Ren, Kazuma, and Bell were now inside a military jeep driving through the Mato area.
Just the three of them.
And somehow, Kazuma was the one behind the wheel.
Earlier—
"Satou-san, can you drive?"
"Hm?"
Ren pointed toward a jeep parked nearby.
"You can't operate a tactical vehicle? Then what exactly have you been learning all this time?"
The question was clearly sarcastic. Considering that the MDF originated from the modern military, a basic skill like that should not have been unfamiliar.
"Oh right, as far as I know, a man usually enjoys driving with beautiful women sitting beside him."
Kazuma glanced at her briefly.
"Where did you learn something like that? And do you realize we're in a war zone?"
"You talk too much. Just do it."
And just like that, with little choice, Kazuma became their driver.
Back to the present.
The jeep moved across Mato's unstable terrain—the ground was rough, with unnatural contours. Even the sky looked strange, creating the impression that they were truly in another world.
"By the way... are we looking for Shuuki or something?"
"You already guessed it," Ren answered casually from the passenger seat. "I want to see firsthand how you fight. Considering you're his student—or whatever that relationship is—you probably aren't bad."
"Yeah, yeah... whatever."
Their conversation flowed lightly, as if this situation was not dangerous at all.
But in the back seat, Bell felt something entirely different.
She sat upright, her hands slightly clenched, her eyes moving between the road ahead and the two people in front of her.
'He's incredibly brave to treat Ren-san like that...'
To Bell, Kazuma's attitude was almost incomprehensible. Not many people—even within the MDF—dared to speak so casually to Ren Yamashiro.
But what was even stranger—
Ren was not truly angry.
Slightly annoyed, perhaps. But nothing more.
That alone was enough to make Bell even more tense.
Meanwhile, Kazuma remained focused on the wheel, though he occasionally drove with one hand in a relaxed manner.
"So, do we have a specific target, or are we just wandering around?"
"There have already been reports of Shuuki activity in this sector. We're heading there."
"Of course it couldn't be simple."
"If it were simple, I wouldn't have brought you."
Kazuma grinned faintly.
"Fair enough."
The jeep continued forward, penetrating deeper into Mato territory.
The farther they went, the more the atmosphere gradually changed—heavier, quieter, as if the space itself were pressing against their consciousness.
Before long, they arrived at a canyon.
Below them, thousands of Shuuki were densely gathered, moving erratically like a restless colony of ants.
"Well, now fight them."
Ren said it casually, pointing toward the crowd of large humanoid creatures—white-faced, heavily built, with muscles that looked roughly sculpted from stone. They were Mato's inhabitants.
Shuuki were divided into two categories. The first was the unique type—individuals possessing supernatural abilities along with physical strength far surpassing ordinary Shuuki. The second was the normal type—their strength was around twice that of an ordinary human, but their true advantage lay in their numbers.
Not to mention, they possessed the ability to merge—combining their bodies into a single giant entity standing fifteen meters tall.
"...Okay."
Kazuma stepped out of the vehicle, his movements light. He stood at the edge of the canyon, looking down while estimating the number of enemies.
Around two thousand...
He let out a quiet sigh.
In his mind, this evaluation felt excessive. But for Ren, this was clearly not just a test—it was a way to satisfy her curiosity.
Before starting, Kazuma took off his shirt.
"Are you trying to show off your body!?"
Ren made the comment in a flat tone.
Behind her, the innocent Bell immediately covered her reddening face, though she still peeked through the gaps between her fingers. Kazuma's physique was indeed well-trained—proportional, solid, almost like the ideal image often associated with Greek gods.
"My ability always burns my clothes. And I don't want to incinerate this limited-edition branded shirt!"
Ren stared at him expressionlessly, as though questioning whether he was serious.
"Whatever... just get started already."
"Tch..."
Without hesitation, Kazuma stepped forward—
...and threw himself into the "ocean" filled with Shuuki.
In midair, Kazuma's body began glowing yellow. The light grew brighter as he fell directly into the center of the horde. The Shuuki that noticed his presence looked up—but the blinding radiance immediately stole their vision.
A fraction of a second later—
an explosion occurred.
The shockwave struck all the way up to the cliff. A blast of scorching wind swept through the area, forcing Ren to activate her ability to withstand the impact.
"Hmph... reckless as ever. If you're just trying to show me that you're a walking bomb, I'm not interested."
Beside her, Bell trembled. Kazuma's fighting style—direct, brutal, without hesitation—was far removed from any training she had ever known.
"I'm not finished yet..."
The voice emerged from the smoke and dust.
Gradually, Kazuma's silhouette became visible. He stood in the middle of a small crater formed by the explosion, wearing nothing but boxer shorts. The fabric remained intact—heat-resistant, made from a special polymer he had designed himself.
His body once again emitted a yellow glow, more stable this time.
Kazuma lowered his center of gravity, assuming the stance of a sprinter. The ground beneath his feet began to crack, unable to withstand the pressure building within him.
Then—
he launched forward.
The earth was torn apart as he moved, his body shooting like a bullet released without restraint.
Helios Chariot
In an instant, he pierced through the Shuuki ranks. A trail of heat remained in his wake, burning the air and destroying everything in its path.
A single straight line—yet enough to split the sea of monsters apart, creating a massive gap through the horde.
Then, he leaped high into the air.
His fist clenched. The surrounding air compressed and vibrated, while the light around his arm intensified.
Supernova
He drove that power downward.
The Shuuki who failed to react were immediately crushed by invisible pressure—their bodies shattered, hurled away, and destroyed instantly. But it was not over.
Like unending rain, Kazuma continued unleashing the same attack. One Supernova after another slammed into the surface, leaving gigantic overlapping craters.
The terrain itself changed shape—cracked, split apart, covered in scars of destruction.
Within a short time, the number of Shuuki was drastically reduced. From thousands, only hundreds remained.
But they did not stay idle.
The remaining Shuuki began moving in unison, their bodies pulling together, merging into a single gigantic entity. Its size rapidly expanded, towering high enough to reach Kazuma in the air.
Two enormous hands rose—
closing in from both sides, intending to crush him like an insect.
TAP!
But the opposite happened.
The giant hands shattered upon contact.
Corona Guard
An invisible layer of scorching heat enveloped Kazuma's body, incinerating and damaging anything that attempted to touch him. The giant structure partially collapsed, its balance disrupted.
Kazuma landed lightly.
"Well... this is the last one."
He clenched his fist once more. Thermal energy gathered, compressed until its color became a brilliant yellow that was nearly blinding.
The air around him trembled violently, as though unable to endure the pressure concentrated at that single point.
Tyson
He shot forward—a single punch.
Simple.
But the moment his strike connected—
half of the giant Shuuki's head vanished instantly, as though erased from existence itself. A wave of energy followed, accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the entire area.
The giant body lost its shape and slowly collapsed.
The remaining Shuuki no longer moved.
Silence.
Dust still drifted through the air while Kazuma stood amidst the destruction he had created with his own hands.