A fist came at Watari faster than his eyes could follow.

  He barely twisted away in time, but the impact still grazed his ribs.

  Even though he wasn’t hit directly, the sheer force sent a tremor through his bones.

  He’s even faster than before.

  But Watari didn’t falter.

  His aura bzed around him now, stabilizing, strengthening.

  It pulsed through his muscles, his senses sharpening to an unnatural degree.

  He moved—

  And so did Yasuke.

  ?A blur of movement.

  A csh of fists and forearms, each strike sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

  Watari wasn’t just dodging anymore—

  He was countering.

  The speed difference was still there, but he was closing the gap.

  He ducked under a spinning backfist, pivoted, and smmed his fist forward.

  Yasuke dispersed into smoke before it could nd.

  A split second ter, the cloud reformed behind him—

  “Too slow.”

  CRACK—

  A brutal knee to the spine sent Watari crashing forward.

  He barely rolled in time to avoid a crushing follow-up, pushing himself upright with a sharp inhale.

  He wasn’t used to fighting like this.

  No bde.

  No form.

  Just raw instinct.

  But something inside him had shifted.

  ?This isn’t about Takeminakata.

  This is about me.

  He exhaled.

  Again.

  Watari lunged.

  Yasuke grinned, shifting through the smoke again—

  But this time, Watari was ready.

  He anticipated it.

  He threw a feint—

  An open-handed swipe—forcing Yasuke to react.

  The moment Yasuke rematerialized, Watari pnted his foot and drove his knee forward with everything he had.

  THUD—

  Yasuke actually reeled.

  His body twisted from the force, sliding back slightly.

  The smoke wavered around him, flickering erratically for a brief moment.

  The crowd gasped.

  It was the first time Yasuke had visibly stumbled all fight.

  Watari didn’t hesitate.

  He pushed forward, fists a blur.

  Left hook. Right jab. Upward elbow—

  Yasuke blocked the first two, dodged the third, but then—

  Watari spun and drove a brutal kick into his ribs.

  CRACK—

  The sound echoed through the arena.

  Yasuke vanished into smoke, but when he reformed this time, he was crouched, gripping his side.

  His grin was still there, but there was something different in his eyes now.

  A flicker of acknowledgment.

  ?“…Huh.”

  The crowd was completely silent.

  Watari was still standing.

  He nded a hit.

  Yasuke slowly stood straight again, rolling his shoulders, his smirk widening.

  There was a short pause.

  Then—

  A slow cp echoed through the arena.

  Yasuke dragged his fingers through his hair, exhaling.

  “I think that’s enough fun for today.”

  He straightened.

  The smoke began to retreat, slithering back into his form.

  Watari was still standing, but his breathing was ragged, his muscles shaking from exhaustion.

  His aura flickered, dimming.

  The fight had taken everything he had left.

  Yasuke turned his attention to the crowd, addressing them with that same theatrical charisma.

  “Well, folks, looks like you all bet wrong.”

  He gestured toward the bloodied ground, where the other recruits still y motionless.

  “Guess no Heishi were made today.”

  Boos.

  Jeers.

  The audience groaned, some ughing at the unfortunate ones who had pced bets on Watari’s success.

  Yasuke let them react for a moment before raising his hand for silence.

  “But.”

  The murmuring died down.

  Yasuke smirked, looking down at Watari, who was barely staying upright.

  “I’ll admit…”

  He cracked his neck.

  “Kid put up a fight.”

  Silence.

  Then—

  Murmurs.

  Then—

  A ripple of whispers.

  Yasuke tilted his head, grinning.

  “And that’s gotta count for something, right?”

  Up in the stands, Yumi let out a breath.

  “No way… is he…?”

  Yasuke stretched his arms overhead, as if he’d just wrapped up a casual spar.

  “Well then. Since I’m in such a generous mood…”

  He gnced over his shoulder.

  “Kuroda. I’ll let you decide.”

  A new tension filled the arena.

  Kuroda had been watching from the high balcony, silent the entire time.

  The moment Yasuke mentioned his name, every head turned.

  A slow pause.

  Then—

  Kuroda smiled.

  “This man is now a Heishi, and I will be taking care of him personally. Transfer him to the b.”

  ?Watari barely registered the words.

  His vision blurred, knees buckling.

  As the world tilted sideways, he muttered—

  “Yeah… I’m never fighting in this arena again.”

  The st thing he saw before colpsing was Kuroda’s evil grin.

  Then—

  Bckness.