At midnight, Raven went to his usual training spot. The cold wind brushed against his skin, and the silence of the night was broken only by his own footsteps. Yet, something felt… off. He could sense someone watching him.
He stopped for a moment, scanning the area. Suddenly, a figure emerged —Ryo. He stepped forward with a confident smile.
Ryo: "You're the masked fighter. I saw you that day."
Raven (expressionless): "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ryo (stepping closer): "Why did you interfere in that fight? And why didn't you join the tournament from the start?"
Raven (sighing): "You're annoying. I'm just here to train."
Ryo (grinning): "Then let's train together!"
Without warning, Ryo lunged at Raven, forcing him to step back cautiously.
Raven: "What do you want from me now?"
Ryo (his eyes gleaming with curiosity): "I just want to know why you interfered."
Raven smirked.
"So you only understand the language of battle?"
In a flash, Raven attacked with a rapid flurry of punches. Ryo, however, was no ordinary opponent—he dodged and blocked with remarkable skill, countering with his own strikes. The air crackled with the force of their blows.
Then, Ryo suddenly stepped back, his body glowing with intense flames.
Ryo: "Fire Magic – Level Two!"
Flames enveloped his entire body, forming a blazing armor around him.
Ryo (smirking): "With this level, I can coat myself in fire. Any touch from you… and you'll burn."
Raven (muttering): "Tch… so you've started using magic, huh? Fine, I won't hold back either."
Ryo launched fire bullets toward Raven, who dodged swiftly but couldn't avoid all of them. Burn marks began to appear on his arms and clothes.
Raven (gritting his teeth): "Your ability… it's like both a shield and a weapon."
Realizing that a prolonged fight would wear him down, Raven thought quickly: "I need to land a single decisive hit… otherwise he'll incinerate me with his fire shield."
Feigning retreat, Raven dashed away, luring Ryo in.
Ryo (mocking): "Are you running away now? Pathetic."
But Raven had a plan. Using the surrounding buildings, he leaped high into the air. From above, he extended his hand toward Ryo, energy crackling around his palm.
Then, with a fierce shout, he unleashed his attack.
"THUNDER SHOT!"
Ryo's eyes widened in shock at the sheer speed of the strike. He raised his arms to block, but the lightning bolt shattered his flaming armor and struck him square in the chest.
The force sent Ryo stumbling backward, his body twitching from the electric shock. He dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
Meanwhile,The six heads of the royal families gathered with the ruler of Asteria in the grand meeting hall.