The courtyard was no longer a battlefield.
It felt like the center of something ancient.
Wind spiraled outward from the crater.
Debris trembled.
Students who hadn't evacuated yet stood frozen, unable to understand what they were feeling.
Pressure.
Not crushing.
Not explosive.
But deep.
Like standing at the edge of a cliff and realizing the ocean below is endless.
Ryo staggered forward, wiping blood from his lip.
"Kai… say something."
No response.
Kai stood inside the crater, head lowered.
Silver light flickered faintly behind his closed eyelids.
Elias' voice was steady — but tight.
"That energy… it's not spiking."
Ryo blinked.
"…What?"
"It's stabilizing."
That was worse.
The Riftborn took one step back.
Its massive frame twitched violently, dark energy rippling across its armored body. A distorted hiss escaped from its throat — not mindless.
Cautious.
Its hollow eyes locked onto Kai.
It tilted its head slightly.
Studying him.
Then—
It laughed.
The sound was broken and jagged, like metal scraping against stone.
Ryo's fists clenched.
"Did that thing just—"
The Riftborn slammed its claw into the ground and launched forward again.
Faster.
Sharper.
This time aimed directly at Kai's head.
Elias moved instinctively.
"Move!"
Kai didn't.
The Riftborn's strike descended—
And stopped inches from Kai's face.
The air bent.
Not blocked.
Not caught.
Just… refused.
The creature pushed harder.
Dark energy surged violently around its arm.
The ground cracked deeper.
Still…
It couldn't move forward.
Kai slowly opened his eyes.
Silver.
Brighter now.
Calm.
Unbothered.
The Riftborn let out a low, guttural snarl.
Then it forced its arm downward again—
And Kai moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just one step to the side.
The creature's massive strike missed completely, crashing into the earth and shattering stone.
Kai raised his hand slightly.
Energy gathered — not explosive.
Compressed.
Focused.
The Riftborn reacted instantly, roaring as it swung again with full force.
This time—
The hit landed.
Square against Kai's chest.
A massive shockwave erupted across the courtyard.
Students screamed.
Ryo's eyes widened.
"KA—"
Smoke cleared slowly.
Kai was still standing.
A faint crackling sound echoed from his chest.
Not bone.
Not armor.
Something else.
The glowing lines beneath his skin brightened.
The seal fractured further.
The Riftborn staggered backward.
It felt it now.
That difference.
That shift.
Its sinister laughter stopped.
Replaced by something closer to instinctual fear.
Ryo breathed hard, staring.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Elias whispered quietly—
"It's not his full power."
Kai finally spoke.
Soft.
Steady.
Controlled.
"…I know."
The Riftborn lunged one last time, pouring everything it had into a final, violent charge.
Dark energy exploded around it.
The sky trembled.
The rift above pulsed violently.
And then—
Kai's aura ignited.
Silver-blue light erupted outward, not wild… not chaotic… but precise.
The air bent around him.
Dust lifted.
Gravity shifted.
The Riftborn's movement slowed mid-charge.
Its massive form dragging through invisible resistance.
Kai raised his hand calmly.
And said one sentence.
"…You're too loud."
The light intensified.