-1331- Try to climb up

"Crack, boom...!"

As the roar rang out, countless bolts of lightning exploded from the center of the battle zone, like flashes of lightning descending from the sky, striking the ground one by one. The ground of the battle zone was completely shattered, with cracks appearing continuously, causing the entire battle zone to break apart.

Debris and rubble flew wildly.

Thunder and lightning rampaged across the entire area.

The shock wave turned into a gale, howling and expanding, sending debris and rubble flying toward the audience stands.

"Not good!"

"Danger!"

The crowd in the audience stands was alarmed. They quickly summoned their Devices, fending off the violent storm and knocking away the incoming debris and rubble.

For a moment, the entire training ground trembled.

"Such power...!"

"Ugh...!"

Ikki and Stella also summoned their Devices, deflecting the debris while feeling the tremors throughout the area, their expressions changing drastically.

Both of them thought about it—if they were fighting Todo Touka and her Raikiri had this kind of power, would they be able to withstand it or even withstand it at all?

Of course, in such a situation, lacking the enhancement of the Shippu Jinrai that boosts physical ability, Ikki and Stella could retreat with all their might while Todo Touka was attacking, allowing them to evade her strikes. This would prevent the cross distance that enables Raikiri to activate.

It was the effect of the Shippu Jinrai that increased the activation and hit probability of Todo Touka's sword. Therefore, neither of them could say that Todo Touka was holding back.

The storm continued to rage, causing the audience stands to shake as if struck by a typhoon.

Fortunately, the storm eventually weakened, and the rampaging lightning also subsided, gradually calming down.

The audience collectively breathed a sigh of relief and then focused on the arena again.

There, as the storm and lightning subsided, their vision gradually restored.

Before long, two figures appeared amidst the strong wind and arcs of electricity.

Seeing this, everyone perked up and stared intently.

With this focus, they finally saw the situation in the arena clearly.

However, their eyes first showed bewilderment, then astonishment, and finally were filled with shock.

"Tap...! Plop...!"

Bits of debris fell from the air, striking the feet of the two figures and rolling around, the sound clearly audible.

Todo Touka stood in front of Rozen, maintaining the posture of her slash, with arcs of electricity still dancing on her body, just like the last time with Ikki.

But this time, Todo Touka was staring fixedly at the scene before her, her eyes full of disbelief.

There, Rozen met Todo Touka's gaze.

His expression remained unchanged.

His body was completely unscathed.

Rozen had merely stretched out one hand.

That hand had completely blocked the lightning-wreathed blade with just one finger.

That's right.

One finger.

Rozen had only extended one finger, and the invincible family heirloom sword was blocked, without even a scratch on his skin.

"What...!?"

Ikki, Stella, and Shizuku gasped in unison.

"Impossible!"

Misogi Utakata, Totokubara Kanata, Tomaru Renren, and Saijou Ikazuchi from the student council were also shocked.

"You...!"

Even Todo Touka was stunned by the scene before her.

She hadn't noticed the barely visible barrier at the point where Rozen's finger touched the blade.

It was a barrier formed from a gem-like crystal.

The barrier was extremely small, perfectly matching the edge of the blade, hence no one noticed its existence.

Yet, this tiny gem-like crystal had blocked the famed Raikiri's deadly strike.

Moreover, it had gathered all its power.

This, of course, was the ability of one of the Beast Vassals within Rozen—Mesarthim Adamas, which could reflect all enemy attacks.

Rozen had manifested a portion of this Beast Vassal's power, using its ability without summoning its main body, forming such a small gem-like crystal on his finger.

Using the Mind's Eye to completely see through Raikiri's trajectory, Rozen extended this finger, using the tiny, invisible shield to block the strike.

Furthermore, Rozen, with absolute control and his own skills, held back the power of Raikiri that was about to be reflected, preventing an immediate counterattack.

This was a method Rozen couldn't have achieved in the past, only mastering this control after ten years of continuous battle in this world, even controlling the power that would be reflected back.

Unaware of this, the others thought Rozen had truly blocked Raikiri's deadly strike with just one finger, leaving them all in shock.

Then...

"This is the peak you cannot reach."

Rozen spoke to the utterly shocked Todo Touka.

"If you want to become stronger, then try to climb up."

Saying this, Rozen extended the finger of his other hand and placed it on Todo Touka's forehead.

Immediately, he channeled a portion of the Raikiri's power gathered in the gem-like crystal through his body to that finger and released it all at once.

"Boom—!"

With a muffled explosion, an astonishing force erupted from Rozen's finger pressed against Todo Touka's forehead, like an invisible cannonball, blasting Todo Touka away.

Todo Touka was instantly sent flying, resembling a cannonball herself, scraping through the air with a sharp whistling sound before crashing into the wall of the audience stand.

Dust and smoke filled the air.

"Touka!"

"President!"

In the audience, the student council members shouted, rushing toward Todo Touka.

As for Ikki, Stella, and Shizuku, they remained in shock, unable to recover for a long time.

The strongest student council president of Hagun Academy was defeated by Rozen without even making a single move.

Even Raikiri was blocked by a single finger.

"Cough...! Cough, cough...!"

Coughing, Todo Touka struggled to support herself as she looked in Rozen's direction.

In her view, Rozen was quietly watching, as if silently conveying something. After a moment, he turned and left the battle zone.

"Wait..."

Instinctively, Todo Touka tried to say something.

However, the force that had struck her forehead had already caused her consciousness to blur and her head to spin.

Todo Touka's head tilted, and she passed out.

When she woke up again, Rozen and his group were nowhere to be seen.