The arena had gone completely silent.
Not the kind of silence from boredom but the kind that came when everyone knew something decisive was about to happen. The air felt heavy, almost distorted, as Kimimaru and Tatsuo stood across from each other, both worn down, both breathing harder than before, yet neither willing to step back.
Their last clash still echoed faintly in the minds of everyone watching.
This wasn't just a match anymore.
It was a breaking point.
Tatsuo exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling as he steadied himself. The constant creation of weapons had drained more energy than he wanted to admit, but his eyes remained sharp, locked onto Kimimaru with unwavering focus. The scar across his face seemed more pronounced now, his expression no longer calm, but determined.
"…You're still standing," Tatsuo said.
Kimimaru adjusted his grip on his zweihander, his stance grounded despite the visible strain in his arms. "…So are you."
For a moment, they didn't move.
Then Tatsuo lifted his hand.
But this time-
Something changed.
The energy around him didn't just form a weapon.
It warped.
The space around his arm twisted slightly, like reality itself bending under pressure. The air distorted in a way that made it hard to track his exact position, like his presence existed slightly out of alignment.
The next level of Tatsuo's ability...goes beyond simple weapon creation. By pushing his Reikou energy further, he begins to manipulate space itself forming constructs that are not just physical, but spatial in nature.
A weapon formed.
But it wasn't normal.
It flickered.
Distorted.
Like it existed in multiple positions at once.
"…Spatial warping," Tatsuo said quietly. "My strongest."
From the stands, Kairo's eyes widened slightly. "…That doesn't look normal."
Tyouro leaned forward. "Yeah… that's dangerous."
Back in the arena, Kimimaru watched closely, his expression unchanged, but his focus sharpened. He could feel it the difference. This wasn't something he could block the same way as before.
Tatsuo stepped forward.
And vanished.
Not completely.
But enough.
In an instant, he appeared at Kimimaru's side, his warped weapon striking from an angle that didn't match his movement. It was unnatural like the attack came from a different position than where he stood.
Kimimaru reacted on instinct, raising his zweihander to block.
The impact hit-
But the angle was wrong.
The force slipped past partially, striking his side and sending him sliding across the ground.
"…Tch."
Kimimaru steadied himself, his footing digging into the cracked arena floor as he stopped.
Tatsuo didn't pause.
He moved again disappearing and reappearing in distorted intervals, his attacks coming from unpredictable angles, the warped space making it nearly impossible to track his exact position.
Each strike came faster.
Harder.
More dangerous.
Kimimaru blocked what he could, but even his precision struggled against something that didn't follow normal movement.
"…You can't read it," Tatsuo said, his voice echoing slightly as he moved again. "Because it's not just speed anymore."
Another strike.
Kimimaru blocked but the force pushed him back again.
"…It's space."
From the stands, even Kimimaru's teammates felt it.
"He's getting overwhelmed…" Kairo muttered.
Tyouro clenched his fist slightly. "Come on, Maru…"
Kimimaru stepped back again, his breathing heavier now, his body clearly taking damage. But his eyes didn't lose focus.
Instead-
They sharpened.
"…Then I won't read it," he said quietly.
Tatsuo paused for a fraction of a second.
"…What?"
Kimimaru lifted his sword slightly.
"…I'll trap it."
The energy around him shifted.
Not explosive.
Not visible at first.
But something deeper.
Something quiet-
Yet dangerous.
Astral Trapping is not a direct offensive ability. It operates beyond physical interaction, affecting presence, movement, and the connection between body and space itself. When activated, it begins to restrict and anchor its target slowing them not through force, but through control of their existence.
Kimimaru stepped forward.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Tatsuo frowned slightly.
"…What are you doing?"
Kimimaru didn't answer.
He just moved.
The moment Tatsuo attacked again-
Something changed.
His movement-
Slowed.
Not drastically.
But enough.
"…What...?"
Tatsuo's eyes widened slightly as he felt it. His body didn't respond as freely as before. The warped movement still existed but the transition between positions felt heavier, like something was holding him in place.
Kimimaru saw it.
And stepped in.
His zweihander swung.
Tatsuo blocked but the delay in his movement made the impact heavier than before, forcing him back.
"…You're restricting me…"
Kimimaru nodded once.
"…You're relying on space."
He stepped forward again.
"…So I take it away."
Tatsuo gritted his teeth, forcing more energy into his ability. The space around him warped further, more violently this time, his weapon distorting into something sharper, more unstable.
"…Then I'll break through it!"
He rushed forward again, his speed pushing against the restriction, forcing his body to move despite the weight pressing down on him.
The clash exploded again.
This time-
Both of them went all in.
Tatsuo's warped weapon struck from multiple angles, the distortion increasing as he forced his ability beyond its limits. The space around them bent, the arena cracking further as the pressure intensified.
Kimimaru held his ground.
Each movement controlled.
Each step deliberate.
The astral restriction grew stronger the closer they got, limiting Tatsuo's freedom more and more.
Their weapons collided again-
Harder than before.
Tatsuo pushed forward with everything he had left, his voice breaking slightly as he forced his final attack.
"…I'm not losing!"
Kimimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Neither am I."
He stepped in-
Closer than before.
Too close for Tatsuo to fully utilize the warped space.
The astral trapping intensified.
Tatsuo's movement slowed-
Just enough.
Kimimaru's zweihander swung.
Clean.
Heavy.
Decisive.
The impact landed.
Tatsuo's body froze for a moment-
Then was sent crashing to the ground.
The arena fell silent again.
Dust settled slowly.
Tatsuo tried to move-
But couldn't.
His body refused to respond.
The energy faded.
"…I…"
He exhaled weakly.
"…lost…"
The announcer's voice rang out clearly.
"Winner… Kimimaru!"
The crowd erupted again.
From the stands, Tyouro jumped up. "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
Kairo grinned widely. "LET'S GO!"
Before they could continue-
BAM.
Kimimaru, still in the arena, glanced up slightly as if he already knew what was happening.
Shougo stood behind Kairo and Tyouro again, holding both of their collars.
"…Sit down," he sighed.
"…Worth it," Tyouro said again.
Kairo laughed. "He cooked him."
Back in the arena, Kimimaru lowered his sword slowly, his breathing steadying as the fight finally ended.
No celebration.
No expression.
Just quiet acknowledgment.
Because deep down-
He knew.
This was only the beginning.