-beat to some imaginary drum.
The classroom door slid open.
Kaito stepped in first, followed by Kobito. Both boys looked bruised but composed — quiet storms held behind tight lips.
The room went silent.
Not from fear. From tension.
Then—
> Kazuki Tetsuya (grinning):
"Well, well… iron-boy got into a fistfight and didn't even break bones? That's off-brand, Kaito."
> Shouta Aoi (snickering):
"Must've been a love tap."
The class laughed — but not all of them.
> Taru (quietly, approaching Kaito):
"What happened, Kaito?"
His voice wasn't judgmental. Just confused. Concerned.
Kaito didn't meet his eyes.
> Kaito:
"I lost my temper."
> Taru (softly):
"You're not him, you know… You're not Iman."
The words hit harder than any punch.
Meanwhile, Himari Saki sat frozen. She'd heard the rumors, but seeing Kaito's bruised face made them real.
> Himari:
"I thought you were trying to keep a low profile."
> Kaito (half-smile):
"I was. Anger ruined the plan."
From the back, Erika Yui whispered to Yume.
> Erika:
"They say he fought Kobito over something personal."
Yume (tilting her head):
"Everything is personal when grief's involved."
Akiho Rei, standing near the windows, finally spoke.
> Akiho (calm):
"So… are you two enemies now?"
> Kobito (quietly, from the other side):
"No."
> Kaito (after a pause):
"Not anymore."
Surprised glances flicked across the room.
Then came a voice from behind his desk — leaning back, feet crossed, expression unreadable:
> Renn Takashi:
"Class is going to be boring if you two stop throwing punches."
The room chuckled nervously.
Miss Mizuki stepped in, glaring as usual.
> Miss Mizuki:
"Take your seats. We're beginning Venin theory. No more street brawling in my classroom unless someone wants to spar with me instead."
Kazuki muttered under his breath.
> Kazuki:
"Pretty sure even she could bench-press me."
Class resumed.
But something had changed.
Not everyone understood what passed between Kaito and Kobito, but most sensed it: two storms had collided… and both walked away changed.
It had been one long, dirt-scrubbing, sweat-drenched week on training ground sanitation duty.
No Venin. No help. Just two boys, side-by-side — wiping, dragging, hammering, carrying. No punches. No yelling. Just the quiet rhythm of shared labor... and eventually, shared stories.
When the week ended, something changed.
Kobito — who rarely spoke more than three words to anyone — now walked beside Kaito in the courtyard. They didn't laugh much, but they talked.
Taru spotted them first, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.
> Taru (mocking grin):
"And here I thought Kobito's only friend was silence."
Kobito (deadpan):
> "He's still quieter than you."
Taru burst into laughter.
From a nearby bench, Himari, Akiho, and Erika sat watching the two walk past. Himari leaned in, whispering:
> Himari:
"Since when do they walk together like that?"
> Akiho (nodding slowly):
"Something must've happened during punishment week…"
> Erika:
"Maybe they didn't clean dirt. Maybe they cleaned out grudges."
From behind a column, Kazuki and Shouta watched with raised brows.
> Kazuki:
"That Kobito kid's actually talking to people now?"
> Shouta:
"Weird. I kinda liked him more when he was terrifying."
> Kazuki (grinning):
"Still is. But now he has a buddy with fists."
Inside the classroom, even Miss Mizuki noticed.
She narrowed her eyes at Kaito and Kobito walking in and not sitting far apart.
> Miss Mizuki (muttering):
"If the apocalypse is coming, I want early notice."
At the back, Renn looked up from his sketchpad. His wind lazily swirled a pencil above his head. He said nothing — just smirked faintly.
The training field was lined with the echoes of footsteps, voices, and rustling cloth as the academy's students assembled. Sir Rino stood tall, arms folded behind his back, watching as the students organized themselves. It was time for the sparring matches—an opportunity for each student to test their Venin under controlled conditions.
Pairs had been arranged:
Taru vs. Shouta Aoi
Kaito vs. Kazuki Tetsuya
Kobito vs. Renn Takashi
Akiho Rei vs. Haruki Minato
Himari Saki vs. Erika Yui
Yume vs. Ayame Riko
1. TARU vs. SHOUTA AOI
Shouta cracked his knuckles, a smirk on his lips. "Hope you don't cry when you lose, lightning boy."
Taru exhaled deeply. Calm. Just like Captain Taro taught him.
Shouta charged first, throwing a barrage of precise jabs and low sweeps. Taru evaded, flipping backward. He touched the ground and lightning flickered around him. "I'm not scared of sparks," Shouta mocked.
Taru smiled faintly—and dashed forward, his fists laced with crackling lightning. Blow after blow sparked through the air. When Shouta caught his arm, fire burst from Taru's other fist, forcing him to retreat.
The match ended in a draw—both collapsed from exhaustion, but smiling.
2. KOBITO vs. RENN TAKASHI
Renn stood like the wind itself—calm, collected, unreadable. Kobito approached with caution.
"You're not what I expected," Renn said.
"I could say the same," Kobito replied, then surged forward.
Wind curled around Renn's arms, forming translucent, blade-like shapes. Kobito ducked, swerved, and countered with raw force. His punches dented the air, showing his raw strength.
Each strike was met with slicing wind shields. They moved with grace, neither dominating the other. Renn never lost composure, but Kobito's intensity was unshakable.
"Nice fight," Renn said at the end, extending a hand. Kobito took it.
3. AKIHO REI vs. HARUKI MINATO
Haruki twirled a steel pipe turned training weapon. "Don't blink, pretty boy."
Akiho smirked, then flicked his fingers. The floor tiles broke apart, reshaped into spears floating around him.
Haruki charged. Akiho's spears clashed, blocked, then shattered—only to rebuild seconds later.
"You're just a builder."
Akiho's grin widened. "And breaker."
His projectiles exploded into fragments mid-air, temporarily blinding Haruki. In a final move, he reshaped a chunk of rubble into a giant gauntlet and landed a hit that knocked Haruki to the ground.
4. HIMARI SAKI vs. ERIKA YUI
A graceful battle between friends.
Himari summoned floating water spheres, dancing around her. Erika stood inside a ring of icy mist.
"Let's not hurt each other too badly," Erika giggled.
"Deal," Himari replied.
Water jets clashed with cold blasts. Erika managed to land a drop on Himari's shoulder, beginning to freeze her, but Himari heated her own water to break it. In the end, both stood breathless and laughing.
5. YUME vs. AYAME RIKO
Yume's abilities were unknown, but her aura glowed faintly violet.
Ayame brandished twin daggers. "You spacing out?"
Yume's power pulsed. Chains of purple light wrapped around Ayame's legs before she could dash.
Ayame broke free and closed in, slicing through illusions—only to realize she'd never reached Yume in the first place.
The match was called a draw due to a stalemate.
6. KAZUKI vs. KAITO
Kazuki had been restless all day. The second he faced Kaito, he exploded with fury. "You think being Akira's son makes you special!?"
Without warning, he rushed in and pummeled Kaito with iron-enhanced fists—his Steel Fist Venin granting him ridiculous speed and strength.
Kaito barely had time to dodge. Kazuki's punches cut the wind.
But then… Kaito's eyes flared open. A strange, deep force welled up in his chest—not from rage, but from instinct.
Golden sparks rippled through his limbs.
Then—a burst of flame shot from his palm, forming into a claw-shaped arc. Not from his mouth, but his limbs and core, his Dragon Breath Venin had awakened.
Kazuki was forced back, the ground scorched in the shape of a dragon's jaw.
Everyone stared in stunned silence. Even Sir Rino blinked.
Kaito stood tall, his arms wrapped in flame-like energy, breath heavy.
And so, the sparring arc came to its climactic end—not with a victor, but with a legend in the making.