Fists cracked like thunder. Blows lit up the air like lightning.
Riku and the King blurred in and out of sight—each punch, each block, each strike shaking the very sky.
Toru gritted his teeth, eyes struggling to follow.
"They're… actually even?"
"No," Yumi said quietly, watching with a strange awe in her voice.
"Riku's not even serious yet."
Suddenly, Riku shot into the sky, wind splitting as silver aura trailed behind him. He soared higher, creating distance. The battlefield below became a crater of dust and destruction.
From above, Riku extended his palm—energy swirling at his fingertips, ready to strike.
But the King… grinned.
"Did you forget who I am, boy?"
With a loud pulse of dark red energy, the King's feet lifted off the ground. He rocketed upward, wings of Essence flaring to life, and in a flash, closed the gap.
BOOM!
Their clash mid-air created a ripple of force that expanded outward in a visible ring.
Riku spun, barely avoiding the next hit, and twisted midair to regain balance.
"Tch. He can fly too."
Below, the Vanguard Protocol Team had arrived—late, but just in time to witness a clash that made even elite S-Ranks hesitate.
Kaien Uzora, with his wind-bladed cloak swirling, narrowed his eyes.
"He's fast... like, faster than me."
Rei Murasaki adjusted her crystal gauntlets, watching with a protective gaze.
"And he's tanking hits from that monster…"
Arden Vox tilted his head, subtle sound rings forming around his ears.
"His rhythm—no… he doesn't have one. He's adapting live. That's terrifying."
Selene Kuroba, the coldest of the group, lowered her hood. Her usually expressionless face… flushed.
"He's… beautiful in combat."
She wasn't the only one.
Yumi glanced over. The two girls on the team—Selene and Rei—were both blushing.
Selene quickly turned away, trying to hide it behind her frost mask.
"It's just combat admiration," she mumbled to herself.
Back in the sky, Riku suddenly stopped mid-flight, his aura flaring with silver lightning.
He dropped for a second, only to burst back up with a spinning kick that hit the King's jaw—sending him tumbling through the clouds.
"You're slow," Riku said flatly, voice echoing through the sky.
On the ground, Toru smirked, arms crossed.
"That's Riku for you."
"He makes it look easy," Yumi whispered.
The sky crackled again.
The King was far from done.
But so was Riku.