The roar of the crowd still echoed through the arena, thick with disbelief and excitement after the battle they had just witnessed.
Some students cheered wildly at the brutal exchange of blows. Others shouted in awe—not at the fight itself, but at Yamato's sheer will to stand back up, again and again.
Meanwhile, the teachers and other high ranked students like Ichiha seated in the stands sat in stunned silence.
None of them could fathom it.
Yamato was ordinary. No divine blessing. No visible enhancement. Just raw physical ability—nothing more. And yet, he had not only kept up with Ichiha, but injured him. Worse still, he had pushed Ichiha to unveil a fighting style meant only for life-or-death situations.
As the crowd buzzed with disbelief, Yamato let out a faint smile.
Ichiha stood before him, chest rising and falling heavily, sweat dripping down his face. When he spoke, his voice came out strained, forced through exhaustion.
"I am the stronger vessel," he said firmly. "Far stronger than anything you've seen during your recovery missions."
From the stands, Chella—a seventeen-year-old of average height, an Earth Divine Energy user—watched with a worried gaze, her hands clenched tightly.
Nearby, Sora leaned back against her seat, arms folded across her chest. Her eyes never left Yamato as her mind raced, piecing together thoughts and possibilities.
Yamato straightened his posture. Before everyone's eyes, his wounds began to close. Broken bones knit back into place, muscles tightening as if they had never been damaged at all.
He extended his right hand toward Ichiha, offering help.
Master Ozaki stood nearby, watching closely, his sharp eyes following every movement.
Ichiha grabbed Yamato's hand and pulled himself upright. As he leaned closer, he whispered near Yamato's ear, his breath still uneven.
"Sorry for all that. I just needed to test it… to see if it would work properly against someone I've been planning for."
Yamato's lips curved into a soft, knowing smile. He leaned in and replied quietly.
"I get it. But next time… you'll be even stronger when you use it."
Ichiha pulled back, sweat rolling down his brow as he stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
Yamato winked at him—twice.
"You'll see."
From a distance, Master Ozaki watched the exchange, astonishment clear on his face.
These kids… they're magnificent.
Especially this boy—Yamato.
The crowd slowly processed what they had just seen. The sudden calm between both fighters only made the moment more terrifying than the battle itself.
Lumei rushed to the front of the stands, gripping the railing that separated them from the arena.
"Yamato! Yamato!"
He leaned too far forward, nearly losing his balance, but caught himself just in time.
"Come on, Yamato!"
Hearing his voice, Yamato turned and smiled. Then, without warning, he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
He walked toward Lumei, who reached out, shaking his hand before pulling him up into the stands. Together, they made their way toward Sora, who had been sitting at the highest point.
Noticing them approach, Sora hopped down to meet them.
As Yamato passed through the stands, countless students stretched out their hands, desperate to touch him. The attention overwhelmed him—his chest felt ready to burst.
For the first time in a long while… I'm being acknowledged, he thought.
All this… just from that little spar.
Before he could fully enjoy the moment, Sora suddenly leaped forward and wrapped herself around him.
"You're okay!" she shouted, squeezing him tightly.
Lumei froze, staring in disbelief.
"Yeah… it's always you getting the goodies from Sora," he muttered under his breath.
Yamato struggled to speak through her tight grip.
"That's a lie… you just don't have the right state of mind."
Lumei's expression hardened. He threw a punch straight into Yamato's back.
"Shut up."
Sora finally let go and immediately began checking Yamato over, her hands moving carefully across his head, shoulders, arms, and torso. When her hands brushed across his chest, her expression softened—almost dreamy—as she traced down his well-defined muscles.
"Oooh… that's a really nice set you've got," she said with a grin.
"Stop it, Sora!" Lumei shouted. "We're outside! Do that when we're at home!"
She continued down toward his legs anyway.
At that moment, Master Ozaki leaped back to the judges' platform and picked up the microphone. A loud screech pierced the air, snapping the crowd's attention back to him.
The noise died down.
"Students of Cloak High," Ozaki announced, his voice echoing through the arena. "You have just witnessed a heated match between Ichiha and Yamato. Though Yamato put on an incredible performance… Ichiha is the victor."
A ripple of mixed reactions spread through the crowd.
"Some of you may not know this," Ozaki continued, "but your headmaster and I used to fight like this. I usually won—but that's beside the point."
A faint chuckle followed.
"Tomorrow, prepare yourselves for another fascinating battle. Our top two girls—Chella and Sora—will face each other. As for today… I still need time to decide who to pick between Ichiha and Yamato."
Hearing her name, Sora beamed and grabbed Yamato by the shoulders, shaking him excitedly.
"Yamato! Did you hear that? I'm fighting Chella tomorrow!"
"Give him some space," Lumei said, peeling Yamato away from her. "He needs to catch his breath."
She laughed and finally let go.
The three of them shared a moment of laughter before Yamato spoke, his voice tired but content.
"Let's head home."
Lumei nodded, stepping closer, while Sora walked alongside them as they exited the arena—leaving behind the slowly dispersing crowd of students still buzzing from what they had witnessed.