The entire academy trembled as Raizen activated his Spirit Ability — Material Control — pushing it far beyond its limits. A sinister aura swept through the grounds as every piece of metal responded to his command. Weapons shuddered, walls groaned, and metallic fragments floated into the air like a rising storm. The oppressive force made it difficult for even the most seasoned students nearby to breathe.
Kazuki's sharp eyes narrowed as he watched the unnatural sight before him. He could sense it — Raizen's Spiritual Force was burning at a reckless pace, his very life force tethered to the volatile power he had unleashed. At this rate, Kazuki estimated that Raizen wouldn't survive for more than five minutes.
"Fool," Kazuki muttered under his breath. "He's gambling his life on a move he can't control."
The metals twisted and writhed, forming jagged spears, massive hammers, and crude blades. Raizen's face was contorted with desperation and rage as he directed them towards Kazuki, his breath ragged and uneven.
"I won't lose to you…!" Raizen roared, his voice cracking under the strain.
But Kazuki moved before the first projectile could reach him. His body blurred, a faint shimmer of Spiritual Force briefly enhancing his already supersonic speed. One by one, he destroyed the manipulated weapons, his hands and feet moving faster than Raizen's eyes could follow. Every strike of Kazuki's fists shattered steel like brittle glass.
The gap between their abilities was evident.
Kazuki was calm, precise, and efficient. Raizen, on the other hand, was crumbling — both physically and mentally.
Realizing that he couldn't keep up, Raizen gritted his teeth and made a final, desperate move. With a deafening roar, he commanded every remaining metallic structure within the academy to collapse onto Kazuki. Walls buckled, rooftops twisted, and the ground itself quaked under the sheer weight of countless tons of debris.
It was a storm of steel and destruction, a final gambit born out of hopelessness.
"Die with me!" Raizen bellowed.
But Kazuki's expression didn't change. He lightly exhaled, and in an instant, released a glimpse of his Spiritual Force — a faint aura wrapping around his body. His physical stats surged, and with a swift leap, Kazuki launched himself into the collapsing mass.
What followed could hardly be called a battle.
With every step, Kazuki demolished the raining debris. His fists and kicks reduced massive iron beams to dust, shattered the walls, and disintegrated the structures as if they were made of paper. In less than a minute, the storm was gone. The school, or what remained of it, lay in ruins — flattened by both Raizen's reckless attack and Kazuki's unrelenting counter.
As the dust settled, Kazuki emerged, not a scratch on him. His hair swayed in the wind, eyes sharp and devoid of pity.
Raizen's body crumpled to the ground, completely drained. His skin had turned pale, his lips bloodied. Every breath felt like agony, and his Spiritual Force was almost entirely depleted.
He coughed violently, blood splattering onto the cracked earth. His vision blurred, and he could feel the final embers of his life slipping away.
"I… lost…" Raizen choked out, his voice weak, defeated.
Kazuki stepped closer, his shadow looming over the fallen warrior. He stared down coldly, offering neither mercy nor mockery. The outcome had been decided the moment Raizen lost control.
"Your arrogance killed you," Kazuki said flatly. "Ten minutes. That's how long you have left."
Raizen's eyes widened in shock, his trembling hand reaching toward the sky, grasping at nothing. His Spirit Ability had drained so much of his life force that even if he stopped now, it was too late.
"Heh… so… this is it…" Raizen murmured, a bitter smile forming on his face.
Kazuki turned away, his figure vanishing into the distance without another word. Behind him, Raizen lay on the battlefield, the shattered remains of the school around him, waiting for the inevitable.
The academy grounds fell silent once more — save for the soft, labored breathing of a man who had gambled everything and lost.