"Wole-Zain…?!"
Ayato Amagiri was stunned.
He saw it—the blade of the Wole-Zain had actually developed a crack.
A sword capable of slicing through space itself had been damaged by Ser-Veresta!
"Vrrrm!"
Even the Wole-Zain seemed to be caught off guard by this development. Its blade trembled violently, and the Urm-Manadyte embedded within flickered unpredictably, as if it were shocked and enraged.
"Wh-what's going on?"
"Both are Four-Colored Magic Swords… and yet the Wole-Zain was actually damaged by Ser-Veresta!"
Even the spectators were dumbfounded, and the voices of the commentators in the broadcast room erupted in sheer astonishment.
"How is this possible?"
Behind him, Julis couldn't believe her eyes.
Yet, it was undeniable.
"If we set aside the past, as things stand now, there's no doubt that Ser-Veresta is stronger than the Wole-Zain."
Kaiser watched Ayato's utterly stunned expression, the corner of his lips curling slightly.
After becoming his exclusive weapon, fusing completely with him, Ser-Veresta had long since been strengthened by his Ultimate Authority Over Weapons. As he grew stronger, she evolved alongside him.
In other words, much like Gravisheath before it, Ser-Veresta had undergone a complete transformation.
Perhaps Ser-Veresta hadn't yet surpassed the other Four-Colored Magic Swords by a large margin, but at this moment, she was undoubtedly the strongest among them.
Thus, with Kaiser unleashing his Prana without restraint and pushing Ser-Veresta's power to its peak, it was inevitable that, after such an intense clash, the Wole-Zain would sustain damage.
"In terms of Prana, in terms of physical ability, in terms of swordsmanship, I can't say for certain that I'm stronger than you."
"But in terms of mastery over Ser-Veresta, in terms of unlocking its potential, you can't possibly surpass me."
"This is my advantage—it's also the moment I've been waiting for."
Kaiser spoke leisurely.
"And now, I've finally seized that moment."
The instant those words left his lips, Kaiser suddenly lunged forward, charging at Ayato.
Ayato snapped back to his senses. He couldn't afford to remain in shock any longer—he hurriedly raised the Wole-Zain.
However—
Just as Kaiser rushed toward him, he abruptly raised Ser-Veresta—and threw it directly at Ayato.
"Whoosh!"
A slicing gust echoed as Ser-Veresta erupted with scorching winds, transforming into a black streak of light propelled by the heat, shooting straight toward Ayato.
This unexpected maneuver caught Ayato completely off guard.
He had to admit—if not for his "Sense", he wouldn't have reacted in time. He wouldn't have been able to dodge this sudden attack.
Ayato twisted his body at the last possible moment, narrowly evading the attack as Ser-Veresta grazed past him.
But—
What happened next stunned him yet again.
"Vrrrm!"
As Ser-Veresta swept past him, it suddenly halted in midair.
The blade quivered slightly—then abruptly spun around and slashed at him once more.
"…!"
Ayato's expression changed—he hastily leaped backward to avoid it.
"Vrrrm! Vrrrm! Vrrrm!"
Again and again, Ser-Veresta emitted an eerie hum, relentlessly attacking Ayato as if it were a living entity.
Ayato was forced to dodge repeatedly.
"It can do that…?!"
Astonished, he voiced his disbelief while evading.
"Ser-Veresta is flying on its own!"
"It's attacking Ayato!"
The commentators were dumbfounded, their voices filled with shock as the audience erupted into gasps and exclamations.
"Ayato! Behind you!"
Just as Ayato dodged another strike, Julis' urgent warning rang out.
But—
It was too late.
"Got you!"
At some point, Kaiser had maneuvered behind Ayato and suddenly locked down both of his arms—restraining him completely.
"Damn it!"
Ayato panicked. He tried to struggle free, but Kaiser's grip was unshakable.
Kaiser had used every ounce of his strength to keep Ayato immobilized.
"Vrrrm!"
Ser-Veresta flew straight toward Ayato—aiming directly for the school badge on his chest—and slashed down viciously.
"Blossom—Dragon-Biting Scorching Flame Flower!"
At the critical moment, Julis acted desperately.
She struggled to connect with what little Mana was still lingering on the battlefield. Finally, she managed to grasp a faint trace of it—and summoned a fire dragon.
It was small—so small that it barely measured the size of a palm.
This only proved how scarce Mana had become on the battlefield.
However, precisely because of its small size, the fire dragon swiftly flapped its wings and soared through the gradually closing spatial rift in the center of the stage—charging toward Kaiser.
"Boom!"
A moment later, the fire dragon collided with Kaiser and exploded.
Flames engulfed both Kaiser and Ayato, sending them flying in opposite directions.
Thanks to their Prana-enhanced defenses, neither suffered injuries from the blast. However, they were still forced apart, creating some distance between them.
The attack from Ser-Veresta, which had been aimed at Ayato's badge, struck empty air.
"Amagiri Shinmei Style—Secret Transmission…"
As he was launched backward, Ayato twisted his body in midair. Seizing the opportunity, he kicked off the ground—dashing straight at Kaiser.
"Shura Moon!"
In the next instant, a crescent-shaped azure blade arc sliced through the air, tracing a beautiful trajectory.
That strike landed squarely on Kaiser's school badge.
"Crack!"
A crisp shattering sound echoed across the stage.
"—!"
Everyone in the venue gasped—their breaths caught in their throats.
Then, the mechanical announcement followed.
"Kaiser—school badge destroyed."
Kaiser's badge had been cleaved in two—falling to the ground.
However—
"Ayato Amagiri—school badge destroyed."
An identical announcement rang out simultaneously.
Yes.
Ayato's school badge had also been destroyed.
"…Huh?"
Ayato stood there, completely dumbfounded.
"W-what?"
Julis, too, was utterly lost.
Not just them—even Kirin, the audience, and everyone watching the match exchanged bewildered looks, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
"This… what just happened?!"
"Kaiser and Ayato's badges… were destroyed at the same time?!"
The commentators shouted in disbelief, their voices filled with confusion.
Only Kaiser, standing before a stunned Ayato, remained unsurprised.
He extended his hand, catching the returning Ser-Veresta.
That scene—drew everyone's attention.
Because—
"It's… so small!"
Gasps spread through the crowd.
The Ser-Veresta in Kaiser's hand had shrunk—now barely the size of a fruit knife, smaller than even a palm.
At that moment, some quick-witted spectators finally realized what had happened.
The large display above the stage immediately replayed the final exchange in slow motion.
Onscreen, Ayato's Shura Moon slashed toward Kaiser—who had been unarmed.
But behind him—
At that precise moment—
Ser-Veresta had shrunk.
It became as small as a bullet, accelerating through the air with minimal resistance.
Ayato—focused entirely on his attack—had failed to notice the shrunken Ser-Veresta.
And so—both badges were destroyed at the same time.
A double elimination!
An outcome no one had foreseen!