The dust from the last impact hadn't even settled properly.
Then the air snapped.
A sharp crack of static tore through the battlefield like reality itself had been struck.
Everyone felt it at the same time.
Not just cursed energy—
but intent.
Ryu's grin widened instantly.
"…That's him."
Uro's eyes narrowed.
"…That pressure…"
Yuta shifted his stance slightly.
"…Hajime Kashimo."
Hakari rolled his shoulders like he was about to step into a game.
"…Finally."
Takeru didn't move.
Just watched the horizon.
Then—
he appeared.
Hajime Kashimo walked through the lingering smoke like it wasn't there.
Calm.
Direct.
Eyes sharp like he already knew the outcome and was just choosing how it would happen.
Lightning flickered faintly around him without effort.
Not uncontrolled.
Not wild.
Natural.
"…So this is the group."
His gaze moved across them.
Ryu.
Uro.
Hakari.
Kirara.
Yuta.
Then stopped on Takeru.
A brief pause.
"…You're the one pulling everything together."
Takeru answered simply.
"…Correct."
Kashimo's expression didn't change.
"…Good."
A crack of electricity sparked under his feet.
"…Then I won't waste time."
Hakari smirked.
"…Straight to it, huh?"
Kirara stepped slightly back, already reading danger lines in the air.
Yuta exhaled.
"…Everyone, stay coordinated."
Ryu rolled his shoulders.
"…Finally, a proper main course."
Uro hovered higher.
"…This one feels different."
Takeru lifted his hand slightly.
"…Engagement confirmed."
Then—
Kashimo moved.
No buildup.
No hesitation.
Just lightning.
The ground exploded where he stood—
his body already reappearing mid-air in front of Hakari.
Hakari reacted instantly—
laughing as he met the strike head-on.
"…That's more like it!"
BOOM.
Impact ripped through the area.
Yuta dashed in from the side—
blade drawn.
Kashimo shifted mid-motion—
electricity snapping outward in a defensive arc.
Uro warped space above him—
trying to distort his movement path—
Ryu charged from another angle—
pure cursed energy compressing into a devastating strike.
And Takeru—
moved last.
Not rushing.
Not reacting.
Reading.
Kashimo's eyes flicked toward him for half a second.
"…There you are."
Lightning surged.
The battlefield detonated into full-scale combat.
Hakari laughed somewhere in the chaos.
Kirara's support lines activated in the background.
Yuta pressed forward carefully.
Ryu fought like it was fun.
Uro manipulated distance and angles.
And Kashimo—
was everywhere at once.
Then—
Takeru stepped in.
"…Now."
The real fight began.