Part 6 – The Boy Who Finally Fought
The steam hadn't fully cleared—
when the pressure in the arena changed again.
Haruto's stance shifted.
Subtle.
But complete.
The flow of his Seiryu—
changed.
It wasn't just circulating anymore.
It surged.
Through every part of his body.
Condensed.
Refined.
Then—
ignited.
Flames erupted—
not just around his arms—
but across his entire body.
Controlled.
Dense.
Like a second skin of fire.
The crowd gasped.
"…What is that—"
Kaito leaned forward.
"…His flow… it's different."
Ayame's eyes narrowed.
"He's not just concentrating…"
"…he's distributing it," Amaya whispered.
Across the arena—
Arashi saw it.
And smiled.
"Finally."
No more words.
Both moved.
At the same time.
They collided in the center—
a violent clash of fire and force.
Impact.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Arashi struck first—
a fast right aimed at Haruto's side—
Haruto blocked—
but immediately countered with a sharp upward strike—
Arashi twisted mid-motion, deflecting it—
then shifted his flow.
Instantly.
The flames around his arms vanished—
reappearing at his legs.
A burst of speed—
He spun—
A blazing kick tore through the air—
Haruto barely raised his guard in time—
The impact forced him back.
But he didn't break.
He stepped in again.
Closing the gap.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
Clash.
Their movements became relentless.
Fluid.
Adaptive.
Every second—
changing.
Arashi's eyes tracked everything—
every shift in Haruto's stance—
every timing—
every opening.
He adjusted constantly.
Refined mid-fight.
Haruto matched him.
Not predicting—
but responding.
Perfectly.
Instinctively.
Flames clashed again and again—
each impact sending heatwaves across the arena.
The crowd had gone completely silent now.
Watching.
Unable to look away.
Arashi shifted again—
arms to legs—
legs to shoulders—
every part of his body becoming a weapon.
A downward strike—
Haruto slipped to the side—
countered to the ribs—
Arashi blocked—
then drove a knee forward—
Haruto caught it—
then forced it aside—
Both broke for half a second—
then re-engaged instantly.
No pause.
No hesitation.
Just continuous combat.
Their breathing began to grow heavier.
Slight.
But noticeable.
Sweat mixed with heat.
Flames flickered harder—
less stable—
but no weaker.
Neither of them stopped.
Not even for a moment.
Arashi pushed forward again—
faster—
harder—
forcing Haruto back a single step—
then another—
Haruto answered immediately—
driving forward with equal force—
regaining ground.
Neither gaining advantage.
Neither falling behind.
Just—
pure, relentless exchange.
Even as fatigue crept in—
even as their bodies strained—
they kept going.
Because neither of them—
was willing to be the first to stop.
The clash didn't stop.
Not for a second.
Strike after strike—
block after block—
their bodies kept moving even as their strength began to fade.
Their flames flickered now.
Not as stable.
Not as sharp.
But still burning.
Arashi lunged forward—
Haruto met him—
another impact—
another exchange—
then another—
until—
their movements slowed.
Just slightly.
Their breathing grew heavy.
Visible.
Loud.
Arashi threw a punch—
Haruto blocked—
but the counter came slower this time.
Arashi saw it—
and attacked again—
but his own movement lacked the same sharpness as before.
Fatigue.
It had reached both of them.
Still—
neither stopped.
They forced their bodies forward—
again—
again—
again—
until finally—
one last clash.
A direct collision.
Flames surged—
then—
both of them broke.
At the same time.
Their bodies gave out.
They fell.
Hard.
The flames vanished instantly.
The arena went silent.
No fire.
No movement.
Just two figures—
lying on the ground.
Breathing heavily.
Neither standing.
Because they both knew—
the one who stands…
wins.
Seconds passed.
But it felt longer.
Haruto's chest rose and fell unevenly.
His vision blurred slightly.
"…Arashi…" he muttered weakly in his mind.
Please… understand…
He coughed—
blood spilling slightly from his mouth.
His body ached.
Burning from within.
I can't… breathe properly…
His fingers twitched slightly.
…shouldn't have used flames on my entire body…
Across from him—
Arashi hadn't moved either.
Both of them—
completely exhausted.
Pushed beyond their limits.
Another second passed.
Then—
Haruto moved.
Slowly.
His hand pressed against the ground.
His arm trembled.
But he forced it.
He had to end it.
He had to get up.
He had to go home.
His body resisted—
but he pushed through.
Rising.
Bit by bit.
The crowd held its breath.
"…He's getting up…"
Haruto stood.
Barely.
Unstable.
But standing.
The announcer's voice rang out immediately—
"Winner—Haruto Inazuma!"
The arena erupted—
but the sound didn't fully settle—
because—
another voice cut through it.
"Wait."
A figure stepped forward.
Authority in his tone.
"This round has been cancelled."
Silence fell again.
Confusion spread instantly.
"…Cancelled?"
"A misunderstanding occurred," the man continued. "This match… will not determine the outcome."
The announcer hesitated—
then received confirmation.
"…Due to official decision…"
"…the results of this round are void."
Murmurs exploded across the arena.
"What—?!"
"Then who wins?!"
The official voice spoke again—
clear.
Final.
"The Vanguard Tournament will now conclude with…"
"…four winners."
The names echoed in the air—
unspoken yet understood.
Haruto stood there—
barely conscious—
his body swaying slightly.
Not reacting.
Not questioning.
Just… standing.
While everything around him— changed.
The official stepped forward, his presence steady enough to silence the entire arena.
"…After review," he said, voice firm, "the outcome of this round will not be counted."
A pause.
Everyone leaned in.
"Instead…"
"…the Vanguard Tournament will conclude with four winners."
The tension in the air tightened.
Then—
he spoke the names.
"Amaya Homura."
A wave of murmurs.
"Ayame Inazuma."
Stronger reactions.
"Arashi Homura."
Cheers returned instantly.
Then—
a brief pause.
"…Haruto Inazuma."
Silence.
Not loud like before.
Not mocking.
Just—
stunned.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"…About time."
Ayame's eyes remained fixed on Haruto.
Not surprised.
Just… confirmed.
Amaya crossed her arms slightly, a faint smirk forming.
"…So he was hiding it."
Arashi, still on the ground, let out a tired breath and closed his eyes briefly.
"…Took you long enough."
Haruto stood there—
barely holding himself up—
not reacting to the announcement at all.
Like it didn't matter.
Like the result wasn't what he was standing for in the first place.