Tobera's condition was simple.
Kazuma had to spar against Fubuki. Only then would permission to use the training grounds be granted.
Kazuma did not refuse.
For him, this was an opportunity. Especially since his opponent was the head of Unit 9 MDF—a fighter clearly on a different level.
"Satou-san, I appreciate this request."
"Yes, me too… and sorry if I get rough later."
"Fufufu… feel free to be as rough as you like."
The brief exchange sounded light on the surface, but carried an unmistakable tension.
They then stood before an old gate. At first glance, it looked ordinary—empty, quiet, with no sign of anything unusual.
Fubuki had changed her clothes. From her neat casual attire, she now wore the MDF combat uniform that emphasized her position as a unit captain. The firm lines of the outfit followed her figure, giving the impression of readiness for battle without diminishing her authority.
Meanwhile, Kazuma had also changed. He wore a slightly tight black compression shirt that clung to his body, paired with lighter, more flexible training pants. Simple clothing, but sufficient for unrestricted movement in combat.
Then Tobera stepped forward.
She began making a movement—something resembling a ritual or a simple dance. Her body moved in rhythm, while from her lips flowed a soft melody.
Tōryanse.
A traditional Japanese children's song.
The contrast felt strange—the simple and familiar tune now carried a deeper, almost unsettling meaning.
As the song continued, the air around the gate began to change.
The once empty surface started to tremble, then distort. Energy gathered, forming a thin vortex that grew denser until it completely covered the entrance like an invisible layer that had now become real.
The gate… opened.
"Kid, this is the training ground," Tobera said casually, as if what had just happened was normal. "No matter how severe or 'broken' your ability is, this place will return to normal."
Her gaze was sharp, but full of confidence.
"Now—go in."
Kazuma and Fubuki stepped inside together.
A blinding light instantly filled their vision, swallowing all their senses in an instant—
And when it faded, the world around them had changed.
Kazuma stood on a stretch of white sand. The scent of salt immediately hit his nose, carried by the calm sea breeze. The sound of waves echoed clearly, rolling gently in the distance.
He was on an island.
Fubuki seemed to be placed on the other side. There was no enclosed arena, no clear boundary—just a vast open battlefield.
And that… was better.
"Alright…"
Kazuma took a breath, then began removing his outer clothing.
After that—
His well-defined body began to change. Slowly, his skin started to glow, shifting into a bright yellow like compressed light beneath the surface. Heat began to radiate—subtle yet certain, as if the energy within him was awakening.
…
Meanwhile—
Yamazaki observed everything from the monitoring room. The battle visuals were displayed through a camera mounted on a bird-shaped robot, hovering high above the island.
Beside him stood Tobera—or more precisely, stood too close.
"Uuh… Tobera-san, could you step back a little?"
"Eeeh… why?"
"Don't act like a little girl. Have some dignity for your age."
"But I'm always a girl!"
The answer came without hesitation.
Yamazaki could only rub his temple slowly, suppressing the fatigue creeping in.
Deep down, he only hoped for one thing—
That Kazuma would finish the sparring quickly…
So he could go home in peace.
The broadcast screen showed the fight had begun.
Kazuma moved first. He jumped high—too high for a normal human—until his figure seemed to disappear into the sky.
Then, in one motion, he drove himself back down toward the center of the island.
BOOM!
The impact scorched the surrounding land. The heat spread rapidly, burning sand and vegetation, creating a wave of energy that rippled outward.
"What a crazy way of fighting," Tobera commented, her tone half impressed, half baffled.
She then glanced to the side.
Yamazaki stood still, his eyes fixed intently on the screen. No distractions, no comments—only pure focus on his student.
That expression…
Made Tobera fall silent for a moment.
Something long buried slowly resurfaced in her memory.
'Those days… I never thought I'd see them again now.'
There was the same nuance.
The way Yamazaki observed, the way he evaluated, the way he remained silent—it all felt familiar, like returning to the time when they stood on the same battlefield.
Tobera shifted her gaze back to the screen.
This time, she was truly focused.
...
At first, Fubuki also did not expect that a man could possess an Ability. What Kazuma had explained earlier—about the Mato Essence—was not just something new, but something that could shake the entire world order.
If the existence of that substance became widely known…
Then the system that had stood firm all this time could collapse in an instant.
But beyond that, there was something else that lingered in her mind.
She felt… a bit of sympathy.
Kazuma, who now stood before her, was not only facing external enemies—but also a heavy burden suddenly placed upon his shoulders. A responsibility he had never chosen for himself.
'But… why does he feel familiar?'
Fubuki slightly furrowed her brows.
The feeling did not fade.
She began digging through her memories, scanning one face after another—until a name surfaced.
And at that moment—she understood.
'Yumera…'
Her gaze shifted slightly.
'I remember… she had a son.'
Yumera Satou.
A frontline fighter of the MDF.
More than that, she was the vice captain of Unit 9 in the past. Someone who stood right beside Fubuki, facing battle after battle without retreating.
However—
A tragic incident took everything away.
Yumera fell into a coma after fighting a special Shuuki that had managed to enter Japan, specifically in the Kyoto Prefecture area.
And since then—she had remained in a coma for years.
"I'll have to ask him about that… after this, of course."
Fubuki set that thought aside for now. There was something more urgent in front of her.
She refocused on the ongoing sparring. From what she observed, Kazuma's ability seemed related to physical enhancement—a type of Ability that drastically increases destructive power, allowing every attack to have extraordinary impact.
However—
Just as she was forming that analysis, a sharp hissing sound came from the sky.
As if something was falling at high speed.
Fubuki looked up.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Up there, Kazuma—his body now glowing bright yellow—was descending at near mach speed, cutting through the air like a living projectile.
In an instant—
He struck the center of the island.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, resembling the impact of a missile. The ground shook violently, and the shockwave swept outward with brutal force.
A thick cloud of dust surged toward Fubuki.
"Insane…"
Without wasting time, Fubuki immediately activated her Ability—Sunset. Thanks to the power of the peach, she could summon a yari spear from empty air, its tip adorned with a sun-like symbol. This weapon was no ordinary tool—she could extend or shorten its reach at will, while also adjusting its destructive power.
The moment the spear settled in her grip—
Kazuma was already there.
He shot straight toward her at high speed, his body still blazing with bright yellow light. His attack came without pause.
Fubuki reacted instantly.
Her spear rose, blocking the incoming strike—it was clear Kazuma had launched a kick straight at her.
The impact was immediate.
Fubuki's body was sent flying backward.
But before she could fully stabilize herself—
Kazuma had already moved again.
The next attack came without mercy, relentless, pressing forward without giving her even a moment to breathe.
'Heavy…!'
Fubuki clenched her teeth.
Every blow that landed felt like being struck by a sledgehammer—hard, dense, full of pressure. Her body trembled under the force, while her arms went numb from absorbing the overwhelming energy. Yet she did not yield. With swift movements, she manipulated her Sunset spear, spinning it to block Kazuma's attacks and force him to slip across the beach sand.
Kazuma, not losing momentum, twisted his body midair and kicked toward Fubuki from above. He descended like a meteor, scorching the sand beneath him as his leg collided with the spear's guard in a burst of yellow light. Fubuki endured the impact, her body pushed back, but she quickly rotated her spear to deflect the barrage of strikes coming from multiple angles.
With a single motion, she knocked Kazuma into the air, using the momentum to counterattack. The young man was thrown several meters, the ground cracking where he landed—but in the next instant, he rose again, his yellow glow intensifying. At near Mach speed, Kazuma launched himself once more, his hand blazing as he struck Fubuki with a straight attack that sent waves of air and sand scattering in all directions.
Fubuki spun, leaping high, her spear dancing in her hands—deflecting while simultaneously counterattacking with its sunlit tip. Each clash sent sand flying, the air hissing, and the sound of miniature explosions echoed across the island. They moved like a storm, each attack answered by another, leaving no room to breathe.
Kazuma tried to break through her defense with a spinning punch, but Fubuki rotated her spear, striking his side and redirecting the force toward the sea. The waves were swept by the heat of his energy, turning into steam and mist around the battlefield. The two fighters moved like lightning, continuously exchanging offense and defense, channeling their energy without pause—each step shattering sand, triggering small explosions wherever their feet touched the ground, Kazuma's yellow light blazing brightly in contrast to the radiant sun symbol on Fubuki's spear.