Morning came with a different kind of tension. The air around Reikosha Academy felt heavier than usual, like even the wind knew something big was about to happen. Students flooded the central grounds where a massive leaderboard towered over them, its surface glowing faintly as names began to shift and rearrange. Conversations overlapped, excitement mixing with nerves as everyone tried to guess who would be matched against who.
Kairo stood with his team near the front, arms crossed, eyes locked on the board. Tyouro had already grabbed another onigiri, chewing like this was just another normal day, while Kimimaru remained silent as always, his gaze calm but focused. Yura stood slightly ahead of them, her posture straight, her expression cold and unreadable as she observed the rankings.
The leaderboard flickered, then settled.
Names appeared.
Tyouro vs Dracula
Kairo vs Reji
Yura vs Seiyan
Kimimaru vs Tatsuo
A loud murmur spread instantly across the crowd. Some students looked excited, others pale. These weren't random matches. These were fights meant to test limits.
A voice echoed across the entire academy, clear and commanding.
"All students participating in Warrior PvP, proceed to the training rooms immediately. Matches will begin shortly."
The crowd began to move, a wave of bodies heading toward the massive training complex. The energy in the air shifted from excitement to something sharper, something real.
Inside, the training rooms were far larger than they appeared from outside. Each arena was reinforced with dense material, built to handle high-level energy output, though cracks and scars from previous battles were already visible across the floors and walls. Elevated platforms surrounded the arenas where students and teachers gathered to watch.
Tyouro stepped into his designated arena first, stretching his shoulders as if he was about to casually spar instead of fight a ranked opponent. Across from him, a figure stood quietly.
Dracula Tehanor.
His presence felt different. Electricity faintly crackled around his body, small sparks forming and disappearing like restless energy searching for an outlet. His eyes were sharp, almost bored, as if he had already decided how this fight would end.
"So you're Tyouro," Dracula said, his voice calm but carrying a hint of amusement. "You don't look like much."
Tyouro grinned, brushing crumbs off his hands. "Yeah? You talk too much for someone who hasn't done anything yet."
A small ripple of laughter came from the audience, but it quickly died down as the atmosphere tightened.
Above them, the announcer's voice rang out.
"Match One, Begin."
Dracula moved first.
There was no warning. No buildup. His body vanished in a burst of speed, electricity snapping violently as he reappeared directly in front of Tyouro. A blade formed instantly from pure lightning in his hand, its shape unstable yet deadly, and he swung without hesitation.
Tyouro barely reacted in time. He twisted his body, the blade grazing past his side, the heat and energy from it enough to sting even without direct contact. He jumped back, landing with a light step, his expression shifting from playful to focused.
"Fast," Tyouro muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Not bad."
Dracula didn't respond. Instead, more electricity surged around him, forming multiple weapons at once spears, blades, even a whip-like extension that snapped against the ground with a loud crack, leaving a scorched mark.
He raised his hand slightly.
Every weapon launched.
The arena exploded into motion.
Tyouro dashed forward instead of retreating, weaving through the incoming attacks with sharp, instinctive movements. One spear passed inches from his face, another shattered against the ground behind him. He ducked under a sweeping arc of electricity and closed the distance, his fist pulling back.
Heat began to gather.
Not visible flames yet, but something deeper. Something building.
He threw the punch.
Dracula blocked it with an electric blade, but the impact still pushed him back slightly. The ground beneath his feet cracked, a small sign that Tyouro wasn't just relying on raw movement anymore.
"You hit harder than you look," Dracula said, tilting his head slightly.
Tyouro smirked. "I get that a lot."
Electricity surged again, stronger this time. Dracula's body blurred as he moved at an even higher speed, appearing behind Tyouro in an instant. A sharp kick aimed directly at his back.
Tyouro felt it.
He turned just enough to take the impact on his side instead of directly on his spine, but the force still sent him sliding across the arena floor. He skidded to a stop, one hand dragging against the ground to stabilize himself.
The audience reacted louder now. This wasn't a one-sided fight.
Tyouro stood up slowly, rolling his shoulder as if testing the damage. His breathing remained steady, but his eyes had changed. There was no more joking in them now.
Only focus.
"Alright," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. "Let's stop playing."
A faint glow began to form around his arm. Not like normal Reikou energy. This felt more unstable, more aggressive, like it didn't want to stay contained.
Dracula noticed it immediately.
"So that's your energy," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Interesting."
Tyouro stepped forward.
This time, he moved first.
His speed increased sharply, closing the distance faster than before. Dracula reacted quickly, forming another electric weapon, but Tyouro didn't slow down. He drove straight through the attack, the energy around his arm colliding with the electricity and dispersing part of it.
Their attacks clashed again.
And again.
The arena floor began to crack more visibly now, small fragments breaking under the repeated impacts. Sparks and bursts of energy lit up the space as both fighters pushed harder, neither willing to give ground.
From above, Kairo leaned forward slightly, watching carefully. "He's getting faster," he muttered.
Yura nodded once, her eyes locked on the fight. "He's adapting."
Kimimaru didn't speak, but his gaze sharpened slightly. He could see it too.
Tyouro's movements were changing. Becoming more controlled, more deliberate. The energy around him wasn't just building randomly anymore. It was starting to take shape.
Back in the arena, Dracula created a massive surge of electricity, the energy expanding outward in a wide arc meant to overwhelm everything in front of him.
Tyouro didn't dodge.
Instead, he stepped into it.
For a split second, the entire arena lit up with blinding light.
Then
A burst.
A violent, explosive force erupted from Tyouro's position, colliding directly with the electric surge and tearing through it. The impact shook the arena, sending a shockwave outward that forced some students in the stands to step back.
Silence followed.
For just a moment.
As the dust settled, both fighters stood across from each other again.
Dracula's expression had changed slightly. The calm confidence was still there, but now there was something else beneath it.
Interest.
Tyouro exhaled slowly, a small grin returning to his face.
"Now we're getting somewhere," he said.
The fight wasn't over.
Not even close.
And everyone watching knew it was only going to get worse from here.