✫| Enhancement |✫
Reisou activated his Enhancement technique and advanced toward Ken, who did the same.
*Crash!
The sound of a heavy metal clash resonated through the arena, creating a slight shockwave.
Without hesitation, Reisou delivered a kick aimed at Ken's left leg. The red-haired boy sensed the attack and stepped back, narrowly avoiding the kick.
This made Ken scowl and charge forward, swinging his mace to strike Reisou.
Reisou deflected most of the blows, but a sudden, dangerous sensation from his side made him leap backward just in time to dodge an incoming attack.
A large water ball streaked past him, exploding nearby.
Turning to the culprit, he spotted Hachiman casting another spell to support Ken. Their goal was to take him down, as he was the most dangerous individual there, having single-handedly defeated the other teams.
Ken seized the opportunity and rushed forward again, using Nano to increase his speed.
A fierce exchange of blows between Reisou and Ken began, with both sides evenly matched.
"Ayanokōji-san, go help Sudō-san. I'll stay here providing support," Hachiman said wearily.
Kiyotaka, who was near his side, nodded and quickly rushed to assist his teammate.
Reisou frowned as he realized all three were targeting him, so he decided to use a skill to gain the upper hand.
But before using it, he waited for Kiyotaka to close the distance. Then, he stopped using Enhancement to conserve energy and activated his Intimidation skill to see how it would take effect against them.
✢| Intimidation |✢
Hachiman was the first to feel the effects of Intimidation, causing him to drop his staff.
A fireball suddenly flew in his direction, forcing him to stumble backward and fall to the ground in an attempt to dodge it.
Ken, who was about to deliver a heavy blow to Reisou with his mace, froze in his tracks as a sudden wave of fear washed over him, nearly causing him to drop his weapon.
Kiyotaka also felt the oppressive force directed at him but managed to resist it better than the other two.
'Innate Skill!' The three thought at the same time, assuming the sudden sensation was Reisou's Innate Skill.
"Good job, Airi! Now, Taiki, go take down the mage. I'll hold off those two!" Reisou shouted to the short boy from his team, who rushed forward to fight Hachiman.
"Hmpf, what a cheap trick. Ayanokōji, go help him. I don't need your help," Ken said arrogantly, already free from the effect of Intimidation.
Kiyotaka, who had freed himself five seconds earlier, nodded and stepped back, allowing Ken to fight against Reisou.
However, Reisou didn't allow Kiyotaka to retreat and swung his lance toward the expressionless boy. Sensing the danger, Kiyotaka swiftly dodged by stepping aside.
Reisou exchanged a few blows with Kiyotaka and Ken until his Enhancement technique's cooldown ended. He smirked and signaled to Airi, who swiftly began preparing a Fireball spell.
✫| Armament Haki |✫
✫| Enhancement |✫
Reisou coated his lance with Armament Haki and activated Enhancement again, gaining the upper hand in his 2v1 confrontation.
Once Airi finished casting the spell, she launched the fireball in the direction of Hachiman.
At the same time, Reisou gathered some distance from his opponents and threw his lance forward with force.
"I see," Kiyotaka said calmly, already guessing what would happen.
Hachiman, fighting against an already tired Taiki, noticed another fireball coming his way and dodged.
He then attempted to cast a Water Bomb spell, but before he could finish it, Reisou's lance flew at him like a bullet, slamming into his back and making him cry out in pain.
"AAARRGH!"
Taiki, already knowing what to do, used his dagger to stab Hachiman in the abdomen, causing the poor, lazy boy to collapse to the ground, unconscious.
Even with his mage defeated, Ken remained unfazed and tried to continue his assault, convinced that Reisou would struggle without his weapon.
However, just as Ken charged forward, Reisou decided it was time to use his trump card.
✢| Fury |✢
Combining Armament Haki, Enhancement, and Fury, Reisou unleashed a terrifying presence akin to Intimidation. Ken attempted to stop his attack mid-motion, but in the blink of an eye, Reisou appeared before him, landing a rapid series of punches and kicks.
Reisou struck Ken in the stomach, legs, face, and ribs with powerful blows, leaving the fiery-haired boy struggling to breathe.
Within ten seconds, Ken dropped unconscious to the ground, leaving Kiyotaka standing alone.
"I surrender," Kiyotaka said flatly, as continuing the fight seemed pointless to him.
The bystanders watching from the sidelines were stunned, especially the students from Class 2E. They knew how fierce Ken was and had assumed that Reisou, alone, wouldn't last more than two minutes.
Now, not only had Reisou lasted longer than that, but he also emerged victorious without sustaining any significant damage.
"Phew... Good job, you two," Reisou congratulated his teammates for taking care of Hachiman. The two introverts shyly nodded their heads, accepting the praise.
Taiki stole a few glances at him, gathered some courage, and retorted, "Y-you did almost everything on your own, Aragaki-san. W-we only helped a little."
"I know, but still, you two helped."
With a smile, Reisou picked up his lance from the ground and walked out of the fighting area. Airi and Taiki exchanged looks before following him.
As soon as Reisou rejoined his classmates, they erupted in excitement, praising him and bombarding him with questions about whether that was his Innate Skill. He only gave vague answers, looking slightly helpless under their relentless curiosity.
Perceiving his struggle, Miwa decided to lend a hand.
"Alright, everyone, let him rest for now. The last match will start in ten minutes," she said, helping Reisou escape from the questioning.
Finally free from his excited classmates, he sat on a nearby bench, taking a moment to catch his breath and conserve his energy for the upcoming match against the Princess Trio.
While thinking about what to do, Reisou noticed Airi sitting beside him, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.
He turned to face the girl, who quickly lowered her head, shyly avoiding his gaze.
"Is there something you want to say, Sakura-san?" he asked gently, finding her shy reaction a little cute.
The pink-haired girl flinched at his words. After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and finally managed to respond.
"I-I want to apologize f-for not h-helping. I know I'm w-weak."
She felt both sad and embarrassed as she recalled how she had missed two fireballs during the fight.
"Don't worry about it. The most important thing is that we took down the target. As long as we achieved our goal, it doesn't matter whether you hit or not," Reisou said, attempting to comfort the cute girl by his side.
When she heard what he said, her eyes met his, causing the pink-haired girl's face to flush bright red.
With this, their conversation took a new direction. This time, he gave her instructions on how to act during the upcoming fight. Now that she and Taiki had made their move, they would become targets.
Since their second match, Reisou had told them to hold back, as others would perceive them as harmless cowards.
However, during the fight against Team 5, they finally managed to execute a plan he had come up with just moments before—a strategy to distract and take down their support.
Although the strategy had somehow worked, the Princess Trio was different from Team 5, and they wouldn't be so easily deceived.
Taiki, who had been observing Airi and Reisou from afar, approached to see what he would do next.
Reisou explained what he wanted to do, and the boy's eyes widened at how absurd the new plan sounded.
Airi, already knowing what he was going to do, couldn't help but feel nervous. Reisou noticed the tension in their expression and reassured them that everything would be fine.
Both of them decided to trust him, as he was strong and confident enough to overwhelm the two introverts with his speech.
As the ten-minute break came to an end, Miwa announced the final fight of the day between Team 9 and Team 16, each representing a different class.
The students from both classes reacted differently, with Class 2C staying confident in their victory, while Class 2E cheered for Team 16, hoping they could at least take down one opponent.
Reisou, accompanied by his two teammates, stepped into the fighting area with his lance in hand. The Princess Trio did the same, and both teams stood face to face, ready for battle.
He noticed the cold, fierce gaze of Yukino directed at him, as if he owed her money. Eriri wore a smug smile, exuding confidence in her strength, while Kei offered a simple smile from behind the other two.
Just by observing their formation, Reisou realized they weren't underestimating him, causing the boy to smile in appreciation.
'Where's the cliché of them being arrogant enough to give me an easy win? Real life is really disappointing,' Reisou thought, spinning his lance and shifting into an attack stance.
*Sshhwee!
Once again, at the sound of a whistle, an intense fight began.