Keiko stood in front of the gathered students, his hand gripping the glowing Skill Orb he had chosen. The moment he absorbed it, a surge of information flooded his mind, making its way straight to his core. His energy flared, and suddenly, a sword materialized in his hand—a glowing construct of pure blue energy.
Keiko smirked, an idea forming in his mind.
"Hey, Fin," Keiko called, glancing over his shoulder. "Wanna challenge me for my spot?"
Fin's eyes widened with excitement. He leaped to his feet, grinning. "Hell yeah, let's do this!"
In an instant, Fin lunged at Keiko, moving so quickly that he seemed to vanish. But Keiko anticipated the move, effortlessly dodging backward, keeping Fin from touching him.
It's something to do with touch, Keiko thought, observing Fin's tactics.
Behind them, Ouiji floated in midair, spinning lazily as if he was watching an afternoon game. "Go, guys! Me and Oshime believe in you!" he cheered, though Oshime wasn't paying much attention, busy manipulating a small flame in her hand.
Keiko locked eyes with Fin and apologized softly, knowing what he was about to do. The blue energy around him intensified, and multiple swords materialized in the air, their tips pointing directly at Fin.
Fin's eyes widened, and he leaped backward in an attempt to escape. But something was wrong—his movement halted in mid-air. Keiko's blue energy field had frozen him in place, trapping him in a state of potential energy.
The swords hovered for a moment before flying towards Fin, their tips aimed straight at him.
"I give!" Fin shouted, raising his hand just as the swords stopped an inch from his face.
Ouiji clapped his hands, his voice ringing with his usual playful tone. "Keiko Kuriguri wins!"
Keiko grinned and extended his hand toward Fin, helping him down. "Hey, what's your new ability?"
Fin sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed in himself. "It's memory wiping and illusions. I was gonna touch you to make it look like you won, but… it didn't work."
Before Keiko could respond, a sharp, high-pitched alert blared from his wristband. His watch displayed a red message: You're being challenged.
Keiko turned, and standing right behind him was Leo Silver, his trademark smirk playing across his face.
"Hey, buddy," Leo said in a playful tone, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Keiko jumped back instinctively, summoning his blue potential energy field, aiming to trap Leo for an easy win. He extended his hand, and the energy spread, forming a barrier to freeze Leo in place.
But Leo wasn't fazed. With a flick of his wrist, a small orb of orange energy appeared in his palm, compressed into a tight marble. Without warning, he flicked it forward.
The moment the marble touched Keiko's energy field, it burst through it, shattering Keiko's control as if it were nothing. The compressed energy exploded, hitting Keiko square in the chest. The impact sent him flying backward, crashing through several trees before he was knocked unconscious.
The entire crowd stood frozen in shock, jaws dropped. Even Ouiji, Oshime, and Fin couldn't hide their surprise.
"That… that was Keiko's ability…" Oshime muttered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Ouiji, hovering in the air, watched with an uncharacteristically serious expression. His mind raced. Resonance Synchronization, he thought, a shiver running down his spine. That boy just did something even the dragons thought was impossible.