The entire arena fell into an eerie silence. The crowd couldn't believe their eyes.
Rika stood frozen, utterly appalled. Her ice crystals had turned into nothing but dust before her very eyes.
(W-what just happened!? How did my ice crystals... crumble?)
Confusion and shock gripped her. She hadn't seen Seichii move, hadn't felt his presence shift.
The attack had been countered effortlessly, but by what? His power, his pressure—it was overwhelming.
(How could this be? When did he even react!?)
A sharp chill ran down her spine, but there was no time to waste.
She knew she had to act fast before Seichii could take full advantage of the situation.
"Weak…"
Seichii's voice echoed through the silence, his tone cold and mocking as he casually pulled the ice crystal from his chest.
Rika's eyes flashed with anger.
"Don't think you're invincible just because you survived my weakest attack!
This fight has just begun! Heh-heh-heh..."
A wide, unsettling grin spread across her face.
She raised both hands to the sky, and the ground beneath them began to tremble.
A complex, glowing pattern spread across the battlefield, leaving the crowd in a state of awe and confusion. The energy was palpable.
"She's using the power drained from Sengoku Seichii through the Blood Draining Array!"
Tomoki Naoto's voice cracked with astonishment from the stands.
"How is that even possible?!"
The Blood Draining Array—an upper-intermediate level Array—was designed to not only deplete a person's blood but to store the drained magical energy.
It was a feat in itself for someone like Rika to summon such an array, but to activate its core? That was unheard of.
"Sengoku Seichii, you should have accepted your fate!"
Rika's voice rose with an unsettling calmness.
"No one can escape fate, not even you!"
With a sudden roar, the array's core flared to life, bathing Rika in a blinding white light.
The crowd shielded their eyes as the blinding brilliance intensified, filling the arena with a radiant, deadly pressure.
The atmosphere cracked under the weight of the energy.
Even the protective array, set up by Shinju Hayato, began to tremble, its integrity failing against the immense power.
(This is bad! We need to stop her before anyone else gets hurt!)
Shinju Hayato thought urgently as he stood from his seat, raising his hands to the sky.
"SUPER LEVEL PROTECTION ARRAY! SCALE OF THE DRAGON!!"
A deep, dark blue light burst from him, enveloping the arena and neutralizing the pressure.
The spectators could finally breathe again, but the damage had already been done.
The battlefield itself had been shattered, with pieces of the arena falling apart under the strain of Rika's power.
"Ha-ha-ha! Look at this, Sengoku Seichii! Feel the full extent of my power!"
Rika's manic laughter rang out, echoing through the ruins of the arena.
Just as the white light shot toward Seichii, the entire arena seemed to hold its breath.
"SEICHII-KU—!!!"
Masumi cried out from behind him, her voice filled with terror.
But Seichii, unfazed, stood tall and resolute.
He raised his hand to the sky, his eyes burning with determination.
"LOWER HIGH LEVEL WIND MAGIC— THE AIR SHIELD!"
A translucent barrier of wind appeared in front of Seichii, absorbing the full force of Rika's destructive light.
The white light cracked and shattered against the shield, losing its power in an instant.
The crowd gasped in disbelief. A sixteen-year-old boy—using high-level magic with such precision—was something they would only see once in a lifetime.
Even Akiko, renowned for her mastery in wind magic, stared in stunned silence.
As the light faded, Seichii stood unaffected, his posture defiant, while Rika fell to her knees, her confident grin replaced by pure fear.
For the first time in her life, Rika had met someone stronger than her.
Both Ryuu and Ryoko watched in stunned silence.
It felt as though a different person was standing before them now—a true monster in his own right.
Seichii's eyes never left Rika, his gaze burning with pure hatred.
He began walking toward her slowly, his every step causing the air around him to crackle with menace.
Rika's body trembled in terror, unable to move, paralyzed by the overwhelming presence Seichii radiated.
"Please… anyone… help me! Save me from this monster!!"
Rika begged, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face.
Seichii didn't pause. His bloodlust was palpable.
He raised his hand once more, summoning another wave of power.
"UPPER HIGH LEVEL MAGIC— THE AIR SWORD!!"
The air around Seichii spiraled into a violent whirlwind.
A massive, shimmering sword formed above him, made of nothing but raw wind.
"An UPPER HIGH LEVEL MAGIC SPELL?!" Akiko shouted in disbelief.
Seichii swung his hand forward, sending the massive air sword crashing toward Rika. The arena fell silent in anticipation.
But just as the blade was about to strike her, Masumi, her voice filled with panic, cried out, "SEICHII-KUN, STOP!!"
Time seemed to slow. The air sword froze mid-flight, suspended in time by the sheer force of Seichii's will.
He turned, his face hardening as he met Masumi's desperate gaze.
Seichii's rage faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of confusion.
"Masumi-san, but she—"
"It's okay!" Masumi interrupted, her voice calm but firm. She stepped toward him, her hands outstretched.
Seichii's fists clenched. "She tried to—"
"It's okay..." Masumi repeated, her voice softer now as she approached him.
She placed her hands gently on his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace.
Seichii stiffened for a moment but then melted into her arms, the weight of his anger lifting slightly.
"You're not like that, Seichii-kun. I know you have a heart of gold.
I know it was hard for you... and you were doing all of this for me. But... it's okay now.
You don't need to carry that burden anymore. Thank you... for everything."
Seichii's heart ached. He tightened his grip on her, his emotions breaking free as he finally allowed himself to release the pain he'd been holding in.
Time passed in silence as the two stood there, comforting each other.
When Seichii finally pulled away, he smiled, a weight lifted from his shoulders.
"Masumi-san, you really set my heart at ease..."
Masumi blushed, surprised by his words. Seichii, oblivious to her reaction, turned his gaze toward Rika, still sitting on the ground in disbelief.
Masumi walked toward Rika, her eyes hard but not unkind.
Rika trembled, unsure of what to expect.
Masumi stopped in front of her and, to Rika's shock, raised her hand in a soft gesture. A green ring formed on top of her hand.
The green wind went and encircled around Rika.
"W-what a-are you doing.....?"
Rika asked her, totally confused but still scared.
"I'm healing you."
Rika blinked in confusion, unsure of what to make of the kindness.
As Masumi's healing magic enveloped her, Rika felt the pain from her wounds slowly fade away.
When the healing was complete, Masumi stood and turned back to Seichii.
"Rika..."
She said quietly.
"You don't have to be this way anymore. Try to be yourself."
Rika's heart twisted at the words, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Thank you..."
She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Masumi gave a small, understanding smile before returning to Seichii's side.
The crowd, having witnessed the drama unfold, erupted into cheers.
The match had been a spectacle, an event to be remembered.
"The winner of the first match of the second battle... Sengoku Seichii of the Second Division!!"
Tomoki Naoto's voice rang out over the arena.
"Yeah!!!"
The crowd roared in celebration.
Ryuu and Ryoko rushed toward Seichii and Masumi.
"Masumi-san!!"
Ryoko cried, pulling her into an embrace.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything to protect you..."
Masumi patted her head gently, smiling.
"It's okay, Ryoko-san. I'm alright."
Seichii was looking at them, smiling, when he caught sight of Ryuu, who was staring at him from the side, his eyes intense.
"Oi! What are you staring at, moron—"
Before Seichii could finish, Ryuu, overcome with emotion, suddenly surged forward and embraced him tightly, catching him off guard.
"Thank you for coming back to us! Thank you!"
Ryuu cried, tears streaming down his face.
Seichii was stunned, unsure how to react to the overwhelming display of emotion.
He'd never seen Ryuu so vulnerable, so completely undone.
A lump formed in Seichii's throat, and for a moment, he forgot about the tension in the air, about the arena still buzzing with energy.
"Hey, Ryuu, come on!"
Seichii laughed nervously, trying to break the awkward tension,
"Why are you acting like this? I'd rather be hugged by a beautiful girl than some dirtbag like you."
The teasing smile on Seichii's face was unmistakable, but before Ryuu could register the joke, his temper flared.
With a swift motion, Ryuu pulled back and delivered a punch straight to Seichii's mouth.
"Beautiful girl, my ass!!"
Ryuu shouted, his face flushed with frustration.
Seichii staggered back, caught off guard by the force of the punch.
He looked up at Ryuu, rubbing his jaw with mock indignation.
"Oi! Why did you punch me?!"
"Because you deserved it!"
Ryuu grinned, crossing his arms. Despite his anger, a playful glint shone in his eyes.
The two of them stared at each other for a brief moment before both burst out laughing, the tension melting away as the others watched, amused by the rare display of camaraderie between the two.
Masumi and Ryoko exchanged smiles, relieved to see the battle finally over and their friends safe.
They had been through so much together, and yet, in these fleeting moments of light-heartedness, they could finally breathe again.
"Come on, you two,"
Masumi chimed in with a grin,
"We need to get Seichii-kun and myself treated. You can bicker later."
"Yeah, yeah,"
Seichii groaned, rubbing his sore jaw as he began walking with Ryuu toward their corner.
.
.
.
The entire arena, though still buzzing from the intense battle, fell into a moment of quiet awe.
Seichii's performance had surpassed all expectations, and his resilience in the face of such powerful opponents left the crowd in stunned silence.
As the group made their way to the side, the announcer's voice boomed across the battlefield, signaling the end of the match.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as we've all witnessed, the second match of the Inter-Division Competition has come to a thrilling end!
The winner, by incredible force and determination, is Sengoku Seichii of the Second Division!"
The arena erupted into applause, the sound deafening.
Cheers echoed from all corners as Seichii gave a nonchalant wave, his usual smug grin returning to his face despite the exhaustion that tugged at his body.
.
.
.
This was a match that would go down in history, the audience thought.
The power, the magic, the emotional moments—everything was a spectacle.
It wasn't just a battle; it was an unforgettable story.
Seichii's name would be etched into the annals of this competition forever....