"You know, most people's idea of a good time doesn't involve floating death platforms," Takumi said, casually twirling his scythe despite the chaos around them. The ancient stone floor beneath their feet had decided gravity was more of a suggestion than a law.
Liene's lips curved into that infuriating half-smile of hers. "Oh? Fufu~ my, and here I thought you enjoyed living dangerously." Her tone was honey-sweet poison, the kind that made Takumi wonder if she was actually enjoying this madness.
"Right, because nothing says 'fun' like—" The floor lurched, and Takumi dropped into a crouch, bringing his scythe up just as a wave of fire roared toward them. The heat hit him like a furnace blast, singeing his arm before he could fully block it. "—like playing 'don't fall to your death' while everything tries to knock us off the platform!"
Cool relief washed over his burn as Liene's healing magic wrapped around him in emerald tendrils. She reached over and pinched out a smoldering lock of his hair, making him jump. "My~ consider it a change in perspective," she mused, as casual as if they were discussing the weather. "Though I admit, the venue is a touch... dramatic. Fufu~"
"A touch dramatic? This isn't theater, it's—" Takumi's sarcasm died in his throat as something massive and wooden burst from below. A hand, if hands were made of twisted branches and nightmare fuel, slammed into the space between them. They dove apart, Takumi rolling to his feet with a grimace. "Great. Because regular hands were just too mainstream."
The grotesque tree-limb belonged to another student, their arm stretched out like some possessed puppet master. But that wasn't even the weird part. No, that honor went to the Nekara using the wooden monstrosity as its personal highway—all sleek feline grace and deadly intent, stiletto gleaming as it sprinted straight toward them.
"Oh, come on," Takumi muttered. "Who ordered the murder-cat?"
Liene was moving before the words left his mouth, her blade singing through the air to meet the Nekara's strike. She turned the clash into a dance, redirecting both weapons into the tree-arm with enough force to make its controller cry out. The wooden limb spasmed, sending students scrambling like bowling pins.
"Any other surprises?" Takumi asked the universe in general. "Giant rabbits? Tap-dancing dragons?"
"Boy!" There was steel in Liene's voice now, all playfulness gone. The look she shot him said volumes about paying attention and less commentary.
"Yeah, yeah..." He readied his scythe, falling into position. "I can take a hint."
The wild flailing of the tree-arm might have deterred someone sensible - but Takumi had never claimed to be sensible. His eyes locked onto the opening, and he launched himself forward, landing on the massive limb with the grace of someone who'd clearly done equally stupid things before. The surface bucked beneath him like a mechanical bull with a grudge, forcing him to slap his palm against the bark to keep his balance, his scythe extended out like some deranged tightrope walker's pole.
As he surfed his way down the writhing appendage, his face split into the kind of grin that usually preceded something explosive. The student controlling the arm finally noticed him - their expression shifting from confusion to alarm as they realized they had a very determined idiot sliding down their magical limb.
"Hey, guess you could say I'm really branching out in my tactics!" Takumi called out, because apparently near-death experiences were the perfect time for terrible puns.
From her own deadly dance with the Nekara, Liene let out a laugh that was equal parts genuine amusement and 'I can't believe you just said that.' Her blade sang through the air, matching the Nekara strike for strike, but she couldn't quite hide her smile. That moment of levity was cut short as the tree-arm suddenly whipped upward, launching Takumi skyward like a human catapult.
For a split second, Takumi pinwheeled through the air, looking about as dignified as a startled cat. Then that insufferable grin returned as he pulled out a detonator with all the dramatic flair of a magician's reveal. "Surprise!"
The explosions ripped along the arm in a chain of destruction - each blast revealing the bombs he'd oh-so-casually planted during his little surf session. The final explosion caught the controlling student square in the shoulder, sending them sprawling unconscious across the floor.
Takumi stuck his landing with unnecessary flourish, dropping into an elaborate bow that would have made a theater kid proud. One fist pressed to his chest, the other extending his scythe like he was accepting applause for his performance.
The Nekara's momentary distraction at the pyrotechnics was all Liene needed. She kicked upward, sending her opponent airborne, then yanked her blade's tether with precise timing. The momentum carried her skyward in a graceful flip that ended with her heel introducing itself to the Nekara's chest. The impact drove her opponent into the ground with enough force to leave a small crater - and one very unconscious cat-person.
"So that happened," Takumi said, sidling up beside Liene as they watched their defeated opponents fade away to the bleachers in a shimmer of light.
"Indeed it did," Liene agreed, her voice carrying that musical lilt that somehow made everything sound like she was sharing an inside joke.
Their eyes met for a moment - her gaze knowing and amused, his suddenly uncertain. Takumi quickly looked away, while Liene turned her head just enough to hide her widening smile.
"Would you stop being so..." Takumi grumbled, gesturing vaguely in her direction, unable to finish the thought.
"We should move," Liene cut in, mercifully changing the subject as she nodded toward the steadily advancing edge of destruction. "Unless you'd like to test if you can stick that landing twice?"
"Yeah, no thanks." Takumi was already moving. "One brush with gravity-induced death per day is enough."
They sprinted away together, leaving the crumbling edge of their temporary battlefield behind - along with whatever moment had almost happened between them.
Meanwhile, as the arena floor crumbled at their heels with the clock ticking down to five and a half minutes, another pair of students vanished, teleported to the bleachers, leaving sixty remaining combatants in the chaos. Claire stumbled forward, catching herself with a quick shuffle-step—followed by an unnecessary pirouette that she immediately regretted—as she tried to match Kazuki's measured pace.
Suddenly, Kazuki's gaze darted upward. A microscopic flicker of recognition crossed his otherwise stone-carved face.
"Duck," Kazuki said, his monotone voice as devoid of emotion as a dictionary entry.
"Huh? Duck where? Like a bird duck or a verb duck?" Claire turned to him, her expression cycling through confusion, realization, and panic in under a second. She tugged nervously at her sleeve, accidentally unraveling a loose thread.
Before she could process his warning, she instinctively ducked backward, her back nearly brushing the floor as her knees hit the ground. She skidded to a halt, her breathing quickening as a cartoonishly oversized yellow duck with an orange beak barreled past her.
Her wide eyes followed its absurdly slow-motion bounce, each movement almost surreal. The duck spun lazily before landing behind them with an almost gentle wobble, facing them with its eerily black bead-like eyes blank and emotionless.
"Eh?! Am I losing it? Tell me I'm not! And if I am—what the actual heck-a-doodle-doo is THAT?!" Claire yelled, her voice cracking three times in one sentence as her jaw dropped and her left eyebrow shot up so high it nearly vanished into her hairline.
"You're not," Kazuki replied flatly, already spinning to face the duck. His backward slide ended with one hand gripping the hilt of his sword, his expression unchanged as granite.
Claire stood up, dusting herself off with exaggerated swipes, her finger now pointing accusingly at the duck. "Wait... hold on. That thing looks absurdly like... an oversized rubber ducky." She squinted, leaning forward at such an angle that she nearly toppled over. "Like, did someone's bath toy get enchanted or something? Because that's just weird, right? Even for this place? Not that I'm an expert on weird things, but I've seen my fair share, and this is definitely in the top five, maybe three—"
"Very interesting observation. You should become a detective," Kazuki remarked sarcastically, his tone as flat as week-old soda.
"I know..." Claire began, puffing up with genuine pride, but then froze mid-gesture, her mouth forming a small 'o.' Her eyes widened as she turned toward Kazuki with a voice that jumped an octave. "Wait, that was sarcasm, wasn't it? I can never tell with you because your face is always so—" she gestured vaguely at his face, "—so facey!"
Above them, unseen by Claire, a figure hovered—a tall woman with dark violet long hair that seemed to catch light that wasn't there. She floated silently, one gloved hand holding her black top hat in place with elegant precision. Her unbuttoned dark blue coat revealed a light gray corset adorned with faint silver and white runes that occasionally rippled as though alive. The academy emblem rested on her shoulder, slightly more ornate than regulation permitted, as she observed Kazuki with eyes that revealed nothing yet somehow saw everything.
For a heartbeat, something inscrutable flickered across her otherwise perfect composure—a subtle widening of pupils, a fraction of an inch movement in her stance—as though she'd glimpsed something both impossible and inevitable. She made a fluid, graceful twirl that left a trace of silver in the air before vanishing in a puff of white smoke that smelled vaguely of midnight and secrets.
The yellow duck poofed into white smoke as Claire continued staring at it, waving her hands through the dissipating cloud. "Did you see—? Was that—? Should we—?" Each question trailed off unfinished as she looked to Kazuki for answers he didn't provide.
Suddenly, the floor quaked, and the arena floor crumbled at their heels. The clock ticked down to five and a half minutes. Claire turned to Kazuki, still gesticulating wildly—but he was gone. She spun left, then right, her eyes darting in confusion, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Seriously?! We were having a conversation! Sort of!"
Kazuki reappeared just ahead, moving with precise, calculated strikes. His blade slashed through the air, deflecting attacks with ease. For a moment, he seemed untouchable, weaving between opponents like a shadow. But then, a figure emerged from behind him—silent and swift. A dagger glinted in their hand.
"W-watch out!" Claire called, her voice cracking in three different places. Her warning came out more like a startled hiccup than the confident alert she'd intended. She fumbled with her bow, nearly dropping it, catching it only to fumble again, before finally managing to steady her grip with a muttered, "Come on, fingers, we've done this before!"
But the moment her fingers found the bowstring, something shifted. Her awkward movements transformed into fluid grace as she drew and fired in one smooth motion. The arrow struck true, disarming an approaching opponent with surgical precision. Her eyes narrowed with focus, muscle memory taking over as she twisted to intercept incoming projectiles, bow held vertical like a shield.
She stole quick glances at Kazuki between shots, her cheeks flushing slightly each time, muttering under her breath, "Just checking the tactical situation, totally professional reconnaissance." He moved like a shadow through the chaos, sword flashing with mechanical precision. No wasted movement, no dramatic flourishes—just clean, efficient strikes. The only sound from him was the whisper of steel through air.
"A lone wolf away from the pack," Claire muttered to herself, then immediately cringed so hard her shoulders hunched. "I mean... not that I'm watching him or anything... or thinking about wolves... or packs... or—oh, shut up, Claire." She trailed off, grateful no one could hear her rambling.
A shriek from above snapped her attention back to the fight. A flock of summoned crows descended, talons extended. Claire's hesitation vanished. She notched three arrows at once, holding two between her fingers in a fan pattern she'd practiced for months but never used in combat. With a twist of her wrist that would have looked impossibly awkward if it hadn't been so effective, she released all three simultaneously in different trajectories.
The arrows curved in flight—one sailing straight, one arcing high, one sweeping low—each finding its mark. Black feathers dissolved into mist as the crows screeched and vanished. With a flourish that was half practiced skill and half nervous energy, she swung her bow in a wide arc, the enchanted bowstring briefly glowing blue as it sliced through the remaining mist, dispersing the magical residue.
She dropped her bow—letting it dangle from her wrist by its strap—and drew her sword in one fluid motion, muscle memory once again taking command as she parried the summoner's strike.
Their blades locked. Claire's arms trembled, her previous grace faltering as raw strength came into play. "Crap, crap, crap, double crap with sprinkles on top," she whispered through clenched teeth, feet sliding back inch by inch. "This is NOT how I pictured today going!"
A flash of movement behind her. Kazuki's sword struck between the locked blades with surgical precision, making no sound beyond the whisper of metal on metal. Claire yelped in surprise—a sound reminiscent of a startled puppy—stumbling backward as the summoner lost balance. One swift strike from Kazuki's sword hilt, and their opponent vanished to the bleachers.
Claire pushed her hair back with trembling fingers, a strand getting caught on her lip gloss, which she tried to blow away three times before giving up. "Um... thanks," she mumbled to Kazuki's back, her eyes fixed on a particularly interesting crack in the floor that she suddenly found utterly fascinating. "I mean, I had it under control! Well, mostly. Sort of. Maybe like sixty-three percent under control? That's technically a passing grade, right? Capisce?" Her voice grew smaller with each qualification until the last word was barely audible.
Kazuki remained still as stone, the only movement the slight flutter of his coat in the arena's breeze. His silence spoke volumes—all of them blank.
"Right. Cool. Totally get it." Claire fidgeted with her bow string, tapping her fingers in an irregular pattern against the grip, the silence making her skin crawl. "Good talk. Very illuminating. Let's do this again sometime. Or not. Whatever works for you."
In that moment, her body tensed – something was wrong. Without conscious thought, her hand flew to her quiver, fingers dancing across the arrow's shaft before spinning it into position. She pivoted, bow drawn in one fluid motion, only to find herself aiming straight at Takumi's nose.
In that moment, her body tensed – something was wrong. Without conscious thought, her hand flew to her quiver, fingers dancing across the arrow's shaft before spinning it into position. She pivoted, bow drawn in one fluid motion, only to find herself aiming straight at Takumi's nose.
"Whoa there, little miss archer!" Takumi's hands shot up, though his startled expression quickly morphed into that insufferable grin of his. "Love the quick-draw, but maybe save it for the actual bad guys?"
Behind him, Liene leaned against a fallen pillar, watching the scene unfold with quiet amusement. Her lips curved into that knowing smile that always made Claire feel like she was missing some private joke.
Claire's combat stance melted away as recognition hit, leaving her slumped over and groaning. "Why do you always have to sneak up on me?" she wheezed, bow dangling loosely from her fingers.
"You looked worse in the bleachers," Liene mused, her voice carrying that subtle playfulness that made it impossible to tell if she was teasing or complimenting.
Claire straightened slightly, blowing a stray hair from her face. "Yeah, well, someone's gotta keep up with Mr. Silent-and-Deadly over here." She jerked a thumb toward Kazuki before immediately regretting the gesture, her cheeks flushing. "So... you two just happened to find me in this chaos, or...?"
"Oh, we've been watching your little parkour show for the last minute," Takumi quipped, spinning a dagger between his fingers. "Very educational. Especially the part where you nearly face-planted dodging that fireball."
"Ugh, of course you were." Claire let her head drop back with a groan.
Liene's eyes flickered to the countdown above, that dangerous smile playing across her lips. "Two minutes left. Enough time for a proper match, wouldn't you say?"
"W-what?" Claire's voice cracked as she jerked upright. "No way! I can barely feel my legs, capisce?!"
"Well then," Liene purred, her tone honeyed but eyes sharp with mischief, "perhaps we should consult your partner?" She nodded past Claire.
"My part- wait, what?" Claire spun around, her boot catching on a piece of debris. She stumbled, arms pinwheeling, only to freeze mid-flail as she found herself face-to-face with Kazuki. He stood there like a sentinel, his black coat rippling in the arena's breeze, dark eyes fixed on some distant point beyond them all.
"Errr..." Claire's voice died in her throat, her previous combat grace nowhere to be found as she shrank under his impassive gaze.
The whisper of metal cutting air filled the silence as Liene's kyoketsu shoge came to life, the curved blade weaving intricate patterns at the end of its rope. "What do you say, Stoneface?" Her voice dripped honey, but her eyes held steel. "Care to make these last minutes interesting?"
Claire's eyes darted between them, chewing her lower lip as the tension mounted. The perfect stillness of Kazuki's stance only made her more fidgety in comparison. Meanwhile, Liene moved like liquid shadow, her weapon's dance growing more elaborate with each passing second.
Takumi shifted his weight, breaking the spell. "Hey, not to be that guy, but..." His fingers drummed an anxious beat against his hip, his usual snark giving way to genuine concern. "Maybe we should—"
"Now, now," Liene cut him off, her smile sharpening as her blade traced silver arcs through the air. "Let's not interrupt. After all..." Her eyes locked onto Kazuki's unchanging expression. "Silence speaks volumes, doesn't it?"
The kyoketsu shoge sang through the air without warning, its blade spinning in a deadly arc toward Kazuki. His response was pure efficiency – one clean motion that sent his blade up to meet Liene's weapon. Steel met steel with a resounding clash, the force redirecting the shoge's curved blade. Liene's fingers danced along the rope, catching the returning weapon as naturally as breathing.
Claire yelped, nearly jumping out of her skin at the sudden exchange. Next to her, Takumi whistled low. "Well," he muttered, taking a careful step backward, "someone's feeling spicy today."
Liene twirled her weapon in a casual figure-eight, her smile growing sharper with each rotation. "What's wrong, stoneface? That mask of yours finally cracking?"
Kazuki's only response was a slight shift in stance, blade held at an angle that caught the arena's light. His eyes tracked Liene's movements with machine-like focus.
"Oh great," Claire groaned, but even as she complained, her body was already moving. The arrow seemed to materialize between her fingers, bow drawn and released in one fluid motion. Takumi barely registered the whistle of air past his ear.
"Trying to take my head off twice in one day?" He laughed, but there was an edge to it now. The mechanical click-whir of his scythe extending filled the air. "And here I thought we were friends." The weapon's blade caught the light as he spun it, ending with a thunderous strike against the arena floor that sent vibrations through their feet.
The playful atmosphere had evaporated, replaced by the electric tension of four combat stances, four weapons, and less than two minutes on the clock.
Suddenly, The arena floor shuddered violently, sending ripples through the remaining platform. Claire caught herself mid-stumble, watching chunks of stone crumble away at the edges. Around them, the chaos of thirty students still locked in combat filled the air with clashing metal and bursts of magic.
Claire's bow found its home on her back in one practiced motion as she drew her sword. Her body moved with unconscious grace as she launched herself at Takumi, all earlier awkwardness forgotten in the heat of battle. Steel sang against steel as her blade met his scythe, the impact reverberating through her arms.
Nearby, Liene's kyoketsu shoge danced through the air in lethal arcs, each throw precisely aimed at Kazuki. He moved like a machine, deflecting her attacks with mechanical efficiency, not a single motion wasted. Liene twisted in mid-air, her body flowing like water as she caught her weapon. Green energy pulsed from her palm into the blade before she drove it into the ground. Roots erupted from the stone, writhing upward like hungry serpents. Kazuki observed the approaching threat with dead eyes, sliding into a ready stance – blade resting against his back, grip steady and sure.
"Heh, don't ya think we're moving a little too fast?" Takumi's voice cut through Claire's focus as their weapons locked.
"Wha—? Huh?" The words hit her like a splash of cold water, her face flooding with heat. Her practiced movements stuttered as her brain short-circuited.
Takumi's grin widened. "Just saying, maybe dinner first? I'm old-fashioned like that."
"I... I don't... What are you even—?" Claire's sword pressure weakened as her brain desperately tried to process his words.
Takumi seized his chance, dropping low and sweeping her legs. But even as Claire's mind flailed, her body knew what to do. She transformed the fall into a fluid backflip, hands finding the floor as she launched herself upright. In one smooth motion, her sword was sheathed and bow drawn, an arrow flying before her feet touched ground.
Takumi barely managed to dodge, the arrow whistling past his ear. He landed with a grunt, reaching for something at his belt as Claire found her footing, her movements still graceful despite her flustered expression.
"Okay," he muttered, eyes locked on her as he palmed one of his devices, "maybe I should stop underestimating you..." A smirk played at his lips, but there was new respect in his eyes.
Claire's arrows sliced through the air in rapid succession as she danced across the crumbling arena floor. Takumi wove between them with practiced ease, that insufferable grin never leaving his face. His hand dropped to his waist, producing a sleek metal device that hummed to life before sailing through the air.
Claire was already moving past it when the trap sprung. Blue lightning erupted from the device, latching onto her arm like electric chains. The current yanked her back, muscles seizing as Takumi closed the distance, scythe glinting. With a grunt of effort, Claire twisted sharply, breaking free of the lightning tether. The momentum sent her spinning, but her body reacted instinctively, the awkward stumble becoming a fluid dodge that carried her just beneath the arc of Takumi's blade.
"So, how about it? Dinner tonight, somewhere in town?" Takumi pressed forward, his attacks precise despite his casual tone.
Claire's combat focus didn't waver this time. "Nah, sorry. I've got my priorities straight right now," she shot back, flowing around his strikes like water.
As Takumi pushed his advantage, Claire's fingers found three arrows in her quiver. Her body moved with unconscious grace as she vaulted over him, nocking the arrows mid-flip. She landed in a perfect stance, bow drawn, a confident smile playing at her lips.
"Though," she added, "if you'd asked me to an amusement park, I might've considered it. Too bad—you missed your chance, capisce?"
White light blazed from her arrow tips as she loosed them simultaneously. They streaked toward Takumi like shooting stars, forcing him to brace behind his scythe. The impact sent him sliding backward, boots scraping against stone—but Claire's victory was short-lived. A metallic sphere rolled to a stop at her feet, its quiet beeping almost lost in the chaos of battle.
Red light flared as smoke erupted around her. Claire coughed, bow raised defensively as she tried to peer through the thick haze.
Takumi's voice drifted through the smoke, still carrying that playful edge. "Guess I'm not the only one with tricks up my sleeve, huh?"
Meanwhile, Liene's kyoketsu shoge whistled as she hooked it onto one of her summoned roots. She used the momentum to launch herself through the air, catching a smaller branch mid-flight to redirect her trajectory. Below, Kazuki watched her aerial dance with dead eyes, sword held loose but ready at his side.
The massive root she'd latched onto suddenly writhed to life, crashing down toward Kazuki like a falling mountain. The impact shattered the arena floor, sending chunks of cement flying as dust billowed outward. The thunderous crash faded into an eerie quiet.
That silence broke as Kazuki shot through the debris cloud, his coat barely rustling as he ascended.
"Heads up." Liene's honeyed voice floated from behind him, the words carrying a predatory playfulness.
Kazuki pivoted in mid-air with machine-like precision, meeting her amused gaze as she closed in. Her blade danced toward him in a lethal arc, but he deflected it with an almost insulting economy of movement. The clash sent her weapon spinning away – and for just a heartbeat, Liene's perpetual smile faltered.
They landed on opposite ends of the fallen root, the massive trunk serving as their impromptu stage. Kazuki stood utterly still, as though their mid-air exchange had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience. Liene recalled her blade with a sharp tug of its rope, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her opponent. A hint of genuine curiosity crept into her expression, replacing her usual mask of casual amusement.
"Well," she breathed, a real grin slowly replacing her typical smirk, "aren't you full of surprises."
At the same time, the tension in the air thickened as Claire squinted through the thick smoke, her eyes watering from the irritation. Her bow found its place on her back as she drew her sword in one fluid motion, muscle memory taking over as she dropped into a defensive stance. Her breathing steadied automatically, even as her mind raced with panic.
"Claire..." Takumi's voice echoed through the smoke, drawing out her name like some cheesy horror movie villain. Despite herself, she shivered. "...There is no escape..."
Movement flickered in her periphery. She whirled toward it instinctively, sword raised to counter – only to slice through empty air.
"Ack!" The strangled yelp escaped her as Takumi's real attack came from behind, his scythe catching her side with frightening precision. Her mana barrier flickered cyan, absorbing most of the impact, but the force still sent her flying out of the smoke cloud. She skidded across the arena floor, stopping mere inches from the crumbling edge.
"Wha—?" Claire blinked rapidly, trying to orient herself. Her eyes darted to the unstable ground behind her, then snapped forward as instinct screamed danger.
Takumi was already above her, scythe raised high, that insufferable grin plastered across his face. "Hello!"
"Gah! Geez!" Claire's voice cracked embarrassingly as she rolled away from his downward strike. The blade crashed into the floor where she'd been, sending more chunks of arena tumbling into the void below.
He pivoted instantly, lunging at her as she scrambled upright. Their weapons met with a metallic shriek, the impact driving her backward. Her boots scraped against the floor as she braced against his assault, combat instincts warring with her rising panic.
A thunderous crash split the air.
"Eh, what was that?" Claire squeaked, her concentration breaking for a crucial moment.
She and Takumi turned toward the sound, weapons still locked. The sight made them both freeze: Kazuki soaring backward through space, his blade a silver blur as it intercepted every lightning-fast strike of Liene's kyoketsu-shoge. She was pure motion, spinning through the air like a deadly dancer, summoning roots that burst from the ground like hungry serpents. Yet Kazuki's face remained a mask of indifference as he sliced through her attacks with mechanical precision, each movement exact and economical.
His boots scraped stone as he landed, sword dropping into a low guard position. Above him, Liene balanced on one of her massive roots with effortless grace, her free leg bent like a crane's. The few remaining students stopped their own battles to stare, weapons hanging forgotten at their sides.
"You're reckless, aren't you?" Liene purred, cocking her head with that knowing smile that suggested she'd discovered something fascinating.
"I suppose." The words barely carried across the arena, as flat and colorless as his expression.
Liene's eyes lit up like a cat that had caught an particularly interesting mouse. "Oh? So you speak. Have I impressed you somehow?"
Kazuki's empty gaze met Liene's playful one, his silence more unsettling than any response. Claire's grip tightened on her sword as unease crept through her. Why was she worried? Kazuki had handled worse, hadn't he? The doubt gnawed at her focus.
"Earth to Claire?" Takumi's voice cut through her thoughts as he pressed forward. Their weapons met with a metallic shriek, the force sending them both sliding back before they charged again.
Meanwhile, Liene erupted into motion, her Whirling Assault lighting up the arena. Her blade became a green streak as she danced around Kazuki, each strike flowing into the next with deadly grace. The kyoketsu-shoge's string carved patterns in the air as she flipped and twisted, her movements almost too fast to follow.
"Having trouble keeping up?" she purred, confidence dripping from every word.
Kazuki didn't respond. But as the crowd watched, including a wide-eyed Claire and an intrigued Takumi, the truth became clear: Kazuki wasn't defending – he was controlling the flow. Every lightning-fast strike met his blade with mechanical precision, his movements fluid yet minimal, like water finding the path of least resistance.
Liene vaulted over him, her blade whistling toward his exposed back. Kazuki pivoted smoothly, his sword glowing gray as it intercepted her attack. Mana sparked with each perfect deflection, his strikes becoming sharper, faster.
"Just... who are you?" Fear crept into Liene's voice as her assault faltered.
"No one." The words fell flat and cold as Kazuki stepped forward.
In one fluid motion, he caught her blade. Liene flinched back, but it was too late. Mana surged through Kazuki as he unleashed his stellar skill – two precise, mirrored slashes that shattered her defenses like glass. The attacks flowed together with devastating efficiency, leaving Liene crumpled and trembling on the ground.
Claire caught the scene in fragments between her own exchanges with Takumi. Her breath caught as she processed what she'd witnessed. The sheer, casual dominance of Kazuki's victory sent a chill down her spine, her focus wavering just long enough for Takumi's hand to drift toward his pouch, a calculated smirk playing at his lips.
Gasps rippled through the watching crowd as Liene struggled to rise, her body shaking from exhaustion. Kazuki stood motionless above her, his gaze briefly meeting Claire's before sliding away, as emotionless as ever.
Liene stared up at him, shock written across her face as the reality of what had just happened sank in.