The training hall had never felt so small.
Its vast, reinforced arena—designed to withstand intermediate Dragon Arts—now felt like a sealed pressure chamber as Ryūsei and Catherine stood at opposite ends. The residual heat of Kasai's earlier flames still lingered faintly in the air, mingling with the cold, luminous hum of magical wards embedded into the walls. Even the spectators' stands, usually noisy and careless, had fallen into an uncharacteristic silence.
Ryūshi stepped forward to the center of the arena, his presence alone subtly bending the atmosphere. The air around him felt oddly "still," as though reality itself hesitated to move too quickly in his vicinity.
He raised a hand calmly.
"The match between Catherine and Ryūsei begins now," Ryūshi announced, his voice carrying effortlessly across the hall without force or strain. "This is a sparring match. The objective is simple—demonstrate control, awareness, and adaptability. I will stop it if necessary."
His gaze briefly shifted between the two combatants.
"Ready yourselves. Begin when I signal."
Ryūsei rolled his shoulders once, exhaling slowly. His stance lowered instinctively, feet adjusting with the familiarity of countless battles. Even without activating a spell, his body already carried the pressure of a seasoned warrior.
Across from him, Catherine mirrored the posture, though her movements were more restrained, as if she were carefully measuring the weight of what she was about to do. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed a deeper focus—like still water hiding something vast beneath.
In the spectator stands, voices began to rise again.
"This will be exciting!" Kasai leaned forward, grinning ear to ear. "I haven't seen Ryūsei fight seriously in a long time."
Sora sat beside him, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her gaze was fixed on Catherine rather than Ryūsei.
"I'm more curious about what she can do," Sora admitted quietly. "Ryūsei is already known… but Catherine is a mystery."
Kayosha nodded slightly, arms crossed. "That girl's aura feels… strange. It's not just power. It's refined. Controlled."
Shadow leaned back with narrowed eyes, studying both fighters like a strategist. "Or dangerous when released improperly."
Shizen sighed. "Why do I feel like I'm the only one thinking about property damage…"
Before the tension could settle further, Ryūshi lowered his hand.
"Begin."
The word dropped like a stone into still water.
And the world immediately shattered into motion.
Ryūsei moved first.
There was no hesitation—only instinct refined into certainty. His hand flicked upward and light condensed instantly, forming a blade of compressed energy.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Blade!"
A radiant sword erupted into existence in his grasp, its edge shimmering like fragmented starlight. Without pausing, he dashed forward, the ground beneath him cracking slightly from the sudden burst of acceleration.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.
Catherine did not retreat.
Instead, she stepped forward.
Her voice remained calm, almost gentle.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Sonata."
A blackened aura unfurled around her arm, not like fire or wind or water—but like shadow absorbing light itself. It clung to her limb in elegant, flowing patterns, almost musical in rhythm, as if responding to an unseen melody only she could hear.
Ryūsei's blade descended.
Catherine's fist met the ground.
There was no direct clash.
Instead, the moment her fist struck, the entire arena shuddered.
A shockwave erupted outward—not from impact alone, but from conceptual force layered into the spell. The ground rippled as if struck by invisible tides, and Ryūsei was violently thrown backward, skidding across the arena floor before stabilizing himself mid-motion.
A stunned silence followed.
Kasai's jaw dropped. "She didn't even block him… she just—what—hit the ground?"
Sora's eyes widened. "That wasn't a defensive spell… it was an area response amplification."
Kayosha exhaled sharply. "Her control over indirect force is insane."
Ryūsei, now standing again, gave a short breath of amusement.
"You've gotten stronger than I expected," he said with genuine approval. "For someone your age, that level of output is impressive."
Catherine brushed her fingers lightly, as if feeling the lingering resonance of her own attack.
"Thank you," she replied simply.
Then Ryūsei's expression sharpened again.
"Meteor Dragon Impact."
The air above the arena fractured as multiple points of light condensed overhead. One after another, meteor-like energy constructs formed and began to rain downward in controlled trajectories—each one aimed not at random destruction, but precise pressure zones around Catherine.
Catherine did not look up.
Instead, she shifted her stance slightly.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Synergy: Fox."
The black aura around her expanded instantly, flowing outward like ink spilled into water. It shaped itself—not into armor, not into barriers—but into a living silhouette.
A spectral fox of shadow and moonlight emerged behind her.
Its multiple tails swayed with unnatural grace.
As the meteor constructs descended, the fox's tails moved independently, intercepting and redirecting several impacts mid-air. Each collision distorted space briefly, dispersing the incoming energy rather than absorbing it outright.
The spectators collectively froze.
Kasai leaned forward even further. "That… that's not just defense. That's analysis-based interception."
Shadow muttered, "It's like she's reading trajectories before they happen…"
Ryūsei exhaled slowly, almost laughing under his breath.
"You're adapting faster than I thought."
Catherine smiled faintly. "I've had practice… listening to movement."
Without warning, Ryūsei surged again.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Fist!"
His right hand ignited with condensed energy, the glow intensifying until it distorted the air around it. He closed the distance again, faster than before, his movement nearly blurring.
Catherine mirrored him instantly.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Sonata."
Their attacks met in the center.
Light and shadow collided.
The impact did not produce sound at first—only a sudden vacuum of silence, as if the world forgot how to breathe. Then, an explosive force detonated outward, blowing back everyone in the spectator stands simultaneously.
Shizen raised an arm defensively. "Tch—are they trying to demolish the school?!"
Yuki narrowed her eyes. "No… they're controlling it. Barely."
When the dust settled, both fighters were still standing.
Barely.
Ryūsei exhaled, shoulders rising and falling slightly. "That was a good exchange."
Catherine nodded. "You're stronger than Dad described."
"That's because your father only saw me when I was tired," Ryūsei replied lightly.
A brief pause followed—then both of them moved again.
Ryūsei suddenly drew a blade of light once more.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Blade."
But this time, something shifted.
He threw it.
The blade spun through the air like a meteor, aimed directly at Catherine.
Gasps echoed through the stands.
"Is he insane?!" Shizen blurted.
Yuki's eyes sharpened. "Ryūsei!! That's dangerous in a spar!"
Kayosha stepped forward. "Ryūsei, it's a sparring match, not—"
But before anyone could finish—
Catherine reacted.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Synergy: Fox."
The spectral fox reappeared instantly, its tail sweeping upward.
The blade was caught mid-flight.
Silence returned.
The weapon hovered, suspended in the fox's grasp.
Kasai stared. "He just… threw his weapon…"
Sora whispered, "That's not reckless… that's calculated."
Catherine, however, narrowed her eyes slightly.
Something was off.
And then—
"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch."
Ryūsei's voice came from behind her.
Catherine's eyes widened.
In an instant, space folded.
Ryūsei swapped positions with the blade itself, appearing directly in front of her as the weapon remained where he had been moments ago.
Too fast.
Too precise.
Too late to react conventionally.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Fist!"
The strike landed cleanly.
A controlled explosion of energy burst outward—not lethal, but overwhelming. Catherine was sent skidding back, but she twisted mid-air, stabilizing herself before hitting the ground completely.
When she landed, she exhaled slowly, one hand pressed briefly to her shoulder.
Then she looked up.
And smiled.
"…You really are fast."
Ryūsei relaxed slightly, lowering his stance. "And you're not bad at all."
A brief silence settled between them.
Not hostility.
Not exhaustion.
Respect.
Catherine straightened fully, her aura calming.
"I think I understand now," she said softly. "Grandpa really is strong."
Ryūsei chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head.
"Still got a long way to go before you surpass me."
Catherine tilted her head slightly, smiling again—this time more naturally.
"Then I guess… I'll keep trying."
The air inside the training arena had already long since stopped feeling like "training ground" and had instead become something closer to a battlefield preserved inside a fragile shell.
Even after the earlier exchanges, the pressure between Ryūsei and Catherine had not diminished. If anything, it had become sharper—more refined, as though both fighters had quietly agreed that restraint would no longer define this spar.
Ryūsei lifted his hand first, his expression calm but focused, eyes narrowing slightly as he locked onto Catherine's position.
The space around his fingertips shimmered.
"Meteor Dragon Impact!!!"
A sudden barrage of compressed energy erupted from his hand like fragmented meteors breaking free from orbit. Dozens of glowing projectiles tore through the air in a controlled spread, each one aimed with precision rather than chaos. The sheer density of the attack made the air itself vibrate.
Catherine did not retreat.
Her eyes tracked every incoming trajectory in silence.
Then she exhaled.
"Eclipse Dragon—Melodious Impact!!!!"
Black and violet light burst from her palms in response, forming a counter-barrage that carried an entirely different rhythm. Unlike Ryūsei's linear strikes, her attack curved and twisted mid-flight, like musical notes refusing to follow a straight staff.
The two spell barrages collided in mid-air.
For a moment, neither side yielded.
The impact created a suspended zone of light and shadow, flickering violently as both forces attempted to overwrite the other. The collision did not explode immediately—it strained, as though reality itself was being asked to decide which concept was superior.
The spectators collectively held their breath.
Kasai's eyes widened. "They're equal…?"
Sora leaned forward slightly. "No… they're adapting to each other in real time."
Kayosha frowned. "That kind of output control… it's insane."
Then the balance shattered.
Both attacks dispersed simultaneously in a violent burst of residual energy, scattering sparks of light across the arena like dying stars.
And in that exact moment—
Ryūsei moved.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch!!!"
Space folded.
His presence vanished from his original position and reappeared directly in front of Catherine in an instant, as if the concept of distance had been briefly ignored.
Catherine's eyes widened slightly.
"He's fast—"
The thought formed, but there was no time to finish it.
Ryūsei's aura flared.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Assault!!!"
A white, luminous energy surged around his body, reinforcing his physical movement and compressing his strength into a single refined layer. It was not just speed—it was enhancement of every motion by intent itself.
He stepped in and struck.
A sharp kick landed against Catherine's guard.
The impact sent her skidding backward across the arena floor, friction carving faint lines into the stone. She stabilized herself before falling completely, but the force still rippled through her arms.
Ryūsei did not give her space.
*He marked me… during the first exchange.* *That's why he can appear instantly like that.* *Even in Fox state… I can't fully keep up with Grandpa.*
Catherine exhaled sharply.
Then her expression sharpened.
She pushed herself up.
No hesitation.
No retreat.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Blade!!!"
Black light condensed into a sword in her hand, its edge shimmering with unstable lunar energy. It was not metal—it was will given shape, a construct formed from controlled darkness and resonance.
She dashed forward.
Ryūsei responded instantly.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Blade."
A blade of radiant energy formed in his hand, identical in purpose but entirely different in nature. Where Catherine's sword absorbed light, his reflected it with explosive intensity.
They met in the center.
Steel-like energy clashed against shadow-forged light.
The sound was not metallic—it was closer to a distorted harmonic resonance, like two incompatible frequencies trying to overwrite each other.
Strike.
Deflect.
Counter.
Redirect.
Each movement escalated faster than the last.
Their footwork blurred into motion patterns too refined for casual observation.
Above them, Ryūshi's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I'm impressed," he stated calmly. "Their swordsmanship is approaching synchronization with instinct rather than technique."
Jikan nodded once. "Indeed."
Kasai blinked. "What does that even mean…?"
Before anyone could answer, Ryūsei abruptly pivoted and delivered a sharp kick to Catherine's side, breaking her rhythm.
She was forced back.
But only for a moment.
Ryūsei raised his hand again.
"Meteor Dragon Impact!!!"
Another barrage erupted.
Catherine responded instantly.
"Eclipse Dragon—Melodious Impact!!!"
Again, the attacks collided in mid-air, canceling each other out in a violent equilibrium.
The arena trembled.
Dust lifted from the ground in spiraling currents.
And then—
"Meteor Dragon Switch!!!"
Ryūsei vanished again.
Catherine's eyes widened.
Too predictable now.
He appeared directly in front of her once more.
But this time—
She smiled.
"Not this time, Grandpa."
"Meteor Dragon Photon Fist!!!"
Ryūsei's fist ignited with condensed energy.
Catherine raised her own hand.
"Eclipse Dragon—Moonlight Sonata!!!"
Black aura wrapped around her arm like a flowing veil.
The two fists collided.
And the world exploded outward.
A shockwave detonated from the point of impact, ripping across the entire training field. The ground beneath them fractured outward in a circular pattern, stone cracking and lifting from raw pressure alone.
The spectators were forced to brace themselves.
Kasai staggered back. "Tch—these two are monsters!!!"
Shadow shielded his face. "That collision felt like my bones were vibrating…"
When the dust cleared, both fighters were pushed back.
Ryūsei hovered briefly in the air before landing in a controlled stance.
Catherine was thrown to the ground, rolling once before stabilizing on one knee.
Silence followed.
Ryūsei exhaled slowly.
"That was good," he said honestly.
Catherine smiled faintly despite her breathing.
"Thanks… Grandpa."
But the exchange was not over.
Ryūsei lifted his hand again.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch."
Space distorted.
He appeared above her.
Instant pressure descended.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Ray!!!"
A concentrated beam of light erupted downward, tearing through the air with overwhelming force. It was not a wide attack—it was focused annihilation.
Catherine's eyes widened.
Her body tried to move—
But it didn't respond.
"…If only I could mo—"
The beam struck.
A massive explosion of light erupted, swallowing Catherine's position entirely. The shockwave expanded outward violently, forcing everyone in the arena to shield their eyes.
The entire training field was drowned in brilliance.
"CATHERINE!!!" Yuki screamed.
Shizen stepped forward. "Ryūsei!!! You overdid it!!!"
Kasai clenched his fists. "Are you serious?! That was too much even for a spar!!!"
Sora's eyes widened in disbelief. "No one could survive that…"
But Ryūsei did not respond immediately.
He remained still.
Then he spoke.
"…She's alive."
Silence.
Ryūsei narrowed his eyes.
"Just before the impact, she shifted her entire energy flow into a single point."
The light faded.
At the center of the crater—Catherine remained.
Barely.
Smoke rose from the ground around her, but her body was intact, though visibly strained.
"…She redirected it," Ryūsei continued calmly. "To her tail."
Everyone blinked.
"…Tail?" Kasai repeated.
Catherine coughed lightly, then forced herself upward with a pained expression.
Her voice was weak, but steady.
"Eclipse Dragon… Moonlight Restoration…"
A soft black aura enveloped her body.
Slowly, her injuries began to heal.
Burn marks faded.
Muscle strain eased.
Breathing stabilized.
Ryūsei exhaled in relief. "That's impressive."
Catherine smiled weakly. "It's… something I learned from Grandma's spell records."
Ryūsei nodded slowly. "I see…"
A brief pause settled.
Then Yuki rushed forward and hugged Catherine tightly.
"You idiot child!!! You scared me half to death!!!"
"G-Grandma Yuki… I'm sorry…" Catherine muttered, though she gently returned the hug.
Yuki tightened her grip. "Don't do that again…"
Ryūsei scratched his head awkwardly. "Okay, okay… maybe I went a little far."
"You think?!" Shizen and Shadow shouted in unison.
Kasai pointed at the crater. "YOU BLEW UP THE ENTIRE FIELD!!!"
Ryūsei sighed. "It'll be fine."
Kayosha crossed her arms. "That's not an excuse."
Sora nodded firmly. "Not at all."
Ryūshi stepped forward casually and raised a hand.
Without chanting.
Without effort.
The shattered arena restored itself instantly, the fractured stone reassembling as though time had been reversed locally.
Everyone stared.
"…Thanks, Ryūshi!" Ryūsei suddenly brightened.
Ryūshi ignored him.
The tension slowly dissolved.
Catherine tried to stand again but stumbled immediately.
Yuki caught her. "You are not walking anywhere."
"I can walk—" Catherine tried.
"No."
Silence.
Then Shizen cleared his throat.
"Well… since nobody died… I guess we're done here."
Kasai stretched his arms. "So… food?"
Shadow nodded immediately. "Food."
Sora sighed softly. "Food sounds good…"
Ryūsei exhaled, looking at Catherine for a moment longer.
Then he smiled.
"Yeah… let's eat."