The battlefield had finally fallen silent.
For several minutes, the replica Kingdom of Ryūgū had been nothing more than a storm of destruction. Explosions had shaken the streets, Lightning Dragon energy had torn through buildings, and Meteor Dragon attacks had reduced countless stone structures to rubble.
Now, however, there was only silence.
The ruined streets stretched in every direction, covered in broken pieces of stone and debris. The remains of Ishi's Earth Dragon soldiers were scattered across the battlefield, while deep cracks ran through the pavement where Ryūsei and the others had clashed.
Scorch marks from Sandā's Lightning Dragon attacks covered the surrounding walls. Shattered pieces of buildings lay across the streets, and faint traces of white Meteor Dragon energy still shimmered through the air like fading sparks.
Only a few minutes earlier, the battlefield had been filled with enough power to overwhelm anyone who dared to approach it.
Now, all that remained was the sound of heavy breathing.
Ryūsei stood in the middle of the destruction, surrounded by the fading white aura of Meteor Dragon Photon Assault.
The powerful aura still clung to his body, although its intensity had begun to weaken.
Directly in front of him, Sandā remained on the ground.
The Lightning Dragon Elementalist was badly beaten, his clothes torn and covered in dust. His body trembled as he struggled to recover from Ryūsei's relentless assault.
Ishi was injured nearby as well, while Venom, Melody, and Gēti remained standing.
Shōgeki was also still present, having finally been released from Gēti's dimensional prison.
Nobody moved.
Nobody attacked.
Everyone understood what had happened.
The battle had reached its limit.
One more exchange could turn the entire battlefield into an even greater disaster.
Ryūsei slowly turned his attention toward Melody.
The anger that had consumed him during his fight with Sandā had not completely disappeared, but the sharpness in his expression had begun to fade.
"Melody."
Melody looked toward him.
Ryūsei took a slow breath before speaking.
"I'm withdrawing from this fight."
Melody's eyes widened slightly.
Ryūsei continued before anyone else could respond.
"As long as you, Sandā, and your friends withdraw as well."
Melody stared at him.
"Ryūsei..."
"I'm giving you the chance to withdraw now."
Ryūsei glanced toward the enormous clock displayed across one of the arena's magical observation screens in the distance.
The numbers continued to count down.
"There are only fifteen minutes left before the first round ends."
He turned his gaze back toward Melody.
"We both know that if we continue this feud, some of us here won't be able to join the next round."
Ryūsei gestured toward the injured Elementalists scattered throughout the ruined battlefield.
"Some of us are already wounded. It's best that we get them healed right away."
Melody remained silent.
She looked toward Sandā.
He was barely able to stand.
Then she looked toward Ishi, whose body was still covered in the marks left behind by Ryūsei's attacks.
Venom had also taken damage, and even though Gēti remained in relatively good condition, he had already spent a significant amount of energy maintaining his dimensional techniques.
Shōgeki had been forced to deal with the chaos as well.
Melody slowly lowered her weapon.
Ryūsei was right.
There was nothing to gain by continuing the fight.
If they continued their feud for another fifteen minutes, there was a very real possibility that some of them would be too injured to participate in the next round.
Gēti finally broke the silence.
"He's got a point there, Melody."
He looked around at the destroyed battlefield.
"We should listen to him for now."
Melody thought for another moment before slowly nodding.
"I agree."
She turned toward Venom.
"Venom, grab Sandā."
Venom sighed, but he approached Sandā anyway.
Then Melody looked toward Gēti.
"And Gēti, disable that prison thing you created so Shōgeki can carry Ishi."
Gēti gave a small nod.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Venom reached Sandā and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him upright before supporting his weight.
Sandā immediately frowned.
"Come on."
Venom began dragging him toward the dimensional gate.
Sandā grimaced.
"I can walk by myself."
Venom rolled his eyes.
"Then stop complaining and walk."
Sandā clicked his tongue but began moving under his own power.
Nearby, Gēti raised one hand.
The strange dimensional barrier surrounding Shōgeki began to shimmer.
The distorted space around the powerful Kūki clan captain warped and twisted before slowly breaking apart.
"Warp Dragon Dimensional Prison."
The technique had originally been used to trap Shōgeki.
Now, Gēti reversed its effect.
The dimensional prison dissolved into fragments of warped space, each fragment disappearing into the air until Shōgeki was finally free.
Shōgeki stretched his arms slightly.
"Finally."
He looked toward Ishi.
The Earth Elementalist was still struggling to move.
Without saying another word, Shōgeki walked over to him and lifted him from the ground.
Ishi immediately winced.
"Shōgeki... I can still walk."
"Save your energy."
Shōgeki carried him without hesitation.
Ishi sighed.
"Right."
Gēti stepped forward.
"Warp Dragon Dimensional Gate."
A dark, swirling portal opened in front of them.
The edges of the dimensional gate shimmered like distorted glass, while darkness twisted within its center.
Sandā stopped for a moment and looked back toward Ryūsei.
"Watch your back, Ryūsei."
His eyes narrowed.
"We'll settle this in the next round."
Ryūsei simply looked at him.
Before he could respond, Venom shoved Sandā toward the portal.
"Quiet down and just go inside the stupid gate already."
Sandā stumbled forward.
"Hey!"
Venom followed him through.
The two disappeared into the swirling darkness.
Shōgeki remained behind for another moment.
His eyes met Ryūsei's.
There was no hostility in his expression.
Instead, there was something that looked much closer to respect.
"Ryūsei Ryūgū."
Ryūsei looked toward him.
Shōgeki gave him a faint smile.
"You are one of a kind."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"I look forward to seeing you again."
With those final words, Shōgeki turned around and carried Ishi through the dimensional gate.
The two disappeared into the swirling darkness.
Melody turned toward Gēti.
"Gēti, let's go."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Melody and Gēti stepped through the portal.
The dimensional gate remained open for another moment before slowly collapsing in on itself.
The warped space folded inward.
Then the portal disappeared completely.
The battlefield became silent once again.
Ryūsei stared at the place where they had vanished.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then he finally released a long breath.
"It's finally over."
The white aura surrounding his body began to fade.
The enhancement granted by Meteor Dragon Photon Assault disappeared completely, and the extraordinary physical strength that had been coursing through his body gradually returned to normal.
The moment the technique ended, the exhaustion he had been ignoring suddenly became much more noticeable.
His shoulders dropped.
His breathing became heavier.
His legs felt considerably heavier than they had moments earlier.
The adrenaline that had kept his body moving through the battle was disappearing.
Only now did the full weight of everything he had endured begin catching up with him.
Then Ryūsei heard a familiar voice.
"Water Dragon Soothing Spring."
He turned around.
Kayosha had managed to sit up.
Although she was still visibly exhausted, she had recovered enough strength to use her Water Dragon abilities.
A gentle blue glow surrounded her hands.
Water gathered around her palms before flowing outward in a smooth stream of energy.
Kayosha reached toward Ryūsei and carefully placed her hands against his injured arm.
Warm, soothing energy immediately spread through his body.
The pain that had remained in his muscles began to fade.
Ryūsei looked at her in surprise.
"Kayosha..."
She gave him a weak smile.
"Thanks, Ryūsei."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I don't know what could've happened to me if you weren't there."
Ryūsei looked away awkwardly.
"It was nothing."
He gave her a small smile.
"You would've done the same for me, right?"
Kayosha nodded without hesitation.
"Yup."
Her smile became softer as she continued healing him.
"But still..."
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
"You're always there for me."
Ryūsei glanced toward her.
Kayosha's cheeks slowly turned red.
The blue light from her healing technique reflected softly across her face, making her embarrassment even more obvious.
"Also... Ryūsei..."
Her voice became quieter.
"There's something I want you to know."
Ryūsei tilted his head.
"What is it, Kayosha?"
Kayosha's face became bright red.
She looked down at her hands.
"Ryūsei..."
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"I-I... l-love yo—"
"Man, that was awesome, Ryūsei!"
Kasai's voice suddenly thundered across the battlefield.
Kayosha froze.
Her eyes widened.
The words she had been about to say died in her throat.
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
For several seconds, she remained completely motionless.
Then she slowly turned toward Kasai.
"Yodeling!!!!"
"WHAT?!"
Kasai barely had time to react.
Sora immediately stepped forward and smacked him directly on the head.
BONK!
Kasai grabbed his head and stumbled slightly.
"Hey! What was that for?!"
Sora glared at him.
"You are so dense when it comes to the mood of a situation."
Kasai blinked.
"What mood?"
Sora stared at him.
"Exactly."
Kasai remained completely confused.
Kayosha quickly turned away.
Her face was still burning from embarrassment.
Ryūsei looked between the three of them, completely confused by what had just happened.
He had absolutely no idea what Kayosha had been trying to say.
Kasai rubbed the spot where Sora had hit him.
"Anyway... Ryūsei."
He looked around the battlefield.
"Where are Yuki, Shizen, and Shadow?"
Ryūsei answered calmly.
"They're waiting for us."
Kasai raised an eyebrow.
"Waiting for us?"
"Yeah."
Ryūsei glanced toward the distant ruins.
"I told them earlier to withdraw from the fight."
Kasai's eyes widened.
"Wait. You told them to withdraw?"
Ryūsei nodded.
"Yeah."
He looked toward the destroyed battlefield.
"If they came here, who knows what would've happened during the feud."
He folded his arms.
"Besides, if the fight became completely out of control, there might have been casualties on both sides."
Kasai's expression became more thoughtful.
He looked around at the destruction surrounding them.
After seeing what had happened, he couldn't really argue with Ryūsei's decision.
Sora nodded.
"You do have a point."
Kasai sighed.
"If Sora says it's for the best, then I guess I have no room for any complaints."
Ryūsei looked at him.
A small grin slowly appeared on his face.
"Is someone here acting like someone's husband?"
Kasai froze.
Sora's eyes widened.
"Ryūsei!"
Kasai immediately pointed toward him.
"Hey! Don't start!"
Ryūsei chuckled.
Sora covered her face with one hand.
"Seriously..."
Kayosha, meanwhile, continued healing Ryūsei's injuries.
"Hey, Ryūsei."
"Hm?"
"Try not to move around. I'm trying to heal you."
Ryūsei immediately stopped moving.
Kasai burst out laughing.
"Yeah, and you're acting like a little kid who just got back from a street fight."
Ryūsei frowned.
"I am not."
Kasai grinned.
"You totally are."
Sora shook her head.
"Both of you, stop."
Despite everything that had happened, the atmosphere around them had finally begun to relax.
For the next several minutes, the battlefield was surprisingly peaceful.
Kayosha continued using Water Dragon: Soothing Spring, carefully healing the injuries Ryūsei had accumulated throughout the battle.
The gentle blue light moved across his arms, shoulders, and torso, gradually repairing the damage that had been caused by the countless attacks he had endured.
Ryūsei remained unusually still this time.
He had learned his lesson.
Eventually, the last traces of pain disappeared.
Kayosha slowly pulled her hands away.
"And there."
She smiled.
"It's all done."
Ryūsei looked down at his arms.
The wounds had healed.
Even the soreness that had remained after the battle was gone.
"Thanks, Kayosha."
"You're welcome."
Kayosha smiled warmly.
"It's the least I can do."
Her expression then became more serious.
"Thanks, Ryūsei, for saving me from Sandā and the others."
Ryūsei shook his head.
"You don't have to thank me."
He looked toward her.
"I just did what anyone would've done."
Kayosha smiled.
But deep down, she knew that wasn't true.
Ryūsei had gone against five opponents because she had been hurt.
He had risked himself without hesitation.
And even after defeating Sandā, he had chosen not to kill him.
That was simply who Ryūsei was.
Kasai looked toward the distant battlefield.
"We better go regroup with Yuki and the others."
He glanced at Sora.
"They might be worried."
Sora nodded.
"I agree. We should at least let them know that we're fine."
Ryūsei looked at the three of them.
"Alright, then."
He turned around and crouched slightly.
"Grab my back, and I'll have us teleport to them at once."
Kasai blinked.
"Can you really teleport that far?"
Ryūsei nodded.
"Before I came here, I pierced a sword made of my energy into a stone."
He pointed toward the distance.
"I asked Yuki and the others to wait there."
Kasai's expression became curious.
"With Meteor Dragon Switch?"
"Exactly."
Ryūsei nodded.
"The spell also allows me to teleport to a marked object instantly."
He paused for a moment.
"Specifically, it allows me to teleport directly to the sword."
Kasai stared at him.
"So you basically planted a teleportation marker before the battle even started?"
Ryūsei smiled.
"Pretty much."
Kasai laughed.
"That's actually pretty useful."
Sora stepped forward.
"Then let's go."
Kayosha nodded.
"I'm ready."
Kasai placed his hands on Ryūsei's shoulders.
Sora climbed onto his back as well, followed by Kayosha.
Ryūsei adjusted himself carefully, making sure everyone had a secure grip before activating his technique.
"Hold on."
Before he could activate the spell, however, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"Bye, guys!"
Everyone turned.
Flick stood a short distance away.
The Fire Elementalist looked exhausted, but compared to earlier, there was a noticeable sense of relief in his expression.
He was finally free from the situation that had trapped him earlier.
"Thanks so much."
Flick smiled.
"I didn't know what would've happened to me if you hadn't stepped in."
Ryūsei smiled back.
"It's no problem, Flick."
He gave him a small nod.
"Take care of yourself."
Flick raised a hand.
"We'll see each other in the next round."
Ryūsei nodded.
"Definitely."
Flick hesitated.
For a moment, the cheerful expression disappeared from his face.
Then he became more serious.
"Oh, and Ryūsei..."
Ryūsei looked at him.
"I'm sorry."
Flick lowered his head.
"For everything I've ever done to you."
Ryūsei didn't answer immediately.
The two boys simply looked at each other.
There was no anger in Ryūsei's expression.
No resentment.
After everything that had happened between them, he could have chosen to hold onto the past.
Instead, Ryūsei smiled.
"It's okay, Flick."
Flick slowly raised his head.
Ryūsei's expression remained sincere.
"I forgive you."
Flick stared at him for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"I hope we see each other in the next round."
Flick smiled.
"Goodbye, Ryūsei."
He waved toward them.
"Kasai, Sora, Kayosha."
They waved back.
"Goodbye!"
Ryūsei turned forward.
He closed his eyes.
The atmosphere around him immediately changed.
Meteor Dragon energy began gathering around his body once again.
A brilliant white light slowly surrounded the four Elementalists.
The air itself began to tremble as the energy intensified.
Ryūsei extended one hand.
"Meteor Dragon: Photon Switch."
The instant he spoke the technique's name, a flash of white light erupted around them.
The world seemed to disappear beneath the brilliance.
In the blink of an eye, Ryūsei, Sora, Kasai, and Kayosha vanished from the battlefield.
They were gone.
Only Flick remained standing among the ruins.
He lowered his hand and stared at the empty space where they had been.
The first round of the Grand Shōtotsu was nearing its end.
Across the enormous replica Kingdom of Ryūgū, countless Elementalists were still fighting desperately for their chance to advance to the next stage.
Some were searching for opponents.
Others were desperately trying to protect their teammates.
And some were already making their way toward the designated safe areas before the first round officially ended.
But for Ryūsei and his friends, their battle was over.
For now.
The first round had taken everything from them.
Their strength.
Their energy.
Their endurance.
And, for some of them, even their ability to trust the people around them.
Yet they had survived.
And as Ryūsei's Meteor Dragon: Photon Switch carried him and his friends toward their waiting companions, none of them could know what awaited them in the next round.
The Grand Shōtotsu was only beginning.