The battlefield was collapsing into layers of motion.
Ryu's cursed energy blasted in heavy, rhythmic bursts.
Yuta moved like a blade between them, trying to keep spacing stable.
Uro kept rebuilding distance through warped sky folds, still avoiding Mahoraga's looming presence.
And Mahoraga… simply advanced.
Step by step.
Learning everything.
Takeru stopped moving for a moment.
Just long enough for Yuta to notice.
"…What are you doing?"
Yuta's voice stayed calm, but alert.
Takeru walked straight up to him.
No hesitation.
No explanation at first.
Then—
he reached out and took Yuta's ring.
Yuta blinked once.
"…Hey—"
Takeru interrupted immediately.
"…Trust me on this one."
A pause.
Before Yuta could react, Takeru slid the ring onto his own finger.
The air shifted instantly.
Something clicked.
Then—
stopped.
Megumi would've called it impossible.
Uro would've called it reckless.
Ryu would've called it interesting.
Projection Sorcery—
cut off.
Completely suppressed in Takeru's control field.
Yuta's eyes widened slightly.
"…You just—disabled it?"
Takeru flexed his fingers once.
"…Stabilized movement interference."
Then he turned.
Directly toward Ryu.
Ryu grinned immediately.
"…Oh?"
Takeru took one step forward.
Then another.
No frame shifting.
No speed distortion.
Just walking.
Ryu cracked his knuckles.
"…You're coming straight at me now?"
Takeru nodded.
"…Correct."
Ryu laughed.
Loud.
Excited.
"…THAT'S what I wanted!"
He launched forward.
A brutal, concentrated punch aimed to flatten Takeru outright.
No tricks.
No speed advantage.
Just raw destruction.
Takeru met it head-on.
Impact.
The ground cratered beneath them.
Ryu's eyes widened slightly.
"…You didn't move."
Takeru's arm held.
Steady.
Anchored.
"…Unnecessary."
Then Takeru stepped in—
and struck back.
Clean.
Precise.
No cursed amplification.
Just timing and structure.
Ryu staggered half a step.
Then grinned wider.
"…Good."
Uro watched from above.
"…He removed his own mobility advantage…"
Yuta muttered.
"…He turned off his own technique…"
Mahoraga continued advancing in the background—
but now even it hesitated slightly.
Because this fight had changed tone.
Ryu and Takeru clashed again.
Blow for blow.
No teleporting rhythm.
No distortion tricks.
Just raw combat exchange at extreme level.
Ryu swung harder.
Takeru answered cleaner.
Ryu pushed heavier.
Takeru redirected.
And slowly—
Ryu started smiling more.
"…This is it…"
He slammed forward again—
and this time—
Takeru slipped inside the motion.
A short strike.
Controlled.
Perfect timing.
Ryu stumbled back—
just slightly.
Takeru spoke calmly.
"…Dessert served."
Ryu laughed through it.
"…You're weird, man."
But he didn't back down.
Not even a little.
Because now—
this wasn't just a fight.
It was exactly what he wanted.