The emergence of the Mato dimension and the discovery of the Peach Blossoms brought radical changes that turned the world's order on its head.
Because only women gained superhuman power after consuming Peach Blossoms, they became the dominant group in society. They held the highest positions in government, the military, and other public sectors.
On the other side, men lost political relevance and were frequently regarded as "second-class citizens" who filled only roles of manual labor or ordinary administrative positions. They worked in factories, handled logistics, staffed offices—jobs that required no superhuman power.
It was common knowledge that men were biologically incapable of receiving power from Peach Blossoms. If a man ate one, he gained only its nutrients and flavor, with no supernatural change whatsoever.
This was a fact taught in schools, written in research journals, and confirmed by decades of failed experiments.
And yet, if a man succeeded in awakening a Peach Blossom Blessing, the impact on the world would be nothing short of seismic.
The entire social system of this world was built upon the ideology that only women were "chosen" to protect humanity. The emergence of a superpowered man would undermine the legitimacy of female dominance and trigger an existential crisis within the current governing order.
Men would no longer be merely laborers or "second-class citizens." They would demand equal rights in the military and in politics.
A government dominated by women would in all likelihood view such a man as a dangerous anomaly or a threat to national stability. There was a real possibility he would be apprehended and used as a research subject to understand why he had been able to awaken a Peach Blossom Blessing. Or worse—eliminated before he could become a symbol of resistance.
What was most feared was the possibility that such a man could become a symbol of hope for the male population that had long been treated as second-class citizens, potentially triggering a movement of rebellion or sweeping social change.
Among the Unit Chiefs, Fubuki, Kyouka, Varvara, and Riu understood the complications that this news carried. Their faces were serious, brows furrowed—they could see the larger picture clearly.
Tenka and Ren had already understood these implications from the moment they learned of Naoki's existence.
Only Bell, Yakumo, and Konomi, with their relatively straightforward ways of thinking, didn't fully grasp just how serious this matter was.
"Kamikawa. Is it true? You really awakened a Peach Blossom Blessing?"
The question had already been answered by Tenka's explanation, but Yuuki needed to hear it directly from Naoki. From his classmate, who was now standing before him in an Anti-Demon Corps uniform.
"It's—"
Just as Naoki was about to speak, Ren cut him off from the head of the table.
"Well, words alone aren't convincing enough." Ren rested her chin on the back of her hand, her smile never fading. "And as it happens, I've never seen Kamikawa Naoki demonstrate his Peach Blossom Blessing in person either."
"So, how about a sparring match against me?"
Ren's smile was confident. Not arrogant—but the smile of someone who was genuinely certain they would not lose. Like the sun, secure in the knowledge that it would never be outshone by the moon.
"That's a great idea!" Mira nodded in enthusiastic agreement, her fist clenching with energy. "If it's true, prove it in a fight! I want to see it with my own eyes!"
"What do you say, boy?" Riu fixed Naoki with a sharp gaze.
The old woman would not believe it until she saw it herself. A lifetime of experience had taught her not to place easy trust in miracles.
Every eye in the room was on Naoki.
Naoki didn't flinch. He stood straight, his dark red eyes meeting Ren's violet ones. There was no hesitation there. No fear.
"Of course. I have no objections."
"Excellent! Let's move outside!" Ren clapped once, then strode past her chair toward the door. Her red cape billowed lightly.
One by one, the Unit Chiefs rose and followed. Led by Ren, they all walked along the long corridor and out toward open ground.
Kyouka walked beside Tenka, her voice kept low so as not to be heard by the others. "Is this really alright, Tenka? You know how powerful Commander Yamashiro truly is."
"Thank you for your concern, Kyouka-chin." Tenka smiled brightly, not a trace of doubt on her face. "Don't worry—Naoki-kun is very strong. He's stronger than me, you know~"
"..."
Kyouka didn't take that at face value. In her view, Tenka was clearly biased toward her boyfriend now that she was in love. That was natural. But reality was still reality—Ren was the Supreme Commander.
The Apex of Humanity.
There was no way any man could defeat her.
Meanwhile, at the back of the group, Naoki and Yuuki walked side by side. For the first time since meeting, they had the chance to speak.
"I never imagined you'd been caught in a Mato Disaster too, Kamikawa." Yuuki began, his voice a mixture of surprise and sympathy.
"Just call me by my name." Naoki turned, his dark red eyes meeting Yuuki's with quiet steadiness. "And I'll call you Yuuki. We're classmates, aren't we?"
Yuuki nodded, a little awkwardly. "Alright, Naoki. By the way, you're incredibly lucky. I want superhuman power too."
Naoki observed Yuuki carefully.
Yes, Yuuki was envious—but in a good-natured way. There was no hatred in his eyes, no bitter jealousy. Only a genuine wish to have the same. This man harbored no malice within his envy.
"You missed the graduation ceremony." Naoki shifted the subject. "Ryunosuke and the others were disappointed. They'd prepared a gift for you. Ryunosuke said he'd hold onto it until you came back. Even if it's gone stale by then."
Yuuki scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. "Haah... The Seventh Unit has been incredibly busy. There's always so much to do. I couldn't make it."
Naoki only nodded. He could see it—Yuuki was working hard here. Perhaps harder than anyone.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The group finally emerged from the main building and arrived at a wide courtyard. An open field of well-kept green grass, surrounded by leafy trees.
Ren was already standing in the center of the field, her hand beckoning to someone.
"Ginna! Set up a barrier here."
"Yes! Ren-sama!"
Ginna nodded and got to work immediately. She produced a white chalk from her pocket and began marking the boundary of a large circle on the ground.
The Unit Chiefs stood outside the circle being drawn. Kyouka, Mira, Fubuki, Yakumo, Bell, Varvara, Riu, Konomi, and Yuuki—all watching with varying degrees of interest.
Ren and Naoki stepped inside the circle, roughly ten meters apart. Ginna finished the final line, then stepped back outside. The moment the line closed, the air around the circle shimmered faintly—the barrier had been activated.
Ren crossed her arms in front of her chest, her smile widening.
"This barrier is special, you know. Inside it, Ginna can heal any wound. Broken bones, torn muscles, even fatal injuries."
She looked Naoki up and down.
"I thought you might need it."
Naoki didn't react. His eyes remained calm, fixed on Ren.
"Should I be grateful for your consideration, or offended that you're not taking this sparring match seriously?"
"Oh, I'm taking it seriously." Ren gave a small laugh. "It's simply that the outcome is already certain. I win, you lose. It's that simple."
Naoki exhaled—not from frustration, but like someone who had just heard a tired joke. "Let's see whether you're still holding onto that arrogance when this is over."
He had a genuine desire to shatter that infuriating quality of Ren's. Not to hurt her physically, but to bring down her absolute certainty that she was undefeatable.
Ginna finished setting up the barrier. She stepped back outside and gave a nod to Riu.
Riu stepped forward to the edge of the circle. Her hoarse voice carried across the field.
"I will serve as referee."
Her sharp eyes moved between the two fighters in turn.
"But bear this in mind—killing is forbidden! At the first sign of crossing that line, all Unit Chiefs will intervene."
"Remember who our true enemies are!"
"Begin!"
And with that, both fighters activated their Peach Blossom Blessings.
Ren assumed the dhyana mudra. Around her, eight luminous mandalas appeared, rotating slowly like miniature galaxies. Each mandala bore different symbols and colors, representing different abilities. Within her eyes, Sanskrit symbols began to appear one after another, flickering like traffic lights—each one an ability ready to be deployed at any moment.
Breathtaking as it was, every Chief's attention was more firmly fixed on Naoki.
Across from her, Naoki's pupils changed. An inverted cross of dark gold appeared in his irises. Behind his back, the diagram of the Qliphoth Tree manifested—a dark, terrifying yet magnificent structure containing ten slots, each one fully filled with copied Peach Blossom Blessings. That dark aura churned and roiled, as though challenging the radiant light of Ren's mandalas.
For a long moment, no one moved.
No one spoke.
"Damn! It's real! Tenka wasn't lying!" Mira swore with her characteristic bluntness, her eyes wide with disbelief at the manifestation behind Naoki.
"Hearing it and seeing it for yourself are two very different things." Riu murmured quietly.
Her lined face showed a deep unease. The old woman could already envision the uproar that would erupt once the public learned of this.
"What a remarkable young man... I wonder whether his offspring would inherit this uniqueness."
Fubuki could already imagine her mother's reaction upon learning about Naoki—that old woman would certainly want the young man's 'seed' for the Azuma family.
"..."
Varvara said nothing at all. Her face was flat, showing neither admiration nor concern. For her, the center of her world was Kyouka. She didn't care how extraordinary Naoki was—it had nothing to do with her as long as Kyouka was here.
"Whistling~ what an impressive display!" Yakumo let out an admiring whistle, then turned to her side. "Tenka, what exactly is his Peach Blossom Blessing's ability?"
"The name of Naoki-kun's Peach Blossom Blessing is «Pandemonium», and its ability is Perfect Copy." Tenka saw no reason to hide it. Everyone here would find out sooner or later.
Yuuki, standing behind Kyouka, immediately turned to look at her. "Kyouka-san, isn't that..."
"Yes." Kyouka gave a slight nod, her eyes not leaving Naoki. "It's similar to Himari's «Learning»."
"This is the first time I've ever seen the Supreme Commander fight!" Konomi exclaimed with excitement, both hands cupping her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the high-level duel unfolding before her.
"I hope Ren-chan doesn't go too far." Bell whispered softly, her expression showing genuine concern for both sides.
Inside the circle, Ren and Naoki still faced each other.
Eight luminous mandalas revolved around Ren. The Qliphoth Tree stood firm behind Naoki.
The battle was about to begin.
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