Rank 80.
Kaito stared at the number on the board, arms crossed, breathing slowly.
His body still hurt from the last fight.
His chest still burned from the breakthrough.
Second stage.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Harder to control.
He clenched his fist.
The air trembled without effort.
"…Not for long," he muttered.
Tanaka stood beside him.
"You start again."
"I always do."
"You don't stop."
"I can't."
Tanaka nodded.
"Good."
Kaito looked up the board.
Top 50.
Top 20.
Top 10.
Top 5.
Top 3.
Top 2.
Top 1.
His eyes stopped there.
Rank 1.
The name carved deeper than the rest.
NAOYA NASUKAWA
His chest tightened slightly.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Just distance.
"…One day," he said quietly.
Tanaka didn't answer.
"Not today."
Kaito smirked.
"…Yeah."
He turned away.
"…But I'm climbing."
...
The next months were harder than anything before.
Second stage wasn't enough.
Top 80 fighters forced him to move faster.
Top 70 forced him to think faster.
Top 60 forced him to control every breath.
He lost.
Won.
Lost again.
Climbed.
Dropped.
Climbed again.
Rank 80.
Rank 76.
Rank 72.
Rank 69.
Rank 65.
Every fight felt heavier.
Every opponent stronger.
Every mistake punished.
Tanaka never changed.
"Again."
"Slower."
"Control."
"Don't waste power."
Kaito hated those words.
But he listened.
Because every time he didn't...
He lost.
...
One year passed.
His body changed.
Taller.
Broader.
Stronger.
His punches sharper.
His steps lighter.
The vibration inside him deeper.
Not loud anymore.
Not even heavy.
Just there.
Like part of him.
One night, after training, he stood alone in the stone room.
Sweat dripping.
Breathing hard.
He clenched his fists.
The energy surged.
Harder than before.
His chest burned.
His vision blurred.
The air shook.
CRACK.
The floor split slightly under his feet.
Tanaka watched from the doorway.
"…Now."
Kaito gritted his teeth.
"…Move… move…"
The energy snapped.
Clear.
Heavy.
Deeper.
He froze.
"…Third…"
Tanaka nodded.
"Yes."
Kaito laughed.
"…Finally."
...
Years passed.
Fights stopped feeling impossible.
Then started feeling impossible again.
Top 60.
Top 50.
Top 40.
Each rank harder than the last.
Each opponent stronger than the one before.
He learned to move without thinking.
Strike without wasting energy.
Fight without losing control.
Third stage became normal.
Then not enough.
Another fight.
Another loss.
Another wall.
Another night in the training room.
Another surge.
CRACK.
Fourth breakthrough.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Faster.
Still not enough.
He kept climbing.
...
Two more years passed.
The courtyard felt smaller now.
Not because it changed.
Because he did.
Rank 30.
Rank 22.
Rank 15.
Rank 9.
Rank 6.
Every fight watched.
Every match serious.
No easy wins.
No wasted movement.
Aoi fought him again.
He won.
Ryo fought him again.
He barely won.
Top 5.
The pressure changed.
Even breathing felt heavier.
Tanaka corrected every mistake.
Every step.
Every strike.
No mercy.
One night, after a fight that left the ground cracked across the field, Kaito stood alone in the training hall.
His breathing slow.
His body steady.
His energy deep.
He closed his eyes.
Felt the vibration.
Not loud.
Not heavy.
Endless.
He moved.
Punch.
CRACK.
The air shattered like glass.
The room shook.
The walls trembled.
Tanaka's voice came from the doorway.
"…Now."
Kaito clenched his fists.
"…Fifth…"
The energy surged.
Clearer than ever.
Stronger than ever.
Perfect.
He opened his eyes.
The world felt lighter.
Sharper.
Slower.
He exhaled.
"…Good."
Tanaka nodded.
"Yes."
...
Present day.
The courtyard was silent.
Not empty.
Silent.
People stood around the ranking board without speaking.
No whispers.
No noise.
Just watching.
Kaito walked forward slowly.
Taller now.
Sixteen.
Shoulders broad.
Eyes calm.
Every step steady.
The vibration inside him moved like a deep river.
Quiet.
Heavy.
Unshakable.
He stopped in front of the board.
Looked up.
ARATA KAITO - Rank 2
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then smirked.
"…Took long enough."
Tanaka stood beside him.
"You slowed near the end."
"He's strong."
"Yes."
Kaito looked at the top.
Rank 1.
NAOYA NASUKAWA
His chest tightened slightly.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Just pressure.
"…Only one left," he said quietly.
Tanaka didn't answer.
"You're not ready."
Kaito smirked.
"You always say that."
"Yes."
Kaito clenched his fist.
The air trembled.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
Just power.
"…Then I get ready."
Far above the courtyard, Aoi stood on the railing.
Ryo beside her.
"He reached Rank 2," she said.
Ryo nodded.
"Four years."
"He's fast."
Ryo smirked.
"…Not fast enough."
She looked at the top of the board.
Rank 1.
Then toward the man standing beside Kaito.
"…He's about to find out."
Ryo laughed quietly.
"…Yeah."
He crossed his arms.
"…And Sensei isn't going to go easy."