BAM!...

SWASHHH...

WOOSHHHH...

Blades cut through the air again and again. Each swing came faster than the last. Aoto could barely dodge them. Sweat rolled down his neck, his breathing heavy and uneven. Every time he tried to step back, Orihime was already there, slashing at him with that same cold expression that told him—she was serious about killing him.

At that point, he knew running was useless. He had tried escaping for too long. She wasn’t going to stop.

So, instead of dodging again, Aoto straightened his back and faced her.

“What bad luck,” he muttered under his breath, “Chiyoko isn’t here either. At least he’s useful sometimes…”

He sighed softly, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and loneliness. It had already been two days since Chiyoko and his team left for the Seventh Demon King’s territory. By now, they must be far away. There was no chance they could come back to help him.

Orihime slowed her steps when she saw Aoto stop running. A faint smirk appeared on her lips as she lowered her blade slightly. “You finally gave up?” she asked, her tone half-mocking, half-curious.

“No,” Aoto replied, trying to sound brave. “I decided to fight like a man!”

He puffed out his chest, pretending not to be scared. But deep down, his stomach twisted in nervousness.

Orihime chuckled, the sound low and cold. “Good, good, good… It would’ve been shameful if the so-called hero died while running like a rat.”

Aoto’s lips tightened. “Before we start fighting again, at least tell me one thing,” he shouted, raising his voice so she could hear him clearly. “What kind of modifications did you do to my sword?”

Orihime blinked in surprise. For a second, her face showed real confusion. She looked at the blade in her hand, then at Aoto again. “Modifications? What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to your sword.”

Aoto froze. “Did nothing?” he repeated quietly, almost to himself.

That didn’t make sense. With the amount of output sword was producing —it was clear something had changed to match orihime.

But this wasn't the case at all.

Before he could think of an answer, Orihime moved again. She jumped forward and swung her sword with full force, her attack slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.

Aoto reacted just in time, twisting his body to the side. The blade missed his shoulder by an inch. He felt the rush of wind from it brush past his cheek.

Orihime gritted her teeth. “Stop running like a rat!” she yelled angrily.

Aoto’s eyes darted to a broken wooden stick lying nearby. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and focused his energy. His skill—Reality Manipulation—flared to life. The wooden stick shimmered, its shape twisting until it turned into a real sword, gleaming faintly in his hands.

BAM! BAM!

Their swords collided. Sparks flew. The clash echoed through the empty ruins around them. Aoto was clearly at a disadvantage—his footing was unstable, his strikes were slower—but he didn’t back down.

“She’s fast,” he thought, panting, “but her sword skills aren’t perfect… maybe I still have a chance to survive this.”

Between their fierce clash, Orihime didn’t hold back anymore. She mixed her sword swings with bursts of magic—fireballs, shockwaves, wind slashes, and even beams of light that burned through the ground.

But every time she attacked, Aoto fought back with the same strength. If she used magic, he copied it and fired it right back at her. When she tried to land a physical strike, he used his Reality Manipulation to erase the impact completely, turning her efforts into nothing but wasted energy.

He could feel his heartbeat racing, but his body wasn’t breaking down. Thanks to the goddess’s blessing, his stamina kept recovering, and even the deep cuts on his arms were closing up little by little. His breathing steadied. His movements became sharper.

Soon enough, Orihime was no longer overwhelming him. Their blows met equally, and sometimes, Aoto even managed to push her back. The shock in her eyes told him she hadn’t expected that.

“Was I… underestimating myself all this time?” Aoto thought, feeling a strange excitement rising inside him.

For the first time, he didn’t feel fear—only thrill. His lips curved into a faint grin. “Why was I even afraid of her in the first place?”

This wasn’t like him. Normally, he would’ve run away if he faced someone stronger, or if someone else’s life was in danger. Escaping was always the wise choice. But now, against a beautiful girl like Orihime, Beating her in a fair fight and making her fall in love afterward… that sounded like something out of his fantasy , so why was he so afraid?

“It seems she has some kind of mind-control ability,” he thought, realizing his emotions weren’t acting normal.

Across from him, Orihime was thinking the same. “Tch! My intimidation skill isn’t working anymore!” she gritted her teeth, frustration flashing in her eyes.

Then suddenly, she smiled sweetly. “Well then, if fear doesn’t work… love will.”

Orihime stopped moving. She stretched her arms toward him and formed a heart shape with her fingers. Her eyes sparkled, her tone turning soft and cheerful like a pop idol. “Love, love, pure love!” she sang, making an adorable pose that didn’t match the deadly fight at all.

A pink beam of light shot out from the heart shape she made, heading straight for Aoto at blinding speed.

But before it could reach him—

Unique Skill: Reality Manipulation Activated

The pink beam shimmered, twisted, and then transformed into a small golden locket that gently floated toward him. It hung itself around his neck, shining faintly under the dim sky.

Aoto touched the locket and grinned. “Thanks for the gift,” he said, winking playfully at her.

Orihime’s cheerful smile froze, her expression darkening.

"Reality manipulation is really annoying",

Meanwhile, Aoto had completely forgotten about the destruction around them—the shattered ground, the falling debris, the broken walls. He was now more focused on teasing her.

“If you give me my sword back, surrender, and tell me why you wanted to kill me, I might spare you,” Aoto said confidently, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Of course, he was lying. He just wanted to make her feel cornered so the fight would end sooner.

But Orihime only gave a small, eerie chuckle.

“Do you know,” she said softly, “there are two techniques considered the peak of strength? One is called Battleform Selection… and the other is Mental World.”

Aoto frowned. “What now? Did she lose her mind?” he muttered under his breath.

But Orihime’s gaze turned distant, her voice calm and proud. “Learning Battleform is difficult, but possible. Mental World, though… that’s something too overwhelming for any human to manifest. So we created something else—a smaller, very smaller version of it.”

Then, suddenly—

Splash! Splash! Splash!

A massive wave of pink aura erupted from her body, so bright and dense it looked like a pillar of light crashing down from the heavens. The ground cracked beneath her feet. A strong wind blew outward, forcing Aoto to shield his face.

“Battleform Selection—Terra 2,” Orihime whispered.

Her clothes shimmered and changed instantly. In place of her usual outfit, she now wore a sleek black bunny suit with fake bunny ears. It was strange—cute and dangerously charming at the same time. Her sword glowed and reshaped into a microphone, its handle sparkling with magic.

She stood tall, smiling like an idol about to perform on stage.

But she wasn’t done yet.

“Domain Expansion—Idol’s Stage!” she declared.

WOOSHHHH…

The world around them twisted. The broken battlefield disappeared in an instant. The unconscious soldiers and fleeing townsfolk vanished too. In their place, a bright circular stage rose from beneath their feet, surrounded by rows of glowing seats for an audience.

All those people who had vanished moments ago reappeared—now sitting as the crowd, cheering and shouting for either Orihime or Aoto.

Aoto turned his head in disbelief. “What the hell is this…?”

Orihime spread her arms and smiled. “Unlike the Mental World, this Domain Expansion has limits. It’s smaller, weaker, and there are ways to escape it and many other limitations… but,” she said, her tone shifting cold, “it’ll be more than enough to kill you.”

Aoto looked around, his heart pounding as the lights from the stage reflected in his wide eyes. He had no idea what “Battleform” or “Mental World” really meant, but one thing was certain—

“I’m fucked!,”

-----------

Meanwhile, at night in DreadHaven, the moonlight poured softly over the  palace roofs and glowing lanterns scattered across the land. Scarlett walked lazily through the quiet streets, humming to herself. She was supposed to be inside her palace, but she knew that if she stayed too long, Yumi would come looking for her and hand her some annoying paperwork.

So, she escaped.

The cool night breeze brushed against her hair as she wandered aimlessly, enjoying the peace. But suddenly—her smile faded. She stopped walking, her mismatched eyes narrowing.

Someone was approaching DreadHaven… quietly.

Even though the intruder was still kilometers away, Scarlett could sense him as if he were standing right beside her. Her senses were sharp—too sharp for anyone to sneak past. People entered and left DreadHaven every day, but no one ever needed to use stealth. That alone made this person suspicious.

Instead of alerting anyone, Scarlett grinned slightly. “Let’s see who dares to sneak into my place.”

With a faint rustle, six majestic wings spread out behind her. Then, with one gentle flap, she disappeared into the darkness—flying so fast and silently that even shadows couldn’t catch her.

Within moments, she appeared right beside the intruder.

Without saying a word, she placed her soft hand on his shoulder.

“Ahh—!” The man gasped in shock and immediately jumped back several meters, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Scarlett looked calm and unbothered. “Now, now… what’s a member of the Holy Knights doing sneaking into DreadHaven at this hour?” she asked gently, her voice calm yet sharp enough to send chills down the spine.

The man froze. It was Igris—one of the strongest members of the Holy Knights. His face was tense, his breathing uneven. Scarlett recognized him immediately but couldn’t understand why he was here.

He could have come openly. As a Holy Knight, he would have been allowed to enter DreadHaven anytime without suspicion. But sneaking in like this? That made things strange.

Before she could say another word, Igris suddenly shut his eyes tightly, afraid to even look at her. Her beauty was overwhelming—he feared if he stared too long, he might lose himself.

Then he dropped to one knee and pressed his hand on the ground.

“Domain Expansion—The Ultimate Volcano!” he shouted.

In an instant, the world around Scarlett shifted. The sky turned crimson, and the ground trembled beneath her feet. The peaceful night was replaced by roaring flames and burning rocks. It looked like she had been dragged inside the heart of a living volcano. Giant pillars of magma surrounded her, and lava waves bubbled and crashed like an angry sea.

Scarlett blinked slowly, her face still expressionless.

“Domain Expansion? What is this, Jujutsu Kaisen?” she muttered to herself, sounding more bored than afraid. Even though the situation was deadly, she didn’t seem to care at all.

Igris smirked proudly. “Haha! Do you know where you are? The surface temperature here is six thousand degrees Celsius—hotter than the core of this planet! In a few seconds, you’ll melt and drown in lava!”

His laughter echoed through the blazing air, confident and wild.

But Scarlett didn’t even flinch. She stood there quietly, watching him boast like a fool.

When he finally paused, she tilted her head slightly. “Are you done?” she asked with a disappointed sigh.

Then, without hesitation, she walked straight toward the lake of lava. Igris stared in disbelief as she bent down, dipped her pale hand into the glowing lava, and lifted some of it as if she were scooping water.

And then—she drank it.

The burning liquid slid down her throat, but she didn’t even blink. Not a single burn mark appeared on her skin. She swallowed calmly and wiped her mouth.

Igris’s jaw dropped. “W-what… how?! Are you using some kind of fire-related unique skill?!” he stammered, panic rising in his voice.

Scarlett’s lips curved into a playful smirk. “Mmm… feels like ice to me.”

The color drained from Igris’s face.

He had been warned by King Vladmir of Mystveil that Scarlett was dangerous—that she should be dealt with quickly before she could react. That’s why he used his trump card, his domain, right from the start. But seeing her walk through lava like it was nothing—it shattered every bit of confidence he had.

“The gap… it’s too big!” Igris thought, cold sweat dripping down his temple.

Without wasting another second, he decided to run. He dispelled his domain expansion, returning surrounding to the real . But just as he turned around to escape—

Scarlett was already standing in front of him.

“Not so fast, Mr. Dragon Slayer,”