The arena trembled under the force of clashing energies.
Ryuu, sweat running down his brow, launched another furious strike—his blade now glowing with a deep red aura, his aura flaring like wildfire.
"RAAAAH!"
He spun mid-air and brought his sword down in a meteor-like slash, the ground beneath him cracking on impact.
But—
Kyoushiro was already gone.
In a blink, the old man appeared behind Ryuu and gently tapped the hilt of his cane against the back of Ryuu's neck. It wasn't even a strike.
It was a whisper of motion.
A heartbeat later—Ryuu's eyes widened. His blade dropped. His knees buckled.
Boom.
The young prodigy collapsed into the arena floor, unconscious, his body thudding against the stone. The crowd gasped.
"NO WAY!"
"He took down Ryuu… with one clean hit?"
The announcer hesitated, stunned, then called it out:
"The winner is… Kyoushiro!"
Silence swept across the stadium.
Even Kael, standing in the back, clenched his fists. "He wasn't just strong. He didn't even go all out."
Hana whispered, "That wasn't just power… that was mastery."
Tetsu leaned forward, shocked. "How'd Ryuu get outclassed like that? He trained non-stop all year…"
Kaede's brows furrowed, eyes fixated on the old man. "…Kyoushiro… Where have I heard that name before?"
Eri stepped closer. "Something about him feels… off. Like he doesn't belong in this generation."
Kael didn't say a word, but deep down—he knew.
This wasn't just some old man. This was someone hiding something terrifying.
And soon…
They would find out what.