The shattered training court fell silent once again. Dust drifted through the air while countless cracks stretched across the arena like spiderwebs. No one dared to speak. Every student stood frozen, their eyes locked on the two figures standing opposite each other.
Kairo tightened his grip around Black Spartan, his breathing heavy as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Every muscle in his body burned with pain, yet he refused to loosen his stance. Across from him, Oko casually dusted off his shoulder where Kairo had managed to slash him earlier.
A smile slowly spread across Oko's face.
"I've finally decided..."
He rolled his shoulders before slowly clenching both fists.
"...to stop treating you like a beginner."
A strange pressure spread across the battlefield. It wasn't violent like an explosion nor oppressive like killing intent. Instead, it felt natural—like standing before a predator that had already decided the outcome of the hunt.
Kairo instinctively narrowed his eyes.
"Something changed..."
Shougo noticed it immediately.
"...He's using it."
Griffin glanced at him.
"So he's finally revealing that ability?"
Shougo gave a small nod.
"Predator Flow."
The students looked confused.
"Predator... what?" Tyouro scratched his head.
Shougo calmly explained without taking his eyes off the arena.
"It isn't an attack. It isn't an energy blast either. Predator Flow is a combat state. Oko observes every movement his opponent makes—their breathing, muscle tension, heartbeat, posture, balance, even where their eyes move. Before an attack is thrown... he already knows it's coming."
Yura's expression stiffened.
"...So that's why."
Kimimaru quietly continued.
"...He defeated all of us."
Griffin folded his arms with a proud smile.
"Oko doesn't fight harder."
"He fights smarter."
The corners of Oko's lips lifted as he heard them talking.
"They're right."
"I didn't defeat those students because I was stronger."
"I defeated them because they kept repeating the same mistakes."
His gaze remained fixed on Kairo.
"Yura relies on emotion when she's angry."
"Dracula loves flashy attacks."
"Reji rushes in whenever he sees an opening."
"Chihiro always protects before attacking."
"I memorized all of them."
He slowly raised one finger.
"And then..."
"I broke them."
Kairo remained silent.
His grip tightened.
"I won't become one of those mistakes."
Oko laughed.
"We'll see."
Without warning, he disappeared.
The air burst apart with a deafening boom.
Kairo reacted instantly, swinging Black Spartan toward his left.
Nothing.
A fist suddenly crashed into his back.
BANG!!
His body flew forward.
Before he could recover—
Another punch slammed into his ribs.
Then another into his shoulder.
His vision blurred.
He couldn't even tell where Oko was anymore.
Every direction felt dangerous.
Millions Punch had returned.
But this time...
It was different.
Each punch arrived with terrifying precision, targeting joints, muscles, and places that would throw off Kairo's balance. Oko wasn't simply attacking.
He was dismantling him.
Punch after punch rained down without mercy.
The arena echoed with the sound of flesh meeting steel-like fists.
Kairo desperately swung Black Spartan, but every slash cut through empty air.
Oko had already moved.
Another fist.
Another impact.
Another crack.
Blood splattered onto the broken ground as Kairo was launched across the battlefield once again.
Tyouro clenched both fists.
"COME ON, KAIRO!"
Yura bit her lower lip.
"...Get up."
Even Yuki, who rarely cared about anyone else, found herself staring without blinking.
"...He's still standing."
Dracula let out a nervous laugh.
"I'd already be dead..."
Kairo slowly pushed himself onto one knee.
His arms trembled violently.
His breathing became uneven.
His entire body screamed at him to stop.
"I can't..."
"I can't keep up..."
"He's too fast..."
Another shadow appeared before him.
Oko's fist descended like a hammer.
Kairo barely raised Black Spartan.
CLANG!!
The impact shook his entire body.
His knees sank into the broken stone.
Oko looked down at him.
"You've reached your limit."
"Give up."
Kairo lowered his head.
His hair covered his eyes.
"...No."
"I finally found..."
"...people who believed in me."
His voice trembled, but not from fear.
"I don't want to disappoint them."
Oko sighed softly.
"Then I'll end this."
He stepped forward once more.
His fist drew back.
Predator Flow had already calculated every possible movement Kairo could make.
There was no escape.
No counter.
No victory.
Shougo's expression changed for the first time.
"...Kairo."
Griffin frowned.
"This might be over."
Oko threw the punch.
The world seemed to stop.
Kairo's heartbeat echoed loudly inside his ears.
Thump.
Another heartbeat.
Thump.
Everything became strangely quiet.
The cheering disappeared.
The wind vanished.
Even the pain faded.
Only Oko remained before him.
Then...
Something inside Kairo awakened.
His heartbeat slowed.
His breathing steadied.
The chaos inside his mind disappeared as if someone had wiped it completely clean.
His closed eyes slowly opened.
A deep crimson color spread across his irises.
Not bright.
Not glowing.
Just... crimson.
Yura's eyes widened.
"...His eyes."
Kimimaru instinctively tightened his grip on his Zweihander.
"What is that...?"
Dracula stopped smiling.
"...That's creepy."
Even Griffin's expression became serious.
"...Shougo."
"Have you seen that before?"
Shougo didn't answer immediately.
His calm eyes remained fixed on Kairo.
"...No."
Oko's fist was only centimeters away from Kairo's face.
Yet Kairo simply tilted his head.
The punch missed.
Silence.
For the first time in the entire battle...
Oko froze.
"...What?"
His instincts screamed.
Something had changed.
Kairo slowly stood up.
His movements were calm.
Too calm.
His crimson eyes quietly followed every tiny motion Oko made.
The tightening of his fingers.
The shift of his shoulders.
The movement of his breathing.
Everything.
Nothing escaped his vision.
Kairo spoke in a quiet voice.
"...I can see it now."
Oko narrowed his eyes.
"...See what?"
Kairo slowly lifted Black Spartan.
"...Your next move."
For the first time since the battle began...
The monster called Oko smiled not from confidence—
But from excitement.
"Heh..."
"So this..."
"...is your answer."
Neither of them moved.
The entire arena held its breath as two completely different monsters stared at each other.
One had spent years mastering experience.
The other had awakened an instinct he couldn't yet understand.
Somewhere behind them, Shougo smiled faintly to himself.
"Interesting..."
"Your true battle begins now."