Gratitude

"Yo-Your arm!"

While Sakuya was fascinated by his figure, she only realized that his right hand was mangled. His right arm was full of wounds, and blood kept dripping. Part of his skin also disappeared, and they could see the muscle of his right arm. While it might be hard to see, they could also see something white, and they knew that it was his bone.

Due to the sound barrier and the air friction, his right arm had become how it was now.

While with his physical ability alone, Tsukasa could reach a supersonic speed, his body couldn't handle the strain and pressure that came from that speed.

After all, a human's body wasn't created to bear supersonic speed.

Even an airplane jet that was made with the hardest steel and aerodynamic design could become a scrap because of the sound barrier and air friction, a human body, which was weak, of course, couldn't handle the pressure, and it led into the current situation.

If Tsukasa used magic, this wouldn't happen, but he had decided not to use it in this duel.

Tsukasa knew that this was stupid, but who cares?

Anyway, Tsukasa had a regenerative healing factor, and as long as he wanted to, he could fight, even if he ignored his survival instinct or many wounds on his body.

Sakuya, who had decided to marry Tsukasa, stared at his right arm in horror and the calm expression on her face disappeared. "Kugayama Tsukasa!" She reminded him and told him to quickly tend his wound, but he ignored her, and his eyes had never looked away from Mikuni.

Mikuni's appearance was far different from before.

His clothes were torn, and his glasses were shattered. His appearance was dirty, but even so, there weren't any wounds on his body.

Tsukasa really wondered what kind of monster this guy was.

Mikuni looked at Tsukasa's right arm then asked, "Is it worth it?"

If Tsukasa's arm wasn't tended, without a doubt, it would turn useless, and it wouldn't be able to move anymore.

Mikuni wondered whether it was worth it for him to throw away his right arm to defeat him.

However, Tsukasa merely smiled as he raised his mangled hand nonchalantly. "It's worth it." His left hand fixed the broken fingers on his right hand as he ignored the pain. "For a human to defeat a monster like you unless they sacrifice something, it's impossible for us to defeat you." His right hand might be broken, but his spirit didn't.

Tsukasa clenched his right fist and said, "It's just the beginning. I'll keep beating you until I win."

"......."

Sakuya looked at Tsukasa in a daze and said, "Are you stupid?!" It might be her first time to lose control since she usually never lost her calm, but watching him harm his precious body like this, she couldn't control it anymore!

However, Tsukasa ignored Sakuya again, and his eyes kept watching Mikuni.

Sakuya gritted her teeth and even kicked his calf, but Tsukasa didn't bulge and held another wooden sword on his broken right hand before taking his stance again.

However...

"I lost," Mikuni said.

"...Are you sure?" Tsukasa asked dumbfoundedly.

"Yes." Mikuni nodded with a gentle smile on his face and said, "If you're a Blaze, I'll be at your mercy right now."

"Blaze?" Tsukasa frowned, showing confusion.

Mikuni didn't answer Tsukasa and looked at Sakuya. He approached them and bowed his head. "Ojou-sama, can you let him become a Blaze now? If he becomes one, I'm sure that his right arm will be saved."

It was his respect toward Tsukasa, his opponent, who used all of his power to defeat him.

Era, time, race, culture, and intellect.

There is an action that human beings use that's beyond differences.

When they face an event beyond an event in the universe that surpasses human knowledge or logic.

Or when they encounter a higher spiritual power that overflows with love, mercy, and will beyond humanity close to the divine.

This is something that can't be imitated or simulated.

Mikuni respected Tsukasa so much.

While being a normal human, Tsukasa dared to face a Blaze like him, an existence that was beyond the boundary of humanity.

While Tsukasa was weak, he didn't think he would lose, and there was only a victory in his eyes, even if he had to sacrifice many parts of his body.

It was the first time Mikuni saw such a person, and he respected Tsukasa from the bottom of his heart.

Mikuni didn't want Tsukasa to become a cripple like this, and he believed that if Tsukasa was given power, his power might, no, he would transcend even him!

Tsukasa was such an existence, and Mikuni believed in him.

As for Tsukasa being a spy or something related, Mikuni didn't believe it since there was no way one would send such a fascinating person to become their spy.

Mikuni believed that everything was fate, and their meeting was arranged by the existence above.

Sakuya looked at Tsukasa and asked, "Do you want to have a power like Mikuni?"

"...Do I have to pay with my soul or something?" Tsukasa asked bitterly.

Sakuya chuckled and pulled his left hand, gesturing him to crouch down.

Tsukasa crouched down slightly, matching his gaze with Sakuya.

Sakuya glanced at his dangling broken right arm, and even with how horrible his injuries were, she could see that his gaze was still clear. Though, she could see that he was sweating profusely, showing that the pain was real. She chuckled and asked, "Is your hand painful?"

"Well, if I'm not afraid you might do something weird, I just want to lay down now."

While his willpower was strong, Tsukasa could still feel the pain in his body.

"Don't sleep first. You should use this." Sakuya took out a syringe from Mikuni's hand.

Tsukasa observed the syringe and could see a blood-red liquid inside. While he wasn't sure what kind of liquid it was, he could smell a mysterious power inside.

"I'll give you the power and heal your right arm, so will you be mine," Sakuya asked with a smile.

Mikuni also looked at Tsukasa.

Usually, a normal person would nod and agree, but who Tsukasa was?"

"Sorry, I refuse. Thanks for the help, but I won't sell myself to anyone."

Tsukasa couldn't stay in this world forever, and he wasn't that desperate enough to give all of his life to someone just to get power.

Tsukasa was so decisive and his decision was dumbfounded by Mikuni and Sakuya.

"Wait a minute!" Sakuya held Tsukasa's broken right arm.

"Ouch! Ouch! Sakuya-chan, don't be so rough!" Tsukasa shouted in pain.

Sakuya quickly let go of Tsukasa's broken right hand and asked, "Why don't you want to?"

Tsukasa looked at Sakuya and asked, "I mean, why should I want to?"

"........" Sakuya and Mikuni.

"Can I go now?"

"...How old are you?" Sakuya asked.

"15."

"Oh?" Sakuya was amazed and said, "I'll give you this, but you need to agree with my request."

"Request?"

"You have to join Kouryou Academy."

"Kouryou Academy?" Tsukasa was confused, but he asked, "I just have to go to school, right?"

"Yes." Sakuya nodded with a smile.

"Well, I don't really mind." Tsukasa nodded and didn't feel Sakuya's request was excessive. Instead, it was quite cheap of him since he could gain a new power by just joining the school. Frankly, he was also curious about what kind of school this Kouryou Academy was.

"Here." Sakuya gave the syringe to Tsukasa and said, "You can inject it on yourself."

"Oh? What is this?"

"It's the source of the power that you have seen today. You can gain that power by injecting the liquid inside your body."

Tsukasa nodded and used his power to check the liquid on the syringe before he injected the liquid on his vessel on his neck without hesitation.

Mikuni and Sakuya watched in silence and were amazed by his decisiveness.

The liquid was slowly injected into his body until it was fully injected.

Tsukasa waited for a moment, and a burning sensation was felt on his entire body.