Now that Renzo is defeated, the battlefield falls into a strange and uneasy silence. Dust lingers in the air, and the ground is cracked from the intensity of the previous fight. But there is no time to rest. The second battle is about to begin.
This time, it is Leo, Kairo, Renji, and Haku standing together against Kazuma.
Kazuma is known across the world as the third strongest man alive. His name alone is enough to make warriors hesitate. He is incredibly fast—so fast that most opponents cannot even see him move. But speed is only one of his advantages. He possesses two terrifying powers and has mastered both completely. His abilities are Earth magic and blood manipulation.
With Earth magic, he can raise walls, form shields, and manipulate the battlefield itself. With blood manipulation, he turns his own blood into weapons—sharp blades, piercing swords, and devastating blasts. His blood can slice through steel, explode on impact, and form countless deadly weapons at once. It is said that with his blood manipulation alone, he could defeat an army of 10,000 men without breaking a sweat. That is how powerful he is.
Leo steps forward, his eyes focused and serious. "I have a plan," he says firmly to his team. "We'll combine our powers and attack Kazuma together. If we strike at the same time, we can overwhelm him and kill him."
But Leo already knows there is a problem.
"Kazuma has a huge advantage," he continues. "He can defend against attacks using Earth magic and attack using blood manipulation. That makes him both offense and defense at the same time."
The others exchange looks. They know Leo is right. The situation is dangerous.
There is another problem too. Leo and his friends do not fully understand Kazuma's abilities. They know the basics, but they have never fought him before. Kazuma, however, knows them. He has studied their powers. He knows their strengths. And more importantly, he knows their weaknesses.
Kazuma smirks as he looks at them.
"At this rate," he says coldly, "Renzo would have killed all three of you. You underestimate him."
Leo narrows his eyes. "In your dreams," he replies confidently. "We believe in our friend."
That statement only makes Kazuma angrier.
Without another word, Kazuma raises his hand. Blood flows from his arm and instantly forms into a sharp sword. In the blink of an eye, he lunges forward and slashes toward them.
Renji reacts immediately. Using his changed into anything ability, he flashes in front of the group and positions himself as a shield. The blood blade crashes against him with terrifying force. Sparks and pressure explode outward from the impact.
Renji grits his teeth. "I can't hold him off for much longer!" he shouts.
Kazuma pushes harder, forming another blade from his blood and striking again. Renji blocks, but each hit drains his strength.
Haku steps forward. "I'll try a laser attack!" he yells.
Energy gathers around him, building into a concentrated beam. He fires the laser directly at Kazuma. The blast cuts through the air at incredible speed.
But just as expected, Kazuma slams his foot against the ground. Earth rises instantly, forming a thick wall in front of him. The laser crashes into the wall. The impact shakes the battlefield.
Still, Haku's laser is powerful. Even though most of it is blocked, part of the energy slips through. It grazes Kazuma's body and leaves a small injury on him.
For the first time, Kazuma is wounded.
He looks down at the cut, and his expression darkens.
Now he is furious.
With a roar of anger, he summons multiple blood swords at once. Dozens of sharp crimson blades form in the air around him. They spin and then launch forward in a deadly storm.
Renji tries to defend again, but this time there are too many attacks. He blocks as many as he can, but the force and number overwhelm him.
"I can't—" he starts to say.
He reaches his limit and returns to his normal form, unable to maintain his defensive position any longer.
One of the blood swords slips past and strikes Haku's hand.
"Haku!" Leo shouts. "Are you okay?"
Haku clenches his injured hand but nods. "Yeah. It's not serious."
Even injured, he refuses to back down.
Seeing his friend hurt, Leo charges forward. He attacks Kazuma directly, pouring all his strength into the strike. But Kazuma reacts quickly. He raises a wall of earth and blocks Leo's attack without difficulty.
Leo grits his teeth in frustration.
Suddenly, from behind them, Kairo makes his move.
Water begins to gather in the air around him. It swirls and expands, forming something massive. The shape becomes clearer—a gigantic water dragon, roaring as it coils above the battlefield.
With a powerful motion, Kairo sends the dragon crashing toward Kazuma.
The water dragon slams into him with incredible force. The impact shakes the ground violently. A massive explosion of water and debris fills the air. Dust rises and spreads everywhere, covering the entire battlefield in a thick cloud.
The team steps back, breathing heavily.
For a moment, everything is silent.
They stare at the cloud of dust, trying to see through it.
Slowly, the dust begins to settle.
Leo, Renji, Haku, and Kairo exchange hopeful looks.
They think they have won.
But they are wrong.