Karma!?

Ryoko glared at Rajin with unbridled bloodlust, her fingers itching to tear him to pieces. Rajin stood before her, unfazed, his lips curling into a smug grin.

Behind them, Seichii was on his knees, trembling, barely able to stay conscious. Masumi, tears streaming down her face, sprinted toward him in desperation.

Taguchi, observing her frantic rush, smirked darkly.

(Perfect. Just as Rajin planned.)

BOOM!!!

Suddenly, the ground in front of Masumi erupted, a massive explosion shattering the earth. Debris scattered through the air, obscuring everything in a cloud of dust.

"MASUMI-SAN!!!"

Ryoko screamed, abandoning her fight and darting toward the explosion.

But Rajin appeared in her path, still grinning wickedly. "Ryoko-san, where are you going? Please, don't ignore me like that."

Fury blazed in Ryoko's eyes, and the temperature around them began to plummet.

"Rajin!"

she roared, her voice trembling with rage. "Stop hiding behind your cheap tricks and face me like a real man!"

The air grew heavy as icy winds whipped around them, carrying the sharp bite of Ryoko's fury.

Slowly, deliberately, she advanced on Rajin, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. Frost spread across the battlefield as her power surged.

"CRYSTAL CUT!"

She raised her sword high, and with a powerful swing, unleashed a devastating ice slash. The temperature dropped even further, the blade cutting through the air with deadly speed.

CRACKLE!!!

The ground beneath the attack splintered, frozen solid in an instant as the ice slash surged toward Rajin, freezing everything in its path.

But just as it was about to cleave him in half, Rajin vanished, the slash hurtling past him and smashing into the protection array with a thunderous explosion.

Meanwhile, Taguchi stood over Seichii, chuckling as he watched the cloud of dust where Masumi had been standing. His laughter echoed ominously through the battlefield.

The dust slowly settled, revealing a new figure standing in front of Masumi — Ryuu.

His clothes were torn, and blood seeped from a wound in his torso, but he stood tall, protecting her. Masumi gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Aramiya-kun! Are you alright?!"

Ryuu looked at her, forcing a weak smile.

"I'm fine. I've got a blessed body, remember?"

He chuckled softly, though pain laced his voice.

Tch!

Taguchi clicked his tongue in irritation, glaring at Ryuu.

Masumi, her hands trembling, raised them toward Ryuu. A soft green glow appeared between her palms, forming a ring of light.

The ring encircled Ryuu, and immediately, the wound in his torso began to heal. He blinked in surprise, feeling his strength return.

"What's happening? What's this green ring? How did my wounds heal so fast?!"

Masumi wiped her tears, her voice shaking with guilt.

"I-it's my healing magic... I used a basic-level spell. It'll heal your external injuries and make you feel refreshed, but… I'm sorry, it can't fix internal damage."

Ryuu looked at her with gratitude, shaking his head.

"It's more than enough. Thank you, Masumi-san. Now, I've got some unfinished business to handle."

He turned, eyes locking onto Taguchi. Bloodlust flared in his gaze as he clenched his fists.

Taguchi, sensing the shift in Ryuu's demeanor, burst into mocking laughter.

"Ha! Are you trying to scare me with that pitiful bloodlust? What can an F-rank like you possibly do to an A-rank like m-?"

THWACK!!!

Before Taguchi could finish his taunt, Ryuu's fist connected with his face. The force sent Taguchi flying through the air, crashing into the water beyond the battlefield with a tremendous splash.

He lay in the water, stunned, blood streaming down his face. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened. His mind swirled with a single, disbelieving thought.

"H-how...?"

Ryuu shook his hand, wincing slightly. "Man, you're tough. My fist still hurts."

Back in the arena, a stunned silence fell over the crowd.

No one could believe what they had just witnessed. With a single punch, an F-rank had sent an A-rank flying off the battlefield. It was beyond anything they had seen before.

Even Shigeru, usually so composed, was staring in shock. In the forest, Tomoki moved swiftly to Taguchi, pulling his bloodied comrade from the water.

The referee's voice echoed through the battlefield. "Taguchi of the Fourth Division is unable to continue. The victory goes to Aramiya Ryuu of the Second Division!"

Rajin, who had been watching the fight in disbelief, suddenly felt a sharp, cold pain. He looked down in horror — an ice sword was buried deep in his gut. Ryoko stood behind him, her eyes cold as ice, a smirk playing on her lips.

"You dared to look away from me when I'm your opponent?"

Rajin coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. Ryoko twisted the blade with a cruel glint in her eye, sealing his fate.....