The atmosphere in the stadium reached a fever pitch. Thousands of eyes were locked onto the two figures in the center, anticipating a csh between titans. Yet, inside the ring, Haruki Aizawa and Ikki Kurogane stood in a pocket of absolute silence.

  "Haruki," Ikki spoke at st, his voice steady. "First, I have to apologize."

  "For what?"

  "I heard from Shizuku what you did—how you personally threatened the Kurogane family to keep them out of this. You've done so much for me, yet I can't find a shred of gratitude in my heart. All I can think about is winning. I'm a hypocrite, aren't I?"

  Haruki slowly drew his spectral bde, Onibi. "It doesn't matter. I didn't do it for you. I just wanted to cross bdes with a real swordsman."

  "A real swordsman... To be acknowledged by you like that makes me truly happy," Ikki said, a small smile appearing. "I've looked forward to this since the day we met. But more than that, I've looked forward to the moment I finally beat you!"

  "Then come and try."

  Ikki manifested Intetsu. The bck bde shimmered in his hand. He took a breath and leveled it at Haruki. "Haruki Aizawa, I challenge you as a warrior! I will not waver! I swear—I will use my weakest to shatter your invincible!"

  The moment the words left his mouth, Ikki unleashed Ittou Shura! He knew the gap was too wide to hold anything back. His physical stats multiplied a hundredfold instantly.

  CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

  The bdes met in a flurry of sparks. Haruki suppressed Ikki completely, dismantling his technique with ease. Having mastered a superior version of Tohka's Logic Sight, Haruki saw through every vibration of Ikki's body. No matter where Ikki moved, Haruki was already there to counter.

  Realizing technique wasn't enough, Ikki abandoned precision and went for pure, raw speed.

  "Speed? You've chosen the wrong opponent." Haruki shook his head. Green motes of light erupted around him as he activated Highnder.

  BOOM!

  To Ikki, Haruki simply vanished. All he felt was a violent surge of sword-qi from the shadows. He barely braced his Mana Shield before he was sent flying, tumbling across the arena floor and nearly falling out of bounds.

  The stadium went silent. The crowd expected a duel of equals, but what they were seeing was the King of the Unranked being systematically crushed. Haruki was Ikki's superior in every way—swordsmanship, physical stats, and mental force.

  But Haruki didn't rex. He knew a true swordsman wouldn't fall this easily.

  Ikki stood at the very edge of the ring. Instead of despair, a pale blue radiance erupted from his body. His mana surged beyond its supposed limit.

  "W-What is that?!" the announcer shrieked. "He's even faster!"

  Ikki had entered Ittou Rasetsu. He had discarded his sight, hearing, and touch to funnel every scrap of life force into his bde. He was fighting on pure instinct.

  BOOM!

  The two became streaks of light—blue and green—cshing across the arena at speeds invisible to the human eye. Even Haruki had to focus. He admired the gambit. If Ikki was willing to burn his soul for one strike, Haruki would meet him with a power that transcended the physical.

  Fwoosh!

  Haruki ignited his Bloodlust. A crimson mist leaked from his pores, mixing with the green light of his Wuju Style.

  In this state, banced between life and death, Haruki sensed a new vibration in the air—the ultimate resonance of a battlefield.

  Murderous Intent.

  He reached out and "grabbed" the very concept of death in the air, wrapping it around his bde. In this duel of extremists, Haruki had achieved a new breakthrough in the Asura path: Murderous Resonance.

  The margin for error had vanished. Ikki had one strike left in his body. Haruki's life force was draining by the second.

  They didn't use feints. They didn't use tactics. They both lunged in a straight line, putting everything they were into a single, final swing.

  Haruki activated Double Strike. One motion, two hits.

  Ikki countered with his final secret sword, Oikage (Chase Shadow). Like Haruki's move, it created a phantom strike that followed the first.

  The two swordsmen reached the center of the ring.

  "I WILL WIN!" Ikki roared.

  "It ends here," Haruki whispered.

  Haruki didn't just swing twice. He infused the third "bde"—the Murderous Resonance—into the rhythm. Three strikes in one heartbeat.

  CLANG! CLANG! CRACK!

  The sound of shattering steel echoed through the stadium. Ikki's Intetsu snapped in half. The invisible bde of Murderous Resonance tore through Ikki's mind, crushing his will to fight like a hammer through gss.

  Haruki hadn't been cruel. Out of respect, he had hit Ikki with his absolute peak.

  Thud.

  Ikki fell to the ground, his broken Device dissolving into light. He was unconscious, his spirit utterly spent.

  "The winner... Haruki Aizawa!"

  The stadium erupted. Haruki sheathed his sword, standing alone in the center of the ring. Only one man, and one sword, remained standing.

  [Mission: Win the Hagun Selection Matches — 100% Complete]

  [Return to Main World Countdown: 02:59:59]

  The mission was over. Haruki felt the system pulling at his soul, preparing to drag him back to Chiba. He stepped off the stage, where Shizuku was waiting for him.

  "You won," she said, her eyes shimmering with a mix of pride and something deeper.

  Haruki looked at her, then at the recovering Ikki and the approaching Stel. He had pnned to just tell them the truth, but seeing the looks on their faces, he hesitated.

  "I have to leave," Haruki said quietly.

  "Leave? To where?" Stel asked.

  "Back to my home country. Something has come up that I need to handle personally."

  It was a white lie. He didn't know if he would ever come back, but the system hadn't forbidden it. Maybe after a few more worlds, he could find his way back here.

  "Will you be back for the Seven Star Festival?" Ikki asked, leaning on a crutch. His sword was broken, but his eyes were peaceful. He had given his all and lost to a superior warrior; he had no regrets.

  "I'll try," Haruki nodded.

  As the timer hit zero, the world of Hagun Academy began to blur. Haruki felt the familiar weight of his school uniform from the Main World returning.

  "See you ter, Ikki. Shizuku."

  With a fsh of light, Haruki Aizawa vanished from the world of Bzers, leaving behind a legend that would be talked about for generations. He was going back to the Service Club—back to a world where his only enemy was boredom and a few ghosts.

  ***********************************************

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