The arena had gone completely silent.
Maris stood in the center of the battlefield, two fingers pressed against the ground.
Pinezoku watched him carefully.
“So?” Maris didn’t answer.
Instead, he knelt.
With one finger, he slowly wrote a single word into the dirt.
“Ryu.” For a moment, nothing happened.
Then— CRACK.
The earth split beneath his hand.
A black void opened in the ground, twisting like a wound in reality.
Several students stepped backward.
“What is that?!” “That’s not normal Wind!” Teacher Foshi’s eyes widened.
His expression changed completely.
“Wait…” Something moved inside the darkness.
A violent gust erupted from the opening.
Dust spiraled upward.
Then a creature emerged.
A dragon.
Its body was formed from compressed, swirling wind, its shape constantly shifting as currents raced along its scales.
Its eyes burned with pale energy.
Foshi stared.
“Wind Dragon Summoning Art…” He swallowed.
“Level 2 of Wind…” His voice became almost disbelieving.
“Jet.” The students erupted.
“Level 2?!” “Maris can summon that?!” “Since when?!” Foshi stared at Maris.
“He actually did it…” Maris stood slowly.
A grin appeared on his face.
“Go…” He pointed toward Pinezoku.
“…my Wind Dragon.” The dragon lowered its head.
Maris paused.
He stared.
Then his expression slowly changed.
He thought, “Wait…” He looked at the creature again.
He thought, “It’s supposed to be colossal.” The dragon was considerably smaller than expected.
Maris’s cheeks flushed.
He thought, “Why does it look like a giant angry python?” Melio covered his face.
“Don’t tell me he’s disappointed with his own attack.” Sophria stared at the creature.
“It does look a little…” She paused.
“…different.” Maris glared at her.
“Don’t finish that sentence.” The Wind Dragon suddenly lunged.
Its body twisted through the air like a living cyclone.
Pinezoku stood his ground.
Steel began spreading across his body.
His skin hardened.
His arms became completely armored.
Foshi immediately analyzed him.
“Steel power.” His eyes narrowed.
“Level 2—Stainless Steel.” Pinezoku raised one armored arm.
“No wonder you’re confident.” The Wind Dragon struck.
BOOM!
The collision sent a violent shockwave through the arena.
For a moment, the dragon wrapped itself around Pinezoku’s armored body.
Then— WHOOSH!
The creature collapsed into a mass of scattered wind.
Pinezoku hadn’t moved.
The students stared.
“That was it?” Maris’s eyes widened.
“What?” The Wind Dragon’s form continued breaking apart.
Maris clenched his fists.
“No.” He thrust both hands forward.
“Take this wind energy!” The scattered currents suddenly reversed.
The air screamed.
The Wind Dragon re-formed.
Its body became larger, denser, and more violent.
Maris grinned.
“That’s better.” Pinezoku’s eyes narrowed.
The dragon charged again.
Pinezoku jumped.
The dragon tore through empty air.
Pinezoku landed behind it.
Maris turned.
“Again!” The dragon attacked.
Pinezoku dodged.
Again.
Another miss.
Steel spikes suddenly erupted from Pinezoku’s arms.
He fired them.
SHING!
SHING!
SHING!
Maris twisted aside.
One spike tore through his sleeve.
Another struck the ground beside his foot.
Maris stared at it.
“…That was close.” A third spike came.
He ducked.
It passed over his head.
Maris looked upward.
“Okay.” He swallowed.
“That was very close.” Pinezoku smirked.
“You can’t even control your own attack.” The Wind Dragon lunged again.
Pinezoku sidestepped.
The dragon slammed into the ground.
The wind scattered.
Its body began shrinking.
Maris’s eyes widened.
“No, no, no…” The creature let out a distorted howl.
Then disappeared into the black void.
The students stared.
Maris stared at the empty space.
He slowly lowered his hand.
He thought, “It’s supposed to obey my orders.” He paused.
He thought, “Or at least until it weakens.” His eyes narrowed.
He thought, “Level 3…” He sighed.
He thought, “Yeah.
I’m still Level 2.” Maris rubbed his forehead.
“Brilliant, genius.” Pinezoku laughed.
“So that’s your forbidden art?” Maris looked up.
His expression became serious.
“No.” Lightning suddenly exploded across his body.
KRAK!
Blue-white energy raced across his arms and shoulders.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Melio’s eyes widened.
“Lightning…” Sophria leaned forward.
“He’s switching powers.” Foshi’s expression sharpened.
“Interesting.” Maris lowered his stance.
Electricity gathered around his fists.
He sprinted.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
“Take this!” He swung.
Pinezoku raised his armored arm.
BOOM!
The impact shook the arena.
But Pinezoku remained standing.
Maris’s eyes widened.
Pinezoku looked at him.
“No effect.” Maris stared at his own glowing fist.
Silence.
He thought, “Well…” He looked at Pinezoku’s steel body.
He thought, “That’s terrible.” Another spark jumped from his hand.
He thought, “Maybe I need espresso.” He shook his head.
“No.” He thought, “Divine intervention.” Pinezoku suddenly disappeared from his field of vision.
Maris’s eyes widened.
“—!” BAM!
A steel fist struck his face.
Maris staggered backward.
He tasted blood.
Before he could recover, Pinezoku grabbed him and drove him into the ground.
BOOM!
The arena cracked beneath Maris.
Several students gasped.
“Maris!” Pinezoku didn’t stop.
Another strike.
Then another.
Maris was thrown across the battlefield.
He rolled several times before forcing himself onto one knee.
Blood ran from his nose.
His breathing was heavy.
His vision blurred for a moment.
Pinezoku approached.
“Is this all?” Maris wiped the blood from his face.
He looked at his fingers.
They were trembling.
He thought, “Why do my powers always fail at the worst possible moment?” Pinezoku grabbed him by the collar and lifted him.
Maris’s feet left the ground.
The students watched in stunned silence.
Pinezoku’s steel grip tightened.
“You talked like you had already won.” Maris stared back.
Despite everything, a faint grin appeared.
“I never said that.” Pinezoku frowned.
Maris continued.
“I said you’d feel it.” Pinezoku’s eyes narrowed.
Then he threw him down.
BOOM!
Maris hit the ground hard.
Dust swallowed him.
Melio clenched his fists.
“Maris!” Sophria looked horrified.
“He can’t keep taking those attacks.” Lyberia crossed her arms, but even her expression had lost its usual amusement.
“This isn’t funny anymore.” Foshi remained silent.
His eyes stayed fixed on the dust.
Then he noticed something.
The wind wasn’t dispersing.
It was gathering.
Slowly.
Around Maris.
Foshi’s eyes narrowed.
“…There.” Melio looked toward him.
“What?” Foshi didn’t answer immediately.
Inside the dust cloud, Maris slowly pushed himself up.
His breathing was ragged.
His face was bruised.
But his eyes were clear.
The wind began circling his body.
Not violently.
Precisely.
Maris raised his head.
He thought, “Okay.” A thin current wrapped around his arm.
He thought, “Lightning didn’t work.” The wind intensified.
He thought, “The dragon failed.” His fingers tightened.
He thought, “So I’ll use what I have left.” Maris stood.
Pinezoku stared.
“You’re still standing?” Maris wiped the blood from beneath his nose.
“Apparently.” The wind suddenly exploded outward.
WHOOM!
Dust was blasted away from him.
The students stepped back.
Foshi’s expression became serious.
“He’s using Wind again.” Maris lowered his stance.
His aura sharpened.
The air around him began spinning faster.
He thought, “Forbidden Wind Art…” His eyes locked onto Pinezoku.
He thought, “Don’t fail me now.” A sharp grin crossed his face.
“And maybe…” The wind roared.
“…let me survive this.” Pinezoku raised his steel-covered fists.
The two stared at each other.
Wind against steel.
Speed against durability.
Instinct against calculation.
The arena became silent.
Then Maris vanished into the storm.
And the real battle began.