THAT WAS CLOSE

Watch Area…

Both classes stared in awe as the clash shook the forest. Their strongest fighters moved so fast it was almost impossible to follow.

“This is insane,” Talia whispered.

“I can barely keep up with their speed,” Suki added, eyes wide.

Fuji crossed his arms, tension clear on his face. “The other class is no joke. Team Zero will need everything they’ve got to win this.”

“But look—Hikaru just removed his gloves. He fist-bumped Sakura and Mikio… his aura’s not black anymore. It’s red.”

Mikasa’s spirit eyes glowed brighter. Her voice trembled. “His strength… it’s skyrocketing.”

“What do you mean?” Yuki pressed.

“I… I don’t know how to explain. But this isn’t the same Hikaru from before.”

“Then all we can do is watch,” Suki said, folding her arms tightly.

---

Forest Area…

“You two stay back.”

“Are you crazy?!” Sakura snapped. “Even one-on-one we were struggling. And now you want to fight all three at once?”

‘We can’t allow this,’ Mikio wrote in flames.

“Yeah, yeah, I knew you’d say that. Just trust me this once.”

“But Hikaru—” Sakura’s voice softened. “We’re worried about you.”

“Worried? That’s… new. Nobody’s ever worried about me before.” I said, but my chest felt tight. “Relax.

"You've been acting different ever since you removed your gloves."Sakura said.

"It’s just a side effect. Once I put the gloves back on, I’ll return to normal. Just believe in me.”

“Fine,” Sakura muttered, folding her arms. “But don’t do anything stupid.”

‘We trust you,’ Mikio added, flames flickering with sincerity.

“Done with your little drama?” Renji sneered. “Good. Let’s end this.”

Aya, Daigo, and Renji charged.

I spread my arms wide. My shadow liquefied and shot forward, forming sharp vines.

Daigo stepped in front, his aura shielding him as my vines slammed into his chest.

“A solid wall, huh?” I muttered.

Aya darted sideways, trying to flank Sakura. My shadow surged up, forming a wall. Her punch echoed like thunder but failed to break through.

“What the hell?!” Aya gasped.

“My turn.” I lowered my stance. Shadow Step.

In an instant, I was behind her. My kick cut through the air—Aya’s eyes widened. “Too fast!”

She tried to leap back, but I was already there. My fist shot forward.

“Not so fast!” Daigo intercepted, his arms taking the blow. The force drove him back several steps.

Renji lunged at me from behind. I twisted, caught his hand, and shifted for a suplex. He barely tore free in time.

The three regrouped, breaths heavy.

“That strength…” Sakura whispered. “It doesn’t even feel human.”

Watch Area…

Ryo gritted his teeth. “That’s the hybrid’s teammate?!”

Kaito’s eyes widened. “He’s holding back three of our best like it’s nothing. How can someone like that belong to Class F?”

“Wow… Hikaru’s insane,” Fuji muttered.

“He’s strong,” Mikasa said, voice grim, “but his aura signal is fading fast.”

“What’s an aura signal?” Jackson asked.

“It’s how noticeable your aura is to sensory types,” Suki explained. “If the signal vanishes, it means either death… or an assassin-level concealment.”

“Then he’s in danger!” Talia shouted.

Fuji clenched his fists. “We just have to trust him. That’s what we promised.”

If it gets worse, I’ll intervene, Miss Clarissa thought, eyes narrowing. Otherwise… he’ll kill himself.

Forest Area…

My vision blurred. Dizziness clawed at my head.

“Great… I’m nearly at my limit.”

One last push. I locked my eyes on Daigo—their wall.

I gathered every ounce of aura into my fist, calling fire from Aeres.

“Meteor Punch!”

Daigo coated himself in aura, bracing. My fist struck. His shield shattered like glass, the force hurling him headfirst into a tree. He crumpled, unconscious.

Shock rippled across the battlefield.

“He… he dropped Daigo in one punch…” Renji stammered.

“Yeah,” I muttered, wiping blood from my lip. “And you’re next.”

Aya lunged, desperate. I vanished with Shadow Step, reappearing at her back. My palm tapped her spine with controlled force. She collapsed, unconscious.

My head spun violently. Vision doubled. Still...one left.

Renji appeared behind me, fist cocked. My shadows rose, catching both his arms mid-strike. His legs froze too, swallowed by black.

His eyes filled with despair. “H-how can a Class F defeat the 100th-ranked clan?!”

“Your rankings are outdated.” My voice was ice. “I'm going to reset the rankings with the Kage clan at the top.”

My fist sank into his gut. He fell unconscious instantly.

Silence.

Then the speakers roared: “Class F has won this trial and with it, the competition!”

I slipped my gloves back on. The red aura faded. My body felt like lead.

Sakura and Mikio rushed over.

“That was so cool, Hira-kun!” Sakura squealed, hugging me.

I pried her off weakly. “Don’t… hug me right now.”

‘You are incredible,’ Mikio wrote in flames.

He raised his hand gesturing for a high five.

"Right"

I gave him one.

In a flash of light, we were teleported back to the watch area. Cheers exploded around us.

“You guys were amazing!” Talia shouted.

“Unbelievable teamwork,” Fuji added.

Compliments rained down. My vision swam.

And then....blackness.

Author’s Note:

Hikaru: Tch… why do I have to write this? Anyway, yeah, I totally carried that fight. Don’t listen to Sakura if she says otherwise. And no, I didn’t almost pass out. That was just… a tactical nap.

Sakura: Lies! He was wobbling like a drunk pigeon at the end. Also, excuse me, I looked amazing with those flashy kicks. Did you all see that? Roundhouse perfection. Someone better clip that in their memory!

Mikio: ‘Hikaru did nearly faint. Sakura did look cool. But we all know I was the reliable one.’ –written in flames

Sakura: Oh, here we go again with the flames. You’re not reliable, you’re just dramatic.

Hikaru: Both of you, shut up already. The readers aren't here to see you both shine.

Sakura: Pffft! No, they’re here for me. Right, readers? RIGHT?!

Mikio: ‘Let’s agree it’s thanks to all three of us. And thanks to you readers for supporting!’ –flames flicker into a heart shape

Hikaru: …Ugh. Fine. Thanks for reading. But don’t tell Sakura she looked cool.

Sakura: TOO LATE, HIRA-KUN! They already know I’m awesome!