Earlier, after the situation had calmed, it was Ophis herself who approached Rian.
Ophis's purpose in seeking him was simple: to spend some time together, as usual.
Since Rian and Vali hadn't started their fight yet, Kuroka's gaze shifted repeatedly between Ophis and Koneko. Her eyes clearly conveyed frustration.
"Nyaa~ this is strange… really strange!" she muttered, her tail swaying anxiously. "That human… I already knew he had some connection with Ophis-sama. Even his aura… nyaa~."
Kuroka narrowed her eyes, recalling how close Rian seemed with Ophis.
"But this close… he even called her 'Ophis-chan'? Nyaa~! That's impossible! This… this makes me not know what to do!"
There was reason behind Kuroka's reaction. From the start, she had wanted to recruit Koneko into the Khaos Brigade so she could protect her.
But upon hearing from Vali that Rian was extremely close to Ophis—which likely meant he had ties to the Khaos Brigade—all her plans fell apart.
It wasn't good for her, nor bad. That was what made Kuroka's mood even more restless as she thought about it.
At least, that was Kuroka's own conclusion from her perspective.
And that was enough to make her feel like a cat lost on a rainy night: confused, anxious, and a little angry.
Kuroka's gaze eventually fixed on Koneko.
"Nee, Shirone… if you come with me, I'll teach you Senjutsu," she said softly, though her eyes remained serious.
Then Kuroka added, "You should already know… Senjutsu is dangerous. The natural energy we use can corrode both the body and mind if it's uncontrolled."
Koneko remained silent.
Instead of replying, Koneko pretended not to hear, even covering her ears with both hands.
Kuroka paused for a moment, her lips twitching slightly. Her face began to tense, and her ears twitched uneasily. Eventually, frustration completely took hold of her.
"Nyaa~! You stubborn little sister!" she shouted, her voice rising.
Finally, Koneko glanced briefly at Kuroka before turning her attention back to Rian, who was still standing silently.
In her characteristically flat tone, Koneko commented, "Kuroka Nee-sama is noisy."
Hearing that, Kuroka could only stare at Koneko in disbelief. Her two tails flicked rapidly, holding back her irritation.
On the other hand, although Koneko had initially been cautious and defensive—which was natural, considering she hadn't seen Kuroka in a long time—she was now much calmer and steadier.
Koneko was no longer afraid of Kuroka, not even of her own Nekomata side.
Because what Koneko had truly feared all this time wasn't Kuroka, but losing control and going berserk like her sister had in the past.
Now, Koneko had completely freed herself from the shadow of that trauma.
Unbeknownst to Kuroka, this major change was all thanks to Rian. Koneko always remembered Rian's message—that he wanted to see her remain strong, both mentally and physically.
And Koneko held that message close as a guiding principle in her life, determined to prove it to Rian.
"Balance Breaker!"
Vali's voice thundered, shattering the silence of the night that blanketed the battlefield.
"Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker: Divine Dividing Scale Mail."
Another voice echoed in response, calm yet resolute, as if affirming the power that was about to manifest.
From atop a sturdy stone pillar, Vali stood tall, his eyes blazing with fiery determination.
In the next moment, a silver-blue-white aura radiated from his entire body.
The energy seemed divine, swirling wildly, creating a sparkling vortex that danced through the night air, illuminating the battlefield with unparalleled grandeur.
The Balance Breaker aura spread without resistance, enveloping Vali's body in a layer of power far beyond that of an ordinary human.
One by one, layers of white dragon armor materialized, starting from his feet, crawling up his arms, wrapping his torso, and finally capping his head with a magnificent helmet adorned with glowing blue gems.
The Divine Dividing Scale Mail—a sacred white dragon armor that both protected and enhanced its wearer—formed perfectly, a symbol of resurgence and dominance.
At that moment, Vali transformed into an unstoppable entity, fusing the power of dragon and devil alike, ready to vanquish anyone who stood in his way.
Seeing this, Rian smiled faintly, full of confidence. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, perfectly balancing his weight in the center.
Both of his hands clenched into fists, pulled to his waist in line with his body, then extended outward once more.
His right hand stretched straight, elbow slightly bent, fingers splayed lightly, as if inviting the battle that was about to erupt.
Rian's left elbow bent as well, his palm slightly open, almost touching the joint of his elbow, maintaining both balance and readiness.
He assumed a central stance, a deliberate opening step; an unspoken signal that a fierce battle was about to commence.
Moments later, Rian fully entered the stance. Bright blue Mana energy flowed with perfect precision through both his hands, glowing like fire that did not burn.
In the spectators' area, Koneko furrowed her brow. Her sharp eyes noticed the stance—this was no ordinary posture; it was a clear sign that Rian was taking things seriously.
The next instant, without any warning, Vali dashed forward like a white lightning bolt. The stone pillar beneath him shattered halfway.
With extraordinary speed, Vali struck Rian with a punch from his right hand.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion rocked the battlefield, dust scattering in every direction. Kuroka and Koneko watched tensely, while Ophis remained calm, casually producing choco chips from somewhere without anyone noticing.
As the dust settled, it was clear that Rian was holding back Vali's punch with his left hand.
"Heh, you're strong. Hopefully, you won't bore me to sleep, Rian Andromeda," Vali said, his tone slightly provocative.
Rian replied with a sly smile. "Then dance louder, Vali Lucifer."
Instantly, Rian launched a powerful punch at Vali's body. The blow, reinforced with maximum Mana and focused with Blue, carried immense force.
A thunderous impact echoed. Although Vali's Balance Breaker Scale Mail armor didn't crack in the slightest, his body was still pushed backward by the sheer force of the strike.
Rian's sly smile sharpened. In a single surge, he moved at incredible speed toward the recoiling Vali, leaving a bright blue streak in the air.
At that moment, the stone pillar that Rian had been standing on shattered under the pressure of his step.
As he reached Vali, Rian's fist shot toward his opponent's body. But Vali dodged swiftly, leaping backward and then kicking at Rian toward the ground.
Yet Infinity protected Rian's body, preventing him from budging an inch. Vali was stunned, but Rian didn't give him a moment to react.
Rian grabbed Vali's leg and said, "Se… No!"
With immense strength, Rian threw Vali to the ground. Vali hovered briefly before crashing down, landing steadily.
Meanwhile, Rian reappeared in front of Vali with a smile on his face. Vali looked shocked. This wasn't merely speed—it was something else.
"What!? This isn't normal movement speed," Vali muttered seriously from behind his helm.
Rian pulled his right palm back, ready to strike, casually saying, "Of course it's not ordinary speed—this is teleportation."
As fast as lightning, Rian slammed his palm toward Vali. Yet Vali reacted swiftly, blocking it and immediately countering.
Rian dodged instantly, then struck with his elbow toward Vali's chest.
Vali activated a protective spell forming around his body, deflecting the blow.
Without giving him a chance, Rian pointed to the right and said, "Blue."
Immediately, a convergence point appeared, generating a pull-and-push wave that slammed into Vali, sending him flying and toppling trees along his path.
"Heh, this is interesting, Rian Andromeda!" Vali shouted, regaining his balance after being thrown.
Vali's body slowly rose, hovering several meters in the air.
In his palms, two spheres of white light began spinning, condensing like mini star cores. Without hesitation, he hurled them straight at Rian.
However, Rian stood calmly. The spheres of energy stopped before reaching him, locked at the infinite boundary of Infinity. Even the air between them seemed frozen.
Rian raised his right hand, palm facing Vali. A faint blue glow pulsed from his fingertips, and a convergence point formed exactly where Vali was standing.
"Blue."
The surroundings shook: nearby trees were pulled and hurled toward Vali, striking with tremendous force.
Vali merely snorted, his body barely moving. He bent his knees briefly, then stretched his body wide.
A white magical explosion erupted outward, obliterating the area within a radius of dozens of meters.