---
Kirota walked beside Suzuka, the tension between them thick. On the other side, some students whispered.
"Damn… they're not even working together. That's sad."
"They'll never win like that," someone laughed.
Kirota gritted his teeth. Just my bad luck.
Suddenly, a demon leapt out from behind a tree.
"Move back! That… that monster looks like a monkey!" Kirota shouted. "Do something, Suzuka!"
Suzuka sighed, her patience already thin. "Why are you giving orders?"
Kirota froze. The demon lunged. Its fist struck him in the stomach with lightning speed, hurling him into a nearby wall. He coughed up blood.
Damn… that hurts.
He thought. I know I'm immortal, but I can still feel pain.
Kirota struggled to his feet. The monkey demon roared and attacked again.
From the sidelines, a boy muttered, "Why isn't Suzuka helping him? This is a team mission, not a solo show."
The demon kept landing punches, and Kirota fell, staggered, then rose again, coughing blood. His half-demon body kept him alive, but every strike stung like fire.
Another student whispered, eyes wide, "I can't keep watching this…"
Suzuka watched silently, arms crossed. Then, with a resigned sigh, she jumped into action. Her sword gleamed as she shouted:
"First Forms: Water Surface Slash!"
A wave of water erupted around the monkey demon, sweeping it off its feet. It bled and vanished into a puddle of mist. Suzuka returned her sword to its sheath.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Kirota asked, brushing dust off himself.
"To be honest… I love seeing you suffer," Suzuka said flatly.
"Really now," Kirota muttered, shaking his head.
---
Meanwhile, Eriya walked through the training grounds when a boy suddenly jumped in front of her.
"Are you lost?" she asked, smiling confidently.
Before she could react, he moved behind her in a blur and kicked her with incredible force. She flew across the field, landing hard.
Kirota saw it and ran over, Suzuka following.
"Eriya! Are you alright?" he shouted.
Eriya gritted her teeth and stood. "You'll feel the pain gale surge!" She struck with a winter-cold wind slash, but Kirota's half-demon reflexes kicked in. All the injuries she inflicted healed immediately.
Her eyes widened. "How… how is he moving so fast?"
Another boy charged at Eriya again, but Kirota stepped in, pushing her out of the way just in time. Her head nearly collided with the demon's foot.
"Monster!" Eriya screamed, pointing at the boy.
The demon lunged again, but Suzuka leapt forward, slicing at his feet. He recovered instantly, stepping toward Eriya again. She shouted, tears in her eyes, "Someone! Someone help me!"
Kirota wanted to run to her, but his legs froze. Suddenly, a voice rang out across the field:
"Inferno Bulk!"
A massive fireball streaked forward with terrifying speed, striking the demon boy square in the chest. He staggered back, then grinned, brushing himself off.
Natsu's voice carried over the chaos: "Next time, my bad luck won't save you."
Kirota's eyes narrowed as he watched the demon recover. This… isn't over.
To be continued…
---