The instant Shuo declared the start of the match, Tsubaki Shinra wasted no time. Katana in hand, she stepped forward with the fluid precision of a kendo master and lunged straight at him.
Kendo stance—vertical slash.
Shuo anticipated her move, vanishing in a blur and reappearing above her. Zangetsu swept down in his grasp, unleashing a dark crimson arc of energy.
Tsubaki's reflexes were sharp, but not sharp enough—she barely managed to raise her blade and block. The impact, supercharged with demonic energy, hit her like a freight train, sending her skidding backwards more than ten meters before she could regain her footing.
Shuo was already moving, ready to press his advantage, when Momo Hanakai and Ruruko Nimura suddenly darted in from either side, forcing him to fall back.
He narrowed his eyes. If I want to finish Tsubaki quickly, I'll have to take these two out first.
Without thinking, he closed his eyes. When they snapped open, his irises had transformed—rippling rings of amethyst, the Rinnegan.
A collective gasp rippled through the courtyard.
"What is that? A Sacred Gear? Some kind of mystic eye?" Reya whispered, eyes wide.
Sona's usually composed voice trembled with surprise. "Meguri, did you know Nangong-kun could do this? Have you ever seen it?"
Tomoe Meguri shook her head, just as stunned. "President, last time he beat me and Kiba with nothing but swordsmanship. I've never seen this before."
Sona's gaze grew complicated. Now she understood why Rias was so obsessed with him—he was a genius even she'd struggle to recruit.
In the corner of her mind, she tallied his abilities: peerless swordsmanship, mysterious space magic, a katana that might be a Sacred Gear… and now, these eyes. Just how deep did his bag of tricks go?
Momo and Ruruko, undeterred, charged again.
Shuo's Rinnegan pulsed. With a flicker of intent, he caught Momo in a genjutsu—her body seized up, and she collapsed to the ground, out cold.
Ruruko froze in shock, staring at her fallen friend. Before she could react, she felt her body lurch toward Shuo, as if yanked by an invisible force.
"Universal Pull," Shuo intoned, extending his hand.
Ruruko was helpless against the gravitational pull. She soared toward him, and Shuo raised his arm for the finishing blow.
"Wait! Wait! I surrender!" Ruruko blurted, waving her hands frantically as she tumbled to a stop.
A soft chime sounded in Shuo's mind.
Ding! Mission complete. Congratulations, host, you have received two White-tier sign-in rewards.
Shuo just smiled, lowering his hand.
The courtyard fell silent. Only Tomoe Meguri cheered, her voice echoing in the stunned hush. The rest—including Sona—stood frozen, unease flickering in their eyes. Shuo's powers were supposed to be human, yet he'd just displayed abilities that defied explanation. And Momo was still out cold on the grass.
Sona finally cleared her throat. "Um, Nangong-kun, are your eyes some kind of Sacred Gear? And… is Momo alright?"
Shuo offered an easy smile. "Don't worry, President Sona. I held back—Momo's just a little dazed. She'll wake up soon."
"As for my eyes, you can think of them as mystic eyes. What I used on Ruruko was one of their abilities—gravity manipulation."
Sona exhaled, but her mind was racing. So when he beat Kiba and Meguri, he was barely trying…
Shuo turned his full attention to Tsubaki. She met his gaze, her own eyes burning with resolve.
She lifted her chin, voice steady. "Nangong-kun, you really are as strong as Meguri said. But please—don't hold back against me."
Shuo grinned. "Looks like you've got the same fighting spirit as Meguri. Alright then—let's see what happens when I get serious."
He raised Zangetsu. Instantly, the air around him shifted—his aura sharpened, becoming almost tangible.
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed, a smile tugging at her lips as she felt the wild sword intent radiating from him. This was Shuo's true power. Even standing across from him, she could feel the threat pressing in on her life.
She gripped her katana with both hands, closed her eyes, and drew a slow, steady breath. Pale blue energy shimmered along the blade.
In one fluid motion, she opened her eyes and surged forward, her entire form a blur of speed.
Shuo's eyebrows rose. Compressing demonic power onto the blade, huh? That's a serious boost.
He met her charge head-on, forgoing any teleportation—this was a duel of pure swordsmanship.
When they were just a few steps apart, Shuo swung his blade. Concentrated demonic power, laced with crackling lightning, exploded outward in a crescent arc.
Tsubaki braced, katana held before her to absorb the blow, then pivoted, sidestepping the shockwave. Using the mist kicked up by the blast, she leapt into the air, vanishing from sight.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared behind Shuo, blade falling in a flash.
But Shuo's Rinnegan glimmered—he'd seen it coming. Without looking, he swept Zangetsu backward.
Steel clashed with steel. The collision of their blades, both charged with power, erupted into a localized storm. Wind howled through the barrier, sending the weaker girls stumbling back, the courtyard behind them turning to chaos.
Tsubaki stared at Shuo, breathless but grinning. "Amazing, Nangong-kun!"
Within the barrier, the two began a fierce, back-and-forth dance—blades flashing, power surging.
The other girls could only watch in awe. Even Momo, now awake, was struck dumb by the sight.
"Incredible… He's matching Vice President Tsubaki with just one hand!" Reya whispered, voice trembling.
Tsubaki hadn't even used her Sacred Gear yet, but Shuo looked as relaxed as ever. If this wasn't his full strength… just how strong was he?
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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